Without a doubt, coverage and speed are the two most important considerations when choosing a router, but it can be hard to find one with the right balance. While most routers strive for good coverage, some models excel more than others with clever antenna designs and modern technology support like OFDMA and beamforming. If you’re willing to go with one of the best mesh systems, you have a lot more options, but if you just want a single router that can do it all, and maybe expand with a mesh later on, you’ll want something with a bit more power.
-
“” data-modal-id=”single-image-modal” data-modal-container-id=”single-image-modal-container” data-img-caption=””””>
ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX6000
Best overall
-
“” data-modal-id=”single-image-modal” data-modal-container-id=”single-image-modal-container” data-img-caption=””””>
Reyee RG-E5 AX3200
Best value
-
“” data-modal-id=”single-image-modal” data-modal-container-id=”single-image-modal-container” data-img-caption=””””>
Netgear Nighthawk RS700S
Best Wi-Fi 7
-
“” data-modal-id=”single-image-modal” data-modal-container-id=”single-image-modal-container” data-img-caption=””””>
TP-Link Archer BE550
Best value Wi-Fi 7
-
“” data-modal-id=”single-image-modal” data-modal-container-id=”single-image-modal-container” data-img-caption=””””>
TP-Link Archer AXE300
Best WI-Fi 6E
Get better coverage with the right Wi-Fi router
ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX6000
Best overall
Strong coverage with plenty of features
With strong performance and coverage, this dual-band AX6000 router is a great choice for many people, not just gamers. It has large antennas and support for Wi-fi 6 features including 1024-WAM and OFDMA. It’s even multi-gig ready with two 2.5Gbps Ethernet ports.
Pros
- Strong AX6000 performance
- Multi-gig WAN and LAN Ethernet support
- Mesh expandable with AiMesh
Cons
- Expensive for the speed
- Too much RGB for some
The ROG Rapture GT-AX6000 is a dual-band Wi-Fi 6 router that doesn’t look all that special from the spec sheet, but it does well to deliver on its speeds, even when you move a room or two away. The connection speed breaks down to 4804Mbps at 5GHz and 1148Mbps at 2.4GHz. The 2.4GHz connection can reach further than 5GHz but must operate on narrower channels, so the speed is generally lower. Fortunately, this router has plenty of 2.4GHz capacity so if you’ve got a lot of devices using this lower-frequency connection, you’ve got the capacity.
This router supports Asus’ RangeBoost Plus technology, which can detect which antennas provide the best coverage for your device. While this doesn’t expand coverage per se, it improves speeds while on the edge of your coverage area. If this still isn’t enough coverage, Asus routers support AiMesh, which allows you to create a mesh with multiple Asus routers.
Reyee RG-E5 AX3200
Best value
Affordable Wi-Fi 6 coverage
$90 $130 Save $40
The Reyee E5 Wi-Fi 6 router is an affordable Wi-Fi 6 router, but it’s still pretty quick with an AX3200 connection allocating up to 800Mbps to the 2.4GHz band and 2402Mbps to 5GHz. It supports Wi-Fi 6 tech like OFDMA, beamforming, and BSS coloring to help with congestion as well.
Pros
- Low price for this speed of router
- Up to six SSIDs supported
- Mesh support with Reyee Mesh
Cons
- No 160MHz 5GHz band support
- No multi-gig Ethernet support
Getting a decent Wi-Fi 6 router doesn’t have to be expensive, and the Reyee RG-E5 is a great example of that with a solid AX3200 dual-band connection. It offers up to 800Mbps at 2.4GHz, which means strong capacity for distant Wi-fi clients and 2400Mbps at 5GHz for your quicker devices. One thing to keep in mind is that this model does not support 160MHz connection at 5GHz, so 1201Mbps is your maximum link speed. With only gigabit Ethernet ports on the back, that’s not too big of a deal for most people.
This router seems a little overbuilt with eight antennas flanking the sides, but that’s a good thing when you’re looking for the best range possible. Reyes claims 3,000 square feet of coverage with a single router, and mesh expansion is supported using Reyee Mesh. With a simple app-based setup and web browser access to the software, The GR-E5 is a solid entry-level Wi-Fi 6 router.
Netgear Nighthawk RS700S
Best Wi-Fi 7
Incredible top speeds
Wi-Fi 7 is designed to go fast, and going fast requires technology that can deal with interference and congestion that can affect coverage. That includes 4096-QAM and preamble puncturing. With 10Gbps Ethernet support, this is a good router for fast connections.
