There are a ton of quality wireless routers on the market right now, but which one is going to be the best for you. If you’re looking to buy a wireless router this video is for you. In this video we’re going to be checking out the 5 best wireless routers available right now. I made this list based on performance, features, price and more. I’ve included options for every type of consumer, so if you’re looking for a budget option for regular home use or a premium tri-band wi-fi 6 gaming router, we’ll have the product for you.
The fifth product on our list is the TP-Link Archer A8. This is our best budget wireless router. If you’re looking for an inexpensive wireless router for your home computers, mobile devices, TVs and gaming consoles then the TP-Link Archer A8 offers fast connectivity speeds, plus some great features found on more expensive routers making it a great budget option for you.
Currently priced at eighty dollars the Archer A8 features dual band, high speed, multi-user mimo or also known as multi-user multiple input multiple outputs, plus beamforming. You’ll enjoy speeds up to 1900 megabits per second which is good for full HD streaming but 4k content won’t be as smooth as the higher speed routers.
You’ll get good and reliable coverage with beamforming and the three antennas that help focus the signal strength, having multi-user mimo is a big bonus. The Archer A8 features three streams so you’ll get better performance when more than one device is connected. You also get gigabit ports for wired devices like computers, smart TVs and gaming consoles, but there’s no USB ports, which can be overlooked at this price point.
Setup is extremely easy and should only take a few minutes using TP-Link’s app or can even be set up using your web browser.
The key features are:
Speed. AC 1900; multi-user mimo, supports multi-user mimo streaming; ports, 1 WAN and four LAN ports.
The pros are:
Features includes: multi-user mimo, parental controls, guest wi-fi, wi-fi smart connect and beam forming.
Boosted wi-fi coverage. Beamforming and the three antennas help focus the signal strength.
Easy to use. It’s incredibly easy to install and setup, plus both the app and web interface are straightforward and easy to use.
And for the cons:
Lack of ports. No USB ports.
Signal strength. Speeds and signals drop quite a bit going through walls.
The TP-Link Archer A8 gives you steady performance, decent speeds, and some great features found on more expensive routers and is ideal for apartments or smaller homes, making it one of the best budget options for you.
If you find that you have an internet dead zone in your home, buying a new router may not actually resolve your problem. A more affordable and simpler option to resolve the issue may be to add a wi-fi extender to your current router setup. For example, the Verratek DB-1200 is a great affordable option under 50 dollars with dependable speeds up to 1200 megabits per second. This is great to pair with a more affordable router to turn any router into a kind of mesh router setup and ensure your entire home has great wi-fi.
If you can spend a bit more and want something more high-end the TP-Link AC2600 will get higher speeds up to 2600 megabits per second and additional features. If you have fast wi-fi closer to the router but dead zones throughout the house this may be a more affordable solution.
The fourth product on our list is Google WiFi (2020). This is our best wireless router for mesh networks. The Google WiFi can be used as a wireless router, but its big selling point is that it can be used as a wi-fi mesh system when combined with additional units giving you wider coverage with consistent, high quality wi-fi, by broadcasting it from multiple locations around your home.
Currently priced at 100 the Google WiFi is great for those that want to have the flexibility to expand their wi-fi coverage as required. If you have a smaller space the single router may be all you need, and if you already know you need expanded coverage you can opt to get a three pack.
The design is minimalist, it looks like a big white hockey puck but is still quite discreet. Setup is very simple; it’s probably one of the bestselling features for non-techies, especially with some routers being very intimidating to set up. You just need to download the google Wi-Fi app and it does a great job of taking you through the steps.
When you’re ready to add more wi-fi points you just have to scan in their QR codes to integrate them into your setup. Also keeping it simple you won’t have to worry about the dual bands. The Google WiFi does a great job in the background to always give you the best connection possible.
The key features are:
Multi-user mimo. Supports multi-user mimo streaming.
Speed. AC 1200.
Ports. Two gigabit ethernet ports with one WAN and one LAN.
The pros are:
Mesh system. Modular design can be used as part of Google’s mesh system for increased seamless coverage.
Beamforming. Both implicit and explicit for the dual bands.
Ease of use. Setting up and use is extremely simple even for novices.
Updates. Google continually pushes updates automatically to improve performance.
And for the cons:
Lacs advanced features. Lack some advanced features and customization for those that want to customize their Wi-Fi network.
No USB. No USB port, you need a google account and a mobile device for setup and management.
The Google WiFi is extremely easy to set up and use making it ideal for the less tech savvy who want an affordable wireless router for smaller spaces or if you’re thinking of setting up a mesh system for whole home coverage later on.
The third product on our list is the TP-Link Archer AX6000. This is our best value wi-fi six wireless router. With more and more devices having wi-fi six capabilities you’ll want a wireless router that offers more future proofing than most wireless routers that only offer, the current wi-fi five.
The TP-Link Archer AX6000 is one of your best options offering next-gen wi-fi connectivity, along with superb performance in range. It’s a dual band, 8 stream router with 4 streams on each band, using the latest 802 11ax tech, also known as wi-fi 6.
Currently priced at two hundred eighty dollars, the Archer AX6000 is ideal for those that have higher bandwidth requirements. You’ll get greater capacity, more efficiency and be able to connect four times more devices with TP-Links OFDM A and ax multi-user mimo technology. And while many wireless routers struggle with streaming 4k content with the Archer AX6000 you’ll be able to enjoy even 8k movies, online gaming with incredible speeds and even experience some cool VR.
