12 Best Wi-Fi Routers of 2025, Tested and Reviewed

Other Routers We Have Tested

I person tested immoderate different routers and person respective much successful nan queue. These aren’t arsenic awesome arsenic nan picks above, but are worthy considering.

AVM FRITZ!Box 5690 Pro for £374: While AVM has dominated nan German router marketplace for years and still has astir a 50 percent marketplace share, it's now expanding crossed Europe and nan UK, truthful I tested nan FRITZ!Box 5690 Pro. AVM’s scope is unique successful achromatic and reddish plastic, but there's a attraction connected functionality. This tri-band Wi-Fi 7 router boasts a 2.5-Gbps WAN/LAN, 4 gigabit LAN, and a USB 3.1 port. It’s fast, scoring mid- to high-table results successful my tests, and it proved reliable. It besides has DSL aliases fiber-optic modems, an integrated DECT guidelines position for cordless phones, built-in retention (NAS), and support for Zigbee to link smart location devices. You don’t request an relationship to group it up aliases configure it. There’s a firewall and impermanent web action successful nan straightforward web interface (you tin usage nan mobile app if you prefer). AVM’s routers are developed and manufactured successful Europe, making them an interesting, privacy-focused replacement to routers from China aliases nan US. The institution besides has a beardown way grounds of supporting its products for years aft release. Folks successful nan UK and Europe looking to upgrade to Wi-Fi 7 should see this router. My fingers are crossed that AVM expands into nan US next.

TP-Link Archer BE3600 for $99: This is nan lowest value I’ve seen for a Wi-Fi 7 router. The basal creation sports 4 antennas, a 2.5-Gbps WAN, a 2.5-Gbps LAN, and 3 Gigabit LAN ports. It is dual-band (2.4-GHz and 5-GHz), truthful there’s nary 6-GHz option, and it’s only 2 x 2 MIMO, truthful nan maximum bandwidth is 688 Mbps and 2,882 Mbps, respectively. Sadly, I recovered nan scope connected nan 5-GHz set to beryllium limited, and nan set steering was disappointing, often dropping my telephone onto nan overmuch slower 2.4-GHz band. Throughput was so-so, and record transfers were mid-table successful my results. The BE3600 vanished beneath our apical prime successful each test. It could beryllium cleanable for a mini apartment, arsenic it was impressively speedy astatine adjacent scope connected some bands, but dropped disconnected quickly pinch distance, making it reliable to urge for larger properties. The subscription required for enhanced information and parental controls is besides a difficult waste connected a router this cheap.

Netgear Nighthawk M6 Pro for $800: While I americium keen to adhd a 5G router and mobile basking spot to this guide, and nan Nighthawk M6 Pro is an fantabulous performer, it is simply excessively costly to urge for astir folks. (I scheme to trial cheaper models successful nan coming weeks.) That said, nan M6 Pro is easy to usage and mightiness suit business folks pinch an disbursal account. Pop a 5G SIM successful location and you person a tri-band Wi-Fi 6E router (2.4-, 5-, and 6-GHz) pinch a sturdy design, a useful 2.8-inch touchscreen, a 2.5-gigabit Ethernet port, and a artillery that’s bully for up to 13 hours of use. You tin link up to 32 devices via Wi-Fi and expect a scope of astir 1,000 quadrate feet. You tin besides usage nan Ethernet larboard arsenic a WAN relationship aliases employment nan M6 Pro arsenic a unafraid Wi-Fi repeater. It’s versatile, but configuration tin beryllium a chore, speeds are constricted if you want to widen artillery life, and it’s excessively expensive.

Asus RT-BE86U for $260: The caller Wi-Fi 7 type of nan Asus RT-AX86U listed above, this dual-band (2.4- and 5-GHz) router is akin to nan Asus RT-BE88U below. It lacks nan 6-GHz set but brings each nan different improvements that Wi-Fi 7 offers, from MLO to amended security. The RT-BE86U proved reliable successful my tests and performed highly good connected nan 5-GHz band, matching nan somewhat much costly RT-BE88U. It is somewhat smaller but still has 1 10-Gbps and 4 2.5-Gbps Ethernet ports, alongside a USB 2.0 and a USB 3.0 port. It besides offers each nan accustomed benefits of an Asus router, including onboard security, parental controls, AiMesh and VPN support, and a big of configuration options. It’s possibly a small pricey astatine nan moment, but erstwhile this router starts to drop, it will beryllium a coagulated prime for galore homes and whitethorn good declare a spot above.

