We test lots of routers at CNET HQ -- mesh and otherwise -- so we're constantly updating our rundowns of the top systems on the market. I'll note any new mesh systems we test here as we go, along with a quick summary of my takeaways. Please note that this list includes several systems that were tested at my home instead of our latest test setup.
Arris Surfboard Max AX6600: Another high-powered Wi-Fi 6 system with an upright, cylindrical design, the Surfboard Max Pro was able to deliver fast speeds to other Wi-Fi 6 devices in my tests, but the performance was inconsistent with earlier-gen Wi-Fi 5 devices. I also didn't like the Ethernet jacks on the bottom of the device, which force you to bend your cables to the extreme in order to plug the router in.
Asus ZenWifi XD5: The ZenWifi XD6 is close to the Eero 6 Plus in both specs and price and at $263 for a three-pack, it's one of the more affordable Wi-Fi 6 devices you'll find. Its performance was less consistent across the home. In the garage, I only got 284Mbps upload speeds with the XD5 compared to 494Mbps in the living room, while the Eero 6 Plus returned 706 and 486Mbps for the same price.
Asus ZenWifi XD6: The middle child from the Asus family of Wi-Fi 6 mesh routers, the ZenWifi XD6 is a dual-band mesh system. It won't give you the tri-band build of the ZenWifi XT8, nor will you get that system's multi-gig Ethernet jack. Still, the system performed as well as any dual-band mesh router I had ever tested when I first reviewed it, so it isn't a bad pick by any stretch. Available for around $250, it's a reasonable price for a high-performance system.
Asus ZenWifi XT8: One of the most powerful ZenWifi systems, the tri-band XT8 performed well in our speed tests, and was among the first mesh routers to include multi-gig Ethernet WAN ports on each device. Available in a two-pack for $330, the former CNET Innovation Award winner is a reasonable upgrade pick, but it isn't quite as good a value as the TP-Link Deco W7200 or the Eero 6 Plus.
The Asus ZenWifi AX Mini costs less than other ZenWifi systems that support Wi-Fi 6, but performance was scattered in our speed tests. Ry Crist/CNET
Asus ZenWifi AX Mini: Also known as the ZenWifi XD4, the ZenWifi AX Mini is a pint-sized smaller sibling to the larger and more powerful ZenWifi XD6 and XT8 systems recommended above. Performance was scattered in my tests, with annoying speed drop-offs whenever I'd connect at a distance, so it isn't as recommendable as other ZenWifi offerings.
Eero 6: Amazon's first Wi-Fi 6 mesh router, the Eero 6 hit the market back in 2020, but it didn't blow us away during our tests. Eero systems that followed it did a lot better in my speed tests and they offer the same smart home perks, like built-in radios for Zigbee and Thread.
The Eero Pro 6E is a great pick for gigabit networks, but most homes would be just fine sticking with the less expensive Eero 6 Plus. Ry Crist/CNET
Eero Pro 6E: The Eero Pro 6E did an excellent job in our speed tests, finishing toward the top in just about every category while also delivering a noticeable speed bump to Wi-Fi 6E devices that can connect over the 6GHz band. The smaller-sized Eero 6 Plus is the better value for most households, but if you're a Wi-Fi 6E power user with gigabit speeds at home, then upgrading to the Eero Pro 6E merits strong consideration.
Eero Max 7: It's Amazon's newest, largest and priciest Eero mesh system, and it adds in support for Wi-Fi 7, the new Wi-Fi standard that promises to build upon Wi-Fi 6E's foray into the 6GHz band. In our initial speed tests, the Max 7 was capable of hitting blazing-fast speeds, but it didn't sustain those highs throughout testing. In fact, on multiple occasions when I'd connect from the test floor's garage, the farthest room from the main router, the system would connect me through the extender on the 2.4GHz band, which caused speeds (and the Max 7's overall position on my leaderboard) to plummet. Worse, the system kept me on 2.4GHz even after I'd returned to the same room as the router. What's more, when we reran our tests with a fancy Wi-Fi 7 test device, speeds were actually slower than what we saw on a Wi-Fi 6 or Wi-Fi 6E device. I'll continue testing this system to see if the mesh improves, but for now, it's not a splurge that I'd recommend.
