Your Wi-Fi router is your gateway to getting online, turning the wired internet connection from your provider into a wireless network for your home. While your internet service provider decides on what maximum speeds you can achieve and how much data you can use, it’s your wireless router that establishes that much-desired home Wi-Fi connection for your devices.

However, it’s no secret that not all wireless routers are created equal, and certain models will be a better fit for your family depending on your online activities, amount of connected devices and the size of your home. Prices for wireless routers vary greatly depending on their capabilities. You can find budget options around $50, while the latest hardware can go all the way up to $500.

How we chose our favorite wireless routers

To find the the best wireless routers, we focused on three factors while we were comparing models:

• Speed: The more devices and users, the higher speeds you’ll need, so aim high. In most wireless routers, you’ll find both 5 and 2.4 GHz bands. The 5 GHz band can handle more bandwidth but in a shorter range. The 2.4 GHz band can handle less bandwidth but in a larger range. Shoot for a dual or even tri-band wireless router to break up congestion. Just keep in mind that while a wireless router might be able to achieve a certain download speed, your internet service provider ultimately decides on what’s possible.
• Antennas: Any wireless router will only be as good as the signal it projects and the antenna is a major part of that. If your desired wireless router doesn’t have any external antennas, think about choosing a model that’s based on a mesh network.
• Features: Many wireless routers come with additional security features like guest networking, automatic firmware updates and remote management features. We required all of our routers to have the latest WPA, WPA2 or WPA3 certifications.

Best router overall: Netgear Nighthawk AX8

Netgear is one of the most respected names in wireless routers, and the Nighthawk AX8 is their newest model stacked with all the latest features. More than any other router we looked at, the AX8 is able to cut through walls and floors, delivering gigabit speeds to every corner of the house. Netgear says this model can connect devices up to 90 feet away, but you can expect performance to tail off after about 50 feet. If you need more range, we recommend a mesh network (more on that below).

The AX8 also has advanced malware protection and the latest firmware updates upon installation. It even works with Disney’s Circle app, which allows you to block inappropriate content on certain devices.

Router with fastest speeds: ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX11000

Whether you’re a gamer, have a big household or just want to make sure you’re using every bit of your high-speed internet connection, the ASUS ROG Rapture is the top-performing wireless router we came across. It has a stunning eight gigabit LAN ports for gaming on multiple devices, and it can reach top speeds of up to 3,000 Mbps, although you’ll be hard pressed to find an internet plan that can supply them.

And this router looks the part. At 2.5 by 9.6 by 9.6 inches, it’s one of the biggest models on the market, with eight massive (and removable) antennas. But with all of its powerful engineering, it’s relatively user-friendly. You can set up Alexa voice commands to do things like pause the internet or turn on the guest network, and the ROG Rapture can also be used with other ASUS routers to create a mesh network in bigger homes.

Best budget router: TP-Link Archer A7

The Archer A7 isn’t the newest router from TP-Link — it first debuted all the way back in 2018 — but it still holds up as a workhorse router that outperforms many models twice its price. Speeds can still get up to around 650 Mbps at close range, which is well above what most Americans are getting.

The Archer A7’s issues come into play with bigger homes. It has a range of about 80 feet, but you can expect speeds to decrease significantly the further away from the router you get. It’s also the only router on our list that uses the older Wi-Fi 5 standard. While newer devices that have Wi-Fi 6 will still work with the Archer A7, you won’t see the same speed and bandwidth benefits. If you want to invest in a wireless router that will take you through the next decade, it’s probably worth spending a little more for a Wi-Fi 6 router.

Best mesh router: Google Nest Wifi

While it’s not as technically impressive as some of the other mesh routers out there, Google’s Nest Wifi is the most universally beloved Wi-Fi system around. Like all mesh routers, the Nest Wifi consists of a main router that connects to your modem and smaller extensions that spread your internet connection throughout your house.

But with the Nest Wifi, these extensions do double duty as voice assistants. Each of them is equipped with a Google Home smart speaker, so you can integrate every room in your house with your smart home devices at the same time as you’re extending your Wi-Fi network. There are other mesh networks that will provide faster speeds — Nest Wifi also isn’t compatible with Wi-Fi 6 yet — but none are more enjoyable to use.

Why you should buy your own router

In general, buying your own router instead of renting will usually pay itself off in about a year. Most internet service providers charge around $5-$15/mo. for modem and router rentals, while those same models usually cost about $100.