No one goes to the office these days, it’s Covid-19 time; in order to be safe, you need to stay at your home. And, staying at home with your existing or outdated router is a big crime. Therefore, there is no other option than buying the best wireless router for 2023.
In this article, I’ll share with you my list of the three best Wi-Fi routers, including a budget router, a gaming router, a Wi-Fi mesh network system, and a future-proof router.
Unlike others, I’ve divided these routers into categories, such as budget, purpose, and type.
Let’s start with your budget first:
- Best Cheap Wireless Routers 2023
- Best Wi-Fi routers under $50 2023
- Best Wi-Fi routers under $150 2023
- Best Wi-Fi routers under $100 2023
- Best Wi-Fi routers under $200 2023
Second, your purpose:
- Best Wi-Fi router for Apartment
- Best Wi-Fi router for Multiple devices
- Best Wi-Fi router for Long-range
- Best Wi-Fi router for Gaming
- Best Wi-Fi router for 100mbps Internet
For those who have a modem(rented/owned) installed in their homes. Choose the compatible router with your favorite Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
- Best Wi-Fi router for Cox Internet
- Best Wi-Fi router for Verizon Fios Internet
- Best Wi-Fi router for Comcast Internet
- Best Wi-Fi router for Charter Spectrum Internet
- Best Wi-Fi router for CenturyLink Internet
- Best Wi-Fi router for At&T Universe Internet
Third, types of routers:
- Best Tri-band Wi-Fi Routers 2023
- Best VPN routers 2023
- Best DD-WRT routers 2023
- Best Wired routers 2023
- Best Dual WAN routers 2023
- Best travel routers 2023
Now, please take a look at my list of three overall best wireless routers in 2023
- Tp-Link Archer A7 – Best cheap router
- Asus ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 – Best gaming router
- Google Wi-Fi – Best Mesh Wi-Fi System
TP-Link Archer A7 – Best budget/cheap router
The Tp-Link Archer A7 is one of the best cheap, affordable, and reliable routers available on the market. With the Wi-Fi coverage of up to 2,500 square feet, it can fit most families demanding exceptional stable Wi-Fi coverage throughout their homes.
What I like the most:
1. Standards:
The Archer A7 supports popular Wi-Fi standard 802.11ac, which is three times faster than the previous wireless ‘n’ standard. It means you don’t have to worry when it comes to enjoying streaming 4K media content and HD gaming.
2. Number of devices:
The Tp-Link Archer A7 lets you connect up to 50 devices at the same time. It is because of its powerful CPU, RAM, and of course, QoS feature. Its solid and robust hardware can handle multiple devices simultaneously and provides a stable, reliable, smooth streaming experience with fewer disruptions.
3. Setup & Management:
The router offers super easy setup and management. You just need to download its Tether app and set it up within five minutes. When it comes to the network’s management, you can manage your Wi-Fi remotely and through the cloud.
4. Future-proof:
Another good thing about the router is the TP-Link OneMesh feature. OneMesh feature lets you create a mesh network system for your home with a single Wi-Fi name rather than multiple SSID’s. It means uninterrupted streaming throughout the house. This Unified network can be set up through its Tether App within minutes.
Is this for you?
It is perfect for small to medium-sized homes or even for apartments. Even though the Archer A7 is an inexpensive router, it receives all the newer and valuable firmware updates time-to-time. Via the recent firmware update, it is now compatible with TP-Link’s OneMesh extenders feature too. So go for it. It is going to be your best router for under $100.
Key Highlights:
- 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) standard
- 3x fixed external antennas
- dual-band (2.4GHz + 5GHz)
- Maximum Wi-Fi speeds of up to 1.75Gbps (1300Mbps ~ 5GHz, 450Mbps ~ 2.4GHz)
- 1x Gigabit Ethernet port
- 4x Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports
- 1x US 2.0 port
2. Asus ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 – Best Gaming Router
Yes, The Asus ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 is designed for only serious gamers. If you are a hardcore gamer, this Asus ROG is for you. I’ll tell you why it is for you. The very first thing is that it comes from the Next-Gen Wi-Fi called 802.11ax. It is also compatible with previous Wi-Fi standards, such as ac, n, g, etc.
