The Best Router and Networking Deals for April 2023

In this day and age, it’s impossible to get anything done without a Wi-Fi connection. Whether you’re working from home or seeking entertainment via video games or streaming services, a steady connection is the key to avoiding tech-related headaches.

If it’s been a few years since you bought a new Wi-Fi router, chances are your existing setup is not Wi-Fi 6 compliant. This standard brings faster throughput speeds, better battery life, and less bandwidth congestion than Wi-Fi 5; here’s how to see if you need to upgrade.

We have a full rundown on what to look for when buying a router, but look for one with at least two radio bands, a 2.4GHz band and a 5GHz band. If your household is gobbling up bandwidth regularly, however, a tri-band router uses three radios—one at 2.4GHz and two at 5GHz.

Though Wi-Fi 6 is the modern standard for wireless signal, Wi-Fi 5 is still plenty effective in a pinch (Wi-Fi 6E is on the way). If you’re adding a mesh system, make sure your preferred system’s coverage area will extend everywhere you need it to be and that you’ve got places in mind for the multiple devices it takes to get the signal there.

Mesh Wi-Fi Systems

Google Nest AC2200 Mesh Wi-Fi System (1-Pack)

With up to 2,200 square feet of coverage, the Google Nest AC2200 will offer a strong, stable network connection to every room of your home. A single mesh router is strong enough to handle up to 200 connected devices at once, but you can extend your range by adding additional mesh routers as needed. Because this is a Google device, the Google Nest AC2200 can easily be set up and added to your smart home network via the Google Home app, which can also be used to check speeds and manage your network right from your smartphone.

TP-Link Deco S4 Mesh Wi-Fi System (3-Pack)

If your signal isn’t getting to all parts of your house or business, a simple step up to a Wi-Fi mesh system is what you get with this threesome of devices. This dual-band system gives you three signals on one network for seamless Wi-Fi connections across a 5,500-square-foot range. Need more coverage? Just buy another unit and add it to the mesh; the Deco app makes for easy setup.

TP-Link Deco X20 AX1800 Mesh Router

If you need a Wi-Fi 6 signal to go pretty much everywhere, the 5,800 square feet of reported signal space from this TP-Link mesh system will cover a lot of ground. Unlike other mesh systems with one router and a few satellites, each of these three devices can serve as a router and each has two Ethernet ports for adding devices throughout your home. It’s plenty fast, too: Across the dual-band system you’ll get up to 1.8Gbps of transfer speed.

Netgear Orbi RBK50 Tri-band Mesh Wi-Fi System (Router + Satellite)

This Orbi setup offers nearly the same amount of range as the Deco, but with just two devices—a router and a satellite—versus the three devices it takes the Deco systems to cover 500 more square feet. Adding the tri-band signal and Wi-Fi 6 probably makes it worth the added expense, especially with over 50% savings.

Wi-Fi Routers

TP-Link Archer AX21 AX1800 Dual-Band Wi-Fi 6 Router

The TP-Link Archer AX21 AX1800 is an Amazon best seller in computer routers due to its ease of setup, affordability, and signal strength. This dual-band Wi-Fi 6 router supports 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency bands and speeds up to 1.8Gbps. Its four high-gain antennas with Beamforming technology focus signal strength to provide a reliable connection.

Asus RT-AX55 AX1800 

While it’s not as wildly fast as the AX6000, this Asus machine gives you many of the same features as the gamer-focused router at a much lower price. This dual-band router still delivers 1800 Mbps, which is plenty for browsing, streaming, and working at home, and you also get a Wi-Fi 6 signal, AiMesh compatibility, and parental controls through the Asus app.

Netgear Nighthawk AX5400 6-Stream Wi-Fi 6 Router 

The Netgear Nighthawk AX5400 is a dual-band 5GHz Wi-Fi 6 router with coverage of up to 2,500 square feet. Supporting speeds of up to 5.4Gbps for 25 concurrent devices, you’ll be able to game, stream, and surf the web without a drop in connectivity. And if you’re looking for the most stable connection possible, the four 1G Ethernet ports will help you with that.

Linksys AC1000 Dual Band Wi-Fi Router

This dual-band Wi-Fi router by Linksys is a good budget option if you primarily use your internet connection for lighter tasks like web browsing and some video streaming. It covers up to 1,000 square feet and offers WPA2 encryption and an SPI firewall.