Everyone deserves a strong connection.
By
Joseph Green
Global Shopping Editor
Joseph Green is the Global Shopping Editor for Mashable. He covers VPNs, headphones, fitness gear, dating sites, streaming, and shopping events like Black Friday and Prime Day.
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Overview
Table of Contents
This content originally appeared on Mashable for a US audience and has been adapted for the UK audience.
Like running water, central heating, a roof over your head, and a next-gen gaming console — good WiFi is one of life's essentials. Be honest: You just couldn't exist without it. And as modern life gets smarter and increasingly connected, having a quality WiFi router in the home is more important than it's ever been.
WiFi routers are easy to install and can instantly improve the WiFi coverage throughout your home with lightning-fast connection speeds. Sounds good, right? The days of waiting for sluggish downloads and maddening buffering should be long gone.
But how do you go about picking the best router for you and your home? That will depend on a number of factors, including the size of your coverage area, the number of connected devices, and the types of devices connecting to the router. But we're plugged in when it comes to this sort of thing. Here’s a quick guide on everything you need to know, plus a selection of the vest WiFi routers available right now.
What is a WiFi router?
Quite simply, it’s a little contraption that sits in the corner of a room and beams out data from your broadband line to your devices, allowing each device to connect to the internet. And though wireless routers are, well, wireless — that's kind of the point, people — they usually have Ethernet ports too, which allow you to physically connect PCs, televisions, and other devices directly to the internet.
How does a WiFi router work?
The WiFi router converts broadband data into radio bands, which are then picked up by your devices. These radio bands are like different lanes, which keep data separate to stop it getting clogged up. Different devices need different bandwidths — some devices need more than others — so the higher number of bands, the more efficient the router is. You can choose from single, dual, or tri-band routers.
Single vs. dual-band — which is best?
A single-band router has just one 2.4 GHz frequency band. These are usually cheaper, connect easily to devices, and are good for penetrating obstacles such as doors and walls. But they have lower speeds than multi-band routers and don’t have all the up-to-date features. Single-band is probably best if your internet needs are minimal. Dual-band routers are pricier but also promise better speeds and performance. Dual-band routers are now pretty much the standard so modern devices will be well served.
Do you need a tri-band router?
If there are lots of people in your home — like a big family with lots of devices per person — a tri-band router will be the best choice. Tri-band routers have one 2.4 GHz channel and two 5 GHz channels. These routers are equipped to handle multiple Gigabit speeds — up to 2166 Mbps on each 5 GHz band. For a literally large household — a big house with lots of rooms – a mesh system is best.
What is a mesh WiFi system?
A mesh WiFi system is essentially a series of connected router units — known as satellites or nodes — that each broadcast a WiFi signal, which eliminates any internet dead zones within the house. Mesh systems are good for homes with lots of rooms and lots of devices, helping maintain internet the speeds wherever you are. Mesh systems are also expandable, allowing you to add extra nodes and increase coverage.
Do you need a specialist router for gaming?
If you have lots of devices and a router that’s not up to the task, you’ll experience lag issues when you’re playing your console. You need a router that can handle multiple devices. Look for a gaming router that offers prioritisation for your gaming systems and applications. If you live in a home with multiple gamers, you might also want to get a router that allows you to control how much bandwidth everyone in your household gets. Some also have a modified management console to adjust bandwidth priorities easily depending on your needs. And make sure your gaming router is at least dual-bad so you can use the 5GHz channel for faster speeds. A tri-band router is even better because then you can reserve one 5GHz channel just for gaming.
What is the best WiFi router?
We have done a lot of the hard work to make your selection process as easy as possible. Whether you’re looking for a single band WiFi router or a full-fledged tri-band model to handle an entire family home’s worth of streaming and gaming, we've got you covered for good coverage. There's something below to connect everyone.
These are the best WiFi routers for 2025.
The Good & The Bad
- Very fast connectivity
- Gaming specific features
- Smart assistant compatible
- Subscription-free security
- Lots of port connections
- Big and weird looking
- Pricey
Why We Like It
For those who insist on the best, the ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 delivers. The monstrous size and hefty price tag might be off-putting for some, but it makes up for that with sheer power and performance. This tri-band router offers both hardware and software-based gaming acceleration, boosting speeds up to 11,000 Mbps. That's not to mention expanded coverage and integrated protection against malware and viruses — all of which makes this router perfect for serious gamers or homes with high-traffic networks.
It’s big, but the design is kind of cool. While the eight antennas might give an alien-like appearance to this router, they offer plenty of coverage customisation and can be removed if you prefer. The LED indicator lights on the front edge let you easily check on the router’s power, 2.4GHz activity, 5GHz activity, WAN and LAN connectivity, and more.
Thanks to its 1024QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) technology, this router achieves maximum speeds of up to 1.2Gbps on the 2.4GHz band and up to 4.8Gbps on each of the 5GHz bands. In addition, it supports all of the latest wireless technologies, including multi-user multiple input multiple output (MU-MIMO), simultaneous data streaming, and beamforming.
There’s also native support for the Gamer's Private Network (GPN), as well as a VPN Fusion feature which allows the use of a VPN connection alongside an ordinary internet connection. In other words, it's game on with this router.
Details
The Good & The Bad
- Three nodes
- Perfect for smart homes
- Fast speeds
- Excellent coverage
- Plenty of features
- Costly
- Limited USB functionality
Why We Like It
For anyone looking for a WiFi router solution to blanket their whole home in signal, a mesh system is an excellent choice. And within that category, the Netgear Orbi Mesh WiFI System comes highly recommended.
Setting up a whole system might sound complicated but it's actually very simple to install. This model offers very fast speeds, with multi-user multiple input, multiple output (MU-MIMO) capable of simultaneous data streaming, and plenty of management options.
