11 Best Wireless Routers for 2016
Wireless Router, huh?
Before starting this post about Best WiFi routers for 2016, let me brief you about routers and what a Wireless router actually is – in case you don’t know.
What is a Wireless Router
The crux of a wireless router are these:
- A Router – Well, think of a Router as a Traffic warden. It manages/directs the traffic between different clients connected to your network. In more specific terms, it forwards Data Packets, from your Network to other Networks out there.
- A Network Switch – It connects your WiFi devices, no matter how much they are, to wired devices through Ethernet cables.
- A Wireless Access Point – This last part, also called wireless AP, is a station and antenna that does nothing more than receiving/transmitting WiFi signals.
Wireless Router is apparently a boring device which sees through internet transmission in a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), that’s why it is also called a WiFi Router. The main advantage of wireless routers is that they connect your internet with multiple devices, without even plugging into Modem. Now, these devices can be anything from your Xbox one/PlayStation to iPhone 6s, and from Printer to your PC/SmartTV etc.
Many people among us don’t bother much when buying a Wireless Router – by many we mean most. For them, a $50 router and a $250 one have all the things common except the price tag. Due to this, they can’t watch 4K videos, play heavy games over LAN, make VoIP calls over the internet etc.
In short, they suffer from a disease, called LOSS (Lack Of Satisfaction from network System). In my dictionary, any good router is supposed to do following tasks efficiently.
A Modern Wireless Router’ function include, but not limited to, these:
- It provides you a unique local IP address – which is not visible on the internet — for every device you’ve connected. In this way, it protects your network from hacking.
- You can connect all your connect through and move from one room to another in you house – without attaching any type of cable.
- For Network Storage for Backup drives, some modern Wireless Routers gives you External Hard Drive support. It means you can plug your External Hard Drive in it for storage expansion.
- Some high-end routers offer you DLNA support. Through it you’d have control over how Audio/video and another Media is distributed over your network. You can also use it for managing file sharing permissions of your network Hard Drive.
- Some other goodies you can expect are Network Prioritization, Shared Printing over USB connectivity, Backup servers, and Parental control etc.
So, a good decision you’ve made if you want to buy a new/your first WiFi router. But if you go out in Market to buy one, you’ll probably be lost in all those types that are available right now. Some years ago we had N600, N900 etc. routers. Come 2016, and we’ve got 802.11ac routers and DD-WRT routers too. There are some options on Band-type too. One is Dual-Band whereas other is Tri-Band. So there is a chance that you may get overwhelmed by all those types.
Choosing a single nice Wireless Router for yourself shouldn’t be that hard, right?
That’s why we’ve tried to demystify most of the types/standards you’ll probably encounter while choosing a wireless router.
- Dual-Band routers – These routers have two frequency bands of 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. Many types of routers such as N600, N900, AC1750, and AC1900 belong to Dual-Band Category.
- Tri-Band routers – These types of routers have two 5 GHz Bands and one 2.4 GHz Band. AC3200 routers are Tri-Band routers. Tri-Band routers are relatively new in the market and also more expensive. But they feature many latest technologies are Beamforming etc.
- N600 routers – These routers have a combines the speed of 600Mbps, 300Mbps for each of its 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Bands. They are a bit old routers but also very cheap. That’s why we haven’t included them but they are still good if all you do is web surfing and your clients are Wireless-N only. In case you want to give them a try, ASUS RT-N56U is the best option.
- N900 Routers – As their name applies, N900 routers are a notch better than N600 ones. They provide 450Mbps speed through each of their 2.4 and 5 GHz frequency Bands.
- AC17500 Routers – These are Dual-Band routers that have a total speed of 1750Mbps (1300Mbps for GHz and 450Mbps for 2.4 GHz).
- AC1900 Routers – These are similar to AC1750 routers, except their lower 2.4GHz Band gives them 600Mbps speed.
