The Best Wi-Fi routers of 2020

Your router is the unsung hero holding your smart home together. From mesh to gaming to Wi-Fi 6.

2019 brought us the arrival of Wi-Fi 6 and its promise of faster, more efficient Wi-Fi performance. Now, in 2020, the advent of new, second-gen mesh network options is worth paying attention to as well -- particularly since so many of them are so much less expensive than the systems that came before them.

That means that folks looking for a router upgrade this year have a lot of interesting new options to choose from. It's good timing, too. With most of us spending more time at home than ever during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, a reliable internet connection has never been so critical.

All of that has given us a long list of new Wi-Fi router models to test out. We're still dutifully working through them (there are a lot), but we've already found plenty of great picks that are easy to recommend. Whether you're interested in gaming routers, mesh systems, Wi-Fi 6 routers -- or if you just want something decent that won't break the bank -- we're here to point you in the right direction.

Best Wi-Fi 6 router 

TP-Link Archer AX6000

Wi-Fi 6 is the latest, fastest version of Wi-Fi, and we're expecting to see lots of new models that support it in 2020. And, if you want, you can upgrade to a Wi-Fi 6 router from a budget router right now to get faster, more efficient Wi-Fi performance from connected devices that support the new standard (the iPhone SE and the Samsung Galaxy S20 are two high-profile examples, but the list is growing). Wi-Fi 6 is backward compatible, so your older devices will still be able to connect, too -- but your new wireless router won't do anything to speed them up.

All of which is to say that it's probably still too early for most of us to get a new Wi-Fi 6 router (and don't forget that you'll need a really, really fast internet connection in order to notice the difference in the first place). The AX6000 debuted at a price of $350, but we've seen it marked down as low as $270. It definitely isn't cheap even at that price, but if you can catch it on sale, it's a worthy way to upgrade to a robust Wi-Fi 6 network. And if you can, consider waiting a few months, because TP-Link has two new AX6600 routers coming later this year: the $300 AX90 in April and the gaming-centric GX90, which will cost $330 this summer. If nothing else, that'll probably mean a price cut for the 2019 model.

The best router on a budget 

D-Link DIR-867

If you need a new wireless router that feels like an upgrade -- but you don't want to spend hundreds on it -- then make sure the D-Link DIR-867 is on your list. It impressed us with steady Wi-Fi speeds and decent features for the price when we first tested it out in 2018. After that, it held its own against top-of-the-line gaming routers when we tested it again in late 2019. 

In fact, of all the routers we tested, the DIR-867 was the fastest on the 2.4GHz frequency band in both our top-speed tests and our real-world speed tests. This Wi-Fi router also held its own on the 5GHz band, beating out several routers that cost significantly more. It wasn't the best performer at the range, so it's probably best suited for small homes and apartments, but you're still getting strong performance for the price at $115 or less. 

That said, keep in mind that D-Link announced its new lineup of routers for 2020 at CES. They include Wi-Fi 6 models starting at $120 which should start to arrive in stores in the coming months -- we'll keep an eye out for those as they arrive and let you know if they're worth the extra cash over the DIR-867.

Best mesh router 

Nest Wifi

With fast wireless speeds, simple setup, and helpful, easy-to-use app controls, Google Wifi was our top mesh router pick for the past three years. Its second-gen follow-up, Nest Wifi, is faster, more affordable mesh networking, and just as easy to set up and use. Plus, the range-extending Points double as Google Assistant smart speakers now. That, coupled with a new design that comes in multiple colors, is aimed at getting you to keep these things out in the open, where they'll perform better. 

It doesn't support Wi-Fi 6 (and a Wi-Fi extender to boost the range of your Wi-Fi signal won't have Ethernet ports, which means you can't wire it back to the Wi-Fi router), but Nest Wifi does add in a couple of nice, current-gen upgrades, including support for new WPA3 security standards and also 4X4 MU-MIMO connections, which means that it can provide faster top speeds to devices that use multiple Wi-Fi antennas. 

At $269 for a two-device setup capable of Wi-Fi coverage up to 3,800 square feet (a claim that checked out when we tested it in both a small home and the 5,800-square-foot CNET Smart Home), the dual-band Nest Wifi is the most well-rounded mesh router on the market right now, and the first one I'd recommend.

Even better: As of writing this on Aug. 19, it's $70 off at Best Buy, just $199 for a two-piece system. That's a great deal.

Best Wi-Fi 6 mesh router 

Asus ZenWiFi AX

It isn't quite as speedy as the Netgear Orbi 6, but the Asus ZenWiFi AX mesh router was close -- and at $450 for a two-pack, the price tag is a lot easier to swallow. For the money, you're getting just about everything you'd get with Netgear, including a multi-gig WAN port and a dedicated backhaul band to keep transmissions between the router and the satellite separate from your network traffic.

$450 is still a lot of money, but this easy-to-use Asus router system proved to be highly capable and reliable in our performance tests. That puts it right in the sweet spot for a future-proofed mesh router that feels every bit the part of a high-end upgrade.

Best gaming router 

Asus RT-AC86U

Gaming routers promise high performance and low latency for die-hard gamers, and it isn't uncommon to find them selling for $200 or even $300. At about $150, the Asus RT-AC86U dual-band router isn't inexpensive either, but it's a strong value relative to routers like those -- and this wireless router offers excellent performance, too. 

Specifically, the RT-AC86U dual-band router registered the fastest average top speeds on the 5 GHz band of any Wi-Fi 5 router we tested. It was also the best gaming router in our latency tests, with lower average ping across dozens of speed tests than any other router we looked at.

That includes fancier gaming routers that cost more and even a couple of Wi-Fi 6 models. Meanwhile, you'll control the wireless router using a terrific, full-featured app that offers lots of advanced network controls, including parental controls for your Wi-Fi network, and options for device prioritization.

After reading this article, I am pretty sure there must be a few questions in your mind. We are here to answer those questions! Just comment below!

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