There’s a lot of activity in the lower end of the wireless router market, particularly in the sub-$100 price range. A wide variety of Wi-Fi 6 routers are available in this space from names you’re familiar with (Asus, TP-Link, Netgear, etc.) and some that might not ring any bells for you.
Further compounding matters is that Wi-Fi 7 has been around on the market long enough that prices for dual-band routers are dipping below $100.
With this price convergence in the marketplace, we decided to see how performance and pricing look for seven of the top budget Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7 routers. We'll cover our contenders first, then get to our benchmarks to see which of these budget models offers the best bang for your buck. Spoiler alert: You might only need around $80 to buy the best price/performance ratio in this class.
Wi-Fi 6 versus Wi-Fi 7
The first Wi-Fi 6 devices started rolling out in 2019, while the first Wi-Fi 7 devices entered the market in late 2023. A lot of advancements have been made during that time in performance and security, including Wi-Fi 6E, which was a half-step between Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7, and added the 6 GHz band.
Swipe to scroll horizontally Wi-Fi 6 Wi-Fi 7 IEEE Standard 802.11ax 802.11be Wireless Bands 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz Max Channel Bandwidth 160 Hz 320 Hz Maximum Spatial Streams 8 16 Maximum Bandwidth per Stream 1,200 Mbps 2,400 Mbps Theoretical Maximum Data Rate 9.6 Gbps 46 Gbps Advanced Modulation 1024 QAM 4K QAM
Where things get tricky with Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7, however, is regarding the number of wireless bands supported. No matter which Wi-Fi 6 router you purchase, you’re getting two bands: 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. However, Wi-Fi 7 routers are available in dual-band (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz) and tri-band (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz) configurations. Without the higher-performing 6 GHz band, OEMs can offer dual-band Wi-Fi 7 routers at a much lower price point than their tri-band counterparts. However, in most cases, performance on these routers is more closely aligned with Wi-Fi 6 routers than with tri-band Wi-Fi 7 routers.
While performance may be similar, dual-band Wi-Fi 7 routers offer additional advantages over their Wi-Fi 6 predecessors. They support double the maximum bandwidth per stream (2,400 Mbps versus 1,200 Mbps) and spatial streams (16 versus 8). Dual-band Wi-Fi 7 routers also have a maximum channel bandwidth of 240 Hz compared to 160 Hz for Wi-Fi 6 and 320 Hz for tri-band Wi-Fi 7.
Other advancements include support for 4K QAM in Wi-Fi 7, versus 1,024 QAM in Wi-Fi 6. Finally, Wi-Fi 7 routers support multi-link operation (MLO), allowing wireless clients to connect and transmit data simultaneously across multiple bands (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz for dual-band Wi-Fi 7).
Stay On the Cutting Edge: Get the Tom's Hardware Newsletter Get Tom's Hardware's best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors
... continue reading