Now we have examined another routers we like and have a number of extra within the queue. These aren’t as nice because the picks above however are value contemplating.
Netgear Nighthawk RS700 for $699: Though I had setup points that required a manufacturing facility reset, there’s no hiding the highest notch efficiency of this router. It’s a Wi-Fi 7 tri-band router with two 10 Gbps Ethernet ports, 4 gigabit ports, and a USB 3.2. The tower design is new for the Nighthawk line and it seems nice. This router will mix in much better than our cumbersome Wi-Fi 7 decide above from Asus and it was barely quicker on the 6-GHz band, although not the 5-GHz or 2.4-GHz bands. It primarily misses out on a advice as a result of it’s dearer. We’re already seeing reductions on the RT-BE96U and Asus presents free safety software program and parental controls. In the event you get the Nighthawk RS700S, the “S” on the finish denotes a free yr of Netgear Armor, which prices $100 a yr thereafter. In the event you want parental controls that’s one other $70 a yr.
Vodafone Pro II from £39 a month: Of us within the UK on the lookout for a brand new web service supplier (ISP) ought to take a look at Vodafone’s Professional II. Whereas ISPs have historically offered shoddy routers to their clients, that appears to be altering. The Vodafone Professional II is a tri-band router that helps Wi-Fi 6E, and it delivered lightning-fast speeds in my assessments on a par with a lot of my picks above. The vary is proscribed, particularly on the 6-GHz band, however this service comes with a variety extender that seems as a part of the identical community. You can too get a 4G backup that connects to Vodafone’s cellular community to maintain you on-line ought to your common web connection fail. It’s solely out there with a two-year Vodafone service contract, ranging from £39 a month.
Firewalla Gold SE for $449: This quirky moveable system is ideal for individuals who fear about safety and privateness. It presents complete instruments for monitoring all visitors out and in of your home, strong and detailed parental controls, ad-blocking, and enhanced safety with a built-in firewall and VPN choice. It serves as a router, however it would be best to pair one other router in entry level mode for Wi-Fi in your house. It’s costly and should show intimidating for inexperienced of us, nevertheless it presents deep perception into your community and a powerful depth of security measures with out a further subscription. The Gold SE has two 2.5 Gbps ports and two gigabit ports and is appropriate for people with as much as 2-gigabit connections. In case your web is just one gigabit, attempt the extra reasonably priced, however barely much less succesful, Firewalla Purple ($359) (8/10, WIRED recommends).
TP-Link Archer BE800 for $500: With a contemporary design that’s extra desktop PC than router, the BE800 (8/10, WIRED Review) tri-band beast got here out on high or near it in my assessments on the two.4-GHz, 5-GHz, and 6-GHz bands, proving impressively swift for file transfers and downloads. It additionally boasts speedy ports galore, a cool however form of pointless customizable dot-matrix LED display, and the Tether app presents a visitor community, IoT community, VPN server or shopper, EasyMesh, QoS for system prioritization, and distant administration. This was our Wi-Fi 7 decide, however the Asus RT-BE96U beat it in my assessments and doesn’t require a subscription. TP-Hyperlink’s Safety+ ($5/month, $36/yr) and Superior Parental Controls ($3/month, $18/yr) deliver full-featured parental controls and community safety.
Reyee RG-E6 for $144: This reasonably priced gaming router from Reyee got here very near unseating our price range gaming decide above (TP-Hyperlink Archer GX90) after some spectacular check outcomes. It is just a dual-band router, however with help for 160-MHz channels, the speeds on the 5-GHz band have been excellent. It has a 2.5-Gbps WAN/LAN and three gigabit LANs however no USB ports. Reyee’s app presents prioritization for units, ports, and gaming visitors, separate visitor and IoT networks, and fundamental parental controls. What it lacks is any safety, and the app is poorly translated. But when that doesn’t trouble you, that is doubtless the very best gaming router you will get for the cash.
