Best Wifi Routers For Mac 2018

Netgear's first Wi-Fi 6 routers are coming, and they look awesome. The Nighthawk AX8 and Nighthawk AX12 use the new 802.11ax standard, and will offer speeds of up to 6Gbps. The best routers we researched offer SPI, and it's something you should look for in your router. Also be sure to secure your wireless network with a strong password. Don't use the preconfigured network name and password for more than setting up your router. Wi-Fi speed ratings Vendors commonly market their 802.11ac routers (and 802.11ac Wi-Fi client adapters) by combining the throughput numbers for each of the router's networks. A dual-band router capable of delivering 400Mbps on the 2.4GHz frequency band and 867Mbps on the 5GHz frequency band might be described as an AC1300 router (rounding up from 1,267, naturally).

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The best wireless router gives you the fastest performance for your devices at the farthest possible range. It's an easy formula, right? But it can be deceptively difficult to figure out when you need a new router—and even trickier to buy the right one. After researching tons of routers and testing nine finalists over four weeks, we believe that the D-Link DIR-878(available at Amazon for $128.87) is the best Wi-Fi router for most setups.

While we've gone and done the hard part for you, we know that shopping for a router isn't easy. Manufacturers like to highlight crazy speeds and fancy features, but you shouldn't just pick a router because it has a big number on the box. For example, if you only own wireless-n devices, an AC5300 router—large as that number may be compared to an AC1750 router—is likely overkill for your needs and three times the price (or more).

We'll get into these confusing details within our 'What to look for' section below. The bottom line: if you want a good router that can deliver the best performance and range for a handful of devices, D-Link's AC1900 DIR-878 is the best router for most people. If you (or your family) own a lot of bandwidth-hogging devices, or you need a router that's packed with as many features as possible, the Asus tri-band RT-AC3200—or a mesh WiFi system—may be a better fit.

Editor's Note: the following guide covers your traditional single access point wireless routers. Those with large homes or tricky situations requiring a bit more coverage may also want to check out our guide to the best mesh Wi-Fi routers.

Where To Buy

D-Link DIR-878

The bottom line: Eye-opening speeds for a crazy-low price, but lacks high-end features and USB connections.

Key Specs: Four Gigabit Ethernet ports, 3x3 wireless connectivity, no USB connections.

Whatever wizardry D-Link built into its DIR-878, it's practically Tolkienesque. We were blown away by this AC1900 router's wireless-ac performance, especially at range. The DIR-878 is the router to get if you just want great speeds for minimal fuss—and cost.

The setup process for the DIR-878 is incredibly simple. As part of it, you provide a single name and password for your wireless network. The router automatically uses band steering (Smart Connect) to decide whether your devices should connect on 2.4GHz or 5GHz. (Dual-band devices should typically get pushed to 5GHz, and dumber, single-band devices should stay on 2.4GHz)

Compared to other routers' 5GHz or single-SSID Wi-Fi networks, the DIR-878 achieved the best combined performance across all of our test locations on our wired file transfer test. At our toughest, long-range test location, the DIR-878 had the best combined read and write throughput—and nearly double the speed of the next-fastest router.

On our wireless file transfer test, the DIR-878 had the second-fastest combined performance of all the routers we tested, and it still delivered the best performance at our toughest long-range test location. These results blew us away—definitely not what we were expecting to see from a 'meager' AC1900 router, especially one hovering around $100.

What you gain in performance with D-Link's router, you trade away in features. For most, that's fine; few are likely to enter the router's web-based configuration screen after they first set it up. Those that do are treated to a simple dashboard that shows any connection issues you might be having (such as a disconnected Ethernet cable), a quick overview of how many clients are connected to your router, and some brief stats about your connection.

The DIR-878 supports guest networks—off by default—and comes with a built-in quality of service utility—also off by default—for prioritizing the available bandwidth among your network's many devices. Instead of parental controls, the DIR-878 has a crude blocking mechanism for limiting access to websites by URL or by keywords found within the URL—limited to 24 of these 'rules' in total.

We love the router's built-in Quick VPN server, which you can use to securely relay your web browsing through your home network when you're on the go. It's a feature we didn't expect to see on a $100 router, but one we'd definitely use when browsing the web on any open Wi-Fi network.

Through the router will automatically check to see if new firmware updates are available, you still have to enter the web-based configuration to begin the update process. We didn't see any mentions of an associated app within the DIR-878's setup screens, which would ease the process of managing and updating the router. And since the DIR-878 has no USB ports, features like remote access to connect storage or printers—and built-in downloading services—aren't applicable to the DIR-878.

Power users will find the DIR-878 a bit dull, but its eye-opening performance for its similarly surprising price makes D-Link's router a must-buy for most. If you have more strenuous networking needs, like devices numbering in the double-digits that are all trying to perform bandwidth-heavy tasks at the same time, you might need a better-equipped tri-band router like Asus' RT-AC3200. Otherwise, the DIR-878 is a great match for most users' typical needs.

Where To Buy

Asus RT-AC3200

The bottom line: Consistently good wireless performance and every feature you could ever want in a router; tri-band setup ideal for multi-device households.

