Best Wifi Router For Gaming in 2023 - Expert Tested - WEB 2.0 JOURNAL

Best Wifi Router For Gaming In 2023 Reviews

#1. ASUS AX5400 WiFi 6 Gaming Router (RT-AX82U) - Best Overall

Important Specifications

• Brand: ASUS

• Model Name: RT-AX82U

• Frequency Band Class: Dual-Band

• Wireless Communication Standard: 802.11n, 802.11ax, 802.11b, 802.11a, 802.11ac

• Compatible Devices: Personal Computer

• Included Components: RT-AX82U

• Connectivity Technology: Wi-Fi, Ethernet

• Item Weight: 1.57 Pounds

• Operating System: Microsoft Windows, Apple iOS

• Number of Ports: 4

Product’s Highlights

Asus is widely established in many parts of the PC/gaming business, supplying a large selection of motherboards, displays, laptops, network devices and more. Today, we shift our focus to the company’s latest mid-range gaming router, the RT-AX82U. It has the usual stealthy design combined with Wi-Fi 6, an intuitive interface, and reliable performance; its RGB lighting is attractive and can be turned off if desired.

The Asus RT-AX82U maintains its mid-range objectives in the specifications area. From the hardware side, it’s built on a 1.5 GHz tri-core CPU with 512 MB of RAM and 256 MB of flash storage. A custom OS developed by Asus powers it.

As is customary, the router's ports may be found on its back. This comprises a single WAN port and four LAN ports, one of which is marked as a dedicated Gaming Port. Each Ethernet jack can handle data transfers of 10/100/1000 megabits per second, but nobody, I hope, is still using anything slower than a gigabit device. An additional power switch is included for resetting the router, and the USB port supports 3.2 Gen 1x1 (essentially renamed 3.0). Happily, we did not experience any difficulties needing a manual reset during testing.

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What We Like

• Supports Wi-Fi 6

• Programmable LED RGB lighting

• Ease of setup

• Excellent range and throughput

• Integrated security

• Granular control of QoS modes

Things to Consider

• Only four Ethernet ports

#2. ASUS ROG Rapture WiFi 6 Gaming Router (GT-AX11000) - Best Design

Important Specifications

• Brand: ASUS

• Series: ROG Rapture GT-AX11000

• Frequency Band Class: Tri-Band

• Wireless Type: 802.11ax, 802.11ac

• Compatible Devices: Personal Computer

• Frequency: 5 GHz

• Included Components: GT-AX11000, User manual

• Connectivity Technology: Wireless, Wired, USB

• Color: Black

• Item Weight: 4.1 Pounds

Product’s Highlights

The GT-AX11000 was designed without the option of wall installation by Asus engineers. It was a good size for a bookcase. Creates a tri-band 802.11ax network, also known as WiFi 6, using the Broadcom BCM43684 Wi-Fi chip. It takes the use of cutting-edge wireless technologies, including Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access (OFDMA), dynamic frequency selection, and the usage of any of 15 available 5GHz bands for the best possible connection.

The chip features 256MB of flash memory for firmware and settings along with a quad-core 1.8GHz CPU, 1GB of RAM, and 1GB of memory. With a theoretical maximum throughput of 4.8Gbps on each of its two 5GHz transmission bands and 1.2Gbps on its 2.4GHz channel, this router is lightning fast. Wi-Fi access points equipped with 802.11ax technology can reach speeds of up to 10.8Gbps. The GT-AX11000 and other similar routers will take some time to reach their full potential, however, because there are so few 802.11ax devices currently on the market.

Featuring a low-latency design, the GT-AX11000 router is a gamer's dream come true. It will let you crush the competition in space invasions, sword fights, and chases through the city.

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What We Like

• First Wi-Fi 6 (802.11AX) router

• Performance improves with distance

• Impressive 2.5Gbps wired connector

• Plenty of customization

Things to Consider

• Expensive

#3. TP-Link AX6600 WiFi 6 Gaming Router (Archer GX90) - Best Tri-band Router

Important Specifications

• Brand: TP-Link

• Model Name: Archer GX90

• Frequency Band Class: Tri-Band

• Wireless Communication Standard: 802.11n, 802.11ax, 802.11b, 802.11ac, 802.11g

• Compatible Devices: Router

• Frequency: 5 GHz

• Included Components: Power Adapter, RJ45 Ethernet Cable, Quick Installation Guide

• Connectivity Technology: Wi-Fi, USB, Ethernet

Product’s Highlights

The GX-90 has eight detachable, fixed antennas. When everything is running smoothly, a solid white light emanates from the router's top LED indicator; when internet connectivity is lost, a solid red light flashes; when Wi-Fi is turned off, but there is no internet connection, an orange light flashes; and when Wi-Fi is turned off, but there is an internet connection, the LED indicator flashes.