- AC3200 Routers – Now, these routers have three bands, two 5GHz and one 2.4GHz, which makes their combines speed up to 3200Mbps (1300 + 1300 + 600). But they are very expensive and very few clients can utilize that much speed. You can call it AC1900 with an extra 5GHz Band. The real strength of AC3200 lies in handling more than one device, rather than giving all speed to a single device.
- AC5300 Routers – These ones are the new talk in town. Simply put they can give a top speed of 5.3 Gbps, making them the fastest wireless routers at the moment.
- DD-WRT capable routers – Instead of a standard/speed, DD-WRT is a Linux-based third-party firmware which can boost your router’ performance through daemon-based services, IPv6, Wireless Distribution System, advanced QoS (quality of service) and overclocking capability. Think of DD-WRt like Rooting your Android Device. But not every router supports DD-WRT, so we’ve mentioned whichever router does.
The main purpose so far was to prepare you for what you can expect later in this post e.g. terminologies, types of routers etc. So having read that much, let’s dive head first into this 2016 buying guide about the comparison of top rated wireless routers you can get.
Best Wireless Routers 2016
11. Asus RT-N66U – Best Wireless N Router — Check Best Deals
Upon its release RT-N66U was the first N900 router from Asus, and even after more than 3 years it is still best. From its looks, you can’t say that it was released way back in 2012. Its diamond-black sleek design is still liked by many. The main design is borrowed from its previous version RT-N56U. On top of its case-like design, you will see 3 antennas raising up from its back. You can actually detach these antennas if you want, but you will need to plug them back in order to work.
On its back, you will find its 4 LAN ports and 1 WAN port too. These are Gigabit Ethernet ports and if you don’t want a wireless connection, you can connect Network cable in it. Besides these, there are 2 USB ports, a Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) button and a power button etc. All these are nicely aligned. As a result, its front side has no buttons.
Since it is a Dual-band N900 router, both of its 2.4 GHz and 5Hz frequency band are capable of giving you 450Mbps each. As all routers support backward compatibility, RT-N66U works with pre-N wireless standards. In order to get most of it, you will need to tweak its settings and set encryption methods to support both AES and TKIP methods.
For any Wireless routers, a Web interface is very important. A complex-looking Web interface can be overwhelming for beginners or even old users. However that was not the case with RT-N66U, its web interface is fairly simple and easy to use. It has 3 main parts: Setup Wizard, General Items, and Advanced Settings. From General menu, you can view Network Map which shows you currently connected devices.
To interact with any device, simply click on it. Other things you can do in General tab are adding/modifying Guest Networks(three for each band), manage traffic/USB ports and Parental Control etc.Now talk about these USB ports. You can do many tasks with them. Some of are, connecting external storage/ printers with them and host storage on the cloud etc. You can also make RT-N66U as a Mobile Hotspot.
Conclusion:
Well, there are some problems in it. Its USB ports are not 3.0, no wall-mounting and its 2.4 GHz is very slower than 5.0 GHz Band. But still, it can do most of what modern routers do. That too in a much affordable price.
10. Apple AirPort Extreme Base Station – Elegant + Gorgeous Looks – Check Best Deals
Many people simply don’t know which Apple 802.11ac router they should go for: AirPort Extreme or AirPort Time Capsule. Apple plays its part in confusion by making them as different as two identical Twins. On hardware side too, there is only one difference. Time Capsule has internal storage while Extreme does not. The other thing which differentiates between them is the price. You will have to pay 100 bucks more, for a 2 GB Time Capsule, than what you pay for an Extreme Base Station and 200 Bucks more for a 3 TB version. Now that is too much asking for basically an additional internal Hard Drive. That’s why we preferred Extreme Base Station over Time Capsule.
The first thing to notice in Extreme Base Station is its elegant look and sleek design because this is the least you can expect from any Apple device. Both Time Capsule and Extreme have a new design and now boast a tube-shaped all-white body. It has no physical antennas, but six inside. On back, you will find 3 LAN ports (for wired connections with devices e.g. MacBook Pro), 1 WAN port for internet source and only 1 USB 2.0 port.
