The 3 Best Wi-Fi Routers for Faster Download Speeds and a More Reliable Connection

What is a router—and how does it differ from a modem?

In layman's terms, a modem is what connects your network to the internet. A router is what connects your your Wi-Fi or LAN network to your devices. Without one, your many devices would not be able to speak to your network. Both are integral parts of connecting to the internet.

What are Wi-Fi 6, Wi-Fi 6E, and Wi-Fi 7?

These are Wi-Fi standards, which come basically in increasingly faster and better versions. Routers you can currently buy will support Wi-Fi 6, 6E, and 7. Without getting into gigahertz and spectrums, Wi-Fi 7 is faster and wider than Wi-Fi 6E, and 6E is faster and wider than Wi-FI 6 and so on.

What the higher numbers boil down to is more devices to be active on a network—and each of them faster. You can buy a Wi-Fi 7 router, but they are still expensive. And trust us, you are probably just fine with 6E for your at-home usage.

What is gigabit internet?

Gigabit internet is a high-speed connection that achieves data transfer speeds of 1 gigabit per second (equal to 1,000 megabits per second). It's as fast as it gets—mostly worth it if you have a household full of internet users doing high-bandwidth activity. When it comes to internet plans, the gigabit plan is typically as good as it gets.

Just be warned: most routers that promise gigabit internet only do so for a wired ethernet connection. Typically, Wi-Fi connections will not offer gigabit speeds.

What is a mesh router, and do I need one?

A mesh network is a connected system of multiple devices that speak to one another throughout one home. This provides a reliable signal throughout the house, solving the age-old problem of Wi-Fi dead zones and letting you put your main router where it fits...not just where it’s most likely to hit all the important rooms.

You need a mesh-enabled router to set up a mesh network of devices. Your mesh network may require two or three mesh routers.

Are tri-band routers better than dual-band routers?

The number of “bands” your router has is equivalent to how many frequencies it operates on. Dual-band routers use one 2.4 GHz and one 5 GHz frequency, while a tri-band router operates with an extra 5 GHz band. The extra frequency allows for faster data transfer rates across more devices.

Generally speaking, dual-bands are more affordable than tri-band routers. Neither one is better than the other; it all depends on what you need. For smaller homes and apartments, I recommend a dual-band router. For larger homes, a tri-band or mesh network is your best bet.

Are TP-Link products being banned in the US?

In early 2025, there were talks of bans of TP-Link products in the United States. As of the time of this writing, those have not come to fruition. As you can see, two of our top three picks were from TP-Link and since they are still being sold, we feel confident recommending them.