Because this system comes with a router and a satellite, it provides WiFi coverage to all corners of the home, without the need for an add-on WiFi extender. Its sleek design is made for modern homes, and it provides up to 5,000 square feet coverage. It also promises to support up to 75 devices.
Users can easily check on the status of their system thanks to the LED ring on the top of each unit, while the rear of the unit holds the Gigabit LAN ports, a WAN port, and sync buttons. A web-based console provides basic and advanced settings for configuring your home network, including parental controls and the ability to set up a guest network.
Details
The Good & The Bad
- Solid reviews
- Competitive speeds
- Saves device power
- Works with Alexa
- Mesh compatible
- Gamers should look elsewhere
- Not as good for device-heavy homes
Why We Like It
If you want to get your internet speed up while keeping the price down, you can do much worse than the TP-Link Archer AX53 AX3000, a budget-priced router with a healthy number of positive reviews on Amazon.
Enabled with the next gen WiFi 6, this router boasts speeds up to 2,400 Mbps. While other WiFi 6-powered routers on this list promise vastly higher speeds, they are largely theoretical — you're unlikely to ever reach those max speeds at home — but they can spread that capacity across multiple devices, so you may find the AX3000 isn't quite as spritely if you're loaded with devices. The same goes for heavy-duty gamers. But for the average home, its top speed will almost certainly suffice. In fact, TP-Link claims it's fine-tuned for performance across devices, so unless you're absolutely stacked, you should have no worries.
It sits at the budget end of this list, but there are other great features, including beamforming technology, reliable cyber security, and easy-to-manage firmware updates. It also uses something called Target Wake Time technology, which reduces your devices' power consumption and helps extend their battery life. It also works with Alexa, which is another handy bonus for smart homes.
Details
The Good & The Bad
- Excellent gaming optimisation
- Handles 4K streaming
- Robust feature management
- Quick installation
- Safe and secure connection
- Cheaper gaming option
- So-so file transfer speeds
- Can't match premium routers
Why We Like It
If you enjoy 4K streaming, online gaming, or other high bandwidth activities, but you don't want to spend big, the ASUS ROG Strix GS-AX3000 is an excellent choice. It offers solid, dual-band performance with embedded security, AI Protection Pro, to help keep you safe online.
There are plenty of options for game optimisation, which are even easier to control via the mobile app. It has Gaming Port Acceleration, which speeds up your game via a dedicated LAN port. There's also a mobile gaming feature that increases bandwidth allotment and decreasing the latency when you're on a mobile device, plus Port Forwarding for a quick and easy connection when you're gaming with friends. In other words, it's set up for gamers.
Parental controls restrict access to adult and social media websites, with everything controlled through a robust web-based management console or mobile app. If you use VPNs, it has a VPN Fusion feature, which allows you to run a VPN and an ordinary internet connection at the same time, giving you maximum speed even if other network users need to use a VPN.
The security on this router even extends to keeping you safe when your mobile devices log onto public networks. This router is also pleasingly affordable.
Details
The Good & The Bad
- Latest WiFi technology
- More than double WiFi 6 speed
- Especially good for AR and VR gaming
- Next level security
- TrueMesh technology
- Extra satellites don't come cheap
- For users with WiFi 7 devices only
- Some features require subscription
Why We Like It
We know what you're thinking: You're only just upgrading to WiFi 6 and now here comes WiFi 7. Indeed, the Eero Max 7 is specialist: An Amazon-made mesh system for the relatively few people who have WiFi 7-capable devices. The technology, which launched last year, is still sparsely used. But if you have an especially hi-tech smart home, or you're a devotee of AR and VR gaming, which puts heavy demands on your streaming, this is an excellent system.
The benefits of WiFi 7 are as you'd imagine: Higher speeds, less congestion, more devices supported, lower latency. It delivers wireless speeds of 4.3Gbps (and a massive 9.4Gbps when wired into one of the ethernet ports).
Other benefits include a highly-advanced security system, flawless mesh coverage with multiple units, and app control. And though it sounds like overkill, it will connect to more than 200 devices.
Yes, WiFi 7 is a tad specialist at the moment, but it will become standard in years to come, so you could think of this router system as an investment. Think of it as future-proofing. But extra satellite nodes won't come cheap.
Details
The Good & The Bad
- Cool, contemporary design
- Seamless AI-powered WiFi
- Excellent value
- Easy set-up & app control
- Not the fastest
- Big homes only
Why We Like It
Mesh WiFi is the word on the digital street these days. Largely because our lives have become so full of devices, with coverage now needed in every corner of the home. You want big coverage, sure, but not everyone wants to spend big. Thankfully, the TP-Link Deco X10 AX1500 offers a reliable alternative.
It has plenty of good reviews in Amazon, which means this system is reassuringly reliable. And it comes with three units, allowing you to extend coverage to three spots.
Part of the manufacturers Deco mesh system, it's designed to be super simple to get set up — your home will be covered with AI-powered WiFi 6 in just three steps on the Deco app — with the promise that you can move freely around the home with your devices. Dropout zones will be a thing of the past.
It delivers speeds of 1,201 Mbps on 5 GHz and 300 Mbps on 2.4 GHz, with OFDMA and MU-MIMO technology for efficient use of bandwidth across more devices. That efficiency means low latency, so there's no lag when you're gaming, streaming, or video calling. But best of all? It's a bargain at just under £170 and often discounted even further on Amazon.
Details
Joseph Green is the Global Shopping Editor for Mashable. He covers VPNs, headphones, fitness gear, dating sites, streaming, and shopping events like Black Friday and Prime Day.
Joseph is also Executive Editor of Mashable's sister site, AskMen.
Matt Ford is a freelance contributor to Mashable.
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