In this text:
Though Wi-Fi 7 routers are on their method, in the interim, Wi-Fi 6 continues to be the newest technology of Wi-Fi that is supported by many of the present technology of devices and units. And that will help you equip your house with the quickest and most steady web connection attainable, we have rounded up the very best Wi-Fi 6 router choices in the marketplace proper now beneath.
Almost each new telephone and pc launch helps Wi-Fi 6, and we’re beginning to see assist pop up amongst peripheral units, too. Did you choose up an Apple TV 4K or Amazon Fire TV 4K Max media streamer on your TV? Both of these assist Wi-Fi 6. Have you managed to attain a brand new PlayStation 5 console but? That’s a Wi-Fi 6 gadget too.
Wi-Fi 6 units like these are backward appropriate with older routers, however if you wish to unlock their full potential for sooner, higher Wi-Fi efficiency, you then’ll want a Wi-Fi 6 router operating your house community. That was an costly proposition again when Wi-Fi 6 first arrived, however not anymore. Now, procuring round, you may discover a good variety of Wi-Fi 6 choices accessible for lower than $100, in addition to mesh programs, gaming routers, vary extenders and extra. Some do the job higher than others — however that is the place we are available, with complete, hands-on exams to assist determine the very best improve picks for the cash.
Expect common updates to this submit as we proceed to place Wi-Fi 6 to the take a look at in 2023. Whenever we discover a new router that deserves consideration, we’ll add it to the record.
Best Wi-Fi 6 routers of 2023
Like
- Faster efficiency and higher vary than comparable AX1800 routers
- Easy-to-use app controls
- Outstanding worth
Don’t like
- Lacks superior options
- Not highly effective sufficient to take full benefit of gigabit web speeds
When a router helps Wi-Fi 6, that implies that it is able to utilizing new options like OFDMA and 1024-QAM to ship sooner speeds and decrease latency to busy networks with a number of related units. That’s true even with the budget-priced worth picks — and amongst these, the one which performs the very best is the TP-Link Archer AX21.
Like
- Tri-band design ensures optimum mesh efficiency
- Simplified setup, with extenders that mechanically pair with the principle router
- Speeds akin to mesh routers that value a whole bunch extra
Don’t like
- Bland, barely cumbersome design
- Limited retail availability
Wi-Fi Standard Wi-Fi 6Speed Rating AX3600Range Up to five,500 sq. ft. (two units)Wireless Networking Security WPA2, WPA3Bands Tri-Band (2.4 and two 5GHz)
This was an excellent 12 months for TP-Link, and it wasn’t simply due to the Archer AX21. There’s additionally the TP-Link Deco W7200, which cruised by means of my pace exams to earn a spot as my top-rated mesh router of the 12 months. With a number of units working like a workforce of routers to unfold a sooner, extra dependable sign throughout a bigger space than a single router can, it is a unbelievable choose for big houses — and one that will not set you again very a lot.
Like
- Excellent speeds, low latency, terrific vary
- Comprehensive gaming and community customization options through Asus Router app
- Optional improve to a multi-gig Ethernet jack
Don’t like
- “Smart Connect” band steering would not carry out effectively in small houses (however you’ll be able to flip it off)
Wi-Fi customary Wi-Fi 6Speed Rating AX5700Range Up to 2,500 sq. ft.Wireless Networking Security WPA3Bands Dual-Band (2.4 and 5GHz)
Asus is among the prime names within the gaming router class, boasting the very best number of quick, flashy routers that promise elite efficiency, low latency, and superior controls on your connection. The Asus RT-AX86U is definitely one of many extra understated routers in that blend — it would not embrace color-changing lights or an oversize, ostentatious design — however it’s nonetheless among the finest gaming routers you should buy. Gaming apart, it is among the finest Wi-Fi 6 routers you should buy, interval.
Like
- Reliable, constant speeds
- Excellent worth
- Better efficiency on high-speed, gigabit networks than different entry-level Wi-Fi 6 routers
Don’t like
- Slightly larger latency than comparable AX1800 routers
- No USB jack
Speed Rating AX1800Range Up to 1,500 sq. ft.
Gigabit web speeds are rising in availability from a large variety of main ISPs, and so they’re an excellent match with the sooner wi-fi switch charges of Wi-Fi 6. If you have made the improve to gigabit web speeds at dwelling, you then’ll undoubtedly need a Wi-Fi 6 router that may take full benefit of it.
Like
- A constant prime finisher throughout a number of years of pace exams
- Multi-gig Ethernet jack helps the quickest web speeds accessible at present
Don’t like
- Expensive and infrequently on sale, regardless of being just a few years previous
Wi-Fi Standard Wi-Fi 6Speed Rating AX6000Range Up to five,000 sq. ft.Wireless Networking Security WPA, WPA2Bands Tri-Band (2.4 and two 5GHz)
Remember how I discussed that the TP-Link Deco W7200 outperformed each different mesh router I’ve ever examined apart from one? Well, here is the one which beat it — the AX6000 model of the Netgear Orbi mesh system.
