The best wireless routers for a home network

A wireless router is the most important component of the infrastructure of a local network. However, most users do not pay due attention to it, settling for the device provided by their Internet service operator. It is a mistake because they are usually quite basic models without sufficient performance, management and security features to take full advantage of the contracted rate. Or to take with guarantees the coverage of the Wi-Fi network to all parts of the home.

Taking into account the importance of these devices, which are the ones that allow us access to the Web and Internet services, and open the door (and take care of the passage of strangers) to our digital home, it is highly recommended to make an additional investment in a good wireless router with which to improve and/or expand the possibilities of our network.

And it is that the number of devices connected to home networks has increased exponentially in recent times, even more so in the last year where we have had to confine ourselves to stop the COVID pandemic and the -generally poor- network infrastructure has had a hard time simply to maintain a videoconference in conditions. And let's not even mention functions such as online multiplayer gaming or multimedia streaming through increasingly collapsed Wi-Fi.

In addition to desktop computers generally connected by cable, we must count the tablets and laptops that are also abundant in any home, without forgetting that today each member of the family has -at least- a smartphone. Add smart TVs, streamers, wearables, personal assistants or consoles and you will have a dozen permanently connected devices in the home without realizing it.

And let's not talk now if you have gotten into the world of home automation, digital home and Internet of Things devices because the number will have skyrocketed when connecting from the fridge to a lamp, passing through the cup in which you drink coffee . Perhaps we are not aware, but all this is handled by a single device and on many occasions it does not give for more.

How to choose the wireless router

It's easy to get lost in the complexity of technology jargon and existing networking standards. On a practical level there are three key questions to answer. One is the speed that the router must be able to handle depending on the Internet connection that we have contracted and another is the coverage that we need to cover in a given home, both in physical space and in the number of devices that will be connected.

The third key is common to any electronic device and refers to the amount of money that we are willing to invest considering the relationship between features and price of each model. Because there are quite a few price differences as you will see in the selection of offers. If the above is the general, the detail is much more extensive. We review the most important.

Wifi

The capacity of the wireless local area networks that you will see highlighted as WLAN is one of the most important sections to assess in a wireless router. They all use the general 802.11 protocol, but they vary according to the versions, more advanced as the standard has been improved and finally the responsible organization has normalized by introducing simplified generational names that should appear in device names, manuals and device descriptions. products and which are specified in:

In practice, all of the new models offer Wi-Fi 5 or the most advanced and innovative, Wi-Fi 6. The first should be sufficient for a typical home with contracted ADSL or fiber Internet speeds below of 1 Gbps and that do not require the maximum connectivity that several users need for multimedia streaming and/or online gaming, surely the tasks that occupy the highest bandwidth along with downloads and use of torrent networks.

Those that support Wi-Fi 6 offer great improvements over the previous one in performance, ability to manage connected devices and other advantages that we have been commenting on. They are intended for users with tariffs of 1 Gbps or higher or those looking for the most advanced features for WLAN. The latest approved standard, 6E, is not yet deployed and the truth is that client devices with Wi-Fi 6 support are still scarce. There are appreciable price differences between Wi-Fi 6 and 5 routers. You will have to assess what interests you most.

WiFi bands

Don't buy any wireless router that doesn't offer support for at least two radio bands. The two used in Wi-Fi 5 are 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. The 2.4 GHz band operates at a lower frequency and offers greater range (goes farther) because it is better able to penetrate walls and other structures. However, it is super saturated because it is used by many devices, including Bluetooth connections.

The 5 GHz band is less crowded and offers significantly higher throughput with minimal signal interference. In contrast, it has a shorter range than the 2.4 GHz band. Most routers offer dual band and allow the user to assign each of the radio bands to specific applications and clients, which relieves the load on both bands.

The most advanced have support for triple band, one of 2.4 and two connected to 5 GHz configurable for different tasks. It is common to see labels such as AC1200, AC1750, AC3200, etc. on router advertising. This designates the maximum theoretical speed of the router in Mbps by summing throughput across all bands. In the case of Wi-Fi 5 the theoretical maximum speed is 5,400 Mbps.

Wi-Fi 6 adds to the previous ones a third band of use, that of 6 GHz, achieving a greater range of the available radio spectrum, a greater number of channels, less network congestion and with it (and other technologies) a speed much higher that can theoretically reach heights close to 10 Gbps. Tremendous performance that can rival that of wired networks. We will wait to see how it materializes because, as we said, this type of infrastructure is still very green.