TP-Link Archer AXE75 for $170: Whereas this tri-band router makes Wi-Fi 6E reasonably priced, its efficiency was combined. The 6-GHz band presents quick speeds at shut vary however drops off sharply with distance. I discovered the 5-GHz band considerably inconsistent, recording zippy efficiency in most of my assessments however comparatively sluggish outcomes on just a few events. You additionally want subscriptions if you’d like full-featured parental controls and community safety, and all 4 Ethernet ports are restricted to 1 Gbps.
Synology WRX560 for $220: If you have already got the Synology RT6600ax listed above, the WRX560 is an honest extra system for establishing a mesh community. I had some points with setup that required a manufacturing facility reset, however as soon as up and working, the WRX560 presents a powerful and secure sign on the two.4-GHz and 5-GHz bands. Nevertheless, a dual-band Wi-Fi 6 router is a tricky promote at this value, so in the event you simply want one, it’s value spending the additional $80 for the RT6600ax.
TP-Link Archer AX5400 Pro for $200: This dual-band Wi-Fi 6 router is nearly an identical to the Archer AX73, aside from the two.5 Gbps WAN port. It delivers comparatively quick speeds on the two.4-GHz and 5-GHz bands and boasts a 160-MHz channel width on 5 GHz. The vary is nice, simply masking my dwelling and backyard, however the efficiency was inconsistent. It was additionally comparatively sluggish at transferring information domestically. There’s help for TP-Hyperlink OneMesh, VPN, and QoS, however you solely get fundamental parental controls and community safety until you subscribe.
MSi RadiX AXE6600 for $161: This Wi-Fi 6E tri-band gaming router has that acquainted pink and black Sith spider look, although you may customise the lighting. It proved very quick in most of my assessments, coming near the highest of the desk at quick vary on the 6-GHz band and providing common efficiency on the 5-GHz and a pair of.4-GHz bands. However the cellular app had restricted choices, a complicated format, and was buggy (it crashed on me greater than as soon as). The online interface was higher, with extra choices, together with open VPN, easy parental controls, visitor community, and QoS optimization for gaming. Sadly, efficiency was inconsistent, and I suffered random drops twice in every week of testing.
Linksys Hydra Pro 6E for $200: One of many first Wi-Fi 6E tri-band routers (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz) to hit the market, the worth has dropped considerably since launch. It proved simple to arrange, and has a really easy app, although it was usually sluggish to load. It has a 5-Gbps WAN port and 4 gigabit LAN ports. The efficiency proved dependable, and it’s potential to get lightning-fast speeds at shut vary if in case you have a tool that helps Wi-Fi 6E. Protection and speeds at mid and lengthy vary have been common. There are free fundamental parental controls that allow you to dam websites and schedule downtime, however solely on a per-device foundation (no profile creation or age restrictions filters). You may break up bands if you wish to, and prioritize three units. There’s additionally a visitor community choice and straightforward Wi-Fi sharing. One other constructive is that this router works with another Linksys Clever Mesh router (together with the Velop mesh vary).
Linksys Hydra 6 for $100: Specs-wise, this compact router is much like our high decide (TP-Hyperlink Archer AX55). It’s a dual-band Wi-Fi 6 router with a gigabit WAN and 4 gigabit LAN ports. The setup was simple, and it makes use of the identical Linksys app because the Professional 6E above, so that you get free parental controls, visitor community, prioritization, and band splitting. It proved speedy at shut vary and never unhealthy at mid-range, but when your own home is bigger than 1,600 sq. ft, it might battle. Nevertheless, as an Clever Mesh router, it might probably combine and match with different Linksys routers or its Velop mesh system. Linksys suggests a restrict of 25 related units. Though it managed greater than 40 with out points in my testing, busy households will doubtless need one thing extra highly effective.
Reyee RG-E5 for $100: Primarily based purely on efficiency, this dual-band, Wi-Fi 6 router impressed me. It provided nice protection, very quick speeds on the 5-GHz band, and stable stability. It may possibly additionally type a mesh with different Reyee routers, and the app boasts free parental controls. On the draw back, safety is missing (no WPA3, no 2FA, no anti-malware), it’s important to create a Ruijie Cloud account (Ruijie is the Chinese language mother or father firm), and the poorly translated app is barely complicated.
