8 Best Wifi Router in India 2021 [For Home & Office]

The internet has emerged as one of the most prominent ways to stay connected, earn your livelihood, entertain yourself and indulge in games etc. But wait, are you still struggling to join the Zoom call or have almost slept while waiting for a video to buffer? 

Well, all you need is a better internet, a wifi connection to make your life smooth and smart. A wifi router is all you need to keep all the devices, viz your phone, tablet, laptops, etc. connected to the wifi. Also, since most of us are working from home, one must invest in a proper router to avoid interruptions during work. And trust us, buying the best wifi router for the home will not cost you a fortune. 

Why Do You Need a Wireless Router?

There are multiple reasons why we might need a wireless router, and below are a few common reasons: 

  • One connection, many users: There are high chances that there is just one internet connection and users are many at home or office. When all of them require access to the internet, you need a wireless router. In such cases, best mesh wifi would be the best option.
  • Living in a multi-story building: If you are living in a building that has many floors or if you live in an apartment that has many rooms; and you need to connect to the internet that is placed in another room. 
  • Want a connection in sharing: A common situation with bachelors is that they do not use the internet connection much and have decided to share the bill with friends. 
  • If working remotely is your thing: When you like working remotely and cannot or don’t want to sit at a place either home or office, wireless connections are a boon in such a scenario. 

These are just a few places where a wireless router finds maximum use. 

This article sums up the reviews for the best wifi routers for a home in India. I have researched and reviewed the top brands available in the market and ranked them on various factors and presented the best routers for home, small to big offices, gaming etc.

Also, read the detailed reviews in the section below with the unboxing videos ;). Also, don’t forget to scroll down to read the buyer’s guide and FAQs to help you buy the best wifi router

Best Wifi Router in India 2021

ProductSpeedCommunicationBuy Now
Light Usage : (For casual browsing, Video Streaming)
TP-Link TL-WR940N 450 Mbps802.11bgn Amazon
TP-Link Archer C61200 Mbps802.11ac Amazon
Regular Usage: (smart device, audio & video streaming, gaming, casual browsing)
Tenda AC10 1200Mbps1167 Mbps802.11ac Amazon
TP-Link Archer C7 AC1750 Dual Band1300 Mbps802.11ac Amazon
Heavy Usage:(Gaming, Audio & Video Streaming, Casual Browsing, Connected smart home)
TP-Link TL-MR3620 1360 Mbps802.11ac Amazon
TENDA AC15 AC19001200 Mbps802.11a/b/g/n Amazon
Very Heavy Usage:( Video Conferencing, Heavy Downloads, gaming, connected smart home)
NETGEAR Nighthawk X4S1685 Mbps802.11a/b/g/n/ac Amazon
ASUS RT-AX88U AX60006000 Mbps802.11a/b/g/n/ac Amazon

Now, let us look at the each product in detail based on thier use case.

Light usage: (For casual browsing, Video Streaming)  

1. TP-Link TL-WR940N 450Mbps wifi Wireless Router

tp link best wifi router in india

Watch the Review and Unboxing of the TP-Link TL-WR940N 450Mbps WiFi router and also read the below review that I have written in detail information about why you should buy this router! basing on my experience, performance and customer satisfaction.

Best for small businesses.

Decent speed of 450 Mbps.

Ideal to stream HD videos and music.

Comes with WPA 2 encryption.

Three antennas to transmit signals.

The TP-Link 450 Mbps wifi Wireless Router is on the top of our list for best wifi router for home. This router is best suited for light usage at home. 

This 450Mbps Wireless N Router TL-WR940N is a combined wired/wireless network connection device designed specifically for small business and home office networking requirements.

The TP-Link TL-WR940N router comes with a decent speed of 450 Mbps which is ideal for streaming HD to 4K videos and music with minimum interruption. 

The router has three antennas to increase the robustness and stability of the wireless router. The model works on router, range extender and access point modes to provide compatibility with all types of network connections. 

The WPS button is well placed on the sleek and fashionable exterior body of the router and ensures WPA2 encryptions so that there are no intrusions from outside. 

