The Best Overall Wireless Router For 2024

Tim Powers By, Tim Powers
Updated
Best Overall Wireless Router
Best Overall Wireless Router

The Rundown

1. Best Overall: NETGEAR Smart WirelessWi-Fi Router R6700

With its powerful dual core processor and advanced technology, this router provides you with the speed and performance you need for all your applications. It also offers a range of features to keep your network secure, including a personal cloud storage, automatic shield of security across all your devices, and the latest wireless security protocols. Read Review

2. Best Bang For The Buck: ARRIS SURFboard SBG10 Wi-Fi Router

With its high speeds, better coverage, and affordability, it is a great choice for anyone looking for an upgrade. The modem technology included in the router makes it easy to stay connected and save money on internet bills. The simple and secure set-up allows for a quick installation, with no need to worry about complicated setup. Read Review

3. Best Reliable: Motorola MG8702 Wi-Fi Router

With its WiFi performance, a built-in high speed, easy setup, guest network management, usage monitoring, and network security alerts, you can be sure that your network is safe and secure. This router is perfect for anyone who needs reliable and fast internet access, as well as those who need to keep their networks secure. Read Review

4. Best Style: Google Nest Wireless WiFi Router

This router features a scalable and flexible Wi-Fi system that ensures your connection is always fast and reliable to all of your devices. This router also automatically updates itself, so you can rest assured that your connection is always safe and secure. Plus, it's easy to set up, so you can get your devices connected in no time. Read Review

5. Best Design: ARRIS SBG7400AC2 Wi-Fi Router

This router provides high speeds, better coverage, and increased network capability, all with the latest modem technology. It also comes with enhanced parental controls like setting time limits, so you can easily manage internet access for your family. Additionally, this router is compatible with all major internet service providers, so you can be sure it will work for your needs. Read Review

The wireless router is the gatekeeper for your home network. It’s the device that connects all of your networking devices, and it’s responsible for routing data between them. You can think of your wireless router as a small computer that allows other computers on your network to talk to each other.

That being said, not all wireless routers are created equal. Some are faster, some have better security features, and others are easier to set up than others. To find the best wireless router you need to compare different aspects such as speed, range, ease of use, and more. This buying guide will help you narrow down your choices until you find the ideal model for your home network. Keep reading to learn more about what it takes to find a great wireless router and our top recommendations.

We think the product that comes highly recommended for the best overall wireless router is NETGEAR Smart WirelessWi-Fi Router R6700. This router also allows you to create a personal cloud storage, and provides a safe and secure connection to the internet. It also provides an automatic shield of security across all wireless security protocols, giving you peace of mind that your data is safe and secure. 

Consider ARRIS SURFboard SBG10 Wi-Fi Router as an alternative if you're still undecided. Other suggestions on this list are definitely worth considering, and we've put up a useful shopping guide to help you decide!

Our Top Picks

TOP Choice #1 NETGEAR Smart WirelessWi-Fi Router R6700
Our Score:
9.7
NETGEAR

Loaded with advanced technology: Designed with a 1GHz dual core processor, 3 amplified antennas, Beamforming plus, Dynamic QoS, Smart Connect, and more

Safe & secure: Supports WPA2 wireless security protocols. Includes Guest Wi-Fi access, DOS, Firewall, VPN, and more. System requirements: Microsoft Windows 7, 8, 10, Vista, XP, 2000, Mac OS, UNIX, or Linux. Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0, Firefox 2.0, Safari 1.4, or Google Chrome 11.0 browsers or higher

Recommended for up to 25 devices: Reliably stream videos, play games, surf the internet, and connect smart home devices

NETGEAR Smart Parental Controls promotes healthy Internet habits, fosters responsibility and builds trust with your kids (30-day free trial included)

NETGEAR Armor protects your family's WiFi with an automatic shield of security across all your connected devices with a 30-day free trial

