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Best WiFi routers for 2022: Top 8 wireless router
Best wi-fi routers 2022: Top 8 ranking wireless routers
If you really want to enjoy all that today’s internet has to offer, you need one of the best wifi routers that provides the performance you need for demanding network operations like streaming, gaming, and video calling. Since many homes have everything from laptops and PCs to smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles and connected appliances, a simple router is no longer enough. You need the best wifi router that can keep things running even while several family members are streaming Netflix in 4K and chatting on Zoom and FaceTime.
The best wifi routers provide top-notch speed and range for households of all sizes and all the devices and users in them. Whether you’re in a small apartment or a large home, you’ll find one of the best wireless wifi routers to meet your needs, thanks to advanced technology such as beamforming antennas, quality of service, and Wi-Fi 6 support. The best wifi routers on the Mobikoff online store list are not just for experienced users – they are easy and intuitive to set up thanks to the included smartphone apps, so anyone can have it installed and running on their home network in no time.
Top 8 ranking of the best wi-fi routers for 2022
1. Netgear Orbi whole-home wifi system
Wireless Specifications: 802.11ac | Security: NETGEAR Armor, WPA2 | Standard / speed: AC3000 | Bandwidth: Tri-Band | MU-MIMO: Yes | Wired ports: 4 (per unit)
Netgear’s Orbi is a pretty big departure from the company’s traditional routers. Its style is designed so that the wifi router looks as much at home in the living room as it does in the office. This is important given that this is a mesh wifi system , so chances are high that you will actually have one or more of these devices in your living space, so this look should match.
Don’t let the look fool you, however, as this powerful Wi-Fi system can easily cover even the largest and busiest homes with more than enough performance for all your streaming and video needs. Orbi offers tri-band Wi-Fi, reserving one of the 5 GHz bands as a backhaul channel to keep traffic flowing seamlessly between the main router and one or more satellite points around the home. This means that 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequencies are still available to the devices at top speeds no matter where you are in the house-whether you’re connected to the primary router or one of the satellites.
This makes the four Gigabit Ethernet ports on each satellite especially useful because you can hardwire a smart TV, PC or game console and get the same performance on your satellite device as you would with a direct connection to the main wifi router. With Netgear Armor security and an extended circle with Disney parental controls, it’s also a great system for families of all ages.
Pros
✔Full home coverage.
✔Fast operation.
✔Beautiful aesthetics.
Cons
✘High cost.
✘Hard devices can make things difficult.
2. TP-Link Archer AX50 AX3000 Dual-Band Gigabit Wi-Fi Router 6 TP-Link Archer AX50 AX3000 is the best wifi router for the price of 2022
Wireless Specifications: 802.11ax | Security: HomeCare, WPA3 | Standard / speed: AX3000 | Bandwidth: dual band | MU-MIMO: Yes | Wired ports: 4
The Archer AX50 from TP-Link lets you use the latest Wi-Fi 6 technology without spending a whole kit. Even if you don’t have many Wi-Fi 6 devices in your home yet, this router will deliver impressive performance for all Wi-Fi 802.11ac and Wi-Fi 5 devices.
With enough range to work in a modestly sized home, the AX50 Wi-Fi router offers great value at an affordable price, providing up to 3 Gbps of throughput for all your 802.11ax and 802.11ac Wi-Fi devices. It also supports channels 160 MHz wide, which is a pleasant surprise considering that’s something many of the more expensive routers Wi-Fi 6 routers lack. On top of that, TP-Link also includes a lifetime subscription to its Trend Micro-based HomeCare suite of security and parental controls, allowing you to block malware and create profiles for different family members to set time limits and keep your kids safe online.
On the back of the best Wi-Fi router, you’ll find the usual set of four Gigabit Ethernet ports, but the AX50 has another pleasant surprise in the form of LAN aggregation. This allows you to combine two Ethernet ports for use as a single 2Gbps link so you can use it with some of the fastest Internet plans available. There’s also a USB 3.0 port to accommodate an external storage device or printer sharing. And while it doesn’t offer the fastest NAS capabilities we’ve seen, it’s more suitable for things like network backup, and it even supports Apple’s Time Machine for Mac users.
Pros
✔Accessible Wi-Fi technology 6.
✔Channels are 160 MHz wide.
✔Free advanced security and parental controls.
Cons
✘Low NAS performance.
3. Asus RT-AX88U AX6000 dual-band wifi router 6 – Best wifi router for security 2022
Wireless Specifications: 802.11ax | Security: AiProtection Pro, WPA2, 802.1x | Standard / speed: AX6000 | Band: dual band | MU-MIMO: Yes | Wired ports: 8
If you’re looking for a router that can offer peace of mind knowing your home network is protected from malware and other online threats, then the Asus RT-AX88U can help. It’s a high-performance Wi-Fi router with plenty of advanced features, from network security and parental controls to the latest Wi-Fi 6 technology, and with enough range and power to cover a large and busy home.