Linksys Velop MX2000: Available in a two-pack for $115, the Linksys Velop MX2000, also known as the Velop Atlas 6, is decent enough as baseline Wi-Fi 6 mesh routers go, but you'll find better value and faster speeds if you shop around.
The Nest Wifi Pro is one of the newest Wi-Fi 6E routers on the market. There's a lot to like about it, but the average speeds were underwhelming among Wi-Fi 6E systems. Ry Crist/CNET
Nest Wifi Pro: The Nest Wifi Pro mesh router reworks the original Nest Wifi pitch by ditching the built-in Google Assistant smart speakers and adding in access to the 6GHz band via Wi-Fi 6E support. With a built-in Thread radio and robust smart home controls via the Google Home app, it's a decent pick for smart home enthusiasts, and it was as stable a performer as I've seen in my speed tests. Still, those speeds were a bit lackluster, and the system also lacked backward compatibility with previous Nest Wifi and Google Wifi hardware. At $400 for a three-pack, it's a bit expensive for such middle-of-the-road performance.
Netgear Orbi AX6000: Originally released as the Netgear Orbi 850 series, and recently updated to the 860 Series, both generations of Netgear's flagship AX6000 mesh router offer strong performance, but I wasn't as impressed with the system's speeds on a gigabit network, where several systems that cost less have managed to outperform it in my tests. Even so, this is one of the most consistent mesh routers I've tested, with reliable speeds from test to test. If that type of steady performance is what you're after, then it belongs high on your list.
Netgear Orbi AXE11000: The AXE11000 version of the popular Netgear Orbi router is a high-powered Wi-Fi 6E tank that leads all other routers I've tested in terms of its speeds to Wi-Fi 6E devices. It's a strong performer over plain ol' Wi-Fi 6 too, but not nearly as dominant as you might expect given that it costs over $798 for a three-pack.
Ry Crist/CNET
Netgear Orbi 970 series: Netgear's newest flagship, the 970 series is a tower-shaped Orbi system that adds support for Wi-Fi 7, the new Wi-Fi standard that promises to build upon Wi-Fi 6E's expansion into the 6GHz band. The system was just as speedy as expected when I tested it out, but not quite as fast with Wi-Fi 6 devices as the top-performing Asus ROG Rapture GT6. As for Wi-Fi 7 devices, we didn't see notably better performance than Wi-Fi 6 in our initial tests, but it's still very early for the standard. We'll know a lot more once we've had a chance to test additional Wi-Fi 7 setups out, so stay tuned for updates on that front in the coming year. In the meantime, this extremely expensive system is almost certainly overkill for most households.
TP-Link Deco X4300 Pro: The Deco X4300 Pro is an impressive system that features some of the best Wi-Fi 6 speeds we've seen, plus multi-gig Ethernet jacks on each device. The Deco W7200 still seems like the better value for most homes, but if you're looking for a step up from that system, put the X4300 Pro on your radar.
TP-Link Deco X55 Pro: The X55 Pro shares a lot of similarities with the Eero 6 Plus -- support for Wi-Fi 6, far-reaching range, gigabit Ethernet jacks -- but I lean toward Eero's mesh system for its features like built-in Zigbee radio. The Eero 6 Plus also returned slightly faster speeds in testing. At $140, the X55 Pro is a solid value for a three-piece mesh system, but I'd put it more in "good, not great" territory.
TP-Link XE75: TP-Link's first Wi-Fi 6E mesh router, the XE75 did a decent job in our initial tests, though the system's average upload speeds were lower than I'd expected. It's a clear value pick and currently available in a two-pack for $144, so give it a look if you're curious about Wi-Fi 6E but fearful about overspending. I'll update this page once we've retested it in our lab, so stay tuned for that.
TP-Link Deco X90: With a multi-gig WAN port and a faster speed rating, the Deco X90 is a midrange upgrade pick over the Deco W7200, and it costs $240 for a two-pack. It performed well in my tests, but not enough that I'd recommend paying $80 more than the Deco W7200 for it.
Vilo: The Vilo mesh router was one of the most affordable mesh routers I had ever tested back in 2021 when devices were available for about $20 each. These days, you can snag it for a little less than $40 per mesh device, but you shouldn't expect high speeds from a low-cost Wi-Fi 5 system like this one. In fact, it rang in with the slowest average uploads and downloads among any system I tested it against. Still, it got the job done, so if you just need something dirt cheap, speeds be damned, give it a look.