Key Specs: Four Gigabit Ethernet ports, 3x3 wireless connectivity, one USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 port

If you're tired of dealing with routers that only ever give you half of what you want, it's time to plunk down some cash for Asus' RT-AC3200, a tri-band router that has nearly everything you need for a higher $200 price. It's fast and fully featured, and Asus focuses less on future-proofing the router in favor of features you can actually take advantage of right now.

The RT-AC3200 is a 'tri-band router,' which means it gives you a single 2.4GHz network and two 5GHz networks to pick from. In practice, you'll want to split your wireless-ac devices between both 5GHz networks, as having too many devices doing too many things on a single network can impact the speeds of connected devices. The RT-AC3200 can help you manage this with its Smart Connect feature, band steering that you have to manually enable within its web-based configuration. However, we found our devices generally performed better without it.

On our 2.4GHz wired file transfer test, the RT-AC3200 delivered the best overall performance, and its speed at our most difficult long-range test location was a smidge above the average of the routers we tested. The RT-AC3200 was a little slower for file transfers between wireless clients, but its overall performance still put it in third place. Asus' router again offered decent speeds at our hardest test location, coming in just slightly above the average. Its measured latency on our 2.4GHz test was among the lowest of all the routers we tested up to the 95th percentile—in other words, almost all of our simulated web page requests completed quickly.

We measured the performance of the router's two 5GHz networks independently, and both performed nearly identically. They provided solid speeds on our wired file transfer test, earning fourth and fifth place for total combined performance and delivering average- to above-average performance on our hardest long-distance test. The RT-AC3200's two 5GHz networks bumped up to third and fourth place on our wireless file transfer test, and they outperformed the average measured throughput of all the routers we tested at our hardest testing location. Asus' router performed slightly worse than average on our 5GHz latency tests up to the 95th percentile, but when we switched to the router's Smart Connect mode, its latency was easily the lowest (best).

The router's band steering wasn't quite as impressive for speed, but that's also likely a byproduct of our test routine. When we moved between locations for our file transfer tests, we didn't break and reforge the connection to a router's wireless network. In the case of the RT-AC3200's single-SSID 'Smart Connect' mode, our connection likely jumped to the router's 2.4GHz band once we reached the extremes of the router's 5GHz range at our third (and most difficult) test location. When we then moved to our fourth test location, the router stayed on 2.4GHz—as most routers would—and delivered great 2.4GHz performance, but nowhere near the much-faster speeds a 5GHz connection would allow.

You're more likely to sleep, shutdown, power on, and restart devices during everyday use, which will help Asus' router move you to the band that offers the fastest performance for wherever your device happens to be.

The RT-AC3200's setup process was incredibly simple. We loved that the router prompts you to update its firmware at the conclusion of the setup procedure, but we hated that its default wireless networks are completely open—no password needed. While it's unlikely that you have a neighbor waiting to see you power up a new router and access its open network before you can, we'd still prefer Asus to provide a unique password for the router's initial wireless networks.

As for features, it's hard to know where to begin. Asus packs just about everything it can think of into the router's web-based configuration screen, and it does so in a way that's easy and accessible to navigate. The router's initial dashboard is all most users are likely to care about, and it provides useful information about the router's status—such as an unplugged Ethernet cable, a new firmware update, or the number of clients or USB devices that are presently connected to the router.

Power users will appreciate the RT-AC3200's comprehensive capabilities, including guest networks, Trend Micro-based protection against network exploits, Quality of Service controls for prioritizing bandwidth between connected devices, cloud-based access to USB-connected devices or network-connected clients, and an easy method for transforming the router into a simpler access point. The router even comes with a built-in OpenVPN server, which you can connect to when browsing the web at your local coffee shop to secure your connection without having to pay for a third-party VPN service.

For most people, the RT-AC3200 nails the essentials—a speedy router that delivers consistently strong performance and has enough overhead to support the ever-growing army of devices in a typical home or apartment. And for those who love to dig into their router and explore its features to the fullest, the RT-AC3200 is packed full of fun.

Who am I?

Hi. I have tested way, way too many wireless routers in my decade-plus career as a technology journalist. I've spent plenty of hours coming up with great, real-world testing scenarios around my 2,563-square-foot house, and I've either researched or benchmarked almost all of the major routers you can buy nowadays. No joke: I'm pretty sure I've irradiated myself (and/or ruined my neighbors' wireless signals) from my deep love of helping people find the best Wi-Fi router for their needs.

What to look for in a Wi-Fi router

This guide focuses on the best wireless router you can buy, which means there are a few attributes your next wireless router should probably have.

One caveat: the 'best' wireless router might not be the best wireless router for your specific setup; this is more a general list of recommended features that will be useful to most people. For example, if you don't use wired Ethernet connections, it won't matter whether a router has Fast Ethernet or Gigabit Ethernet. If you only own a single wireless-ac smartphone and only need a signal throughout your one-bedroom apartment, you might be fine with a great (and less expensive) wireless-n router or a lower-classification wireless-ac router.

