What is the Best Wi-Fi Router for Streaming and Gaming in 2023

Wi-Fi has come to stay. Yea. Sometimes we wonder how we were able to cope in the early days of wireless technology when connections were limited and slow. Wi-Fi has come a long way and does a lot, from keeping us connected, streaming our videos and LAN gaming, and at the same time firewalling our connection from network thieves. So what is the best Wi-Fi router for streaming & gaming? Here’s what you need to know.

The best Wi-Fi Routers for Streaming and Gaming in 2023

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Best Wi-Fi Routers for Streaming and Gaming in 2023 Buying Guide

Your router plays a crucial role in integrating your electronics and household electrical components, and in the future, they are going to play increasing roles with the evolution of IoT. You can be sure that buying a router that is future-proof is a wise decision.

Also, as Wi-Fi standards keep evolving every few years, it is not a bad idea to change your Wi-Fi router every 3 to 5 years so as to be able to keep up with evolving technologies and protocols. Here’s a guide that should furnish you with all the information you need when selecting the best Wi-Fi routers for streaming and gaming in 2023.

Before we review the best Wi-Fi routers for streaming and gaming, let’s look at the major features to look out for when choosing a router.

Wi-Fi Naming Convention

The idea behind the 802.11xx naming convention is simply based on the premise that the higher the number, the faster or higher the network speed. Thus, 802.11a is the earliest, though products that support a came later than 802.11b. consequently, there was 802.11g, followed by n, then ac and presently ax. (see table below)

Wi-Fi Protocols & Speeds

Wi-Fi protocols are constantly evolving, being anchored on the IEEE transmission protocol. The latest and up to date routers are based on the 802.11ac, also dubbed 5G Wi-Fi. The current protocol is called Next-gen AC, or MU-MIMO (Multiple-User, Multiple input and Multiple Output). This protocol is just an improvement on the 802.11ac protocol, which allows the router to communicate more efficiently with the clients (More on MU-MIMO below).

Here’s a table showing the different Wi-Fi protocols.

WiFi Standard	Networks	Speed	Frequency
WiFi 1	802.11b	11Mbps	2.4GHz
WiFi 2	802.11a	54Mbps	5GHz
WiFi 3	802.11g	50Mbps	2.4GHz
WiFi 4	802.11n	450Mbps	2.4GHz/5GHz
WiFi 5	802.11ac	1300Mbps	5.8GHz
WiFi 6	802.11ax	1700Mbps	2.4GHz/5GHz

When buying a router, look for either the Wi-Fi 6 or 802.11ac or ax specification.

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