Like
- Strong efficiency and speeds, with assist for 160MHz channel width
- Built-in Zigbee radio and assist for Matter make it an excellent sensible dwelling choose
Don’t like
- Slightly inconsistent bandsteering in small houses
Wi-Fi Standard Wi-Fi 6Speed Rating AX3000Range Up to 1,500 sq. ft.Wireless Networking Security WPA2, WPA3Bands Dual-Band (2.4 and 5GHz)
Going with a mesh router makes a ton of sense if you happen to stay in a big, multi-story dwelling with quite a lot of area to cowl. In circumstances like that, it is price it to prioritize getting a system with greater than two units within the mesh — and Amazon’s Eero 6 Plus will get you there for $300, full with full assist for Wi-Fi 6.
Like
- A dual-band mesh router that performs extra like a tri-band mannequin
- Compact, nice-looking design
Don’t like
- Slightly costly at full worth
Wi-Fi Standard Wi-Fi 6Speed Rating AX5400Range Up to 2,700 sq. ft.Wireless Networking Security WPA, WPA2Bands Dual-Band (2.4 and 5GHz)
It was a bit too dear for me to advocate when it launched at $380 for a two-piece setup, however I’ve seen the Asus ZenWifi XD6 marked right down to $300 at a number of retailers in current weeks, which makes it a significantly better worth.
How we take a look at Wi-Fi 6 routers
Whenever I take a router into consideration, I put it by means of the identical set of complete, managed pace exams to get a great sense of the way it performs in comparison with different fashions. Throughout the pandemic, I’ve been operating these exams out of my 1,300 square-foot dwelling in Louisville, Kentucky, however final 12 months, we have had been capable of transfer these exams again into the CNET Home take a look at lab, the place we have arrange a 1,350 sq. ft. take a look at setting with a gigabit fiber connection.
There are 5 rooms in that take a look at area, so after setting the router up within the first of them, I run a battery of pace exams in all of them to get a way of the typical speeds at varied ranges. For every set of exams, I begin in the identical room because the router with my take a look at gadget, a Lenovo ThinkPad Wi-Fi 6 laptop computer. I hook up with the router’s community, then I run three pace exams and report the outcomes for add pace, obtain pace and latency. Then I transfer to the subsequent room and repeat.
Once I’ve completed within the fifth room, which is farthest from the router, I restart my connection and repeat all of these exams in reverse room order. This method offers me a great sense at how the router’s efficiency differs when the connection begins up shut versus when it begins at a distance, as this will usually influence your speeds. I repeat this whole course of 3 times, throughout morning, afternoon, and night hours. I’ll sometimes additionally run devoted take a look at runs to test the speeds on particular person bands, or if the router presents any distinctive efficiency settings. All informed, it provides as much as a whole bunch of pace exams and a number of days of labor for every router I overview.
Which Wi-Fi 6 router is correct for me?
There are three principal issues to contemplate first as you are dialing in on a brand new router: the pace of your house’s web plan, the dimensions of your house, and the variety of Wi-Fi units below your roof that want a dependable connection. If you are residing in a small- to medium-sized dwelling with web speeds of 500Mbps or much less, and also you simply want a dependable sign on your telephone, laptop computer and streaming gadget, then a easy choose just like the TP-Link Archer AX21 or the Netgear R6700AX ought to supply loads of bandwidth and vary to fit your wants. The two are largely indistinguishable until your house has a high-speed connection, and the AX21 sometimes prices rather less, so I’d advocate beginning there.
If you have acquired a home crammed with sensible dwelling units, or a number of relations who every make common use of your Wi-Fi with a wide range of devices, or if you happen to’ve simply upgraded your web plan so as to add in gigabit speeds, you need to in all probability think about a router with higher bandwidth potential. The tried-and-true Asus RT-AX86U is the one I’d in all probability advocate first as a result of it has been an everyday standout by means of a number of rounds of CNET exams, together with full rounds of exams on three separate networks at three separate places.
However, if you happen to’re residing in a bigger dwelling, particularly a multistory dwelling, then it is price contemplating stepping as much as a mesh router just like the Eero 6 Plus, the Asus ZenWifi XD6, or the TP-Link Deco W7200, as a result of these a number of mesh units will assist guarantee a greater, extra dependable sign all through the whole thing of your house. You might additionally think about splurging on a mesh powerhouse just like the Netgear Orbi AX6000, however at a price of a number of hundred {dollars}, it is in all probability overkill for many houses.
Wi-Fi 6 router FAQs
If you have acquired questions concerning the ins and outs of Wi-Fi 6, remember to try my full explainer on the usual and what makes it higher than the Wi-Fi of yore. You can even attain me by wanting me up on Twitter (@rycrist) or by clicking the little envelope icon on my CNET profile web page to ship a message straight to my inbox. In the meantime, I’ll submit solutions to any generally requested questions beneath.
What makes Wi-Fi 6 higher than earlier than?
Are Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E the identical factor?
Will older units nonetheless work with a Wi-Fi 6 router?