Wireless-ac: The latest and greatest wireless standard, wireless-ac is found on a number of today's top devices, including laptops, smartphones, tablets, and media streamers. If you're looking to buy a router to use over the next few years, you need wireless-ac. This will give the wireless-ac devices you own (or are planning to purchase) much better performance than an older wireless-n router, depending on what you do within your home network. (If you just watch YouTube and surf the web on a single wireless-ac laptop, you'll probably experience better performance at long range on a wireless-ac router's 5GHz network, but that's it.)

AC1750/1900: Router classifications are confusing. In short, they represent the maximum theoretical performance a router can achieve, but that's performance you might never see in real-world use. For example, an AC3200 router isn't twice as fast as an AC1750 router; it just supports a second Wi-Fi network on the 5GHz band instead of the AC1750 router's single 5GHz network. And if it's not a very good AC3200 router, the AC1750 router might actually be able to offer better performance and range if you're only using it with a few devices.

For most people, an AC1750 or AC1900 router is good enough to handle the top speeds of all the wireless-ac devices they own—typically '1x2' or '2x2' devices, as they're commonly called. If you have a lot of devices (think double-digits), you might be better off with a tri-band router like Asus' RT-AC3200.

Gigabit Ethernet: For those using desktop computers, or who are willing to string Ethernet cables around their house or apartment to achieve the fastest and most consistent connections, Gigabit networking (sometimes designated as 10/100/1000) is a must-have. Unless you're only ever planning to use wireless devices, don't settle for routers with antiquated Fast Ethernet, or 10/100 connectivity.

Band Steering: Routers with band steering make it easier for you to connect your devices to your wireless network by asking you to set up a single SSID (and password) instead of separate SSIDs for the 2.4GHz band and 5GHz band. When you connect to your router with a dual-band device—one that can use either band—the router forces it to the (likely) less-crowded and speedier 5GHz band. Older or simpler devices that can only use 2.4GHz stay on 2.4GHz.

Price: A great wireless router should cost less than $200. Once you go north of that, the gains you experience from a single router—if any—are marginal. You'd likely obtain better performance by purchasing two less-expensive routers, especially if you can set up one as a wireless access point (assuming you have already have Ethernet connections in your house or don't mind spending a little time stringing cable.) Otherwise, you could also invest in a mesh wireless network, which could give you much more wireless coverage than a single $300 router.

How we tested and picked the best Wi-Fi routers

We put our router contenders to the test by approximating a number of real-world scenarios. We set up each router at the same, southernly position in a 2,563-square-foot house. We then set up four testing points: one within the same room as the router; one 44 feet away from the router but within its line of sight; one in an adjoining room (with a wall and some furniture in between); and one 44 feet away from the router with walls and furniture in the way (no line of sight).

We used each router's settings as shipped, under the assumption that most people do little more than run through a router's default setup utility and call it a day. We tested each routers' wireless networks separately—2.4GHz and 5GHz—or just the single SSID for routers that shipped with band steering enabled. We conducted four primary tests for each router at each of our four test locations.:

Fast.com: We loaded fast.com five times at each test location and averaged each result. We then compared the how a router's speed at each test location compared to the average speed of a desktop system connected directly to the router via Gigabit Ethernet—the fastest and most stable connection a person could have.

LAN Speed Test (Wired): We fired up Lan Speed Test Server on our Gigabit Ethernet-connected desktop PC, and Lan Speed Test on our client MacBook. We then read and wrote 100 packets to the test server, each 1MB in size, to approximate a typical series of file transfers. We recorded the average read and write speeds for each test, and combined them to get a sense of a router's overall performance at our different test locations.

LAN Speed Test (Wireless): We connected a 2017 MacBook Pro (3x3 connectivity) to the same wireless network as our test client, placed it between our first and second wireless testing points (within the router's line of sight), and ran the same LAN Speed Test as before. Since the MacBook Pro can't run LAN Speed Test Server, we opened up a network share and directly targeted a folder on the MacBook Pro from LAN Speed Test on our MacBook Air.

Latency Test: This one gets complicated. We re-enabled Lan Speed Test Server on our desktop PC, still connected to the router via Gigabit Ethernet. We also used a program called Fenix to launch a separate web server on the desktop PC, which we used to host a 128KB PDF file. To begin our test, we fired up a long 1440p YouTube video on our desktop PC. After that, we ran over to our MacBook Air in test position #3—the long-distance, no-line-of-sight location—and began a LAN Speed Test using 1000 packets each 1MB in size.

We then ran over to our MacBook Pro, now moved to test location #2—long distance, line-of-sight—and fired up a 4K YouTube video. Finally, we ran to test location #4 and used another 2014 MacBook Air to run NetBurn, a benchmark tool from Ars Technica's Jim Salter. We used this to simulate a typical web browsing session by downloading the 128KB PDF file at random times across a 300-second test. NetBurn tracks the latency of all the requests, and returns the results as averages, medians, and percentiles.

Our goal? To see how well a router can handle common web browsing when the network is jammed with activity—an everyday experience where latency is more likely to be noticed by an average user.

Our test results were useful indicators of performance, but they can't offer definitive answers. It's impossible to accurately predict how well a router will perform in your particular scenario, as too many factors can influence the results: where you've placed the router within your home, what your home is made of, what effect competing wireless networks may have on your wireless network's performance, what devices you're connecting to your router, et cetera. We tended to favor routers that performed consistently well on our tests, rather than focusing on a single result as a make-or-break metric.