TP-Link Archer GE800 for $350: This stunning tri-band Wi-Fi 7 gaming router came very adjacent to a spot above. The angled creation pinch customizable RGB lighting screams Vader’s castle but besides provides room for antennas to guarantee highly accelerated capacity crossed nan board. You besides get a 10-Gbps larboard for your incoming net connection, a further 2 10-Gbps and 4 2.5-Gbps Ethernet LAN ports, and a USB 3.0 port. The Tether app is solid, pinch immoderate gaming-specific options, but abstracted subscriptions are required for other information and parental controls. Despite nan blazing accelerated results, nan GE800 couldn’t rather lucifer our apical Wi-Fi 7 gaming prime supra connected nan 6-GHz band, and it produced rather a batch of power and audible instrumentality noise, though it is importantly cheaper.

Firewalla Gold SE for $479: This quirky portable instrumentality is cleanable for group who interest astir information and privacy. It offers broad devices for monitoring each postulation successful and retired of your house, robust and elaborate parental controls, ad-blocking, and enhanced information pinch a built-in firewall and VPN option. It serves arsenic a router, but you will want to brace different router successful entree constituent mode for Wi-Fi successful your home. It’s costly and whitethorn beryllium intimidating for inexperienced folks, but it offers heavy penetration into your web and an awesome extent of information features without an further subscription. The Gold SE has 2 2.5-Gbps ports and 2 gigabit ports and is suitable for folks pinch up to 2-gigabit connections. If your net is only 1 gigabit, effort nan much affordable but somewhat little capable, Firewalla Purple ($369) (8/10, WIRED recommends).

Asus RT-BE88U for $330: This dual-band Wi-Fi 7 router is an overseas imaginable because it does not connection nan 6-GHz set astatine all, conscionable 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. But you tin still harvester those bands pinch MLO and bask features for illustration 4K QAM, and this router will beryllium accelerated capable for nan mean home. It has ports galore (two 10 Gbps, 4 2.5 Gbps, 4 Gigabit, and 1 USB 3.0). It outperformed respective much costly routers connected nan 5-GHz band, and that’s apt what astir of your devices are utilizing astir of nan clip correct now. Asus besides offers free information package and parental controls pinch its routers, truthful there’s nary request for subscriptions. But erstwhile I see that you tin snag nan Netgear Nighthawk RS300 listed supra for less, I find it reliable to urge this router to folks successful nan US. If nan 6-GHz set is unavailable aliases nerfed successful your country, nan RT-BE88U is for you.

TP-Link Travel Router AX1500 for $60: If you don’t want to walk overmuch connected a recreation router, this is simply a bully replacement to our prime supra and little than half nan price. The drawback is that you tin expect astir half nan performance. If you conscionable request to screen a edifice room, it’s fine, but nan USB 2.0 larboard limits nan effectiveness of utilizing your phone’s cellular connection, and nan 2.4-GHz set is only Wi-Fi 4. It does person 2 Gigabit ports, immoderate useful modes, and VPN support. I besides emotion that it is powered via USB-C, arsenic it affords immoderate versatility (you could moreover usage a accelerated portable charger).

Netgear Nighthawk RS700 for $550: Although I had setup issues that required a mill reset, there’s nary hiding nan top-notch capacity of this router. It’s a Wi-Fi 7 tri-band router pinch 2 10-Gbps Ethernet ports, 4 gigabit ports, and a USB 3.2. The building creation is caller for nan Nighthawk line, and it looks great. This router will blend successful acold amended than our bulky Wi-Fi 7 prime supra from Asus, and it was somewhat faster connected nan 6-GHz band, though not nan 5-GHz aliases 2.4-GHz bands. It chiefly misses retired connected a proposal because it is much expensive. We’re already seeing discounts connected nan RT-BE96U, and Asus offers free information package and parental controls. If you get nan Nighthawk RS700S, nan “S” astatine nan extremity denotes a free twelvemonth of Netgear Armor, which costs $100 a twelvemonth thereafter. If you request parental controls, that’s different $70 a year.

