The Best Wi-Fi Routers

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Wi-Fi Standard: Wi-Fi 7 |Bands: Tri-band |Mesh: Yes |Range: 3,100 sq. ft. (One node); 8,100 sq. ft. (Three nodes) |Subscriptions required?Parental controls, security, antivirus |Ports: Ethernet (Three), USB (One)

The TP-Link Deco 7 Pro BE14000 not only has a mouthful of a name, it’s also our pick for the best overall Wi-Fi router.

As the device is designed as a mesh Wi-Fi system with multiple access points in mind, we found that you don’t have to expand beyond a single node. That’s enough to cover most spaces, as a single Deco 7 Pro unit covers up to 3,100 square feet. (If you find you need more coverage, a three-pack can blanket a home of up to 8,100 square feet in tri-band Wi-Fi 7 coverage.)

Setup was a breeze in our testing. Just plug in the main node (or the single unit if you’re only buying one), follow the prompts in the Deco app, and give your network a name and password. If you’re setting up a mesh system, you assign that node to a room and add any extra nodes if you have them.

Performance and range were consistent and reliable when testing on our 1.3 Gbps connection. Speed held steady as we roamed around, completing tests and using our devices as we normally would.

Each Deco 7 Pro unit has three Ethernet ports and a USB port. The USB port is a welcome feature, as it allows you to connect a hard drive for network storage, making it handy for backing up your computer to or sharing a media drive.

One downside to the Deco 7 Pro, as is the case with almost all Wi-Fi routers, is that advanced features such as parental controls, security, and even antivirus protection are mostly hidden behind subscriptions. You only get basic access to these features for free (without a subscription to parental controls, for example, you can create profiles, assign devices, block websites, create filters, and set a bedtime, but you can’t block specific apps or set app time limits), and if you want fuller control and insight into your system after the 30-day free trial, you’ll need to pay anywhere from $18 to $130 a year, depending on your needs.

That being said, the TP-Link Deco 7 Pro BE14000 offers a mix of features, performance, ease of use, and futureproofing at a welcoming price.

Wi-Fi Standard: Wi-Fi 6 |Bands: Dual-band |Mesh: Yes |Range: 1,500 sq. ft. (One node); 4,500 sq. ft. (Three nodes) |Subscriptions required?Parental controls, security|Ports: Ethernet (Two)

The Eero 6+ is another mesh system that can be used on its own or expanded with more access points to cover your home. The 6+’s affordability, ease of use, and low subscription cost earned it our pick as the best budget Wi-Fi router.

You don’t get quite as much range from a single Eero 6+ unit as you do from the TP-Link Deco 7 Pro — a single node covers up to 1,500 square feet, while a three-pack triples the square footage. The Eero 6+ is also limited to 1 Gbps, though that is still faster than most people’s home connections, and it only provides dual-band Wi-Fi 6.

But for most people, Wi-Fi 6 is more than enough, since the majority of devices we have in our homes — smart plugs, streaming boxes, phones, and even laptops — aren’t compatible with Wi-Fi 7. Until you upgrade those devices to newer models that offer support, you don’t need a Wi-Fi 7 router, so we think it’s a worthwhile tradeoff, given the lower price of the Eero 6+.

You’ll get a free month of Eero Plus when setting up the 6+, after which you can pay $10 a month or $100 a year for the service — cheaper than any of the competition. Eero Plus gives you the ability to view stats like network activity or security scan results. Additionally, you’ll get full access to parental controls, where you can set time or age limits for each user. Eero Plus pretty much pays for itself, however, with the inclusion of a 1Password Families subscription (for a total of five users), which would otherwise cost $54 a year on its own.

Where Eero really shines, however, is the ease of setup and use. Setup takes just a couple of minutes, even if you’re setting up multiple nodes — all you have to do is connect your modem to the main node, plug in extra nodes when appropriate, and name your network. The app takes care of any software updates and other odds and ends for you.

The Eero app is the most intuitive to use of the lot as well. You can easily create device groups and user profiles or adjust settings without having to guess where each option is hidden.