Other Wi-Fi routers we tested

While the Asus RT-AC3200 and the D-Link DIR-878 are our top picks, we tested plenty of other models as well. If our top picks don't quite match your needs, one of the following should fit the bill. If you have a very large home or a tricky setup, you should also check out our guide to the best wireless mesh routers.

Where To Buy

TP-Link Archer C7 AC1750

The bottom line: Super-cheap wireless-ac, but less-impressive performance at long distances and higher overall latency.

How we tested and picked the best Wi-Fi routers

We put our router contenders to the test by approximating a number of real-world scenarios. We set up each router at the same, southernly position in a 2,563-square-foot house. We then set up four testing points: one within the same room as the router; one 44 feet away from the router but within its line of sight; one in an adjoining room (with a wall and some furniture in between); and one 44 feet away from the router with walls and furniture in the way (no line of sight).

We used each router's settings as shipped, under the assumption that most people do little more than run through a router's default setup utility and call it a day. We tested each routers' wireless networks separately—2.4GHz and 5GHz—or just the single SSID for routers that shipped with band steering enabled. We conducted four primary tests for each router at each of our four test locations.:

Fast.com: We loaded fast.com five times at each test location and averaged each result. We then compared the how a router's speed at each test location compared to the average speed of a desktop system connected directly to the router via Gigabit Ethernet—the fastest and most stable connection a person could have.

LAN Speed Test (Wired): We fired up Lan Speed Test Server on our Gigabit Ethernet-connected desktop PC, and Lan Speed Test on our client MacBook. We then read and wrote 100 packets to the test server, each 1MB in size, to approximate a typical series of file transfers. We recorded the average read and write speeds for each test, and combined them to get a sense of a router's overall performance at our different test locations.

LAN Speed Test (Wireless): We connected a 2017 MacBook Pro (3x3 connectivity) to the same wireless network as our test client, placed it between our first and second wireless testing points (within the router's line of sight), and ran the same LAN Speed Test as before. Since the MacBook Pro can't run LAN Speed Test Server, we opened up a network share and directly targeted a folder on the MacBook Pro from LAN Speed Test on our MacBook Air.

Latency Test: This one gets complicated. We re-enabled Lan Speed Test Server on our desktop PC, still connected to the router via Gigabit Ethernet. We also used a program called Fenix to launch a separate web server on the desktop PC, which we used to host a 128KB PDF file. To begin our test, we fired up a long 1440p YouTube video on our desktop PC. After that, we ran over to our MacBook Air in test position #3—the long-distance, no-line-of-sight location—and began a LAN Speed Test using 1000 packets each 1MB in size.

We then ran over to our MacBook Pro, now moved to test location #2—long distance, line-of-sight—and fired up a 4K YouTube video. Finally, we ran to test location #4 and used another 2014 MacBook Air to run NetBurn, a benchmark tool from Ars Technica's Jim Salter. We used this to simulate a typical web browsing session by downloading the 128KB PDF file at random times across a 300-second test. NetBurn tracks the latency of all the requests, and returns the results as averages, medians, and percentiles.

Our goal? To see how well a router can handle common web browsing when the network is jammed with activity—an everyday experience where latency is more likely to be noticed by an average user.

Our test results were useful indicators of performance, but they can't offer definitive answers. It's impossible to accurately predict how well a router will perform in your particular scenario, as too many factors can influence the results: where you've placed the router within your home, what your home is made of, what effect competing wireless networks may have on your wireless network's performance, what devices you're connecting to your router, et cetera. We tended to favor routers that performed consistently well on our tests, rather than focusing on a single result as a make-or-break metric.

Other Wi-Fi routers we tested

While the Asus RT-AC3200 and the D-Link DIR-878 are our top picks, we tested plenty of other models as well. If our top picks don't quite match your needs, one of the following should fit the bill. If you have a very large home or a tricky setup, you should also check out our guide to the best wireless mesh routers.

Where To Buy

TP-Link Archer C7 AC1750

The bottom line: Super-cheap wireless-ac, but less-impressive performance at long distances and higher overall latency.

Key Specs: Four Gigabit Ethernet ports, 3x3 wireless connectivity, 2 USB 2.0 connections.

Typically hovering around $80, TP-Link's Archer C7 is one of the least expensive ways to outfit your home with wireless-ac coverage—or at least, a portion of it. While it's rare to find another AC1750 (or better) router that beats the Archer C7 on price, there are plenty that are faster than TP-Link's router, especially at range.

In our testing, the Archer C7's combined performance across all of our test locations hovered toward the bottom of all the routers we tested for both 2.4GHz and 5GHz. Its latency, or how fast we were able to load simulated web pages on our testing, was poor for 2.4GHz and only average on 5GHz.

The router's setup utility presented a number of confusing options that weren't thoroughly explained, but most people—even though they don't know what these options mean—will be fine with the router's default choices for settings like Internet Connection Type and MAC Address cloning.

The Archer C7's web-based configuration screen contains a lot of options, more than most users will likely be familiar adjusting (if they'll even need to adjust them at all). We love that the router comes with an easy-to-set access point mode, in case you already have a pretty great router and want to use the Archer C7 to extend wireless-ac connectivity to a different area of your house.

