The Best Wifi Router For Long Range In 2024

Nicolas Ward By, Nicolas Ward
Updated
Best wifi router for long range
Best wifi router for long range

The Rundown

1. Best Overall: TP-Link Deco Mesh WiFi System (Deco S4)

Introducing the new TP-Link Deco Mesh WiFi System. It's a whole new way to WiFi. Deco Mesh technology gives you coverage in all directions with fast speeds and strong signals, so you can get WiFi throughout your home without dead zones, for up to 100 devices. Plus, our super-fast AC1200 speeds make it the perfect solution for everyone's needs. Read Review

2. Best For The Price: NETGEAR Nighthawk X6S Smart Wi-Fi Router (R8000P)

The NETGEAR Nighthawk X6S Smart Wi-Fi Router is loaded with advanced technology, including a dual core 1.8GHz processor, six antennas, Beamforming and MU-MIMO for maximum wireless performance. You can enjoy faster downloads, gaming and streaming. And when you're not home, your family can access the router's content with their mobile devices using the free NETGEAR genie app. Read Review

3. Best Powerful: Motorola MG7700 Modem WiFi Router Combo

Motorola MG7700 Modem WiFi Router is a fast 24x8 DOCSIS 3.0 cable modem that also includes a built-in AC1900 Dual band (2.4GHz and 5GHz) Wi-Fi Gigabit Router with four Gigabit (GigE) Ethernet ports, power boost Wi-Fi amplifiers, firewall security, and more. It also supports speeds up to 1000 Mbps for the maximum modem speed. Read Review

4. Best Portable: Tenda Nova Mesh WiFi System (MW3)

The Nova Mesh WiFi System is designed to replace Wi-Fi extenders and routers, providing up to 3,500 square feet of whole home coverage with a faster and more stable mesh network. It's easy to set up as well - just download the Tenda Wi-Fi app from the Play Store or App Store, connect your phone to any node wirelessly, and follow the prompts. Read Review

When you’re looking for the best wifi router for long range, nothing is more important than signal strength. When your router’s signal strength is weak, it doesn’t matter how many antennas it has or what kind of new tech it uses to boost performance. The result will be sluggish Internet speeds and devices that can’t get a strong connection. If you have a large home or apartment, a weak signal could be a sign that your current router just isn’t up to the task of covering that much space.

You might have seen some articles on this topic in the past that suggested buying an amplified antenna as your first step in improving your Wi-Fi network. Those pieces of advice remain valid today – especially if you live in an older home with thick walls and limited natural light. However, there are plenty of other factors that come into play when choosing the best wifi router for long range, like channels, MU-MIMO, and dual-band vs single band. All of these things work together to help extend your Wi-Fi coverage so that every device throughout your home has fast, reliable internet at all times.

After spending 16 hours researching and assessing, our specialists have identified the models that would best meet your needs, particularly TP-Link Deco Mesh WiFi System (Deco S4). We've put up a buying guide as well as additional good alternatives to help you find the perfect one.

