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The Best Routers 2022

1. Asus RT-AX86U

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COST:

  • Up-front: ~£200
  • Annual Upkeep: ~£11

SPECIFICATIONS:

  • Wi-Fi Spec: Wi-Fi 6/Dual-band
  • Number of Antennas/Removable: 3/Yes
  • Ports: 1 WAN/1 Multi-Gig WAN/ 4 LAN Gbps, 2 USB 3.0
  • Peak Throughput: 929.7Mbps
  • Size: 9.0 x 6.7 x 3.1 inches
For the price you would struggle to find much better than this. The Arcus is probably the best general-purpose router money can buy right now, it has the power to provide high-end ultra-fast wi-fi speeds through walls and floors for a range of upto approximately 29 metres (95 Feet). For around £200 (or less, with some retailers) getting 1Gbps (nearly) with that kind of power and range is a steal. It’s an especially good option for gaming with its multiple ports and lots of customization and configuration options through its app software. On top of all that, Arcus has a very generous 2 year warranty with an option to extend it and other extended support services for another 2 years for about £60. All in all it’s a very good package deal for a high-end router.

2. Netgear Nighthawk AX8 (RAX80)

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COST:

  • Up-front: ~£270
  • Annual Upkeep: ~£10

SPECIFICATIONS:

  • Wi-Fi Spec: Wi-Fi 6/Dual-band
  • Number of Antennas/Removable: 8/Yes
  • Ports: 1 WAN/1 Multi-Gig WAN/ 4 LAN gigabit per second, 2 USB 3.0
  • Peak Throughput: 929.7Mbps
  • Size: 9.0 x 6.7 x 3.1 inches

One of the fastest Routers on the market, full stop, the Netgear Nighthawk is a very high performance Router that easily breaks the magical 1Gbps speed barrier and can boast a good range of 27 Metres (90 feet). Theoretically, at max power, it can even breach the 5Gbps speeds, which is an absurd amount of speed for any router. For a lot of people, this would make it well worth the higher price Netgear demands for them over their competition.

However, there is a reason it’s not rated as highly as the Asus despite its better stats, and that’s not just down to the price: reliability at range. While it has extremely high speed and power at upto 6 metres (20 feet) away, it rapidly drops off in performance past that point going down to only 20Mbps at its maximum range of 27 Metres. While that’s still perfectly serviceable broadband speed, it’s a far cry from what its maximum rated speed is, so consider carefully before you buy the Nighthawk where it will be placed in relation to your connected devices.

3. Nest WiFi

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COST:

  • Up-front: ~£129
  • Annual Upkeep: ~£6

SPECIFICATIONS:

  • Wi-Fi Spec: 802.11ac/dual band
  • Number of Antennas/Removable: 4/No
  • Ports: Two 1-Gbps LAN
  • Peak Throughput: 653.2 Mbps
  • Size: 4.3 x 4.3 x 3.6 inches

While Nest Wi-Fi is much less powerful than the previous offers in this list, it’s perhaps not fair to directly compare Nest to them because it is a much cheaper and more compact piece of equipment. Despite being weaker, ~650Mbps is nothing to scoff at and it can go as high as 2.2Gbps under ideal conditions; even if Nest only has about half the effective range it can be easily offset by buying multiple Nest routers given how relatively cheap and compact they are for their capabilities.

It’s also well worth pointing out that they are very quick and easy to set up and come with built-in google assistant and smart speaker; so the Nest is really bringing more than just a Router for its price tag. Highly recommended, especially if you also have a google smartphone, although if you really need more power and/or range this may not be the pick for you; and buying them in bundles can quickly cut down the advantage of it being cheap.

4. Asus ROG Rapture GT-AX11000

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COST:

  • Up-front: ~£400
  • Annual Upkeep: ~£15

SPECIFICATIONS:

  • Wi-Fi Spec: 802.11ac/Tri-Band
  • Number of Antennas/Removable: 8/Yes
  • Ports: 1 WAN, 4 1-Gbps LAN, 1 2.5-Gbps LAN, 2 USB 3.0
  • Peak Throughput: 731.4 Mbps
  • Size: 9.4 x 9.4 x 2.8 inches
The Asus Rapture is one of the more powerful routers on the market, providing low-latency broadband speeds of around 2.5Gbps via ethernet and a top-end speed rated at 10.8Gbps. As is given away by its angular and aggressive design, it’s built to appeal to gamers, and thus provides some of the fastest lag-free connections among all routers. The Rapture also excels in the range department, able to provide speeds of upto 501Mbps from 45 metres (150 feet) away. If power is what you want, the Rapture provides. All that power comes with two huge weaknesses though: size and cost. The Rapture is a gargantuan piece of kit for a Router, and it’s twice as expensive as the next most expensive router in this list. But if money is no object and you have the room, accept no alternative when looking for a high-end router.

5. Netgear Orbi WiFi 6E (RBKE963)

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COST:

  • Up-front: ~£1100
  • Annual Upkeep: ~£60

SPECIFICATIONS:

  • Wi-Fi Spec: Wi-Fi 6e/Quad-band
  • Number of Antennas/Removable: 12/No
  • Ports: 1 WAN/4 LAN (base unit), 4 LAN (satellites)
  • Peak Throughput: 1.009 Gbps
  • Size: 11.1 x 7.5 x 3.0 inches

Another very high performance mesh-router kit that blows all competition out of the water for performance. It can move 1.2-2.4Gbps consistently depending on power input, and has a top-end speed of about 10.8Gbps, but the truly insane power of the Netgear Orbi is its sheer range: 1828.8 Metres (9000 Feet)! In terms of raw power there really is nothing quite like the Orbi.