Where To Buy

Netgear Nighthawk X4S R7800

The bottom line: Way too expensive for its wireless-ac performance, but easy to set up and packed full of features

Key Specs: Four Gigabit Ethernet ports, 4x4 wireless connectivity, two USB 3.0 connections.

This $217 beast of an AC2600 router can deliver incredible speeds for all the 4x4 and MU-MIMO devices you currently own—which, for most people, is a whopping zero. We'd rather have better long-distance performance.

On our wired file transfer tests, the R7800 excelled on 2.4GHz, delivering the best performance on our hardest long-range test and the second-best combined performance. When we switched to 5GHz, its close-range performance was strong when our client was in the same room as the router, merely average on our easier long-distance test and tougher close-range test, and not very impressive on our hardest long-range test.

The R7800 router performed well on our latency tests for 2.4GHz, but it was among the worst on 5GHz. Slightly cheaper routers—Asus' RT-AC3200 in particular—generally had better speeds, range, and latency.

Netgear does a great job walking you through the router's initial setup process, but we were a little annoyed with Netgear's many requests during the setup process, like asking users to download the accompanying Genie app and sign up for a Netgear account. We appreciate that Netgear prompts you to update the router's firmware to its most recent version.

We also love that the router comes with 'Basic' and 'Advanced' tabs in its web-based configuration screen, which helps keep router novices focused on the key settings they need to know. It's easy to access the router's parental controls, ReadySHARE settings for USB-attached storage or printers, and built-in BitTorrent downloader, although one of its most useful settings for those who already own a router—access point mode—is a little buried on the Advanced tab.

Where To Buy

Trendnet TEW-827DRU AC2600

The bottom line: Quirky setup process and less-impressive performance makes Trendnet's router a big 'pass.'

Key Specs: Four Gigabit Ethernet ports, 4x4 wireless connectivity, Two USB 3.0 connections.

Trendnet's AC2600 TEW-827DRU is overkill for most people's needs, though it's does win a few points for being one of the most inexpensive 4x4 MU-MIMO routers we've yet seen. Don't fall for the future-proofing though; by the time enough devices arrive that can actually make use of this router's capabilities, you'll probably be able to purchase something that performs even better.

The TEW-827DRU's performance on our 2.4GHz tests was mixed. Its combined performance was slightly below average on our wired file transfer tests, and it struggled greatly when we transferred files wirelessly between two MacBooks. That said, its latency on our 2.4GHz test was the best of all the routers we tested.

On the 5GHz band—where most people will want to connect their wireless-ac devices for the fastest possible speeds—the TEW-827DRU coughed up the second-worst throughput of all the routers we tested on our wired file transfer test. On our wireless file-transfer test, the TEW-827DRU struggled to outperform the average of all the routers we tested. Its long-range performance at our most difficult test location was among the worst of the routers we tested, as was its overall latency for 5GHz.

We had a bit of trouble setting up the TEW-827DRU. The setup wizard that supposedly helps users out by checking the status of your Internet and LAN connectivity kept knocking our wireless connection offline. We were able to bypass the setup wizard and adjust the router's settings manually—not a problem for experienced users, but a frustrating issue for those who just want an easy way to set up their routers for the first time.

Additionally, the router's firmware updating feature indicated that the router's as-shipped firmware (November 2016) was its most current, even though new firmware was available as of July 2017 on Trendnet's website. That's not great for router security and performance, since most people—if they update the router's firmware at all—are much more likely to trust what their routers are telling them than to go to the manufacturer's website to check.

Where To Buy

Netgear Nighthawk R7000P

The bottom line: Great 2.4GHz performance at range, but 5GHz connections aren't so strong. Excellent features, especially Circle-based parental controls.W

Key Specs: Four Gigabit Ethernet ports, 4x4 wireless connectivity, one USB 3.0 and one USB 2.0 connection.

Netgear's R7000P, a AC2300 router that typically sells for around $200, shares many of the same great attributes as the company's AC2600 R7800 router (also $200). For example, both have quality-of-service features that allow you to prioritize bandwidth for different devices in your network, as well as the same readySHARE access to connected USB storage and printers, a super-handy BitTorrent downloader built in, and guest networks—for the three of you that actually run a guest network.

Netgear has boosted the parental controls in the R7000P by integrating Disney's Circle service, which allows you to set access limits by device, filter websites based on your kids' ages and interests, and monitor what websites your kids are looking at and what services they're using. Your kids will hate you, but the comprehensive access limits are a big step above Netgear's standard OpenDNS-based limits (which it also includes).

As always, Netgear makes it super-easy to switch the router to an access point mode, even though the feature is a little buried in its web-based configuration screen. Netgear splits the router's settings into Basic and Advanced tabs to help novice users feel less overwhelmed with options, but we bet Netgear could do even more to make its router's features friendly and approachable.

The R7000P generally performed well on our 2.4GHz wired file transfer tests, but its long-distance performance at our trickiest test point was a smidge below average. The router was incredibly fast up-close on 5GHz, but hovered around the average speeds of all other routers we tested for long-distance performance. On our wireless file transfer tests, the R7000P exhibited the best performance at distance of all the routers we tested on 2.4GHz, but was much less impressive on 5GHz—especially at our hardest testing point, where it reached around one-fourth the speed of D-Link's DIR-878.

