Accessing the internet and getting our task done without much hassle is the order of the day, and when it comes to getting a good connection, router plays an important role. Finding a “good” router is not an easy task. That’s why we want to help you find the best wireless gaming router for you. We have reviewed dozens of models and selected the 10 best wireless routers for multiple devices and gaming.
How to choose the right router?
The demand for wireless routers has skyrocketed in recent years, due to the rapid evolution of electronic products that offer wireless Wi-Fi connections: that is smartphones, smart TVs, tablets, e-reader readers, consoles etc. Taking into account the new connectivity needs it is essential to have a wireless router capable of handling all wireless traffic. When buying a wireless router, these two things are the most important criteria to consider:
Coverage area or Range: It is essential to have an idea of the range of coverage you need.A general rule of thumb in home networking says that 802.11b/g WAPs and routers support a range of up to 150 feet (46 m) indoors and 300 feet (92 m) outdoors. Another rule of thumb holds that the effective range of 802.11a is approximately one-third that of 802.11b/g. The routers listed here are suitable for home use and apartments.
The number of devices: We should have a rough idea of the number of devices that we want to connect to the Wi-Fi network. Wireless routers are available in multiple ranges of features and price, from the simplest and cheapest to the multifunctional and generally more expensive. The important thing when deciding what to buy is to understand the difference between the different models.
Here, we list the best routers from $50 to $400 so that you can pick the best according to your budget. If you are specifically looking for the lower end routers, we have the best wireless routers for gaming and streaming under $150.
We have compiled the following list of the best wireless routers for multiple devices which includes routers from different categories of prices and features, and we will explain each of the models to give you a better idea of which device best suits your needs.
Best Wireless Gaming Router List
Asus RT-AC88U – The Best Wireless Gaming Router for Multiple Device Connection
It is a wireless dual-band router, with an impeccable reputation. This wireless router is undoubtedly one of the best models offered by Asus in recent times. The device comes equipped with eight Gigabit LAN ports, configurable by the user to act as WAN ports. The router also supports port aggregation, which means that if you need it, you can convert two LAN ports into a single port with a high-speed connection.
The icing on the cake is the Asus feature that allows us to configure all router options from an incredibly flexible and detailed web graphical interface. One of the main advantages offered by this router is the network monitoring tool, which allows us to obtain real-time data of all the traffic in our network.
The router comes with a standard VPN server, which is always ready to be used. Another new feature is the intrusion detection and blocking system in its wireless network, and the anti-malware capabilities. The Asus router is designed for the most demanding users, including gamers.
The device brings MU-MIMO support and other advanced features to offer online gameplay with low latency and no frights. In terms of performance the router works great, however, if you want to connect a hard drive to the router, to use it as a NAS, you will get mediocre performance.
Overall, the Asus RT-AC88U is the perfect choice for hardcore gamers and movie lovers who require 4k streaming.
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Linksys WRT1900ACS Dual-Band – Best Mid-Range Wireless Router for All Purpose
The original users of the WRT1900AC model know the specialty of this router, the WRT1900ACS, can be called the best Linksys router. This wireless router serves all your purposes. If you are looking for something stable and stylish this one is for you.
The WRT1900ACS comes equipped with powerful hardware, which allows us to secure a Wi-Fi signal over long distances, and also offers incredible support for connections of external hard drives, turning it into a NAS with an enviable transmission speed. The design is bold and slightly retro.
The powerful WRT1900ACS comes equipped with a dual 1.6 gigahertz processor and 512 megabytes of DDR3 RAM. This processing capability allows us to establish a very fast connection of 1,300 megabits per second in a 5 GHz band. The router has the option of the 2.4GHz band, in which a speed of 600 megabits per second is achieved. The router also supports open VPN, as well as DD-WRT and support for open WRT.
With all these features, there is not much that the router cannot do. However, there are some subjective disadvantages. The router has a slightly high price for users that do not require all these options, and also the “Time Machine” function is not compatible with Mac computers.
Overall, this one is a good choice for mediocre gamers who want to spend less on their gears.