The WPS button and the wireless on/off switches are conveniently located on the router's front panel. Two USB ports (one USB 2.0 and one USB 3.0) are located on the right side of the cabinet. In the rear, you'll find a Gigabit LAN/WAN port and two more Gigabit LAN ports, for a total of five. Power, reset, and the charging port is all connected here.

The router has a 1.5 GHz quad-core CPU and is compatible with the newest Wi-Fi 6 standards. These features include MU-MIMO data streaming, beam-forming, WPA3 encryption, Target Wake Time, and 1024 Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM). The channel bandwidth is 160MHz, and OFDMA, Target Wake Time, and a QAM modulation scheme with 1024 QAM are also included.

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What We Like

• Strong throughput and signal performance

• Lifetime network security and parental control software

• Easy to install

• Multi-gig connectivity

• Gamer-friendly settings

Things to Consider

• Non-adjustable antennas

#4. ASUS AX1800 WiFi 6 Router (RT-AX55) - Best Dual Band Gigabit Wireless Router

Important Specifications

• Brand: ASUS

• Frequency Band Class: Dual-Band

• Wireless Communication Standard: 802.11ax

• Compatible Devices: Personal Computer

• Frequency: 5 GHz

• Included Components: QSG, Warranty card, RT-AX55(Black) Router, Adapter, RJ45

• Connectivity Technology: Wi-Fi

• Item Weight: 0.82 Pounds

• Control Method: App

• Data Transfer Rate: 1800 Megabits Per Second

Product’s Highlights

The RT-characteristics AX55's are its strongest suit. It has a ton of cool features for a router and doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Those things include the three-year guarantee, the advanced security provided by Trend Micro, and the robust parental settings for keeping young people from accessing inappropriate content online.

The AiMesh logo that ASUS uses to indicate Mesh compatibility is also included. To expand your network's reach without adding more network names, you may simply add Mesh satellites.

Of course, if you do that, it won't be cheap by any stretch of the imagination. However, it's worth considering since our estimates show that this router has a very average range of 80-90 feet.

The situation is not ideal in terms of velocity. Although it is a Wi-Fi 6 router, it is not very fast. We put the speedier 5 GHz band through its paces using a Wi-Fi 6 device (only newer devices like the iPhone 11 or later can handle this) and got a score of 401.76 Mbps.

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What We Like

• Fantastic app for controlling settings

• Lightweight hardware looks good

• Affordable entry into Wi-Fi 6 territory

• AiMesh allows for seamless roaming

Things to Consider

• No USB ports

• Poor speeds on 2.4 GHz band

#5. ASUS AX6000 WiFi 6 Gaming Router (RT-AX88U) - Best Security

Important Specifications

• Brand: ASUS

• Series: RT-AX88U

• Frequency Band Class: Dual-Band

• Wireless Type: 802.11n, 802.11ax, 802.11b, 802.11a, 802.11ac

• Compatible Devices: Laptop, Smartphone

• Frequency; 5 GHz

• Recommended Uses For Product: Gaming

• Included Components: QSG, Warranty card, RT-AX88U router, User guide, RJ-45 Cable power adapter

• Connectivity Technology: Wireless, Wired, Wi-Fi, USB

• Color: Black

Product’s Highlights

In our experience, the Asus RT-AX88U is the most reliable and fastest Wi-Fi 6 router available. There are a ton of high-end extras and powerful administration software included. Even if all that raises the price a little bit, it's still the best router you can get right now if you're concerned about the future.

There is a 1.8GHz quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM, and 256MB of flash memory in the RT-AX88U. With Wi-Fi 6 clients connected, this 4x4 AX6000 router can achieve data speeds of 1,148Mbps on the 2.4GHz band and 4,804Mbps on the 5GHz band. 

The router uses Smart Connect to choose the appropriate radio band for maximum speed automatically, and it also supports the other Wi-Fi 6 technologies mentioned above, including 160MHz channel bandwidth, MU-MIMO simultaneous data streaming, direct-to-client signal beamforming, and more. The Asus AiMesh technology is supported, allowing you to set up a single network ID and easy roaming across several Asus router types.

