Which Router is Right for Me?
You walk into a big box store, or one of those office places, go to the “technology” section and look at the different routers that are there. Wow! There’s a lot of them and they all look like the do different things! So, how am I supposed to choose one, let alone choose the right one that will meet my needs? Well, we’re here today to go over some of the top picks this year for Wi-Fi routers and to help you determine what you need so you either don’t over-purchase, or purchase something that you can’t expand later on should the needs arise!
So, you want a new Wi-Fi router. First let’s start by saying that you want to make sure you don’t get something that’s going to be obsolete in a couple of years, so we’re going to be looking only at devices that conform to the Wi-Fi 6 standard or better. These devices not only support some of the latest technologies, they also maintain full backwards compatibility for the older devices you may have that need keep on your wireless network.
The next question boils down to one of two things, primarily how big of a space you’re trying to cover with wireless. If, for example, you live in a moderate to small apartment (about 1,000 square feet or so) or a single floor home of a similar size, then unless your walls are made of brick or solid metal, usually a singly Wi-Fi Router will provide more than adequate coverage.
But if you live in a larger structure, multiple floors, 3,000, 4,000 square feet or larger, a single device is going to have a difficult time covering any space that large if it can at all, and if your wireless device is on a different floor from where you are? All bets are off! In a situation like that you’re better off with a Mesh system.
What is a Mesh System? Simply put, a mesh system is like a little cell network for your wi-fi wireless network. You place multiple ‘nodes’ or devices around your home to help blanket it in wi-fi signal and as you move around your home, the devices talk to each other and seamlessly pass you from one device to another, thereby maintaining your connection to your wireless without you having to do anything. Mesh systems are a little more expensive to setup initially, but the expandability, seamless operation, and ease of use for individuals on your Wi-fi more than makes up for the added cost.
So, which Wi-Fi devices do we recommend? Well, let’s start with the single Wi-Fi Router devices.
The TP-Link Archer AXE75 is a great device at under $200 that gives you almost the latest technology without breaking the bank. This router incorporates the Wi-Fi 6E standard meaning your latest devices, phones, tablets, and more are fully supported. In addition to the 6E standard, this device also has Parental Controls, Anti-Malware tools, supports Quality of Service and even can have Guest Networking. The AXE75, like many of the TP-Link routers, is OneMesh compatible which is a TP-Link standard, meaning you can pair it with another OneMesh device from TP-Link to create a seamless mesh network if your coverage needs to be expanded in the future.
You can find the device on Amazon at this link: https://amzn.to/4dRq6ia
The Synology WRX560 is also a good choice for a single home Wi-Fi router. At around the same $200 price point, you get a device that not only works well, but is a little more stylish than the TP-Link AXE75. The Synology WRX560 has no external antenna’s sticking out of it so it almost looks like a decoration sitting on a shelf or out in the open. There’s one slight difference between the two devices though, where the TP-Link device is a Tri-band, this device is only a Dual-Band. Don’t let that scare you away though, it’s still a solid router and wireless device! It DOES Support the Wi-Fi 6 standard and operates on the 2.4 and 5 GHz frequencies, so it will support old and new devices just fine. Additionally, it has parental controls, anti-virus tools and guest network support.
You can find the device on Amazon at this link: https://amzn.to/4dT1Ufm
Now if you’re into gaming and want the best, you certainly can’t go wrong with the Asus ROG Rapture GT-BE98 Pro! This device has the latest standard or Wi-Fi 7 and supports speeds of up to 11.5 Gbit. Now keep in mind it’s not going to magically make your Internet faster than what your provider gives you, but considering most providers top out at 1Gbit, this device is going to have no problems keeping up with that! This is a massive router that’s intended to be placed on a desk or other flat surface and has a price to match. But hey, when you want the best, don’t be surprised that there’s a larger price tag that comes with it. The Asus ROG Rapture GT-BE98 Pro has the most features out of all the ones we’ve reviewed, as well as a 10Gbit port and additional 1Gbit Ethernet ports. Like the previous devices, the Rapture GT-BE98 also has Parental Controls, Quality of Service, Anti-malware tools and guest networking capabilities. If you’re looking for the best gaming Wi-Fi router on the market today, you can’t go wrong with this one!
You can find the device on Amazon at this link: https://amzn.to/3SZJtNM
For the budget conscious among us, there’s the TP-Link Archer AX10 (or AX1500) Wi-Fi 6 Router. This device, while a little more limited than the previous ones mentioned, will still give great performance for your average Wi-Fi user on a budget! This Wi-Fi router proves that you can get a lot of bang for you buck without breaking the bank. Although this device doesn’t have some of the more advanced features such as onboard USB ports, anti-malware tools and is only a dual band device, the combination of a price for well under $100, parental controls and guest networking make it great option for those that need a new router but don’t have a large budget.