The wireless device complies with the IEEE802. 11n standard wireless network to attain up to 15X the speed and 5X the range of conventional 11g products. The transmission rate is up to 450 Mbps that facilitate in preventing data loss over long distances, in a small office or a large apartment, even in a steel-and-concrete building.

This is among the best wifi routers for long-range as it has a speed to work smoothly with almost any bandwidth intensive application including VoIP, HD streaming, or online gaming, without the lag. 

The router is easy to set up and accessible with its web interface Tether app. Tether also lets you manage its network settings from any Android or iOS device, including parental controls and access control

Pros: 

  • Connects devices like Google Chromecast, Alexa, without interruptions. 
  • Coverage of 1000 sq ft. 
  • Very easy to communicate with the tether app. 
  • Good to stream HD videos. 

Cons: 

  • Might not be very durable. 
  • Gives low speed on laptop/desktop.
  • Speed issues even after 3 antennas. 

Also, read: Best Motorised Projector Screen in India


2. TP-Link Archer C6 Gigabit MU-MIMO Wireless Router

Watch the Review and Unboxing of the TP-Link Archer C6 WiFi router and also read the below review that I have written in detail information about why you should buy this router! basing on my experience, performance and customer satisfaction.

Provides superfast network with its 802.11ac wifi technology. 

The maximum speed of 1200 Mbps. 

Up to 5Ghz bandwidth.

4 external antennas.

Enabled with MU-MIMO — MU-MIMO technology.

Gigabit LAN and WAN ports for enhanced speed.

The Archer C6 is another product from TP-Link. It is a super-fast router powered by 802.11ac wifi technology.

The router has a 2.4GHz band that delivers speeds up to 300Mbps. enough for the smaller town users, because high speed internet connection availability is low (<300 Mbps)

This is another best wifi router for a home that can use for emailing, browsing, etc. The 5GHz band gives a speed of up to 867Mbps (keep in mind old devices does not compatible with this technology). This stays ideal for HD video streaming and interruption-free gaming. 

The router can work seamlessly on Microsoft Windows 10/8.1/8/7/Vista/XP/2000/NT/98SE, MAC OS, NetWare, UNIX or Linux; Internet Explorer 11, Firefox 12.0, Chrome 20.0, Safari 4.0, or other Java-enabled browsers. 

There are 4 external antennas and one internal antenna to provide stable wireless connections and optimal coverage. 

The MU-MIMO technology achieves 2X efficiency and allows data transfer across 2 devices at a time. which mean you don’t have to worry about speed issues when multiple users connect at the same time, max all the users will get the same speed as you.

if you have this type of usage, then pick the router having the MU-MIMO technology, this feature will benefit you and also your friend circle.

There are Gigabit Ports; one Gigabit WAN port and four Gigabit LAN ports that enhance speed up to 10× more than the standard Ethernet connections. 

The router supports Access Point mode to create a new wifi access point and allows an easy set up too. For example, you can set up parental control or, allow how many devices can be connected at a time etc.

The TP-Link Tether app makes router network management easy.

Pros: 

  • Supports speed of up to 100 Mbps. 
  • Very easy to set up. 
  • Mi-MO technology allows the connection of multiple devices without speed interruption. 
  • Can stream 4k resolution videos easily. 

Cons: 

  • The range is not good. Bad option for multiple floor houses. 
  • The USB port needs windows to be tweaked before use. 
  • Needs frequent resetting to gain the speed back. 
  • 5gHz connection is not stable. 

Also, read: Best Home Theatre System in India


Regular use: (smart device, audio & video streaming, gaming, casual browsing)

 1. Tenda AC10 1200Mbps Wireless Smart Dual-Band Gigabit wifi Router

Watch the Review and Unboxing of the Tenda AC10 WiFi router and also read the below review that I have written in detail information about why you should buy this router! basing on my experience, performance and customer satisfaction.

It is enabled with 802.11ac Wave 2.0 Wifi.

MU-MIMO technology to increase efficiency.

4 antennas for robust wifi signal.

Covers larger area.

Tenda AC10 is a leader in next-generation routers with its offering dual-band Gigabit wireless with all-new 802.11ac Wave 2.0 wifi.