Setting up Extreme would be a breeze if you have previously owned any AirPort device. Even if it is not the case, AirPort Utility software is there to help you. This software is available in all major platforms such as Mac, Windows and IOS too. But as much as simple and easy this is, it won’t allow you any sort of customization. So if you are an experienced user, you may find this virtually no customization, hard to digest.
Now coming on its features, it is true dual-band router which offers both 2.4 GHz band (for lighter tasks such as web surfing) and 5 GHz (for heavy tasks like streaming, gaming etc) frequency simultaneously. AC clients can get a speed up to 1300 Mbps whereas Wireless-N clients will be limited to 450 Mbps. Its main features are IPv6, print serving, file sharing, Traffic Prioritization and VPN server among others.
Some things to keep in mind, before buying it
But there are some things you must consider this before buying it. Extreme Base Station offers Guest Networking only on 2.4 GHz Band. Since it lacks internal storage you will have to buy an external one. However, this router only accepts HFS+ or FAT-formatted drives, NTFS is not allowed. Even if you can live with these, don’t even think about backing up your Mac’ data on external Drive using Time Machine feature or Streaming data through Network’s other devices – you’re not allowed to do so. All these things makes that external drive look like a waste. You can do wireless printing however, it requires the printer to plug into that same single USB port occupied by external Hard Drive. Therefore, you can use both printer and External HDD, but not simultaneously.
Conclusion
So now you’ve read all of Apple Extreme Base Station’ Pros and Cons. My advice is that if you’re the one who is looking for a lot of customization + features, simply forget it and keep reading this post. However, if you’re surrounded by Apple-products, Extreme Base Station might suit you.
9. Trendnet TEW-812DRU – Best WiFi Router 2016 Under $100 —Check Best Deals
Costing you just more than a hundred Bucks, TEW-812DRU from Trendnet is arguably the most affordable 802.11ac router in the market. It is clearly aimed at people who want more performance in a relatively smaller budget. Its design is a bit different from most of the current routers. Instead of having 3 or 5 antennas in as many directions, it has a rather square-shaped body. If you hold it vertically, it would look more like a Booklet due to its black front/back color which blends well with white color in the middle. Like Asus RT-N66U, it also doesn’t offer you wall-mounting.On the front side, there is LED-indicators + internet/power options. 4 LAN, 1 WAN port, a USB 3.0 port, and a WPS button – all are on the back side.
It is an AC1750 Dual-band router which means it has 1750 Mbps speed, 1300 Mbps on AC network from 5 GHz band and 450 Mbps of Wireless-N from 2.4 GHz Band. Of course, your smartphones and other clients have to be 802.11ac-enabled (like Samsung Galaxy S5) to get most out of this speed. For PCs, there is an 802.11ac Adapter to utilize that fast speed.
Like Asus RT-N66U, TEW-812DRU is very easy to setup. You just have to go to your local IP address from a connected PC and give your username/password and it is done. From its web interface, you can create 4 WiFi networks and up to 8 Guest Networks (Both Bands combined). Above all, it’s web interface is very intuitive and you can see all changes you’ve applied and their progress. You can share External Hard Drive through its USB 3.0 port. One important thing is that it is DD-WRT open source firmware compatible. To secure your network, it supports WPS, WPA/WPA2 security standards.
Buy Now From Amazon UK
8. D-Link DIR-880L — Home Wireless Router with Best Range — Check Best Deals
D-Link has come late in AC 1900 routers party. Other manufacturers are Asus, Trendnet and Netgear etc. have already started to establish. Regardless of how late it comes, D-Link has thrown a very affordable option towards us, and its low price can be a real cracker. By looking on its 880L first word that might come from your mouth is Whitewash. The reason is White color-coating on literally every part of it, including antennas and Ethernet Cable. D-Link has also made some design improvements such as replacing its traditional cylindrical shape design with the square form factor.
