Routers
Best Wireless Router 2021: (10 Best Routers Reviewed)
Living in this modern era without the internet and a quality best wireless router is not easy or is it? Well, I guess it is not easy for the guys who always check their phones for notification updates and emails.
Now the problem is how to find a wireless router and the best on in performance? And it is not easy to get this job done until you are not fully aware. By aware I mean the knowledge and information about a wireless router.
That is the reason I compiled a list of good quality and performance Wireless Routers 2021. It was not easy to come up with the best selection due to a variety of brands and a saturated market. I am thankful to my team in making it possible to test the various brands of Wifi Routers and selected the top 10 to list it for you guys.
BEST WIRELESS ROUTERS 2021
- Asus RT AC88U
- TP-Link Talon AD7200
- NETGEAR Nighthawk AC1900
- NETGEAR Nighthawk X10
- D-Link AC3200
- Amped Wireless TRA2600 Athena
- TP Link Archer C7
- NETGEAR Orbi
- Asus RT AC68U
- Linksys WRT1900 AC
BEST WIRELESS ROUTER REVIEWS 2021
1. Asus RT AC88U
The first one on the list of is a gamer choice best wireless router. Asus RT AC88U is the name of this router. As I am fond of games myself so it is also my own choice and tested it with heavy online games. Let’s jump into the details of this router to explore it. Most of the people who are attached to the computer they must know the company Asus. It was invented and produced very valuable gaming hardware and products. Along with other product in technology, Asus manufactures some well know the top of the line routers of advanced level. Asus RT AC88U wireless router for gaming is stylish and in an awesome design. If some of the people used the invents of Asus company, they must be familiar with the design and make. This wireless router is an extremely beautiful black color with red line accents on the antennas. It is purely designed for gaming purposes so it looks at gaming ergonomics. Asus RT AC88U is the best home router to install for gaming purposes if you are a passionate gamer or professional one in the field of games.
You would find more wireless router reviews on this article but friends would eager to know about a routine of this one so let’s know this gaming router in detail. Here we go to discuss the specs of this beautiful and best wireless wifi router. The wifi router is coming with 8 Gigabit wireless router LAN Ports and it is an AC 3100 top-rated router. Without any interruption, these ports have the capacity of producing high-speed internet. So keep in mind that you would have a high-speed internet without any lag or disturbance which is making it a valuable worthy choice. Yes, it is a dual-band router that can perform as NAS without any performance issues at all. ASUS devotedly created this router with every minor detail and during designing a super spontaneous and easy to use web interface has inserted. The wireless network performance on Wifi of this wireless router is continuously faster on both 2.4 gigahertz and 5 gigahertzes without any low performance on the go.
Now it would allow you for the creation of nomenclature to each SSID and network encryption key. Now the setup is complete with installation, enjoy using your ASUS Wireless Router for games and other online purposes. Let us talk about its features and performance. ASUS RT AC88U allows you to avail multi-client data streaming functions and features. And it works sound on both of the bands, you would be able to read or write files and could transfer your data quickly with the fast speed of your wifi router. Wrapping up my choice best wireless router with the words that if you want a perfect and best wifi router for home and gaming purposes and do not want to waste your bucks on low-quality stuff then this one is worthy to have.
- 8 Gigabit LAN ports and can easily grip the fastest imaginable internet
- The Wi-Fi performance occurs to be one of the best you would use in a long, long time.
- ASUS’ web interface on this wireless router. It’s simple and cool to use and extremely spontaneous.
- The USB 3.0 isn’t in the best place.
- When attached or connected with an external hard drive and used as a NAS, the router gives an ordinary performance.
2. TP-Link Talon AD7200
As I wrote the latest technology with the name of TP-Link Talon AD7200. Yes, here is the latest technology wireless router with advanced features of TP-Link. As you guys know very well that TP-Link is too much in the market today and ensure affordability of having products from it. But this one is for the money guys and for those who love to experience with the latest tech products. The modest design ever created by TP-Link with impressive size dimensions. It is a great modem router with high speed and 802.11ad you can use at your home for many internet purposes. This wireless router has nine antennas with a flat top surface and allows you to fold down all the antennas. The router is coming with many cutting-edge features which enable it to deliver high and ultimate performance on the go. We will explore here the details of this device to know it more. The review of this wireless router would give us the freedom to decide either it is worthy of keeping or not. There are many other wireless router devices in the market, and if you think that the Nighthawk X10 is the big one I suggest you know this one as well. It is coming in 9.0 x 9.0 x 1.7 inches of dimensions. This huge long range wifi router device is beating up its competitors in the market by this size and by the performance it delivers.
