The Best Basic Wifi Router For 2024

Harlan Ellison By, Harlan Ellison
Updated
Best Basic Wifi Router
Best Basic Wifi Router

The Rundown

1. Best Of The Best: NETGEAR R6700AXS Router

The NETGEAR R6700AXS Router is a powerful router that offers a range of advanced features including up to 1,500 square feet of coverage for 20+ devices, automatic privacy shield on connected devices, Fast AX1800 Gigabit speeds with WiFi 6 technology for uninterrupted streaming. Read Review

2. Best For The Price: Amazon eero mesh WiFi router

Get reliable WiFi up to 1,500 square feet. The eero mesh WiFi router brings fast, reliable Wi-Fi to your home and office. Designed with an easy setup and 3-in-1 functionality, the eero is both a Wi-Fi extender and a powerful router so you can get the most out of your WiFi. Read Review

3. Best Quality: TP-Link AX1800 WiFi 6 Router

Bring your house into the 21st century with TP-Link AX1800 WiFi 6 Router. The Wi-Fi 6 router offers significantly faster speeds and greater capacity, with a wider coverage. Setup is simple, as it supports Alexa for voice control and Google Assistant for full connectivity. Read Review

4. Best Efficient: Tenda AXE5700 Smart WiFi 6E Router

The high speed, tri-band 6E Wi-Fi provides the fastest and most reliable WiFi speed up to 5665 Mbps. With the best quality of service and 3x faster speed than previous generation YX917 routers, this router is the go-to kit for all your home networking needs. Read Review

5. Best Performance: Google Wifi Router

Google Wifi is a simple, reliable and fast wireless router that lets you easily manage screen time for your family. With the Parental Controls feature, you can easily set time limits and schedules to protect your children from spending too much time online. Read Review

WiFi routers are an essential piece of technology in almost every home. If you have more than one device that needs internet access, a wifi router will make it all much easier for you. With the best wifi routers on the market, it’s now so much easier to stream movies or play games with friends on different devices within your home at the same time.

However, before you rush out and purchase the first router that comes to mind, there are several things you should consider when choosing the right one. Depending on your usage and space available, some may be better than others. Here we’ll explore six of the best Wi-Fi routers available today.

After 11 hours of research on customer feedback & product specifications, We've come up that the best basic wifi router is NETGEAR R6700AXS Router. With wide coverage and strong wifi speed, as well as a very affordable price, this is the first choice for you. If you desire extra features not included in this model, you might look into another one: Amazon eero mesh WiFi router. It could better suit your needs.

Our Top Picks

TOP Choice #1 NETGEAR R6700AXS Router
Our Score:
9.7
NETGEAR

NETGEAR Armor protects your family's WiFi with an automatic shield of security across your connected devices with a 1-year subscription (99.99 value) included

Fast AX1800 Gigabit speed with WiFi 6 technology for uninterrupted streaming, HD video gaming, and web conferencing

Connects to your existing cable modem and replaces your WiFi router. Compatible with any internet service provider up to 1Gbps including cable, satellite, fiber, and DSL

Backed by a 1-year limited hardware warranty

Coverage up to 1,500 sq. ft. for 20+ devices

Plug in computers, game consoles, streaming players, and more with 4 x 1G Ethernet ports

Sets up in minutes with the Nighthawk App; easily manage WiFi settings, test internet speed, and monitor data usage

NETGEAR Smart Parental Controls promotes healthy Internet habits, fosters responsibility and builds trust with your kids (30-day free trial included)

TOP Choice #2 Amazon eero mesh WiFi router
Our Score:
9.5
Eero

FAST STANDALONE ROUTER - The eero mesh WiFi router brings up to 1,500 sq. ft. of fast, reliable WiFi to your home.

DON'T LET WIFI SLOW YOU DOWN- Get the most from your WiFi by streaming, gaming, and working from anywhere across your home.

WORKS WITH ALEXA- With eero and an Alexa device (not included), you can easily manage wifi access for network profiles to take focus away from screens and back to what’s important.

EASILY EXPAND YOUR SYSTEM - With cross-compatible hardware, you can add eero products as your needs change.

GETS BETTER OVER TIME - Receive automatic updates to help keep your network safe and secure. Online security and additional network management features available via a separate subscription.

