Best wireless router deals: Casual Wi-Fi to lag-free gaming, all for less

Something that non-tech folks might not realize is that you need both a modem and a router to connect to the internet, the router offering the wireless connections to sync up all of your devices — that might even be why you’re here reviewing our guide of the best wireless router deals. Some internet providers do offer combo units that include both functions in one unit, but even so it’s always best to come to the table with your own router. That gives you full control over your network and what’s happening on your watch. So, after you’re done shopping for laptop deals or gaming deals, you need to make sure that your home’s Wi-Fi network is set.

You need a router that’s fast enough to maximize the capabilities of your new devices, which could come in the form of a good router or mesh network. There are a lot of brands and models in the market though, many you’ll also find in the best mesh Wi-Fi systems, which can make the choice difficult. To help you out, we’ve gathered some of the best router deals that you can shop right now, but you need to decide which one to purchase as soon as you can because these prices may return to normal at any moment.

Linksys AC1200 Dual-Band Wi-Fi 5 Router — $40, was $59

With all this talk about the next-gen Wi-Fi 6 band, it’s easy to get caught up in the fuss, but a Wi-Fi 5 router, like this Linksys model, is perfectly capable for supporting an entire house of internet connections, including modern streaming. Enhanced 1.2Gbps speeds can be expected with a solid provider’s connection. You can also enable parental controls right from the router, and set up a separate guest network for up to 10 guests with easily sharable Wi-Fi passwords.

TP-Link Archer AX1500 Dual-Band Wireless Router — $69, was $80

Dual-band, check. Wi-Fi 6, check. 4K and full HD streaming for the whole family, check. This Mu-Mimo capable router works with TP-Link’s innovative Tether app for setup and configuration. One of the coolest features of the app is that you can setup an automatic reboot schedule, to have the router restart late at night when everyone is sleeping — that way it’s always ready to rock and roll during peak hours. It has four Gigabit LAN ports for extra wired devices, plus you can setup separate bands, one of which we recommend using for smart home devices if you have them installed.

TP-Link Archer AX3000 Dual-Band Wi-Fi 6 Router — $89, was $130

Supporting faster speeds, higher bandwidth capacities, and reduced congestion, across 4 simultaneous streams, this dual-band Wi-Fi 6 router is an excellent upgrade for most families. Enhanced target wait time technology means more reliable connections for devices connecting wirelessly, and that translates to better battery life — they don’t have to work as hard. It’s also easy to setup, configure, and adjust the router settings through the TP-Link Tether app.

Netgear AC1750 Dual-Band Wi-Fi 5 Router — $105, was $140

Built to support high definition video conferencing across platforms like Zoom, Skype, WebEx, Facetime, and more, this router is an excellent choice if you’re working from home or a remote location. You get faster Wi-Fi thanks to Wi-Fi 5, with high-power external antennas. It’s also compatible with Amazon Echo and Alexa for smart home controls, Dynamic QoS, and includes enhanced parental controls — so you can prevent your younger children from accessing internet content they shouldn’t.

TP-Link Deco AC1200 Dual-Band Mesh Wi-Fi 5 System (3-Pack) — $120, was $150

Create a wide-ranging wireless network with this three-pack of the TP-Link Deco AC1200 Dual-Band Mesh Wi-Fi 5 System, which supports dual-band connectivity for up to 100 devices. MU-MIMO technology gives all compatible devices a dedicated full-speed Wi-Fi connection so that they won’t slow down the network, while beamforming technology provides clearer coverage. The system is compatible with Amazon’s Alexa for convenient voice commands, and parents have the option of blocking specific content on connected devices.

Netgear Nighthawk AX-5 Dual-Band Wi-Fi 6 Router — $160, was $180

Standard dual-band gets a major upgrade with this Wi-Fi 6 router that introduces the latest generation band of wireless networks — the 6GHz range. It offers both wired and wireless Wi-Fi connectivity, all powered by a triple-core 1.5GHz processor and 512MB of RAM. You also benefit from Netgear’s Armor all-in-one internet security suite thanks to an included one-year subscription. It will protect your devices and network. The router supports multiple streams at once, with a full house of devices, virtually no lag or performance issues, and better connectivity all around.

Asus RT-AX82U AX5400 Dual-Band Wi-Fi 6 Gaming Router — $180, was $200

The Asus RT-AX82U AX5400 Dual-Band Wi-Fi 6 Gaming Router supports the new-generation Wi-Fi 6 standard so that you can enjoy internet speeds of up to 5400 Mbps. The router will make sure that your online gaming goes as smooth as possible, and it even has a Mobile Game Mode for lag-free gameplay on your smartphone. The router also has parental controls to help monitor everything that goes through the network through its app, and you can set the vibe with its customizable Aura RGB lighting effects.

Asus ROG Rapture GT-AX6000 Dual-Band Wi-Fi 6 Extendable Gaming Router — $236, was $300

This slick looking router is meant for gaming and high-performance applications, streaming included. Advanced features include triple-level game acceleration for low-latency play, a mobile game mode, Aura RGB lighting, and a complete subscription-free network security solution to keep your network safe and secure. The high-efficiency Wi-Fi 6 router supports up to 6000 Mbps with 160 MHz channels. That means less congestion and better performance for everyone, even with multiple connections open and streaming.

Eero 6+ AX3000 Dual-Band Mesh Wi-Fi 6 System (3-Pack) — $240, was $300

This three-pack of the Eero 6+ AX3000 Dual-Band Mesh Wi-Fi 6 System provides coverage for up to 4,500 sq. ft., support for more than 75 connected devices, and gigabit Wi-Fi speeds. The brand’s patented TrueMesh technology reduces drop-offs and eliminates dead spots by intelligently routing traffic, while the Eero app will guide you through the setup process and allow you to manage your network even when you’re away from home.

