Often, we get confused about which wireless router to buy for our homes, shops, and running businesses. Well, there are so many options that it is easier to get overwhelmed. Even if you are from a technical background, you still need help to see which router provides you with the most suitable features and is not just a gimmick.
Today, we will be looking at some of the best routers you can buy online in 2022 and their features. Also, we will be shedding some light on how users can take advantage of these wireless routers and make their networks reliable.
Best Wireless Routers in 2022
1. Asus ROG Rapture GT-AC5300
Starting our list of the best wireless routers for 2022, we have to bring in the big guns first, and by big guns, we mean Asus ROG Rapture GT-AC5300. It’s a perfect WiFi router for those who like to game a lot and spend most of their time streaming games on Twitch and YouTube.
It has one of the most excellent console management systems, which lets the user optimize the network for making the gaming experience lag-free and with zero to no latency.
Features
- There are 8 removable and adjustable antennas to work with.
- It has 8 LAN ports and 2 USB 3.0 ports. A WAN port along with power and reset buttons is also there.
- There are several modes that one can choose from, including repeater mode, AP mode, Media Bridge mode, and AiMesh mode. The AiMesh will enable you to use the router with other Asus routers as a seamless mesh network.
- The network traffic graph, which comes in the management console, will provide the exact up and down movement of the network speed.
- You can see the location of the server for specific games worldwide.
- To improve the performance, the management system can optimize a chosen game’s packet distribution.
If we have to say one word for Asus ROG Rapture, we will definitely say Amazing. Although a great pick for consumers of all kinds, for gamers, this is the one router going to make online gaming a lot easier for you.
2. Netgear Nighthawk X10
If you are looking for cutting-edge technology from your router, you need to have Netgear Nighthawk with you. The router supports the new 802.11ad WiFi standard, and it can efficiently deliver high-speed internet access across the home without suffering from any packet drops.
The built-in media server, such as Plex makes this router work effortlessly for streaming videos and movies.
Features
- The router incorporates the quad-stream access point support to support all the currently working wireless devices. Thus, it can deliver data on 60Ghz, 5Ghz, and 2.4Ghz at the same time.
- Likewise, it comes with 6, 1 gigabit LAN ports for the wired connection.
- Users can connect 2 of these LAN ports to make them run as one and double the transfer rate to 2 gigabits.
- It is one of the first routers to be commercially sold with a 10Gbps SFP+LAN port.
The router is a bit bulky and pretty expensive. That’s because this router is made for enthusiasts who want to be one step ahead of everyone else and want to have the best of the best. It is like a racing car. It provides the ultimate performance that one craves and has the raw power to give you a seamless network, but you need to spare a hefty amount of $500.
3. D-Link AC1200 Wi-Fi Router
Yes, this router was released a few years back, but it still holds its mantle of being one of the best routers of all time. It is designed to handle the daily needs of a home network.
D-Link AC1200 has a dual-band WiFi system, which provides a decent throughput and allows users to make changes using management settings. The settings include parental control, guest networking, and Quality of Service (QoS) prioritization.
Features
- It is pretty small if we look at the carbon footprint of other mid-range and high-end models.
- There are 8 LED lights to provide information about internet activity, WiFi activity, WPS activity, etc.
- Comes with 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz band support, which can provide speeds up to 300 Mbps and 867 Mbps, respectively.
- The router’s management system can be installed on both iOS and Android devices and can be operated via mobile phones.
- The process of setting up the router takes around 5 minutes, and when you connect the laptop with the router, it will automatically send the user to router settings.
When you are using D-Link AC1200, you are not spending too much money on getting a decent WiFi router that has an effective dual-band for giving optimal wireless networking. The router is easy to install, and for the money, it delivers a fast and reliable throughput.
There is only one flaw we were able to find, and that is the no presence of USB connectivity. If we have to recommend our readers for the best affordable router, then D-Link AC1200 is a no-brainer at all.
4. Trendnet AC2600 StreamBoost
Trendnet AC2600 is a fully-featured midrange router that delivers a high-speed internet connection while supporting all the 802.11ac standards. It does have inbuilt support for Multi-user Multiple Input and Multiple Output (Multi-user MIMO) streaming technology. Thus, you can easily stream your favorite web series in 4K on multiple screens all at the same time.
We found the interface of the router to be a little tricky during our testing, but once you get used to it, it can provide a number of management settings in just a few clicks.
Features
- There are 4 extra-long antennas that are adjustable and removable according to the user’s needs.
- The bunch of blue LEDs in the front provides the necessary information about whether the internet is working or not.
- At the back, you have 4-gigabit ports along with WAN ports and 2 USB 3.0 ports.
- As a 1.4Ghz dual-core processor powers the router, it can, as a result, reach up to a speed of 800 Mbps on 2.4Ghz bandwidth and 1,733 Mbps on 5Ghz bandwidth.
- It supports MU-MIMO streaming and beamforming; both help to send a direct signal to the client without scattering it to a broad spectrum.
- The router has the support of Qualcomm’s StreamBoost technology, which allocates the bandwidth of the network depending on what the users are currently doing while using the network.
