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CONNECT AT SPEED WITH THE

FASTEST ROUTERS
The fastest internet connection in the world will do your wireless devices no good if
your router isn’t up to speed. We worked with the folks over at PCMag to vet some of
today’s fastest routers. We’re only looking at gigabit-capable routers here, so to make
sure your laptops, tablets and phones are connecting as fast as they’re able, get
yourself one of these.

Side-by-side comparison

Netgear Asus RT- Linksys TP-Link Trendnet TP-Link Linksys

Nighthawk AC86U EA6350 Archer C7 AC2600 AC2300 WRT32X
X10 AD7200 AC2900 AC1200+ AC1750

Learn More Learn More Learn More Learn More Learn More Learn More Learn More

Top 4600 Mbps 2167 Mbps on 867 Mbps on 1300 Mbps 1733 Mbps on 1625 Mbps on 2600 Mbps on
Theoretical on 60 GHz 5GHz 5 GHz on 5 GHz 5 GHz 5 GHz 5 GHz
Speed

LAN Ports 7 4 4 4 4 4 4

Wireless 802.11ac 802.11ac 802.11ac 802.11ac 802.11ac 802.11ac 802.11ac

Protocols 802.11ad

Encryption WEP WEP WEP WEP WEP WEP WEP

WPA WPA WPA WPA WPA WPA WPA
WPS WPA2 WPS WPA2 WPA2 WPA2 WPA2
WPA2-Ent WPS WPA2-Ent WPS WPA2-Ent WPS WPS
WPA2-Ent WPA2-Ent WPA2-Ent

Antennas 4 3 2 3 4 3 4

MU-MIMO Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes

QOS Yes Yes No No No Yes No

Speedtest Yes No No No No Yes Yes

Inside

The router you want

Netgear Nighthawk X10 AD7200

If money is no object and you are looking to buy the router of your dreams, look no
further than the Netgear Nighthawk X10 AD7200. Not only is it the only router on our
list to support 802.11ad, it also has a 10G SPF+ LAN port to connect to enterprise
servers and switches (should you so need). It’s also the fastest router we tested and this
Get This Router
enterprise-grade behemoth will cover a large house quite well.

Top Theoretical Speed 4600 Mbps on 60 GHz

LAN Ports 7

Wireless Protocols 802.11ac

802.11ad

Encryption WEP
WPA
WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup)
WPA2-Ent

Antennas 4

MU-MIMO Yes

QOS Yes

Speedtest Inside Yes

The Netgear Nighthawk X10 AD7200 has almost all the bells and whistles, from a
1.7GHz quad-core CPU to Ethernet Port Aggregation (which improves file-transfer
speeds) to beamforming and 160MHz Wi-Fi. The only thing you might be missing is the
ability to tweak QOS settings for specific clients.

That said, you can manage your new favorite piece of equipment with either the
Netgear Genie web-based console or the Genie mobile app. Buy it already. You know
you want to.

The router you’ll probably buy

Asus RT-AC86U AC2900

As much as we might want it, most of us probably don’t need all the features the
Nighthawk has to offer. Thankfully the Asus RT-AC86U AC2900 is so loaded with
options it does not feel at all like a compromise choice. This 4x4 AC2900 router is
powered by a 1.8GHz dual-core CPU and 512MB of RAM. NitroQAM (1024-QAM) makes
enviable speeds possible.

Get This Router

Top Theoretical Speed 2167 Mbps on 5 GHz

LAN Ports 4

Wireless Protocols 802.11ac

Encryption WEP, WPA, WPA2, WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup),

WPA2-Enterprise

Antennas 3

MU-MIMO Yes

QOS Yes

Speedtest Inside No

Adjust beacon intervals and beamforming settings using the RT-AC86U’s web-based
management console. You also get built-in Trend Micro protection, adaptive QoS
bandwidth prioritization and WTFast game acceleration. Oh, and it’s red. In case you
care. Get the speed you need with the Asus RT-AC86U AC2900.