Extremely competitive built-in features installed on this network router to compete with the line competitors like NETGEAR Nighthawk X10 and other big giants of the market. It is coming with some well know impressive features we going to discuss here. TP-Link Talon AD7200 can run three separate WiFi Bands at the same time as it uses the multi-band advanced technology. This best wireless router can support combined wifi speed of 7.2 Gigabits per second (Band 1: 800 Mbps at the rate of 2.4GHz, Band 2: 1733 Mbps at the rate of 5GHz, Band 3: 4600 Mbps at the rate of 60GHz). The other normal routine wireless routers can support streaming to only one device at once but this one with wireless AC and Multi-User MIMO technology can stream to more than one at a time. You would find some more benefiting features. Keep reading. This powerful router has a dual-core processor of 1.4 Gigahertz which enhance it to support multi-users at the same time. The powerful eight states of the art antennas installed on this wireless router increasing the range of coverage and strength of the signals it produces; in this way, the performance goes up all the way.
You would find four high-speed Gigabit Ethernet ports along with one WAN. There are two super-speed USB 3.0 ports installed on it for transferring of data to your memory keeping devices like hard disk drives or external data Flash drives. TP-Link is supporting you with one app solution for the setup, configuration and keeping your router updated. TP-Link is giving the support and liberty when you install it, the firmware will be automatically updated and you would be able to set up all bands as a single WiFi network. In this era of tech and internet, this one is a great choice lead you to a secure internet future with high-performance data streaming and a practical solution of internet services provision. It is mentioned above that competitors like NETGEAR Nighthawk X10 are expansive. So having the same performance modem and router and saving your worthy bucks this will help you out.
- Performance is impressive and brilliant on all three Wi-Fi bands.
- Easy Installation and management due to the TP-Link Tether mobile application.
- It will save extra bucks when your compare with other big products.
- The signal cannot penetrate through walls as AD frequency band is supported by a trickle of devices.
- The huge trail is annoying on the router.
3. NETGEAR Nighthawk AC1900
Just like the name, its design is similar to the head of a hawk with three intennas to provide you with the best result even if you are placed deep down the premise and you would not have to worry about low to no signal’s reception. Named as the NETGEAR Nighthawk smart WiFi router (R7000) is the model that is powerful enough to emit the high-end and qualitative signal strength to up to 1,800 sq. ft. of area with speed of AC1900 that divides under dual band of up to 600 plus 1,300 Mbps and having up to 30 good devices connected to this at the same time. With up to 30 devices that work to be connected using of this device can allow them to conduct differents tasks such as palying the video games,
Also having 4 of the different devices such as gaming consoles, computers, or such that you like to connect through the wire, you are good to go to connect up to four of them whereas 1 port is dedicated for gigabit ethernet. Just connect the internet using the wire and experience the ultra-swift internet access that is lag-free and pushing the full strength of connection due to being wired. Equipped with the best but advanced technology which include the 1 GhHz dual core process, 3 amplified but best antenna set, Alexa voice controls, and much more that this kind of the best wireless router demands! Two dedicated ports for USB comes for your ultimate convinience to hook up the storage drive and the printer to work with any connected deives as well as to create the cloud storage to access from anywhere and anytime, using 1 USB port of 3.0 as well as 2.0.
Smart parental controls give you the liberty to pause the internet access, view the history built up as well as implement the filter to block the certain websites. And, limit the online time, scheduled internet access and much more that you can do with this NETGEAR Nighthawk againts the small fee of just US$ 4.99 per month. And NETGEAR does not comporise by NOT implementing the best safety and secuiryt measurements thanks to WPA2 wirless security protnotls, guest WiFi access, DoS, firewall, VPN, and many more. HD streaming is made super simple and efficient becasue this small but powerful router delivers you up to 1,900Mbps to stream the HD content and online games without a single issue. NETGEAR is indeed the renowned name in the field of netowking pheripherals and this one does not break the trust of its customers!