Wired Ethernet ports: Plug in computers, game consoles, streaming players, and other nearby wired devices with 4 x 1 gigabit Ethernet ports

Safe & secure: Supports WPA2 wireless security protocols. Includes Guest Wi-Fi access, DOS, Firewall, VPN, and more

USB connections: Share a storage drive or printer with any connected device or create a personal cloud storage to access from anywhere, using the 1 x 3.0 USB port

Maximum Range : 1500 Sq Ft

TOP Choice #2 ARRIS SURFboard SBG10 Wi-Fi Router
Our Score:
9.6
ARRIS

Simple and Secure Set-up: Just plug-in, download the SURFboard Central App, and follow the step-by-step intrstuctions to activate the modem, set-up and customize your Wi-Fi network, and add devices to your home network! Once setup is complete, the app provides real-time monitoring of the devices on your network, enhanced parental controls like setting time limits and pausing internet and much more.

Warranty Provided by ARRIS: Product ships with 2-Year Limited Warranty.

What's in the Box: When you purchase you will get an ARRIS SURFboard SBG10 Cable Modem, Power Supply, Quick-Start guide, and 2-year warranty card.

A Trusted Name in Home Connectivity: Get high speeds, better coverage, and a two-in-one product! With the ARRIS SURFboard SBG10 Wi-Fi Cable Modem, you will increase your network capability and get fast streaming and downloading throughout your home. From a trusted brand with over 260 million modems sold and growing.

Modem Technology: DOCSIS 3.0 is an reliable, broadly available, and affordable technology that delivers high speed internet to your home devices.

Compatibility: The SURFboard SBG10 is compatible with major U.S. cable internet providers including Cox, Spectrum, Xfinity and others. It's approved for cable internet speed plans up to 400 Mbps. Check your Internet Service Provider (ISP) website to confirm compatibility.

Dedicated Customer Support: Live Chat and Phone Support available 8am -1am EST.

Router Technology: Features two 1-Gigabit ethernet ports and delivers Wi-Fi 5 speeds up to 1.6 Gbps (1600 Mbps).

Save Money: Own your modem and save. Reduce your cable bill up to $168 dollars per year in cable modem rental fees (Savings vary by cable service provider). Certified for use with most U.S. cable internet service providers. For a complete list see additional details below.

TOP Choice #3 Motorola MG8702 Wi-Fi Router
Our Score:
9.4
Motorola

Reliability you can count on - A worldwide leader in technology people depend on. Comes with 2-years of free expert support from our team

Access the fastest cable internet plans available, with the future-proof performance of the DOCSIS 3.1 cable modem.

Intelligent mobile app - Comes with a smart WiFi app for easy setup, guest network management, usage monitoring, speed testing, parental controls, network security alerts, and more.

Includes a built-in high speed AC3200 WiFi router with Power Boost, Range Boost, and AnyBeam WiFi Beamforming for ultra fast, reliable WiFi.

Instantly upgraded you WiFi performance with advanced tech all while saving up to $168 per year in rental fees by owning your cable modem.

Intelligently works behind the scenes to make sure your Wi-Fi remains fast.[2] Walk from room to room on a video call with an uninterrupted signal.

Includes one Nest Wifi Router and one Nest Wifi Point.

Please refer to the product description section below for all applicable legal disclaimers denoted by the bracketed numbers in the preceding bullet points (e.g., [1], [2], etc.)

Each Nest Wifi router and point is strong enough to handle up to 100 connected devices, and fast enough to stream multiple 4K videos at a time.[3] Compatible with Google Wifi. Two Ethernet ports are included on each router. 15W power adapter included.

1 Wi-Fi router plugs into your internet provider’s modem to create your Wi-Fi network. Each point extends the wireless network and keeps your connection fast to devices in every room.[1]

Each Nest Wifi point is also a smart speaker with Google Assistant built in (internet connection required). You can play music, manage your Wi‑Fi network, find answers, control your connected devices, and more using your voice.[4]

Nest Wifi is easy to set up in the app and compatible with most internet service providers.[5] Easily create a guest network and share your password quickly. Prioritize devices for faster speeds and use parental controls to manage online time for kids.

