In this article, I am going to list the 10 Best WiFi routers for your home and office. These Home WiFi routers that I am going to list are easily available on Amazon.
What is a WiFi Router?
WiFi routers are wireless router that is commonly used in home and office. These are the hardware device which is connected to your Internet service provider through a cable to provide your device an internet connection. You can also check Wifi 6 Mesh Routers reviews.
A router creates a wireless access point through which you can connect your device such as a computer, laptop, smartphone to the internet, and also can do many more things. Looking for other gadgets? checkout speedygadget.
Here we have tested and then created a list of the 10 best WiFi routers for every budget.
1. ASUS RT-AC86U AC2900 Gaming Router
ASUS RT-AC86U dual-band Wi-Fi router offers a number of interesting features and solutions. For example, to increase the coverage of the signal area, three removable MIMO antennas and one internal are used. And the router itself is based on a dual-core ARM processor with a frequency of 1.8 GHz. The amount of RAM is 512 MB, flash memory - 256 MB.
In addition, the user can select one of several network connection modes using the Adaptive QoS function. And AiProtection technology allows you to protect all existing connections to the router, which at the same time may not have their own anti-virus systems. Among other pleasant things, it is worth noting the support of the Time Machine backup program. You can easily buy this router on amazon.
Asus RT-AC86U is one of the best WiFi gaming routers. That you can buy on amazon.
Asus RT-AC86U is one of the best WiFi gaming routers. That you can buy on amazon.
Pros:
- Great speed and coverage
- Extensive firmware
Minus:
2. Netgear Orbi RBK20
Another best WiFi router RBK20 is a simple set: only one cheaper Netgear AC2200 router is used, complemented by an RBK20 socket repeater. As a result, the coverage area is up to 200 square meters. And, perhaps, this is the best choice for small houses in the ratio of price and quality.
The color indicator of Orbi shows the status of your Wi-Fi network and automatically turns off after a stable connection is established. A dedicated service channel between the router and the satellite provides the best performance. There are two working channels for receiving and transmitting: 2x2 (2.4 GHz) + 2x2 (5 GHz). Another service channel: dedicated 2x2 (5 GHz). You can easily buy Netgear Orbi RBK 20 from amazon.
Pros:
- Easy installation and setup
- Good coverage
Minus:
TP-Link Archer C5400 is a tri-band model is one of the best Wi-Fi Router, it creates one network at a frequency of 2.4 GHz and two at 5 GHz. The maximum connection speeds to these networks are 1000 and 2167 Mb / s, respectively. All network ports (1 WAN and 4 LAN) are gigabit. There are also two USB connectors - 2.0 and 3.0.
The C5400 added a remote control function, built-in antivirus, and NitroQAM support appeared, which allows achieving higher data transfer speeds when using compatible adapters.
The C5400 added a remote control function, built-in antivirus, and NitroQAM support appeared, which allows achieving higher data transfer speeds when using compatible adapters.
Pros:
4. Linksys MR8300 (Gaming Router)
The MR8300 router is primarily aimed at gamers. And all thanks to the "engine" Killer Prioritization Engine, with which the router gives priority to the game traffic of personal computers.
The device complies with the 802.11ac specification and is built on a Quad-core processor operating at a frequency of 1.8 GHz. The bandwidth of the MR8300 is 600 Mbit / s in the 2.4 GHz band and 2600 Mbit / s in the 5 GHz band. Features include five Gigabit Ethernet ports, a USB 3.0 port, and a USB 2.0 / eSATA combo port. Which makes this router the best Wi-Fi router.
Pros:
- High-speed Wi-Fi
- Easy to use firmware
Minus:
An excellent best Wi-Fi router alternative to the previous model is the Linksys WRT1900ACS home router, which also has four antennas and can simultaneously broadcast a 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz connection. Most of all, the Linksys WRT1900ACS attracts usability - for example, the availability of the dedicated Linksys Smart Wi-Fi mobile app.
This debugged application for Android and iOS smartphones and tablets simplifies the work with the device and also greatly simplifies the configuration of the router, allowing the user to change the password or activate parental control with a few simple steps.
Pros:
- Easy to use
- Fast speed
Minus:
6. ASUS RT-AC88U
The router operates on the basis of a modern dual-core processor with a clock frequency of 1.4 GHz, which has high performance. It provides the speed of data exchange of wireless clients with devices connected via USB over 100 MB / s.
Pros:
- Connecting up to eight clients to the local network
- High routing speed
Minus:
Other nice features include the presence of the AiMesh function, which allows you to expand the coverage range by connecting the router to another router, the Gaming Center program interface, as well as the Game Dashboard control panel, which provides accurate information about all active network connections and connected devices. In addition, the IPS defense system fights online threats, and the Game Boost feature speeds up online games.