- Signal strength to up to 1,800 sq. ft.
- Best protected usin the brilliant security protocol
- Quite inexpensive but best wireless router.
- Admin log gets removed after the reboot/restart.
4. NETGEAR Nighthawk X10
Are you in love with 4k video streaming and games? The NETGEAR Nighthawk X10 AD7200 Smart WiFi router is an expansive gift for you if you are in love with the things mentioned above. You would experience the powerful internet speed with fast speed 4K video streaming with this wireless router wifi. It has the quality to support three WiFi bands (2.4 GHz, 5.0 GHz, and 60 GHz) and has 7 Gigabit Ethernet ports (6 LAN, 1 WAN) along with a 10 Gigabit SPF+ LAN Port. And it has also the features of multi-users input and output data streaming. On the top, the 160 Megahertz WiFi tech enables it to double the speed of the internet on smart devices and smartphones. This detailed review will explain this expansive device. All the features and performing functions are reviewed which would justify its worth.
It is coming in the dimension of 8.81 x 6.61 x 2.91 inches so it is quite clear that its size is not a small one. The best wireless router also not a lighter one in weight. If we make a comparison of this wireless router with TP-Link Talon AD7200 we can easily say that this one is not in impressive shape like the TP-Link. The design of this wireless router is not flashy, though its four antennas are quite charming and giving a gloom look with a blue LED light on the sides. It is giving a powerful range and strength to the signals and delivering a fast speed internet. Now it’s time to introduce the features of this fastest router. It is 802.11 AC Quad stream wave 2 WiFi with MU-MIMO which enable it to produce a high-speed internet to multiple devices at once with any interruption in the performance.
This wireless router can support 7.2 Gigabits combined WiFi speed at the rate of 2.4 Gigahertz on band 1 and on band 2, 1733 Mbps at the rate of 5 Gigahertz and on band 3 4600 Mbps at the rate of 60 Gigahertz. With the quad-core 1.7 Gigahertz process, it gives support in gaming and 4K high-quality video streaming. The LAN SFP+ of 10 Gigabit port allows you for a quick Network with NAS performance features. It has the features of supporting Amazon Alexa Commands and Amazon drive backup. Once you power up your computer and this best wireless router and connect each other the installation wizard initiates automatically and would guide you throughout the process. It will automatically enhance the internet services and through login, to the routerlogin.net you would be able to access the setup. You can also install it by using the NETGEAR Up app (a mobile phone app). Wrapping up the NETGEAR Nighthawk X10 wireless router with the saying that if you are looking for a best home router. This one is the best router on the list here we recommend.
- It is giving inspiring performance on all WiFi bands.
- 10 Gbps LAN SFP+ port is spectacular if you use high-end NAS servers.
- Easy installation process
- The signal cannot infiltrate through walls as the AD frequency band is supported by only a handful of devices.
- It is expansive
5. D-Link AC3200
Do you know ‘a beast in wireless router class’? If not, then here it is; presents D-Link the one best tri-band Wi-Fi internet router that is expensive… Real expensive but that too for a certain cause. Catch the unmatched speed of the Wi-Fi performance thanks to being adopted the world’s best wireless router technologies starting with tri-band speed that delivers up to 1×600 Mbps in 2.4GHz setting as well as 2×1,300 Mbps in 5GHz to ensure every connected devices do not lag down or break the signal’s reception. But try NOT to give the password to the whole block! 
Best designed for the ultimate quality of streaming the 4K and HD content as well as to play the online games simultaneously with its 3 x 3 data streams and the 6 highly-performning antenna,
The dual core porcessor with the power of 1GHz does emi the best and powerful speed that delivers to the wired-based as well as WiFi devices so that everything is connected. Loaded with the best security measurments (the protocols) of WPA & WPA2 encryption to set up the safer network which no one can guess. For achieving the maximum WiFi performance, the router does hold the best band that pushes down the speed to your Wi-Fi connected devices whereas you can use the monitor to get the signals even if it is placed inside the bigger home full with walls and other related obstacles but none will stop the intensity of the Wi-Fi signals to reach to your most part of the home.
