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RouterMag

Best Wi-Fi Routers

Single-box routers for apartments and smaller homes. Many can join a mesh later through EasyMesh, AiMesh or OneMesh.

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65 routers

Choosing a Wi-Fi router

A standalone Wi-Fi router is one box doing everything: connecting to your modem or fiber box, routing traffic and broadcasting Wi-Fi. For most apartments and smaller homes, one good router is all you need.

Match the WAN port to your internet plan first (2.5 Gbps or faster for multi-gig plans), then pick a Wi-Fi standard. After that, the things that separate routers are coverage, LAN ports for wired devices, and software: VPN, parental controls, and whether features sit behind a subscription.

Bigger home? See routers for large homes. Smaller place? See routers for apartments.

Frequently asked questions

Router or mesh system?

A single router suits apartments and homes up to around 2,000 sq ft on one or two floors. For bigger homes, several floors or thick walls, mesh covers more evenly.

Do I need a new router if my ISP gave me one?

Not always. A good router of your own usually gives better coverage, faster updates and more control than an ISP gateway, and you can put the ISP box in bridge mode.

What speed class do I need?

Speed classes like AX3000 or BE9300 add up every band's maximum. Look past the total: what matters is the 5 GHz speed and the wired port speed against your plan.

Can I add mesh later?

Often, yes. ASUS AiMesh, TP-Link EasyMesh and similar systems let a standalone router act as the main unit of a mesh network later.