The 10 Best Gaming Routers Of 2024, Researched By Us

Nicolas Ward By, Nicolas Ward
Updated
Best Gaming Routers
Best Gaming Routers

The Rundown

1. Best Overall: Tenda Smart WiFi 6E Router

The Tenda Smart WiFi 6E Router is the perfect solution for anyone looking to upgrade their home or office network. It offers actual tri-band speed with 6 GHz, connecting devices with several bands to reduce interference and stay fast. Read Review

2. Runner Up: TP-Link WiFi 6 Router

TP-Link's WiFi 6 Router is the perfect solution for those who want to use the latest WiFi technology. With increased speeds, capacity, and range, it offers the most reliable WiFi connection for all your devices. Read Review

3. Best Quality: ASUS WiFi Gaming Router

The ASUS WiFi Gaming Router is designed to deliver the ultimate gaming experience with fast dual-band WiFi, optimized gaming traffic routing, and powerful antennas for maximum coverage and range. Read Review

4. Best Design: NETGEAR 12-Stream WiFi 6E Router

The NETGEAR 12-Stream WiFi 6E Router is a powerful, high-speed router perfect for gaming, streaming, and large homes. With a speed of up to 10.8 Gbps, this router can connect up to 60+ devices simultaneously. Read Review

5. Best Performance: ASUS WiFi 6 Router

The ASUS WiFi 6 Router is the perfect choice for gamers looking for the best gaming performance and bandwidth optimization. This router is designed to provide the fastest connection and the most reliable Wi-Fi signal possible to ensure the best gaming experience. Read Review

Gaming is growing in popularity, and so are gaming laptops and consoles. Now that you have a gaming PC, it’s time to set it up with a good gaming router to ensure your connection remains stable and lag-free when on your computer. A gaming router can be either an access point or a wireless router. A standard wireless router relies on Wi-Fi signals from other devices or access points to forward data packets between your device and the Internet.

Because of this, they’re generally designed for small homes or single users without much demand on network bandwidth. Gaming routers are different - specifically designed to provide high-speed connections for gaming enthusiasts. Depending on its capabilities, a gaming router can also act as a VPN server, which hides your actual IP address from others accessing the same network. Let’s look at our top picks for the best gaming routers available.

After extensive research and analysis over a few hours, the best gaming routers is the Tenda Smart WiFi 6E Router. Tri-band speed with 6 Ghz, this device can support up to 200 devices at a time. Consider TP-Link WiFi 6 Router as an alternative if you're still undecided. Other suggestions on this list are worth considering, and we've put up a helpful shopping guide to help you decide!

Our Top Picks

TOP Choice #1 Tenda Smart WiFi 6E Router
Our Score:
9.9
Tenda

This 6 GHz gaming router boasts incredibly reliable tri-band speeds for online play (6GHz: 2402 Mbps, 5GHz: 2402 Mbps, 2.4GHz: 861 Mbps). This router can link devices on different frequency bands without slowing them down, thanks to its ability to filter out interference. The WiFi may reach up to 5665 Mbps, making it suitable for simultaneous use in various online activities. Also, it ensures your family can simultaneously participate in lag-free augmented reality/virtual reality gaming, 8K streaming, and crystal-clear video chatting. The 6 GHz band provides superior responsiveness for online gaming and video chatting thanks to increased bandwidth, increased speed, and decreased latency.

The five 6dBi high-gain exterior antennas and the seven high-power FEMS extend the range of a solid and dependable WiFi signal throughout the home. It supports the most cutting-edge WiFi 6E technologies, such as BSS Coloring, which guarantees smooth and stable connections in every nook and cranny. The only downside of this router is that the wifi range for large houses could be more impressive. 

TOP Choice #2 TP-Link WiFi 6 Router
Our Score:
9.8
TP-Link

Your home will experience increased speed, performance, and capacity once you install this WiFi 6 router. It handles everything from your data to your devices in ways never possible. Even with your smart home, mobile, and other electronic devices connected to your network, you will have the greatest buffer-free 4K/HD streaming and gaming experience thanks to speeds of up to 1.8 Gbps and a powerful CPU. 

Together, beamforming and the four antennas cooperate to optimize your WiFi and direct more of the signal strength onto the devices you use, resulting in more robust and reliable coverage. With the groundbreaking OFDMA and MU-MIMO, the Archer AX21 communicates data to numerous devices concurrently, making it possible for the whole family to connect more without causing the connection to slow down. Whether you prefer the intuitive Tether App or the robust web interface, you can set up your Archer AX21 in minutes. However, the only downside of this device is that the user interface is not so user-friendly.

