The Best Wi-Fi Routers on Amazon, According to Hyperenthusiastic Reviewers

With over 46,000 five-star reviews, this router gets top marks for speed. “Our speeds are excellent,” one reviewer writes, while another claims, “I almost doubled my speeds.” One reviewer even says, “This is the first router where I get almost identical speeds as if I were connected to wire.” Users are also impressed by how many devices they can use with this router without losing performance and how strong the signal is. “We have a four-level house with the router in a bedroom in the upper floor which has always meant I got little-to-no signal in my man cave located in the basement,” one user writes about their life pre-Netgear, but they rave, “Now I have not only a signal in my man cave but fast service at that!” They continue, “The signal travels down three flights of stairs and turns three sharp corners but it somehow finds my laptop down there.”

Lots of reviewers also praise the Netgear app that makes this router easy to setup. “You download the app and it sets it up right from there, no pc connection required,” one says. Another writes, “I like the fact that I can reboot my router if I ever need to from my smartphone. Let that sink in for a moment … I don’t have to spend five minutes on my hands and knees trying to find the right cord to unplug wait 60 seconds then plug it back in.”

“My momma was right … there is a whole great big world out there, and now my family and I can see [it] wireless from our phones and tablets,” one reviewer writes adding that with this router, “The whole family dynamic changed, the kids no longer fight with each other, my wife no longer hollers stuff to me at my face, we watch the entertainment on the TV with the airdropping of shows and movies.” Another user who says this supports 12 of their devices reports “No drop signal or dead spots” while using this router. But even more than strong signal and connectivity, reviewers give this router top marks for being easy to set-up. “There is no computer wiz living here,” one admits, but “It really was easy hooking things up. No hookup problems (dust doesn’t count!), no fires, sparks or anything. It was boring actually.” Another, who calls this “the router that I have been dreaming of for the past 10 years” thinks this routers setup is almost suspiciously easy. “The setup was so easy it was a shock,” they write. “I was in disbelief that I was finished with the setup, no lies. It was so easy to get this running that I am skeptical that it will keep working.” Fortunately they were proven wrong. “The signal is amazing, the smartphone app works, the setup worked, the price is amazing…This is a dream come true.”

Reviewers describe this router with built-in VPN (virtual private network) as pretty much a plug-and-play option. “It has all the functionality it needs right out of the box for someone who wants a great router but doesn’t necessarily want to do a completely custom setup,” one person writes. Another says, “Setup was flawless.” In fact, they add, “Actually, there was no ‘setup.’ I plugged it in, accessed it wirelessly on my phones and laptop, tapped in the new access code, and we were up and running.” As for the VPN, many people specifically mention it as a selling point. “I bought this to work with ExpressVPN,” one writes. “The set up was straightforward and easy. I was able to load ExpressVPN’s software and have it protecting my web traffic in about 15 minutes.” Another reviewer says, “The built-in VPN server and other high-tech features make this a great buy for the tech-savvy. Better signal throughout the house eliminated the bottleneck in our network so we are getting the true speeds from our internet provider.” One user, who calls this the “Bugatti of routers,” says it’s great for gaming as well. “Netgear claimed this router was designed for gamers and wow were they right,” they say. “So, now my son can play with as many players he can have over without a problem. The next big gain was on signal. Now I get full bars even way out in my garage! There is no place in my home where I don’t have the best possible signal.”

“The difference since installing the NETGEAR AC1200 is like night and day,” one reviewer writes. “Not only is my signal now reaching out to my apartment parking lot with relatively good strength, but my upload and download speeds are out of this world compared to before.” Another calls it “the fastest internet I’ve ever experienced.” That speed is consistent over both 2.4GHz and 5.0 GHz frequencies, note dozens of reviewers, including one who “had issues with a device (android TV box) two rooms away constantly losing signal with my previous wifi.” With his new router, there’s ”no buffering.” Another reviewer, who “needed better signal strength,” said they bought this router and found the range to be “great” for the 5 GHz signal. “And I have full strength on my devices throughout my 2,400 square foot house.” But maybe it’s best summed up this way: “Honestly, if I could give this 10 stars out of 5, I would.”

Reviewers use words like “monster” and “beastly” to describe this Wi-Fi router, which hundreds of reviewers say is perfect for gamers. “If you are an online gamer, this router is God’s gift to you and should be revered as such,” one writes. They also report “not one shred of lag or buffering on any of the 15+ devices connected (security cameras, Thermostat, xbox, Apple TVs, phones, laptops, lights, echo, etc.).” Another person says, “From the moment I set this thing up it has been burning a Wi-Fi fire through my entire house. Incredible speeds and the ability to set up a guest network to keep congestion down is amazing. The user interface is incredibly easy to use and understand. Nothing but love for this product.” Users specifically call out this router’s Duma operating system as a top feature. “The Duma software is great and easy to configure and set up the way you want it to,” one user says. “The range is significantly improved over the previous unit we used and the Duma OS software offers unrivaled network customization options with an appealing and easy to use interface,” another notes. It’s customizable feature is particularly helpful for gamers as one points out “being able to select which devices get priority for games, and even which game to optimize for network play is just bonus.”

The TP-Link AC4000 is a popular choice for anyone wanting to monitor their children’s internet usage, thanks to the advanced parental-control options in TP-Link’s included HomeCare service­. “You can create limits for each individual device — time limits, block specific websites, use keywords to block. Amazing,” says one parent. “Trying to wean a child from an internet (phone/computer/Xbox) addiction is difficult but at least this makes it much easier than taking away controllers or power cords.” Another reviewer who seems to enjoy torturing their kids writes, “If you want to hear kids screaming when their Fortnite suddenly cuts out at bedtime, BUY THIS!”

“I purchased this mesh system uncertain of my results and I am simply beyond pleased,” says one reviewer. “I only needed two units for my two-story 1920 sq ft house: one in the basement, the other in the living room on the opposite side on the main floor. Now I am constantly testing between 90–105 mbps with no loss or dropped signal! Setup was a cakewalk. Worth every penny,” he says. 80 percent of reviewers give this Wi-Fi router a five-star rating, and the consensus among reviewers is that it works well in households with multiple devices. The reviewer says as time passes, they love the TP-Link Deco even more: “I have had absolutely zero connectivity issues, and the user app is perfect for the average person! In the app you can rename all of your connected devices, making it easier to identify them.” The device also lets you set certain devices to “priority” to maximize their bandwidth. Another reviewer says they have several internet-connected devices, from smarthome tech to laptops to gaming consoles, and they all run smoothly now.