Our Top Picks

TOP Choice #1 TP-Link Deco Mesh WiFi System (Deco S4)
Our Score:
9.9
TP-Link
  • Setup is a breeze with the Deco app available on your Android or iOS device. Turn on or off guest WiFi with Alexa voice commands.
  • With advanced Deco Mesh Technology, units work together to form a unified network with a single network name.  Devices automatically switch between Decos as you move through your home for the fastest possible speeds
  • Seamless and Stable WiFi Mesh: Rather than wifi range extender that need multiple network names and passwords, Deco S4 allows you to enjoy seamless roaming throughout the house, with a single network name and password.
  • Incredibly fast AC1200 speeds makes the deco capable of providing connectivity for up to 100 devices.
  • A New Way to WiFi: Deco Mesh technology gives you a better WiFi experience in all directions with faster WiFi speeds and strong WiFi signal to cover your whole home.
  • Robust Parental Controls:  Limit online time and block inappropriate websites according to unique profiles created for each family member. Easy to keep your children safe while they’re online.
  • Each Deco S4 has 2 Gigabit Ethernet ports(6 in total for a 3-pack) and supports Wired Ethernet Backhaul for better speeds. Any of them can work as a Wi-Fi Router. 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)
  • Bettern Coverage than traditional WiFi routers: Deco S4 three units work seamlessly to create a WiFi mesh network that can cover homes up to 5, 500 square feet. No dead zone anymore.
TOP Choice #2 NETGEAR Nighthawk X6S Smart Wi-Fi Router (R8000P)
Our Score:
9.8
NETGEAR
  • 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 WiFi access, DoS, Firewall, VPN, and more.
  • Fast Wi-Fi performance: Get up to 3500 square feet wireless coverage with AC4000 speed (Tri-band up to 750 + 1625 + 1625 Mbps).
  • Recommended for up to 55 devices: Reliably stream videos, play games, surf the internet, and connect smart home devices.Double firewall protection (SPI and NAT)
  • USB connections: Share a storage drive and printer with any connected device, and create a personal cloud storage to access from anywhere, using the 1x3.0 and 1x2.0 USB ports.
  • Loaded with advanced technology: Designed with a dual core 1.8GHz processor, 6 amplified antennas, Beamforming, MU-MIMO, Smart Connect, Amazon Alexa Voice Controls, and more.
  • Netgear Armor Powered By BitDefender: The world’s leading cybersecurity protects all your home devices from virus, malware, and data theft with a 30-day free trial.
TOP Choice #3 Motorola MG7700 Modem WiFi Router Combo
Our Score:
9.6
Motorola
  • Fast 24x8 DOCSIS 3.0 cable Modem Plus a built-in AC1900 Dual band (2.4GHz and 5GHz) Wi-Fi Gigabit Router with four Gigabit (GigE) Ethernet ports, power boost Wi-Fi amplifiers, firewall security, and more. The maximum modem speed is 1000 Mbps, supporting service speeds up to 650.
  • Built-in high-speed router with AC1900 wireless and Power boost - Provides internet access for Wi-Fi devices including smartphones, notebooks, tablets, and more. 4 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports provide wired connections to Windows and Mac computers and other Ethernet-capable devices. A Broadcom cable Modem Chipset provides security from denial of service attacks.
  • Eliminate up to 156 dollars per year in cable Modem rental fees. (Savings are shown for Comcast Xfinity and vary by cable service provider.) certified by all leading cable service providers including Comcast Xfinity, Cox, Charter spectrum (no cable Modem is compatible with fiber optic, DSL, or satellite services, available from Verizon, AT&T, CenturyLink, Frontier, and others.)
  • Wireless power boost for better speed and range - Adds high-performance Wi-Fi power amplifiers to boost the wireless signals to the legal limit, giving a significant Boost in speed and range. In addition, anybeam Performing at both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequencies focuses the signal on wireless clients to further enhance performance and range
4 Tenda Nova Mesh WiFi System (MW3)
Our Score:
9.4
Tenda
  • Seamless Roaming for all: Every unit works together for a truly seamless online experience with a single network name and password. Most Wi-Fi enabled devices automatically connect to the strongest AP node when moving around your home.
  • Enjoy the Best Signal in any corner of the house: Ideal for replacing traditional Wi-Fi extenders & routers solutions, provides up to 3,500 sq.ft. Whole Home Coverage with faster and more stable Wi-Fi mesh network. Get rid of Wi-Fi dead zones.
  • Easy Setup in minutes: The Tenda Wi-Fi APP helps you to setup, monitor, & manage your home Wi-Fi mesh network easily & quickly. A new node can be added to existing Nova networks with 3 simple steps.
  • High Capacity & complete flexibility: Powered by MU-MIMO and Beamforming technology, fast AC1200 Dual Band Nova Mesh Wi-Fi system provides high speed Wi-Fi network for all your devices and brings lag-free experience for up to 60 devices.
  • Secure Wi-Fi mesh network: Use WPA2-PSK to encrypt the WiFi password to protect your network and connected devices from hacker attacks. Welcome your visitors and friends with a guest network in isolated network zone, and guards your privacy and smart home access.
  • Minimize lag For all devices and applications: experience ultra-smooth entertainment whether you are streaming 4K videos, gaming online, or even video chatting with up to 75% reduced lag.
  • JD Power Award- Highest in customer satisfaction for wireless routers 2017 and 2019