PROS
Stability Power NAS support Support protocols
CONS
Little discreet
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Asus RT-AC5300 – Top Class Performance but Expensive
Asus has been raising the performance level of its products for some time, and a clear result has been the range of incredible wireless routers that the company offers in the market. The Asus RT-AC5300 is perhaps one of the most visually appealing routers on the market, with impressive power, which justifies its price. The router offers a number of features, as well as very useful connectors.
The device offers two types of USB connections, one 4-pin connector, and one nine-pin connector, as well as two RJ-45 connectors. If the router you’re looking for is a tri-band wifi router, then the Asus RT-AC5300 is definitely your model. The router offers a 2.4 GHz band connection and two 5.0 GHz connections.
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Another interesting feature is its Wi-Fi chip, manufactured by Broadcom, which offers bandwidth superior to its competitors. This is undoubtedly one of the reasons why this router stands out significantly on other similar models. This wireless router provides incredible signal strength, with an innovative design, but its price lies slightly on the costly side.
One of the drawbacks of this model is the limitation in the number of ports (only 4). If this is not a problem, then Asus RT-AC5300 is what you need, price aside.
PROS
Tri-band Broadcom chipset Power Varied connections
CONS
Less number of ports
Expensive
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The D-LINK AC3200 Ultra – Best Tri band Wireless Gaming Router
It is one of the best wireless routers within its price range, in terms of power to price ratio. The design of the router is clearly an out of the box thinking. Its a hybrid between elegance and futurism, with a body in red and silver. Some critics have dared to compare it with a miniature version of a fighter plane.
Keeping aesthetics aside, the wireless router has great features and a phenomenal Wi-Fi signal range. If we talk about functionality, this router offers a simple interface, which does not require a hard learning curve. Powerful and simple the interface offers everything you need effectively.
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One of the great things about the D-LINK AC3200 is that its features have not been complicated or oversimplified, unlike other routers. From the configuration process to the management options, everything is perfectly balanced.
PROS
Attractive design Simple interface Ease of configuration
CONS
Simplistic configurations
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Asus RT-AC3200 Tri-Band – The Runner Up
Yet another wireless router of the Asus brand and it is the Asus RT-AC3200 and it is placed as the “most reliable wireless router “, the AC3200 is a Tri-band router, unlike its direct competitor the RT-AC88U, one of the striking features of this device is its six antennas, which offer maximum signal strength.
The antennas are perfectly aligned, evenly distributed, with 4 of them in the back, and one on each side of the router. The Asus RT-AC3200 offers excellent performance in all the tests, in addition to a very sophisticated interface, which provides all kinds of features and abilities for network management, but there are some areas for improvement.
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The router is slightly bulky, this being a problem for desktops with little space left for accessories. The price of the product is a bit high for those looking for a high speed of transmission of files in the local network.
In short, we can say that the router provides an extensive management functionality and has enough capacity to make even the most demanding users happy at a cheaper price than AC88U: the gamers.
PROS
Tri-band Power Reliability Advanced Options
CONS
Bulky
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Asus RT-N66U – The Cheap & Best Wireless Router for Gaming and Streaming
The Asus RT-N66U is one of the cheapest wireless routers in our list. Honestly the price tag is too low for the stellar quality offered by this model. Coming to its details, for beginners, this router offers a wifi performance which is decent, one of the best on the market.
The wireless signal is completely stable, ensuring connectivity without interruptions or loss of signal. The data transmission speeds in frequency of 5 GHz are impressive. The device comes prepared with an extensive functionality, allowing adjusting to all kinds of options and also offers a VPN server as standard.
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Despite the performance, there are some areas for improvement, including firmware, which could have been significantly improved. Another detail that could have been given importance was that the performance offered by this device in 2.4 GHz frequencies is not comparable to what we get at 5 GHz.
Taking all these factors into account, the Asus RT-N66U is still one of the best candidates for domestic use.