Pros
- Very fast BE19000 connection
- Dual 10Gbps Ethernet ports
- Eight internal antennas
Cons
- Very expensive
- No mesh expansion support
One of the fastest routers money can buy, the Nighthawk RS700S from Netgear is an excellent Wi-Fi 7 router with tri-band BE19000 speeds and 10Gbps Ethernet support for WAN and LAN. The speeds break down to 1376Mbps at 2.4GHz, 5760 at 5GHz, and 11520Mbps at 6GHz. It’s got eight internal antennas which are designed to give you 360-degree coverage, so this router, like most routers, works best right in the center of your home. Netgear claims this router can cover up to 3,500 square feet.
Netgear doesn’t offer mesh expansion support with this model, though you could still use a range extender to give yourself a coverage boost if you need to. Netgear makes setup easy with the Nighthawk app but still supports the web browser for setup and configuration. If you’re looking for security enhancements, Netgear includes a year of Netgear Armor with the option to renew.
TP-Link Archer BE550
Best value Wi-Fi 7
Wi-Fi 7 for Wi-Fi 6 prices
$250 $300 Save $50
The TP-Link BE550 is a step down in power compared to most other Wi-Fi 7 routers, but with tech like 4K-QAM, Mulit-RUs, and MLO, it still has some solid upgrades over Wi-Fi 6. It has a BE9300 tri-band connection with up to 574Mbps at 2.4GHz, 2880Mbps at 5GHz, and 5760Mbps at 6GHz.
Pros
- Quick BE9300 tri-band connection
- Supports 4K-WAM, Multi-RUs, and MLO
- EasyMesh expansion supported
Cons
- The 2.4GHz band is only Wi-Fi 6
- No 10Gbps ports
If you’re looking for Wi-Fi 7 but don’t want to spend a ton of money on it, your best bet is the TP-Link BE550. This router is slower than some Wi-Fi 6 routers when it comes to aggregate speeds, but it’s still blazing fast for most people with its BE9300 connection. The 2.4GHz band uses WI-Fi 6 with 574Mbps of speed available. The 5GHz band has 2880Mbps available and the 6GHz band offers up to 5880Mbps, both with Wi-Fi 7. On the back, there are five Ethernet ports that all support 2.5Gbps.
TP-Link estimates strong coverage for a large four-bedroom house with this router thanks to six internal antennas. What’s most important with this router is that Wi-Fi 7 tech like 4K-QAM is still present to help with congestion and Multi-Link Operation (MLO) which can use multiple bands at once on supported Wi-Fi 7 clients. TP-Link includes EasyMesh support so you can expand your coverage with another EasyMesh router, such as getting a second BE550.
TP-Link Archer AXE300
Best WI-Fi 6E
Spread your devices across four bands
$400 $600 Save $200
The Archer AXE300 is a quad-band Wi-Fi 6E router with an AXE16000 connection and multiple multi-gig Ethernet options. With four bands, it not only offers strong coverage throughout the house, but the ability to spread devices across the bands that make the most sense.
Pros
- Fast quad-band Wi-fi 6E connection
- Two 10Gbps ports with SFP+
- Eight high-power antennas
Cons
- Very large
- No EasyMesh support (yet)
The TP-Link Archer AXE300 is as fast as Wi-Fi 6E routers get with an AXE16000 quad-band connection and 160MHz support on both 5GHz bands and 6GHz. It’s equipped for connections over 1Gbps with two 10Gbps Ethernet ports and a 2.5Gbps Ethernet port. Additionally, one of those ports is SFP+, which means you could use a fiber optic cable if you’ve already got a fiber switch somewhere in your network.
Keep in mind that the 6GHz band has worse coverage than 5GHz due to power level restrictions in place, so you should only expect strong coverage on 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. Even so, TP-Link recommends this router for large homes and if the devices close to the router can use 5GHz and 6GHz, it frees up capacity on 2.4GHz for your devices further away.
Like TP-Link’s other routers, this is set up quickly and easily with the Tether app, but can also be set up in a web browser if you don’t want to bother with making an account. While EasyMesh is listed as a planned update, this router still only supports OneMesh extenders for mesh expansion, which is still a solid solution as it uses the same SSID as your main router.
AmpliFi Alien
Easiest software
Ready for mesh expansion
The AmpliFi Alien is a mesh router that has a relatively small footprint and a sleek design. AmpliFi’s excellent software helps it stand out with a responsive app for setup and even a touch screen for quick settings. With an AX6000 dual-band connection plus 1733Mbps on a second 5GHz band, this is a quick router.
Pros
- Excellent app with a quick setup
- Solid Wi-Fi 6 mesh speeds
- Easy mesh expansion
Cons
- One band is Wi-Fi 5
- Wi-Fi settings are basic
- Parental controls could be better
The AmpliFi Alien may not seem like an obvious contender with its fairly small size and internal antennas, but this router over-delivers on most fronts. AmpliFi is made by Ubiquiti, and its experience is all over this router with a touch screen on the front and a responsive app. The app allows for basic Wi-Fi settings but has some nice inclusions like a QoS, VPN setup with Teleport, and it can be set up without an account.