On its back, it features usual ports for a WiFi router such as 4 Gigabit LAN ports, 1 USB 2.0 port, 1 WAN port, a Reset Button and a Power Button, all are separated by its 3 detachable antennas. There is a USB 3.0 port too, to host a storage device perfectly, on its left side. Overall, Dir-800L seems very stylish and may appeal Apple Fanboys – apart from their own Apple AirPort Extreme.
D-Link 880L combines a 1300 Mbps AC with 600 Mbps 802.11n speed. Hence, it is an AC1900 router. To achieve 600 Mbps speed over 2.4 GHz Band, it uses a technology called ‘Turbo QAM’. However, you will need Turbo QAM compatible wireless receiver for maximum utilization. Its antennas are also technically different than most, 5dBi dual-band compared to 3dBi from others. Its other features are Guest Networking, Firewall, Web filter, port forwarding and QoS. To be honest, QoS is not as advanced as in other routers, you can only assign priority to connected devices. Being an 802.11ac router means it supports Beamforming technology.
You can use any FAT32 or NTFS-formatted Hard Drive as a shared storage and even share that Drive’s data on D-link’ cloud. You will also like its Quick VPN support, SIP (VoIP traffic) and RTSP (the streaming protocol) settings. Its signal range is effective up to approx. 60 meters making it one of the best long range WiFi router. and also for large homes. Its Web interface is also redesigned and very simple. So we would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a solid 802.11ac router while remaining in a budget.
7. Linksys EA6900 — Check Best Deals
About Linksys EA6900, Orestis Bastounis from TechRadar says: “If you’re looking to give your home network a performance boost, but can’t face the idea of yet more wires trailed around your home, 802.11ac might be the answer, and the Linksys EA6900 could be a great starting point.“
He said that in its review more than 2 years ago, but it still is one of the most advanced routers. The reason is its powerful hardware. You don’t have 800 MHz Dual Core processor, 1.3 Gbps speed on 5GHz and 600 Mbps on 2.4 GHz Band in every other router. Of course, you will need compatible clients to utilize that speed, you can use it for current devices and also the ones you will buy in future.
Design wise, EA6900 is a look-alike of Linksys EA6500. Same flat design curved edges and black color for a major portion. The main difference it has from EA6500 is its 3 adjustable antennas for better range and stable signal. One thing to note is that these antennas require some time before adjusting. After purchasing Linksys from Cisco, Belkin didn’t replace its logo from EA6900. Perhaps that was due to marketing reasons. It is wall-mountable too. In our testing, we found its build to be pretty solid.
Specs wise too, this router doesn’t disappoints. It has 600 Mbps speed over 2.4 GHz using ‘Turbo QAM’ technology, thanks to new Broadcom TurboQAM chip. But again, that enhanced speed will only work over Broadcom Wireless Adapters. It has usual ports for a router: 4 LAN ports, 1 for WAN and 1 each for USB 2.0 and 3.0. In addition, there is a WPS button, Power Button, and a Reset Button. It is DLNA-certified, for home media management.
This router also supports QoS features like Media Prioritization. Due to it, you can prioritize your internet traffic for specific clients. Parental Control list is also available for you. The software interface is responsive and software functions can be accessed quickly from widgets. One little complaint we have these specs is that Linksys implemented almost same features, such as web interface, that it has done is EA6500. The same goes in terms of shortcomings, such as Guest Network in 2.4 GHz only.
6. NETGEAR Nighthawk R7000 – Best WiFi Router Under 200 Bucks — Check Best Deals
In terms of design and performance, Nighthawk R7000 is opposite to Apple’s Extreme Base Station. R7000 emphasis much more on substance rather than style. It demands attention even if its bulky size doesn’t permit it. At the time of release, it packed Broadcom’s latest chip – BCM4709. Being wall-mountable can also be turned on its favor.
