Best Wireless Routers 2018 – Reviews and Buyer’s Guide

I have to mention first that my colleague Julian and I have made a top 10 list of best wireless routers, and if you will be patient trough the whole article, we promise you will not be disappointed and it will be helpful in the future to make the perfect choice for your technical needs.

You do not have to be particularly passionate about networking, to know the term “wireless router” and you’ve probably wondered which wireless router is suitable for your needs. Only a few years ago, the computer was the only electronic product you could connect to the internet, being necessary only a simple cable received from the internet provider, plugged directly into your desktop pc.

Meanwhile, technology grew faster than one may have expected, and manufacturers are rolling out various gadgets that are performing better than ever; after all, let’s not forget the saying “Where there is no competition, there is no innovation!” (How poetic!)

Going back to our business…Netbooks, laptops, ultrabooks, smartphones, tablets, ebooks, all of these devices can be easily connected to the internet, and the easiest way to link them is to a wireless router.

When we talk about internet connection, we all want high speeds; if you are a gamer, you do need strong connection to not be caught off-guard, or maybe if you like watching online series, while your kids are browsing the internet in search of information.

For you we have made a “top 10 best wireless routers” you can find on the market today.

Best Wireless Routers 2018

1. TP-LINK Archer C9 – The best dual-band wireless router

When you say TP-LINK, you say a world-leading networking equipment maker, and the ones that made the all new Archer C9 dual gigabit wireless router.
Featured in the Archer product family, the new device comes with an elegant design, with wireless speeds of up to 1.9Gbps. The Archer C9 features a dual-core processor at 1GHz, and three dual-band antennas, and also high-power signal amplifiers, providing users with a stable network for online gaming and Ultra HD 4K video transmissions, giving a stable internet connection with no problems.

About antennas

If we’re talking about the three antennas you can see, you’ll be surprised to have the Archer C9, because it packs 6 antennas as follows: 3 External 3dbi x 3 out of 5ghz and 3 Internal x3 out of 2dbi (this appears in the technical book of the product at the end, just to v2 / v3 / v4)
Like any TP-LINK dual band router, the Archer C9 offers the flexibility of two dedicated networks:

1. The 2.4GHz band is suitable for browsing the Internet or reading emails,
2. The 5GHz band is dedicated to resource-intensive applications. Such as HD streaming, online gaming, or downloading / uploading large files.

The Archer C9 comes with a fairly innovative technology called Beamforming that identifies connected devices and directs the signal where the device is located (smartphone, tablet, laptop) in order to get a powerful connection.
What can I say about it: beamforming really works and it’s not just a marketing matter. In some places of the house with the old router I had only one dash or the internet wasn’t working at all. But with Archer C9, I have 2 or 3 lines. It is noticeable with the naked eye that the radius of the device is great as it was in our case, in places we had low signal we can see its growth (we tested with wifi analyzer – the signal at the maximum limit of -93dbm (unusable) reaches almost at -83dbm (usable)).

The interface is new, friendly, with multiple levels in editing the settings, and the way it responds to the user’s needs is very fast. The router behaves excellently on both cable and wi-fi and has a very stable signal at 5 GHz even on large distances with desolate walls.
In the 5 GHz network, we reached 300 to 450 Mbps on the phone in the same room where Archer C9 was, and 100 to 200 Mbps, 49 ft away, through 3 walls. The upload speed was constant – 200 Mbps.
In 2. 4Ghz it reaches 150/100 Mbps in the same room as the router is, and 60/70 Mbps,49 ft away, through 3 concrete walls.
On MacBook Air 13, 2015, we got 650 Mbps in the Speedtest (5Hz and 1Gbps subscription).
[visualizer id=”1888″]

We have set the 5GHz network to work on AC and 2.4GHz on bgn, so it covers the entire spectrum better (I have both ac, and n and g devices) and the router really does it very well. Guest network is an excellent idea, especially since I have attached my external HDD to the USB port and I really do not want others to go over my private data.
Aspect-wise is very artistic- the gray back is made of good quality plastic and not metal, and it’s exactly what you would expect from a relatively expensive router; it’s hard enough and it’s rubbery on the bottom so it’s not easy to be pulled by the weight of the cables on most surfaces.
The Archer C9 detects by itself if there is an upgraded firmware and displays it in its notification interface. You do not have to bust your brains on websites for firmware upgrades.