Tenda AC 10 1200Mbps comes in the category of routers for regular use. AC-10 is a high-performance wifi router with full Gigabit WAN and LAN ports.

The router installed with a strong dual-band wifi signal that allows multi-wall penetration. 

The Innovative MU-MIMO technology increases the efficiency of the router to connect to multiple devices at a time, this technology doesn’t degrade the internet speed irrespective of the device connected. The Tenda AC 10 1200Mbps is the best wifi router for multiple devices. 

There are four antennas(4 x 5Dbi Omnidirectional antennas) for more robust wifi signal and wifi coverage over a larger area. 

The dual-band Gigabit wireless with all-new 802.11ac Wave 2.0 wifi AC10 leads the way in next-generation routers. 

The routers have a powerful 1GHz CPU and 128MB DDR3 RAM that provide the best performance in both 2.4GHz and 5GHz ranges. 

Pros: 

  • Excellent signal strength. 
  • No drop-in connectivity; maximum speed for 100 Mbps connection. 
  • Coverage for 5000 sq ft area. 
  • Able to manage up to 22 devices without penetration issues. 
  • Easy installation. 

Cons: 

  • Does not have an ADSL RJ 11 port. 
  • Cannot establish a connection between modem and phone line. 
  • Poor customer service. 

Also, read: Best Graphics Card in India


2. TP-Link Archer C7 AC1750 Dual Band Gigabit Wireless Cable Router

Watch the Review and Unboxing of the TP-Link Archer C7 AC1750 Dual Band Gigabit WiFi router and also read the below review that I have written in detail information about why you should buy this router! basing on my experience, performance and customer satisfaction.

Dual-band connection to reduce buffering times.

6 antennas for expanded coverage.

Offers 1300 Mbps speed, 5GHz bandwidth.

Multifunctional USB ports.

Archer C7 is built-in with the next generation wifi standard – 802.11ac which is three times faster than wireless N speeds. It offers transmission of combined wireless data at a rate of up to 1.75Gbps. 

Archer C7 is the best choice for seamless HD streaming, online gaming and other bandwidth-intensive tasks. It has 1300Mbps wireless speed, clear 5GHz band and 450Mbps over the 2.4GHz band range. 

The router comes with a concurrent Dual Band Connection to reduce buffering and experience lag-free work and environment. The router operates over both the bands efficiently. Presence of dual bands means that you have two dedicated networks and dedicated bandwidth for smooth streaming. 

The 6 Antennas are made to expand the coverage throughout the house. 3 external detachable 5dBi antennas are serving the 5GHz band and 3 internal antennas serving the 2.4GHz band. 

The wifi router comes with USB ports which are multi-functional, with these USB 2.0 ports, you can share printers, files, and media with different devices through your local network or via the FTP. This can be considered for a purchase if you are looking for the best wifi router with a USB port. 

This is the best wifi router for home because it has a full gigabit wired connection for superfast data transfers. The single gigabit WAN port and four gigabit LAN ports can give up to 10A of speed which is faster than standard Ethernet connections. 

Pros:  

  • Easy set up with the Tether App. 
  • Can connect Hard disk and access files over FTP on both laptops and mobiles.
  • Both bands give good coverage. 
  • No network errors or speed drop.
  • Premium features at an introductory price. 

Cons:

  • Firmware issues. 
  • Poor wifi performance sometimes. 
  • Might have range issues. 
  • Might have network drops now and then.

Also, read: Best Gaming Monitors in India


Heavy Usage: (Gaming, Audio & Video Streaming, Casual Browsing, Connected smart home)

1. TP-Link TL-MR3620 1360Mbps Wireless 3G/4G Dual Band

Watch the Review and Unboxing of the TP-Link TL-MR3620 1360Mbps Wireless 3G/4G Dual Band WiFi router and also read the below review that I have written in detail information about why you should buy this router! basing on my experience, performance and customer satisfaction.

Strong and stable 2.4GHz wireless band with 450 Mbps Wifi speed.

3G/4G sharing system.

MU-MIMO technology for better connectivity.

Beamforming technology to concentrate signals on devices used.

USB ports for connecting printers.