And the advanced AC SmartBeam helps in tracking down your connected devices and would not slow down the major performance of the connected devices throughout the home. So, what is it about? Well, this function constantly tracks down the connected device to seek the information as to which one of the devices need the bandwidth and which ones do not, to deliver the optimal speed to the deserving device that indeed requires the amount of bandwidth to finish what it is working on OR downloading. For the gamers and the streamers, this D-Link AC3200 is going to be your best investment that you can ever do to OWN the classy wireless router that is more than the best of wireless router!
- Tri-band internet access to easily divide the internet signals and speed to all of the connected devices.
- Best works for HD/4K and entertainment to gaming programs.
- A little expensive.
6. Amped Wireless TRA2600 Athena
We are at #4 of the list of best wireless routers review. Well, guys, this is Amped Wireless TRA2600 Athena Wireless Router. The best dual-band router so far on the list within the budget range. Let’s jump into the detailed review of this best wireless router. Well, guys do not complicate with the terminology of Athens. The term was used with Greek Goddess but here it is the name of this wireless router.
This device would not dissatisfy you at all. Amped Wireless TRA2600 Athena has many features and would support all the customer’s categories with normal wishes. Of course, it would be according to your expectations on the run as it would give you a nice range and strength of the signal and satisfying speed. It is extremely easy to set it up with the installation process and configure.
Here is the real story of its hardware with some influential contents, which enable its flawless performance without any problems. The perfect thing about this wireless router is the beautiful design and its compact fitting. During the operations, there is no disturbance at all in the use of this home router. You can connect multiple devices for using WiFi with this router and it will deliver the static speed with nice performance. An easy and simple one for use with good quality strength and range of signal while using this router for internet connectivity. It would make to satisfy with the performance beyond acceptability level of measures.
- A good performance wireless router
- Nice speed with multiple devices connections
- Setting up is easy with a little know how
- Do not have competitive features
7. TP Link Archer C7
We are picking the best budget WiFi Wireless router in 2021 for review here. Well, friends, this one is the best budget wireless router or simply you can say the best buy router on a cheap price in the market by TP link. Let us dive into the features, performance, and design of this wireless router. It can deliver a combined speed of 1.75 Gigabits and it is a flawless wireless router for those guys who want internet gaming and streaming. This one is coming in a beautiful style and can give a good performance. It is purely designed and developed for budget ones who want to have a wireless router with a good performance at a low price.
The quality of this best cheap wireless router is not that good. This cheap router is an entry-level router and built average with large foot-marks as it occupies space when you install it.
The important thing about this best wireless router is it is a dual-band router with 6 antennas out of which 3 antennas are externally installed on it.
It is capable of delivering average coverage of signals strength and WiFi range with satisfactory internet speed. It has also the average capability of NAS. What was needed to be included in this dual-band router, in my opinion, are some more good features with the same worth. But TP-Link created it purely a budget-oriented and an entry-level Ethernet router. If you just want to have a good router I would suggest this one for you to install. It would support you for online gaming and video streaming with an acceptable quality of speed.
- The best Budget one with this performance
- NAS is a good addition to this internet router
- All plastic is used in the make
8. NETGEAR Orbi Review
Netgear Orbi another great performer on the list. Over time, mankind’s advancement in technology is incredible. The civilization and developments are at the peak today. With the new invents in technology the needs and wishes also increased. The Orbi unit is small in size and the dimensions are 8.9 x 6.7 x 3.1-inch. It would be great to place it in the center of your house to cover the satellite range. It is giving 4000 Square Foot coverage. The dual-band with 2.4 gigahertz and 5 gigahertz supports 802.11AC up to three Gbps. There are three Ethernet ports and a USM 2.0 Ports are installed on this wireless router.
Today it is a big issue to cover every single inch of your home with the WiFi signals. Luckily the time has come to resolve issues like this. Now NETGEAR Orbi gives you a complete coverage solution. Though it is expansive it would solve all your problems regarding coverage, as it would give you a strengthen the strong signal to every single inch and corner of your house. Now the question is what would you get in the box. You would get two devices in the packing, one is the WiFi router device which you would connect with the modem for internet services and the other one is an identical satellite device which you can set up anywhere in the home to spread the signal throughout your premises.
Well, fellas, NETGEAR is not the first one who introduced this sort of networking set up for making strong your signal strength, other competitors also providing such devices. NETGEAR maintained the quality of services it is providing in mesh networking and that is the reason that NETGEAR is today preferred by most of the people.