With the Trend Micro-powered AiProtection Pro feature set, the RT-AX88U blocks malicious websites to protect your devices from malware, phishing, spam, adware and ransomware attacks. Two-way intrusion prevention also prevents infected devices in your home from establishing outbound connections that could transmit sensitive personal information. There’s also a built-in router security assessment tool that helps you properly block things by identifying potentially insecure settings, so you don’t have to worry about a misconfigured router making your home network vulnerable to hackers.
In terms of hardware, the RT-AX88U also offers a powerful beamforming antenna array that can cover a 5,000-square-foot home, with a total bandwidth of 6 Gbps for your devices. It also has an extensive collection of eight Gigabit Ethernet ports on the back for connecting to a PC or game console for maximum performance, as well as a pair of USB 3.1 ports for sharing files and other media on your home network.
Pros
✔Advanced Wi-Fi support 6.
✔Extended security features.
✔Eight LAN ports.
Cons
✘Slightly expensive.
4. The Eero Pro Mesh Wi-Fi system is the best wifi router of 2022
Wireless Network Specifications: 802.11ac | Security: Eero Secure, WPA3 | Standard / Speed: AC2200 | Bandwidth: Tri-Band / Dual-Band | MU-MIMO: Yes | Wired Ports: 2 (per unit)
The Eero Pro takes the complexity out of setting up a mesh Wi-Fi system with an intuitive mobile app that gets you started in minutes. This versatile and expandable Wi-Fi mesh system can grow with you and cover even the largest homes.
One tri-band Eero Pro router alone covers up to 2,000 square feet, which means that if you use a pack of three Eero Pro units, you’ll get a total of 6,000 square feet of coverage. If you need more, you just need to purchase additional Eero units, which can either be larger Eero Pro units for the fastest three-band speeds, or standard dual-band Eero or Eero Beacon units, each offering 1,000 to 1,500 square feet of additional coverage.
With the exception of the Eero Beacons, you also get a pair of Gigabit Ethernet ports on each unit, so you can also connect to non-Wi-Fi devices like game consoles or smart TVs. On the other hand, the more discrete Eero Beacons have no wired ports, but have the advantage of simply plugging directly into any outlet, and they can also be used as nightlights around your home. Unfortunately, the Eero is one of the very few routers that lack support for the PPPoE protocol used by many DSL providers, so if that’s your ISP, you should stay away from the Eero unless you want to change providers or you have the advanced networking skills needed to solve this problem.
Pros
✔ Very easy to set up.
✔ Excellent wired speed.
✔ Real-time content filtering and malware protection.
Cons
✘Limited Ethernet ports.
✘No PPPoE support.
✘ A monthly subscription is required to filter content.
5. Asus ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 Wi-Fi 6e router – The best gaming router for 2022
Wireless Specifications: 802.11ax | Security: AiProtection Pro, WPA3, 802.1x, VPN | Standard / speed: AX11000 | Band: tri-band | MU-MIMO: Yes | Wired ports: 5
The Asus GT-AX11000 is an insanely powerful gaming router that can satisfy the most demanding online gamers with enough performance to let the rest of the family enjoy other online activities like streaming 4K video and video calling.
With incredibly high 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 performance and up to 10 Gbps total bandwidth, the GT-AX11000 can handle even the busiest homes, and the beamforming matrix with eight antennas easily covers a living space of up to 5,000 square feet. If that’s not enough, Asus’ AiMesh 2.0 technology will allow you to add additional routers to the mix to create a full Wi-Fi system. The usual four Gigabit Ethernet ports on the back are also combined with a dedicated high-speed dedicated 2.5Gbps dedicated gaming port for maximum wired network performance.
With this Wi-Fi router, you’ll also find the full suite of advanced configuration features that Asus routers are known for, including the AiProtection Pro suite of security and parental controls, as well as built-in VPN features and the ability to configure three Wi-Fi bands for optimal performance. The 1.8GHz quad-core processor gives gamers a lag-free experience and supports advanced optimization features such as WTFast Gamers’ private network, adaptive QoS to prioritize gaming traffic and VPN Fusion to protect your privacy without slowing you down.
Pros
✔ Extended Wi-Fi support 6.
✔ Extremely fast operation.
✔Current game-oriented quality of service.
Cons
✘ Expensive.
✘Big size.
✘The user interface can be a bit complicated.
6. Netgear Nighthawk RAX80 8-Stream AX6000 Wi-Fi 6 router – Best wifi router by design 2022
Wireless Specifications: 802.11ax | Security: Netgear Armor, WPA2, 802.1x, VPN | Standard / speed: AX6000 | Band: dual band | MU-MIMO: Yes | Wired ports: 5
Netgear’s Nighthawk RAX80 is one of the first Wi-Fi 6 routers. It looks like a futuristic Wi-Fi router with wide hawk-like wings that elegantly hide its four powerful antennas. With up to 2,500 square feet of coverage and support for 160 MHz channels, this router will deliver the performance you need for streaming, video calling and gaming.