EXPERIENCE THE EERO TRUEMESH DIFFERENCE - eero’s patented TrueMesh technology intelligently routes traffic to reduce drop-offs and dead spots.

SET UP IN MINUTES - The eero app guides you through setup and allows you to manage your network from anywhere.

WORKS WITH YOUR INTERENT SERVICE PROVIDER- eero replaces your wifi router and works with most major internet service providers.

TOP Choice #3 TP-Link AX1800 WiFi 6 Router
Our Score:
9.4
TP-Link

Works with all internet service providers, such as Comcast, Charter, AT&T, Verizon, Xfinity, Spectrum, RCN, Cox, CenturyLink, Frontier, etc.( a modem is required for most internet service providers)

Dual-Band WiFi 6 Internet Router: Wi-Fi 6(802.11ax) technology achieves faster speeds, greater capacity and reduced network congestion compared to the previous generation

VPN Server and Client: Archer AX21 Supports both VPN Server and VPN Client (Open/PPTP/L2TP over Ipsec)

Next-Gen 1.8 Gbps Speeds: Enjoy smoother and more stable streaming, gaming, downloading and more with WiFi speeds up to 1.8 Gbps (1200 Mbps on 5 GHz band and 574 Mbps on 2.4 GHz band)

Certified for Humans: Smart home made easy for non-experts. Setup with Alexa is simple

Extensive Coverage: Achieve the strong, reliable WiFi coverage with Archer AX1800 as it focuses signal strength to your devices far away using Beamforming technology, 4 high-gain antennas and an advanced front-end module (FEM) chipset

Connect more devices: Wi-Fi 6 technology communicates more data to more devices simultaneously using revolutionary OFDMA technology

4 Tenda AXE5700 Smart WiFi 6E Router
Our Score:
9.3
Tenda

Ultra-wide Coverage with Wi-Fi+:Equipped with the Wi-Fi+ function, multiple RX27 Pro can be easily networked without configuration, realizing a high-speed whole-home Wi-Fi experience for larger units.

Top-notch CPU, Near-zero Latency:Equipped with Broadcom 1.7GHz Quad-core CPU, wider 6GHz channels and higher capacity for higher performance, less interference and near-zero latency.

More Enjoyable Ultimate Speed Experience:Armed with tri-band Wi-Fi 6E, RX27 Pro becomes the next-level speed router that offers amazing Wi-Fi speeds up to 5665 Mbps, ensuring everyone in your house enjoys no-lag AR/VR gaming, uninterrupted 8K streaming, and smooth video calls all at the same time.

WiFi 6E Unleashed:The brand new 6 GHz band brings more bandwidth, faster speeds, and near-zero latency; Enables more responsive gaming and video chatting

Wi-Fi 6E Makes a Difference:More capacity in the 6 GHz band, which solves connection and congestion issues. Wider channels, up to 160 MHz, are ideal for 4K/8k video and AR/VR games.Less interference because only 6E-capable devices can use the band.

Tri-Band WiFi 6E Router :Up to 5665 Mbps WiFi for faster browsing, streaming, gaming and downloading, all at the same time(6 GHz: 2402 Mbps;5 GHz: 2402 Mbps;2.4 GHz: 861 Mbps)

Whole-home Powerful Wi-Fi 6E Coverage:5*6dBi high-gain external antennas and 7 high-power FEMS combine to extend whole-home strong, reliable Wi-Fi. Supporting cutting-edge Wi-Fi 6E technologies, such as BSS Coloring, ensure your smooth and stable connections in every corner.

5 Google Wifi Router
Our Score:
9.1
Google

Please refer to the product description section below for all applicable legal disclaimers denoted by the bracketed numbers in the preceding bullet points (e.g. [1], [2], etc.)

