You might think routers are boring, but that's only because they just sit in a corner of your home, quietly getting on with their jobs. In the never-ending PC gaming quest for more speed and features, a Wi-Fi 7 router makes all the difference. These offer not just screamingly fast wired and wireless connections for streaming and blink-and-you'll-miss-it downloads, but also the kind of processing and transfer capacity that won't slow down when your family's TikTok addiction reaches critical mass.
The best gaming router you can buy right now is the TP-Link Archer GE800. It's a Wi-Fi 7 model that's seriously fast, and very easy to set up, too. However, it is quite expensive, so those looking for something more affordable, the TP-Link Archer BE9700 is the best mid-range router, with the wallet-friendly Asus TUF Gaming AX4200 being the best budget.
If you've got a really big home, or just have lots of wireless devices fighting over one router, then you might want to consider setting up an expanded Wi-Fi network, and the best mesh router right now is the TP-Link Deco BE68, with the Deco BE25 BE5000 being the best budget choice. Even if you don't have any Wi-Fi 7 devices, they still provide bags of wireless performance, with lots of additional features, and a simplified interface for ease-of-use.
The quick list
The best overall/best Wi-Fi 7
If you want the absolute pinnacle of networking goodness, TP-Link's Archer GE800 is that. Sporting the new Wi-Fi 7 standard and an aesthetic that is nothing if not Dark Side chic, this is the fastest, most feature-packed router you can buy today.
The best mid-range
Want all the latest Wi-Fi 7 features and great wireless performance, but without a hefty price tag. Then you want TP-Link's Archer BE9700, as its capabilities are more than good enough for most users' needs, yet it costs considerably less than any top-end model.
The best budget
If you're not a stickler for the very latest wireless standard, this Wi-Fi 6-toting Asus TUF router will be all the network data-pumper you will need. It's fast and affordable, and do you really need any more than that?
The best mesh
If you're looking to fill your home with fast Wi-Fi 7 routers that are easy to set up and use, sport all the latest features, and won't burst your bank account wide open, then the TP-Link Deco BE68 is the perfect choice. You can get faster mesh systems, but they're way more expensive.
The best budget mesh
Mesh systems are super expensive, yes? Definitely not, and in the case of the TP-Link Deco BE25, you can buy three nodes for the price of a single traditional gaming router. Despite using Wi-Fi 7, you don't get a 6 GHz band, but for most users, it'll be more than fast enough.
The best for wired
Got a ton of 'things' that need to be physically wired into your router, like a million IoT devices, each with its own controller that inexplicably refuse to limit to Wi-Fi? We hear you, and so does Asus with its RT-BE88U.
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The best Wi-Fi 6E
You need whole new devices to really take advantage of all the latest Wi-Fi 7 technology has to offer, but the 6E standard has another level of performance over Wi-Fi 6—and TP-Link's Archer AXE75 won't break the bank now it's last-gen.
Ian has reviewed tech of all sorts for a host of different publications around the world and is our go-to guy for all things networking. However much as he might pretend to hate the notification sound of Dave sliding into his Slack DMs to ask him to benchmark 'just one more router, Ian. You know you love it.' Secretly, he does.
October 17, 2025: It's been a while since this guide has been updated, because routers are like buses: you get none for ages, then a pile arrive all at once! We've added two new categories, with the TP-Link Archer BE9700 being our pick for the best mid-range router and the TP-Link Deco BE25 BE5000 as the best budget mesh router. Both are great value for money, offering plenty of performance and a wealth of features. We've also crowned a new champion for the best overall mesh router, the TP-Link Deco BE68. It displaces the Amazon Eero Max 7 because it's considerably cheaper, yet not much slower and offers all the same Wi-Fi 7 features.
The best router for gaming
✅ You want fast: There is nothing else that can deliver the peak throughput of the GE800.
✅ You like to share: If you've got a lot of people and devices sharing the network and you want to prioritise your gaming traffic, the GE800 is the winning router.
❌ Your needs are simple: If you don't have a ton of devices competing for network bandwidth the GE800 will be overkill.
❌ You're on a budget: The TP-Link beast is a giant both in terms of sheer scale, but also in terms of that sky-high premium price point.