  • Next-gen 3 Gaps speeds: 4-Stream Dual Band router reaches incredible speeds up to 3 Gaps (2402 Mbps on 5 GHz band and 574 Mbps on 2. 4 GHz band) for faster streaming and gaming like you have never experienced before.
  • Wi-Fi 6 Router: Wi-Fi 6 (802. 11ax) technology achieves up to 3x faster speeds, 4x capacity and 75% lower latency compared to the previous generation of Wi-Fi 5 while the power of Intel's dual-core CPU ensures your experience is smooth and Buffer-Free
  • Increased battery life for devices: target wake time technology reduces your devices Power consumption to extend their battery life.
  • Connect more devices than ever before: simultaneously communicate more data to more devices using revolutionary OFDMA technology
  • 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)
  • Advanced security: Protect your network and connected devices with a free lifetime subscription to TP-Link HomeCare­ featuring next-level antivirus, robust parental controls, and QoS.
6 TP-Link 2.4GHz N300 Long Range Outdoor
Our Score:
9.1
TP-Link
  • Connectivity technology: Wi-Fi Built In
  • Built in 9dBi 2x2 dual polarized directional MIMO antenna
  • TP Link Pharos tdma (Time Division Multiple Access) technology improves product Performance in throughput, Capacity and latency Performance
  • Passive PoE adapter Suppots up to 60 meter (200 Feet) Power over Ethernet deployment and allows the device to be reset remotely
  • Centralized management system Pharos Control
  • AP/ client/ AP router/ AP client router (WISP) operation modes
  • System level optimizations for more than 5km long-range wireless transmission (only for paired Point-to-Point or Point-to-MultiPoint transmission)
  • Adjustable transmission Power from 0 to 27dBm/500mW. Power Consumption: 10.5 Watts Max, Note: When deployed using Passive PoE, the power drawn from the power source will be higher by some amount depending on the length of the connecting cable
7 ASUS WiFi 6 Router (RT-AX3000)
Our Score:
8.9
ASUS
  • Mobile App Support - Control and customize every feature at your fingertips using the ASUS Router App for both iOS and Android devices.
  • Ultra-Fast Wi-Fi - RT-AX3000 supports 160MHz bandwidth and 1024-QAM, boasting a total network speed of 3000 Mbps - 575Mbps on the 2. 4GHz band, and 2402GHz on the 5GHz band.
  • The Most Powerful Mesh System — AiMesh technology allows you to establish an even stronger mesh WiFi system with other ASUS AiMesh compatible routers, ensuring stable and seamless whole home coverage.
  • The Next Gen WiFi Standard - Future proof your home network with the next-gen WiFi 6 technology, providing up to 2. 7x faster speed than the previous WiFi generation featuring OFDMA and MU-MIMO technology.
  • Commercial-grade network security for family - AiProtection Pro protects all the connected devices on your home network and advanced parental controls allow you to manage the family's internet usage.
8 Meshforce M1 Mesh WiFi System
Our Score:
8.7
Meshforce
  • 【Powerful Mesh Technology】Meshforce M1 deployed the true mesh technology to assure seamless and reliable connection no matter where you are in the house. Supports MU-MIMO technology, helps relieve congestion in busy or dense networks.
  • 【Flexible WiFi Coverage】Covers more than 4500 square feet. You can add up to 6 Meshforce points or dot, to drive your WiFi system's maximum potential up to 10K square feet. No matter apartment, house or office zone, MeshForce M1 is ready to use.
  • 【Upgraded WiFi Performance】The upgraded M1 mesh wifi system now has an ever-greater WiFi coverage capability comparing with original product. The new version model M1 will bring you a much more stable WiFi experience.
  • 【Easy Install in Minutes】Optimized for everyone can play. Setup Meshforce on mobile in a few minutes. Meshforce M1 is compatible with vast majority ISP in the United States.
  • 【Secure Connection to Your Smart Home】Your data and WiFi access are well shield under high security level password encryption.
  • Designed in California for US: confidently stream 4K video, play games, and video conference across home and outdoor. Perfect for medium & large size homes, and to stay connected in the backyard or on your front porch!
  • Say goodbye to WiFi dead zones - Meet the newer wifi range extender signal booster with ethernet port for home and office. WiFi repeater engineered to expand your existing WiFi network. 1 Gigabit port for even faster wired connection speed
  • Broad Compatibility With Your Devices : Connects easily to all router brands for extending your WiFi signal. You can then keep a strong connection with Roku, Fire Stick Tv, Alexa devices, xbox/PS, garage doors, doorbell, cameras, smart plugs, locks and others.
  • Not a tech savvy? No problem. Simply plug WiFi booster into any outlet, then click WPS button on the internet extender and on your router... Boom! you’re set! Our lates WiFi extenders for home will expand your wireless network coverage up to 6000 SQ FT for an up to 25 devices.
  • Your wifi just got more secure - we're proud to offer the latest encryption protocols WEP/WPA/WPA2 and regular updates for more security and privacy features. Our Wi-Fi extender also includes overvoltage protection in case of a surge.
  • Customizable Wi-Fi name/password for security
  • Four antennas with beamforming technologies
  • Simply plug and play with no installation
  • 2.4/5GHz dual-band Wi-Fi for fast speeds
  • Router and range extender. Powered by included 9v power supply, requiring 110V AC plug-in
Product Images, Product Titles, Product Highlights from Amazon Product Advertising API

