The best WiFi routers for every home

The dual-band Netgear Nighthawk RAX50 excels at lots of things, from security to streaming. OK, so every router on this list is great for streaming, but the Nighthawk RAX50 is specifically built to support an impressive six streams at once, which is surely more than any household needs. But it's always good to know you're covered in a home full of devices.

It has the capability of streaming or downloading at WiFi speeds of 5.4Gbps — likely surplus to requirements but you can relax knowing it's packing a very fast punch. And though it doesn't go the whole hog of tri-band, it's also made with next gen devices in mind.

The set-up is quick and easy, and all managed via a smartphone app. You can also manage the Netgear Armour advanced threat security protection there.

In regards to the app set-up, some reviewers have noted some irritating prompts for in-app purchases, As in, router features that cost extra. The security, for instance, requires a subscription. But there's no obligation. And if quick-and-easy management is a priority, it also has Alexa for voice control. Overall, this router is among the best rated you'll find with dual-band.

If you enjoy 4K streaming, online gaming, or other high bandwidth activities, but you don't want to spend big, the ASUS ROG Strix GS-AX5400 is an excellent choice. It offers solid, dual-band performance with embedded network protection to help keep you safe online.

There are plenty of options for game optimisation, which are even easier to control via the mobile app. A Game Boost feature allows you to prioritise gaming applications, ensuring the lowest latency possible (you can also prioritise streaming apps, if you'd prefer). And a Mobile Gaming feature increases the bandwidth allotment while decreasing the latency whenever you're playing on a mobile device. In other words, it's set up for gamers.

Parental controls restrict access to adult and social media websites, with everything controlled through a robust web-based management console or mobile app. If you use VPNs, it has a VPN Fusion feature, which allows you to run a VPN and an ordinary internet connection at the same time, giving you maximum speed even if other network users need to use a VPN.

The security on this router even extends to keeping you safe when your mobile devices log onto public networks, such as those in cafes and hotels.

For those who insist on the best, the ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 delivers. The monstrous size and hefty price tag might be off-putting for some, but it makes up for that with sheer power and performance. This tri-band router offers both hardware and software-based gaming acceleration, boosting speeds up to 11,000 Mbps. Not to mention expanded coverage and integrated protection against malware and viruses — all of which makes this router perfect for serious gamers or homes with high-traffic networks. 

It’s big, but the design is kind of cool. While the eight antennas might give an alien-like appearance to this router, they offer plenty of coverage customisation and can be removed if you prefer. The LED indicator lights on the front edge let you easily check on the router’s power, 2.4GHz activity, 5GHz activity, WAN and LAN connectivity, and more. 

Thanks to its 1024QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) technology, this router achieves maximum speeds of up to 1.2Gbps on the 2.4GHz band and up to 4.8Gbps on each of the 5GHz bands. In addition, it supports all of the latest wireless technologies, including multi-user multiple input multiple output (MU-MIMO), simultaneous data streaming, and beamforming.

There’s also native support for the Gamer's Private Network (GPN), as well as a VPN Fusion feature which allows the use of a VPN connection alongside an ordinary internet connection.

For anyone looking for a WiFi router solution to blanket their whole home in signal, a mesh system is an excellent choice, and the Netgear Orbi Mesh WiFI System comes highly recommended.

The system comes with a sizeable — enough to put some buyers off — but it's incredibly simple to install. This model offers very fast speeds, with multi-user multiple input, multiple output (MU-MIMO) capable for simultaneous data streaming and includes plenty of management options.

Because this system comes with a router and a satellite, it provides WiFi coverage to all corners of the home, without the need for an add-on WiFi extender. Its sleek design is made for modern homes, and it provides up to 5,000 square feet coverage. It also promises to support up to 75 devices.

Users can easily check on the status of their system thanks to the LED ring on the top of each unit, while the rear of the unit holds the Gigabit LAN ports, a WAN port, and sync buttons. A web-based console provides basic and advanced settings for configuring your home network — including parental controls, and the ability to set up a guest network.  

If you want to get your internet speed up while keeping the price down, you can do much worse than the TP-Link AX1800 — a budget-priced router with an astonishing number of positive reviews on Amazon.

The actual speed is impressive too. Enabled with the next gen WiFi 6, the TP-Link AX1800 boasts speeds up to 1.8Gbps and will support four streams.

While other WiFi 6-powered routers on this list promise vastly higher speeds, they are largely theoretical — you're unlikely to ever reach those max speeds at home — but they can spread that capacity across multiple devices, so you may find the TP-Link AX1800 isn't quite as spritely if you're loaded with devices. But for the average home, its top speed of 1.8 Gbps will almost certainly suffice. In fact, TP-Link claims it's fine-tuned for performance across devices, so unless you're absolutely stacked, you should have no worries.

It sits at the budget end of this list, but there are other great features, including beamforming technology, reliable cyber security, and easy-to-manage firmware updates. It also uses something called Target Wake Time technology, which reduces your devices' power consumption and helps extend their battery life.

We know what you're thinking: You're only just upgrading to WiFi 6 and now here comes WiFi 7. Indeed, the Eero Max 7 is specialist: an Amazon-made mesh system for the relatively few people who have WiFi 7-capable devices. The technology, which launched last year, is still sparsely used. But if you have an especially hi-tech smart home, or you're a devotee of AR and VR gaming, which puts heavy demands on your streaming, this is an excellent system.

The benefits of WiFi 7 are as you'd imagine: higher speeds, less congestion, more devices supported, and lower latency. It delivers wireless speeds of 4.3Gbps (and a massive 9.4Gbps when wired into one of the ethernet ports). Other benefits include a highly advanced security system, flawless mesh coverage with multiple units, and app control. And though it sounds like overkill, it will connect to more than 200 devices.

Yes, WiFi 7 is a tad specialist at the moment, but it will become standard in years to come, so you could think of this router system as an investment. Think of it as future-proofing. It's worth noting that forking out for extra satellite nodes isn't cheap.

Mesh WiFi is the word on the digital street these days. Largely because our lives have become so full of devices, with coverage now needed in every corner of the home. You want big coverage, sure, but not everyone wants to spend big. Thankfully, the Google WiFi system offers a reliable alternative.

As a Google product, you just know the performance is reliable. It comes with three units, allowing you to extend coverage to three spots.

Google has since released a souped-up (and more expensive) version of Google Nest WiFi. By contrast, the speeds on this are less impressive but still reliable for every day use. It also does a few clever things, like automatically update the backend to boost online security and make adjustments to maintain its speed.

If you're already using Google WiFi, these can be added to the existing system although they can't be combined with the more advanced Google Nest WiFi). It's scalable to suit your internet needs and it's all controlled via the Google Home app. If you have a smart home, or you're thinking of smartening it up, and want to control everything from one place, this is perfect.