- It is covering your whole house with a strong signal.
- Fast speed internet at any corner of your house
- A complete network and coverage solution
- Only one USB 2.0 port with a bit low speed of transferring your files/data.
9. Asus RT AC68U Dual Band Router
We are at #7 friends and here I picked another Asus wireless router for review after testing it with my conditions and working environment. So without wasting time let us jump into the review to explore this WiFi Router. Here we gonna start discussing the features, design, specification, configuration and installation of this wireless router.
Here is an advanced home networking device Asus RT – AC68U Dual Band Wireless AC1900 Gigabit Router. You would love to see the internet speed and streaming by using this wireless router. This best wireless router is upgraded from RT AC66U and has 800 Megahertz Dual-Core process, 1.3 Gigabits per second with 5 Gigahertz wifi. On the other band 2.4GHZ, the speed is up to 600Mbps. The new firmware is introduced on this wireless router to give it some new features. During my tests using this wifi router, I found it fast and steady with the streaming of videos and gaming. The speed quality is more than I was expecting from it. It would give you every single thing you want in your wifi router. If some of the fellas ask me about the recommendation of this wireless router, I would say yes I would recommend this wifi router for home and some perfect results. You would be amazed by the speed it delivers on an 802.11AC router.
This wireless internet router is different from the previous release by ASUS. There is no option on this wireless modem router to mount it or install it on the wall like in the previous versions. So it is an upright position without a stand. Yea, it would give a resemblance look of the previous ones but it is different from the old ones. It occupies less space for its placement anywhere in your house. The Installation is really simple and easy to set up. Plugin your wireless router and your PC and power it up the auto installation wizard will guide you through the process until the completion. Overall I would recommend this one for all as it would make you satisfy in all aspects and amaze you with the performance.
- Steady performance.
- Dual-Band with 802.11Ac with low expenses.
- Hardware is different from previous release
- No options for mounting on wall.
10. Linksys WRT1900 AC
The next one on the list of the best wireless router is Linksys WRT1900 AC dual-band wireless router. This wireless router reviews’ explaining all the things on this router. So let’s jump into the detail discussion of this wifi router. This Linksys router has the support for the AC1900 with 5 gigahertz band and gives the speed of 1300 megahertz and the 2.5 gigahertz band is delivering 600 megahertz speed at all levels with multi-users connectivity. Is this wireless router standing in the line of all the competitors we listed here, to find out we have to dive in to know all the specs and features along with performance? It is classically designed by Linksys, and it would need some space for placing it in your home or your working space.
I guess It would not be wrong if I say that this one is the huge one in size as compared to the others I listed here. There are four antennas installed on this wireless router and firmware. It is the fastest router so far in the market with nice quality. You would experience it and enjoy the streaming and speed quality along with the signal strength and range coverage. The NAS installed on this wireless wifi router are double to strengthen the performance. Overall the performance is spectacularly striking.
If you have a question in your mind that is this one is the best wireless router you are looking for? And you want to choose it as your wifi router for home or your working place. Then I would suggest you take a prompt decision. As it is perfect in performance and competing for most of the competitor giants in the market with the quality of services and of course the low expenses package.
- The router is extremely powerful hardware.
- Wi-Fi range and speed are excellent.
- The NAS performance is best/
- Its design is made with aesthetics.
- A bit expansive.
- The default software is confusing for new users.
Best Wireless Router Buyer’s Guide
Some of the really important things and points you should keep in mind before purchasing a wireless router. You can without much of a stretch go out to the market and have the best wireless router, isn’t that so? No! For people who don’t have a hint about wireless routers. They should keep these few things on the mind to consider before spending hard-earned cash. They have distinctive accessible speeds and diverse WiFi measures and support for numerous kinds.
What is the innovation behind a wireless Router?
A wifi router is a gadget that allows you to interface with the modem and other devices you have at the home, office, or outside through remote associations with the Internet in the meantime. A wireless router gives super advantages as compared to the simple interface connections. It simply allows you to connect your numerous devices to the web at the same time. The following is the researched information about the standard wireless router and how they are of favorable position to you. To make things simpler for you, beneath is the rundown of “Variables” you will experience in the market alongside their short portrayals.