Nest Wifi is a scalable and flexible Wi-Fi system. These Nest Wifi devices work together to blanket your whole home in fast, reliable Wi-Fi and eliminate buffering in every room – with coverage of up to 3800 square feet.[1,2]

Nest Wifi automatically updates itself to get new features and help your network stay safe and sound.

5 ARRIS SBG7400AC2 Wi-Fi Router
Our Score:
9.0
ARRIS

A Trusted Name in Home Connectivity: Get high speeds, better coverage, and a two-in-one product! With the ARRIS SURFboard SBG7400AC2 Wi-Fi Cable Modem, you will increase your network capability and get faster streaming and downloading throughout your home. From a trusted brand with over 260 million modems sold and growing.

Simple and Secure Set-up: Just plug-in, download the SURFboard Central App, and follow the step-by-step intrstuctions to activate the modem, set-up and customize your Wi-Fi network, and add devices to your home network! Once setup is complete, the app provides real-time monitoring of the devices on your network, enhanced parental controls like setting time limits and pausing internet and much more.

Router Technology: Features four 1-Gigabit ethernet ports and delivers Wi-Fi 5 speeds up to 2.3 Gbps (2,350 Mbps).

Dedicated Customer Support: Live Chat and Phone Support available 8am -1am EST.

What's in the Box: When you purchase you will get an ARRIS SURFboard SBG7400AC2 Cable Modem, Power Supply, Quick-Start guide, and 2-year warranty card.

Warranty Provided by ARRIS: Product ships with 2-Year Limited Warranty.

Compatibility: The SURFboard SBG7400AC2 is compatible with major U.S. cable internet providers including Cox, Spectrum, Xfinity and others. It's approved for cable internet speed plans up to 800 Mbps. Check your Internet Service Provider (ISP) website to confirm compatibility.

Modem Technology: DOCSIS 3.0 is an reliable, broadly available, and affordable technology that delivers high speed internet to your home devices.

Save Money: Own your modem and save. Reduce your cable bill up to $168 dollars per year in cable modem rental fees (Savings vary by cable service provider). Certified for use with most U.S. cable internet service providers. For a complete list see additional details below.

If you're looking to ditch your traditional router extender setup for a Whole Home WiFi system, put the TP-Link Deco M5 WiFi system on your short list PC mag said

Secure WiFi Mesh Network: Get the secure Whole Home WiFi system with HomeCare protecting every device at no additional cost for 3 years, antivirus and parental controls(filter internet content for your kids)

Works with all internet service providers, such as AT&T, Verizon, Xfinity, Spectrum, RCN, Cox, CenturyLink, Frontier, etc.( a modem is required for most internet service providers)

Better Coverage than traditional WiFi routers: Add more Deco M5 if you need more coverage. All Deco can work seamlessly to create a mesh network.

Supports Guest WiFi, QoS, Beamforming, IPv6 and IPv4, an ideal wireless router for home. Works with Alexa, turn on/off guest wifi with simple voice commands.

Dual Band Internet Router upgrades to 1300 Mbps high speed internet(400Mbps for 2.4GHz + 867Mbps for 5GHz), reducing buffering and ideal for 4K streaming.

All the TP-Link Deco Mesh WiFi can work together

Easy to setup: Download the TP-Link Deco app, plug in your system, and follow the instructions to get your new home network up and running in minutes.

