Choosing a Wi-Fi Router
A bad router causes more "the internet is slow" calls than the internet itself. Here's what actually matters when you're picking one.
What matters
- Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) at minimum. Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7 if your devices support them. Anything older than Wi-Fi 6 is past its useful life.
- Security update lifecycle. A router needs firmware updates the same way your phone needs OS updates. Look for a vendor that publishes a clear "supported until" date. If you can't find one, that's a red flag.
- Coverage matched to your space. A single router covers ~1,500 sq ft of typical home well. Larger or oddly-shaped homes need a mesh system — usually two or three units that talk to each other.
- Wired backhaul if possible. If your house has Ethernet to multiple rooms, a mesh system using wired backhaul is dramatically faster than wireless mesh.
Consumer recommendations
- TP-Link AX-series — good price-to-performance, decent firmware update history.
- Asus — more features for power users, longer firmware support than most.
- Eero (Amazon) — for hands-off users who just want it to work. Subscription pushes for the security features, though.
- Netgear Orbi — solid mesh option if you can find it on sale.
Small business recommendations
For homes with heavy use or for small businesses, we install TP-Link Omada or Ubiquiti UniFi. Both are managed via a controller (a small server somewhere on your network or in the cloud); both have excellent update support; both are far more configurable than consumer gear. We host the controller for our managed-network customers so you don't have to.
What to avoid
- No-name brands with no firmware update history. Cheap on Amazon, expensive when they get hijacked.
- ISP-provided "free" routers. Usually fine to skip and use your own — you'll get better performance, fewer ads in your DNS results, and you actually own it.
- "Gaming routers" with RGB lights and aggressive marketing — they're usually mid-tier hardware with software branding. Buy on specs, not graphics.
When to replace
If your router is older than five years, it's probably out of security updates regardless of brand. The Wi-Fi standard has also moved on enough that you'll see real speed improvements from upgrading. Five years is a reasonable replacement cycle.