Intelligently works behind the scenes to make sure your Wifi remains fast so you can stream with speed[2]

Easy to control home Wifi system lets you prioritize devices check your network speeds, set up a guest network, and more

Sustainably designed; 49% of the plastic part weight is made with recycled material (2020 model)

Works with all Google Wifi points and can be added to any existing Nest Wifi system; just add more points if you need more coverage

Simple setup in a few steps; use the Google Home app to create your network and get online in minutes[3]

Google Wifi gives you whole home coverage; 1 Pack covers up to 1500 square feet and 3 Pack covers up to 4500 square feet; points work together to create a mesh network for more coverage

Google Wifi is a scalable flexible mesh Wifi system that blankets your home in reliable coverage and keeps buffering at bay; 1 Google Wifi point replaces your router and additional points expand your network to keep the connection fast in every room[1]

Parental controls let you manage screen time, restrict certain kinds of adult content, and pause Wifi to specific devices on your mesh network whenever you want

6 Motorola MG7700 Modem WiFi Router
Our Score:
8.9
Motorola

Fast 24x8 DOCSIS 3.0 cable Modem Plus a built-in AC1900 Dual band (2.4GHz and 5GHz) Wi-Fi Gigabit Router with four Gigabit (GigE) Ethernet ports, power boost Wi-Fi amplifiers, firewall security, and more. The maximum modem speed is 1000 Mbps, supporting service speeds up to 650.

Eliminate up to 156 dollars per year in cable Modem rental fees. (Savings are shown for Comcast Xfinity and vary by cable service provider.) certified by all leading cable service providers including Comcast Xfinity, Cox, Charter spectrum (no cable Modem is compatible with fiber optic, DSL, or satellite services, available from Verizon, AT&T, CenturyLink, Frontier, and others.)

Wireless power boost for better speed and range - Adds high-performance Wi-Fi power amplifiers to boost the wireless signals to the legal limit, giving a significant Boost in speed and range. In addition, anybeam Performing at both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequencies focuses the signal on wireless clients to further enhance performance and range

Built-in high-speed router with AC1900 wireless and Power boost - Provides internet access for Wi-Fi devices including smartphones, notebooks, tablets, and more. 4 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports provide wired connections to Windows and Mac computers and other Ethernet-capable devices. A Broadcom cable Modem Chipset provides security from denial of service attacks.

7 ARRIS SBG7400AC2 Router
Our Score:
8.7
ARRIS

Dedicated Customer Support: Live Chat and Phone Support available 8am -1am EST.

Compatibility: The SURFboard SBG7400AC2 is compatible with major U.S. cable internet providers including Cox, Spectrum, Xfinity and others. It's approved for cable internet speed plans up to 800 Mbps. Check your Internet Service Provider (ISP) website to confirm compatibility.

What's in the Box: When you purchase you will get an ARRIS SURFboard SBG7400AC2 Cable Modem, Power Supply, Quick-Start guide, and 2-year warranty card.

Simple and Secure Set-up: Just plug-in, download the SURFboard Central App, and follow the step-by-step intrstuctions to activate the modem, set-up and customize your Wi-Fi network, and add devices to your home network! Once setup is complete, the app provides real-time monitoring of the devices on your network, enhanced parental controls like setting time limits and pausing internet and much more.

Modem Technology: DOCSIS 3.0 is a reliable, broadly available, and affordable technology that delivers high speed internet to your home devices.

A Trusted Name in Home Connectivity: Get high speeds, better coverage, and a two-in-one product! With the ARRIS SURFboard SBG7400AC2 Wi-Fi Cable Modem, you will increase your network capability and get faster streaming and downloading throughout your home. From a trusted brand with over 260 million modems sold and growing.

Router Technology: Features four 1-Gigabit ethernet ports and delivers Wi-Fi 5 speeds up to 2.3 Gbps (2,350 Mbps).

Warranty Provided by ARRIS: Product ships with 2-Year Limited Warranty.

Save Money: Own your modem and save. Reduce your cable bill up to $168 dollars per year in cable modem rental fees (Savings vary by cable service provider). Certified for use with most U.S. cable internet service providers. For a complete list see additional details below.

