Best Routers

We’ve been getting a lot of questions about routers recently.  What are the best routers?  How do I get the most secure router?  My internet is super fast – can I get a router that is super-fast too? Of course, Chris has his favorites, but I thought it would be good to head over to Amazon to find the very best routers with top ratings. So I looked for a router which has at least 100 reviews with an average rating above four stars. I’ve also copied an actual review of these three best routers.  (Full disclosure – if you buy something using these links, Geek For Hire may earn a small commission at no increase in cost to you.) See the bottom of this page for Chris’ favorites.

eero Home WiFi System (4.6 Stars / 1,536 Reviews)

“Ok, I will admit that I bought these with the full intention of probably having to send them back. Through the years I have tried several different systems to put good wireless throughout our 3-story home. I’ve used several different routers, and have had an Apple AirPort Extreme and two Airport Express’ running (which still provide the backbone in the house for our less needy machine system). But nothing I did could get a good signal into the master bedroom in the back of the house, especially with the main router being in the home office upstairs on the other side of the house. My better half constantly let me know I was a poor excuse of a Network Engineer when she wasn’t even able to watch the latest Korean drama in peace while laying in bed.  Unpacking – simple and clean. … Once I had all the Beacons set up I went through the house trying to find a weak spot or dead spot. Couldn’t find one – not one! Guess I won’t be sending this stuff back after all. Sure put a smile on my better half’s face! Oh, and is this thing FAST!!!“

NETGEAR Nighthawk Pro Gaming WiFi Router (4.6 Stars / 244 Reviews)

“Being a casual gamer with a DSL connection in today’s world is a real disadvantage. My ping speeds were in the 190s prior to this router. After using the geo filter and anti buffer bloat they dropped into the 20s!!!! Yes, the 20s. Only having 10 MBps, the traffic prioritisation is a must have. I put my PS4 at the top of the list and if somebody decides to fire up youtube while I’m playing its not an issue anymore. This is a game changer. But the real benefit is the DUMA OS. It is perfect for a novice like myself to manage my home network however I want. Kid wont put down the IPad and take out the trash? No problem, one click and that IPad is offline. Want to block sites for certain devices? Done. There are super technical things you can do on this but I’m too scared to mess with those so I don’t. It seems like a lot of money but once you realize the benefits of this you’ll wish you’d have done it sooner.“

Linksys Velop Tri-band Whole Home WiFi Intelligent Mesh System (4.5 Stars / 1,656 Reviews)

“I replaced my Apple Airport Extreme with this. It felt like a better experience for Wi-Fi in my house was possible. I HAD NO IDEA how much better it could be. I bought a SINGLE Velop node and it covers my entire home better than the Airport Extreme *combined* with an Airport Express did. I will likely need a second Velop node come summer to reach our back yard, but my entire house is now completely covered. It gives FULL download speeds from my modem (350Mbps) and I could not be happier. I researched all the Mesh systems out there (Google, Eero, etc.,) and this one seemed the way to go. Of course I didn’t buy the others, but I am VERY VERY happy with the Velop and will recommend it to everyone who asks me about home Wi-fi.“

What do you consider the Best Router?

What are Chris’ favorites?

The following are the routers and mesh routers that Chris likes the best:

WiFi Mesh Routers

These ORBI WiFi mesh routers are ideal if you have a medium to large house, and one stand-alone router doesn’t provide enough WiFi coverage.  These mesh routers are ideal for “pushing” the WiFi coverage through your house, and have a separate WiFi radio for the dedicated “back haul” that provides low latency and high bandwidth.  If you have a medium sized house or larger, and have internet service that is faster than 300Mbps, these WiFi mesh routers are the best solution that I know of.

ORBI RBK50 (2 Pack, AC3000) $325 from Amazon

ORBI RBK53 (3 Pack, AC3000) $450 from Amazon

Routers

These stand-alone WiFi (Not Mesh) routers will provide good WiFi signal and network performance for small to medium sized homes and offices:

Linksys AC5400

New from Amazon $400

Used from Amazon $200

New from Best Buy $350

Netgear AC3200:

New from Amazon: $250

New from Best Buy: $250

Netgear Nighthawk AC4000:

New from Amazon: $280

New from Best Buy: $280

Netgear Nighthawk AX6000 (this looks like a manta ray):

New from Amazon $400

New from Best Buy $400

 

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INFORMATION ABOUT GEEK FOR HIRE, INC.

Chris Eddy of Geek For Hire, Inc. has provided computer service to families and small businesses with Mac’s and PCs for the past eighteen years. Angie’s List and the BBB rate Geek For Hire very highly.  You can find more on our website, or give us a call 303-618-0154. Geek For Hire, Inc. provides onsite service (Tier 3 support) to the Denver / Boulder / Front Range area and remote service throughout North America.

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