LAN

A wireless router must also have Ethernet ports to connect by cable to equipment such as desktop computers, NAS or those required by the user. Also to connect the router of the operator that in the case of fiber providers must be maintained to feed the second, be used as the main router in neutral or complementary formats such as Wi-Fi extenders or similar.

The router must have at least four 10/100/1000 (gigabit) Ethernet ports. If you need higher performance, you can purchase routers that support link aggregation. This feature uses two gigabit Ethernet LAN ports to provide higher throughput (up to 2 Gbps). It also provides a fail-safe system if a LAN connection fails and can be used to load balance network traffic.

The most advanced routers can offer support for 2.5 and up to 10 GbE wired networks, although they are usually reserved for business environments, we see them in the high-end consumer range. In all cases, the router's LAN ports can be expanded using switches as long as we have the possibility of connecting them by cable.

Other Featured Features

MIME. Multiple Input Multiple Output technology is one of the important technology in any Wi-Fi 5 router. This technology uses multiple antennas to send and receive up to eight spatial streams, resulting in improved performance. Downstream MU-MIMO is designed to provide bandwidth to multiple devices simultaneously rather than sequentially, meaning up to four clients can have their own data streams instead of waiting to receive data from the router. Wi-Fi 6 also offers MU-MIMO transmissions, but improved since it has both downlinks and uplinks.

USB. Almost all routers offer additional USB ports that are used to connect external devices and share them on the local network. The most common are printers or external storage equipment to use as if they were NAS and to be able to share files on the network. It is not essential in a wireless router, although they can always come in handy.

antennas. Many routers look like 'alien ships' because of the number of antennas sticking out of them. Although they can also be internal and in some you will not see a single one of them since they are inside, these external antennas are usually high gain and are intended to improve Wi-Fi coverage. Generally, the more the better, but it depends on its quality. There are models that offer them removable and can be connected before specialized third-party manufacturers with greater range.

firmware and software. An important section for advanced users looking for total control and the maximum possibilities of their network. They are third-party developments that add greater possibilities than the official ones that are delivered by the manufacturers. They are not officially supported, but their installation is worthwhile as long as they are supported by each model. We highlight three of the best known, DD-WRT, Tomato and AsusWRT Merlin, a variant of the official firmware of this provider.

Related to the above, point out other functions of interest that can be managed in an advanced wireless router such as:

Wireless router, selection of offers

If you have come this far, you will have seen that there are many aspects to assess in order to select the best device, although in general, network infrastructure providers offer everything you need, good build quality, customer support and most of the technologies that we have seen. up. Those that support Wi-Fi 6 are -generally- more expensive, but are better prepared for the future, while those with Wi-Fi 5, cheaper, still have the capacity to sustain most networks at a good level. You will have to assess according to your needs. This type of equipment is going to last you many years and as in any purchase of electronics there is virtue.

We select some of the best or those that we consider to be of most interest due to performance / price, including the main manufacturers. Any of them, as a main or additional router to the one used by the Internet service operator, will be a great option to improve the performance of your local network.

ASUS RT-AX89X

One of the best home routers money can buy. Its "arachnid" design with eight external antennas and the number of ports already makes it clear that it is intended to manage high-performance networks, for any task, although the manufacturer focuses it on the ever-present Gaming. In the section of the wireless WLAN network, the support for Wi-Fi 6 stands out, achieving an impressive bandwidth of 6,104 Mbps adding all the bands. The LAN section is just as impressive, with two 10GbE uplinks (configurable), one 1GbE WAN uplink, and eight 1GbE LAN downlinks.

It also offers two 5Gbps USB 3.1 Type-A ports; advanced security features WPA3-Personal and WPA2-Enterprise and the most advanced technologies in routers. Its price is at the height of its quality and benefits and rises to 492 euros. In exchange, a state-of-the-art router for many, many years. In the same link you have cheaper models such as the ASUS RT-AX82U with Wi-Fi 6 for 174 euros.

AVM FRITZ!Box 7590

One of the best routers from this prestigious German manufacturer. Offers dual-band 4x4 Wi-Fi 4 and Wi-Fi 5 with multi-user MIMO for a combined throughput of 2,533 Mbps. Features four Gigabit LAN ports and 2 USB 3.0 ports, one Gigabit WAN port compatible with fiber or cable modems optical and two connections for analog telephones or fax.

It is ready to work with the latest technologies in the industry, including Wi-Fi Mesh; DECT telephony for telephones and home automation applications; parental control features; media server; FRITZ!Nas, wireless guest access and support for FRITZ!Apps integrated into a well-supported ecosystem with the FRITZ!OS operating system at the forefront. It is available on the Spanish channel, currently for 236 euros.