The TL-MR3620 is the best wifi router for home as it has a simultaneous dual-band wifi connection. It has a strong and stable 2.4GHz wireless band with 450 Mbps wifi speed. 

The speed and the bandwidth is perfect for sending emails, internet browsing, listening to music in HD quality, playing online games and holding video chats at the same time, without buffering. 

It offers a 3G/4G sharing system that allows you to share your mobile’s 3G/4G broadband via a wired or wireless connection. 

The MU-MIMO technology transfers data to more than one device for twice the performance.  

The router is capable of sending targeted wifi signals to individual devices for stronger connections with Beamforming Technology.

The USB Port enables print or media sharing via external hard drive or FTP server. The Parental Controls allows users to manage internet access for all the connected devices. 

The TL-MR3620 allows secure VPN access by connecting to a private network with safe, secure OpenVPN and PPTP VPN connections. 

Pros: 

  • Lower ping or latency as compared to other routers. 
  • Fast and stable wifi with good network reception. 
  • Supports any operator micro sim card. 
  • Easy to install. 
  • Covering a good range with a good speed 

Cons:

  • No battery back up.
  • Requires Ethernet or USB dongle for hotspot connections. 
  • Sim card support is poor. 
  • The 4G and the wifi network do not work well simultaneously. 

2. TENDA AC15 AC1900 Mbps Smart Wireless Dual-band Gigabit High Power Router

Watch the Review and Unboxing of the TENDA AC15 AC1900 WiFi router and also read the below review that I have written in detail information about why you should buy this router! basing on my experience, performance and customer satisfaction.

Offers ultimate 11ac speed of up to 1900 Mbps.

DDR3 memory for multi-client usage.

Two wireless chips for enhanced performance over the 2.4GHz frequency.

Smart management of wifi schedules.

USB ports for connecting printers.

The TENDA AC15 AC 1900 Mbps router offers an ultimate 11ac speed of up to 1900 Mbps, providing both 1300Mbps 802.11ac at 5GHz and 600Mbps 802.11n at 2.4 GHz simultaneously. 

The Broadcom dual-core processor with DDR3 memory is best for multi-client usage and fast speed with responsive performance. 

1.3Gbps over the clearer 5GHz frequency and 600Mbps use two wireless chips for enhanced performance over the 2.4GHz frequency. This gives excellent wireless coverage to the whole house. 

USB3.0 supports secure and personal cloud and printer sharing. The Gigabit wifi and Gigabit wired connections are perfect for applications that involve streaming. 

Smart managements of wifi schedule, LED indicator and power saving kind of features available ar your fingertips.

Pros: 

  • Great looks 
  • Very quick set up 
  • Coverage for bigger houses also 
  • 5GHz signals also give a good speed 

Cons: 

  • TENDA customer support not prompt 
  • With the wifi connection, upload and download speed become zero frequently 
  • The 2.4GHz strength is low for connectivity 

Very Heavy Usage: (Video Conferencing, Heavy Downloads, gaming, connected smart home, audio and video downloads)

1. NETGEAR Nighthawk AC1900 Dual Band wifi Gigabit Router (R7000)

Watch the Review and Unboxing of the NETGEAR Nighthawk AC1900 Dual Band wifi Gigabit Router (R7000) WiFi router and also read the below review that I have written in detail information about why you should buy this router! basing on my experience, performance and customer satisfaction.

Dual-Band wifi Gigabit Router.

Easy installation and access with android app.

Dual-core 1GHz processor for faster connection.

VPN support features.

The Netgear R7000-100INS Nighthawk AC1900 Dual Band wifi Gigabit Router allows you to enjoy seamless internet with its superior processor and advanced signal strength. 

The router has an advanced data transmission system and offers faster connectivity. The enhanced security features keep your connection safe from intruders. 

The NETGEAR genie app allows easy installation and access to features through your smartphone. 

Dual-core 1GHz processor offers efficient processing of the signal and in turn, faster internet connection. The combined wifi speed of 1900Mbps allows buffer-free internet surfing and seamless experience to enjoy massive games and high-quality videos.

The device has 3 external antennas to amplify the signals for better coverage area. In case a slow device is using the connection, the Airtime Fairness feature helps prevent lags and provides direction connections. 

