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The TP-Link Archer AX6000, the company’s top-of-the-line home router, has eight retractable antennas that make it look like an upside-down spider. Those antennas helped the router place well in our long-range throughput test, but the rest of its performance numbers were closer to middling. The AX6000 is notable among our test group for having a 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet port, for those who own a compatible modem, but on the whole the Asus RT-AX88U is a better pick. Immediately check for any available firmware updates for your router and then recheck every few months.
TP-Link Archer GX-90 AX6600 Tri-Band Wi-Fi 6 Gaming Router
The Motorola Q11 mesh system is a good fit for homes of up to 5,000 square feet. It’s easy to install and uses low-profile nodes that support wired or wireless backhaul. It’s a solid performer, but you’ll get better performance from our Editors’ Choice winner, the Eero 6 Plus.
Here are a few that are worth looking at as you search for your ideal wireless router. TP-Link’s Archer AX50 lets you step into the latest Wi-Fi 6 technology without spending a bundle. Even if you don’t have a lot of Wi-Fi 6 devices in your home yet, this router will make sure you’re ready when they do come along, and in the meantime it will deliver impressive performance for all your 802.11ac Wi-Fi 5 devices. Don’t let its appearance fool you, though, as this powerful Wi-Fi system can easily cover even the largest and busiest homes with more than enough performance for all of your streaming and video calling needs. A dedicated wireless channel runs between the main Orbi router and the satellite units to keep everything running quickly and smoothly, which means you’ll get consistent speeds, no matter which unit you’re closest to.
Reyee RG-E5 Wi-Fi 6 Router
The RT-AX88U was the top performer on most of our tests, and we think investing in this model’s extra performance will pay off if you’re one of the lucky people who have 500-megabit or faster internet service. The RT-AX88U was about 15% faster than our top pick, the TP-Link Archer AX50, on our overall throughput and latency tests. Compared with our top pick, the Asus RT-AX88U has far more RAM and a faster, quad-core processor, so we’d wager it would be faster than the AX50 if we were to add more devices to the network. If your router is more than a couple of years old and is struggling in more places than not, a new router or a mesh-networking kit will improve your Wi-Fi’s range, stability, and speed all over your home. Nearly all routers include separate radios for those bands, which lets you connect to whichever band is best. Some routers will automatically steer your connection between the multiple bands available, but you can usually turn that off as well, making each band its own, separate Wi-Fi network.
For large homes, you will have a much better experience if you use one or more Wi-Fi extenders or choose a mesh Wi-Fi system instead of a traditional wireless router. Wi-Fi extenders connect to your existing network and project it further, while mesh systems use a number of interlocking nodes to cover a large area without slowing down your connection or introducing lag. Single-band routers typically use the 2.4GHz band, which is significantly slower than the newer 5GHz band.
Best Wi-Fi 6E Mesh System
A single router is generally fine for apartments and smaller houses, but if you live in a house larger than 2,000 square feet, a mesh router may be a better pick. That’s especially true if you work from home, even just a few days per week; nobody likes dealing with dropped video calls. PCMag.com is a leading authority on technology, delivering lab-based, independent reviews of the latest products and services. Our expert industry analysis and practical solutions help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.
The product was easy to set up, however because the pass code/key information was not clear, I lost a couple of days not being able to use the modem. When the cable guy was finally able to came by, he left my house within min. the "I" I kept using in my key code was suppose to be a 1. He said it is also difficult to differentiate the Motorola brand "O" from the 0 .
Best Wi-Fi routers
If you're at home with multiple occupants and many devices, a mesh network is probably the best way to go, especially if you are on a large property. However, if it is more important to you to have speed and reliability over coverage potential, then a traditional router might be the best option. The TP-Link Archer AX6000 is a high-performance router that shines as a Wi-Fi 6 model. Picking up a Wi-Fi 6 device now is an investment for future-proofing your home connectivity, as this standard provides the capacity for devices to send more data during transmissions, increasing speed. If Google's Nest Wi-Fi router does not provide enough streaming power for you -- whether for gaming or online work systems that require quick and stable connectivity -- the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 could be your solution. It is a tri-band router for heavy use, which is optimal for gamers who require high levels of bandwidth.
In our tests, both performed in the middle of the pack but didn’t distinguish themselves over the TP-Link Archer AX50 or AX20. It has RGB color lighting on its body, and four large antennas that are very visible, so it’s not a router you hide behind a ceramic pot . Its performance was close to the Archer AX50, which is to say very good, but not necessarily a better buy than upgrade picks like the Asus RT-AX88U. The gaming-oriented TP-Link Archer GX90 was just behind the Archer AX90 in our performance tests overall.
OFDMA improves overall throughput by breaking Wi-Fi channels into sub-channels, allowing up to 30 users to share a channel at the same time. Target Wake Time is designed to reduce power consumption by allowing devices to determine when and how often they will wake up to begin sending and receiving data. TWT tech is expected to extend the battery life of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, as well as battery-powered smart home devices such as security cameras and video doorbells. The TP-Link Archer AX50 is proof that you don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars to upgrade your network with Wi-Fi 6 technology.
With up to 2,500 square feet of coverage along with support for 160MHz-wide channels, this router will make sure you get the streaming, video calling, and gaming performance that you need. On the hardware side, the RT-AX88U also offers up a powerful beamforming antenna array that can cover a 5,000-square-foot home, with a total of 6Gbps of bandwidth for your devices. It also sports a generous collection of eight Gigabit Ethernet ports around the back to hardwire in your PC or game console for maximum performance, plus a pair of USB 3.1 ports for sharing files and other media on your home network. Ranging in price from about $50 to $150, these three routers share an antennaless angular design, but were poor performers overall. Neither router supports smart connect , and each has a short, one-year warranty. Fans of the Synology RT2600ac may be interested in the Wi-Fi 6 Synology RT6600ax.
It’s generally speedy and able to reach long range, it has little lag even when the network is busy, and it’s a great choice if you have a high-performance internet service plan. It’s compatible with Wi-Fi 6, the latest wireless standard, and it comes with built-in security in the form of a lifetime subscription to updates. It is often the case that standard routers offer improved power and speed when the number of connections is manageable in comparison to mesh, but mesh offers extended, blanket coverage and more access points. As a result, wired and traditional routers are often better for gaming and streaming, whereas mesh is a solid option when you have multiple people and connections in a home.
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