TP-Link Archer GE800 currently sits at the top of the table in PC Gamer's network testing, and it's the best gaming router you can buy right now. Yes, it looks like Kylo Ren's shuttle, and it's also large enough in all three dimensions that finding somewhere to put it where it's accessible but isn't going to overhang too much or block a doorway should be a major part of your considerations when buying it. But once you've got it sited suitably, it's hard to argue with the results.
For your money—and it is expensive, at four times the price of more modest budget models—you get something that should be able to handle all your home networking needs today and into the future.
If you're the sort of person who has a home server made from racks of SSDs, then there's a 10 Gbps Ethernet port on offer (two if you use the SFP+ port as your internet gateway) to connect to it. One of the 2.5 Gbps Ethernet sockets is a gaming port that will prioritise its traffic so you can soar above all the streaming and messaging going on elsewhere.
If it's a wireless connection you need, then TP-Link has you covered with a Wi-Fi 7 implementation that can outdo gigabit Ethernet at its best—that is, with the client device close by and without any walls in between. In our testing, it beats all the other routers we've tried, and while there will undoubtedly be something along soon to dethrone it, it's safe to say that if you have a network with Wi-Fi 7 and wired devices—and a fat connection to the internet—one of these is currently the best way to maximise your speeds.
Older devices aren't forgotten, as Wi-Fi 7 is backwards compatible but comes with upgrades. The 2.4GHz band, home of low-bandwidth devices and older phones and tablets, is longer-ranged than the others but gets a bump in speeds. Having a powerful chipset inside—TP Link uses a quad-core ARM processor—means that bandwidth can be parcelled out among more devices without the router slowing down to think.
A router like this isn't going to be for everyone. Many will baulk at spending quite that much money on something that will just sit in the corner and occasionally get restarted. This kind of network infrastructure fades into the background (or at least tries to, as it's tricky to do when you look like that) but needs to be constantly available and performing at its best.
If all you're here for is a router that gets the job done, without spending this kind of cash, then the TP-Link Archer BE9700 or Asus TUF Gaming AX400 may be all you need. That being said, put in the investment, plus the time to set it up properly, and the TP-Link Archer GE800 will happily help you navigate networking for many years to come. It's simply the best we've ever tested. Full stop.
Read our full TP-Link Archer GE800 review.
The best mid-range router for gaming
✅ You want fast Wi-Fi 7 without the high price tag: While the Archer BE9700 isn't a budget-priced router, it's considerably more affordable than most Wi-Fi 7 units, and it's not exactly slow, either.
❌ You need the ultimate in 6 GHz speed: There are plenty of other Wi-Fi 7 routers and mesh systems on the market that are much faster, though they are a lot more expensive.
The best mid-range gaming router you can buy right now is the TP-Link Archer BE9700, as it sports the full Wi-Fi 7 feature set, great all-round performance, and a very competitive price tag.
Most PC enthusiasts are aware that to achieve the fastest possible network at home, a wired setup is necessary, involving a speedy Ethernet system. However, for many people, that's just not an option, leaving Wi-Fi as the only way to connect every device to the Internet. However, you don't have to sacrifice too much speed this way.
In the case of the TP-Link Archer BE9700, it supports all three Wi-Fi bands (2.4, 5, and 6 GHz), as well as the latest Wi-Fi 7 multi-link operation (MLO) features to combine them for fast wireless connectivity. While none of the bands offer market-leading peak throughputs, the 5 and 6 GHz bands are good enough to ensure a 1 Gbps net connection can be fully utilised.
That said, the Archer BE9700 doesn't have the best range, despite its six external antennae, and its wireless performance drops considerably in the fastest bands once you're more than a few metres away from the router. That's normal for all Wi-Fi transmitters, of course, but it's just worth remembering this before getting too carried away by any router's peak throughput figures.
Around the back of the Archer BE9700, you'll find five LAN ports (one 10 Gbps and four 2.5 Gbps), which is a decent number for the price of this router. The 10 Gbps and one of the remaining ports automatically switch to WAN mode, leaving a good array of options to consider when configuring what kind of wired network you want to set up.