As we said, Nighthawk R7000 won’t get any prize over its size. Some of us may find it bulky because it doesn’t stand vertically and takes up that much space. 3 detachable antennas only add to that bulkiness. To compensate this R7000 is made wall mountable. Weighing 750g means it is one of the heaviest routers around us.
In terms of specifications, though, it doesn’t give you any chance to doubt. Being AC1900 routers means a combines the speed up to 1900 Mbps. One advantage having Broadcom’ latest chipset is TurboQAM technology, it enhances Wireless-N clients’ speed from 450 Mbps to 600 Mbps (3 spatial streams now give you 200Mbps each, instead of 150Mbps). But its most impressive hardware components are its dual-core 1 GHz processor, 128 MB of flash storage memory and even a 256 MB RAM. It also has a USB 3.0 port in front of it.
Common features include Guest Networking (one for each) and OpenDNS-based Parental control. These were also present in previous Netgear routers. More advanced features are Web-filtering (up to 5 levels), builtin-OpenVPN server, SMB protocol, QoS features such as managing both up and downstream. You can use its USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports to connect printer or External Hard Drive with it.
In Hard Drives, R7000 supports FAT32 or NTFS formatted drives. To backup your data on a connected drive, it has features such as Time Machine and ReadyShare Vault. You even support your Media content on its connected Drive because it is DLNA-supported. For managing/monitoring and repairing it, Netgear has a Genie App. It also supports third-party firmware support such as DD-WRT.
Conclusion:
With so many features, good processor/RAM, DD-WRT support, better QoS, Time Machine + DLNA support and no apparent issues, there isn’t much you can ask more in $200. We know it is A LOT for a wireless router but it is totally worth it, and it is still less expensive than some high-end routers.
5. Linksys WRT1900 ac – Best DD-WRT router + NAS — Check Best Deals
Through WRT1990ac, Linksys tried to salute the Legendary decade-old WRT54G. We’re saying it because its retro design is a throwback of yesteryear WRT54G, which was really a beast during its time. Those were the days when Linksys was effectively a giant in routers market. Linksys hope that it would be met with the same fortune like its predecessor. This router is wall mountable too.
Like we said, its black-and-blue design belongs to WRT54G. Its four detachable side-based antennas apparently give its more angry looks. But despite its 4 antennas, it is essentially a 3×3 AC1900 router. This means you will get a 1300Mbps speed on 5GHz and up to 600Mbps on Wireless-N clients through 2.4GHz. On the inside, it certainly got more features than its ancient lookalike.
A 1.2 GHz Dual-core processor, along with 128MB flash memory and 256 DDR3 RAM will surely excite you. If that’s not the case, however, you may like its third-party firmware support. Apart from DDWRT, you can use OpenWRT and the one from Tomato too.
.On back, there is 1 USB 3.0 port and USB 2.0 port that can also be used for eSATA connections, in addition to 4 LAN ports and 1 for WAN. One major advantage its USB ports give you is that you connect not one but two external Hard Drives at the same time. For these Drives’ format, you don’t need to worry, because these ports are compatible with any of the HFS+, FAT32, or NTFS-formatted Drives.
You can share your connected Drive’ data through different clients via streaming or regular file-sharing protocol. Other common features are DynDNS, port-forwarding, IPv6 and other WiFi encryption settings like WPA/WPA2 etc. It also supports UPnP andDLNA. If you have Linksys account, you can use free Linksys Smart Wi-Fi mobile app to modify its features and settings. These tweaks include changing QoS to reduce buffer time, while streaming, and for better gaming. It has pretty strong NAS functionality.
Some minor glitches it has, are the lack of customization and little tricky web interface. First we’ll talk about its Web interface. Well, it can be very simple and easy to use, only if you ever had used previously used a Linksys router. Newbies and first-time Linksys users can be lost in its unorganized web interface.
Here is an example of its mismanagement. Let’s say you want to do port-Forwarding, so you would search that in connectivity column, right? No, in this case you have to go under security tab. Same goes for Firmware update, it is found under connectivity section rather than Troubleshooting.