The Eero 6+ is as affordable as it is capable. While it doesn’t futureproof your home with Wi-Fi 7 or ultrahigh speeds, if it’s been several years since you last upgraded your home network, the 6+ is a big leap forward.

Wi-Fi Standard: Wi-Fi 7 |Bands: Tri-band |Mesh: Yes |Range: 2,750 sq. ft. (One node); 8,000 sq. ft. (Three nodes) |Subscriptions required?Parental controls, security |Ports: Ethernet (Two)

If you already know you need a mesh system — say you have a large home with a ton of devices — we think the Orbi 770 is a solid choice.

Netgear’s Orbi line of mesh Wi-Fi systems is frequently cited as the best in the business, and this particular system is in the sweet spot of the lineup. It offers a healthy mix of features, capabilities, and coverage at a reasonable cost — not even close to the Orbi 970’s $2,000 price tag for a three-pack. That is why, even though several of the systems we’re recommending support mesh operation, we’ve selected this as the best mesh Wi-Fi router.

Three Orbi 770s will cover up to 8,000 square feet with tri-band Wi-Fi 7 and combined wireless speeds of up to 11 Gbps. The 770 also supports multi-link operation (MLO), which allows compatible devices and the access points to use both the 5 GHz and 6 GHz bands at the same time to ensure a fast, stable connection.

The initial setup was very smooth. After plugging in the main access point (it’s labeled in the box) and connecting it to a modem, you’ll enter an admin password for managing your network, followed by a network name and password. To set up additional nodes, you simply plug them in and the app takes care of the rest.

The Orbi app is basic, showing only a handful of tiles for things like viewing security and overall network settings, running speed tests, and adjusting parental controls. For more advanced features, you’ll need to access an online portal (and use that aforementioned admin password to sign in).

As for any subscriptions, Netgear has two options. There’s Netgear Armor, which is either $100 a year for standard or $150 for Plus, and a parental-control subscription that will run you $70 a year. Armor is the security subscription that protects the devices and personal information connected to your Wi-Fi network, provides on-the-go security through a VPN, and includes an extended warranty and priority tech support. The parental-control subscription allows you to set schedules and limits, block inappropriate websites, and bar any app you want.

The Orbi 770’s range and speed were near the top of the pack in our testing, reaching nearly every corner of our home and yard without huge performance hits at the edges.

The Orbi 770 packs a punch, keeping pace with its far more expensive sibling, the Orbi 970, for a third of the cost. It’s a mesh Wi-Fi system that’s sure to keep your home network going well into the future — just be ready to take on yet another subscription (or two) if you want to take full advantage of it.

Wi-Fi Standard: Wi-Fi 7 |Bands: Tri-band |Mesh: Yes |Range: 2,500 sq. ft. (One node); 7,500 sq. ft. (Three nodes) |Subscriptions required?Parental controls, security |Ports: Ethernet (Four)

I have personally used the Eero Max 7 since its release in October 2023 and have experienced almost no issues with its coverage, performance, or speeds. A trio of units covers 7,500 square feet with tri-band Wi-Fi 7 and offers combined wireless speeds of up to 9.4 Gbps. The system has routinely delivered expected speeds all over my home and yard, matching both Orbi systems I tested — plus, the Eero system is cheaper and easier to use. It’s an easy recommendation if you’re looking for the best high-performance router.

As with the Eero 6+, setup was as easy as it gets for a mesh system — and the same goes for using the app alongside the Eero Plus subscription. If you skipped that section, here’s a quick recap: $100 a year gets you security and parental controls as well as access to additional services like 1Password Families to secure your passwords and private info. The app is super simple to use to boot.

With a slightly lower price, lesser subscription cost, similar performance, and better ease of use, the Max 7 is our high-end pick over the Orbi 970. Paying $170 a year for Netgear’s subscription just doesn’t sit right after shelling out the equivalent of a house payment for the hardware. If you’re looking for a high-end Wi-Fi system that hits all the right notes, then the Eero Max 7 is where it’s at.