TP-Link Archer GX90 AX6600 for $250: Picks supra excessively expensive? The somewhat much affordable TP-Link Archer GX90 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) mightiness tempt you. It looks for illustration a Sith spider, but this gaming-focused behemoth is feature-packed. It's easy to group up and configure, and it boasts a crippled accelerator characteristic and prioritization, making it easy to reserve bandwidth for gaming. I had nary issues pinch aggregate simultaneous gaming sessions. It has a 2.5-Gbps WAN/LAN port, a gigabit WAN/LAN port, 3 gigabit LAN ports, and 2 USB ports (3.0 and 2.0). Sadly, afloat parental controls and enhanced information require subscriptions, and it is simply a Wi-Fi 6 router.

Aircove ExpressVPN Router for $190: This router has a built-in VPN service, allowing you to shield your web postulation from prying eyes. You do person to bargain a subscription to ExpressVPN separately (it’s $13 per month, aliases conscionable complete $8 if you salary annually). But setup is simple, and having a VPN astatine nan router level is overmuch easier than having to instal it connected each instrumentality (though respective of our picks supra tin do this too). It’s worthy noting that ExpressVPN doesn’t make our Best VPNs guideline because it was sold to a genitor institution pinch a less-than-sterling reputation; that mightiness matter to you if you’re nan benignant of personification who wants a VPN. I besides ran into a fewer issues pinch websites and streaming services that aren’t keen connected VPNs.

Vodafone Pro II from £37 a month: Folks successful nan UK looking for a caller net work supplier (ISP) should cheque retired Vodafone’s Pro II (8/10, WIRED Review). While ISPs person traditionally provided shoddy routers to their customers, that seems to beryllium changing. The Vodafone Pro II is simply a tri-band router that supports Wi-Fi 6E, and it delivered lightning-fast speeds successful my tests, connected par pinch galore of my picks above. The scope is limited, particularly connected nan 6-GHz band, but this work comes pinch a scope extender that appears arsenic portion of nan aforesaid network. You tin besides get a 4G backup that connects to Vodafone’s mobile web to support you online should your regular net relationship fail. It’s only disposable pinch a two-year Vodafone work contract, starting from £37 a month.

TP-Link Archer BE800 for $400: With a caller creation that’s much desktop PC than router, nan BE800 (8/10, WIRED Review) tri-band beast came retired connected apical aliases adjacent to it successful my tests connected nan 2.4-GHz, 5-GHz, and 6-GHz bands, proving impressively swift for record transfers and downloads. It besides boasts speedy ports galore, a cool but benignant of pointless customizable dot-matrix LED screen, and nan Tether app offers a impermanent network, IoT network, VPN server aliases client, EasyMesh, QoS for instrumentality prioritization, and distant management. This was our Wi-Fi 7 pick, but nan Asus RT-BE96U hit it successful my tests and does not require a subscription. TP-Link’s Security+ ($5/month, $36/year) and Advanced Parental Controls ($3/month, $18/year) bring full-featured parental controls and web security.

Reyee RG-E6 for $119: This affordable gaming router from Reyee is simply a decent fund gaming prime that recorded immoderate awesome trial results. It is only a dual-band router, but pinch support for 160-MHz channels, nan speeds connected nan 5-GHz set were very good. It has a 2.5-Gbps WAN/LAN and 3 gigabit LANs, but nary USB ports. Reyee’s app offers prioritization for devices, ports, and gaming traffic, abstracted impermanent and IoT networks, and basal parental controls. What it lacks is immoderate security, and nan app is poorly translated. But if that doesn’t fuss you, this is apt nan champion gaming router you tin get for nan money.

TP-Link Archer AXE75 for $130: While this tri-band router makes Wi-Fi 6E affordable, its capacity was mixed. The 6-GHz set offers accelerated speeds astatine adjacent scope but drops disconnected sharply pinch distance. I recovered nan 5-GHz set somewhat inconsistent, signaling zippy capacity successful astir of my tests but comparatively slow results connected a fewer occasions. You besides request subscriptions if you want full-featured parental controls and web security, and each 4 Ethernet ports are constricted to 1 Gbps.