Simply put, its web interface requires some time to master. As far as customization is concerned, you’re pretty handicapped here. Like, you can’t use your 5GHz Band for AC-only clients to get Best results.
These were minor problems in otherwise perfect router for DDWRT and NAS.
What do experts say about it?
Acrording to Samara Lynn of PCMag: The WRT1900AC allows you to immediately take advantage of powerful extra goodies such as its excellent NAS capability, very good QoS, and the ability to flash it with updated firmware. Add all that to its future-proof fast throughput, and Linksys has got a clear Editors’ Choice winner in the Smart Wi-Fi Router AC 1900 (WRT1900AC). It’s pricey, but it’s worth every penny.
But it’s not that much pricey either, it’s available on discount from Amazon costing you a little over $200 -at the time writing this .
4. ASUS RT-AC87U – Best Wireless Router For Gaming — Check Best Deals
Asus’ previous router RT-AC68U got praise for its features and software. But it was an AC1900 router and was facing stiff competition day-by-day. So Asus released a model in the form of Asus RT-AC87U and added some more features in it (and the price too). Like latest routers, RT-AC87U features a new design from its previous versions. Now it boasts a large, flat form factor with mega-sized 4 antennas. This additional 4th antenna is its headline feature because that is what makes it a 4×4 802.11acrouters. However, these antennas are not detachable. Its matte finish will make it dust/fingerprints-proof. It is also made wall-mountable for those who care. It may get a little too hot, though. Overall its build is very strong and it looks good too.
From inside, it combines a Quantenna 500MHz chip (for 802.11ac) with dual-core 1GHz Broadcom chip (for 2.4 GHz band). It has 128MB of flash memory and 256MB space for system memory, too short for your Android but too much for any router. Since it is an MU-MIMO 4×4 router, its 5 GHz Band will give you a top speed of 1733 Mbps (AC1750) and for 2.4GHz one, you will get 600Mbps (WIreless-N), that makes it an AC2400 router.
For signal boost, it uses Beamforming with AiRadar. On its front, you will get a USB 3.0 port and wireless access. On the rear, a USB 2.0 port is joined by 4 LAN ports, WAN one, a power button and one for reset. But this not-so-aligned approach for placing ports has one problem. Because if you want to use it as a NAS server, you’ll messed it up.
Even though RT-AC68U had a best in class built-in software. With AC87U, Asus went again a step further. First good thing its software does is to remind you about changing the default password and showing other warnings + notifications. On the left side, you will get a more advanced set of options such as VPN server, IPv6 support, and dynamic DNS. Its QoS feature also deserves a pat. Through it, you can see what amount of bandwidth, each of your clients is taking, in real-time. Then you can use drop down label to modify their priority. You can also access/modify security options for your router such as WPS, UPnP and guest logins.
RT-AC87U’ main features also include Six Guest Networks, USB support for not just External HDDs and printers but also 3G/4G modems, Parental Control, VPN-server, Different NAS-like features such as Samba media server, AiDisk cloud file backup, andTime Machine Support. Its network map is also very easy to understand. Some people have reported firmware issues, but this issue got resolved after the firmware update.
What others say about it!
The AC87U is among the fastest routers we have ever tested and breaks new ground in no less than four tests. Furthermore it has been widely reported that early firmware has been glitchy (we actually experienced no problems) and Asus is working fast on updates which may boost overall performance as well – Gordon Kelly from Trusted Reviews
3. D-Link DIR-890 – Check Best Deals
Let me congratulate you if you’ve read this post so far. Because now, with 3 routers to go, we enter into the realm of “Tri-Band” AC3200 routers. First comes the DIR-890L/R from D-Link. Its design is not like other routers, it resembles more of a sci-fi car, instead of a router. It features 6 adjustable antennas and shiny apple red color, really makes it look it an angry Beast ready to take all down.
