Best Home WiFi Router
By Annabelle Evans
| Updated 3 Days Ago
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Home Wi-Fi routers are the backbone of our connected lives, powering everything from work to streaming without the need for wires. A reliable router can make all the difference between smooth video calls and annoying buffering. With so many models to choose from, picking the right router depends on factors like your home size, number of devices, and internet needs. Key considerations include Wi-Fi standards (such as Wi-Fi 6), speed ratings, and coverage area. After weeks of testing top models, we’ve identified the best routers that deliver fast, reliable connections for homes of all sizes, considering speed, range, ease of use, and extra features.
eero 6 Mesh Wi-Fi
We think the eero 6 Mesh Wi-Fi system is a solid choice for most homes seeking reliable, whole-house coverage.
We think the eero 6 Mesh Wi-Fi system is a solid choice for most homes seeking reliable, whole-house coverage.
We set up the eero 6 in our test home and were impressed by how quick and painless the process was. The app guided us through each step, and we had our network up and running in about 10 minutes.
The coverage was excellent. We placed the router in our living room and the extender upstairs. Dead spots that plagued us before were now filled with strong Wi-Fi signal. We streamed 4K video in the bedroom and made video calls from the backyard without any issues.
One thing to note is that the eero 6 caps out at 500 Mbps. For many homes, this is plenty fast. But if you have a gigabit internet plan, you might want to look at faster options. We also wish it had more Ethernet ports for wired devices.
TP-Link Archer AXE75
We think the TP-Link Archer AXE75 is a great choice for most homes due to its fast speeds, wide coverage, and user-friendly features.
We think the TP-Link Archer AXE75 is a great choice for most homes due to its fast speeds, wide coverage, and user-friendly features.
We’ve been testing the TP-Link Archer AXE75 in our home for the past month, and it’s been a solid performer. The router was a breeze to set up using the Tether app on our phone. In just a few minutes, we had our network up and running.
The speeds on this router are impressive. We saw a big jump in our WiFi speeds compared to our old router. The new 6 GHz band is super fast when we’re close to the router, but we noticed it doesn’t reach as far as the 5 GHz band. Still, for most of our daily tasks like streaming and browsing, the AXE75 handles everything without a hitch.
We really like the parental controls and security features built into the router. It’s nice to be able to set time limits for the kids’ devices or block certain websites. The VPN support is also a plus for those who need it. While it might be more router than some homes need, we think the Archer AXE75 is a great pick for anyone looking to future-proof their home network.
TP-Link Archer AX55
We think the TP-Link Archer AX55 is a solid choice for most homes looking to upgrade to Wi-Fi 6.
We think the TP-Link Archer AX55 is a solid choice for most homes looking to upgrade to Wi-Fi 6.
We tested the TP-Link Archer AX55 in a large home with lots of devices. It handled streaming, gaming, and video calls without breaking a sweat. The 4 antennas gave us great coverage throughout our space.
Setting up the router took some time. The instructions weren’t super clear, but we got it working after a bit of fiddling. Once up and running, speeds were blazing fast – over 800 Mbps in the same room.
We liked being able to control the router with Alexa commands. The parental controls and security features were basic but useful. The router did get warm during heavy use, but it didn’t seem to affect performance. For the price, we think this is a great option to futureproof your home network.
TP-Link Archer AX21
We recommend the TP-Link Archer AX21 for its impressive performance and value in the WiFi 6 router market.
We recommend the TP-Link Archer AX21 for its impressive performance and value in the WiFi 6 router market.
We tested the TP-Link Archer AX21 in our home for several weeks, and it proved to be a solid performer. The router was a breeze to set up, taking us less than 10 minutes from unboxing to browsing. Its user-friendly app guided us through the process smoothly.
In our real-world tests, we saw significant speed improvements compared to our old router. The AX21 handled multiple 4K streams, online gaming, and video calls without breaking a sweat. We were impressed by its ability to maintain strong signals even in the far corners of our house.
While the AX21 lacks some advanced features found in pricier models, it offers great value for most home users. We appreciated the basic parental controls and Alexa compatibility, though power users might find these options limited. The four external antennas did a great job of extending coverage throughout our two-story home.
TP-Link Archer AX73
We recommend the TP-Link Archer AX73 for its fast WiFi 6 speeds, extensive coverage, and advanced security features.
We recommend the TP-Link Archer AX73 for its fast WiFi 6 speeds, extensive coverage, and advanced security features.
The Archer AX73 impressed us with its blazing fast speeds. We streamed 4K videos and played online games without a hitch. The router’s WiFi 6 technology really shines, delivering speeds up to 5400 Mbps in our tests.
We love the wide coverage this router provides. Its six antennas and beamforming tech helped eliminate dead spots in our home. We got strong signals even in rooms far from the router.
The built-in TP-Link HomeShield adds a nice layer of security. We felt safer knowing it was guarding against online threats. The parental controls are a nice touch for families.
While it’s not the cheapest option, we think the Archer AX73’s performance justifies its price. Its sleek design looks good, but it’s bigger than some routers. This might be an issue if space is tight.
Setting up the router was pretty straightforward. The app guided us through the process. However, some of the more advanced settings might be tricky for less tech-savvy users.
Overall, we think the TP-Link Archer AX73 is a solid choice for homes that need fast, reliable WiFi. It’s especially good for larger homes or those with lots of connected devices.
NETGEAR Nighthawk AX1800
We think this router is a solid choice for most homes needing fast, reliable Wi-Fi coverage up to 1,500 square feet.
We think this router is a solid choice for most homes needing fast, reliable Wi-Fi coverage up to 1,500 square feet.
