Wireless Routers

Top 10 wireless routers in 2016

Every household sporting broadband internet needs a wireless router. Without it, accessing the web on a mobile device will require either a pesky (and quite limited) mobile data plan or a complex workaround. Even older routers are due for an upgrade after a handful of years, thanks to the advent of new technologies such as Netgear's dead spot-deterring Orbi Wi-Fi system and Wi-FI CERTIFIED ac spec improvements.

If you have an existing router, it may be getting to the point where it's a bit long in the tooth, that it doesn't have the latest hardware or support the latest 802.11ac networking standard, which exhibits faster speeds and range, courtesy of directional beamforming. This equates to less time-consuming downloads and nippy web browsing. Plus, today's top-end best wireless routers are blisteringly quick, thanks to a technology called NitroQAM.

You may even be enticed by the benefits of the new software produced by router companies, which make it easier to administer to your home network for necessities like parental controls and even basic maintenance. In most situations, you'll even get to take advantage of USB ports for over-the-air storage or to share printers throughout the house.

Here is the list of top ten wireless routers in 2016 to give your home a high speed internet boost.

1. TP Link Archer AC3200 Wireless Tri-Band Gigabit Router

Speed: 802.11ac: 2x 1300 Mbps, 802.11n: 600 Mbps | Connectivity: 5x Gigabit Ethernet, 1x USB 3.0, 1x USB 2.0 | Features: Dual 802.11ac networks, 1GHz Dual-core processor with three co-processors, Smart Connect| Price: $285.99(amazon.com)

If you have a high-traffic network with multiple clients vying for bandwidth, you may want to consider upgrading to a tri-band router. Whereas dual-band models offer one 2.4GHz and one 5GHz Wi-Fi band, tri-band routers offer one 2.4GHz and two 5GHz bands. The extra 5GHz band goes a long way in easing wireless network congestion and gives you more control over how clients connect wirelessly.

With the TP-Link AC3200 Wireless Tri-Band Gigabit Router Archer C3200, you get good 5GHz throughput and a slew of management settings, and it does a solid job of transferring files to and from attached USB storage devices. However, it can't match the overall performance of its triple-band competitors.

The C3200 is an AC3200 router; its 2.4GHz band has a maximum data-link speed of 600Mbps and each of the 5GHz bands can reach speeds of up to 1,300Mbps. It is powered by a 1GHz dual-core processor and supports the 802.11 b/g/n/ac networking standards.

 In addition to Beamforming, which sends Wi-Fi signals directly to clients rather than in a broad spectrum, this router features TP-Link's Smart Connect technology, which, when enabled, automatically assigns the best frequency band to clients based on network traffic.

2. Linksys EA9500 Max-Stream AC5400

Speed: 802.11ac: up to 5.3Gbps | Connectivity: 1 x Gigabit WAN port, 8 x Gigabit LAN ports, 1 x USB 3.0, 1 x USB 2.0 | Features: Easy setup, Tri-band Wi-Fi technology, MU-MIMO, Seamless Roaming| Price: $325.99 (amazon.com)

The EA9500 is a tri-band, quad-stream router with a combined Wi-Fi bandwidth of up to 5,333 megabits per second. Specifically, it has two 5GHz bands, each with a top on-paper Wi-Fi speed of 2,166.67Mbps and its 2.4GHz band tops out at 1,000Mbps. (Read more about Wi-Fi standards here.) The reality, however, is that you won't experience speeds of this magnitude with the EA9500, at least not today. That's because the fastest Wi-Fi clients (such as tablets, smartphones or laptops) top out at just 1,300Mbps. But the powerful specs don't hurt and they also put you in a good position for when clients can reach those ungodly levels of performance.

The router supports Multi-User Multiple Input Multiple Output (MU-MIMO), which is a technology designed to efficiently handle Wi-Fi bandwidth in homes with clients of different speed grades. Each client can connect to the router at its highest speed without adversely affecting the speeds of others.

