Compare 9 Top Wi-Fi Routers
Other Routers We Have Tested
I have tested many other models and have several more in the queue. These aren’t as great as the picks above, but they are worth considering.
Photograph: Simon Hill
TP-Link Archer BE6500 (GE400) for $220: This dual-band Wi-Fi 7 gaming router is a solid performer. At close range on the 5-GHz band, it can go toe-to-toe with most of the devices on this list. It also offers dedicated gaming features, though some of them require subscriptions. I was disappointed by the limited range, and the comparable TP-Link BE6500 (BE400) is currently on sale for a lot less. You also don’t have to spend much more to get the far superior, tri-band Archer BE9700 (BE600) listed above, giving you the full 6-GHz Wi-Fi 7 experience. For gamers who live alone in apartments or small homes, this router could still be a decent buy.
Photograph: Simon Hill
D-Link AX3000 DBR-330 for $110: This lightweight, rectangular travel router from D-Link is aimed at business professionals who travel for work. It’s a dual-band, Wi-Fi 6 router that can also serve as a hot spot, with a connection via USB. There’s even a potentially handy microSD/TF card slot for up to 2 TB of storage for file sharing or backup. Setup via the browser is easy, and there’s built-in VPN support. It proved nice and fast at close range, but it dropped off quickly, and I couldn’t get a signal two rooms away. It will work fine for a hotel room, though. The problem is, you can get our TP-Link travel router pick above or the Asus RT-AX57 Go for similar money, and I prefer both of them.
Netgear Nighthawk RAXE300 for $190: The curvy spaceship design in matte black is a little more stealthy than your average gaming gear, but those wings contain antennas for a strong signal throughout your home. The Nighthawk RAXE300 is a tri-band router with Wi-Fi 6E support, covering the 2.4-GHz, 5-GHz, and 6-GHz bands. It served seamless, speedy Wi-Fi during two weeks of testing, with zero issues while handling a revolving mix of four simultaneous gaming and video streams. A single 2.5-Gbps WAN/LAN port, five gigabit LAN ports, and a USB-C 3.0 port will be enough for most folks. The Nighthawk app is excellent and offers band splitting, guest network options, and a host of analytical tools. While both the Premium Smart Parental Controls ($8/month or $70/year) and Netgear Armor ($100/year) are comprehensive and slick, the extra expense is hard to swallow when many competitors offer cheaper or free alternatives with similar features.
Asus RT-AX57 Go Photograph: Simon Hill
Asus RT-AX57 Go for $98: This 5-inch, white, plastic square comes with a wee stand. It’s a dual-band Wi-Fi 6 router with gigabit WAN and LAN Ethernet ports that you can plug into a modem, the port in your hotel, or any other internet source. It can even connect to public Wi-Fi, or you can plug your phone into the USB 3.2 port and use the RT-AX57 Go as a hotspot to magnify your cell connection (it doesn’t have a SIM slot of its own). Asus includes its usual security software, parental controls, and VPN support. It even has AiMesh support, so you can also use the RT-AX57 Go as a mesh node.
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