Best Wireless Router

Finding the Best Wireless Router for your needs

The correct way to shop for the 'best' wireless router for your needs is to search for recommendations, read product reviews, and if possible, try them out yourself. Selecting a router can be confusing due to the wide range of models and specifications, and you'll soon find yourself drowning in alphabet soup if you don't have a good idea what you're looking for. Terms like 802.11n, MIMO, WPA encryption, SSID, and dual-band simultaneous broadcast can quickly become overwhelming, so we've made an effort to simplify things by breaking router selection down into four categories. The best wireless routers offer a good combination of routing performance, reliability, features, and are priced well enough to make them an excellent value.

Speed & Range
802.11n, or Wireless-N routers, are becoming the norm in today's market. The key advantages of this newer technology are better speed and superior range compared to the older 802.11a/b/g standards. This is the reason why manufacturers are slowly phasing out 802.11g products in favor of 802.11n, and also why consumers are willing to pay more (for now). The best wireless routers will provide consistently fast wireless throughput, though this is always limited by the maximum speed of your internet service itself. Manufacturer's claims are always achieved under ideal conditions and will at best give you a rough comparison to other competitors' products. If wireless speed is important to you, check out the fastest routers that we have ranked.

Wireless range is another tricky subject. While it's true that wireless 'n' provides vastly superior range to older wireless standards, every router is different. You also need to consider the placement of the router inside your home, and how your home is laid out. Despite the newer technology, walls and floors will still stifle wireless reception. The greatest range benefits are seen outdoors where there are few obstructions to block the transmitter signals. The best wireless routers should ideally leave zero dead spots inside your home, and give you reception in the garage and in your backyard. Even at longer ranges, throughput speed should be maintained. If your concern is being able to cover your entire home with a wireless network, have a look at the best wireless routers for range.

Features
With wireless routers, feature lists can become seemingly neverending. Routers nowadays have become multi-tasking tools, and as a result come with additions like USB ports which support shared network drives and printers. Many wireless 'n' routers are capable of broadcasting on either 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, while some of the more expensive models feature 'simultaneous broadcasting' on both bands. Many devices can only operate on the 2.4GHz band while the 5GHz band has better throughput potential. Instead of forcing you to choose between one or the other, simultaneous broadcast routers open up all sorts of options which allow you to run multiple devices without compromising overall speed.

Another benefit of wireless 'n' routers is the implementation of 'MIMO' technology. MIMO stands for Multiple Input, Multiple Output, and refers to the antenna arrangement. A wireless router which features this layout can potentially process more data, and all of the faster, more expensive models are so equipped.

MIMO technology improves wireless speeds, but there are still some instances where a wired connection is a better option. To address the desire for faster speeds, better routers feature Gigabit Ethernet ports which offer up to 1 GB/s transfer speeds. Check carefully to see whether the router you're considering is equipped with Gigabit Ethernet ports if you value this feature.

Some of the more sophisticated routers have multiple SSID broadcasts, which effectively divide your router service with different security options and network configurations. The most common example of this would be guest networks, which allows guests to access your network without needing your personal password.

Reliability
Generally, the less you pay for a router the lower the quality of the components will be. Companies that build routers are in business to make money, just like everybody else. This has a direct impact on how reliable your router will be. Cheaper routers tend to drop connections frequently, and will not provide consistent data throughput. Although spending more for a router is not a surefire way to solve the problem, it does alleviate it somewhat. The best routers are reliable to a fault, and should need minimum attention to settings to keep a steady connection. When combined with support for a large number of users and other 'business' features, these models are often labeled 'enterprise grade'.

Price & Value
When choosing a single product, it's often said that you can have it be fast, reliable, and affordable - but you can only choose two. Not everyone wants to spend $150 on a router, but you'll have to settle for less performance if you're not willing to invest more. Fast and reliable routers are never 'affordable', while fast and affordable routers tend to drop connections often. Each of the picks here are outstanding options, though as always, it's up to you to draw the line. The NETGEAR WNDR3700 is expensive, but offers simultaneous dual-band broadcasting, class-leading speeds and enterprise-grade reliability. The D-Link DIR-655 costs less than the WNDR3700, but only supports 2.4GHz broadcasting. Both are not cheap, but represent top value picks due to their performance, reliability, and features.

You generally want to avoid any router that is priced suspiciously low. Even name-brand low-end routers tend to be unreliable at times, and throughput speed can be sketchy. If you don't need or want the extra performance, it makes little sense to spend the extra money. Those of you adhering to a strict budget should check out our list of the best cheap routers.