ASUS Dual-Band 2×2 AC1300 Super-Fast Wi-Fi
So here comes this cost-effective and high-performing router from Asus. Granted, Asus has a wide array of digital lifestyle products. Their products are reliable and rugged, but we found out no other Asus router beats this model in terms of performance versus cost.
Its dual-band capabilities allow it to push wireless internet across to your devices outstandingly well. It sure deserves a place in our list of the best Wi-Fi routers for streaming and gaming.
Ease of Setup
Setup is quite easy and painless with the ASUSWRT web-based interface, and you should be done in minutes. Just make sure you follow the instruction manual. You’ll realize that you can do much more with the app. Just download from the app store and log in. Upon registration of your device, everything else is peanut butter.
Design
The router has a simplistic design. We also love the fact that you can mount it on a wall. It is equipped with 4 high-gain antennas for maximized coverage. Being a dual-band router, it operates on the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands.
Features
Here’s a rundown of its major features. It supports MU-MIMO, allowing it to efficiently maintain connection to lots of devices at the same time. The combined speed is put at 1267 Mbps, and is able to cover up to Up to 1,500 square feet of space.
Furthermore, this device is also able to maintain connection to up to 30 clients, and there are up to 5 ports for wired Ethernet connections. With ASUS Smart Connect, this device is able to switch connection between the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands seamlessly for maximum bandwidth allocation and management.
The Asus Router App enables you to do more with your router; you can monitor the active connections, manage different aspects including granting Guest Access and scheduling. The Smart QoS feature also comes in handy for regulating access to your devices.
There’s also the Parental Control feature, VPN, and the dedicated USB 3 port for file sharing and streaming of your favorite movies over the network, from an attached storage device.
Apart from isolated complaints of drop-in connectivity, we have nothing against this solid performing router from Asus. Besides, it’s quite affordable. Check it out.
PROS
- • Easy setup
- • Lightweight
CONS
- Complaints of drop-in connectivity
- No eSATA
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D-Link AC2600 Mesh Smart Wi-Fi Router
Mesh Wi-Fi systems have become increasingly popular due to their better approach at extending network access in a Wi-Fi system. The D-Link AC2600 dual band router is a smart device which delivers good results at a decent price.
Ease of Setup
It’s quite easy to install. The install guide that comes in the box is quite simplified with detailed graphics of the installation procedure. Installation shouldn’t take you more than 10 minutes, all things being equal.
Design
This router has a stylish design which looks quite cool sitting on a table. It has 4 antennas equally spaced apart. In addition, if you don’t like it sitting on a table, you can easily mount it on the wall using the provided mounting holes.
Features
This device is MU-MIMO compliant, and is also backwards compatible with the a/b/g/n/ac protocols. It can cover a maximum area of 3,500 square feet which is expandable with mesh system. You can easily achieve this by purchasing extenders if this cannot serve your needs.
It boasts a combined throughput of 2.5Gbps for a maximum of 25 connected users. In addition, there are 4 Ethernet ports to service your wired network connection for 4 devices. You also have 2 USB ports to connect your digital storage devices for streaming and file sharing.
Furthermore, you’ve got Beamforming which maximizes connection by focusing the signal to connected devices, instead of just beaming the signals all over the coverage area. There’s also the Smart Connect feature, QoS, Guest Connect, and the D-Link Wi-Fi Mesh.
The device also supports voice control as it integrates nicely with Amazon Alexa & Google Voice Assistant. However, one feature we found lacking in the device is the Parental Control feature.
PROS
- Easy setup
CONS
- App doesn’t allow connectivity off the LAN
NETGEAR Nighthawk X4S R7800 Smart Wi-Fi Router
The R7800 is one the Netgear routers featured in this roundup. As usual, Netgear’s reputation and culture of churning out quality products shines through in this mid-range router. It’s capable of pushing signals across its coverage area on all existing Wi-Fi protocols, including the MU-MIMO which is the Next-gen AC protocol.
Ease of Setup
The Nighthawk App makes it super-easy to set up your router. Connect your internet Ethernet cable to the router and the app will walk you through the simple setup steps. Once it is broadcasting, simply connect your devices to the network and you’re done. Everything should take roughly 5 minutes.
Design
Going by looks, this router looks geeky with its angular edges. However, looks alone don’t cut it. It’s powered by a 1.7GHz processor paired with 4 antennas for efficient transmission of data. There’s also provision to mount it on a wall, if you don’t like it sitting around, that is.
Features
The X4S is capable of outputting up to 2.6GHz on both bands, and has a coverage area of 2,500 square feet. In addition, it is able to sustain up to 45 maximum connections at a time. That’s remarkable.
There’s also 5 Ethernet ports for wired connections. You also get USB ports for attaching your portable storage devices. In addition, the Parental Control feature allows you to set limits for kids and also block out certain content which are undesirable.
Other useful features include Beamforming, Dynamic QoS, DoS, Guest Access and Double Firewall. There’s also Voice Control with Amazon Alexa which allows you to communicate through voice. Let’s not forget the handy and free Cloud Storage you get when you register the product.
Some of the things we didn’t like with this device are the poor 90-day warranty and the problematic admin interface. We’ve also heard reports of poor customer support from Netgear. The choice is yours anyways. These may not really be the case right now as these issues would have been resolved as of today.
PROS
- Easy setup
- Fast speeds
- Excellent coverage
- Voice-enabled with Alexa
- Feature-rich
- App control a plus
CONS
- Complaints of poor customer support
- Poor warranty terms – 90 days
- Issues reported with the admin. Web interface
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