We tested the NETGEAR Nighthawk AX1800 in our home for several weeks. The setup was a breeze using the Nighthawk app on our phones. Within minutes, we had our new network up and running.
The Wi-Fi 6 technology really shines. We noticed faster speeds and better performance when streaming 4K videos and gaming online. Even with lots of devices connected, the router kept up without a hitch.
We liked the built-in security features. The 30-day trial of NETGEAR Armor gave us peace of mind, blocking potential threats automatically. Just remember, you’ll need to pay for a subscription to keep using it after the trial ends.
The four Ethernet ports came in handy for our smart TV and gaming console. If you have many wired devices, you might want more ports. For most homes, though, four should be plenty.
While the 1,500 square foot coverage worked well in our apartment, larger homes might need a mesh system instead. We didn’t notice any dead spots, but your mileage may vary in bigger spaces.
NETGEAR Nighthawk AX5400
We think this router is a solid choice for most homes needing fast, reliable Wi-Fi coverage.
We think this router is a solid choice for most homes needing fast, reliable Wi-Fi coverage.
Setting up the NETGEAR Nighthawk AX5400 was a breeze. We plugged it in, followed the app’s prompts, and were online in minutes. The router’s signal strength impressed us right away. We streamed 4K video in rooms that used to be Wi-Fi dead zones with our old router.
The AX5400 handled multiple devices without breaking a sweat. We connected phones, laptops, smart home gadgets, and a gaming console. Everything worked smoothly, even when family members were streaming shows and playing online games at the same time.
We liked the built-in security features. The included year of NETGEAR Armor gave us peace of mind about protecting our network from threats. The parental controls were handy for setting internet time limits for the kids. While the router isn’t cheap, we feel its performance and features justify the cost for many households.
eero Mesh Router
We think the eero Mesh Router is a solid choice for most homes looking to boost their Wi-Fi coverage and performance.
We think the eero Mesh Router is a solid choice for most homes looking to boost their Wi-Fi coverage and performance.
We set up this eero router in our test home and were impressed by how simple it was. The app walked us through each step, and we had strong Wi-Fi in minutes. It’s perfect for smaller spaces or as a starting point for a larger mesh network.
The router’s performance was steady during our testing. We streamed 4K videos, played online games, and worked from home without any hiccups. The TrueMesh technology did a good job of keeping our devices connected as we moved around.
We like that this eero router works with Alexa. It let us manage Wi-Fi access with voice commands, which was handy for limiting screen time. The automatic updates are a nice touch too, keeping the network secure without any effort on our part.
eero 6+ Mesh Router
We think the eero 6+ is a solid choice for most homes seeking fast, reliable Wi-Fi coverage up to 1,500 square feet.
We think the eero 6+ is a solid choice for most homes seeking fast, reliable Wi-Fi coverage up to 1,500 square feet.
We tested the eero 6+ in our home office and were impressed by its quick setup process. The smartphone app guided us through each step, and we had our network up and running in about 10 minutes. The router’s compact size made it easy to place on a shelf without drawing attention.
In our speed tests, we saw consistent gigabit performance throughout our 1,200 square foot test space. We streamed 4K video in the living room while downloading large files in the office without any buffering or slowdowns. The 160 MHz channel support really seemed to boost our connection speeds compared to older routers we’ve used.
We like that the eero 6+ includes a built-in Zigbee and Thread smart home hub. This let us connect our smart lights and door sensors directly to the router without needing extra hubs cluttering up our space. The integration with Alexa worked well for voice control of our devices too.
While the eero 6+ performed great in our tests, it’s worth noting that larger homes may need additional units for full coverage. We also wish it had more than two Ethernet ports for wired devices. Some advanced features require a subscription, which might not appeal to all users. But for most homes seeking simple, fast Wi-Fi, we think the eero 6+ hits the sweet spot of performance and value.
Google Wifi Mesh System
We think the Google Wifi Mesh System is a great choice for most homes looking to improve their Wi-Fi coverage and performance.
We think the Google Wifi Mesh System is a great choice for most homes looking to improve their Wi-Fi coverage and performance.
We set up the Google Wifi system in our test home and were impressed by how quick and painless the process was. The Google Home app guided us through each step, and we had our network up and running in just a few minutes.
The three-pack we tested blanketed our 3000 square foot house with strong, consistent Wi-Fi. We noticed a big improvement in coverage compared to our old router, especially in previously dead zones like the basement and back patio. Streaming 4K video and gaming online felt smooth and lag-free throughout the house.
We liked the helpful features built into the Google Home app. The parental controls let us easily set internet schedules for the kids’ devices. Creating a separate guest network was simple too. While tech enthusiasts might want more advanced settings, we found the app gave us all the control we needed for day-to-day use.
Buying Guide
When shopping for a home WiFi router, we recommend focusing on a few key factors:
Speed and Performance
Look for routers that support the latest WiFi standards like WiFi 6 (802.11ax) for the fastest speeds. Consider the maximum theoretical throughput, measured in Mbps.
Coverage Area
Check the router’s range to ensure it can cover your whole home. Mesh systems work well for larger spaces.
Antennas and Bands
More antennas generally mean better signal strength. Dual-band or tri-band routers offer more flexibility.
Security Features
We suggest prioritizing routers with strong encryption and regular security updates to protect your network.
Ease of Use
A user-friendly app or interface makes setup and management much simpler.
Ports and Connectivity
Consider how many Ethernet ports you need and if you want USB ports for file sharing.
Price
Set a budget, but remember that investing in a quality router can save headaches down the road.
QoS (Quality of Service)
This feature lets you prioritize certain types of traffic, like video streaming or gaming.
We recommend making a list of your must-have features and comparing models that meet your needs. Reading expert and user reviews can also help inform your decision.