11 Best Wireless Routers for Home in April of 2024

By replacing your outdated router with a brand-new, modern one, you may give the impression that your doorbell camera, smart TV, game consoles, and laptops are all operating much more quickly. In addition to providing a faster Wi-Fi connection throughout your home, many of the most recent routers come preloaded with parental control software that is simple to use, network security software, mobile apps, and built-in network security software.

In order to determine the models that are most suitable for a variety of requirements and use situations, we thoroughly test every router we review. By doing this, we may help you find a good choice that is within your budget. These are the best wireless routers for home you can get right now for the 2024.

Choose the best wireless routers for home based on the list provided.

• Best overall: ASUS AX5700 WiFi 6

• Best value: Netgear Orbi WiFi 6E

• Best purchased product: Google Nest WiFi

• Best value product: TP-Link Archer AX6000

• Best affordable product: TP-Link Archer A7

1. ASUS AX5700 WiFi 6

Product’s Highlights

The Asus RT-AX86U is a wonderful option for securing your entire home network because it offers high-end performance, lifetime protection from viruses and intrusions, long-term protection without a monthly fee, and a two-year warranty.

The performance of the Asus RT-AX86U, however, is what really makes it appealing. In our tests, it came close to the elusive 1Gbps threshold, ensuring quick and easy connectivity for all of your devices. The RT-AX86U is equal parts general-use router and premium gaming router, with good range and great performance—even through walls and across floors—and a selection of features and ports that are a bargain in comparison to some of the best gaming equipment. The Asus RT-AX86U is the best Wi-Fi 6 router available for the entire home.

Pros

• Excellent performance and throughput

• Software for security with perpetual upgrades

• Aggregation of ports and multi-gig inputs

Cons

• Lacks sophisticated gaming features like a ping heat map and geofencing

2. Netgear Orbi WiFi 6E

Product’s Highlights

One of the best and priciest mesh Wi-Fi systems on the market is Netgear's Orbi WiFi 6E (model number RBKE963). However, if you have a large house, a gigabit internet connection from your ISP, and a lot of cash to burn.

The Orbi WiFi 6E can provide coverage up to 9,000 square feet. By adding a third satellite, you may cover 12,000 square feet. The router was the first mesh router in our tests to achieve throughput of more than a gigabit per second at a distance of 15 feet, thanks to its 6-GHz channel.

The system provides channels on the 2.5, 5 and 6 GHz bands, as well as a fourth 5-GHz channel for backhaul between units. Each unit has 12 antennas and four Ethernet connections, one of which is rated at 2.5 Gbps.

Trial versions of Netgear's Armor security software, which incorporates Bitdefender antivirus and parental controls, are available. After 90 days, tech support is also chargeable. You won't mind if you can afford to pay for this mesh system, though.

Pros

• Excellent mesh performance

• Simple to customize and set up

• Optional parental controls and security software

Cons

• 2 extenders and a router are priced at $1,500.

• 90 days of free technical assistance only

3. Google Nest WiFi

Product’s Highlights

The Google Nest Wi-Fi gives you whole-home connectivity and the advantages of Google Assistant, no matter where you are in your home. It combines an amazing mesh Wi-Fi router with a smart home speaker. Despite not having WI-Fi 6, they are equipped with Bluetooth and 802.15.4 Thread mesh networking to communicate with low-power home automation devices effectively.

While the Nest Wi-peak Fi's throughput of 653.2 Mbps during our tests wasn't the highest among mesh routers, we liked that each satellite was small and unobtrusive so it wouldn't look out of place on a bookshelf. Overall, this affordable tiny mesh Wi-Fi system is excellent.

Pros

• Excellent performance

• Built-in Google Assistant

• Simple setup

Cons

• Limited range

• Fewer possibilities for configuration

4. TP-Link Archer AX6000

Product’s Highlights

Our favorite affordable Wi-Fi 6 router is the TP-Link Archer AX6000. Wi-Fi 6 routers aren't cheap, but value is the name of the game for this router. Even if it performs and has a shorter range than rival Wi-Fi 6 models, it nevertheless supports Wi-Fi 6 speeds. Consider the Archer AX6000 as the reasonably priced router for Wi-Fi 6 devices from the first generation.

The Archer AX6000 router from TP-Link is the industry standard for Wi-Fi 6 routers that are equally effective with wired devices as they are with wireless ones. It has eight wired networking ports and the ability to connect two of them together to generate a 2Gbps stream of data. Due to the inclusion of router-based security, the Archer AX6000 distinguishes out as one of the best routers available at an incredible price.

Pros

• Eight LAN ports

• Additional safety

Cons

• App has few configuration possibilities

• Ethernet wires are difficult to remove

5. TP-Link Archer A7

Product’s Highlights

The TP-Link Archer A7 delivers excellent 802.11ac performance and a surprising number of features for less than most rival routers, making it the ideal Wi-Fi router for consumers on a tight budget. With four Gigabit LAN ports and a USB 2.0 connector for connecting devices, the Archer A7 offers remarkable performance for the money, outperforming most similarly priced routers we've tested.

Along with strong performance and functionality, the Archer A7 also boasts a simple setup procedure, helpful parental controls, and an app that enables remote monitoring and management of network use. Although it doesn't have a ton of customizing options, it does have parental controls and Quality of Service (QoS) software to guarantee performance that is above average. The Wi-Fi router is the greatest deal we've tested

Pros

• Less than $100 in price

• Satisfactory performance

• Warranty for two years

Cons

• Extensive customization options are lacking

• Restricted range

1. Does Your Wireless Router's Price Matter?

Like anything else, the cost of a router depends on its performance and capabilities, so the type of router you choose will have a significant impact on your budget. The router's name, which is made up of numbers and letters, frequently gives away what functions it delivers and how much it costs. For instance, the price of a basic AC1750 802.11ac router ranges from $60 to $100. 

However, if you want an AC2400 router with MU-MIMO streaming capability, budget between $100 and $200. The price of the newest 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6E routers can range above $500, depending on throughput rates and features, while the price of a tri-band AX5400 gaming router with all the bells and whistles might cost as much as $500.

2. How Do I Increase the Wi-Fi Signal?

Wi-Fi "dead zones" could exist in a big or multi-story house where you live. These are locations inside your house where your primary router can't send a wifi signal. The solution is a Wi-Fi range extender, which will pick up your router's Wi-Fi signal, magnify it, and rebroadcast it without the inconvenience of extending long connections around your home. They are reasonably simple to install, and they are available in desktop and plug-in varieties.

However, they do have restrictions: The rebroadcast signal is often half as strong as the one from your main router, and the majority of these establish a different network, which makes smooth traveling within your home challenging. However, several router manufacturers are currently producing extenders that use the same SSID and password for the network as your current router. The router often needs to be produced by the same company as the extension and must allow smooth roaming, therefore there is a catch.

In the list above, we've listed the best wireless routers for home. We've also included a breakdown of the essential details for those same top choices in the helpful table below.

We also have some other links for you if you want to learn more about mesh alternatives to traditional routers. Finally, once you've selected the ideal router, save our instructions for configuring your router and enhancing your Wi-Fi connection to your favorites.