Netgear RAX120

Another model, like the ASUS, top of the range in features that support Wi-Fi 6 and with the spectacular design that you see in the image. The router is designed to provide 12 connections for 60 devices at the same time. The router offers four 6 GHz streams, four 5 GHz streams, and four 2.4 GHz streams, expanding the capacity of networks to accommodate more devices and deliver up to 1200 + 4800 Mbps.

Its design is visible and visually very attractive, with the external antennas covered by two panels in the form of a Star Wars fighter… In addition to Wi-Fi, it has five Gigabit Ethernet ports with 2.5G speed, two USB ports 3.0 for external devices and all kinds of functions, Beamforming+, Smart Connect, OFDMA, Amazon Alexa voice commands and more. It is currently reduced by 23% and is priced at 409 euros. On the same series, Netgear offers cheaper alternatives such as the AX6600 for 299 euros.

D-Link DIR-X5460

Another with Wi-Fi 6 support in this case for the mid-range of the market. It offers a total bandwidth of 5.4 Gbps (4800 Mbps + 600 Mbps) by combining the combined dual band of 5400 Mbps and MU-MIMO technology for simultaneous streaming to multiple connected devices. It has a Gigabit WAN port and 4 LAN and Gigabit network ports (1000 Mbps) and two USB 3.0 ports.

Like the previous ones, it supports OFDMA to increase the total number of devices to which it can connect simultaneously, it has a VPN assistant for virtual private networks, WPÂ 3 encryption, support for mesh networks and control from mobile devices or by control of voice with Alexa or Google Assistant. It is available at a price of 210 euros. Content for the benefits of this mid-range.

TP-Link Archer AX6000

Another of the leading manufacturers of network products for consumption with an extensive catalog in all segments. The model we selected has a 1.80 GHz quad-core processor and 1 GB of RAM to ensure maximum performance throughout the network and supports Wi-Fi 6 to offer speeds of up to 1,148 Mbps in the 2.4 GHz band and 4,804 Mbps in the 5GHz band.

Very well served in the LAN section, it has a 2.5 gbps WAN port and 8 gigabit LAN ports. There is no lack of two USB 3.1 ports, support for OFDMA and MU-MIMO upstream and downstream, and 8 high-gain external antennas that promise to increase the signal to reach the entire home. Security is enhanced with WPA 3 and TP-Link HomeCare software connected to a threat database updated live by Trend Micro. It is available for 282 euros. As a similar alternative, we offer you the TP-LINK Archer C5400X and if you are looking for something cheaper from this manufacturer, you have what you want, because it offers Wi-Fi 5 routers from the Archer series for just 60 euros.

Google Nest Wi-Fi

It is the latest proposal from the Internet giant to improve Internet access in the home through a complete and integrated wireless network solution. It follows in the footsteps of the original Google Wifi and improves it at all levels, including the router and access points necessary to guarantee the best coverage at any point in the home. It works on dual simultaneous Wi-Fi 5 (2.4 and 5 GHz) and can serve 100 connected devices.

An "all-in-one" solution that offers what is necessary to cover the entire home, since it is a scalable system that creates a mesh network, promising a secure, stable and uninterrupted signal throughout the home. It should be noted that the Nest Wifi access point includes smart speaker functions, is connected to the Google assistant and allows you to play music, manage the Wi-Fi network, make inquiries or control other connected devices through voice commands. It is priced at 139 euros, while the package of two units costs 275 euros. You can see a full analysis at this link.

devolo Magic 2 Wifi next

We did not want to end this special without including some of the existing alternatives with PLC technology that allows communication signals to be transmitted through the electrical installation, turning any power outlet into a high-speed access point. This devolo solution supports the latest Gigabit G.hn home network standard, allowing you to create Wi-Fi Mesh networks with high performance, reliability, and coverage to provide connectivity to a greater number of devices and achieve any home design with individual units. no matter how extensive or complicated.

Its ease of installation and use avoiding the laying of cables throughout the home is another of its outstanding aspects, as is its possibility of extending the local Ethernet network and its access and management software. devolo offers this Magic solution in two versions to suit the user's coverage needs. In all cases, add-on adapters can be purchased to cover any home size or multi-story layout. You have kits on offer with 1 LAN and 1 WiFi from 175 euros to which you can add all the adapters you need. If you are interested, check out this analysis.

Note: This selection contains some links from our affiliates, but none of the products included have been proposed or recommended by them or their manufacturers, but chosen at our own discretion.