On our latency tests, the R7000P delivered the fastest response times on 2.4GHz, but worse latency on 5GHz. On average, around one-fourth of our 5GHz requests took longer than 400ms to complete.

Synology RT1900AC

The bottom line: One of the best user interfaces we've seen on a router, but lackluster long-distance performance.

Key Specs: Four Gigabit Ethernet ports, 3x3 wireless connectivity, one USB 3.0 connection.

We love the user interface Synology throws into its routers; it reminds us more of a network-attached storage device than a typical web-based router configuration screen—and that's a good thing. That said, the RT1900AC still isn't a great router. It's friendly, just not incredibly fast.

The router's band steering is activated by default when you first set it up, which means that you provide a single SSID to use and the router determines whether your devices connect to its 2.4GHz or 5GHz bands. The RT1900AC delivered the second-best combined throughput on 5GHz when we tested it by transferring files to a wired client, but the worst performance at our hardest long-distance test.

The RT1900AC also struggled to produce good speeds on our wireless file transfer test at our toughest long-distance testing location, and its combined throughput fell toward the bottom of our list. Its measured latency was similarly uninspiring.

Setting up the router was easy, though Synology uses the same default Wi-Fi name and password for all iterations of the RT1900AC, which is a bit of a security risk.
Some options in the router's setup utility aren't defined very well, like whether you need external access to SRM—you don't—or whether you need to check for special requirements from your ISP as part of the Internet connection setup process. We appreciate that the router immediately asks you to check for firmware updates at the end of the setup process, but we had to run multiple updates to get the most recent firmware.

We generally like the router's features: guest networks; QuickConnect, for accessing your router's settings from anywhere on the web; parental controls; and an easy-to-toggle access point mode. Unfortunately, they aren't enough to overcome the router's so-so performance for its price.

Synology RT2600AC

The bottom line: We love the user interface, but this expensive router's speeds just aren't good enough to justify its high price.

Key Specs: Four Gigabit Ethernet ports, 4x4 wireless connectivity, one USB 2.0 and one USB 3.0 connection.

Spending $200 on a brand-new router is a pretty big ask for most people. And if you're willing to plunk down that much for one, we wouldn't recommend Synology's RT2600AC as the ultra-expensive router to get.

Similar to the RT1900AC, the RT2600AC activates its band steering feature by default when you initially set up the router. You only have to provide a single SSID and password; the router figures out whether it makes more sense for connected devices to live on the 2.4GHz or 5GHz bands.

On our file transfer tests to a wired system, the RT2600 delivered great speeds up-close and average speeds from far away when our test MacBook could see the router. When our client wasn't within the RT2600's line of sight, its performance suffered. The RT2600 was the slowest router on our short-range test that places a wall and furniture between the MacBook and router, and it failed to outperform the average of all routers we tested on our similarly designed long-distance test. (We suspect our connection may have jumped to the slower 2.4GHz band at these locations, an issue that would normally be fixed the next time you power on or awaken a device and reconnect to the router's Wi-Fi.)

When we transferred files between two wireless systems, the RT2600AC's combined throughput across all our test locations was slightly better than the average of all the routers we tested, though it still failed to beat the average on our hardest long-distance test.

The router's software is full of features and settings, but they're presented in an accessible fashion. We appreciate the RT2600AC's comprehensive help system—which works offline—in case you need a little more information about any particular setting. And the router has all of our favorite features, including guest networks, MAC filtering, parental controls, a 'traffic control' option for prioritizing bandwidth to different devices, and an access point mode that's incredibly easy to flip on.

Where To Buy

Linksys EA7500 AC1900

The bottom line: Consistently strong performance, but pretty expensive; you can find routers just as fast for less.

Key Specs: Four Gigabit Ethernet ports, 3x3 wireless connectivity, One USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 port.

We were generally impressed by the performance of Linksys' EA7500, even though this $160 AC1900 router costs a bit more than we'd prefer, likely a result of the future-proofing MU-MIMO capabilities Linksys has built into the device.

On our 2.4GHz tests, the router took third place of all the routers we tested for combined performance when we transferred files to a wired client, and was the best-performing router when we switched to a wireless file transfer between two connected MacBooks. The same was true when we switched to 5GHz, where the router was again the third-fastest for combined performance on our file transfer test to a wired system and delivered the best combined performance for a file transfer between two wirelessly connected MacBooks. Most importantly, its performance on our hardest long-range test was consistently better than the average of all the routers we tested on both 2.4GHz and 5GHz.

The EA7500 had a few quicks on our latency testing. On our 5GHz test, where multiple connected devices use the router's 5GHz band, the EA7500 had some strange spikes around the 95th percentile—in other words, all but five percent of our requests were delivered at a reasonable latency.

On our 2.4GHz latency test, the router again struggled around the 95th percentile. In a house with more clients than we had available to test—like a typically family environment—this latency could feel a bit more pronounced. Other routers also struggled with latency around the 95th percentile for 2.4GHz and 5GHz, but none as dramatically as the EA7500.