PROS
Cheap price. Good performance. Excellent transmission speed
CONS
Improvable firmware. Slow at 2.4 GHz frequencies
***Latest Update – The newer model for the N66U is the AC66U which is available on Amazon which has much lower price tag of $93. Significant improvements have been made by the company, including AiMesh, the MESH network capability and improved coverage area of 3000 sq.ft.***
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Netgear Nighthawk AC1900 (R7000)
With the wireless router Netgear Nighthawk AC1900, we are presenting you a lower category of devices. The Netgear Nighthawk AC1900 is considered one of the best routers for domestic use, and a great attraction in terms of its value for money.
The router offers great features for its price. Netgear Nighthawk AC1900 obtains one of the best performances for wireless routers of frequency 5 GHz. Netgear has worked hard to build a device with the best materials available. The body of the device has impressive finishes and offers 3 antennas in the back that have a very broad Wi-Fi coverage.
One of the wonders of the Nighthawk AC1900 is its incredible ease of installation. The router comes ready for the ‘plug and play’, once connected for the first time it is ready to work. During the testing process of this device, we did not find any problems, except for an interface which could have been designed better.
Considering how fast the router is configured, we can overlook the little hurdles of finding certain options in the administration interface. The only drawback of the Nighthawk AC1900 is the mediocre performance on the 2.4 GHz frequency. Despite being fast enough, when we compare it with its competitors, it is a bit underperforming.
PROS
Price Good finishes Easy installation Good sign
CONS
Mediocre performance at 2.4GHz and Few configuration options
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TP-Link Archer C7
The TP-Link Archer C7 wifi router is another model which has got our attention, it is beautiful and cheap, with an affordable price for all audiences, this router offers the essentials for most users. The Archer C7 is designed for users looking for a wireless router that meets all needs, without frills, and at a competitive price.
The router offers admirable performance on both frequencies and a spectacular wireless coverage. The Archer C7 device has some aspects to be improved, for example, the configuration of the wireless settings is not as extensive as they could be. In general, the functionality offered by this router is sufficient, but it has nothing that makes it innovative or out of series.
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As a summary, it is fair to say that the Archer C7 is focused for users who do not look for top-line line speed, futuristic designs, or advanced options. Simply connect this router and forget that it is there, without any connectivity problems or big adjustments.
PROS
Good price. Fast. Good signal stability
CONS
Limited functionality
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Linksys WRT 1200AC
The Linksys WRT 1200AC could be considered the little brother of the WRT1900ACS. This wireless router follows an aesthetic line very similar to the 1900ACS, in addition to offering a similar functionality. One of the most attractive factors of this router is the price. While the 1900ACS is geared for a highly demanding audience, the WRT 1200AC is much cheaper and offers similar features.
The router has really good finishes and components, and offers a simple installation, unlike other routers, without long lists of options and settings. The performance in the 5 GHz band is exceptionally solid and fast, and surprisingly the USB transfer is really good. Tests have revealed that even with only two antennas, the WRT 1200AC offers excellent coverage at a good speed.
If we want to make a point in the drawbacks then, the size of the router is somewhat big, which can be a problem for some users. Unfortunately, there is another problem which is more striking than the size of the router: at 2.4 GHz the router does not work as well as it could and loses stability.
The Linksys WRT 1200AC is a perfect choice for buyers on a limited budget, and who do not need advanced options. Considering the price, the device is stable and does not have major problems.
PROS
Cheap price Good finishes Excellent performance
CONS
Little stability at 2.4 GHz Lack of advanced options
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ASUS RT-N56U
The last wireless router on our list is the ASUS RT-N56U. This model is one of the cheapest solutions in our list. The product is aimed at the people who are looking for a low-cost router. The RT-N56U comes in an elegant black color with decoration on top. You will be surprised to know that this router does not have any external antenna, and still manages to offer great performance, for the price it costs. At 5 GHz frequencies, it offers exceptionally good power.
The Asus RT-N56U offers a decent interface, which is modern and easy to use, in addition to a very good signal strength. The design of the device is another point in favor, offering a minimalist finish that fits in most scenarios. Sadly, the router interface is sometimes slow and difficult to find certain settings.
The router does not support the latest wireless speed of three channels at 450Mbps. Considering the price of the device, we can turn a blind eye to these drawbacks.
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