You can find the device on Amazon at this link: https://amzn.to/3AzyUe8
For single router solutions, if you’re looking for the best Wi-Fi 6E solution you can get on the market today, there’s the Asus RT-AXE7800 Tri-Band Wi-Fi 6E Router. This device uses the faster 6GHz wireless technology and multi-gig wired connectivity to deliver faster throughput, making it the top choice in the realm of Wi-Fi 6E Devices. This is a solid and feature rich device that’s not only a top performer in all Wi-Fi 6E routers, but also has most of not all of the same advanced features of other devices we’ve reviewed. Features like Quality of Service, Anti-Malware tools, Parental Controls, and Guest networking are all found on this device as well as multiple additional USB and Ethernet ports. Keeping up with the cutting edge of wireless technology, this device, being a Tri-band device, also has support for the three distinct radio bands that Wi-Fi utilizes today, 2.4, 5 and 6 GHz. This device not only performs well on the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands, but is designed also to harness the power of the relatively uncrowded 6GHz band. If you’re looking for the best Wi-Fi 6E router, look no further than the Asus RT-AXE7800.
You can find the device on Amazon at this link: https://amzn.to/4gfIx1N
The best general Mesh device is the Amazon eero 6+. This simple and non-descript little device not only is simple in it’s setup, but it’s small and almost un-noticeable no matter if it’s sitting on a shelf or and end table in your home. This device provides great throughput and is very expandable, allowing you to add more nodes or devices as your coverage needs grow. The only disadvantages of these devices are that they lack USB support as well as Quality of Service, but the do support Anti-virus tools, Parental Controls and have Guest networking capabilities. Listing at $139.99 for your first node or device, it’s certainly not going to break the bank. Granted, it’s more expensive than the stand alone TP-Link AX10, but when you need additional coverage in the future, simply purchase another node/device and add it to your network, thereby expanding your coverage without having to replace any other devices. Also, if you know you’re going to need the additional coverage right away, you can purchase multi-unit or device packs right up front and save on the additional devices.
You can find the device on Amazon at this link: https://amzn.to/4etv455
Now if you’re a gamer and you’re looking at a mesh system, you can’t go wrong with the Asus ROG Rapture GT6 Wi-Fi 6 Gaming Mesh System. While this device is a little on the expensive side at $466.99 from Amazon, with it’s 6GHz backhaul network and Quality of Service, it offers a very robust wireless experience and specialized features like the Game Radar Diagnostic Utility, which assists you in identifying the traffic and settings for Quality of Service for specific games. This feature rich device will not only provide speedy wireless connectivity, the additional advanced features will help protect you and your devices with features like Quality of Service, Anti-malware tools, parental controls and guest networking. With 9 antenna’s and three bands, this device will provide you hours of solid wireless performance while allowing you to game without worry or interruption.
You can find the device on Amazon at this link: https://amzn.to/4g8tUxx
For the best and most affordable Wi-Fi 6E mesh system there is the Wyze AXE5400 Tri-Band Wi-Fi 6E Mesh Router Pro. This system gives you great performance, expandability, and helps future proof yourself for a much more reasonable price point then some of the other solutions. These devices cover all three current bands and are expandable, making them a great option for those that want a mesh system, but may need to expand it later and don’t want to have to take out a loan to do it. At $179.98 for a single unit, it’s still a bit pricy, but if you expect you’re going to need the second (and possibly a third) in the short term, presently you can get a two pack of these on sale at Amazon for $189.99. That’s a second device for a mere $10 more than the list price for the single one! These devices provide speedy wireless utilizing all three available bands like other mesh systems and are easy to manage and expand utilizing their mobile app.
You can find the device on Amazon at this link: https://amzn.to/4dJn3IK
This brings us to the best Wi-Fi 7 Mesh system we’ve reviewed. The eero Max 7. Like it’s sibling the eero 6+, this is also an offering from Amazon but this system provides the latest and most cutting edge technology, Wi-Fi 7. If you’re looking for the best mesh system with the greatest chance of future proofing your wireless, then this would be the way to go! The Max 7 is among some of the fastest mesh systems we’ve come across today. In addition to the cutting edge Wi-Fi 7 performance, these devices also support extensive home automation systems such as Zigbee, Matter and Thread. While it’s still a little early to adopt the Wi-Fi 7 standard, the standard was only recently adopted by the IEEE, this is be best way to completely future proof yourself from new technologies for at least the next three to five years. Like it’s sibling, the Max 7 system has support for Quality of Service, Anti-malware tools, Parental controls and Guest networking.
You can find the device on Amazon at this link: https://amzn.to/3XbHjgF
Now deciding on whether to get only a single router or a mesh system is up to you, but I recommend whatever you decide, you get a device or devices that not only meets your current needs, but is also forward thinking to future technologies. If there’s one thing we can all definitely agree on is that technology isn’t stagnant, it’s always going to be improving and demanding more from our wireless networks.