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What We Like

• Speedy performance

• Easy installation

• Uses the latest 802.11ax technology

• Eight LAN ports

Things to Consider

• AX clients are not yet ubiquitous

#6. TP-Link AX6000 WiFi 6 Router(Archer AX6000) - Best Powerful Processing

Important Specifications

• Brand: TP-Link

• Model Name: Archer AX6000

• Frequency Band Class: Dual-Band

• Wireless Communication Standard: 802.11n, 802.11ax, 802.11b, 802.11ac, 802.11g

• Compatible Devices: Personal Computer

• Frequency: 5 GHz

• Included Components: Power Adapter, Network Cabel, Router, QIG

• Connectivity Technology: Wi-Fi, USB, Ethernet

• Item Weight: 3.5 Pounds

• Number of Ports: 9

Product’s Highlights

The TP-Link Archer AX6000 sticks out among similarly styled routers because of its distinctive square form factor, which, at 10.3 x 10.2 x 2.4 inches, makes it somewhat larger than the Linksys MR9600. The Archer AX6000 can grow to a height of 2.3 inches when all eight antennas are extended. Unfortunately, neither the antennas nor their placement can be adjusted.

This router includes vents on the top and bottom to prevent overheating and has rubber feet for stability. The maximum temperature the case reached throughout our rigorous testing was 98 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Archer AX6000, like the Linksys MR9600, is built around the same foundational technology, Broadcom's BCM43684 Wi-Fi chipset. It replaces the RAX80, which only had 512MB of storage, with a 1.8GHz quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM, and 128MB of flash storage for firmware and settings.

The Archer AX6000's beamforming technology and ultra-wide 160MHz channels allow for rapid, simultaneous data transfer to many endpoints. The dual-band 802.11AX architecture it employs can set up networks operating at 5GHz and 2.4GHz with throughputs of 4.804Gbps and 1.148Gbps, respectively. Therefore, it falls short of the performance of tri-band routers, which have a third 5GHz band for even greater data transfer rates.

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What We Like

• 8 LAN ports

• Extra security

• Inexpensive

Things to Consider

• Limited app

• Hard to remove LAN cables

#7. NETGEAR Nighthawk R7350 AC2400 Router  - Best 4K UHD Streaming

Important Specifications

• Brand: NETGEAR

• Model Name: R7350 AC2400 R7350-100NAS

• Frequency Band Class; Dual-Band

• Wireless Communication Standard: 802.11ac

• Compatible Devices: Smartphone

• Frequency: 5 GHz

• Connectivity Technology; Wi-Fi

• Color: Black

• Antenna Type: Retractable

• Item Weight: 2.9 Pounds

Product’s Highlights

This router, the Nighthawk X4, is a 4X4 802.11ac device. Qualcomm's 1.4 GHz dual-core main processor chip drives its 2.4 GHz frequency music group, which can provide Wi-Fi rates of up to 600Mbps.

With a total of up to 2.4Gbps, the Nighthawk® AC2400 WiFi router can easily handle the high-speed connections required for all of your downloading, streaming, and gaming needs. This router's Multi-User MIMO technology ensures swift speeds for several users in your household while they all stream videos, play online games, listen to music, and more at the same time.

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What We Like

• Fast WiFi for your devices—up to 2.4Gbps

• MU-MIMO for simultaneous streaming of data to multiple devices

• Advanced QoS for lag-free gaming and smoother streaming

Things to Consider

• Utter garbage management

#8. NETGEAR Nighthawk Pro Gaming WiFi 6 Router (XR1000) - Best Lag-Free Serve

Important Specifications

• Brand: NETGEAR

• Series: XR1000-100NAS

• Frequency Band Class: Dual-Band

• Wireless Type: 802.11ax

• Connectivity Technology: Wi-Fi, Ethernet

• Color: Black

• Item Weight: 1.32 Pounds

Product’s Highlights

If you're a gamer, you need the Netgear Nighthawk XR1000, a Wi-Fi 6 router. The throughput and file transfer capabilities it provides are both above average; however, it lacks several features included in competing products at the same price point.

The XR1000 has a 1.5GHz tri-core CPU, 256MB of flash memory, and 512MB of random access memory. It’s a dual-band AX5400 router capable of speeds of up to 600Mbps on the 2.4GHz (2x2) band and up to 4.8Gbps on the 5GHz (4x4) band. In addition to the latest Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) technologies like 1024 QAM (quadrature amplitude modulation), WPA3 encryption, OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple-Access),  160MHz channel bandwidth, MU-MIMO (multi-user multiple-input, multiple-output), and direct-to-client signal transmissions, it also supports the older Wi-Fi 5 (802.11) standards (beamforming).

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What We Like

• Easy to install

• Gamer-friendly operating system

• Solid throughput performance in testing

• Fast file transfer speeds

Things to Consider

• Lacks multi-gig LAN port

• Doesn't support link aggregation