With 2 computers connected via LAN on Gbit, an Android TV with LAN (Mbit) and other 4 Android phones / tablets on Wireless, it has absolutely no problem.
The latest Firmware upgrade has improved the beam-forming, but the transfer to USB still behaves the same way (20 – 30 Mbps).

2. ASUS RT-AC68U – The most powerful and constant wireless router on the market

We can say that it is part of the top 10 best wireless routers, because ASUS claims that the RT-AC68U is the world’s fastest Wi-Fi router, reaching dual band combined up to 1900 Mbps, more precisely, 1300 Mbps on 802.11c in the 5 GHz band, offering transfer rates comparable to those achieved with Gigabit connections, and 802.11n connection performance in the 2.4 GHz band, from 400 Mbps to 600 Mbps.

The ASUS RT-AC68U is equipped with TurboQAM ™ technology to improve the 2.4GHz Wi-Fi networks up to 33% faster than the standard N900 wireless routers, reaching 600 Mbps and achieving an impressive 1300 Mbps.

ASUS Ai Radar delivers a better signal to wireless devices in a smart way, using 802.11ac wi-fi wired technology to send signal to the place where the devices are located.
Based on the personal experience with the Asus High End routers that I owned in the past, I bought the RT-AC68U from the moment it came on the market and I can say that I made the smart choice. At first glance, the design does not bring any changes to the previous models, though it is somewhat bigger and definitely harder than the AC66U. Also, the new design no longer allows wall or horizontal mounting.

Hardware and performance

The idea of implementing a hardware button to stop the lights seems brilliant, and in the future we may see something similar implemented also in the management interface.
The 3 detachable antennas are also a good idea for those who plan to replace them later with some more powerful ones, and the USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 connectors can be used for network storage, download or print server.

The hardware configuration is top-notch with a Broadcom BCM4708A (2 ARM Cortex-A9 at 1GHz), 256MB RAM and Broadcom BCM4360 Wi-Fi controller (3×3 with TurboQAM support). The administration interface is robust, and it is intuitively organized so as not to confuse even the users with low knowledge in this field.

In terms of performance, the RT-AC68U takes everything to the extreme. I don’t know if it matters anymore, but it’s good to know that switching it delivers about 930Mbps, being very close to the theoretical maximum. The speed on the 802.11ac has been measured in 2 ways: with the PCE-AC68 adapter ( taken from the Amazon – see the model ) that I use on the desktop pc, and the second time with a USB-AC53 adapter that I use on my laptop. In the first case, I got 760Mbps in the same room as the router, 560Mbps through a wall and 470Mbps through 2 walls. In the second case, speeds are limited by the USB adapter at 220Mbps in all three situations.
[visualizer id=”1890″] A great plus for this router is the software that allows you to set up a guest network without intranet access. (I own a SSD linked via USB with the router, in which I back up my files, and keep pictures and family videos).

For connoisseurs, we need to talk about the ASUS RT-AC68U being able to connect the Bonjour protocol between wired and wireless. I have a network cable attached to the router and all the rest of the devices are wirelessly connected, and the printer is accessible from all devices, including those using the Bonjour protocol (this was a problem for me because I tried 3 routers that have been specified to support the Bonjour protocol, and they did not know how to bridge between wired and wireless). The copying speed of large files from the laptop to the SSD tied in the USB 3.0 router using the 5GHz wireless network reach 70-85Mbps, and on a normal HDD does not go up more than 35 Mbps.

In my 8 months of testing it, the router was blocked 4 times, but everything seemed ok- the networks were visible, the connection possible, but no traffic, no internet or intranet, and the admin interface can be accessed and it appears that everything is OK. After a quick reboot it comes back to normal.