What I like the most:
1. Tri-band:
Its Tri-band, frequency band class, is responsible for its next-level gaming experience. It offers triple-level game acceleration for server prioritization. It also reduces ping rate and game latency for better gaming performance.
Level 1 is called GameFirst V. This level gives top priority to the gaming pockets.
Level 2 is called Game Boost. This level of acceleration analyzes network traffic.
Level 3 is called Gamers Private Network. This level is for providing optimized and private internet connections to game servers.
2. Port Forwarding:
Port forwarding has always been difficult for users—especially for gamers, and they end up not being able to team up with others. However, with Asus GT-AX11000, it is just a three steps process. First, game selection. Second, gaming device. Third, activation. That’s all.
3. Mesh Network:
Asus calls this feature ‘Asus AiMesh.’ It is a powerful and innovative router feature that allows us to create a whole-home Wi-Fi Mesh Network system using other ASUS’s AiMesh compatible routers. One of the main features of AiMesh is to provide seamless roaming capability and time-saving central control.
4. Wireless Standards:
The ASUS ROG GT-AX11000 offers the next-gen Wi-Fi standard called 802.11ax. It is also known as Wi-Fi 6. However, In order to see the best performance result, it requires Wi-Fi 6 compatible devices—Wi-Fi 6 compatible devices are very common in 2023. With the maximum throughput of up to 11000Mbps, it supports OFDMA, TWT, MU-MIMO, and 12 streams.
Is this for you?
The Asus ROG GT-AX11000 is for very large homes and multiple devices at the same time. Without a doubt, the router is unbeatable when it comes to gaming and other heavy-duty tasks. It is future-proof, Wi-Fi 6 supported, AiMesh compatible, VPN Fusion, advanced optimization, and customization options are excellent.
Key Highlights:
- Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) standard
- 1.8GHz quad-core processor
- Life-time free network security called AiProtection
- 4x Gigabit LAN ports
- 1x Gigabit WAN port (Link Aggregation for storage devices)
- 2x USB 3.1 gen1 ports
- Tri-band 12-stream (4×4 2.4GHz ~ 1148Mbps, 4×4 5G-1Hz ~ 4804Mbps, 4×4 5G-2Hz ~ 4804Mbps)
- 8x External Antennas
3. Google Wi-Fi – Best Mesh Wi-Fi System
The Google Wi-Fi home system is not a router. It is a replacement for a router—a new technology that can cover your entire home with reliable and stable Wi-Fi.
Adding two or more points devices to the main point creates a whole-home coverage for you.
Its single unit or one pack point covers up to 1500 square feet, while 3-pack provides coverage of up to 4500 square feet. That is why these types of devices are called flexible mesh Wi-Fi systems.
What I like the most:
Flexibility:
One of the main features of a mesh Wi-Fi system is its flexibility. Unlike other Mesh Wi-Fi systems, You can buy Google’s single pack or a set of three units.
If you choose its 3-pack, you’ll be able to use its main unit as a router and the other two units to expand your network. As a result, this Wi-Fi system covers up to 4500 square feet.
Tri-band:
Unlike the previous model (2016), this 2020 Google Wi-Fi system comes with a tri-band capability, ensuring maximum Wi-Fi speeds of up to 1.2Gbps (each point).
Design:
The design of the Google Wi-Fi system is impressive. Every unit comes in white color with a LED in the center. It has quite the sleekest design and looks like a little cylinder (dimensions 4.1×2.7 inches each).
Is this for you?
The Google Wi-Fi Mesh system is for everyone. It is a very simple and most effortless router when it comes to set up. You can buy its units as per your needs.
Key Highlights:
- 802.11ac wireless standard
- AC1200 Wi-Fi connectivity
- 2x Ethernet Ports
- Tri-band
- Works with Google Wi-Fi devices and Nest Wi-Fi
- Whole-home Coverage up to 1500 square feet per unit
Conclusion:
Whenever I pick any router, I have to go through my ‘router buying criteria.’ My secret criteria for choosing the best wireless router is no more secret now, as I’ve shared the ultimate routers buying guide with you guys. If you’re interested in it, please go through it.
In a nutshell, you can consider a few things before buying any router. Such as the Wi-Fi generation of a router, Speed, range, latency, the number of ports, and of course, the price.