Routing made easy

Linksys EA6350 AC1200+

f you’re looking for a router that’s easy to set up and manage while also being
affordable, you should consider the Linksys EA6350 AC1200+. With a single-core
800MHz CPU, this Linksys is not powerful enough to cover your megamansion with
multi-gig Wi-Fi. But it will offer enough speed to keep most users happy.
Get This Router

Top Theoretical Speed 867 Mbps on 5 GHz

LAN Ports 4

Wireless Protocols 802.11ac

Encryption WEP, WPA2, WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup), WPA2-

Enterprise

Antennas 2

MU-MIMO No

QOS No

Speedtest Inside No

Also happy making are the fact that the Linksys EA6350 AC1200+ supports, contains
parental controls and allows you to select your channel width. There’s also guest
networking, but only on 2.4 GHz. If you want an affordable router that you can plug in
and not worry about, try the Linksys EA6350 AC1200+ today.

Budget conscious speed

TP-Link Archer C7 AC1750

Happy to sacrifice a graphical interface to save a few bucks? PCMag’s Editor’s Choice
for budget routers might be for you. It’s still loaded with basic and advanced settings
including parental controls. Restrict access by time of day or set up a list of allowed
websites for the kiddos (or your roommate) with the TP-Link Archer C7 AC1750 without
giving up speed.
Get This Router

Top Theoretical Speed 1300 Mbps on 5 GHz

LAN Ports 4

Wireless Protocols 802.11ac

Encryption WEP, WPA, WPA2, WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup),

WPA2-Enterprise

Antennas 3

MU-MIMO No

QOS No

Speedtest Inside No

If you can live without MU-MIMO and QOS, you might like TP-Link's Archer C7 AC1750
Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router (V2). Find out more here.

Hands-on control

Trendnet AC2600
If you like to tinker with your settings to get exactly the setup you want, the Trendnet
AC2600 might be the router for you. Customize your wireless, security and firewall
setup or schedule parental controls and guest networking. Just remember to both
“save” the changes and also “apply” them or you’ll lose them.

Get This Router

Top Theoretical Speed 1733 Mbps on 5 GHz

LAN Ports 4

Wireless Protocols 802.11ac

Encryption WEP, WPA, WPA2, WPA2-Enterprise

Antennas 4

MU-MIMO Yes

QOS No

Speedtest Inside No

With a 1.4GHz dual-core processor, the TEW-827DRU supports beamforming and

Qualcomm's StreamBoost bandwidth-management technology. PCMag selected this
router as an Editor’s Pick for mid-range routers. Find out if the Trendnet AC2600 is
right for you.

Small space wonder

TP-Link AC2300

At close range, the TP-Link AC2300 is a strong choice if you’re looking for a wide range
of features for your smaller space. Includes HomeCare parental controls and Trend
Micro anti-malware and antivirus protection to protect you. You should also be able to
improve your performance with TP-Link's Smart Connect band steering.

Get This Router

Top Theoretical Speed 1625 Mbps on 5 GHz

LAN Ports 4

Wireless Protocols 802.11ac

Encryption WEP, WPA, WPA2, WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup),

WPA2-Enterprise

Antennas 3

MU-MIMO Yes

QOS Yes

Speedtest Inside Yes

If Link Aggregation, a dual-core CPU (1.8GHz), 512MB of RAM, and 128MB of flash
memory sounds just about right for your small space, check out the TP-Link AC2300.
And if you need something with a bit more range, try the Trendnet AC2600.

Gamer’s Delight

Linksys WRT32X

Make prioritization of your gaming traffic easy with the Linksys WRT32X Wi-Fi Gaming
Router. This easy-to-install router should reduce your latency to help you ace your next
ranked match by immediately recognizing your Killer Network LAN-connected devices. Get This Router

Top Theoretical Speed 2600 Mbps on 5 GHz

LAN Ports 4

Wireless Protocols 802.11ac

Encryption WEP, WPA, WPA2, WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup)

Antennas 4

MU-MIMO Yes

QOS No

Speedtest Inside Yes

You’ll also appreciate the dual-core 1.8GHz CPU as well as the 256MB of flash memory
and 512MB of DDR3 memory. And the fact that it’s DFS certified and supports
beamforming is a welcome bonus. If this sounds like the right router for you, get the
Linksys WRT32X Wi-Fi Gaming Router today.

We hope you found the fastest router that’s right for you on the above list. Alternately,
you could always buy a 300 ft ethernet cable and lug it around (just kidding — don’t do
that, someone will trip over the cord, buy a fast router instead). If you still need more
info, check out the longer list of routers and related reviews over on PCMag.

Note that we use affiliate links, but as fellow speed nuts, it’s much more important to us
that you get the fast connection you want than that we make a commission. Our
reviews take that into account.

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