The scope of Best Wireless Routers
The most important and essential feature you should keep in mind about the best wireless router is the range. The makers more often than not test the range in a lab-type setting. The genuine range can be tested after setup at home or in the workplace is required to be a little lower than expected. The best wireless router ought to have a capacity of a range of up to 4572cm (150ft) indoor and somewhat less than that open air. The scope of the router is likewise emphatically influenced by the kind of radio wire utilized as a part of the telecom motion from the wireless router. On account of the Asus RT-AC88U Dual-Band, wifi router run is up to 90144cm (300ft) indoor at standard conditions. You can see the receiving wire area beneath to take in more about how the wireless router reception device composes influences the remote flag and range.
Single Band, Dual-Band or Tri-Band
There are three basic kinds or types of the best wireless router; single band, double band and the tri-band. The band of your wireless router is the specific (remote) recurrence (in gigahertz) at which the network router conveys its signals to the modems. The double band or tri-band router delivers more alternatives for remote web association. However, this doesn’t come without its weaknesses. The best wireless router with various frequencies has a greater amount of favorable position in a place where there are numerous routers or a congested zone. The signal strength from a wifi router with various frequencies will enable your wireless router to pass to your devices, there may be blockage or impedance while the setup is indoor. Particularly in urban areas, a wireless router with a double band or tri-band is a must to avoid the weak signal strength. Although not all gadgets can work with the 5Ghz devices, with the dual-band or tri-band your gadget has the choice of picking the option 2.4Ghz recurrence.
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Best Wi-Fi Routers for Streaming 2021
- Our pick
Linksys EA7500- AC1900 Wi-Fi
- $159.00
- Budget pick
TP-Link Archer A7- AC1750 Wi-Fi
- $56.99
- Splurge pick
NETGEAR Nighthawk AX12- AX6000 Wi-Fi
- $459.99
- Wi-Fi 6 pick
TP-Link Archer AX6000- AX6000 Wi-Fi
- $298.59
- Multitasking pick
ASUS RT-AC5300- AC5300 Wi-Fi
- $242.69
What Wi-Fi router is best for streaming?
Most modern routers can handle video streaming. But if you’re looking for the absolute best for your 4K streaming experience, we recommend the Linksys EA8300 Max-Stream router. It has speeds fast enough for streaming, gaming, and other bandwidth-hogging activities without buffering.
Of course, different home networks have different needs. So here are our top five router recommendations to keep you connected.
5 best Wi-Fi routers for streaming
- Linksys EA7500: Our pick
- TP-Link Archer A7: Budget pick
- NETGEAR Nighthawk AX12: Splurge pick
- TP-Link Archer AX6000: Wi-Fi 6 pick
- ASUS RT-AC5300: Multitasking pick
Top Wi-Fi routers for streaming
| Our pick | |
| Model | Linksys EA7500 |
| Max throughput | 1,900 Mbps |
| Wi-Fi bands | 2 |
| Price | $159.00 |
| View on Amazon | |
| Budget pick | |
| Model | TP-Link Archer A7 |
| Max throughput | 1,750 Mbps |
| Wi-Fi bands | 2 |
| Price | $56.99 |
| View on Amazon | |
| Splurge pick | |
| Model | NETGEAR Nighthawk AX12 |
| Max throughput | 6,000 Mbps |
| Wi-Fi bands | 3 |
| Price | $459.99 |
| View on Amazon | |
| Wi-Fi 6 pick | |
| Model | TP-Link Archer AX6000 |
| Max throughput | 5,952 Mbps |
| Wi-Fi bands | 2 |
| Price | $298.59 |
| View on Amazon | |
| Multitasking pick | |
| Model | ASUS RT-AC5300 |
| Max throughput | 5,334 Mbps |
| Wi-Fi bands | 3 |
| Price | $242.69 |
| View on Amazon | |
What should you look for in a Wi-Fi router?
When selecting a router for streaming, make sure it has Wi-Fi speeds above AC1200. For streaming particularly, a router with quality of service (QoS) features that allow you to prioritize your streaming connection can help avoid buffering.
Pro tip:
Is your internet fast enough to stream in 4K? Take an internet speed test to make sure you’re getting at least 25 Mbps download speed.
