The Best Basic Wireless Router For 2024

Piers Anthony By, Piers Anthony
Updated
Best Basic Wireless Router
Best Basic Wireless Router

The Rundown

1. Best Overall: ASUS RT-AX3000 Wireless Internet Router

The ASUS Wireless Internet Router is a powerful dual-band Wi-Fi 6 router that provides fast, reliable, and secure connections for your home network. It is perfect for gaming and streaming with its Multi-User MIMO, OFDMA and AiMesh compatible technology. Read Review

2. Best Powerful: TP-Link AX1800 Wireless Internet Router

This TP-Link AX1800 Wireless Internet Router is a high-performance router that brings you fast and reliable internet speeds of up to 1.8 Gbps. It features dual-band technology for simultaneous 2.4GHz and 5GHz connections, allowing you to enjoy fast Wi-Fi coverage. Read Review

3. Best Speed: ASUS AX5700 Wireless Internet Router

The ASUS AX5700 Wireless Internet Router is the perfect choice for gamers looking for a reliable and powerful connection. Featuring WiFi 6 for up to 2500 square feet of coverage, it also includes a gaming port and True 2 Gbps speeds for fast, reliable connections. Read Review

4. Best Performance: Linksys E2500 Wi-Fi Wireless Router

The Linksys E2500 Wi-Fi 4 IEEE 802.11n Ethernet Wireless Router is an ideal solution for home networks. With wireless speeds up to 75 Mbps, four Ethernet ports, one broadband port, and a USB port, you can easily connect all your devices to your network. Read Review

5. Best For The Price: WAVLINK AC1200 Wireless WiFi Router Dual

The WAVLINK Dual Band WiFi Router is the perfect solution for setting up a secure and fast wireless network. It features dual band 2.4GHz and 5GHz and four 5dBi high-gain antennas, giving you a strong and reliable connection and coverage throughout your home. Read Review

When you’re ready to set up your home network and share files, the first question that comes to mind is which wireless router should I buy? There are many wireless routers available in the market. Most of them are decent but not all of them. You need to know what you want from your wireless router so you can look for the best one. A good wireless router will make setting up a Wi-fi network in your home easier and faster. It should be able to cover most of your home while giving you a reliable internet connection on every corner.

With so many options on the market, it can be overwhelming to choose the best basic wireless router for your needs. That's why we've done the research for you and compiled a list of the top contenders. From speedy internet connections to easy setup and management, these routers offer the best combination of features and affordability. So, sit back and relax while we guide you through the best basic wireless routers available in the market. Get ready to enjoy seamless internet connectivity without breaking the bank!

After doing extensive study and analysis over a considerable time, We think the best basic wireless router is ASUS RT-AX3000 Wireless Internet Router. It features a dual band gigabit wireless connection, allowing for lightning-fast speeds while streaming or gaming. The router is compatible with AiMesh technology, allowing for a seamless home network. Other options presented here are certainly worthy of your attention, and in order to assist you in making an informed choice, We have compiled the following helpful buying guide.

Our Top Picks

TOP Choice #1 ASUS RT-AX3000 Wireless Internet Router
Our Score:
9.7
ASUS

The Most Powerful Mesh System — AiMesh technology allows you to establish an even stronger mesh WiFi system with other ASUS AiMesh compatible routers, ensuring stable and seamless whole home coverage.

Mobile App Support - Control and customize every feature at your fingertips using the ASUS Router App for both iOS and Android devices.

Maximum Range : 3000 Sq Ft

The Next Gen WiFi Standard - Future proof your home network with the next-gen WiFi 6 technology, providing up to 2. 7x faster speed than the previous WiFi generation featuring OFDMA and MU-MIMO technology.

Commercial-grade network security for family - AiProtection Pro protects all the connected devices on your home network and advanced parental controls allow you to manage the family's internet usage.

Ultra-Fast Wi-Fi - RT-AX3000 supports 160MHz bandwidth and 1024-QAM, boasting a total network speed of 3000 Mbps - 575Mbps on the 2. 4GHz band, and 2402GHz on the 5GHz band.