That's very easy to do, thanks to the router's browser-based interface. Where many of TP-Link's latest devices only support configuration via a phone app, the Archer BE9700 control panel is as traditional as its styling. It's packed with features and options, clearly laid out, and a breeze to find the specific setting you want.
Saving the best aspect to last, the TP-Link Archer BE9700 particularly stands out from the competition because of its price tag. Coming in at around $200, depending on where you buy it, you're getting an awful lot of Wi-Fi 7 router for the money. There are faster and cheaper devices on the market, but TP-Link has got the balance of speed, feature set, and cost just right.
Read our full TP-Link Archer BE9700 review.
The best budget router for gaming
✅ Your needs are modest: Sure, you could stick with your ISPs router, but if that's getting on a bit and you just need a little more pace, this Wi-Fi 6 TUF router will do the business on a budget.
❌ You must have the latest: If the claims of Wi-Fi 7 have left you lusting for more speed, more throughput, then this isn't quite going to cut it.
This is 'only' a Wi-Fi 6 router, but does that really matter? Some would say yes, because only the very latest technology will do, and Wi-Fi 7 brings some interesting advancements to the curious art form that is getting all your devices to talk to one another, and the wider world, via invisible waves in the air.
However, Wi-Fi 6 was a great step forward over Wi-Fi 5, and the speed this router is capable of on its 5GHz waveband is perfectly acceptable for most applications, including gaming. There's gigabit Ethernet too, if you fancy sidestepping the whole messy business of SSIDs and passwords, and for those with fat internet pipes, the input socket is a beefy 2.5 Gbps one.
So why would you want a router like this one when there's a whole two wireless standards that are newer? Because it's cheaper. The benefit of Wi-Fi 6E is that it pushes into the 6 GHz band, which is potentially faster but shorter-ranged and more easily stopped by obstacles than 5 or 2.4 GHz.
Wi-Fi 7 builds on this, with twice the channel width and some clever tech that works to squeeze maximum performance out of your connection. Merely good performance is good enough, though, especially when average internet connection speeds hover around 100 Mbit/s rather than the 10 Gbit/s the latest crop of routers seems to assume we all have.
The most common use for a home router isn't firing huge amounts of data to and from networked servers; it's downloading from the likes of Steam, streaming video, and sending messages. The devices on our home networks do chat to one another, especially if you're into IoT devices, but when a router's main use is talking to the internet, Wi-Fi 6 might be all you need, and you can pocket the rest to put towards a GPU upgrade or some more RAM.
Apart from the older Wi-Fi standard—and it's worth noting that PC Gamer reviewed the TUF AX4200 a full year before the others on this list—Asus' budget router offers everything you'd need in a home network hub, including a USB 3.1 Type-A socket you can use to share a flash drive or printer on the network.
There are plenty of cheap routers available, and you may be able to get one free from your ISP, but the benefits of getting one from an established brand are evident in the ease of setup that Asus provides. The wireless transfer speeds aren't bad either, though it's regularly left behind by the Wi-Fi 7 big boys. Still, as budget routers go, the Asus TUF Gaming AX4200 is an absolute cracker.
Read our full Asus TUF Gaming AX4200 review.
Best mesh router
✅ You want a fast, feature-rich home mesh to blast Wi-Fi 7 everywhere: The Deco BE68 might not be the fastest system you can buy, but until every wireless device you own requires more speed, TP-Link's home mesh is more than enough.
❌ Your Internet connection is well under 1 Gbps: Most mesh users just want to access the web at full speed anywhere in the home, but Wi-Fi 7 is a bit wasted if that net connection isn't super fast.
There are faster home mesh routers and there are cheaper home mesh routers, but right now, nothing beats the TP-Link Deco BE68 for its balance of price, performance, and ease of use. It's no wonder that it's our recommendation for the best mesh router you can buy.
Mesh systems are meant to be a simple way of expanding the Wi-Fi coverage in your home or office space, and on that point alone, the Deco BE68 scores very highly. One router, or node, connects to the Internet via a WAN port, with the other units then seamlessly integrating into any wireless networks you've set up. This can be done wirelessly or wired, or even both, to get the best possible coverage and performance.