TP-Link Archer ACE7800 Tri-Band Wi-Fi 6E Router — $250, was $300

By this point in the list you know the drill. What you may not know is that with so many antennas on this router, you’re getting an ultra-reliable, ultra-low latency network with faster connections. TP-Link HomeShield allows you to fine-tune your home network security, along with WPA3’s stronger cybersecurity protections. It’s easy to setup with TP-Link’s Tether mobile app, plus you can create a OneMesh system — a whole-home mesh Wi-Fi network — using additional TP-Link OneMesh devices.

Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 Tri-Band Wi-Fi 6E Router — $550, was $600

Faster speeds and less congestion is what you get with this highly-capable router that’s excellent for standard connections, streaming, and even gaming — which tends to use a lot of bandwidth. The Tri-band or multi-band technology allows for more spectrum, up to 200% more, which leaves more room for multiple connections with greater bandwidth demands. Wi-Fi 6E is the latest generation of wireless technology too, offering use of an exclusive 6GHz band. You’re looking at up to 10.8 Gbps streaming speeds, with 4 times the device capacity of Wi-Fi 5, and 9 times faster speeds than the previous generation band. To handle the increase in performance this router has an integrated 1.8GHz processor and 1GB of DDR3 SDRAM.

Netgear Nighthawk AXE11000 Tri-Band Wi-Fi 6E Router — $550, was $600

With support for Wi-Fi 6E technology and a powerful 1.8GHz processor, the Netgear Nighthawk AXE11000 Tri-Band Wi-Fi 6E Router provides internet speeds of up to 2.5 Gbps, smooth streaming, and lower latency for an ideal network when it comes to 4K streaming, online gaming, and video conferencing. MU-MIMO technology streams data to multiple devices at the same time for faster downloads, while voice commands through Amazon’s Alexa or Google Assistant makes it more convenience to manage your network. The router also provides protection through Netgear Armor.

Router Deals FAQ

When are the best router deals?

While the above wireless router deals are the most impressive we’ve come across right now, there’s reason to believe that better discounts might pop up during big shopping events like Prime Day, as well as during major holiday sales such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday. It’s not uncommon to see massive markdowns on smart home tech during these shopping rushes, so it’s very likely that we’ll see even more wireless router deals during these retail blowouts.

Another thing to realize when trying to track down the best wireless router deals is that there are a lot of pretty good bargains ready for the picking right now. This is something to consider if you’re looking to expand or improve your home network sooner rather than later, meaning that you probably don’t want to wait until the next Prime Day, Black Friday, or Cyber Monday sale to pull the trigger on a new wireless router to get a speedier and more efficient Wi-Fi experience.

A good rule of thumb when keeping an eye out for the best wireless router deals is that, while a better price may eventually come around later, the best deal is always the one that’s right in front of you. There’s no guarantee that Prime Day, Black Friday, or Cyber Monday will bring the wireless router deal you’re waiting for or a discount on the specific wireless router you’ve had your eye on. Better to grab a great wireless router deal right now, as that’s your best bet for saving big and enjoying a faster network experience right away.

A beginner’s guide to wireless routers

There’s a lot to consider before buying a router. For instance, you really need to think about if you actually need to purchase your own router. It’s likely you already have one from your ISP so it’s important to consider if you need to upgrade. If there’s nothing wrong with your existing setup, don’t be tempted to spend extra money simply because there’s a sale on. It’s not good value for money to buy something that is unnecessary for your home.

However, if you know you need a new router, then start by checking out our list of the best wireless routers. It’s a great all-around guide to what you might want from a new router. Our favorite is Netgear’s Nighthawk RAX50 AX5400 because it packs in a lot of great features, however, it may be too feature-rich for some users. That’s why we look at many other options as well. Alongside that, if you want the latest technology, check out the best Wi-Fi 6 routers to ensure you get the fastest speeds every time. Wi-Fi 6 also offers better security and more manageability by being able to connect more devices to an access point, but not everyone needs it.

Some users may also want to consider whether they need a modem-router combo depending on how their network and internet connection is set up. Finally, if you need to improve or extend your Wi-Fi range and coverage, the best mesh Wi-Fi systems are likely to be a far better option than a standard router. With a mesh Wi-Fi system, you place a series of router-like devices around your home, extending the range so that it covers a much larger area than a single router. It can also be useful if you live somewhere with thick walls or other issues that slow the Wi-Fi down.

It’s also important to check that the router has the right number of Ethernet ports for your needs, as well as offers the speeds your home can deal with. If you don’t have a particularly fast connection or you don’t share files often across the network, though, then this may be less important to you. Features like app support can be useful too, but they’re not exactly essential for everyone. Don’t be afraid to cut back on features that you simply won’t use. While a mesh Wi-Fi set up with app support is great for a large home, it’s excessive for someone that just needs to connect two computers that are relatively nearby and in a small apartment. Only you know what you need most.

Like we said, routers span a wide range of price points. Generally, the fewer features you need, the cheaper they are, but it also makes sense to buy the most you can afford so that your network is future-proofed for a while to come, as well as more capable of streaming 4K content or coping with gaming online. It’s down to you to know how to balance things out, and whether you simply need a temporary solution or something more full-featured.

Editors' Recommendations

• Best Dell XPS deals: Save on Dell XPS 13, Dell XPS 15, and Dell XPS 17
• Best Adobe Photoshop deals: Get the photo-editing software for free
• Best Buy laptop deals: Cheap laptops starting at $219
• Best wireless keyboard deals: Cheap accessories starting at $21
• Best wireless mouse deals: Cheap accessories starting at $17