NETGEAR has a VPN support feature to give you a secure connection for your home network. You can add or block guests, track their usage with the superior guest network feature. 

Pros: 

  • Reduced power up time by 30-35 seconds. 
  • Solid wifi strength. 
  • Beamforming technology allows multiple device connections. 
  • Genie App makes configuration very easy. 

Cons: 

  • Disconnects often and has to be rebooted.
  • Basic stability is missing. 
  • With walls and pillars, covers only 15-30 feet. 

2. ASUS RT-AX88U AX6000 Dual Band Gigabit wifi Router

Watch the Review and Unboxing of the ASUS RT-AX88U AX6000 WiFi router and also read the below review that I have written in detail information about why you should buy this router! basing on my experience, performance and customer satisfaction.

Combination of OFDMA Technology and MU-MIMO Technology.

Blazing Fast speed with its 4×4 dual-band router, 160-MHz bandwidth, and 1024-QAM.

4 antennas + 8 LAN ports to support more clients for commercial use.

Best to use for the gaming experience.

ASUS RT-AX88U is a NextGen wifi 6 Standard – 802.11ax wifi standard, best known for better efficiency and through output.

The device offers Blazing Fast speed with its 4×4 dual-band router, 160-MHz bandwidth and 1024-QAM for faster wireless connections.

The router has a great network capacity as it uses a combination of OFDMA Technology and MU-MIMO Technology. The compliance with 802.11ax standard facilitates four times more network capacity and efficiency even when the traffic is dense. 

The router has 4 antennas + 8 LAN ports to support more clients and leverage broader coverage for commercial spaces. It equipped with Commercial-grade Security with its AiProtection Pro, powered by Trend Micro

The unconventional OFDMA Technology divides each channel into smaller sub-channels so that they travel farther for broader coverage and enhanced wifi signal. 

This is the router for a smooth gaming experience. The adaptive QoS prioritises game packets to ensure that you enjoy a smooth and lag-free gaming experience when you play games at your home or in your friend’s room. 

The router boasts eight Gigabit LAN ports to connect to multiple wired devices, such as NAS systems and personal computers etc. Also, the router is the best for a LAN party! (google it 😉 )

The ASUS AiMesh feature allows you to use multiple ASUS routers to create a wifi network for your entire home or simply watch the video below.

Pros: 

  • Charges phone while on USB tethering.
  • A quad-core processor and 128 RAM are great for performance.
  • Great FirmWare support, 3 updates within 4 months.
  • Beamforming and Mimo is an added benefit.

Cons: 

  • Switching data from one sim to another decreases the internet speed.  
  • Have to reboot the router to get full speed. 

Conclusion: 

While these 8 routers have their specific pros and cons and specifications; they are different in technology and usage. There are best wifi routers under 1000- 3000 that can fit your budget and solve your purpose. 

The best routers for work from home can be the ones that give complete coverage, good speed, and stability in connection like the TP-link. For hefty usage like gaming and connection to VPN servers for office, use more robust routers like the ASUS Rt and NETGEAR

This is all about the best wifi routers for home available in the market. You can now decide which one to buy depending on the bandwidth, speed, LAN ports, USB ports, and other features mentioned in our how to buy guide. I hope this article helps you to pick up the best wifi router as per your requirements. For any doubts, please reach out to us via the comments sections and we will be happy to answer any queries. 

Best Router in India 2021 – Buyers Guide

What is a wifi router, and how does it work?

A wifi router is a device that connects directly to a modem by a cable. A wifi router works by receiving information and transmitting the same to the internet. The router creates communication with the wifi with your home with its built-in antennas. Thus, all devices of your home can have internet access. 

Difference between Router and Modem?

The modem connects your home network to a broader Internet. In contrast, a router allows all of your wired and wireless devices to use that internet connection and lets them talk to one another without the use of the internet. 

Things to consider while buying a Wifi Router

This is a tech-enabled world, and you might have multiple gadgets like the laptop, smart TV, Smartphone, tablet etc., and getting a separate internet connection via mobile data or cable for each device isn’t a right choice. To experience a seamless speed internet across all devices, you need to pick the best wireless router that can provide fast and reliable wifi and excellent coverage. 