What to Look for When Selecting best wifi router for long range?

There are numerous factors for customers to consider whenever they decide to buy a best wifi router for long range. Simultaneously, it comes with many product types and brands, which makes it difficult for you to choose yourself. Thus, we are here to give you support, guidance, and solutions to these problems. Our buying guide will highlight some most outstanding features related to the best wifi router for long range of 2024.

Nowadays, the number of technology sale networks, especially websites, sale forums, or even the online space for customers’ comments, has been dramatically increased. So, you can quickly obtain information on best wifi router for long range available on these sources. 

Along with reading the update of best wifi router for long range on famous websites, you are also expected to go through some needed things below to make a great decision.

Wi-Fi Bands

Modern routers can access Wi-Fi at both the 5GHz and 2.4GHz frequencies. However, you may prefer to use the former. The 5GHz band offers more bandwidth and congestion, but legacy devices as well as IoT devices will benefit from a faster connection at 2.4GHz.
Although they are more affordable than dual-band routers, we recommend getting two 5GHz Wi-Fi band routers. If you own four computers that can support Wi-Fi 6, the NETGEAR Nighthawk RAX200 is ideal. Some models include a second 6GHz connection that offers even higher Wi-Fi speeds.

Coverage Range

Coverage area is the other aspect of wireless. The range of a basic router is typically 50-100 feet. This means that the device can cover most apartments as well as smaller houses. A mesh router is a better choice if you live in a larger house, with at least 3,000 sq. feet. It uses multiple devices to transmit strong Wi-Fi signals to large homes. They are particularly useful in multistory homes or where Wi-Fi signals drop out in dead spots.

Antennas

More antennas are better. A router that has only one antenna transmitting Wi-Fi will not be able to establish a reliable connection or provide faster speeds.
Dual-band routers generally have at least two antennas. Some are dedicated to the 5GHz band, while others go to 2.4GHz. Omnidirectional means they transmit signals in all directions, regardless of the position of their antennas. There are many configurations that look like droid heads in Star Wars movies, or flipped Tarantulas pointed at the sky.
The indoor range for the 2.4GHz band is 150ft, and the 50ft of the 5GHz band. Antennas focus more on signal quality and speed rather than invading neighbor's homes with Wi-Fi signals. If you have to send a Wi Fi signal to an area, you can purchase a high-gain antenna.

Streams

Your router splits the single stream of data received from your modem into several streams that are then broadcast through antennas. Your wireless device receives the signals and then it combines them into one data stream.
Multistreams and antennas can send and receive data faster than one. Imagine two trucks driving down the same road. They can deliver packages quicker than two trucks travelling down the same route. Virtually all wireless devices support two outgoing and one incoming streams. To be able to connect multiple Wi-Fi networks, you need a router that supports more than two streams on each band.
A router that has two transmit streams (and two receive streams) may work well for a smaller home. An 8x8 configuration is recommended for busy homes with many wireless devices.

Ports

Wireless connectivity is what you need from your Wi-Fi router. However, wired connections are also important. Ethernet provides faster connectivity to devices such as smart TVs, game consoles, and smart TVs. USB ports allow you to connect older printers and storage directly to the network.

