BEST WIFI ROUTER 2022 PLUS

I also didn't like the Ethernet jacks on the bottom of the device, which force you to bend your cables to the extreme in order to plug the router in.Īsus ZenWifi XD5: The ZenWifi XD6 is close to the Eero 6 Plus in both specs and price, and at $200 for a three-pack, it's one of the more affordable Wi-Fi 6 devices you'll find.

BEST WIFI ROUTER 2022 PRO

At $350 for a single device, it's a bit overpriced, but the unique build and the focus on advanced features should keep it on the radar for some.Īrris Surfboard Max AX6600: Another high-powered Wi-Fi 6 system with an upright, cylindrical design, the Surfboard Max Pro was able to deliver fast speeds to other Wi-Fi 6 devices in my tests, but the performance was inconsistent with earlier-gen Wi-Fi 5 devices. Please note that this list includes several systems that were tested at my home during the pandemic, and not in our latest test setup.Īmplifi Alien: An early Wi-Fi 6 mesh system, the Amplifi Alien sports an attractive, gamer-friendly design, complete with touchscreen controls on the main router. I'll note any new mesh systems we test here as we go, along with a quick summary of my takeaways. We test lots of routers at CNET HQ - mesh and otherwise - so we're constantly updating our rundowns of the top systems on the market.

BEST WIFI ROUTER 2022 DOWNLOAD

It's the slowest mesh router I've ever tested, which wasn't surprising, but it was still functional and able to maintain workable average download speeds at range. If you want to get dirt cheap, you could opt for something like the Vilo system, which costs around $40 per device, plus shipping. I've tested a number of bargain picks like that in recent years - among them, the AC1200 version of the Netgear Orbi, currently available in a three-pack for under $200, is my top recommendation, with the right balance of performance and value. If you're living with a slow ISP connection and you don't need Wi-Fi 6, Wi-Fi 6E, or a fancy tri-band build, then there's nothing wrong with skipping those upgrades and going with something simpler in order to save some money. The Vilo mesh router is the slowest I've ever tested, but it's functional, and it only costs $20 per device, plus shipping. Still, give Nest Wifi Pro some credit for stable speeds, strong smart home chops and good value at less than $395 for a three-pack.

BEST WIFI ROUTER 2022 UPGRADE

Both were workable systems that did the job in my tests - but with 6GHz speeds that fell short of Eero and Netgear, neither system offers a noticeable speed upgrade over the competition, and that makes them harder to recommend. Meanwhile on the Wi-Fi 6E front, I was less impressed with the speeds I saw from the Motorola Q14 and from the Nest Wifi Pro, both to my Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E test devices. Just note that the system that finished in first place in these tests was, again, the Asus ROG Rapture GT6, which isn't a Wi-Fi 6E router at all, but rather, a super speedy Wi-Fi 6 router. From a performance standpoint, it's our top-tested Wi-Fi 6E system - but the Eero Pro 6E is right behind it and costs less than half as much at $550 for a three-pack or less. I re-ran my speed tests on a Wi-Fi 6E test device capable of connecting over 6GHz and the only Wi-Fi 6E system that returned faster speeds than the Eero Pro 6E was the AXE11000 version of the Netgear Orbi, which costs a whopping $1,499 for a three-pack. That said, if you're starting to use devices at home that support Wi-Fi 6E, then the Eero Pro 6E might be worth the extra expense, as it adds in access to the 6GHz band to deliver faster speeds to devices like those. The two offer a similar level of performance to Wi-Fi 6 devices, so the less expensive Eero 6 Plus is probably the better pick for most homes at $300 for a three-pack (or less, if you can catch one of Amazon's frequent sales). Like the Deco W7200, each of those systems has held up well across multiple rounds of speed tests, with demonstrably stronger speeds than previous-gen Eero devices. Most notable are the two newest mesh systems from Amazon, the Eero 6 Plus and the Eero Pro 6E. Top picks aside, some interesting new competition has entered the scene in recent months. It's always been right at the top of the pack in terms of speeds and reliability, so it remains my top overall recommendation among Wi-Fi 6 mesh systems, especially considering that it isn't too expensive at $209 for a two-pack. At this point, it's been a performance standout across multiple rounds of exhaustive speed tests in multiple locations against dozens of competitors. In second place is the TP-Link Deco X4300 Pro, followed closely by our top recommended system for most homes, the affordable TP-Link Deco W7200. For now, the system that kept my Wi-Fi 6 downloads the highest was our top performance pick, the Asus ROG Rapture GT6.

Best wifi router 2022