3. ASUS RT-AC66U – Way more powerful with the new firmware

The ASUS RT-AC66U is ranked No. 3 in our ‘Top 10 Best Wireless Routers’ as it uses a Broadcom BCM4706 chip as a processing unit, a 256MB RAM and a 128MB NAND storage for the operating system, a Broadcom BCM4331 chip for the radio module 802.11b / g / n in the 2.4GHz band and a BCM4360 chip from the same manufacturer for 802.11a / n / ac in the 5GHz band.

It is covered by a large aluminum radiator, but even so, the router tends to overheat. I did not have any problems during the test week, but in the summer when the room temperature is increasing, it could be a serious problem.

The ASUS RT-AC66U router has excellent routing performance; the speed was 885Mbps, close to the physical limit of the internal Gigabit Ethernet switch. This can only be achieved in the Hardware NAT mode, where QoS routines are controlled exclusively by the router’s operating system. If you want to customize Traffic Limitation and prioritization rules, the RT-AC66U will switch to software mode, which will lower the roaming speed to 280Mbps.
[visualizer id=”1891″] The speed of USB ports is not the best, but for neither of the routers is. However, with 13.5MBps on writing, the RT-AC66U is at least in the special category of routers that offer acceptable NAS services.

Web interface

The web interface is very well structured on sections and tabs, as it offers a consistent palette of options. The ASUS RT-AC66U offers Port Forward and Port Triggering settings, both with remapping supports, DMZ, UPnP, Dynamic DNS with support for ASUS but also DynDNS, TZO and ZoneEdit, IPv6 tunneling support, DHCP server with configuration, MTU configurable, Jumbo Frames for LAN support, six guest networks with connection and LAN time limitation settings, parental control services with keyword filtering, Web addresses, MACd or ports, and IPTV support (hope I haven’t forgotten something 😜)

Among the less common settings is the Media Bridge mode – basically an easy-to-configure Wireless Distribution System that allows the usage of the 802.11ac connection as a long distance wireless bridge with another router. This way of working can function with any other router, but it’s only designed to connect with an 802.11ac model to cover longer distances with a high-speed, wired-free link.

The large and heavy casing is made entirely of plastic, the top with a discrete geometric pattern, designed to make it easier to match the equipment with the environment of the room, and the nine LEDs to indicate WAN and LAN port status, wireless, USB ports and power supply, which are providing a strong blue illumination that becomes extremely tedious in the dark.

The DLNA / iTunes server indexes and plays a consistent range of formats. Including MKV or AVI with H.264 or XviD, and AC3 and DTS sound, its performance being good for 720p and 1080p resolutions.

4. TP-LINK Archer C7 – The easiest wireless router to set up

The TP-LINK Archer C7 is ranked # 4 in our ‘Top 10 Best Wireless Routers’, accessorized with a single-core Qualcomm Atheros QCA9558 core processor at 720 MHz, 128 MB of RAM and 16 MB of flash. It provides support for all modern networking standards, including 802.11ac, which means that this router offers two wireless bands: one at 2.4 GHz frequency and the other at 5 GHz frequency.

The maximum theoretical band width is 450 Mbps for the 2.4 GHz network and 1300 Mbps for the 5 GHz band, meaning a total of 1750 Mbps. Another important aspect is that this router has 6 antennas: 3 external antennas (detachable) for the 5 GHz wireless network and 3 internal antennas for the 2.4 GHz.

TP-Link Archer C7 is an older, yet powerful, router, and you will find it more and more often on sale.
The speed of my tests was 904 Mbps by cable. I test it on a 1000 Mbps connection, but without special settings, a real-life situation like any other user may experience. The average download speed on FTP (I made a FTP on my server without any download limitation) was very good, around 73 Mbps in a 5.5 GB test.

A bit strange in my tests was the starting point, at somewhere near 600 Mbps, but after a few seconds it went up to higher speeds. Also, in many tests, the speed was around 700-800 Mbps, and only in a few we got 904 Mbps.
[visualizer id=”1892″]

Firmware

I suspect it is a firmware problem, an unjustified limitation. All the routers tested by me immediately went up near the maximum speed, and had the results in a plus or minus 20 Mbps range between tests, while the Archer C7 slowed down, and varied a lot. It was not the fault of the connection, as I also used my personal router and tested it several times on Speedtest, only to notice it went straight to its usual maximum value.