Linksys EA7500 Max-Stream: Our pick
$159.00
- Speed: 1.9 Gbps
- Ethernet ports: 4
- USB ports: 2
- Antennas: 3
- Dimensions: 10.03″ x 7.25″ x 2.19″
- Weight: 2.05 lbs
- Notable features: MU-MIMO and beamforming technology, Linksys management app
The Linksys Max-Stream router is a little more conservative than other routers on this list, but it strikes a great balance between reasonable price and performance. This router will handle 4K streaming and everything else you do online, and its network management app lets you prioritize specific devices in your network when you want all your bandwidth to be dedicated to your binge-watching marathon.
Pros
- Easy setup with smartphone app
- Capacity for 12+ connected devices
Cons
- Only dual-band Wi-Fi
TP-Link Archer A7: Budget pick
$56.99
- Speed: 1.75 Gbps
- Ethernet ports: 4
- USB ports: 1
- Antennas: 3
- Dimensions: 9.59″ x 6.32″ x 1.29″
- Weight: 0.93 lbs
- Notable features: TP-Link Tether app, works with Alexa
This budget-friendly router combines a superlow price tag with speeds fast enough for most households. It lacks many of the advanced features of the other routers on this list, but if 4K on a budget is what you’re after, you’ll find it here.
Pros
- Great price
- Alexa integration
Cons
- Lower max throughput than other models
NETGEAR Nighthawk AX12: Splurge pick
$459.99
- Speed: 10.8 Gbps
- Ethernet ports: 5
- USB ports: 2
- Antennas: 8 (internal)
- Dimensions: 11.7″ x 3.07″ x 8.3″
- Weight: 3.2 lbs
- Notable features: Wi-Fi 6, WAN port integration, Nighthawk App
With max speeds up to 6 Gbps, a range up to 3,500 square feet, and capacity for more than 40 connected devices, the NETGEAR Nighthawk AX12 is probably overkill. But if you’re looking for top-of-the-line equipment that can handle all your 4K streaming, gaming, and other internet activities without breaking a sweat, this is your router.
Pros
- Wi-Fi 6
- Port aggregation for multigig internet
Cons
- High price
TP-Link Archer AX6000: Wi-Fi 6 pick
$298.59
- Speed: 6 Gbps
- Ethernet ports: 8
- USB ports: 2
- Antennas: 8
- Dimensions: 10″ x 12″ x 4″
- Weight: 3.5 lbs
- Notable features: Wi-Fi 6 support, MU-MIMO technology, tri-band Wi-Fi
The TP-Link Archer router doesn’t quite meet the Nighthawk X12’s max speeds, but it’s still top-of-the-line with Wi-Fi 6 speeds, eight external antennas for excellent range, and a load of advanced features like MU-MIMO and beamforming. It’s also a bit cheaper than the X12— though, admittedly, it does look more like a spider.
Pros
- Alexa compatibility
- 2.5 Gbps WAN port
Cons
- No way to disable Q0S
ASUS RT-AC5300: Multitasking pick
$242.69
- Speed: 5.3 Gbps
- Ethernet ports: 4
- USB ports: 2
- Antennas: 8
- Dimensions: 24.5″ x 6.5″ x 24.5″
- Weight: 3.2 lbs.
- Notable features: Tri-band Wi-Fi, unique antenna design for longer range, built-in gaming optimizations
This router is unique in that it’s optimized specifically for gaming. It’ll work for any purpose, of course, and some of its gaming features—like Adaptive QoS—can work to prioritize your streaming data. It also has exceptional range, thanks to the large size and unique antenna design.
Pros
- Gaming optimization
- Wi-Fi coverage up to 5,000 sq. ft.
Cons
- Very large size
- No multigigabit ports
Wi-Fi router specs and features
Streaming—especially 4K streaming—eats bandwidth for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert, so you’ll need to purchase equipment and services that sustain it. You’ll want to start with an internet plan that provides enough bandwidth (and a high enough data cap) to support your streaming habits and provide a good experience. Then you’ll need a router that can handle the bandwidth and work with multiple devices at once to prioritize traffic.
