The Best Wireless Router for Home (Guide) – 2016 Reviews

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best-wireless-router-for-home-review-guideThere are few things more annoying than being on the internet and having your connection cut out time and time again. Perhaps you’re trying to get important work done, but every time your connection gets disturbed, you lose your train of thought. You have to re-connect to the internet, troubleshoot problems, and, more than likely, reset your router over and over again. This can take an unbelievable amount of time, and before you know it, all your work plans are compromised.

It is for this reason that you need a high-quality wireless router. The best wireless routers are capable of extending a strong signal to each and every part of your house, ensuring that you will never have to worry about your internet connection cutting out.

What is a Wireless Router?

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Like a wired router, a wireless router is a device that is used to provide access to either the internet, or to a private network. The only difference between a wired and wireless router is that the computers in a wireless router network connect without the use of an ethernet cable.

A wireless router works by being connected to your phone line, which has broadband data being sent through it. From there, the router sends out radio signals which can be synced up with various devices, including, but not limited to, personal computers, laptops, tablets, and cell phones.

Read next: Our ultimate guide to the best wireless mouse and keyboard combos

What are the Advantages of a Wireless Router?

Wireless routers offer tons of advantages when compared to wired routers. The most obvious advantage offered by wireless routers are their ability to send out Wi-Fi signals without the use of an entanglement of wires. This will allow you to connect to more devices in more rooms of your house than you ever could with a wired router.

Another advantage of using a wireless router is that you can connect a bevy of devices to it at one time. While a wired router can only run through one device, a wireless router can connect to your desktop computer, laptop, tablet, Roku, cell phone, and many more devices all at the same time. This saves you money and allows for a much more simple and convenient connection.

Who are the Contenders for Best Home Wireless Routers?

HooToo Wireless Router AC1200

Equipped with four antennas, this HotToo Wireless Router provides you with a huge coverage area, giving you excellent connection capabilities in all parts of your home or office. With a USB 3.0 port which is 10 times faster than a typical USB 2.0 port, it allows you to connect seamlessly to printers, scanners, and copiers from several computers without any interference. Providing a solid set of features, including parental and safety controls, this router is as powerful a home router as you’re going to find on the market today.

TP-Link AC1200 Gigabit Wireless Wi-Fi Router

Sporting 3 external antennas, this TP-Link router offers excellent 1200 Mbps dual band Wi-Fi. Equipped with 2 USB ports to support storage and file sharing, it also offers 4 ethernet ports. Included with this router is the Tether app, which allows for simple setup and management. With a wide coverage area and exceptionally fast speed, this TP-Link router is perfect for video streaming and gaming.

NETGEAR AC1750 Smart WiFi Router

With 3 external antennas, this NETGEAR router offers up to 1300 Mbps dual band WiFi. Sporting one USB 3.0 port and one USB 2.0 port, it allows you to store and share data with both blazing speed and simple convenience. Offering several features, such as parental controls, and cloud USB storage, this router is a versatile device that makes your network truly powerful.

Considerations for Choosing the Right Wireless Router for Home

As you might expect, there are a number of different aspects that must be considered when choosing a wireless router. Because they are highly-technological devices, they involve some terminology and characteristics that may not be easily understood by some people. However, before purchasing a router, it’s important that you understand this terminology and are able to apply it to the router of your choice. Some things that must be taken into consideration when purchasing a router are whether it’s single-band or dual band, its signal range, its connectivity, and whether or not it possesses any additional features.

Single-band vs Dual-band

While there are many differences between a single-band and dual-band router, these differences are far too dense to explain in depth within this guide. The most important thing to know is that dual-band routers typically send out stronger signals and result in a more powerful network with more connectivity.

Range

Perhaps the most important thing to consider when choosing a router is how far its signal is able to extend. The further that a signal can extend, the larger the area in which devices will be able to connect to the internet seamlessly without delay or interference. While you don’t necessarily need a router that provides you with maximum range, you should definitely find one that works for your specific living situation.

Connectivity

Connectivity refers to the amount of devices that are able to connect to your router, either wirelessly, through ethernet cables, or through USB cables. High-end routers can easily accommodate 12 to 15 devices, while low-end routers will typically only accommodate 5 to 8.

Additional Features

From parental controls to extra security features, routers come equipped with a number of different additional features. These features go beyond the primary purpose of a wireless router, which is to connect several devices to the internet at one time. While none of these features are absolutely necessary, you might be interested in their benefits.

Single-band vs Dual-band

HooToo Wireless Router AC1200

A dual-band router, this HooToo Wireless Router supplies 866 Mbps at 5GHz or 300 Mbps at 2.4 GHz. This makes it a superb wireless router for streaming video, playing online video games, and performing any other task that has to do with using the internet.

TP-Link AC1200 Gigabit Wireless Wi-Fi Router

Like the HooToo router in our top 3, this TP-Link wireless router supplies 866 Mbps at 5GHz and 300 Mbps at 2.4GHz. This allows it to stream videos and accommodate online gameplay with close to no delay or interference.

NETGEAR AC1750 Smart WiFi Router

Like the Hootoo Wireless Router and the TP-Link AC1200, the NETGEAR AC1750 is a dual-band router, making use of two different signals in order to get a stronger and more consistent connection. This allows it to connect to more devices without having to deal with any unnecessary delay or interference.