I mentioned earlier that the TP-LINK Archer C7 is not a new router, but it is a good wireless router. It should not surprise anyone that the TP-LINK user interface for this model is more old- school, especially when compared to the TP-LINK Archer C9, for example.
What is really nice here is the Quick Setup wizard – easy to use, and works in any web browser.

The language used by TP-LINK in the configuration interface is quite technical, and users who do not know much about networking, will have some problems understanding the settings and the options available. The Help documentation is pretty good and it may come in handy, so don’t worry about this!
Another slightly unpleasant aspect is that, advanced settings are hard to understand if you do not have a minimum of technical knowledge, making this router more difficult to configure in detail than others.

A positive aspect I appreciated during the setup of this router was that the configuration interface loads almost instantly and responds very quickly to commands.
We did not have a performance problem during our tests, but we had some stability issues using the 5 GHz wireless network once or twice a week; it did not send any signal and we had to restart the router for the network to be available again.

Some of you will be pleased to know that this TP-LINK Archer C7 can be mounted on the wall thanks to the holes on the back of the router. This feature is not available on the TP-LINK Archer C9, though.
TP-LINK Archer C7 deserves its place in the top 10 best wireless routers, as it offers a positive user experience. Although it has some drawbacks, it is highlighted by the ultra affordable price, and the positive aspects of this router.

5. ASUS RT-ACRH13 – The best wireless router under $ 100

RT-ACRH13 is another Asus model, taking a fair place in the top 10 best wireless routers. Providing a total capacity of 1300 Mbps on wireless (400 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band, 802.11b / g / n standards MIMO 2 × 2, and 867 Mbps on the 5.2 GHz band, 802.11a / n / ac standards MIMO 2 × 2), a USB 3.0 port, and the usual Asus firmware.

This model stands out because it includes a four-core processor that is found in very few other routers. This processor is the first “system-on-chip” on the market that offers native support for the 802.11ac standard 2 waves, extras that were done in the summer of 2016. If you want to find out about this router, and info about its real performance, read this review. We assign it a well-deserved place in the top of the best wireless gigabit routers, to see how it stands in comparison to others.

ASUS RT-ACRH13 is a wireless router with four external antennas that, unfortunately, cannot be removed, and this may be a drawback for some users. Antennas are used for wireless signal delivery, using MU-MIMO technologies, which provide the speed and stability used for the 2.4 GHz and 2 GHz wireless frequencies.

On the back, there is the WAN Internet connection port and four Gigabit network ports, the WPS button, the power jack, a button to turn the router on and off, and a “reset to factory settings” plug. On the front you will see the LEDs indicating the status of the router, and a USB 3.0 port.

One of the first things I noticed at RT-ACRH13 is that it cannot be easily mounted on the walls because it does not have a VESA mounting system on the back (but improvisations are also going on, for example, with adhesive tape; I managed to do it easily, without any holes in the wall, or other crazy stuff).

The size of this router is quite small, being 207 x 148 x 35 mm in length, width and height. The ASUS RT-ACRH13 weighs only 0.87 pounds.
When talking about results, there is nothing to reproach, as all the results are excellent!
On cable, I got 933 Mbps on speedtest.net and an average of 67 MB / s on an FTP account. I repeat, it’s the average speed, with a fairly slow start, for a file of nearly 7 GB. I declare myself pleased!

The total wireless capacity is 1300 Mbps, divided between the two bands. The test results were very good. On 802.11ac we got 599 Mbps download, with 492 Mbps upload, at 5.2 GHz and 80 MHz channel.
The result is impressive considering that we are talking about a theoretical maximum of 867 Mbps; the real one is usually half the theoretical one.

At the 2.4 GHz low, we got 263 Mbps download with 229 Mbps on a 40 MHz channel; a very good result considering the coverage of the large antennas.
The interface comes with plenty of features that are quite common for Asus: you can make a backup of your cable connection using a USB 3G or 4G modem; you can turn on parental control with limited access to certain sites, and a QoS with band width adjustment for various devices connected to the router. There are also VPN and IPv6 functions, and even one called AiCloud 2.0 that connects you to a virtual Asus cloud.