Looking like a giant mechanical spider, this router is primed for anything from gaming to professional work. The AC5400 is outfitted with a single 2.4GHz band that can reach up to 1000 Mbps, in addition to two 5GHz radios that max out at 2,167Mbps. Together, it adds up to a whopping 5.3Gbps.

This router brings a plethora of features including MU-MIMO, a dual-core CPU, beam forming and eight adjustable antennas. Its coolest feature is "Smart Connect", which lets you assign separate SSIDs for the two 5GHz bands, allowing you to have one network purely for your gaming desktop PC, and another for media streaming or professional work, without the two getting in the way.

3. Asus RT-AC88U

Speed: 802.11ac: 2167Mbps 802.11n: 1000 Mbps | Connectivity: 9x Gigabit Ethernet, 1x USB 2.0 1x USB 3.0 | Features: 1024-QAM, MU-MIMO, WTFast Gamers Private Network, Asus AiProtection, AsusWRT Software | Price: $269.99 (amazon.com)

The Asus RT-AC88U is a dual-band 802.11ac router with a massive feature set and an equally large price tag. It uses Multi-User Multiple Input, Multiple Output (MU-MIMO) technology to serve multiple Wi-Fi clients simultaneously without sacrificing bandwidth. However, each client must contain a MU-MIMO-compatible network adapter in order to take advantage of the technology.

The router is equipped with numerous Gigabit LAN ports and multiple USB ports. The RT-AC88U offers a wealth of management options in a thoughtfully designed user interface and delivers blazing throughput on both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. It's our top pick for high-end routers.

The RT-AC88U is a nice-looking router. It measures 3.3 by 11.8 by 7.4 inches (HWD) and uses a matte-black housing, with a beveled top and angular sides. The front of the router is home to LED indicators for power, wireless activity for both bands, Internet (WAN) connectivity, Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS), LAN connectivity, and USB port activity.

 It utilizes a Broadcom 1.4GHz dual-core processor and Broadcom's NitroQAM technology to deliver up to 3,167Mbps of combined (theoretical) throughput (1,000Mbps on the 2.4GHz band, and 2,167Mbps on the 5GHz band).

The Asus RT-AC88U justifies its above-average pricing with unrivalled record-breaking next-generation 802.11ac wireless performance. With four antennas and NitroQAM technology, which pushes speeds further still, this router enables wireless performance that can break the 1GB/sec limit.

There's a minor catch - you'll need to invest in a NitroQAM wireless adapter, such as the Asus PCE-AC88, to see those faster speeds. It's worth it though. Coupled with comprehensive built-in software, a generous array of eight external LAN ports and 100MB/sec performance from its USB 3 port, this router is a champion.

4. Netgear Nighthawk X4S VDSL/ADSL Modem Router D7800

Speed: 802.11ac: 1733Mbps, 802.11n: 800 Mbps | Connectivity: 5x Gigabit Ethernet, 2x USB 3.0, 1x eSATA | Features: VDSL 2 modem | Price: $244.99 (amazon.com)

The Nighthawk X4S AC2600 Smart Wi-Fi Router (model R7800) is an updated version of the X4 R7500 and not only is it much faster, its Wi-Fi signal reach much farther. What's more, the new router now supports MIMO, an increasing popular feature that helps boosts the speed for supported Wi-Fi clients in a crowded home. (Note: Netgear has also released a D7800 version of the X4S that includes a built-in DSL modem.)

It's not perfect, however, and shares the same bloated Web interface as previous Netgear routers and having relatively slow network storage performance when coupled with an external hard drive. Nonetheless, if you're looking to cover a large home (of 4,000 square feet or less) and you have a dozen or so Wi-Fi-connected devices, the X4S is a great choice.

4x4 wireless up to 1733 Mbps for great wireless performance VDSL 2 modem Lacks 1024-QAM Requires special hardware to use fastest speeds

Netgear's D7800 wireless router also has four antennas and can deliver much faster speeds than a standard 802.11ac router, which again, depends on using a compatible adapter or bridge. It comes with two USB ports and an eSATA connector for a huge amount of connectivity, and a VDSL 2 modem built-in. The software is pretty good too, with a simple Dynamic QOS system to make it easier to manage a home network with a massive amount of devices.