It has a total capacity of 7685Mbps thanks to 1148Mbps at 2.4GHz, 4804Mbps at 5GHz, and another 5GHz band at 1733Mbps using Wi-Fi 5. AmpliFi estimates up to 3,000 square feet of coverage with this router thanks to a custom antenna design.
Read our review
AmpliFi Alien review: A powerful Wi-Fi 6 router with software that nails the basics
The AmpliFi Alien from Ubiquiti is a quick Wi-Fi 6 router with a sleek design and excellent, easy-to-use software.
The AmpliFi line has always been mesh-focused, and the Alien can be bought with one or two extenders. You can also use additional Alien routers to expand your mesh if you start with just one router. We tested just a single Alien router in our review and found solid speeds throughout the house. Most importantly, the router shows the connection quality for each device on the main screen, so you can make adjustments without ever opening an app.
TP-Link Archer GX90
Best tri-band
Dedicated 5GHz gaming band
$200 $250 Save $50
The Archer GX90 is a tri-band AX6600 Wi-FI 6 router with strong coverage and sensible band separation, giving you plenty of capacity for a full family. With eight antennas, you can get strong coverage in all directions with the option for OneMesh extenders if you need them.
Pros
- Quick tri-band AX6600 connection
- 2.5Gbps Ethernet for WAN or LAN
- OneMesh extender support
Cons
- EasyMesh update hasn?t yet arrived
- Antennas aren?t adjustable
One of TP-Link’s easily Wi-Fi 6 routers, the Archer GX90 is a powerful AX6600 tri-band router with eight antennas and enough power for a large home. You get up to 574Mbps at 2.4GHz, 1201Mbps at 5GHz-1, and 4804Mbps at 5GHz-2 with 160MHz support. The lower 5GHz band uses a narrower 80MHz channel that can offer strong coverage while the higher 5GHz band offers higher speeds with 160MHz support. That means good coverage further away from the router with plenty of speed if you’re close by.
For your wired devices, there’s a single 2.5Gbps Ethernet port that can be used for WAN or LAN, so you’re ready for multi-gig internet speeds, or a fast NAS if you prefer. TP-Link has listed this as one of its routers planned to get an EasyMesh update, but that hasn’t happened yet. You can still use OneMesh extenders to improve coverage under a single SSID, however. Setup is easy with the TP-Link Tether app and can be set up in just a few minutes. You can also set this router up in a web browser.
Get better coverage with the right router
There are a lot of things working against your Wi-Fi coverage from the thickness of your walls to the appliances keeping your house cool in the summer. If you live near enough to your neighbor to see their Wi-Fi, your router will also need to contend with that congestion. As a result, a lot of the development of the best Wi-Fi routers has been aimed squarely at keeping performance despite interference and congestion with technology like QAM which adjusts your signal to coexist with another. Wi-Fi 6 supports 1024-QAM while Wi-Fi 7 goes up to 4K-QAM allowing for finer tuning. Naturally, this all goes on behind the scenes, so you’ll just need to use your Wi-Fi like normal.
If you want one of the latest and greatest routers, the Netgear Nighthawk RS700S is a strong choice with a ton of speed, fast hardware, and a fairly compact design. Unlike older designs, you get eight internal antennas instead of a mess of external antennas all around your router. With a more compact design like this, you can put the router more out in the open in the center of your home for the best-case scenario. If you’re putting your router near an outside wall, you’re wasting a lot of potential.
The Reyee RG-E5, on the other hand, is a very cheap Wi-Fi 6 router that manages to deliver solid speeds with strong coverage. It has eight external antennas to make the most of its dual-band AX3200 connection with 4×4 streams at both 2.4GHz and 5GHz. While it’s not suitable for multi-gig speeds, or even gigabit speeds in most cases, it is still plenty fast for streaming and browsing.
For most people, the ROG Rapture GT-AX6000 is a strong choice using a high-end Broadcom chipset that manages to deliver strong speeds across the whole house. With four large antennas on each corner, and a glowing RGB logo, you’re not escaping the gamer look, but it’s worth it for the performance. Alternatively, you could try the Asus RT-AX88U Pro, which has nearly identical hardware. Both of these options support AiMesh expansion if you find you still need more coverage.
ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX6000
The Asus ROG Rapture GT-AX6000 router has plenty of speed for most families with two 2.5Gbps Ethernet ports and strong wireless coverage. With mesh support built-in, you’ve also got options if it turns out you still need more coverage.