However, as you’ll have noticed, all that range comes with a hefty four-digit price-tag and very high running costs. The range and power is also completely overkill for household use unless you live in a tech-mansion, so while it is a massively impressive piece of kit it is only really an ideal choice for a very niche market.

6. TP-Link Archer C2300

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COST:

  • Up-front: ~£90
  • Annual Upkeep: ~£7

SPECIFICATIONS:

  • Wi-Fi Spec: 802.11ac/Dual-Band
  • Number of Antennas/Removable: 3/Yes
  • Ports: Four 1-Gbps LAN, 1 WAN, 1 USB 2.0, 1 USB 3.0
  • Peak Throughput: 1.009 Gbps
  • Size: 11.1 x 7.5 x 3.0 inches
A high performance Router at a budget price, competing with some of the other top routers for half (or less) the asking price along with built in virus protection and a 2-year warranty. Among budget routers, the Archer C2300 is king, getting close to the 1Gbps (at 1.5 metres (5 feet)) for less than £100. It’s even quite decent in the range department, able to provide reliable coverage out to 29 metres (95 Feet), although speed drops off exponentially past 1.5 metres (5 feet). The main drawback with having such a powerful router on the cheap is that it runs hot, very hot. It can hit about 38 degrees celsius in regular operation, so be careful where you place it.

7. TP-Link Archer AX6000

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COST:

  • Up-front: £230
  • Annual Upkeep: ~£10

SPECIFICATIONS:

  • Wi-Fi Spec: Wi-Fi 6/Dual-band
  • Number of Antennas/Removable: 8/Yes
  • Ports: 1 WAN/8 LAN gigabit per second, USB 3, USB C
  • Peak Throughput: 884.4Mbps
  • Size: 10.3 x 10.3 x 2.4 inches

Another competitive high-performance offering by TP-Link Archer, the AX6000 is a later and supposedly greater model of Router capable of Wi-Fi 6 support and superior performance at range. While it certainly provides that, it comes at a higher price to the point it can’t really be considered a ‘budget’ router anymore.

While reviews are generally positive about the performance, beware the AX6000’s reliability and support, as there have been many complaints about customer support and the router’s secondary features like parental control not working properly. Although, if it does work properly, then the AX6000 offers a lot more security features than most routers.

8. Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500

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COST:

  • Up-front: £500
  • Annual Upkeep: ~£12

SPECIFICATIONS:

  • Wi-Fi Spec: Wi-Fi 6e/Tri-band
  • Number of Antennas/Removable: 8/No
  • Ports: 1 WAN/4 LAN gigabit per second, 2 USB 3.0
  • Peak Throughput: 2.396Gbps
  • Size: 12.0 x 8.6 x 3.3 inches
A lightning fast and very powerful router hamstrung by its companies support and monetisation policies, the Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 would rate much higher on this list if only it were better supported and included more features for its price. What do I mean? Well, the security features of the RAXE500 need to be bought separately and aren’t included as standard. Netgear also has only a 90-day support policy for the RAXE500, which is quite anti-consumer, which will be a deal-breaker for a lot of people especially given it already costs around £500. And yet, it still makes number 8 in this list of top 10 due to the sheer capabilities of this router. It can manage 2.3Gbps upto 4.5 Metres (15 Feet) away, and can top-out 10.8Gbps alongside the very best routers. A serious contender for the very best router, technically speaking, that money can buy if the poor package it comes with and high asking price can be overlooked.

9. Netgear Nighthawk AC2300 (RS400)

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COST:

  • Up-front: £250
  • Annual Upkeep: ~£8

SPECIFICATIONS:

  • Wi-Fi Spec: 802.11ac/Dual-Band
  • Number of Antennas/Removable: 3/Yes
  • Ports: 1 WAN, 4 1-Gbps LAN, 2 USB 2.0
  • Peak Throughput: 626.6 Mbps
  • Size: 11.2 x 7.3 x 2.0 inches
While the AC2300 (RS400) falls behind it’s cousin Nighthawks in technical performance, it excels in one area that is vastly important and arguably just as important as actual broadband speed: cyber security. For a very competitive price, the RS400 provides solid speed and range and 3 years of protection in the form of some of the best cyber security software on the market. The main problem with it is that, while it has the range to cover most homes, its performance quickly drops off exponentially out to its maximum rated range. This can make it unsuitable for larger homes that need faster internet speeds.

10. TP-Link Archer A7

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COST:

  • Up-front: £70
  • Annual Upkeep: ~£6

SPECIFICATIONS:

  • Wi-Fi Spec: 802.11ac/Dual-Band
  • Number of Antennas/Removable: 3/No
  • Ports: Four 1-Gbps LAN, 1 USB 2.0
  • Peak Throughput: 647.4 Mbps
  • Size: 1.3 x 9.6 x 6.4 inches
For the price, the Archer A7 is a high performer. It can’t reach the fabled 1Gbps speed threshold almost every other router in this list can, but at the cheapest price point by a long way (in most cases) it’s still a bargain for a Router that can still manage 900+Mbps at short ranges. Of course the lower cost hits the Archer A7 in a few other areas as well, its performance at longer ranges (18+ Metres, or 60+ Feet) is somewhat lacking compared to the competition on this list and it has only very limited customisation options. But for a low-budget router? It performs more than well enough, and is a solid pick for a cheap router.

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