Tri band technology delivers the fastest combined Wi-Fi speeds to all your devices

Tri band Wi-Fi speeds up to 2.2 Gbps (5 GHz / 400 Mbps) plus (5 GHz / 867 Mbps) plus (2.4 GHz / 867 Mbps)

MU MIMO (Multi User Multiple Input Multiple Output) provides Wi-Fi to multiple devices at once, at the same high speed

Provides up to 1,500 square feet of Wi-Fi coverage for 15plus wireless devices

Enjoy 4K HD streaming, gaming and more in high quality without buffering

Amazon exclusive extended 18 month warranty

Works with existing modem, simple setup through Linksys App

Connects to your existing cable modem and replaces your WiFi router. Compatible with any internet service provider up to 1Gbps including cable, satellite, fiber, and DSL

NETGEAR Smart Parental Controls promotes healthy Internet habits, fosters responsibility and builds trust with your kids (30-day free trial included)

Backed by a 1-year limited hardware warranty

Fast AX4200 Gigabit speed with WiFi 6 technology for uninterrupted streaming, HD video gaming, and web conferencing

NETGEAR ARMOR protects your family's WiFi with an automatic shield of security across all your connected devices with a 30-day free trial

Coverage up to 2,000 sq. ft. for up to 25 devices

Share a storage drive with any connected device and create a personal cloud storage to access from anywhere using the 1 x 3.0 USB port

Plug in computers, game consoles, streaming players, and more with 4 x 1G Ethernet ports

TP-Link OneMesh Supported - Flexibly Create Whole Home WiFi with Archer AX10000 by adding a OneMesh supported Range Extender, like RE700X

Ultra-Fast Wi-Fi for Extreme Gaming – AX10000 speed machine that delivers Wi-Fi Speeds to 10 Gbps: 4804 Mbps (5 GHz Gaming) plus 4804 Mbps (5 GHz) plus 918 Mbps (2.4 GHz)¹

Game Accelerator – Detect and optimize gaming streams, to ensure your gaming stays immersive

Works with all internet service providers, such as ATandT, Verizon, Xfinity, Spectrum, RCN, Cox, CenturyLink, Frontier, etc.( a modem is required for most internet service providers)

Powerful Processing – 1.8 GHz Quad-Core CPU and 3 coprocessors ensure your network performance always at peak run

Ultra Connectivity - 2.5 Gbps WAN port and 8 Gigabit LAN ports, 2 USB 3.0 in Type A and Type C provide extensive connectivity²

More Devices with Less Lag: OFDMA and MU-MIMO technology deliver data to multiple devices, simultaneously³

TP-Link HomeCare - Protect your network and connected devices with a free lifetime subscription to TP-Link HomeCare featuring next-level antivirus, robust parental controls, and QoS

SAFE & SECURE: Supports IPsec, PPTP, L2TP w/ IPsec, and SSL VPN protocols for encrypted remote access to local area network (LAN) resources over the internet. For your convenience the router’s WiFi bands are pre-encrypted with their own unique passwords.

ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY FEATURES: This wireless router features advanced management, QoS, IEEE 802. 1Q inter-VLAN routing, SSL, IPsec, PPTP, and L2TP w/IPsec VPN support, and other capabilities to ensure optimal performance, scalability, and protection of your network. Automatic notification of firmware updates, wireless client isolation, and web browser and CLI management.

PORTS AND ANTENNA GAIN: 2 x Gigabit WAN ports, 8 x Gigabit LAN ports, 1 x USB 3. 0 port, 1 x Console port. 2. 4 GHz: 2 x 2. 9 dBi (max. ) / 5 GHz: 4 x 4. 4 dBi detachable/external

TRENDnet PROTECTION: 3 Year TRENDnet Manufacturer’s Protection

HIGH PERFORMANCE AC3000 TRI-BAND WiFi: Three concurrent WiFi bands maximize device networking speeds: two separate high performance 802. 11ac networks up to 1733Mbps (5GHz1) + 867Mbps (5GHz2) + 400Mbps (2. 4GHz) bands.

BALANCE NETWORK TRAFFIC: Dual-Wan allows you to connect up to two separate WAN internet connections to efficiently load-balance traffic by distributing network traffic to the best available link, or configure for redundancy using the WAN fail-over mode.