8 NETGEAR Nighthawk Smart Wi-Fi Router
Our Score:
8.5
NETGEAR

Safe & secure: Supports WPA2 wireless security protocols. Includes Guest Wi-Fi access, DOS, Firewall, VPN, and more. System requirements: Microsoft Windows 7, 8, 10, Vista, XP, 2000, Mac OS, UNIX, or Linux. Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0, Firefox 2.0, Safari 1.4, or Google Chrome 11.0 browsers or higher

Recommended for up to 25 devices: Reliably stream videos, play games, surf the internet, and connect smart home devices

Wired Ethernet ports: Plug in computers, game consoles, streaming players, and other nearby wired devices with 4 x 1 gigabit Ethernet ports

Maximum Range : 1500 Sq Ft

NETGEAR Armor protects your family's WiFi with an automatic shield of security across all your connected devices with a 30-day free trial

NETGEAR Smart Parental Controls promotes healthy Internet habits, fosters responsibility and builds trust with your kids (30-day free trial included)

USB connections: Share a storage drive or printer with any connected device or create a personal cloud storage to access from anywhere, using the 1 x 3.0 USB port

Safe & secure: Supports WPA2 wireless security protocols. Includes Guest Wi-Fi access, DOS, Firewall, VPN, and more

Loaded with advanced technology: Designed with a 1GHz dual core processor, 3 amplified antennas, Beamforming plus, Dynamic QoS, Smart Connect, and more

9 Linksys Mesh Wifi 6 Router
Our Score:
8.4
Linksys

Wi-Fi 6 speeds up to 1.5 Gbps to support 4K streaming, gaming, video calls and more

Amazon exclusive extended 18 month warranty

With Alexa, easily manage Wi-Fi access for devices and individuals in your home

Connectivity technology: Ethernet

Future-proof and easily expandable, simply add Linksys Mesh products to expand coverage throughout your home

Coverage up to 1500 square feet and supports 20plus devices

Sets up in minutes with the easy to use Linksys App

Dynamically maximizes Wi-Fi speed and eliminates dead zones in your home

Powered by intelligent mesh technology

10 Gryphon Guardian Mesh WiFi Router
Our Score:
8.2
Gryphon

SIMPLE SETUP & SMARTPHONE CONTROL – The Gryphon Connect app provides you with a single solution for managing your WiFi network, parental controls, device access, and app use (4) (5)

WIFI WHERE YOU NEED IT – Enjoy reliable connectivity throughout your whole apartment or improve WiFi speeds in rooms far from your modem as simultaneous AC1200 dual-band radios and 2x2 MU-MIMO deliver up to 1,800 sq. ft. of coverage off a single Gryphon Guardian router (1) (2)

NEXT-GENERATION FIREWALL – Protect every device in your home with this WiFi mesh system’s modern malware and ransomware protection, 24/7 intelligent intrusion detection to guard against hackers, and automatic protection from phishing scams (3)

COMPREHENSIVE PARENTAL CONTROLS – Schedule screen time, monitor online search and create a safe Internet experience by managing all your family’s smart devices and apps in one central location. Use Gryphon Guardian as an independent mesh router with flexible parental control features or as an add-on to your existing network (4)

AFFORDABLE CONNECTIVITY & SECURITY – Beef up your mesh network’s coverage, add extra security to your system, and get access to advanced parental controls with the super flexible and inexpensive Gryphon Guardian. Use independently for small spaces or add onto your existing home network

Product Images, Product Titles, Product Highlights from Amazon Product Advertising API

What to Look For in a best basic wifi router?

Different considerations must be taken during the shopping process. Study resources are obtained in a wide variety of ways. Thus, our staff is all here to lend a helping hand, advice, and solutions to your issues.

Please take a closer examination of the features below and that would be beneficial before your purchase of best basic wifi router: 

Quality Of Service

Wireless Routers offer a great way to optimize the performance of your computer. You can change the router's settings to work best for streaming videos, making Skype calls, playing games, or streaming music. This will give those applications more of the bandwidth—so, for example, your Netflix movie doesn't pause and rebuffer because someone in your house is downloading a large file.

Security

To secure your router, you should use the latest available encryption standard. This is likely WPA2 or WPA3, depending on the age of your router. You’ll need to enter the password just once into each wireless device you use; afterward, the device will remember it.

WiFi Standards

As of early 2021, the tech world is starting to transition away from the WiFi standard known as WiFi 5 and towards WiFi 6, which is faster and boasts better support for more devices connected at the same time. Older, WiFi 5-certified devices like smartphones and laptops can still be used with WiFi 6 routers, but you won’t receive the full benefits of WiFi 6 unless the device you are using is certified for the new standard. For more information on WiFi 6, be sure to read this article.