Wi-Fi Standard: Wi-Fi 7 |Bands: Tri-band |Mesh: Yes |Range: 3.000 sq. ft. |Subscriptions required?None |Ports: Ethernet (Nine)

The Asus ROG Strix GS-BE12000 is our top pick for the best gaming Wi-Fi router — and not just because it looks every bit the part, carrying the Asus Republic of Gamers (ROG) branding, complete with an RGB LED logo that you have total control over in the Asus Router app. And even though it’s well known that the more RGBs you have, the better you’ll be at games, that doesn’t tell the whole story for this router.

The GS-BE12000 boasts tri-band Wi-Fi 7 with coverage of up to 3,000 square feet. It has a total bandwidth of 12 Gbps, multi-link operation, and a staggering eight 2.5 Gbps Ethernet ports — one reserved for your internet connection and seven for connecting all of your gaming devices if you’re looking for the absolute fastest speeds. There’s also a USB port that can be used for network storage or connecting your smartphone to the router for use as a backup internet source during an outage.

A single GS-BE12000 covered our test area with ease, forgoing the need to tack on another access point. If you do need to add another access point to the GS-BE12000, you can extend your range with anyAsus AiMesh-compatible devices.

My favorite part of the entire Asus Wi-Fi ecosystem is that there are zero subscription fees. All you do is buy the equipment — you don’t have to worry about paying for additional security or parental-control features. In addition to those features being standard, the GS-BE12000 also has settings to optimize its performance based on your needs. If you’re using it for gaming, you can tell it to prioritize gaming traffic. If you’re working from home and joining video calls all day long, you can tell it to prioritize that traffic. Better yet, changing between modes just requires a few taps in the app.

Speaking of the app, if you have a gaming PC and use any of the optimization apps associated with it, you’ll feel right at home using the familiar ROG-skinned Asus Router app. Setup was simple, with the GS-BE12000 even automatically creating a standalone network for IoT devices to keep all your smart home devices on their own network, but still easily accessible.

If you’re looking for a dedicated gaming Wi-Fi router, you can’t go wrong with this pick.

Wi-Fi Standard: Wi-Fi 7 |Bands: Tri-band |Mesh: No |Range: 1,500 sq. ft. |Subscriptions required?None |Ports: Ethernet (Two)

At around $400, the Firewalla Orange is one of the more expensive single-node Wi-Fi routers I’ve tested — but you’re not just paying for a simple Wi-Fi router.

Firewalla isn’t shy about the fact that its products are designed for the prosumer who wants improved network security along with granular control over their network (the company specializes in stand-alone firewall devices). The Firewalla Orange gives you all of that, with the added bonus of bringing the same level of security and control to the Wi-Fi network it broadcasts.

For that price, you get dual-band Wi-Fi 7 support and up to 1,500 square feet of coverage at up to 2 Gbps speeds. After initial setup, you get instant access to built-in parental controls, security features and native ad blocking. Firewalla doesn’t charge a subscription fee for its security, parental, or ad-blocking features. You pay a premium for the device, and that’s it.

For parental controls, you can set up a user profile and assign devices to it. This allows you to quickly and easily set time limits for specific apps or services, such as YouTube. Once the time limit is reached, you can either completely cut off the connection or use Disturb mode, which causes videos to randomly stop and buffer, mimicking a poor internet connection. It’s a brilliant way to frustrate someone to the point they put the screen down. My kids don’t know it, but I’ve been using this feature on them for a few months now. Their frustration makes me laugh inside while also promising I’ll look into why the internet randomly slows to a crawl.

The Orange has two 2.5G ports on the rear of the housing, but one of them is taken up by a connection to your modem, so you’ll want to get a network switch if you need more hardwired connections.

The downside? The Firewalla Orange has a relatively steep learning curve compared with using something like an Orbi or Eero router or even a mesh system, and getting the most out of it means learning more about networking.

If you’re looking for a way to level up your home-network-security game or have use for very advanced parental controls and are open to learning more about networking while also upgrading your home Wi-Fi, then the Firewalla Orange is meant for you.