Like any Wi-Fi 6 router, it’s backwards compatible with all your 802.11ac Wi-Fi 5 devices, which means you don’t have to worry about upgrading everything on your home network right away. Sure, 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 customers will get better performance, but either way it offers a combined 4.8Gbps on the 5GHz band and 1.2Gbps on the 2.4 side for all your Wi-Fi devices.
There’s the usual set of four Gigabit Ethernet ports on the back, and the RAX80 also supports 802.3ad link aggregation, so you can connect one of the LAN ports to a WAN port to get up to 2Gbps of bandwidth for ultra-fast broadband plans. While the RAX80 originally didn’t have any malware or parental controls, Netgear also fixed that with a firmware update that adds the same Netgear Armor and Circle with Disney features that are present in almost all of its Wi-Fi 6 routers.
Pros
✔ Sleek design.
✔Supports Wi-Fi 6.
✔8K streaming.
Cons
✘Open pricey.
✘Design can make it uncomfortable to place.
7. Synology RT2600ac dual-band gigabit wi-fi router – best wifi router with parental control 2022
Wireless Specifications: 802.11ac | Security: WPA2, guest secure Wi-Fi access | Standard / speed: AC2600 | Bandwidth: dual band | MU-MIMO: Yes | Wired ports: 4
Keeping your kids safe from the dark corners of the Internet can be tricky, but luckily there are routers like the Synology RT2600ac that can lend you a helping hand. The RT2600ac protects kids from network threats right around the perimeter of your home network, so you don’t have to worry about installing parental control apps on each of their devices.
Best of all, Synology’s parental control features are ready to go right out of the box with no additional subscription fees. The router’s full-featured operating system makes it easy to set up filtering rules for your entire home, as well as individual profiles for each of your kids. From there, you can schedule when they’ll be allowed online and for how long, as well as choose from more than 20 different categories of content to block. You can even set up individual filters for different times of the day so that your kids aren’t playing or sitting on social media, but still allow them to access educational and research sites while they do their homework. There’s also support for safe searching so kids don’t see inappropriate results when searching Google, YouTube or Bing.
With dual-band Wi-Fi providing 2.6Gbps throughput and four antennas, the RT2600ac home Wi-Fi router offers more than enough speed and coverage for an average-sized home, so you’ll have no problem streaming, video calling, and gaming. There’s also the usual set of four Gigabit Ethernet ports and a pair of USB ports on the back, and as an added bonus. The RT2600ac Wi-Fi router also offers an SD card slot, so you can easily share your media files with the whole family.
Pros
✔ Well-designed free parental controls.
✔Well-designed web interface.
✔Slot for SD card.
Cons
✘Hard to mount it on the wall.
✘Slow network storage.
8. TP-Link Archer A6 / C6 AC12006 dual-band wifi router – best budget wifi router 2022
Wireless Specifications: 802.11ac | Security: WPA3 | Standard / speed: AC1200 | Bandwidth: dual band | MU-MIMO: Yes | Wired ports: 4
The Archer A6 from TP-Link is a reliable budget wi-fi router that is ideal for users in smaller residences. Although it doesn’t have the better range for larger homes, it offers more than enough for a single user or small family.
Featuring dual-band Wi-Fi, the A6 is an 802.11ac router with up to 1.2 Gbps over 2.4 and 5 GHz channels, so you’ll have no problem streaming Netflix in 4K or keeping in touch with friends and family. Zoom or FaceTime. An array of four antennas and MU-MIMO support also means your 5GHz devices won’t slow each other down. Surprisingly, it even supports the latest WPA3 wireless encryption standard and includes a built-in OpenVPN server.
There’s also the usual set of four Gigabit Ethernet ports on the back for connecting devices for maximum performance. Unfortunately, you won’t find USB ports on it, but that’s not surprising for a router in this price range – TP-Link obviously had to cut back somewhere. It’s also worth noting that the Archer A6 is almost identical to the Archer C6. For some reason, TP-Link decided to use unique model numbers for different sales channels, but both models offer the same features and capabilities.
Pros
✔ Affordable and reliable router.
✔ Four Gigabit Ethernet ports.
✔Installation is easy and hassle-free.
Cons
✘Speed drops off over long distances.
✘ No USB ports.
✘ doesn’t support Wi-Fi 6
Conclusion
Netgear’s best Orbi Wi-Fi router can reach even the largest homes and provide the necessary performance where you need it most. However, as an affordable way to dive into the world of best Wi-Fi 6 standard, the TP-Link Archer AX50 offers amazing value for money.