Setting up the EA7500 was simple, though we found it a bit odd that the EA7500 automatically enables guest networks as part of its initial setup. This isn't a huge security issue, since users still need a password to connect to them, but the onslaught of SSIDs could be confusing for router novices. We love that Linksys quickly asks new users to install firmware updates for the router as part of the setup process, and enabling automatic checks for new firmware is easy within its web-based configuration—though you still have to log into the interface to actually install the update.

Linksys' router comes with a decent number of features, including parental controls, a 'media prioritization' feature for prioritizing bandwidth among connected devices, and even a built-in network speed test (if your browser has Adobe Flash installed). The EA7500 also works well with Linksys' mobile app, which provides an easy way to view and edit the router's settings.

Best Wireless Routers 2019 - Wi-Fi Router Comparison, Reviews

We spent over 10 hours researching wireless routers to find the best ones for any household. Overall, we recommend the Linksys WRT1900AC. Its fast, dual-band AC1900 speeds, beamforming technology and preconfigured network make it great for any home. If your home networking needs are a little simpler, the budget-friendly Linksys E1200 is a great value, and if you're looking for an easy installation, the TRENDnet TEW-812DRU's plug and play setup can get you connected in no time.

Linksys WRT1900AC

The Linksys WRT1900AC is the fastest router we researched and is rated for speeds of up to 600 Mbps on the 2.4GHz band and 1,300 Mbps on the 5GHz band.

Linksys E1200

If you need a router for under $30, the Linksys E1200 offers 802.11n speeds of up to 300 Mbps. This is a good value if you're looking for a basic router.

TRENDnet TEW-812DRU

The TRENDnet TEW-812DRU is a cinch to set up because it comes with a preconfigured network. All you need to do is plug it in and connect.

Best Overall

Linksys WRT1900AC

The Linksys WRT1900AC is the fastest router we researched and features possible speeds of up to 600 Mbps on its 2.4GHz band and up to 1,300 Mbps on its 5GHz band. This router has the capability and maximum speed to support high-definition video streaming and gaming, provided your ISP and modem don't slow down your network.

The WRT1900AC uses beamforming technology to concentrate the signal from its antennas in the direction of your connected devices. This means stronger signals are reaching your devices, which results in faster connection speeds.
This router includes all the best security features of other routers we tested, including WPA2 encryption, an SPI firewall and parental controls. The parental controls on this router let you restrict sites for certain devices on the network and choose specific times that devices can access the internet. This is great if you want to put a hold on late-night Facebook sessions.
The Linksys WRT1900AC comes with a preconfigured network with all the network information located on a sticker on the bottom of the router. All you need to do is plug the router in and connect to the network. Then you can configure the network name and password to something more secure, as well as toggle any extra security settings.

Best Value

Linksys E1200

The Linksys E1200 offers speeds of up to 300 Mbps on an 802.11n network for under $30, making it one of the best budget routers we researched. If you have more room in your budget, we recommend that you purchase an 802.11ac router like the Linksys WRT1900AC, our pick for the best router. However, if you are looking for a basic router with moderate speed capabilities, this router will work well for you.

This router comes with four LAN ports that you can use to connect wired computers or devices. It doesn't come with any USB ports, so you can't use it to create a home media server or for NAS. If you're looking for that functionality, you'll need to purchase a different router.
This Linksys hardware comes with WPA or WPA2 encryption as well as backward compatibility with WEP encryption. You can set up a guest network with this router where guests can't connect to printers or other networked files or computers. You can also set up parental controls blocking access to specific sites.
This router comes with a one-year warranty as well as a year of free telephone or online technical support. You can browse knowledgebase articles and forums on the Linksys website.

Best Setup

TRENDnet TEW-812DRU

If you're looking for a router with a simple setup, the TRENDnet TEW-812DRU comes with a preconfigured network that only requires you to plug the router in and connect to start configuring your home Wi-Fi network. This 802.11ac router operates on both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, but its top speed is slower than the Linksys WRT1900AC, the fastest router we tested.

On the 2.4GHz band, this router can reach speeds of 450 Mbps. On the faster, 5 GHz band, it can reach up to 1,300 Mbps, the fastest available on a single 5GHz band for an 802.11ac router.
On the back, the TEW-812DRU has one WAN port to connect the router to your modem and four LAN ports that you can use to connect network devices. Using an ethernet cable is the best way to get the fastest possible speed from your network. Unfortunately, this router doesn't have a USB 3.0 port for fast NAS, but it does have a USB 2.0 port.
This router is secured using an SPI firewall and WPA2 encryption so you don't have to worry about security. Using the preconfigured network name and password, you can connect to this router's preconfigured network and change the firewall or activate some parental settings.

Best for Apple Ecosystems

Apple AirPort Extreme

The Apple AirPort Extreme is a minimalist dual-band router that connects to up to 50 devices simultaneously.