5. Linksys WRT1900ACS

Speed: 802.11ac: 1300 Mbps, 802.11n: 600 Mbps | Connectivity: 5x Gigabit Ethernet, 1x USB 2.0, 1x USB 3.0, eSATA | Features: OpenWRT compatible, LinkSys Smart Wi-Fi support | Price: $174.99 (amazon.com)

The WRT1900ACS is the updated version of Linksys’ flagship router of 2015, the WRT1900AC. It packs in a faster processor and double the RAM of its predecessor, which should result in faster overall performance – particularly in more demanding multi-user scenarios.

Otherwise, it's a similar beast to before, capable of up to 1900AC Wi-Fi speeds with its dual-band, four-aerial setup. It also has four Gigabit Ethernet ports, a USB 3.0 port and a combi eSATA/USB 2.0 port for sharing files or printers.

In addition, it continues to supports the open-source router firmware OpenWRT, making it potentially ideal for those users who want to fine-tune their network.

With three wireless streams, the Linksys WRT1900ACS is a less expensive proposition than the above quad-stream 802.11ac routers, and while it doesn't offer the same blistering performance, it still packs performance and great software. Its internals are very powerful.

A dual-core 1.6 GHz processor and 512MB of memory drives a great-looking software interface that makes it a doddle to set up and customise a home network, with a built-in VPN, great wireless range as well as fast external connectivity via USB.

6. D Link EXO AC1750 WiFi Router DIR-869

Speed: 802.11ac: 1300 Mbps, 802.11n: 450 Mbps | Connectivity: 5x Gigabit Ethernet | Features: Dual-core processor | Price: $131.67 (amazon.com)

Even the fastest laptops, tablets and phones have a capped Wi-Fi speed of 1,300Mbps -- no device on the market currently is capable of anything more. So purchasing a top-tier router, like one that supports AC5400 or AC2400 speed standards, will not likely bring you any speed benefits.

The new D-Link EXO DIR-879 is an AC1900 router, meaning that as far as real-world performance goes, it's as fast as you can get, until devices with faster Wi-Fi standards become available.

The EXO is part of a new line of routers from D-Link with a new orange-and-black design and collapsible non-detachable antennas. The look is pleasing to my network world-weary eyes.

 With four Gigabit LAN ports and one Gigabit WAN port on the back, and four collapsible antennas on the sides, the DIR-879 also nails it on practicality. With no USB port or SD card slot, however, which would allow you to easily share a drive with everyone on your network, you'll instead need to connect that drive to a computer on the network.

With four wide antennas that look like solar panels, the orange DIR-869 is a mid-range router from D-Link that uses the company's flat, angular design. It doesn't do anything particularly clever, but is still fast enough to work with the vast majority of all wireless hardware on the market at maximum capacity. It's a dual-band model with a dual-core processor, driving a minimalist but slick software interface. 2.4GHz up to 450Mbps and and 5GHz up to 1300 Mbps is covered.

7. Asus RT-AC68U

Speed: 802.11ac: 1300 Mbps, 802.11n: 600 Mbps | Connectivity: 5x Gigabit Ethernet, 1x USB 3.0, 1x USB 2.0 | Features: Asus AiProtection, AsusWRT Software | Price: $234.33 (amazon.com)

This is Asus’ second 802.11ac router and follows the hugely successful RT-AC66U - the fastest wireless ac router we have tested, until now.

Asus isn’t sitting on its laurels though, as the AC68U upgrades almost every aspect of its predecessor and there is a new design, chipset, upgraded processing power and the addition of a USB 3.0 port. To say our expectations are high would be an understatement.

Asus makes great routers with particularly good on-board software, but if your budget can't stretch to the all-singing RT-AC88U, the firm's slightly older RT-AC68U is still rather nifty.