I connected an external SSD via USB and tested the speeds by copying a large movie and a folder of 200 photos, common for the average network storage.
The results were good for a router.
[visualizer id=”1893″]

After 1 week we were generally pleased with the performance, but we also identified some issues:
– When you change the wireless settings of the router, the device needs to be restarted and the standby time is quite unsatisfying.
– At one time, the two wireless networks were no longer available, and the only way to fix it was to restart it.
– I’ve noticed some speed difficulties for short periods of time.

6. TP-LINK Touch P5 – The first wireless router with touch screen

For the generation that wants a touch-screen in any device I’m thinking of reserving a place in the top 10 best wireless routers not only for the touch screen router, but also for performance! The Touch P5 router turns out to be a very high performance device that can easily be considered a C9 Archer with a touch-screen.

Touch P5 combines the performance of a router with the convenience of a touch-screen display. The router can only be set by touching the touch-screen, and the entire configuration process can be done directly on the router, eliminating the need for a computer, tablet, or smartphone-based configuration.

The router looks like a C2 Archer. The case is made of high-quality plastic, with ventilation slots on the top. The screen works very well, it has a mobile keyboard and very good resolution, and the interface responds fast enough to commands (the touch-screen requires a good pressing, because it does not react like a smartphone).

Touch P5 can generate two separate wireless networks, one b / g / n of up to 600 MHz and one ac up to 1300 MHz. In the test, the maximum speed I got on 802.11ac (80 MHz channel) was around 550 Mbps. For the 802.11n standard (40 MHz channel), the speed was around 130 Mpbs.
For a 1000 Mbps internet connection, the cable speed was approx. 950 Mbps.
[visualizer id=”1894″] The router allows you to configure an FTP server and a media server. For a USB 3.0 connection with an external hard drive, the average write / read speed is 25 MBps. The speed is not very high, but it’s good for a router. This is their very best, as they don’t have optimized file transfer hardware. For dual, even triple speeds, you need a Network Attached Storage (NAS). A printer can be connected via USB 2.0 connection.

The running mode can be: router, repeater, or access point; the router provides a way to set parental control by blocking access to sites that contain default keywords.

The router resembles the Archer C2, and in my mind looks like a Japanese roof. The plastic is matt, and on the top there are some ventilation holes in an abstract pattern that gives it a nice look. It’s a router that, especially with that color screen, does not look bad even if you put it in a visible place in the house.

The touch screen allows you to set up the entire router, except the USB part. That is frustrating as when you plug something into the router and you want to configure it on the spot, you find out that is not possible.
At Touch P5 you can adjust the brightness, how to display the clock (analogue or digital) and how long until the screen turns off (something like a screensaver). If you do not spend a few minutes on the router, you will be prompted for the administrator password the next time you access it, to ensure that someone does not go unattended.

If you don’t want to waste time setting the router through the Touch P5 interface, it’s good to know that is has the same super-fast and easy-to-use interface as the Archer C9. It’s a well-written firmware and a tailor-made interface where your changes are implemented almost instantly.

7. ASUS RT-AC1200G + – The best wireless router for your home needs

From the start, I can say that the RT-AC1200G + is a perfect router for large houses with thick walls, or flats, because of its stronger antennas, more powerful than other routers from the same price group; they will have a better signal in all rooms and even outside, and this extra speed is especially noticeable when streaming movies at 1080p or 4k resolution through the Amazon Prime Video.

The ASUS RT-AC1200G + occupies the 7th place in our Top 10 Best Wireless Routers. It has a Broadcom BCM47189 chip at the 900 MHz frequency, this being the first chip on the market to integrate a 2×2 802.11ac radio with a processor, and an Ethernet switch, which greatly reduces the production costs for 802.11ac network standard routers.

The ASUS RT-AC1200G + dual-band Gigabit Router Wireless-AC1200 is equipped with four antennas with high signal acquisition rate and signal amplification technology for a very wide coverage area: 2 for the 2.4 GHz frequency and 5 GHz, and offers support on 802.11b / g / n / ac standards. The only disadvantage is that the antennas are not detachable, and quite long for my taste.