Admittedly, our experience of doing this wasn't perfectly seamless, as sometimes the entire network needed to be rebooted to get additional nodes to connect properly. However, the process of doing all this was very simple, thanks to TP-Link's excellent Deco app. Traditionalists might baulk at the fact that it's a phone app, and there's no browser-based alternative, but it really is very good.
That said, some advanced features are hidden behind a paywall, and it can feel a little clunky prodding a small screen with your fingers to enter a string of numbers for IP addresses and the like.
We don't have any complaints about the performance, though. Yes, the Deco BE68 isn't the fastest mesh router you can buy, and our previous top-pick in this category, the Amazon Eero Max 7, will blitz right past it. However, for the price of three Eero Max 7 nodes, you can buy six Deco BE68s, and in today's economy, that counts for a lot.
TP-Link's mesh router supports the full Wi-Fi 7 feature set, including the 6 GHz band, 320 MHz channel, multi-link operation (MLO), and 4K-QAM. Inside each unit are eight fixed antennae, which go a long way to offset the typical drop-off you always get with Wi-Fi when the distance between the receiver and main transmitter increases.
You can set up the Deco BE68 to provide separate networks, all with unique SSIDs, for guest users of differing speed needs, plus dedicated ones for MLO and IoT/smart devices (though the latter is really nothing more than a separate 2.4 GHz network). This kind of versatility might not be of interest to many people, but it greatly helps to broaden the appeal of the Deco BE68.
It's not the best system to use if you plan on integrating into multiple, complex wired networks, as each node only has three LAN ports and one of those is a fairly measly 1 Gbps. If wired connectivity is important in a mesh for you, then you'll probably have to spend quite a bit more money.
For anyone who just wants to quickly set up a fast and capable mesh, with scope to keep expanding it if required, then you'll be hard pressed to beat the TP-Link Deco BE68 for the money.
Read our full TP-Link Deco BE68 BE14000 review.
Best budget mesh router
✅ You want to step up to a home mesh system for as little money as possible: The Deco BE25's price tag is a little variable, but it's nearly always less than $250 for three nodes, which is incredible value for money.
✅ Your Internet connection is 1 Gbps or slower: Spending more for a faster mesh might be a waste of money if you can't take advantage of it. The BE25 will be more than quick enough for a lot of web users.
❌ You need more speed than 5 Gbps: Despite using the Wi-Fi 7 standard for all its wireless connectivity, the Deco BE25 doesn't include the ultra-fast 6 GHz band, so you're no better off than if you used a Wi-Fi 6 system.
If you're looking to improve the Wi-Fi coverage throughout your home and you've got a very strict budget, then the best budget mesh router right now is the TP-Link Deco BE25 BE500. What it lacks in outright performance and wired expansion ports, it more than makes up for with an ultra-low price tag and ease of use.
Before we jump into just why the Deco BE25 is our top recommendation for best budget mesh router, it's worth noting that some markets around the world don't sell this particular version and only offer the BE25 BE3600 variant (sometimes just called BE3600).
While they have very similar feature sets, the slower model only has two 1 Gbps LAN ports, and its 5 GHz band tops out at 2882 Mbps—33% lower than the BE5000 model.
So why should you consider the Deco BE25 (the BE5000 version, that is) over anything else? The main reason is the price: For less than $230, you can have three nodes, which makes just one router cheaper than any other Wi-Fi 7 device that you're likely to find.
Naturally, some things have to be eschewed in order for TP-Link to reach that price point and in this case, it's the 6 GHz band and 320 MHz channel. Both aspects are key to Wi-Fi 7's blistering performance, and without them, you're only going to get a reasonable level of Wi-Fi 6 speed. However, for many users, that will be more than enough, especially if your Internet connection is 1 Gbps or slower.
Fortunately, the Deco BE25 does support every other Wi-Fi 7 feature, including multi-link operation (MLO). This allows the router to transfer data across both 2.4 and 5 GHz bands, dynamically switching things around to improve speeds and reduce latencies. Of course, you do need a Wi-Fi 7 adapter in your gaming PC to take advantage of this, but if it's Wi-Fi 6 or 6E, then you'll still enjoy a faster connection than the average router provided by an ISP.