If you are in an area with Gigabit internet, input is another problem. An older router could slow down your home and cause problems with your Gigabit internet connection. Some routers are capable of aggregating two inputs to provide faster connectivity.

Speeds And Standards

Your internet connection speed and the speed of your modem will determine the internet speed that you require for your router. A standard 802.11ac router can handle most plans except those that have Gigabit speeds. Most wireless AC routers can handle this job well, with average broadband speeds of around 100 Mb.
Wi-Fi 6 is the latest standard for routers. It's also known as 802.11ax. This is faster and better suited to households that have many smart home devices. While there are many WiFi 6 routers on the market today, Wi-Fi 6e is a newer standard that uses a portion of the radio frequency.

MU-MIMO

A router can simultaneously use multi-user, multiple input, multiple output (or MU–MIMO) to download data to several devices. The router's stream count is used to determine how fast the technology can be downloaded to multiple devices. For example, if there are two streams available on a band, the router will only download half the data to the two connected devices. They don't take turns. The router will only be able to download data to one device at a given time if it is connected by a third device.

You want a router capable of MU-MIMO. However, you also want to have as many streams available as possible for your wireless devices to communicate with it.

FAQs

What Does A Wi-Fi Router Do?

To send or receive web data, you must be connected to the modem. Your router allows this without requiring a wire. This is a fancy antenna that connects to your modem wirelessly over Wi-Fi. To connect to other devices, such as printers and remote storage servers at home via Wi-Fi networks within your area of residence, you can use the Wi-Fi network.

What Makes Wi-Fi 6 Better Than Before?

Wi-Fi 6 supports new Wi-Fi technologies that make data transfer faster and more efficient. Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) is one of the most important upgrades. This trick allows your router to transmit radio waves other devices can interpret as a series or ones and zeroes. It's the binary code behind everything you read, see and experience online. Your router can send 10 bits of binary code per transmission with 1024-QAM, as opposed to the eight bits of binary sent by Wi-Fi 5 routers using 256-QAM. Wi-Fi 6 boasts top speeds up to 30% higher than the previous version.

OFDMA (or orthogonal frequency division multiple access) is another feature to be noted. This allows your router to transmit data to multiple clients through one channel, increasing network efficiency. To save fuel, think of it as a delivery man dropping multiple pizzas off to several customers at once. Target Wake Time allows the router to schedule devices that must check in periodically so they don't interfere with each other. It isn’t tied specifically to Wi-Fi 6 but most next-gen routers support WPA3, which is the latest Wi-Fi security standard.

My Router Is Jammed- What Should I Do?

Because the router is electronic, such events can happen anytime. This doesn't mean you should panic. You can simply reboot or restart your router if you encounter such issues. Just behind the router is a reset button. Hold this button for at least 10 seconds to turn on all the LED lights.
Your router will enter reset mode once it has done so. You must wait until all lights come on. You must also remember that any active settings changes will return to the default.

Standard Routers Vs. Mesh Routers: Which Is Better?

The standard router is one device you will typically put near your internet connection. Additional access points can be added wirelessly to mesh routers. These will again be located near your internet router.
Multiple access points can be used to bypass obstacles that could cause Wi-Fi dead zones, such as large appliances or concrete brick walls. Mesh routers improve reliability. Mesh routers aren't expected to deliver higher performance. In my testing, they didn't perform well relative to the price.

Do I Need To Change The Router SSID And Password?

Your router's SSID (or Router Identification Number) is your unique identification number. Although every router has WPA2 security built in, you should always change the password and SSID of your router. Because every router may have the same default password, it could mean that you network is open to all.
It is recommended that you change your SSID password and SSID to protect it. This will help you eliminate all types of malicious attempts.

How Do I Set Up A Wi-Fi Router?

To set up the router, you can plug it in using an Ethernet cable. Next, type the IP address of the router into your browser's URL bar. You can also use the app of your router to set up, and it usually takes between 5-10 minutes. You can access your router's settings and change your Wi Fi password using either method after setup.

2 ratings

About Nicolas Ward

Nicolas Ward

Nicolas Ward is an elite author with many years of experience in the music field and the owner of many engaging articles at TheAudioInsights. He studies music production and has many years of passionate research into sound systems. Appearing in many popular newspapers, Nicolas Ward provides useful knowledge and the latest information on music and sound.