Coverage is excellent thanks to the ASUS AiRadar technology that intelligently improves wireless signal quality by using 802.11ac universal signal generation technology, a high-power amplifier solution, and the exclusive ASUS RF signal optimization solution.

This ensures extended signal coverage, and high data access speeds and improved stability. In my test, the maximum speed obtained on 802.11ac (5Ghz, 80 MHz channel) was around 350 Mbps. For the 802.11n standard (2.4 Ghz, 40 MHz channel) the speed was around 150 Mpbs.
For a 1000 Mbps internet connection, the cable speed was approx. 933 Mbps.
[visualizer id=”1895″]

It is an excellent, stable router that has comparable speed and performance to other devices in the premium range.
The router is compatible with the ASUS Router app (available for Android / iOS) that allows bandwidth limitations on each device, device disconnection, guest networking, traffic monitoring, etc.).

For this router, Asus has opted for a slightly stranger antenna layout, different from the classic antenna, positioning the 2.4 Ghz one in the back, and the 5 Ghz on the side. It can be mounted on the wall, with all four antennas being oriented up.

8. TP-LINK Archer C5 – Decent price, good performance

The model is in the mid range. Ranking 7 in our top 10 best wireless routers, with a total wireless capacity of 300 + 867 Mbps on the two frequencies and also including the 802.11ac standard. The Archer C5 features four 10/100/1000 Mbps LAN ports and two USB 2.0 ports for connecting printers or network storage.

The look is very similar to the Archer C7, with the same black, glossy, segmented case and two external detachable antennas. The disadvantage of having glossy plastic is that you will immediately see the dust on it and the prints. So it will need to be cleaned quite often because the dust will be visible.

The router features 2 detachable antennas that are mounted in the rear. These antennas are rather thick and will not bend after you mount them. They will stand upright giving a nice look to the router.

If you want to watch movies online, or play online games then the TP-LINK Archer C5 wireless router will give you exactly what you need. Many users who are enthusiastic about online multimedia are happy with the quality / price ratio that this router offers. To give you the best speed, even three times better than the standard 802.11 N, TP Link created the TP-LINK Archer C5 wireless router that has the standard 802.11 ac. It works on both the popular 2.4 GHz band, and on the 5 GHz band that is usually freer (only new generation devices can work on this band).

Therefore combined, the data transfer can reach up to 1.2 Gb per second. In the 5 GHz band, the router has a speed of 867 Mbps, and in the 2.4 GHz band the speed reaches up to 300 Mbps.
However, these maximum speeds cannot be achieved, because the optimal conditions will not be met at home for the perfect router operation. There are various obstacles such as the walls, the furniture, the materials from which the walls are built that will influence, and block the signal transmission from the router. However, beside this impediment, with the Archer C5 wireless router you will enjoy nice online gaming.
[visualizer id=”1896″] On the 2 USB multifunctional ports you can connect a printer to the router, and remove documents directly from your mobile phone or tablet, the router acting as an intermediary between the two.

One of the special features of TP-LINK is the parental control. With this feature you can set time intervals in which data transfer is possible. So if you have children and you want them not to have access to the internet all the time, you can set time intervals in which they will be able to surf the internet. This way you will be sure they will not access inappropriate websites when you are not home.

The TP-LINK Tether app is compatible with most TP-LINK wireless routers, offering features such as the status of the router, which users are connected to the network, and how the data transfer is distributed. The management of your network becomes very easy on your mobile phone because this app is compatible with IOS and Android. So regardless of your smartphone or tablet, you’ll have full access to this app.

9. D-Link DIR-842 – Satisfaction under $60

There are some routers that offer good cable and wireless performance, enough for an apartment, and cost below $ 60, making them a best-buy for those who want such a solution.
The DIR-842 is a small, black router, very lightweight. That can’t be mounted on the wall (it can be glued with double-wall adhesive, to say the least). The front has several small LEDs, on the back there are the LAN ports, and the USB port is missing. The four antennas, that are long enough, can’t be detached. The plastic looks cheap, but that’s something normal in this price range.