If you are a beginner at buying a router, you might face some challenges; the most common being the acronyms used by companies that we are not familiar with. The product names are difficult to relate to and do not give any information about the price that you will have to pay for it. Pick the best router for your needs, within your budget with the following criteria: 

  • Multi-core processor and at least 128MB of RAM

The router is also a device after all and the device hardware matters a lot when you are comparing across so many brands. The processor and the RAM is a thing to consider. People use a lot of data from the internet while streaming videos, online gaming, downloading files etc. This is why wireless routers need much more processing power than they used to. 

Buy a router with at least a dual-core processor and with more than 512 MB, 1 GB RAM or even more.

  • The router that you choose should be dual-band or more

There are no more single-band routers in the market these days. Buy a router that has at least dual-band. This means that the router can broadcast wireless signal on two frequencies (if it is dual-band) or more (if it is tri-band or more). One of these frequencies always uses the 2.4 GHz band, which works with old wireless standards like wifi 4 (802.11n) or new ones like wifi 6 (802.11ax).  If you want a high powered routers you may choose mesh wifi sytems or triband router for your office and home.

Another advantage of the 2.4 GHz band is that it can work with the old networking devices and cover a wide network area. Although, its slow speed and congestion is always a problem, especially in blocks of flats and office buildings, where everyone has wifi on this GHz band.

  • Don’t go by the router naming conventions

The naming of the routers includes a protocol of having maximum bandwidth in their model name. This should not consider while buying a router, there are AC1200, AC1900, or even AC5400 routers. Modern routers with wifi 6 support use AX in their name and write even larger numbers. These naming rules are meaningless when you are trying to buy a router. 

These conventional names do not talk about the speed that you will get or the manufacturer’s name etc. 

  • Verify the real-life speed of the router online 

Specifications of a wireless router do not mention the real-life speed that is present when you use the router. Those numbers are theoretical and measured in labs that have ideal networking equipment. 

Therefore, one should read user reviews written by specialists or by people who use the device at their home or office. Manufacturing companies mention speed measured from lab testing devices so that their product looks good in reviews. This is the only way to find it out, what is the actual speed you will get after you get the router at home. 

  • Easy Accessibility through the Mobile apps

Gone those days when user has to manage their wireless routers by accessing firmware through an internet connection on their computer’s web browser. Router manufacturers now have developed smartphone apps for easy accessibility, check the working state and manage features whenever needed. 

Different router manufacturers offer different functionality in the apps. Some provide simple functions that allow you to set only wifi passwords and change credentials, whereas there are a few who offer advanced functions that will let you configure almost all features. 

One must know that these mobile apps for wireless routers will only work when the smartphone has active wifi that is broadcast by the router. This means that you can only use the app access when you are in the router signal range.

How to choose the best wifi router

1. What are Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax standards?

The wireless standard is a family of naming standards that keeps evolving with technology; sticking to a standard called 802.11. This standard is fixed so that wireless products from different manufacturers will work together. 

  • Wifi 802.11 a: 802.11a was the name given to a router with an impressive performance level; the one that could transfer data at up to 54 Mbps and at the time which was considered a tough range in those times. 
  • Wifi 802.11 b: this was used by older devices that claimed to achieve a maximum speed of 11 Mbps. 
  • Wifi 802.11 g: Products based on the Wireless g standard achieve a maximum data rate of 54Mbps, so you can transfer files in a shorter space of time. This standard is the best for devices used in flats, apartments, or small houses.
  • Wifi 802.11 n: this is the latest standard that claims a maximum data rate of 248Mbps, is much more efficiently capable of transferring large media files such as music and video at a better speed. The longer-range makes it suitable for larger houses, and also for heavy usage, multiple users, and large file transfers.
  • Wifi 802.11 ax: This standard is a new addition to the family, which is better in efficiency, capacity, and performance. There are more OFDMA subchannels, MU-MIMO user multiplexed, higher-order 1024-QAM, and beamforming. These features help in easing congestion in the network for high-density environments like airports, stadiums, shopping malls, conference centers, universities/schools, and offices/coworking spaces.
  • Wifi 802.11 ac: The Ac standard is the predecessor of ax standard and had the following outstanding features: five to eight spatial streams, 160 MHz channel bandwidths, 80+80 MHz channel bonding (discontiguous 80+80) MCS 8/9 (256-QAM). 