Alas, the Deco BE25 isn't ideal for anyone hoping to integrate the mesh into a wired network, as each node only has two 2.5 Gbps LAN ports. You don't get any USB ports for external storage, either, so if any of that is important to you, then you're better off considering the Deco BE68.
Likewise, if you're a traditionalist when it comes to setting up a router via a browser, you might be disappointed to know that the Deco BE25 can only be configured via TP-Link's phone app. It's very good—clear and simple to use—but it does feel a little clunky at times, and some advanced features are hidden behind a paywall.
If the TP-Link Deco BE25 were any more expensive, you'd be right to complain and look elsewhere for a new home mesh system, but it's so low in price that all its foibles are easily forgiven.
Read our full TP-Link Deco BE25 BE5000 review.
Best router for wired connections
✅ Your home is a maze of snaking Ethernet cables: Should you have a ton of devices crying out for a wired connection, the sheer number of ports will please.
❌ Those cables don't spark joy: if you really don't want those snakes around your home, then it's time to go wireless, and this Wi-Fi 7 router is bizarrely missing the 6 GHz network.
Why would you want a wired network in the 21st century? Surely we're beyond that by now, and are sending our data packets invisibly through the air instead?
Well, partly. There are still a lot of benefits to the simple Ethernet cable, and setting up a network using them is simpler than it used to be (there are no coaxial cables and end terminators to be seen), plus you can use hubs and switches to extend it wherever you want.
In a home with large distances between PCs or thick walls that block even the most energetic of wireless signals, Ethernet can be an essential tool in getting bits and bytes where they need to be. It helps that it's fast too, and four of the ports on the back of the Asus RT-BE88U hit the 2.5Gbps standard (one is a gaming port that will prioritise your gaming PC's traffic over all the streaming and WhatsApp messages, while the other four are mere 1Gbps ports).
Ethernet also has the advantage of being completely stable, whereas Wi-Fi can fluctuate and get blocked by things, and doesn't need a password you've forgotten to connect to it. The Asus RT-BE88U's Wi-Fi is no slouch, however, even without that 6GHz band. It gets all Wi-Fi 7's other benefits, such as the wider 320MHz channels and the clever modulations that fit more data into the same invisible spaces.
If you've got a fast connection to the outside world, then the Asus RT-BE88U is built to take advantage of it, sporting a 10Gbps Ethernet port as a WAN input alongside an SFP+ socket that you can use to connect directly to fibre using an appropriate module.
The unit itself is a fairly standard-looking one, with four antennas arranged around the back and sides of the black wedge, with some LEDs at the front to tell you what's going on. Setting it up is easy enough, with a QR code printed underneath that allows you to connect your phone to its default wireless network, from where you can use the Asus Router app to customise SSIDs and security to your liking. There's a web interface too, so you can administer it from your PC.
With its combination of wired and wireless options, Asus has created a well-rounded router here. While there are other models out there that will beat it on wireless speed, or price, or just by having a 6GHz Wi-Fi network available, it proves that just by getting the basics right, you can provide something that will work for a lot of people.
If you're looking to upgrade your ISP's router, and the idea of keeping things grounded with Ethernet appeals, then its array of ports—and the simplicity of setting it up—should push this router up your list.
Read our full Asus RT-BE88U review.
The best Wi-Fi 6E router
✅ You don't have Wi-Fi 7 devices yet: You can make the best of any Wi-Fi 6 and 6E compatible devices with this slimiline beastie.
❌ You're a sucker for tech FOMO: If you're not the type to be happy settling for last-gen for saving, then even the 6E speeds won't soothe your desire for Wi-Fi 7 pace.
With an attractive finish that switches between smooth and shiny fingerprint attractor and textured dust magnet, the TP-Link Archer AXE75 is the best Wi-Fi 6E router you can buy, offering all the features granted by Wi-Fi 6, and expanding them into an extra 6 GHz band that can have its own SSID.