Cable performance wise, in tests with Speedtest.net, we caught 920 Mbps download, equivalent to 115 MB / s, and the wireless manufacturer says 867 Mbps on the 5.2 GHz band on 802.11a / n / ac and 300 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band on 802.11b / g / n.

Tested on the Mac Book Air 2015, wireless speeds are as shown below.
On the 2.4G band:
1. By 3 walls (22 ft distance) I have 75% signal and 50mbps download / 45mbps upload speed
2. With a wall or near the router (6-9 ft distance) I have 90% signal and 100mbps download / 90mbps upload speed

On the 5G band:
1. Through a wall (6-9 ft distance) I have 210mbps download / 200mbps upload
2. Near the router I have 280mbps download / 240mbps upload
[visualizer id=”1897″]

What does the 5 Ghz band offer? First, it offers better speed (as demonstrated in the tests) and offers less interference. Unfortunately, equipment with the Wi-Fi card such as a Lumia 640XL dual sim phone does not see the 5 Ghz band. (The 5 Ghz band is not active, do not forget to set it beforehand.)

What would a more expensive router would do (say $ 100 – $ 140) in comparison with this one? Higher wireless capability, which means the ability to simultaneously manage multiple wireless devices split over certain bands, with very good stability.
If we talk about the interface, nothing remarkable here; the router has a simple configuration wizard and a simple platform to use and that is cool.

We saw a QoS with prioritization, meaning you can set what priority you want for each connected device and the router automatically provides a connection when its needed.

Do not forget to change the limit of the standard root IPs from 100 to 200 in 2. (because the router has 1) and 254. It’s not mandatory, but it’s better. The initial setup does not have any password, you have direct access. The Initial ip is 192.168.0.1 or dlinkrouter.
Even if it’s ranked 9 in the top 10 best wireless routers, that does not mean it’s not ok. It will fit very well for users who need performance, but have a budget of up to $ 70. Wireless Router Under $ 60? It really is and deserves the 9th place in the top 10 best wireless routers.

10. TP-LINK Archer C2 – Great performance, small price

It’s hard to believe that this is how the TP-LINK Archer C2 promotes itself: low price and high performance. But for this, it gets its special place in the list of the best wireless routers.
The Archer C2 comes in a box along with a power supply with a fairly short cable (about one meter), two detachable antennas, a small Ethernet patch, and the installation CD you do not particularly need.

The router is relatively small and light, and has a really nice design. The casing is arched upwards to the sides, and the top has a beautiful pattern with “scales” that shimmer differently in the light, creating an exciting small disco light. Esthetically speaking, it looks good, and you can be forgiven if you put it in plain sight in the house or office instead of hiding behind a closet.

On the upper side are the small and discreet LED indicators. In order, they signal: On / Off power, wireless networking, activity on LAN ports, activity on the Internet port, connection to the USB port, and the addition of a device through the WPS function.

The case is not an engineering masterpiece in terms of strength or quality of the materials, but so the price has been kept at a very good level for the performance of the router. The plastic coverage looks fragile, but in the end it’s a router and this should not matter that much.

The speed is excellent; on cable, with a subscription of 1000 Mbps, we reached the fastest test speed – 932 Mbps. I repeated the test several times and the results were always around this value.

TP-Link Archer C2 can generate two networks simultaneously, one on the 2.4 GHz frequency and another on 5 GHz. It is among the cheapest routers on the market that supports the new 802.11ac standard with a maximum channel of 433 Mbps, and supports 802.11n / b / g / a at maximum 300 Mbps, for a total home bandwidth of 733 Mbps (it was a little bit tricky to write 730 TP-Link rounds to 750 Mbps).
[visualizer id=”1898″] In terms of signal, Archer C2 is in its regular standards. It did not seem to me either weaker or stronger than other routers I’ve tested.
The port attached to the router USB 2.0 is a very slow protocol when we want to connect an external HDD to the router. USB 3.0 drives have a speed of 20-30 MB / sec for writing and reading on external HDDs, while on USB 2.0, you expect 2-5 MB / sec, in the best case scenario.

If you want high speeds for network storage, buy a NAS and plug it into the router, this way you will have at any time, 60-70 MB / sec.