TOP Choice #2 TP-Link AX1800 Wireless Internet Router
Our Score:
9.5
TP-Link

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

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)

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

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

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

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

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)

TOP Choice #3 ASUS AX5700 Wireless Internet Router
Our Score:
9.4
ASUS

Mobile Game Mode - Minimize lag and latency for mobile gaming with just a tap on the ASUS Router app

New-generation WiFi 6 - Enjoy ultrafast speeds up to 5700 Mbps with the latest WiFi 6 (802.11ax) and 160MHz channels

True 2 Gbps wired and wireless speeds - Aggregated 2 Gbps WAN connections and WiFi 6

Commercial-grade home network security – Lifetime free ASUS AiProtection Pro, powered by Trend Micro, with WPA3 and advanced Parental Controls to protect your home

Connector Type : USB

ASUS AiMesh support – Create a flexible, seamless whole-home mesh network with AiMesh-compatible routers

4 Linksys E2500 Wi-Fi Wireless Router
Our Score:
9.3
Linksys

ISM Band: Yes

Wi-Fi Generation: Wi-Fi 4

Broadband Transmission Technology: Ethernet

5 WAVLINK AC1200 Wireless WiFi Router Dual
Our Score:
9.2
WAVLINK

✅【Stable Wired Connections】WAVLINK wireless router with 1 x 10/100/1000Mbps WAN port, 1 x 10/100/1000Mbps LAN port,3 x 10/100Mbps LAN ports and 1 x USB 2.0 port. Provide fast and secure wired connections.Four external antennas and beamforming technology help the router create a strong, far-reaching network for your home. You get excellent wireless performance with a stable signal in every direction. The USB port helps you share content from your connected USB storage devices.

✅【Patented Touchlink Technology】WAVLINK AC1200 WiFi router with patented Touchlink technology, touch and connect,make sharing easy.By touching the WAVLINK sensor area on the router panel, the LED will flash blue and then select the WiFi SSID (WiFi name) as "Touch" to complete the connection and enable wireless internet access.TURBO technology can provide you better WiFi experience, just press TURBO button, your network will be optimised.

✅【Gigabit WiFi Router】With a combined speed of 867Mbps on the 5GHz band and 300Mbps on the 2.4GHz band, this dual-band wifi router can automatically assign devices to the best available channel and the router can connect more than 64 devices simultaneously, with combined speeds sufficient for transferring your large digital files and streaming HD video.

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

Full Featured WiFi 6 Router– Equipped with 4T4R and HE160 technologies on the 5 GHz band to enable max 4.8 Gbps ultra-fast connections.Power:12 V ⎓ 2.5 A

Gigabit WiFi for 8K Streaming – Up to 5400 Mbps WiFi for faster browsing, streaming, gaming and downloading, all at the same time

Extensive Coverage - Enjoy stable WiFi connections, even in the kitchen and bedroom. High-Power FEM, 6× Antennas, Beamforming, and 4T4R structures combine to adapt WiFi coverage to perfectly fit your home and concentrate signal strength towards your devices

USB Sharing – 1× USB 3.0 port enables easy media sharing and private cloud storage

Connect More Devices – Supports MU-MIMO and OFDMA to reduce congestion and 4X the average throughput

More Vents, Less Heat – Improved vented areas help unleash the full power of the router

TP-Link HomeShield – TP-Link's premium security services keep your home network safe with cutting-edge network and IoT protection. Free features: 1. Network Security Scan 2. Basic Parental Controls 3. QoS 4. Weekly/Monthly Reports 5. IoT Device Identification, HomeShield Pro paid service ads more robust protections and features for, 5.99/Month, 1-Month Free Trial

7 NETGEAR AC1750 Wireless Router
Our Score:
8.8
NETGEAR

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

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

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

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

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

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

Maximum Range : 1500 Sq Ft

Integrated USB port acts as a media Server, easily share your USB drive content

Gigabit Router with 4 Gigabit LAN ports, fast access to multiple connected wired devices, Ideal as a gaming router

