ROUTER WORLD

Best Routers of 2015

Routers may not be the most exciting piece of technology out there, but with the proliferation of smartphones, tablets, streaming boxes, smart TVs and more, the need for a good wireless router in modern homes is undeniable.
Streaming services and online gaming can put a lot of strain on your local network and router, and if you’re sticking with the free option you get as part of your ISP deal, you might notice your connection slowing to a crawl when multiple devices are fighting for bandwidth.

We've gone through dozens of expert reviews and long-term usage impressions from actual owners to bring you the best router you can buy in three distinct price points.

Best Overall

Asus RT-AC68U AC1900 802.11ac Router

IN NUMBERS

Price:

$172

TechSpot Metascore:

89

User Reviews:

8.6

Great | Differentiating Features
Excellent wireless speeds and range, easy-to-navigate user interface, dual-WAN support, removable antennas.

Good | Most Have It
Powerful home networking features, simple setup.

Average | Competitors May Be Better
Not wall-mountable, can only be placed standing upright.

Asus has consistently delivered some of the best routers in the market over the last few years and the RT-AC68U Dual-band Wireless-AC1900 Gigabit Router is no exception. Even though it’s already a couple of years old, it’s packed with useful features, has a refreshingly simple user interface, and is an excellent performer when it comes to speed and range.

The RT-AC68U can deliver up to 1.3Gbps speed on the 5GHz frequency band and up to 600Mbps on the 2.4GHz band. Speed tests by Tom’s Guide,ExpertReviews, PC Magazine, TrustedReviews and more, consistently put Asus’ router among the top performers of the market in various scenarios and at up to a 20 - 25 feet distance.

It's also got a solid set of features for advanced users or small businesses. USB support, for example, is quite versatile with support for external storage for NAS-like applications, printers and even cellular dongles. Other noteworthy features include easy traffic management, multiple wireless SSIDs, dual-WAN support for separate ISPs, secure VPN access, and replaceable antennas -- so you can swap in a more powerful one or even hook up an extension cable to get better signal in that hard to reach area of your house.

At around $180 this is not exactly an affordable option but the RT-AC68U is actually a good value overall. Its features and performance are on par with more expensive -- also great -- routers like the D-Link DIR-890L/R AC3200 andNetGear R8000 Nighthawk X6 AC3200 yet it costs about $100 less. Also, looks shouldn't be too high up your list of priorities when buying a new router, but it doesn't hurt that the Asus RT-AC68U has the looks with its textured black finish.

Best Mid Range

TP-Link Archer C7 AC1750 Dual Band Wireless AC Gigabit Router

IN NUMBERS

Price:

$91

TechSpot Metascore:

81

User Reviews:

8.2

Great | Differentiating Features
Very good wireless coverage, detachable antennas, excellent price for 802.11ac and dual 2.4GHz 450Mbps / 5GHz 1300Mbps connections.

Good | Most Have It
Gigabit Ethernet ports, USB for storage and sharing.

Average | Competitors May Be Better
USB is only 2.0, upstream speeds are a little weak.

If you want a router that will deliver top speeds without too many bells and whistles you might not end up using, the TP-LINK Archer C7 AC1750 has you covered -- pardon the pun. Priced at $90, this overachiever offers great wireless performance and range, on par or even surpassing its more expensive competition according to reviews fromTechRadar and SmallNetBuilder. It supports both 2.4GHz and 5GHz signals rated for up to 450Mbps and 1.3Gbps speeds respectively, which not many routers in this price range offer.

It’s a great value overall and has all the basic features the majority of people will actually use, and then some. That includes Gigabit Ethernet, a couple of USB 2.0 ports for basic NAS capabilities, parental controls, guest networks, and a utilitarian (read: not the prettiest but gets the job done) web interface. If USB 3.0 is important to you the step up Archer C8 has this for an extra $35 but its wireless performance is largely the same. Lastly, if we're naming this the top pick for most people that don’t need advanced features, it’s worth taking a look at what actual owners think of it. Out of 1,908 reviews on Amazon, the Archer C7 scores 4.1 with a whopping 76% of reviewers giving it either 4 or 5 stars.