Remember, though, that ideally you should be plugged directly in via Ethernet so that crowded Wi-Fi bands won't be a concern at all. Just know that the range of 6 GHz tends to be shorter than 5 GHz or 2.5 GHz, so you'll want to be sure your router is fairly close to your gaming rig. If you have one of the best gaming PCs or best gaming laptops with Wi-Fi 6E capabilities, you may want to consider a router with a 6 GHz band. Without getting into details that could turn this whole section into a story unto itself, if gaming traffic is your priority, look for a router with two 5 GHz bands, so that most of your modern devices can connect to one and you can leave the other wide open for your gaming packets. Just note that not all of those highways travel at the same speed or have the same amount of lanes. Think of bands like separate highways for devices to connect to. How many bands do I need? That largely depends on how many devices there are in your home connecting to your network.
But they are often more complicated to set up and don’t work as seamlessly as a mesh setup, which your devices will see as a singular network, no matter where you are in your home and which device you're connected to. Range extenders/repeaters can also be used to improve throughput or fill in dead spots.
Note that most of Asus' recent routers can function as part of a mesh setup look for a feature called AiMesh. If you have a large space and/or your walls are made with things like brick, metal, or foil-wrapped insulation, consider a mesh router or a router that’s mesh-compatible so that you can buy additional satellites to place in areas where signal strength is weak.
BEST WIFI ROUTER BRAND PLUS
Deciding which model is the best gaming router for you also comes down to how big your home is, plus how old it is, which tends to dictate what's inside your walls. Consider the size and makeup of your home.Alternatively, you could plug in one of the best network switches and add as many Ethernet ports as your network needs. TP-Link's Archer AX6000 impressively has eight Ethernet ports. Higher-end options sometimes (but not always) ship with more Ethernet ports. Most routers ship with four LAN ports for plugging in four Ethernet devices, plus one input for your Internet (WAN).įour ports is enough for most people, but with the rise of smart home hubs, set-top boxes, consoles and other devices, you may want more. So whenever possible, you'll want to be plugged into your router via Ethernet when playing competitive games. How many wired ports do you need? While Wi-Fi is convenient, wired Ethernet is still ideal when it comes to latency and reliability - two important factors for gaming.For more on this, check out our Wi-Fi 6/6E feature. Should you splurge on Wi-Fi 6/6E (802.11ax), or Stick with Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)? Unless you’re just going to get a budget router to tide you over, you should get at least Wi-Fi 6, though probably not 6E just yet.There is plenty to consider if you’re in the market for a router, whether you're after the best gaming router or something less gaming-specific. Why you can trust Tom's Hardware Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.
BEST WIFI ROUTER BRAND INSTALL
If that sounds like you, consider a more mainstream router and spend the extra money on a better CPU, graphics card, or a bigger SSD so you can install more games. But spending more and making the right choice can make for a better gaming experience with less lag, especially if your home network and Internet bandwidth are split between several users and dozens of devices.Īll that said, a gaming router might be overkill for most people, particularly if you’re in a small apartment or house, without several people clamoring for your limited internet bandwidth. Unsurprisingly, this typically comes at a higher cost than most mainstream routers. And extra granular controls are tossed in for tweaking and streamlining your network performance to ensure it best serves your gaming needs. Usually, features aimed at gamers are also included in the user interface to help prioritize gaming traffic and packets. But aesthetics aside, what makes a router a gaming router, let alone the best gaming router? In general, with a gaming router, you can expect higher-end internal hardware than budget offerings, including extra bands to handle more devices and often a faster CPU and more RAM to juggle a larger device load.
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