Pros:
- A large number of functions for gamers
- Fast and powerful
Minus:
8. TP-Link Archer C1200
Despite the price, the device boasts good speed - up to 1.2 Gbit / s at speeds up to 867 Mbit / s at 5 GHz and up to 300 Mbit / s at 2.4 GHz, and the gigabit ports of the router will help to achieve a higher transmission speed data. Also, the model can be controlled from a smartphone or tablet using the Tether application, which is available for mobile devices on Android and iOS.
The Archer C1200 features VPN server support, the presence of one USB port, and three external antennas, which can increase the connection speed and make Wi-Fi coverage more reliable. This is the best Wi-Fi router on the budget.
Pros:
- Good speed
- Easy to use
- Cheap price
Minus:
- Not suitable for large rooms
9. MI Smart router 4C
Pros:
- Price
- Good speed
Minus:
10. D-Link DIR 882
One of the most attractive best Wi-Fi router in terms of price/features. It works on a powerful single-chip MT7621A system that implements hardware address translation. With regard to the filling, only a modest amount of internal memory is puzzling - only 16 MB, which negatively affects the duration of the application of new settings and firmware updates.
The radio path corresponds to class AC2600, i.e. DIR-882 uses a 160 MHz band (MIMO 4x4) to exchange with client equipment.
Another thing is whether your smartphones and laptops can work on this technology themselves and whether they support 256-QAM modulation. The router offers a good level of security, implying the use of several external DNS filtering services, while it is quite easy to configure for a poorly trained user.
Pros:
- productive hardware platform;
- very high-speed potential;
- ease of setup;
- Great features at an attractive price.
Minuses:
- very little internal memory;
- There are complaints about the quality of the firmware.
11. What to look for when choosing the best WiFi router for your Home and Office.
In this section, I will help you to choose the best WiFi router for your Home and Office.
11.1 The correct WiFi standard
Like smartphones, router manufacturers are constantly introducing new and more powerful wireless standards (IEEE protocols). The standards are called 802.11 g, 802.11 n, and 802.11 ac - these are not just random numbers, this is a description of the capabilities of the router.
The latest standard is 802.11 ac. Such a router can support speeds up to gigabits, much faster than the previous limit of 600 Mbps. Like previous standards, "ac" is backward compatible with devices made to older standards. The vast majority of routers and devices are now compatible with 802.11 ac, so this is a good time to upgrade.
11.2 Wi-Fi network speed
It's no secret that many manufacturers indicate the "theoretical" maximum throughput on their boxes. You will find anything from 350 MB / s to 3500 MB / s, but you rarely see such bandwidth in real conditions.
Almost all wireless routers have built-in Ethernet for wired network connections, but cheaper routers will have switches designed for only 100 MB / s. And you will not regret that you spent a couple of Dollars to buy a model with a gigabit switch (this is 1000 MB / s).
11.3 Range
Manufacturers have been selling the best dual-band routers for the home for many years, but now many are starting to produce three-band routers.
Dual-band, as a rule, means that the router is equipped with two radio stations, one of which operates at a frequency of 2.4 GHz, and the other at a frequency of 5 GHz. This allows you to configure two separate wireless networks to increase speed in a crowded wireless network by switching some devices to a different frequency.
Tri-band routers remain rare because few people need them. They can be useful in a dormitory or in an office but are not needed for an ordinary apartment.
11.4 Safety
Wireless networks are as unsafe as convenient - if you do not take steps to ensure the security of your network, almost any intruder within range can disconnect or intercept an Internet connection, gain access to any of the files stored on your computer, infect your device with viruses and cause other problems.Any router you buy must support at least the WPA2 certification program (the second implementation of the Wi-Fi Protected Access protocol). But every device you add to your network must also support WPA2 for this to work.
Also, keep in mind that some routers are designed with corporate or extended family security in mind. These devices are equipped with many additional features, including the ability to add additional encryption, track devices, block unwanted users from the network, and even see what people are viewing.
11.5 USB Port
You will find USB ports on many routers, but it’s important to find out what this port is used for. On some routers, this is simply a means of transmitting configuration information (such as a network identifier and password) from the router to the client using a USB memory key.More expensive routers will allow you to plug in a USB storage device to add NAS (network-attached storage) functionality. Connect a large USB hard drive to the router, and each device on your network will have access to this storage resource - it looks like a cheap server.
11.6 Price or Performance
Prices for routers vary greatly depending on their functions, antennas, ports, and more. As a rule, prices for the best routers available today range from 10 to 20 thousand rubles.A cheap home router that provides low performance is not very profitable. Product reviews will give you a hint about what you can expect, but setting up one of them in your own home is the only sure way to find out how the router will work in your unique environment. So when buying a router, make sure that the store provides comfortable return conditions, if for some reason the model does not suit you.