Wi-Fi routers have become a must-have in every home, but the one your internet service provider provided is most likely to blame for your poor Wi-Fi performance. Upgrading to the best wifi router can improve your internet.
I’ve compiled a list of recommendations to meet a variety of needs, places, and budgets. I tested all of these in my busy family house, which is filled with Netflix-addicted gamers.
Best Wifi Routers 2024
- Archer AX90
- TP-Link Archer AX55
- Asus RT-AX86U Pro
- TP-Link Archer AX21
Archer AX90
If speed is what you need, the Archer AX90 is one of the fastest routers we’ve tested to date. Plus, it’s ready for multi-gig internet (up to 2.5Gbps), perfect for fast fiber plans from AT&T and Google Fiber, and cable internet speeding along at 1,000Mbps and faster.
But if you prefer features over speed, you may find the AX90 a little lacking. Sure, it has some nice touches, like media sharing and VPN support, but you need a subscription for premium parental controls and antivirus. Sorry, but that’s a boo hiss in our book.
PROS:
- Free antivirus
- Free parental controls
- Multi-gig internet support
- Loads of wired connectivity
CONS:
- No real gaming tools
- Repetitive settings
- No adjustable antennas
TP-Link Archer AX55
This affordable Wi-Fi 6 router is what I think most people should buy. The slick black finish is attractive, and there are four antennas to direct Wi-Fi to every corner. (It’s worth tweaking and testing different positions.) Performance was solid throughout my two-floor, 1,600-square-foot home but dropped off slightly in the back garden. Stability was excellent over weeks of testing, hitting the upper mid-end in my speed and range tests. This router also ticks off all the feature boxes you want (MU-MIMO, beamforming, WPA3—we explain many of these terms in our How to Buy a Router guide). It has four gigabit Ethernet LAN ports, a single gigabit WAN port, and a USB 3.0 port on the back, which is enough for most people.
I’m a fan of TP-Link’s Tether app (Android, iOS), where you can review traffic, split bands, create a guest network, schedule reboots, set automatic updates, and even tell the LED to turn off at night. TP-Link’s basic free tier offers network scanning, QoS (Quality of Service) for device prioritization, and basic parental controls, so you can filter and blacklist websites. If you want more perks, like intrusion detection and real-time web security, you’ll need to upgrade to Security+ for $5 a month or $36 a year. Total Security adds antivirus, VPN, and password management for $6 a month or $70 a year. TP-Link has separated its Advanced Parental Controls, so if you want time limits for apps, downtime, SafeSearch and more, it will cost you $3 a month or $18 a year.
Asus RT-AX86U Pro
Simple setup, silky performance, and serious speed make this Asus router a good choice for anyone prepared to spend more for smoother Wi-Fi. It sports an eye-catching red and black design with three rotatable antennas. This router had no issues covering my entire home and garden and was one of the top performers in my tests. It delivered consistently fast speeds everywhere and was stable, even with four people streaming and gaming simultaneously. There are some handy customization options for gamers and optimizations that ensure low latency. It also has plenty of ports, including a 2.5-Gbps port configurable as WAN or LAN, four gigabit Ethernet ports, one USB 3.2, and one USB 2.0 port.
It’s packed with options, making it very easy to tweak router settings, should you need to. It covers everything, from comprehensive parental controls to traffic prioritization and network security. That includes AiProtection Pro (powered by Trend Micro), which monitors your network for malicious activity, no subscription required. This router supports AiMesh, which means you can add any other AiMesh Asus router to create a mesh network and expand connectivity in your home. The original RT-AX86U has been discontinued, so we switched to the almost identical RT-AX86U Pro, which has a faster processor inside. It performed slightly better in my tests, but the difference is slight, so buy whichever one is cheaper.
TP-Link Archer AX21
This impressive Wi-Fi 6 router delivers reliable performance at a relatively low price and succeeds our previous pick (the AX20). Despite the demands of four people video streaming and gaming, I rarely noticed a difference in everyday performance between this and my top pick, the AX55. My tests revealed some limitations on the range, however, and the download speed when installing a new game was noticeably slower than with the rest of our picks. But for most day-to-day tasks over a week of testing, this router delivered sterling service. It matches the AX55 with four gigabit Ethernet LAN ports and one WAN but only has a USB 2.0.
The Tether app is straightforward and packed with all the basic options you need, including traffic prioritization, parental controls, and a guest network. There’s no Security+ or HomeShield with this router, but most people don’t need those extra services. If you don’t care about online gaming performance or have tons of smart home devices, and your home is 1,600 square feet or smaller, you likely don’t need to spend more than this.