3 external antennas for long range Wi-Fi. System Requirements-Internet Explorer 11, Firefox 12.0, Chrome 20.0, Safari 4.0, or other JavaScript-enabled browser. Cable or DSL Modem (if needed)

OneMesh Compatible Router- Form a seamless WiFi when work with TP-Link OneMesh WiFi Extenders

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

TP-Link tether app easily set up and remotely manage your home network

Router for wireless internet, works with Alexa, compatible with all Wi-Fi devices, 802.11ac and older

Dual band router upgrades to 1750 Mbps high speed internet(450mbps for 2.4GHz, 1300Mbps for 5GHz), reducing buffering and ideal for 4K streaming

An Unprecedented Wireless Experience with Wi-Fi 6: The AX3200 Wi-Fi 6 Wireless Router features a dual-band signal with a 5G transfer rate of 2400Mbps and a 2.4G transfer rate of 800Mbps, which reduces buffering and latency while allowing smooth roaming.It is not compatible to rout local DNS through Pi Hole.

High Performance and Stability: If your network isn't up to par, consider purchasing the Reyee AX3200 . Our wireless router provides a stable network with high performance for 78 devices using the groundbreaking OFDMA feature and MU-MIMO technology,allowing for simultaneous video streaming and greater family connectivity.

The One-Click Reyee Mesh Advantage: To create a network and finalize the pairing of several devices, click the Reyee Mesh button. One-click setup, and the entire house is wifi6.

10 WAVLINK AC1200 Wireless Internet Router
Our Score:
8.0
WAVLINK

✅【Router/WISP/AP Operating Mode】WAVLINK wifi router supports router mode, access point mode and WISP mode.Router/AP mode is ideal for converting wired networks into wireless networks; WISP mode is used to boost WiFi signals and extend WiFi coverage of existing wireless networks.

✅【Secure and Stable Home WiFi Router】Enjoy safe and secure Internet connections for you and your family, with WPA/WPA2 PSK mixed security and industry-level password encryption.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 Router】WAVLINK 1200Mbps Dual Band WiFi Router is compliant with IEEE 802.11ac WiFi standards, supporting dual-band 5GHz 867Mbps and 2.4GHz 300Mbps.Get lightning fast connections for all your wireless devices.

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What to Look For in a best basic wireless router?

A valuable product is determined by many factors (included below). The process of researching the best basic wireless router is pretty significant because of these features related to the products. However, rest assured that we are here to support your challenges.

Having a closer look at the following factors would benefit you a lot. These are the most important things among various ones you need to consider:

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

FAQs

What is a wireless router?

A wireless router is a device used to connect computers and other devices to the internet or a local network wirelessly. It allows multiple users to access the same internet connection and share data and files over a single network.

How do I set up a wireless router?

Setting up a wireless router is typically straightforward. First, connect the router to your broadband modem via an Ethernet cable. Then, power on the router and configure the settings using the router's web-based interface. Finally, connect your wireless devices to the network using the network name and password that you specified during the setup process.

How do I secure my wireless network?

To secure your wireless network, you should enable the security features that are built into your router. This includes changing the default router password, enabling WPA2 encryption, and disabling remote access to the router. You should also consider using MAC address filtering, which prevents devices from connecting to the network unless they are authorized.

How do I change the password for my wireless router?

To change the password for your wireless router, you will need to access the router’s web-based setup page. Refer to the router’s user manual for specific instructions.

What is the difference between a modem and a router?

A modem is a device that allows you to connect to the internet using a cable or telephone line. A router is a device that takes the signal from the modem and distributes it to the devices in your home or office network. The router also provides a secure connection to the internet.


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About Piers Anthony

Piers Anthony

Piers Anthony is a freelance writer and computer expert who enjoys helping others get the most out of their technology. He has written extensively about laptops, soundbars, and other computer-related topics, and he currently serves as the editor of The Audio Insights website. When he's not writing or tinkering with his gadgets, Piers can be found spending time with his wife and family.