TOP Choice #3 ASUS WiFi Gaming Router
Our Score:
9.6
ASUS

The ROG GT-AC2900 has triple-tiered game acceleration to speed up game traffic from the device to the game server. As a result, you'll have a more enjoyable time playing games online thanks to lower ping times and lower latency. Its router's high-performance antennae broadcast a reliable Wi-Fi signal throughout the home, eliminating the need for costly LTE data plans while allowing for uninterrupted online gaming from any room in the house.

Its cloud gaming service turns your non-gaming system into a powerful gaming system and gives you access to more than 400 top games, like PUBG and Fortnite, on Steam and Uplay, which are well-known PC game stores. In addition, it uses Trend Micro's AiProtection Pro to stop malicious traffic from the outside world before it may damage your network. Also, this router lights up in the color of your choice and with various effects, giving your gaming rig a unique look and feel. The only real drawback is that it only offers a USB storage device but not works as a NAS system.  

4 NETGEAR 12-Stream WiFi 6E Router
Our Score:
9.5
NETGEAR

This Next-Gen wifi 6E technology introduces a new frequency range, allowing for excellent connectivity and quicker speeds. With this, video conferencing, online gaming, and live streaming are all made possible simultaneously at a higher quality. It has eight antennae designed to improve wifi signals for more robust, more dependable connections. With a whopping 10.8 Gbps wifi bandwidth, 9x faster than wifi 5, you may indulge in 4K/8K video streaming, AR/VR gaming, and HD video conferencing.

This router works with any Internet service provider (up to 2Gbps), including cable, satellite, fiber, DSL, and more. With a free 30-day trial of NETGEAR Armor, you can safeguard your family's wifi with an automatic security shield across all your connected devices. WPA2/WPA3 wireless security protocols are also supported, allowing for features like Guest wifi access, DoS protection, a Firewall, a VPN, and more. Unfortunately, this device takes pretty much time to set up initially. 

5 ASUS WiFi 6 Router
Our Score:
9.3
ASUS

Do you need a powerful router to meet current WiFi demands? The ASUS RT-AX3000 router is ideal for most households since it offers an excellent price-to-performance ratio and comprehensive functions. With its superior hardware, cutting-edge technology, and ability to prioritize network traffic and support several users' streaming needs simultaneously, this router is up to the challenge of the modern household.  It provides seamless WiFi connectivity to any device from the front room to the backyard. Because dual-band WiFi can accommodate more devices with fewer disruptions, it guarantees lag-free gaming and 4K streaming.

As it is Alexa-compatible, you can use your voice to control your WiFi settings. Other layers of security include parental restrictions, guest access, and the more secure wireless encryption standards of WPA/WPA2. The ASUS Router APP allows you to quickly and easily set up and configure your router, manage your home network's wireless connections, and keep tabs on things from anywhere in the world with an internet connection. While it has many valuable functions, the user interface is quite hard to use for those who are not tech-savvy. 

6 TP-Link Tri-Band WiFi Router
Our Score:
9.1
TP-Link

Archer AC4000 provides up to 4000 Mbps of combined tri-band Wi-Fi performance to meet your various Wi-Fi requirements and keep your network running smoothly. This router's NitroQAM technology increases throughput by 25% across all bands, and Smart Connect and Airtime Fairness features collaborate to eliminate lag and improve the quality of your wireless connections. This technology eliminates the need for buffering entirely. Archer C4000's tri-band Wi-Fi and MU-MIMO Technology allow it to send and receive data from several devices simultaneously using the most efficient band for each.

You can watch 4K videos online without interruption from your family while playing a nonstop multiplayer online battle arena game. Using Beamforming technology and six high-performance antennas, it can identify wirelessly linked devices and direct the network's bandwidth toward them. Its innovative RangeBoost technology broadcasts a powerful Wi-Fi signal throughout your home, vastly expanding your available network. However, this device can get warmer after long hours of use.

7 ASUS WiFi 6 Gaming Router
Our Score:
8.9
ASUS

This next-gen WiFi 6 router supports the latest WiFi 6 (802.11ax) technology and 160MHz channels for lightning-fast downloads and uploads of up to 5700 Mbps. With a single touch on the ASUS Router app, lag and latency can drastically reduce while playing mobile games. The dedicated gaming port on it automatically prioritizes any wired device connected to it. 

This router is made to eliminate all bottlenecks that could otherwise slow down your electronic devices. It allows for wired and wireless connections of up to 2 Gbps, realizing the full potential of high-speed networking. Adaptive QoS (Quality of Service) will also enable you to prioritize traffic to keep your network operating without hiccups. You can prioritize applications such as streaming video or web surfing, as well as gaming. It's an ideal partner for expanding your home's WiFi to areas with low latency requirements.

Additionally, this router comes with the cutting-edge WPA3 security protocol and superior Parental Controls as part of the complimentary AiProtection Pro software package for life. This router ensures the security of all your connected devices, and its companion mobile app allows you to monitor network activity in real-time. The only downside of this device is that this router needs to be fixed with MAC addresses.