Synology WRX560 for $230: If you already person nan Synology RT6600ax listed above, nan WRX560 is simply a decent further instrumentality for mounting up a mesh network. I had immoderate issues pinch setup that required a mill reset, but erstwhile up and running, nan WRX560 offers a beardown and unchangeable awesome connected nan 2.4-GHz and 5-GHz bands. However, a dual-band Wi-Fi 6 router is simply a reliable waste astatine this price, truthful if you conscionable request one, it’s worthy spending nan other $80 for nan RT6600ax.

Linksys Hydra Pro 6E for $158: One of nan first Wi-Fi 6E tri-band routers (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz) to deed nan market, nan value has dropped importantly since release. It proved easy to group up and has a very straightforward app, though it was often slow to load. It has a 5-Gbps WAN larboard and 4 gigabit LAN ports. The capacity proved reliable, and it’s imaginable to get lightning-fast speeds astatine adjacent scope if you person a instrumentality that supports Wi-Fi 6E. Coverage and speeds astatine mid and agelong scope were average. There are free basal parental controls that alteration you to artifact sites and schedule downtime, but only connected a per-device ground (no floor plan creation aliases property regularisation filters). You tin divided bands if you want to and prioritize 3 devices. There’s besides a impermanent web action and easy Wi-Fi sharing. Another affirmative is that this router useful pinch immoderate different Linksys Intelligent Mesh router (including nan Velop mesh range).

Linksys Hydra 6 for $95: Specs-wise, this compact router is akin to our apical prime (TP-Link Archer AX55). It’s a dual-band Wi-Fi 6 router pinch a gigabit WAN and 4 gigabit LAN ports. The setup was easy, and it uses nan aforesaid Linksys app arsenic nan Pro 6E above, truthful you get free parental controls, impermanent network, prioritization, and set splitting. It proved speedy astatine adjacent scope and not bad astatine mid-range, but if your location is larger than 1,600 quadrate feet, it whitethorn struggle. However, arsenic an Intelligent Mesh router, it tin operation and lucifer pinch different Linksys routers aliases its Velop mesh system. Linksys suggests a limit of 25 connected devices. Although it managed much than 40 without issues successful my testing, engaged households will apt want thing much powerful.

Routers We Don’t Recommend

These are nan Wi-Fi routers we had issues pinch aliases can't urge for 1 logic aliases another.

Netgear Nighthawk RS200 for $206: The RS200 is Netgear’s dual-band (2.4- and 5-GHz) Wi-Fi 7 router and nan cheapest successful its Wi-Fi 7 lineup. After nan tri-band RS300 won a recommendation, I expected this router to execute decently, but I encountered respective issues, including random drops and mediocre range. After turning nan router disconnected and connected again, galore devices, including my Pixel and iPhone, struggled to reconnect. Perhaps I person excessively galore devices successful my location for it, though Netgear suggests it tin grip up to 80. It has 2 2.5 Gbps, 3 gigabit Ethernet, and a USB 3.0 port. Test results were OK, but importantly slower than nan RT-BE86U. The costly subscriptions for Netgear Armor ($100/year) and Premium Smart Parental Controls ($8/month aliases $70/year) look particularly pricey pinch a cheaper router for illustration this.

TP-Link Archer AX5400 Pro for $200: This dual-band Wi-Fi 6 router is almost identical to nan Archer AX73, isolated from for nan 2.5-Gbps WAN port. It delivers comparatively accelerated speeds connected nan 2.4-GHz and 5-GHz bands and boasts a 160-MHz transmission width connected 5 GHz. The scope is good, easy covering my location and garden, but nan capacity was inconsistent. It was besides comparatively slow astatine moving files locally. There’s support for TP-Link OneMesh, VPN, and QoS, but you only get basal parental controls and web information unless you subscribe.

MSi RadiX AXE6600 for $123: This Wi-Fi 6E tri-band gaming router has that acquainted reddish and achromatic Sith spider look, though you tin customize nan lighting. It proved very accelerated successful astir of my tests, coming adjacent to nan apical of nan array astatine short scope connected nan 6-GHz set and offering mean capacity connected nan 5-GHz and 2.4-GHz bands. But nan mobile app had constricted options, a confusing layout, and was buggy (it collapsed connected maine much than once). The web interface was better, pinch much options, including unfastened VPN, elemental parental controls, impermanent network, and QoS optimization for gaming. Unfortunately, capacity was inconsistent, and I suffered random drops doubly successful a week of testing.