LAN Ports

Many internet-connected smart home devices, such as Philips Hue and Samsung SmartThings products, require a LAN port-connected hub to function. If you need more LAN ports than the router has, you can expand the number available by adding an Ethernet switch. This is sort of like a power strip that adds open Ethernet ports.

USB Ports

USB ports on a router are used for connecting to a flash drive, an external hard drive, or a USB printer if the router has a built-in print server.

App-Based Management

Every new router comes with apps meant to simplify the task of setting up and making adjustments to your WiFi network. The apps make it easier than ever before to monitor which devices are connected to your network and adjust which devices get priority. These apps can also alert you when an update is available for your router.

Booster Club

When it comes to wireless routers, most ISPs offer several tiers of service. If you’re ever in a situation where you need more speed for streaming or gaming, you can always upgrade your service. A connection speed of around 200 megabits per second should be able to handle a family’s worth of activities like this.

FAQs

Is A Router Possible To Work Without A Modem?

Yes, wireless routers can be used to connect to the internet. However, your router’s capacity will be limited. You would be able to use the router for tasks such as network sharing and using network printers. However, you will not be able to access the internet without also having a modem. This is because some routers come with a built-in modem, but routers usually do not feature a built-in wireless router.

Is The Router Affecting Internet Speed?

Yes and No. On one hand, your internet speed is completely reliant on the plan that you have from your Internet provider. However, on the other hand, if you have a faster internet speed – for example, a 2 Gbps connection, but your router supports speeds up to 450 Mbps only, then you would get slower speeds. This is how the router and internet speed are connected. A faster router does not automatically guarantee faster internet speeds but a slow-speed router can slow your internet down.

Are You Able To Stream Video And Play Games With A Router At 300 Mbps?

Again, the thing you need to focus on is your internet connection. A 300 Mbps internet connection would be very fast for streaming videos and playing games. A good video streaming needs a 5 Mbps connection while a good gaming experience requires about 20-25 Mbps connectivity. However, if you are on a slower internet connection, a 300 Mbps router won’t do anything to boost your internet speed. The key thing you need to consider is the speed that your ISP gives you and not the speed that the router supports.

What Is The Difference Between A WiFi Router And A Modem?

A modem's basic task is to convert one network protocol into another. Most modems allow connecting only one device. A WiFi modem allows you to connect multiple devices, but the range is limited. A WiFi Router, on the other hand, is a device that helps connect multiple networks together. It allows you to handle multiple devices at the same time, as well as share your internet connection. A router also boosts the signal coming from your modem and helps spread it to a bigger range, ensuring your entire house gets internet access.

What Do Wireless Routers Serve?

A wireless router helps connect all the devices in your home to the internet. Most modems can only handle one device at a time, but users with multiple devices generally connect their modem to a router. All your devices then connect with the router and get proper internet access. Furthermore, some ISPs also provide a wireless modem - but the problem is that they have a limited range. Hence, connecting the modem with a router helps ensure that you get internet access all over your home even if you're on the third floor.

For Better Connectivity, Where Should I Put My Router?

Most people set up their routers in the corner of a room, but it is best advised to have the router placed centrally so that it covers the entire home. However, it is also advisable to place it in a place where you use the internet the most. Moreover, it is also a good practice to avoid keeping metal objects around your router as metal dissipates electromagnetic signals. Placing your router high up will also be bad for the signal strength.

Do Wireless Routers Go Bad?

Yes, wireless routers can go bad. Given that they are plugged in almost all the time, any electric surge can cause the router to heat up or get damaged. However, this also depends on the kind of router that you buy.

When the latest info related to best basic wifi router comes available, we will update it as soon as possible. Please check our websites frequently for the most up-to-date research data.

Our team is able to support you with many problems, even the out of best basic wifi router. If you require support with your issues, please do not hesitate to contact us.


0 ratings

About Harlan Ellison

Harlan Ellison

Harlan Ellison is a writer and audio equipment enthusiast. He's particularly interested in home theater HiFi audio, and he has been the editor of The Audio Insights since its inception. Harlan is known for his sharp wit and scathing critiques, but he also has a great love of music and audio gear. When he's not writing or editing, Harlan can be found listening to music or watching movies with his wife.