8 ASUS WiFi 6 Gaming Router
Our Score:
8.8
ASUS

New-generation WiFi 6 router: Ultrafast speeds up to 5400 Mbps with the latest WiFi 6 (802.11ax) and 160MHz channels; Works seamlessly with all your existing WiFi devices

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

Connect more devices: WiFi 6 router provides up to 4x greater network capacity with WiFi range increased by 80%

Peace of mind: ASUS AiProtection Pro adds a level of security so you never have to worry about unwanted access to your home network

Unmatched coverage: ASUS AiMesh Technology allows you to create a flexible, seamless whole home mesh network with AiMesh-competible routers

Dedicated gaming port: 1 of the 4 LAN ports automatically prioritizes any wired device connected to it

9 TP-Link WiFi 6 Gaming Router
Our Score:
8.6
TP-Link

Ultra Connectivity: 1 × 2.5 Gbps WAN/LAN port + 1 × 1 Gbps WAN/LAN port + 3 × Gigabit LAN ports and 2 x USB ports ensure max flexibility and boosted throughput

Expansive Coverage: 8 detachable high-performance antennas, Beamforming, high-power FEM, 4T4R combine to deliver WiFi coverage up to a 4-bedroom house

Game Band: Tri-Band structure provides a 4.8 Gbps Game Band exclusive for your gaming rigs and bings pure immersion. 4804 Mbps (5GHz, HE160) + 1201 Mbps (5GHz) + 574 Mbps (2.4GHz)

TP-Link HomeCare: Protect your network and connected devices with a free lifetime subscription to TP-Link HomeCare featuring next-level antivirus, robust parental controls, and QoS

Powerful Processing: 1.5 GHz Quad-Core CPU ensures your network performance always at peak run

TP-Link OneMesh Supported: Flexibly Create Whole Home WiFi with Archer GX90 by adding a OneMesh supported Range Extender, like RE505X

More Devices with Less Lag: OFDMA and MU-MIMO technology deliver data to multiple devices, simultaneously

Game Accelerator: Detect and optimize gaming streams, to ensure your gaming stays immersive

Brings unbelievable speed and lower latency to your PS5 by leveraging all the benefits of WiFi 6 so you can always beat the competition.

DumaOS 3.0 is built especially for gamers, reducing ping rates up to 93% while enjoying faster, lag-free online gaming and smoother streaming.

Fast WiFi 6 AX5400 Dual-Band speed provides coverage up to 2500 sq.ft. and 25 devices simultaneously

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

What to Look For in a best gaming routers?

Actually, when you decide to invest in best gaming routers for yourself, lots of things to consider! It's harder to choose since the product comes with many types, functions, and features from different manufacturers. That’s why you should find a reliable space to acquire knowledge related to the item. 

We’ve highlighted the essential features of the best gaming routers below. Along with checking out the list of best models in the list, you should also carefully read the buying guide here:

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

FAQs

What is a gaming router?

A gaming router is a router specifically designed to minimize latency and prioritize gaming traffic over other types of network activities. It is typically equipped with features such as Quality of Service (QoS) settings, advanced networking protocols, and specialized gaming-oriented firmware.

How does a gaming router improve my gaming experience?

A gaming router can help reduce latency, or lag, in online gaming. It does this by recognizing gaming traffic, prioritizing it among other network activities, and using advanced networking protocols to route it more efficiently.

How do I know if I need a gaming router?

If you experience frequent lag or disconnects while gaming, or if your gaming performance is underwhelming, then a gaming router may be beneficial. It may also be beneficial if you frequently stream video or audio while gaming.

What features should I look for in a gaming router?

Look for routers with Quality of Service (QoS) settings that allow you to prioritize gaming traffic, multiple antennas for improved wireless range, and specialized gaming-oriented firmware. Additionally, look for routers with dual-band support, so that you can take advantage of the faster speeds of the 5GHz band.

After knowing the suitable kinds of best gaming routers and the features you wish, it’s high time for you to start your shopping. Note that you shouldn’t run out to a particular store or start scrolling through online sales just yet. With the development of technology, especially the expansion of sale sites, you can easily find your buddy. 

Remember to check out our site weekly round-up to ensure that the current sales on best gaming routers perform well in our tests. So you can catch up with them as soon as possible. Would you please give us your feedback for better service? Many thanks!


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About Nicolas Ward

Nicolas Ward

Nicolas Ward is an elite author with many years of experience in the music field and the owner of many engaging articles at TheAudioInsights. He studies music production and has many years of passionate research into sound systems. Appearing in many popular newspapers, Nicolas Ward provides useful knowledge and the latest information on music and sound.