14 best Wi-Fi routers

Today it is difficult to imagine your life without wireless Internet, or, as it is called on the colloquial slang "Wi-Fi" (Wi-Fi). For the possibility of its operation are responsible special routers. When selecting them, you should pay attention to the following parameters:

• RAM and processor. Optimally, if the model will have at least 32 MB of RAM and the frequency of the transmitter from 240 MHz. This will allow the router to work without slowdowns and always ensure sufficient access speed.
• Modes of operation and plug-in interfaces. These characteristics determine the purpose of the router. Most devices provide for setting up an access point, creating a bridge, a repeater or a client — these modes allow you to connect a router and make it a source of Wi-Fi signal.
• The frequency of the signal. In most cases, this is 2.4 GHz, but due to the widespread use of these devices in homes, almost all subchannels are occupied, which negatively affects the stability and speed. It is better to choose a dual-band model, where the second channel emits a signal at a frequency of 5 GHz.
• A security protocol that encrypts data and does not allow third parties to connect to Wi-Fi. Most devices support WPA and WPA2 - these are the most reliable protocols.
• Antenna power, which is measured in dBi. The higher this parameter, the greater the range of the device. For home, it is advisable to choose routers with a strong signal.
• Supported Protocols The most common IPv4, having an IP address length of 32 bits. But some models are already equipped with TCP IPv6 - the most advanced data transfer protocol.
• Availability of current software on the official website. It’s not a fact that the latest firmware will be installed on the router, while the existing software may contain errors that prevent the normal operation of the device.

In our ranking are some of the best Wi-Fi routers that can be bought in online stores. All models were selected based on the above characteristics and parameters. In addition, the selection of devices was carried out taking into account:

1. Customer Reviews
2. The cost of the device (matching the price and quality)
3. Expert opinions

The best inexpensive Wi-Fi routers for the home: a budget of up to 1,500 rubles.

4 Tenda n301

Let's start with the most budget Wi-Fi router. The average price tag for this miniature miracle is only 890 rubles. For this money, the user gets a nice, high-quality snow-white case with two antennas with a capacity of 5 dBi each. It does not take much space - the dimensions of the case are 127x90x26 mm. But there are no slots for wall mounting - for it is a minus.

The insides do not hit. Cable speed reaches 100 Mbps. Connect via LAN can be up to three devices. Wireless Internet is compliant Wi-Fi 802.11n with a theoretical speed of up to 300 Mbps. In reality, judging by the reviews, the speed reaches 70-75 Mbit / s.

Separately, we note the software part. First of all, the ease of adjustment pleases - as they say, even a housewife can handle it. From the interesting: there is the possibility of remote administration, backup settings, access restrictions on MAC and URL, speed limits.Of course, minor problems occur, but they are easy to solve by installing a more recent firmware from the official site - the process will not cause difficulties even for beginners.

3 TP-LINK TL-MR3020

TL-MR3020 at first glance, an extremely simple device. Only one LAN-port, USB 2.0, miniUSB for power, a couple of switches and indicators. Characteristics are also not enough stars from the sky: Wi-Fi 802.11n standard, which will be enough for tariff plans with a speed of 100 Mbit / s, but no more. But the ability to install third-party firmware and ensure distribution of the mobile Internet makes this router very versatile. See what usage scenarios users shared in reviews:

1) Ordinary router for home or apartment

2) Backup source of Internet (mobile) in case of disconnection of the main provider

3) Access point in the campaign - the device can work from a simple power bank!

4) Internet in the car: hooked up to the cigarette lighter, hid the router in the glove compartment, and you can share the Internet with all passengers

And this is just a small list. Installing the OpenWRT firmware, USB hub and user curiosity allow using the router in a huge number of situations.

2 MikroTik hAP lite

The second line of the rating is taken by the model from the little-known in wide circles MikroTik company. First of all, hAP ​​lite stands out for its unusual appearance. This is a compact blue and white box with stylish ventilation slots. But more attention is attracted by the lack of external antennas - here they are internal, in the amount of two pieces. The power is small - only 1.5 dBi, but for a small apartment it will be enough. On the other hand, it allows you to place the device almost anywhere. It is also worth considering that the silver medalist is capable of issuing speeds of only about 150 Mbit / s.

There are several unique features. First, use Router OS. This system has simply incredible features that even much more expensive devices cannot provide to the user. Seamless transition between multiple access points, bridge mode, VPN, tunnels - all this and much more people will find in the settings of the router. Secondly, hAP ​​lite supports connection to several providers at once. WAN-port can be any of the four located on the case.