Range

HooToo Wireless Router AC1200

Made for houses and offices of any size, this HooToo wireless router offers 4 external antennas, resulting in truly extraordinary wireless coverage. Capable of transferring data at up to 1.2 Gbps, it provides seamless gameplay, video streaming, and general web surfing without any delay or interference in any part of your home or office.

TP-Link AC1200 Gigabit Wireless Wi-Fi Router

As far as range goes, this TP-Link router is just a step below the HooToo router in our top 3. Equipped with 3 external antennas, it provides expansive coverage to all points of your home or office with very little interference. With 1200 Mbps data transfer, it is an excellent router for video streaming and online gameplay.

NETGEAR AC1750 Smart WiFi Router

Made for large houses, the NETGEAR AC1750 easily reaches all parts of your home or office with strength and consistency. Sporting 3 external antennas, it supplies up to 1300 Mbps data transfer, making it a great router for video streaming and online gaming purposes.

Connectivity

HooToo Wireless Router AC1200

As far as connectivity goes, this HooToo wireless router is spectacular. With 2.1 Gbps data transfer and 4 external antennas, it will have no problem connecting to any number of devices you decide to throw at it. With a USB 3.0 port, you can connect all of your devices to a printer, copier, or scanner with convenience and ease.

TP-Link AC1200 Gigabit Wireless Wi-Fi Router

With 1200 Mbps data transfer, this TP-Link router can connect to dozens of devices without facing any interference complications. Sporting 4 Gigabit USB ports and 2 USB ports, it offers superb direct connectivity, allowing for seamless data sharing and storage.

NETGEAR AC1750 Smart WiFi Router

When it comes to overall connectivity, the NETGEAR AC1750 is comparable to both the HooToo Wireless Router and TP-Link AC1200. Its 1300 Mbps data transfer allows for strong wireless connectivity to any device in its general proximity. One USB 3.0 port, one USB 2.0 port, and four Gigabit ethernet ports allow you to connect directly to a bevy of devices in order to share and store data quickly and conveniently.

Additional Features

HooToo Wireless Router AC1200

This HooToo wireless router offers a great deal in the way of additional features. From speed controls, to parental controls, to security controls, it gives you absolute command over your wireless network, making you the true master of your domain.

NETGEAR AC1750 Smart WiFi Router

When it comes to additional features, the NETGEAR AC1750 is very comparable to the HooToo Wireless Router. With parental controls, security controls, and speed controls, it allows you to personalize your network in order to make your internet experience as simple as possible.

TP-Link AC1200 Gigabit Wireless Wi-Fi Router

As far as special features go, this TP-Link router has imits. Though it can be operated with the easy-to-use Tether app, it doesn’t possess the capabilities to control parental guidelines. Of course, even though it doesn’t have a great deal of additional features, it serves its primary purpose exceedingly well.

Our Home Wireless Router Reviews Are In

NETGEAR RangeMax Wireless Router – Best Cheap

netgear-rangemax-wireless-routerDesigned for small and medium sized homes, this NETGEAR router is a great buy considering its price. Its Push ‘n Connect feature provides seamless and secure connection to a number of devices with just the push of a single button. With several useful features, including the ability to engage in live parental control, it gives you absolute command over your wireless network at all times. If you’re looking for a fast, secure, and dependable router at a very affordable price, you should definitely consider the NETGEAR RangeMax.

Pros:

  • As secure as routers get
  • Possesses live parental control feature

Cons:

  • Not designed to accommodate large houses
  • Connection cuts out once in awhile

TP-Link AC1200 Gigabit Wireless Wi-Fi Router – Best for the Money

tp-link-ac1200-gigabit-wireless-wi-fi-routerSporting three external antennas, this TP-Link wireless router provides a huge network coverage area for a very reasonable price. Providing up to 1200 Mbps dual band WiFi, it’s a very solid router when it comes to video streaming and online game play. Equipped with 2 USB ports for lightning fast storage and sharing, it allows you to connect printers, scanners, or copiers with convenience and ease. If you’re looking for a truly powerful router that never quits or lets you down, you should certainly give this one a look.

Pros:

  • Provides a huge coverage area
  • Lighting fast
  • Easy to set up

Cons:

  • Has no huge flaws, but is not the best router on the market

HooToo Wireless Router AC1200 – Best Overall

hootoo-wireless-router-ac1200Sporting 4 external antennas, and offering a ridiculous amount of high-quality coverage area, this HooToo router is the best wireless router on the market today. Capable of running at 1.2 Gbps, it is extraordinarily fast, and can support USB connections at 10 times the rate of typical USB connections. With several useful features, including top-notch parental controls and security features, this HooToo Wireless Router is as good of a router as you’re going to find. If you have a large house or a great number of devices that need to be connected to the same network, this is the router for you.

Pros:

  • As fast as any router you’re going to find
  • Huge coverage area
  • Possesses a bevy of useful features

Cons:

  • Performs exceptionally, but might be a bit big for some tastes.

In Conclusion

The internet is an absolute necessity in this day and age. From recreation, to work, and everything in between, the internet is a vital part of modern life. But in order to make the best use of the internet, you need a high-quality wireless router that provides a strong and consistent signal.

Versatile and high-functioning devices such as the HooToo Wireless Router AC1200 allow you to connect to the internet with a huge number of devices from any part of your house without any hassle. Tired of having your internet connection cut out on you unexpectedly? Invest in a powerful and reliable wireless router.