It doesn't have all the gaudy lights and antennas that many other routers sport, and all its ports are discreetly hidden on the back. These ports include three Gigabit LAN ports, a USB 2.0 port, a Gigabit WAN input and a power input. It does have one fewer LAN port than most routers we tested. It can connect to all Wi-Fi enabled devices, of course, but its required setup application, AirPort utility, is only available on Mac computers or through the App Store. Therefore, it's best for iPad, iPhone and Mac users. With this, setting up and configuring the router is simple. The AirPort uses network address translation (NAT), VPN pass-through, WPA2 and remote authentication dial-in user service technology (RADIUS) to secure your network.

Best Parental Controls

ASUS RT-AC66U

The ASUS RT-AC66U is a dual-band router that can reach speeds up to 1,300 Mbps on the 5 GHz band.

Though it has similar specs to many of the other products we reviewed, the Asus router is easier to control. It uses SPI and NAT firewall technology and WPA2 password encryption. You need to connect the router to a computer using a LAN connection to set up the router because it does not come with a preconfigured network. Once you access the browser-based user interface, you have more control options than other routers, including parental settings. These allow you to easily schedule access times for specific devices, block user access to specific sites or filter out content with URL and keyword blocking, making it the best choice for families that want to monitor children's internet use.

Why Trust Us?
We used customer reviews from websites like Amazon.com to pick 17 different routers to research and evaluate. We compared the theoretical top speeds of each of the routers, the number of ports, the ease of setup and the warranty and service options included with each router. We also read and compared reviews from former CNET editor Don Ngo, an expert in the field of wireless routers.

We researched up and coming technologies to compare future wireless standards like 802.11ad with what is currently on the market. Very few devices or networks support the high speeds of 802.11ad, so we focused our research on 802.11ac routers.

We have reviewed tech products, including wireless routers, for over a decade. We buy most of the products we review independently, and any products that are given to us for review are done so with no expectations. Our reviews are independent and original. I am an experienced writer and reviewer and have tested and written reviews for many digital products and services.

How We Evaluated
We first compared the advertised absolute throughput for each router. Though all routers claim these speeds, we took into account that you will rarely see these actual speeds in real-life scenarios. Though we focused on 802.11ac routers, we also researched cheaper 802.11n routers for our best value pick. Most people looking to save money on a router just want something that works, and speed wasn't the top consideration for that category.

Beyond the underlying wireless protocols, we compared size and how many ports each router had, as well as the ease of contacting the router manufacturers for help with firmware, warranty issues and troubleshooting.

Wireless routers use similar technology, but each router allows different customization options and has a different set of parental control features. We made sure to look at the parental options for blocking sites and restricting access to certain devices during designated times of the day.

Best Routers For Mac

We combined all the information for each router in a spreadsheet and ranked each category according to its importance. We then picked the top routers from each category for our best picks.

Price
Wireless routers cost $80 to $120 for current-generation technology that isn't quite cutting-edge. Top-of-the-line products cost about $200 or more, but most users don't need such a sophisticated router. On the other end of the spectrum, last-generation routers are available for less than $30. We don't recommend buying products that use the wireless n standard, as they are outdated and don't give you the same speeds and network quality as wireless ac devices.

Wireless Standards
You can easily tell the theoretical max speed of a router you're purchasing by looking at the wireless standard it uses. The standards you'll see when shopping for a router include the numbers 802.11 and then a number or a series of numbers separated by slashes. 'N' routers have maximum speeds of 300 Mbps, but 'AC' routers can achieve much higher speeds – as fast as 1 Gbps, and sometimes higher.

Newer routers may advertise 802.11ad standards, but these superfast routers aren't compatible with many devices yet and therefore aren't worth the extra cost.

Security
It's vital to secure your wireless network because hackers can access all sorts of personal information if they break into your network. When shopping for a router, be sure it supports WPA2 encryption. This is the newest and most secure level of encryption. Other encryption levels like WPA or WEP may still work, but they're out of date and aren't nearly as secure as WPA2.

Stateful Packet Inspection, or SPI, is a firewall that detects potential hackers. The best routers we researched offer SPI, and it's something you should look for in your router.

Also be sure to secure your wireless network with a strong password. Don't use the preconfigured network name and password for more than setting up your router. Pick a password that is unique and change it regularly if people get access to it.

Best Wifi Routers For Mac 2018 Holiday

The Difference Between Modems & Routers

If you're replacing your ISP-provided networking equipment, you may need more than just a router. ISPs often supply subscribers with modem/router combination devices, and you need to replace both to set up your network. A modem modulates the internet signal from the provider, whether that comes from a cable, satellite, DSL or fiber optic service. It translates the signal from the original into an Ethernet-friendly version and back and acts as the gate between your home network and the ISP's larger network.

Though you can plug your computer's Ethernet connection directly into the modem, we don't recommend it. That's where the router comes into play. The router connects to your modem and creates your home network. It manages all the wired and wireless internet connections in your home and adds a layer of security between your home network and the internet at large.

When replacing both pieces of equipment, you can either buy a combination device or two separate devices. A combo takes up less space but is less convenient to replace. With separate devices, it is easier to upgrade your network by simply getting a new router or to replace a single component if only one of the devices stops working. If buying separate devices, check both the modem's and the router's wireless standards and advertised speeds. A home network is limited by the slowest piece of equipment, so we advise buying a modem and router that both support speeds at least as high as your internet subscription's top advertised speeds.

Best Wifi Routers For Streaming

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