All is usual is ports’ area. You will get 5 ports (4 for LAN and 1 for WAN) on the back side. 1 USB 2.0 port and a 3.0 one on front area. Inside there, it has 1GHz dual-core processor as its heart with 256MB of DRAM and 128MB of NAND memory. As it is an AC3200 router, you can enjoy a total speed of Jaw-dropping speed up to 3200Mbps (1300Mbps for each of its 5GHz Band and 600Mbps for 2.4). GHz Band supports 802.11a/ac/n clients whereas 2.4GHz Band supports WiFi 802.11n/g/b clients.
However, a client can only connect with one Band at a point. That means you enjoy a top of 1300Mbps, like in AC1900 routers. But AC3200 routers are good in a scenario when you have more than one 802.11ac clients. In that case, each of those clients can connect to a compatible Band, without disturbing the other one. So you can call it a future-proof router. It also supportsBeamforming and SmartConnect technology. While former improves signal reception by sending a direct signal to its source, the latter decides which Band is better for which Client and implements that decision.
For monitoring and easy setup you can use its web-console. Its web interface is quite simple. From the homepage, you can view connected devices, your IP address, and Internet Status. If you go on the Internet page, you can change its MAC settings, IPv6 DNS server, device mode and connection type etc. In case you want to make other tweaks like changing DHCP server settings, IPv4 and IPv6 stream settings and UPnP settings, go on Network page. You can also use its mobile app, in case you don’t want to use web interface. In short, its web interface is quite easy to learn, though it may not excite the geeks.
Its QoS feature is also worth mentioning. It performs all the usual functions like website filtering, guest networks up to 3 (one for each Band), anti-spoof checking, IPSec and PPTP security settings, port forwarding and changing bandwidth priority (you can’t prioritize on categories e.g. downloading, browsing and VoIP however) etc. DIR-890′ USB ports can connect FAT32 or NFTS-type external Hard Drive. You can save that Drive’ data on the cloud through D-Link’ Cloud feature. You can also use it for QuickVPN, all you need is a QuickVPN client and Dynamic DNS know-how). On a downside, it doesn’t support Time Capsule Backup.
Other’s Opinion about it
…A bit more expensive than the competition, but if you want the fastest tri-band model on the market, the DIR-890L/R delivers. It’s our new Editors’ Choice consumer router. says JOHN R. DELANEY from PCMag.
Our Verdict:
Well, it has shortcoming like Lack of customization and no Time Capsule support. It is most priced router too since its list price is approx. 360 bucks. But if you buy it right now – as of writing – on Amazon, you can have it in even than $270.
Now it seems to be a little exciting deal, doesn’t it?
2. Asus RT-AC3200 — Check Best Deals
This is an Asus’ Tri-Band router. Along with Netgear X6, and D-Link Dir-890, Asus RT-AC3200 completes the trio of best Tri-Band routers. Its design would give you same deja vu of Asus AC87U because these two feature the same grayish-black angular design. It is also very huge, thanks to its six detachable antennas.
Its ports’ scene is pretty usual, 4 LAN ports with 1 for WAN and 2 USB ports (1 each for 2.0 and 3.0). Since it is an AC3200 router, you can also call it an AC1900 router with an extra 5GHz Band. Rather than increasing band-speed, Broadcom decided to increase its Band size of its Dual-Band WiFi chip. This 5GHz extra Band is only used when you will have more than one 802.11ac clients.
From inside, this routers pairs a Broadcom BCM4709 dual-core 1GHz with 256MB DDR3 RAM and 128MB flash storage – good to be even called a small server. This is the most powerful combo we have in router’s market right now. Tri-Band features such asSmartConnect are also available. Its web interface is not great, but still very easy and robust. From Network map, you can view the connected devices in real-time. Other network map-based features are Dynamic DNS, Wi-Fi settings, and WAN settings etc.