This means you'll end up broadcasting three separate networks (though you can bundle them all together in one and allow the router and client device to work out which works best), and the new 6 GHz band is potentially faster but has a shorter range, as well as a lowered capacity for penetrating things like walls and floors.
As a result of this, you'll get the best 6 GHz Wi-Fi speeds if your gaming PC is in the same room as the router, or at least close by, and you'll need a 6E compatible device to prevent it from dropping back to older standards. Once you've got everything in place to make it happy, you can look forward to transfer speeds that can outstrip Ethernet.
The elephant herd in the room here is made up of routers that support Wi-Fi 7, which improves over 6 and 6E by doubling the channel width and bringing in some new ideas for how to send the most data through the airwaves and walls. This router doesn't have it, and that's going to be a problem for those who must always have the newest thing.
But for most people, Wi-Fi 6E just means they have a fast 6 GHz channel for their laptop, a 5 GHz band for phones and tablets, and everything else can have the 2.4 GHz connection. You can even set up a guest network for visitors.
Wired network aficionados aren't left out, with the customary rack of four gigabit Ethernet ports on the back allowing you to hook up media servers and PCs that don't move via a stable connection that doesn't mysteriously drop out or get interfered with in the way Wi-Fi occasionally can.
Speed freaks might bemoan the lack of 2.5 Gbps ports, but anyone speccing for a network carrying that kind of data at home is going to want to splash out on a premium model anyway. The processor in the AXE75 will keep ticking over nicely with lots of devices communicating at once, although as ever if you need more then get a model from a higher range, and there's a vent under the textured lid to let excess heat escape.
What you get here is a router that's plenty fast enough, and sticking with the older-gen tech keeps its price down too. If you're struggling with an outdated network hub or using the one your ISP provided, it makes an excellent upgrade, and you'll notice the difference, especially if your internet connection is a speedy one.
Read our full TP-Link Archer AXE75 review.
Also tested
Gaming router FAQ
Is a gaming router worth it?
Gaming routers can prioritize traffic to your gaming PC and consoles—they're built to be greedy. The best gaming router reduces lag during your online game sessions, even if other devices in your household are streaming or downloading. If you've had the same router for years, it might be the right time to consider an upgrade if you want to get the most out of your internet.
Is wired better than Wi-Fi for gaming?
Given the potential for Wi-Fi connections to have hiccups, we would always suggest, where possible, having your gaming PC wired into your router directly. Failing that, buy a Powerline connection. Wireless connections are getting more effective, and Wi-Fi 6 is good enough that wireless VR streaming is now possible. But if latency creeps in there, you might throw up.
The best gaming routers have multiple LAN ports for wired connections—which are preferred—but most differ from ISP-provided gear through the latest Wi-Fi standards, such as 802.11ax, aka Wi-Fi 6. This means faster and more efficient wireless data throughput for a more significant number of devices. That last bit is key to rock-solid wireless performance in an age of smart devices and appliances.
Can I use any gaming router with my provider?
Before you splash out on a new router, you will need to make sure that it is compatible with your current ISP. Some ISP-provided cable modems, for example, don't offer pass-through connectivity to allow a high-performance router to be paired with it. So it's important to make sure you're not wasting your money.
What are Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E?
Wi-Fi 6, otherwise known as 802.11ax, is an improved generation of wireless communication between devices. Both client and router need to support Wi-Fi 6 to get its benefits, but these include faster throughput for a more stable and efficient connection, ideally less interference, and upgrades to MU-MIMO features.
Wi-Fi 6E delivers the benefits of Wi-Fi 6 with the 6 GHz frequency in play to expose further congestion-free networking to your compatible devices. You probably need a good reason to buy a Wi-Fi 6E router today, but it could offer you some improvement with compatible devices.
What is Wi-Fi 7?
Wi-Fi 7 is the latest standard in Wi-Fi connectivity, and is simply the fastest home networking you can get right now, with support for more connections than the previous standards, wider channels, and better congestion and interference handling. It's a useful thing to have if you're looking to buy a router that's going to last for years, but by no means a necessity for fast internet connections for most users.
By all means invest now if you want the absolute latest and best connection standards, but don't feel too left out if routers using this new connection standard are more cash than you feel comfortable paying.