Keep in mind that while the router provided by your ISP might be able to handle basic 4K streaming, it likely lacks the advanced features that help facilitate streaming on multiple devices simultaneously with no hiccups. If you’re seeing a lot of buffering, stutters, or freezes when streaming video, it might be time to consider purchasing your own router.
Quality of Service (QoS)
Many high-end routers have quality of service (QoS) features that allow you to prioritize devices and traffic on the network so that the most important data streams (like Netflix, in this case) get more bandwidth. This ensures smooth video playback without interference from downloads, gaming, or other activities that might be going on in the home at the same time as the streaming. If your house has a lot of simultaneous internet usage, definitely look for QoS features in a router.
Powerful processors
You might hear the word “processors” and think of computer specifications, but processors perform a role in the router world too. The latest and greatest routers often possess dual processors, allowing them to process data and instructions faster. The result for the end user is a smoother connection with fewer pauses and delays.
Tri-band, dual-band, or single-band
Routers employ one of two radio frequencies, or “bands”: the older 2.4 GHz or the newer 5 GHz. A basic single-band router supports only one of those bands. Newer routers often feature dual-band capabilities, meaning they communicate with devices on both bands, one 2.4 GHz and one 5 GHz.
The most advanced routers have tri-band functionality. These routers typically use two 5 GHz bands and one 2.4 GHz band. The ability to use three bands increases download and upload speeds and often reduces the chances for signal interference.
Pro tip:
If streaming in 4K is your priority, shoot for a dual-band router at minimum. It will give your ultra-HD stream the power it needs at the most reasonable price.
Wireless standards
Naming conventions for wireless standards are in the process of changing, but you’ll commonly see standards like 802.11n, 802.11ac, and Wi-Fi 6. These are the most commonly used standards at the moment. Wi-Fi 6 is the newest standard that is available in top-of-the-line routers. (Its name is easier because it came out after the name changes took place).
You could get okay streaming quality with an 802.11n router, but you want to look for one using 802.11ac or Wi-Fi 6 if possible. These standards offer the speeds needed to stream 4K video and handle a game or two on your Xbox or PS4. It’s easy to tell which wireless standard a router uses—it’s usually in the name.
MU-MIMO and beamforming
MU-MIMO stands for multi-user, multiple input, and multiple output. Many of the newer standalone routers employ technologies like MU-MIMO because it keeps internet speeds steady when multiple users access the network by divvying up the bandwidth. Think of it like advanced multitasking for your router. It can make a big difference, so if your household often has multiple devices active at once, be sure to look for it.
Beamforming typically accompanies MU-MIMO. It uses transmitters and receivers compatible with MU-MIMO to increase wireless throughput and range. The router (transmitter) essentially beams the Wi-Fi signal to your devices’ internal antennas, forming a home network capable of supporting high-end streaming.
What’s the end result? You get a signal that’s more powerful and has a longer range that can handle multiple devices at once.
Antennas
The number and power of your router’s antennas can affect your Wi-Fi signal range, reliability, and performance, as well as features such as MU-MIMO and beamforming.
That doesn’t necessarily mean that the router with the most antennas is the best one. But if you’re 4K streaming on Wi-Fi, you want the best signal with the most throughput possible, and that means multiple antennas.
Ports
Ethernet and USB ports make for a more functional router. You certainly could go wireless for everything, but it sometimes makes sense to hardwire in a device. Plus, if you plan to use Wi-Fi extenders, you definitely want a router with a few free Ethernet ports. Many people make do with two ports, but some can’t get by without at least four.
Ethernet ports on routers come in handy when placing the router on your entertainment center and plugging your streaming box or smart TV directly into it. This helps ensure a powerful signal to your main device and leaves the Wi-Fi signal available for tablets and other devices.
Other features
Finally, some routers offer additional benefits. They won’t necessarily improve a 4K stream, but they could make your life easier. Features range from parental controls to cloud access and from enhanced security settings to automatic backups. Some even include “airtime fairness,” a feature that extends bandwidth to 802.11ac–compatible devices—such as your 4K HDTV—before offering it to 802.11n devices.
Our verdict
Whether you’re trying to handle streaming in 4K, multiple streams, or divvying up bandwidth between Netflix and your roommate’s daily Zoom conference call with their whole family, these routers won’t leave you buffering. Our pick for most households is the Linksys EA7500 Max Stream because it offers great performance at a reasonable price.