1 TP-LINK TL-WR841N

TP-LINK TL-WR841N is ranked first in the ranking of the best budget Wi-Fi routers for the home. The device can be used as an access point and simultaneously “distribute” the signal to 6 receivers. Among all inexpensive routers, it has the highest potential speed of operation - 300 Mbit / s. The router is equipped with modern data encryption system WPA2, which ensures high reliability of the transmitted data. The model supports tunneling protocols PPTP, L2TP and IPSec, which are most common among most providers.

The advantages of this router in the reviews, users attribute low cost, ease of setup and a good steady signal. The latter is provided by two antennas operating in the 2.4 GHz frequency band. The transmitter power is 20 dBM, which allows the signal to "punch" even the thick walls of the apartment. As weaknesses point out the poor material of the body and poor-quality power adapter, which makes unnecessary sounds during operation.

The best Wi-Fi routers of the middle price segment: a budget of up to 7,000 rubles.

3 ASUS RT-N66U

The high-speed model ASUS RT-N66U is located in third place in the ranking of the best Wi-Fi routers for the home of the middle price segment. This model is more expensive than its neighbors in the TOP, but the functionality fully justifies such a cost. The device has as many as 3 antennas, and emits a signal in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, which can significantly improve the quality of communication and use it on large areas. The router includes 4 switch ports, so you can connect 3 devices to it and organize their work using the wired Internet.

In numerous positive reviews, customers are talking about fast work, easy setup and excellent synchronization with USB modems. Moreover, this model provides data transfer up to 900 Mbps at the same time, which allows it to be used to “distribute” Wi-Fi to several devices at once. If necessary, this router is able to download files without using a computer. Among the shortcomings, there is a strong heat during operation and problems with some versions of firmware.

2 TP-LINK Archer C7

The second line of the ranking is Archer C7 which has already earned respect. Externally, the model is distinguished by the presence of three antennas with a capacity of 5 dBi each and an impractical glossy surface. It looks good - the router is not ashamed to leave in a prominent place. A set of ports is standard for this class: power, a pair of USB for connecting a printer or an external drive, and five Ethernet ports.

Dual-band router - 2.4 / 5 GHz. The maximum speed "through the air", as stated by the manufacturer, is 1750 Mbit / s. The indicator is rather theoretical, because the providers present in our market are unlikely to provide such a speed. This will be useful only when creating a home local network. Of the nice features worth noting the ability to work in two bands at once, support for LTE-modems, a file server, a guest service, a firewall, and more.

1 MikroTik RB951G-2HnD

In the first place in the ranking of the best Wi-Fi routers in the middle price category, the MikroTik RB951G-2HnD model is located. This device is a sturdy middleware in terms of reliability, performance and cost. It is used as an access point and can simultaneously “distribute” wireless Internet to 5 devices. Maximum speeds up to 300 Mbps. As a nice addition, the router has MIMO support, which allows it to transmit data through several independent channels. For connecting wired networks to wireless networks, bridge mode is provided.

In the reviews, customers talk about high-quality assembly, uninterrupted operation and extensive customization options, as the strengths of the model. At the same time, the router boasts 128 MB of RAM. With the support of Telnet, you can remotely manage the device and its settings. The transmitter power is 30 dBM, and the internal antenna boosts 2.5 dBi, which has a positive effect on the range. The disadvantages of this model are the difficulty of playing 4G networks and incompatibility with some USB hubs.

Best Wi-Fi routers of the premium segment: a budget of 8,000 rubles.

3 HUAWEI B525

The third line is occupied by a router with a somewhat non-standard design. B525 is designed for vertical installation. The front panel is made in black and gold colors, built-in Wi-Fi antennas. A set of connectors is standard, with the exception of two SMA ports for connecting external 3G / 4G LTE antennas. There is also a SIM card slot. Signal reception is more than sure. In the reviews, users claim that the router "sees 3 divisions" where the smartphone does not find the network at all. Speed, respectively, excellent.

You can distribute mobile or cable Internet via three gigabit LAN ports or dual-band Wi-Fi. Unfortunately, simultaneous operation at 2.4 and 5 GHz is not announced. The theoretical wireless network speed can reach 1300 Mbps.

You can also use the B525 as a home file server: you plug in an external hard drive and you can make backups or send movies to a TV.

2 Keenetic Giga (KN-1010)

Keenetic's network equipment is little known to the general public, but is popular with enthusiasts. The Giga model is not the top, but its capabilities will be enough even for the most demanding users. The body is not only cute, but functional. On the back side there are 4 Gigabit LAN ports, one WAN and SFP for connecting via fiber optic cable. The latter can offer very few competitors. On the side of USB 2.0 and USB 3.0. The distance between them is large, which makes it possible to freely use even bulky modems of the mobile Internet. There are also two physical buttons, each of which can be configured with up to three functions.

The router supports the standard 802.11ac and can work simultaneously in two bands. The maximum theoretical speed reaches 1267 Mbit / s. Real tests showed results of about 600 Mbit / s, which is overwhelmingly enough for the vast majority of users.