Other two worth-mentioning features of its web-based interface are Adaptive QoS and AiProtection. Adaptive QoS can do things like Bandwidth Prioritization, that too in the basis of categories like Surfing, VoIP, gaming, streaming etc. If you don’t like this auto-QoS, it has Manual QoS for Experts where you can define your criteria for Bandwidth allocation. The AiProtection protects your system from viruses and malware. Even if your connected client is malicious, this router will stop it from sending your personal info. But one thing, you must remember, is that enable may cause the risky features such as UPnP and Port forwarding etc.
If you want Guest Network, at its best, then it surely is best for you. Because it can support 3 Guest Networks for each of its Band, so 9 Guest Networks overall. You can attach External HDD through USB ports, to make it work as a powerful NAS server. Asus’ AiCloud lets you share, stream your data on the cloud, through any connected device.
Besides these, you can also connect a printer or a Modem to its ports. You can even make one of its LAN ports work as a WAN one. You can use its Time Machine feature of backing up your data. Then we have an ‘apps analysis”, a feature which shows you download/upload bandwidth of any connected client in real time. At last, we have its built-in PPTP VPN server through which you can host up to 10 remote clients.
Dong Ngo from Cnet concluded: “..Overall, the RT-AC3200 (along with other 802.11ac routers from Asus) has the most to offer by far in terms of what you can do with their built-in network storage feature.”
In our testing, we found this wireless router to be best for 4K UHD video streaming.
1. Netgear Nighthawk R8000 – Best Wireless Router 2016 – Check Best Deals
Netgear’s Nighthawk X6 is a great solution for users with many devices, each using different wireless technologies. This router will give you the best of all worlds in one package, without sacrificing performance. – Tyler Bernath from TweakTown
Netgear R8000 was released before some other AC3200 routers like Asus RT-AC3200. Yet, we are happy to see that it held its own and becoming the best wireless router in out testings. On design, it is basically and enlarged-R7000 we reviewed earlier in this post. One main difference is the six-collapsible antennas you can fold for compactness. However, you will need to open them for maximum signal reception. The angle of these antennas can make ’em look like legs of a spider. So I would be surprised if you imagine it as a large insect on flipping it down.
Specifications
Specs wise, it is a usual affair for an AC3200 router. 600Mbps on 2.4GHz for 802.11b/g/n clients, 1300Mbps on 5GHz for old 802.11n devices and one 5GHz Band left – in the case of further 802.11ac-only devices. Therefore, forget about a slow network. Inside this router, you will find a dual-core 1GHz processor with three offload processors coupled with 128MB of flash memory and 256MB RAM. On the back of there, it is one WAN port and 4 LAN ones. It also carries 2 USB 2.0 ports along with a USB 3.0 port – for fast data transmission. Talking more about specs, R8000 boasts the Latest Broadcom 5G WiFi Router Platform. It is an MU-MIMO (Multi-User Multiple-Input and Multiple-Output) that features 6 802.11ac streams and 3 802.11n streams.
Web-based Interface
As far its interface/setup is concerned, they are same features from R7000. You can either use Netgear Genie Mobile app or Web-based interface. Now you may get mixed with two options. Simply put, Mobile app is for basic tasks, for more advanced tasks like Port Forwarding or DNS, head towards web-console.
NAS (Network Added Storage)
You can connect an external Hard Drive to its ports, then use its ReadyShare feature for a bit of NAS. While Linksys WRT1900ac is beats them all, R8000 is also one the best for NAS functionality.
Conclusion:
Well, to buy it or not, completely depends on what you need. If all you do is 720p video streaming, then it would be a dry-run for it. In case, you should go for cheaper options like Netgear R7000. But if you want some intensive real-time heavy-duty gaming over LAN or watch 4K video streaming, then you must give it a try.
Few Words from Author:
Well, these were the Best Wireless Routers for 2016 you can buy, in my opinion. By no means, it is a comprehensive list. There are some new beasts in town, the so-called AC5300 routers such as Asus RT-5300 and Netgear’s own Nighthawk R8500. But since I haven’t personally tested them, I didn’t include ’em. Nonetheless, I’m hopeful that this list will be updated in a couple of months’ time.
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