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While the modem is the component that actually connects to the internet, the wireless router is really the linchpin of the entire system that connects everything together. For one, each of the satellite units, which Google calls “points,” double as smart speakers around your home for Google Assistant. This means that any room with a point unit in it doesn’t even something like a Google Home mini to let you make “OK Google” requests. A single Nest Wi-Fi router with a single point can easily handle up to 200 connected devices in a 3,800-square-foot home, while adding a second point will bump that up to 5,400 square feet and 100 more devices. Best of all, Synology’s parental control features are ready to go right out of the box, with no additional subscription fees to deal with.
Unfortunately, the Wi-Fi performance from the Almond+ was mediocre at best and particularly underwhelming at long range. The MR1900 will be discontinued soon, while the latter two routers lack band steering and are both more expensive than the TP-Link Archer A7. The Asus Blue Cave showed promise because of its design, AiMesh compatibility, and good reviews. It performed just as well as the Netgear R7000P and TP-Link Archer A7, landing in the middle of the pack, but it didn't distinguish itself beyond its easy-to-live-with exterior and middling price. D-Link released a set of 802.11ac Exo-branded routers and Wi-Fi mesh extenders at the CES 2019 trade show.
ZTE AX3000 Pro
At about $250 or less, the Asus RT-AX86U dual-band router isn't inexpensive either, but it's a strong value relative to routers like those -- and the performance it delivers as a gaming router is flat-out great. The Archer A20 isn't compatible with mesh extenders yet, but TP-Link is planning to add OneMesh compatibility in a firmware update. That delay shouldn't be a problem unless you know you'll need a mesh network from day one—and in that case we recommend you buy a mesh-networking kit outright. If you live in a large or multiple-story home, you may have Wi-Fi "dead zones." These are areas of your home where your main router isn't able to reach with a wireless signal. An easy way to solve this, without the hassle of running long cords around your home, is aWi-Fi range extender, which will pick up your router's Wi-Fi signal, amplify it, and rebroadcast it. They come in both desktop and plug-in variations, and are relatively easy to install.
This deal includes two devices, each of which can transmit data up to 2,000 square feet. If you still need to push your network further, you can also add additional Nova MW6 devices to your network. Google Wifi is the most stable, most reliable, most user-friendly wireless network I’ve ever used. Never, not once, has anyone in my house complained about a problem when Google Wifi was serving up my home network. There are no hiccups, no laggy moments, no wandering around the house trying to find the “sweet spot” for speed.
What are the disadvantages of a mesh network?
Unfortunately, what it doesn't offer is band steering, which makes those three radios inconvenient to use. The Netgear R7000P Nighthawk was our pick during the last iteration of this guide, but its ranking has dropped a few notches. Its performance put it in the middle of the pack compared with the new routers we tested, and it has a shorter (one-year) warranty.
That's not great for router security and performance, since most people—if they update the router's firmware at all—are much more likely to trust what their routers are telling them than to go to the manufacturer's website to check. This beast of an AC2600 router can deliver incredible speeds for all the 4x4 and MU-MIMO devices you currently own—which, for most people, is a whopping zero. This graph shows you the average download speeds to a Wi-Fi 6E test device in each room of our test environment.
Asus ZenWiFi AX (XT
Use the shortest Ethernet cable that will work in your application, and stick with CAT 6 or CAT 7. If you like to stream movies in 4K, play video games, or just download large files, then the speed of your router is key. When you look at most modern routers, you’ll typically see a label like AC1700, AC3000, or AX6000.
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We're definitely going to look at the MR2200ac again when we update our mesh-networking and Wi-Fi extender guides, but we suggest skipping it as a standalone router. The Asus RT-AC86U and TP-Link Archer A10 were notable competitors; they matched the Synology RT2600ac in performance so closely that you'd have to take a magnifying glass to the graphs of their results to see the difference. The TP-Link Archer A7 prompted us to reverse our past theory that you have to forgo vital features to find a router for under $100. While the top picks in this guide outperformed the Archer A7 overall, tested alongside our contenders the Archer A7 held its own and surpassed several routers costing double the price or more. That's two fewer cores than in the Archer A20's CPU, but a dual-band router can't deal with as many clients overall, so the dual-core CPU is fine. When you first set up the Archer A20, its Smart Connect band-steering feature is off by default, and the router gives you three discrete (one 2.4 GHz and two 5 GHz) wireless networks instead.
With enough range to handle a modest-sized home, the AX50 offers great value for its affordable price tag, delivering up to 3Gbps of bandwidth to all of your Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 5 devices. It also supports 160MHz-wide channels, which is a pleasant surprise considering that’s something omitted by many more expensive Wi-Fi 6 routers. Several years ago, Google Wifi became a breakout hit thanks to its easy setup and its ability to spread a fast, reliable Wi-Fi connection throughout your home for all of your connected devices. Then, there was Nest Wifi, a second-gen follow-up that adds in faster internet speeds and a better-looking design, plus Google Assistant smart speakers built into each satellite extender. It was an immediate standout in our tests, and our top-recommended mesh router prior to the arrival of Wi-Fi 6.
It was faster than anything else we tested at both close and long range, it's reliable, and it shrugs off the stress of handling multiple wireless devices simultaneously. The three-piece Eero 6 Plus is ideal for use in larger homes of up to 4,500 square feet. It uses low-profile nodes that are designed to blend in with any home décor while providing a strong Wi-Fi 6 signal to every corner of your house. In addition to eliminating dead zones, the Eero 6 Plus doubles as a home-automation hub that uses a Zigbee radio to control smart devices such as cameras, locks, lighting, and thermostats.
It also has a total of 6x LAN ports and 2x USB 3.0 ports that you can use as astoragehub for all your files to make transfers a lot faster. It’s just unfortunate that this doesn’t have the QoS feature that prioritizes data packets for a more stable and reliable wireless connection. Basic routers don’t include any built-in security measures, so you have to meticulously secure each of your devices individually. If you’re looking for a central approach, then look for a router that has built-in security features. Some routers include a built-in firewall, virus scanner, and even the ability to protect all of your devices from malware and ransomware.
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