INTELLIGENT BUSINESS ROUTER: It features dual-WAN ports for load balancing or fail-over modes, and encrypted Virtual Private Network (VPN) access for remote users. Dual-WAN ports smooth network loading, minimize network downtime, and allow employees to access your network from the Internet—all with a single router.

Product Images, Product Titles, Product Highlights from Amazon Product Advertising API

What to Look For in a best overall wireless router?

Security

To secure your router, you should use the latest available encryption standard. This is likely WPA2 or WPA3, depending on the age of your router. You’ll need to enter the password just once into each wireless device you use; afterward, the device will remember it.

App-Based Management

Every new router comes with apps meant to simplify the task of setting up and making adjustments to your WiFi network. The apps make it easier than ever before to monitor which devices are connected to your network and adjust which devices get priority. These apps can also alert you when an update is available for your router.

Quality Of Service

Wireless Routers offer a great way to optimize the performance of your computer. You can change the router's settings to work best for streaming videos, making Skype calls, playing games, or streaming music. This will give those applications more of the bandwidth—so, for example, your Netflix movie doesn't pause and rebuffer because someone in your house is downloading a large file.

USB Ports

USB ports on a router are used for connecting to a flash drive, an external hard drive, or a USB printer if the router has a built-in print server.

Booster Club

When it comes to wireless routers, most ISPs offer several tiers of service. If you’re ever in a situation where you need more speed for streaming or gaming, you can always upgrade your service. A connection speed of around 200 megabits per second should be able to handle a family’s worth of activities like this.

LAN Ports

Many internet-connected smart home devices, such as Philips Hue and Samsung SmartThings products, require a LAN port-connected hub to function. If you need more LAN ports than the router has, you can expand the number available by adding an Ethernet switch. This is sort of like a power strip that adds open Ethernet ports.

WiFi Standards

As of early 2021, the tech world is starting to transition away from the WiFi standard known as WiFi 5 and towards WiFi 6, which is faster and boasts better support for more devices connected at the same time. Older, WiFi 5-certified devices like smartphones and laptops can still be used with WiFi 6 routers, but you won’t receive the full benefits of WiFi 6 unless the device you are using is certified for the new standard. For more information on WiFi 6, be sure to read this article.

FAQs

What is a wireless router?

A wireless router is a device that allows multiple devices to connect to the internet via a wireless signal. It provides users with the ability to access the internet from any location within its range. It also allows users to share data and files between devices.

How should I set up my wireless router?

Setting up a wireless router can vary depending on the router model and manufacturer. Generally, you will need to follow the instructions provided with the router, which should include connecting the router to the modem and configuring the router settings. You may also need to configure your device to connect to the router.

What is the difference between a wireless router and an access point?

A wireless router is a device that allows you to connect to the internet and share a single internet connection between multiple devices. An access point is a device that allows you to connect to a router or switch, and allows for more devices to be connected to the same network.

What is the best wireless router for home use?

The best wireless router for home use will depend on your budget and needs. Most modern routers are capable of providing reliable performance and good range, so it’s important to consider features such as the number of antennas, the types of connections supported, and the speed of the router.

Conclusion

It's challenging to determine the greatest product while deciding what to buy. We wanted to help you narrow things down by offering a list of best overall wireless router above so you can make a better-educated decision before purchasing anything that might never work for you.

Would any of these ideas strike a chord with you? If that's the case, keep these in mind before making any purchases! You may also look into Netgear Nighthawk AX4300 WiFi 6 Router RAX45 to find another option that is a good fit for you.


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About Tim Powers

Tim Powers

Tim Powers is an audio equipment & home theater gadget reviewer and the editor of TheAudioInsights.com. He has been involved in the home theater hobby since the late 1990s when he purchased his first AV receiver. Tim is also a writer, with articles appearing in various online and print publications.