The key features are:
WI-FI six. Supports the newest wireless standard 802.11 AX.
Speed. AX 6000, 4804 megabits per second and one thousand one hundred forty-eight megabits per second, on the five gigahertz and two-point four gigahertz respectively.
Antennas. Eight external antennas for extra strength and coverage.
Multi-user mimo. Supports multi-user mimo streaming.
The pros are
Ports. Eight gigabit LAN, one two and a half gigabit per second WAN, one USB A 3.0 and one USB C 3.0.
In and out options. It has considerably more input and output options than most.
NAS speeds. Network attached storage transfer rates are extremely fast.
Security. Free antivirus module powered by trend micro.
And for the cons:
Security does not currently support wpa3 which holds it back from being officially wi-fi six certified but everything else including the performance is all still there. You’ll just have to watch for a firmware update in the future.
App. The companion app is a little limited.
If you need a router to handle a lot of traffic at high speeds for work, streaming, or gaming in a large home with multiple users then the TP-Link Archer AX6000 is one of your best choices especially with its wi-fi six performance and speeds.
The second product on our list is the Netgear Nighthawk Tri-Band AX8 WiFi Router. This is our best overall wireless router. If you’re looking for a premium wi-fi 6 wireless router for multi-devices and don’t want to sacrifice performance then the Netgear Nighthawk Tri-Band AX8 WiFi 6 Router offers high performance, enhanced security and incredible speeds, making it one of the best tri-band wireless router choices for you.
Currently priced at 380 dollars the Netgear like the previous TP-Link is also a wi-fi 6 wireless router with 8 streams and it even offers similar performance. In fact you’ll find the same chipset inside both routers, but what sets the Netgear apart is that in addition to its sci-fi looking design is that it offers a tri-band connectivity versus the TP-Link’s dual band.
Since only one client can connect to your router using one band at a time, if you have two devices simultaneously the bandwidth is shared. Netgear gives you three dedicated wi-fi bands which means less network congestion and device interference, so you and your entire family can enjoy more speed and efficiency, including simultaneous 4k and 8k UHD streaming, lag-free gaming and interruption-free browsing.
The Netgear’s tri-band also makes it ideal for small offices that rely on having constant online access requiring top speeds or heavy local wi-fi network usage.
The key features are:
WI-FI 6. Supports the newest wireless standard 802.11 AX.
Speed 1.2 and 4.8 gigabits per second plus 600 megabits per second with eight stream connectivity.
Tri-band. Two five gigahertz bands, plus a 2.4 gigahertz band.
Multi-user mimo. WI-FI capacity allows up to four devices to stream content at the same time. Beamforming. Boosts speed, reliability and range of wi-fi connections with 160-megahertz channel support.
The pros are:
Ports. Five ethernet ports and one USB 3.0 port.
Strong signal. Signal can punch through walls and floors quite well, almost 30 percent better than the archer ax-6000.
Security. Advanced cyber security powered by bit defender keeps your network and private data safe from online threats.
And for the cons – overkill. Tri-band may be overkill for average households.
If you’re looking for one of the best performing wi-fi 6 wireless routers around the Netgear Nighthawk Tri-Band AX8 WiFi 6 Router delivers more throughput than most other wi-fi 6 routers making it ideal for large families that love to stream or game online and offices or home creative studios that need more local bandwidth for network backups, file sharing, photo and video editing.
The first product on our list is the ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX11000. This is our best wireless router for gaming. If you’re looking for one of the best wireless routers for gaming, then the ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 is a beast when it comes to gaming and one of the best options for you. Currently priced at 410 dollars the ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 really goes big. Not only does it have a big footprint, but it also delivers big performance that’s hard to beat.
It’s a 12 stream, AX 11000 tri-band router that delivers four times better in dense or congested wi-fi environments, about 40 percent faster than ac peak data rates and is four times more efficient so your devices use less battery.
The Tri-band wi-fi gives you up to eleven thousand megabits per second. If you’re not a gamer there’s plenty of things to really like. If you’re a gamer you’re going to love it the tri-band. GT AX 11000 may seem pricey but it combines powerful hardware specs, fast connectivity and a ton of features to enhance your gaming experience.
The key features are:
Triple level game acceleration. Provides triple level game acceleration to boost game traffic, lowers ping rate and reduce game latency for a better gaming experience.
Speed. Up to 11 000 megabits per second throughput.
WI-FI coverage. Excellent signal coverage suitable for very large homes.
Mesh WI-FI. Asus AI mesh compatible.
Ports. 2.5 ethernet port, 4 gigabit LAN and 2 USB 3.1 ports.
RGB lighting. It’s a gamer’s wireless router it has to have lights.
The pros are:
Game boost. Analyzes network traffic and prioritizes gaming packets giving games a second level of acceleration for the best possible performance with just a single click.
Built-in GPN support. Powered by WTFast it provides private optimized internet connections to gamers private network and other game servers.
Gamefirst V. Supports game first V that optimizes ROG devices. Gaming packets on these devices is given top priority so your gaming packets are always at the head of the internet queue.
Easy port forwarding. Easy open NAT in three steps.
Simultaneous gaming and VPN. Let’s you run a VPN and an ordinary internet connection simultaneously.
Aiprotection Pro. Lifetime free commercial grade network security.
And for the cons:
Expensive. Overkill for non-gamers.
Ports only five LAN ports.
The ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 is an ultimate wi-fi router for hardcore gamers with incredible speeds and gaming centric features and enhancements, making it one of the best gaming wireless routers for the gamer in you.