2. What exactly is wifi 6?

Wifi is upgrading with technology now and then. This means more load on the router to perform better. Wifi 6 has introduced some new technologies that help resolve issues that might occur by putting dozens of wifi devices on a single network.

Wifi 6 allows routers to communicate with more than one device, send data to multiple devices in the same broadcast, and lets wifi devices schedule check-ins with the router. All these features together keep connections robust as more and more devices start demanding data.

3. Single-band vs dual-band: Single, dual, and tri-band refers to the frequency channels of a router. Single-band routers communicate using the 2.4GHz frequency spectrum only, whereas dual-band routers broadcast on both 2.4 and 5GHz frequencies simultaneously, which can give faster speeds and better performance over longer distances. The 5GHz band is capable of transmitting more data at higher speeds but has a hard time rooting around walls and furniture and can’t travel as far. Whether your internet activity is limited to checking a few emails and scrolling through Facebook or you’re one of the 75 million Netflix power-streamers, dual-band is your best bet.

4. Know your internet’s top speed or bandwidth: the higher the number, the faster your internet speed is the notion. When you research and compare the routers, you’ll likely see labels touting AC1200, AC1750, AC 3200, and so on, these are nothing but a manufacturer’s gimmick. The actual speeds you’ll see in your home depend on a variety of factors: your ISP connection, your modem, the layout and construction of your home, and much more.

5. Router Maximum speed: each wifi router will have its optimised maximum speed. These speeds are tested in the lab, and you might not attain the same at home. But make sure you achieve a speed near to the mentioned speed. 

6. Determine how much area you need to cover ( Antenna gain): buy a router depending on the size of your house. Whether you are living in an apartment or an individual home, the antenna of the router determines how much area it can provide a signal to. 

7. Count how many devices need to connect: you might be using the router alone or buy it for the family or be sharing with your friends. In all the cases, you need to determine how many devices will be covered with that router. Choose a router that can give you maximum speed with all the devices connected at the same time. 

Advanced Features:

The router should have a USB port, preferably USB 3.0: having a USB port on a router allows you to connect to a printer or external hard drive to share things on the network.

Lan Ports: LAN ports on a router are required to allow Ethernet-ready devices to connect to each other and share data. This is for better connectivity, and dual LAN ports are more advantageous. 

Smartphone App Control: routers these days have a lot of features, and a mobile app can be used to control all the features at once. A user-friendly android app should be available with the router that you buy to change passwords, change parental locks etc. 

Beam Forming: Beamforming technology in a router is an added advantage as it focuses the wireless signal towards a specific receiving device and protects it from spreading across the house. If you are using the router for a big place, look for this feature so that your devices receive dedicated signals.  

Do you need an MU-MIMO? MU-MIMO technology enhances the efficiency and capacity of the router. This technology maintains the constant speed (downloading & uploading) irrespective of the device connected. If you are a heavy user; streaming HD videos and gaming, etc., this technology will enable your router to handle more WiFi-intensive activities. 

Smart-home integration: with devices like Alexa and Google Home, we are moving towards smart wifi routers too. If you are living in a smart home; make sure your router offers the same features also. 

VPN, antivirus, firewall, and other advanced features: routers are transferring a lot of data in and out; hence the security of data is a concern. With a VPN, it becomes impossible for your local Internet Service Provider or Wi-FI provider to peep into any activity or introduce viruses in your browsers. Besides, it would help if you also looked for antivirus and firewall features with the routers for added security. 

Consider software and security features: the software that your router is using should come with security features. Wifi routers offer encryption for security, and currently, the best standard for encryption for wifi networks is WPA2. You can check that your virus is providing this security by logging on to your wireless router’s management page, under wifi settings, check for WPA 2 encryption. 

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Yo, I'm Sreekanth Devireddy, a technologist, designer and a passionate writer. Previously worked under tech giants as a Head Of Product Reviews. I love to review products and write buyers guide, that helps people to make the right decision at the right time.


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