To save up your router’s settings, you need to press the “save” and “apply” buttons separately. If you don’t press the apply button, all the saved settings will not be applied.
Also, you need the router to set the new settings, and it could take up to 1 to 2 minutes before the router fully understands the new settings. For someone who is looking for a midrange router, this is undoubtedly the best option.
5. Google Nest WiFi
If someone is looking for a mesh router system, then Google Nest is something they definitely need to consider as it offers impressive high-speed internet over a mesh network. With the high speed, you are also getting a solid signal and easy-to-use features along with stable band steering.
Google Nest comes in 3 different colors, and it works as a Google speaker as well, so you can play your favorite songs on it, too, if you want to. It is best for individuals who are connected with other Google products and services. The Nest WiFi solution will provide a seamless experience and connect all the Google products and services as one.
Features
- The system is idiot-proof, and it can handle a number of drops before finally dying out.
- All you have to do is plug it in and do what the app asks you to do straight out of the box, and within 5 minutes, you are ready to use it as your WiFi router.
- Integrates seamlessly with your Google Home app, and you can give a voice command to the Nest, and it will deliver it to the app, such as turning off the lights for you.
- Users can group all the connections that are present in the Nest WiFi and then control their working from the mobile application.
- It can prioritize the connection to one device, meaning if you are watching a movie in 4K, then bandwidth will be distributed to provide you the best experience, so the streaming doesn’t dip.
- The design isn’t something too flashy, and it can easily blend with your home decor.
Although a great router option, there are some negative points of the router as well. The first one is it has no ethernet jack to physically connect the system to a WiFi mesh. It would be best if you bought a separate ethernet hub or a smart home bridge to attach your computer with the physical connection.
Also, it doesn’t separate the two bands, and it will steer you in between the 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz network when you are moving inside your home. Nonetheless, there are no hiccups during the usage, and with just 3 Google Nest WiFi routers, you can cover a small to medium-size home with a wireless network.
6. Asus ZenWiFi Ax
Asus ZenWiFi Ax comes with the support of WiFi 6 performance, and it can quickly provide a high-speed network from a small to midsize home. Indeed, it is not the fastest mesh router kit available in the market, but it does the job. The company provides 2 years of warranty along with a built-in security system.
Features
- It has large cooling slots, and the top has an oval-shaped opening to let the heat move out from the router’s body.
- You can use any other router, which supports the mesh architecture and builds a hybrid mesh network using it.
- It is powered by Broadcom’s BCM 435684 networking chip, which has 1.5Ghz of quad-core processing power.
- Users can take advantage of advanced Beamforming technology to customize the stream according to their requirements.
- The ZenWiFi Ax uses MU-MIMO, which has a wide 160MHz data channel. Thus, theoretically speaking, it sends data at a whopping speed of 6.6Gbps.
This is not the fastest router that your neighborhood is going to have but it can be one of the most advanced routers that have its own security system to protect you and your family members against hackers and various forms of data breaches.
You can get a pair of these mesh routers for $448, but if you have a midsize house, even a single router is good enough to fill the space with no latency network.
7. TP-Link Archer C5400 V2
It doesn’t matter if you are a beginner who is just setting up his first home network or a veteran; the TP-Link Archer C540 router is an excellent choice for both. The easy-to-navigate interface makes it possible for newcomers to enjoy access to some of the advanced settings of their network with just a few clicks.
Features
- It has a number of smart home features that can help users to operate their smart home appliances via one management system.
- The router will find out the smart devices in your home and connect with them automatically. All the different devices will be seen on the TP-Link app, and you can command them directly from there.
- Comes with 4-gigabit ports for making a wired internet connection. Also, there is a WAN port for connecting the router to a modem.
- It doesn’t have a built-in modem, which gives users the freedom to use it with any connection. But still, you need to have a separate modem as well.
- There are 2 USB ports, each for USB 2.0 and USB 3.0.
- There is a dual-core 1.4 GHz Broadcom ARM processor built inside the router along with the 3 co-processors for handling multiple data streams.
- A network that has a number of users connected to it all at the same time, still the router will not fail to send all the data packets to the correct receiver and keeps the data connection between devices strong and robust.
One of the things which we didn’t like about this router is it is shamelessly old school design, which cannot fit in the contemporary minimalist designed interiors. Other than that, it is one of the best routers which one could buy for around $300.
The setup is easy, and thanks to its user-friendly app, it doesn’t overwhelm new users who are setting up the network for the first time. The main aspect that led us to recommend this router is the WiFi performance.
Conclusion
These were 7 of the best wireless routers you can purchase online in 2022. You might find other routers as well, which might help you with your requirements, but these 7 are the best. All of them can easily handle heavy networks and can perform well under high traffic. If we have to choose a budget-friendly WiFi router, then we will go with the D-Link AC1200 WiFi router.
On the other hand, if the budget is not the bar, then Asus’s ZenWiFi Ax is the router we would go with for heavy daily usage. It’s high time to have a wireless internet connection at home, and these WiFi routers will make the setup and the deployment easier for you, so grab one of them and enjoy using the internet for work, entertainment, gaming, and whatnot.
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