Thanks to a set of ports and excellent software, the router can be used in a wide variety of scenarios.

1 ASUS RT-AC88U

The leader of the ranking of the best Wi-Fi routers in the premium segment is the ASUS RT-AC88U model. The main feature of this device is the ability to provide simultaneous operation of several dozens of devices, thanks to the maximum data transfer rate of up to 3167 Mbps. Wide coverage and good signal level is provided by four antennas operating in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands.

As the strengths of the device in the reviews, customers note the smart work, nice appearance and clear Web-interface. In addition, the model has 512 MB of RAM, which allows it to quickly process data from different receivers. The router is equipped with one USB port version 2.0 and one version 3.0, which allows you to connect third-party devices to it. The disadvantages include the underdeveloped software and the average signal level at 5 GHz.

Best Mobile (Pocket) Wi-Fi Routers

3 Huawei E8372

The portable model Huawei E8372 ranks third in the ranking of the best mobile Wi-Fi routers. This device, with rather small dimensions, can provide any smartphone or computer with full Internet access. The device is powered from any USB port. With the help of Huawei E8372, you can organize effective LTE Internet in your car, apartment or house. The router operates in the 2.4 GHz band, which allows using its wireless network over an area of ​​up to 50 square meters. The device has built-in support for 3G and LTE, that is, access can be carried out using a SIM card.

Among the strengths of the device in a review, users note the work without connecting to a computer (via USB cable), a confident hold of communication and no hang-ups. The device has a slot for microSD memory cards and two connectors for external antennas, which potentially can significantly increase the range of the router. Among the weak points of this model are non-informative instructions and bad case materials.

Video Review

2 Alcatel Link Zone

The following device is more versatile and autonomous than the previous one. Inside the compact and pleasant to the touch case, there is a 1800 mAh battery, which provides 7 hours of active Internet distribution and about 35 hours of standby time. The battery compartment also hides slots for SIM and SD (up to 32 GB) cards and a pair of connectors for connecting external antennas. I am glad that the dead battery will not be a reason to interrupt the surfing of the Internet - just plug the charging into the microUSB connector and use the device further.

Wireless Internet standards are not the most modern - only 802.11n. In practice, the user speed reaches 70-80 Mbit / s.Not all providers can boast of such results even by cable! The signal level is also good: it will even break through a couple of main walls. The only drawback is an ill-conceived mobile application. But the problem is solved programmatically, which means there is hope for a speedy correction of deficiencies.

1 TP-LINK M7350

The leader of the rating is the most expensive and functional device in the category. The exterior is simple: a parallelepiped with rounded corners and a combination of matte and glossy plastic. The only detail that catches the eye is the 1.4 ’TFT display, which displays information about the operator, signal level, transmission rate, etc. Also the screen allows you to carry out an elementary setting. For more advanced settings will have to climb into the web interface. In most cases, you only need to change the name of the wireless network - the router will do the rest itself, you just need to install a SIM card.

Like the previous participant, the M7350 has a removable battery. Capacity is much higher - 2550 mAh. There is a slot for Micro SDHC card up to 32 GB. Thanks to the support of SMB and FTP protocols, any connected device can use files from a USB flash drive. Such a solution can be useful, for example, when traveling with the whole family - everyone can take photos and videos and throw them off for general access.

Best Wi-Fi routers with built-in file storage

1 Xiaomi Mi Wi-Fi Router HD

The only representative of the final category is the device of the popular Chinese company Xiaomi. Mi Router HD has competitors, of course, but they are sold in single copies at exorbitant prices, and therefore we cannot recommend them for purchase.

The design of the router corresponds to other products of Xiaomi - a metal minimalist case with four antennas harmoniously looks in almost any interior. This is important, because such a large “box” (195x146x96mm) is difficult to hide from view. Inside there is a powerful Qualcomm processor, 512 MB of RAM and, most importantly, a 1 TB hard drive. On the back cover 3 LAN and 1 WAN port, as well as USB. Wireless Internet complies with the 802.11ac standard and can operate in two bands at once: 2.4 and 5 GHz, there is support for MIMO. Maximum speed "through the air" up to 2533 Mbit / s.

Thanks to the built-in HDD, the router can be used not only for its intended purpose, but also as a file storage for easy backup from all home devices, storing movies for later playback on the TV, downloading torrents without a PC, and much more. The only drawback is that you have to be patient and time to set everything up correctly.

Popular vote - who is the best manufacturer of Wi-Fi routers?
We vote!

ASUS

D-link

Huawei

MikroTik

Netgear

TP-LINK

Tenda

UPVEL

Xiaomi

Keenetic

Alcatel

Total voted: 1032

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