It's a more traditional 3x3 802.11ac model, but with the same software as used on all other Asus networking kit, which is a very good thing. So many small details are covered, from a notification system to simplified updates, that it puts Asus in front of nearly every other manufacturers by some distance. And with still-excellent wireless performance and range.

8. Synology Router RT1900ac

Speed: 802.11ac: 1300 Mbps, 802.11n: 600 Mbps | Connectivity: 5x Gigabit Ethernet, 1x USB 3.0, 1x USB 2.0 | Features: Synology Router Manager Software | Price: $149.99 (amazon.com)

For technology enthusiasts the name Synology is, aptly, synonymous with Network Attached Storage. The company has offered a string of well-regarded NAS drives for many years. What it’s not known for, however, is routers, but with the RT1900ac it’s clearly looking to change that.

One of the strengths of Synology’s NAS drives has always been its software, so that’s one area that we hope is carried over into this new arena. As its name suggests, the Synology router offers a maximum theoretical throughput of 1900Mb/s – 1300Mb/s at 802.11ac 5GHz, and up to 600MHz at 802.11n 2GHz. Of course, real-world speeds are much lower than this, but for an AC1900 router the Synology is one of the less expensive in its class.

If you've used a Synology NAS, you'll be familiar with the company's Linux-based software interface that presents a Windows-like environment, with icons, folders and so on with all the settings to configure your hardware. Synology has gone with the same software design with the Synology Router Manager on the RT1900ac, its first wireless router.

 Hardware-wise it offers the same sort of thing as other 802.11ac routers, with 1300 Mbps 802.11ac and 600 Mbps 802.11n. Unsurprisingly, there's also great support for shared storage, with well-designed iOS and Android apps to access files. Uniquely, there's also an SD card slot joining the single USB 3 port for shared external storage.

9. TP-Link Archer C9

Speed: 802.11ac: 1300 Mbps, 802.11n: 600 Mbps | Connectivity: 5x Gigabit Ethernet, 1x USB 3.0, 1x USB 2.0  | Price: $119.99 (amazon.com)

The Archer C9 is among the cheapest AC1900 known-brand routers you can buy, undercutting the likes of the Netgear R7000 by some £30 or so. Yet it wants for little when it comes to other extra features, such as USB support for sharing hard drives and printers and four gigabit Ethernet ports.

So if you want to get the up to 1,300Mbit/s wireless speeds of AC1900 but don't want to break the bank, it's well worth a look.

Although the Archer C9 is relatively inexpensive, there's very little lacking from its specification list. It supports 1300Mbps 802.11ac wireless speeds that will deliver maximum performance for just about all laptops currently on the market.

It has good software, powerful internals and a bright white, inoffensive look that won’t look garish in the middle of your living room. Although the built-in modem only supports DSL, rather than VDSL 2, very little else has been left out, making this a solid value option.

10. AVM Fritz!Box 3490

Speed: 802.11ac: 1300 Mbps, 802.11n: 450 Mbps | Connectivity: 4x Gigabit Ethernet, 2x USB 3.0 | Features: VDSL 2 modem | Price: $128.56 (amazon.com)

The new mainstream Fritz!Box 3490 offers the guts of the company's top-end 7490 router, including 3x3 MIMO 802.11ac wireless, but without the built-in hardware to manage DECT or analogue telephony, which brings down the unit's cost considerably.

The 3490 has a built-in a modem that supports ADSL and VDSL with the same vectoring technology that allows for faster fibre connections. Of course, as with just about any other router, it works fine with cable connections too. There are two USB 3.0 ports, one at the side and one at the rear, with four gigabit ethernet ports at the back, along with a DSL connector.

AVM's more high-end 802.11ac routers support built-in VOIP hardware and act as a base station for DECT cordless phones, in addition to router and DSL functions. But the Fritz!Box 3490 leaves all those extras behind in favour of affordability and simplicity.

Sporting an unusual red and silver appearance, the recently updated 6.50 software has some features that more technical users will love. It gives you plenty of control over your home network, such as the ability to scan for local wireless networks that may cause interference, and extensive logging to see exactly how much bandwidth each of your computers is consuming.