Technology

Routing Your Connection: 10 of the Best Routers for Your Online Needs

Are you thinking of buying a new router? Well, don’t be intimidated by all the specs. Sure, some routers are technically more superior than others, but for the average person, the technical jargon won’t be all that relevant. Of course, if you’re the tech-savvy type, you can probably use specs to form your idea of the best router. If you’re like most people, however, you may need some help.

To make things easy for you, here are ten routers that are considered the best for the most common situations.

1. ASUS RT-AC88U – Best Overall

Asus’s most acclaimed dual-band router has everything for everyone, from homeowners to avid gamers. Buying awesome router for multiple devices gets you eight Gigabit LAN ports with support for both Dual-WAN functionality and port aggregation, an intuitive Web interface and MU-MIMO functionality, along with a slew of security and monitoring features.

2. TP-Link Talon AD7200 – Latest Technology

The world’s first 802.11ad router may be bulkier than most gadgets, but that’s nothing to complain about when you have eight external antennas for maximum range and performance. You also get tri-band technology, MU-MIMO support, and an easy-to-use one-app solution for setting up, managing and updating your router.

3. ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AC5300 – Best for Gamers

The GT-AC5300 combines ultra-fast performance and excellent range with a ton of unique gaming-centric features to become the ultimate router for hardcore gamers and geeks. Most of its functions have been preconfigured to support hundreds of games. And, best of all, it can work as a WTFast client for automatic connection to the Gamers Private Network.

4. Google Wi-Fi – Best Range-covering System

The Google Wi-Fi uses three interconnected units to maximize the range. Despite its small, antenna-free design, the system offers seamless and robust dual-band performance. Better yet, it is entirely compatible with Alexa and Google Home voice commands.

5. Asus RT-AC3200 – Best for Busy Homes

If you have lots of devices clamoring for Wi-Fi, the RT-AC3200 tri-band is the perfect router for you. In addition to reliable performance across a host of wireless gadgets, the router is packed with network-monitoring features. It can also connect to multiple internet sources simultaneously, which makes it a capable gateway for small offices.

6. Synology RT1900ac – Best for Storage

The RT1900ac not only delivers excellent Wi-Fi performance but also works as a great NAS server when hosting an external storage device. Connecting a storage drive to its USB 3.0 port will make it accessible to all your wireless devices, so you can perform everything, from Time Machine backup to file sharing.

7. ASUS RT-N66U – Best for Small Homes

The dual-band RT-N66U may be older than most devices you’ll find on any list top 10 routers, but regardless, it offers excellent coverage, stable signals and stellar rates, especially on the 5GHz band. If you’re looking for an affordable router for your small home or office, the router is an excellent choice.

8. NETGEAR Nighthawk X10 – Absolute Power

The X10 AD7200 Smart router is for users that desire nothing less than the best online VR gaming and 4K video streaming across all their devices. This 802.11ad, 160MHz behemoth is probably too expensive for the average user, but in all fairness, it offers a lot for the price.

9. NETGEAR Nighthawk R7000 – Best Under $200

While not nearly as awe-inspiring as the X10, the R7000 provides remarkable dual-band connectivity, it’s easy to install, and it looks great! (yes, looks matter sometimes). It also comes with a generous array of features that you usually wouldn’t expect from such a budget-friendly router.

10. TP-Link Archer C7 – Best Under $100

The Archer C7 is stylish and offers incredible dual-band performance all around, not to mention decent NAS capability. And, with six antennas (three external and three internal), you’ll no doubt get respectable range and speed. While not exactly feature-packed, it offers unrivaled bang for the buck.