The Best Router and Networking Deals for July 2023

Don’t let a slow or unstable network ruin your summer plans. If you’ve been streaming shows, gaming with friends, and joining Zoom calls via your less-than-adequate Wi-Fi connection, you’ve experienced the frustrations of lag, buffering, slow speeds, and disconnection. It might be time to upgrade your router or modem. Adding a mesh system can also guarantee smooth surfing when it comes to accessing the web.

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 you’ll want one with at least two radio bands, a 2.4GHz band and a 5GHz band. If your household is gobbling up bandwidth regularly, 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 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 you’ll need to spread the signal wide enough.

Mesh Wi-Fi Systems

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

Is your signal not reaching all parts of your house or business? This trio of devices offers a simple step up to a Wi-Fi mesh network. 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.

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Netgear Nighthawk MK83 AX3600 Tri-Band Mesh Wi-Fi 6 System

This Netgear whole-home mesh system offers a ton of range and Wi-Fi 6 connectivity. The package comes with a main router and two satellite extenders that provide up to 6,750 square feet of range and cover over 40 connected devices. This system connects to your existing cable modem and replaces your Wi-Fi router; and setup takes only minutes with the Nighthawk App.

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TP-Link Deco X20 AX1800 Mesh Router

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

Wi-Fi Routers

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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 thanks 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(Opens in a new window) technology focus signal strength to provide a reliable connection.

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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 delivers 1800Mbps, 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.

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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.