TOP rating of the best wifi routers for home 2020, prices reviews

What is a router, what is it for

A router, or router, as it is also called, is designed to forward data packets between specific nodes on the network. In simple terms, it is a link between several computers and, for example, a node with Internet access. Thus, it is possible to split the common Internet into several computers at once. It so happened that recently the word "router" is more and more often understood as a Wi-Fi router. This device has an Internet connection, which it distributes to computers participating in the local network via wireless technology.

How to choose a Wi-Fi router for an apartment in 2019

Any Wi-Fi router has many different parameters and characteristics. There are devices designed to connect via Ethernet, DSL and even using SIM cards that support 3G and 4G Internet. In addition, there are also operating frequencies, the number of ports, the presence of USB, power and many, many other parameters. If the user plans to use the router within his apartment, then you can limit yourself to a low-power device model. If you plan to use a router for 3 or more, then you should pay attention to a device with multiple antennas and a high data transfer rate. It is also worth considering that if you have a stationary computer at home and you don’t want to buy a separate Wi-Fi adapter for it, then, the router must have at least one LAN port, with which you can connect the computer via cable.

In order to understand what to focus on when buying, further the main characteristics will be analyzed, with the help of which you can understand the models and choose exactly what you need.

Basic technical characteristics of routers

In fact, the main characteristics, which are enough for choosing a household router for home, Little. And it's not so difficult to understand them. Knowing the theory about a particular parameter, any user can easily independently choose a suitable model for himself, without overpaying.

WAN port type

WAN stands for Wide Area Network. What does "global computer network" mean. On routers, this is usually the port used to connect the cable leading to the provider's line, that is, to the Internet. Basically, it is generally accepted that the WAN port is a standard RJ-45 type Ethernet connector. However, there are routers in which WAN access is carried out using aDSL technology. They are called DSL routers. Their connector is slightly smaller than RJ-45, and is an RJ-11 form factor. But most modern providers use RJ-45.

There are routers in which one of the LAN ports acts as a WAN port. Therefore, when buying, it is worth clarifying this point so that there are no difficulties during installation. True, such devices, among other things, can change the port assignment from under the web interface.

Wi-Fi signal speed

Many users are surprised to find that after installing and connecting their router, its speed does not match the declared one. It is worth clarifying this point a little.

The latest Wi-Fi standard that has been released to date is IEEE 802.11 ac. Its declared speed characteristics are 1.3 Gb / s. This standard is backward compatible, which means it can run at slower speeds if required.

In fact, there is another IEEE 802.11 standard - ad. The declared speed is up to 7 Gbps. But since the cost of such devices is still prohibitively high, their use in the household segment is unprofitable.

Any modern router 2019 Supports the latest Wi-Fi standards. This means that the speed of all routers is the same. Why, then, are some users doing well, while others are slow? In fact, there are many different parameters that affect speed. For example, the standard router frequency is 2400 MHz. Many Bluetooth devices and even home microwave ovens work at the same frequency. And if we take into account the global spread of routers, it turns out that there can be a lot of radio waves around the device. This causes interference, and, as a result, the loss of transmitted packets, which the router has to re-send, which, in turn, affects the speed. The choice of a router capable of operating at two frequencies - 2400 and 5000 MHz can partially solve the problem. Also, the speed can be affected by the state of the system. Very often, the presence of viruses and various background applications that actively use network traffic slow down the response of the router as a whole and, as a result, reduce the data transfer rate.

If there is a device in the local Wi-Fi network that operates at a slower speed than the others, the router will automatically lower the entire speed to the "lagging" device. To eliminate this drawback, you need to exclude the weak element from the network or upgrade it.

Router power and range

The IEEE 802.11n standard assumes that the range of Wi-Fi extends within 150 meters in line of sight. Walls, various partitions, the presence of other sources of interference can reduce this indicator by almost three times. Although, in general, almost any household router does an excellent job in an ordinary apartment.

Signal strength can be increased with foil

Software and support

In most cases, the router is controlled through the web interface, using a browser. The interface is a wrapper for the device software. It allows you to conveniently change the parameters and settings of the router. Each manufacturer uses its own proprietary firmware. If the developer is worried about timely support for all his devices, then from time to time firmware updates will appear for the router. They are updated versions of software that improve performance and improve security. If the user appreciates the convenience of managing the device, you should pay attention to how the interface is entered and how it actually looks.

The cost of a Wi-Fi router for home

When choosing network equipment to provide a wireless connection to the Internet, the price is sometimes almost the most important criterion. Indeed, if you understand the characteristics, you can choose a device that fully meets all your needs, without any additional options and characteristics.

Popular firms manufacturers of Wi-Fi routers

One of the most renowned networking device companies - TP-Link. It is a Chinese company founded in 1996. Its devices are usually distinguished by a large set of various additional functions and settings. Even with the most budget model, you can customize almost everything "from and to". At the same time, the cost of devices from this company is quite democratic.

Another popular brand that makes low-cost devices is D-Link. Probably, many have heard about the most popular model - D-Link DIR-300. Their devices have a friendly and understandable interface that even a child can figure out with, good support and timely firmware updates.

MikroTik Is a Latvian company that manufactures inexpensive and reliable network devices. In addition, she is the developer of her own operating system based on the Linux kernel - RouterOS, which is installed on the RouterBoard line of routers.

It is worth mentioning another company that has been manufacturing networking equipment since 1989. This is ZyXel. It gained its popularity back in the days of dial-up modems. Then, when the market began to change, it smoothly switched to the production of routers and routers that are still relevant to this day.

Rating of Wi-Fi routers 2019 for an apartment, according to users

2017 gave the world a lot of new products in the field of network equipment, in particular, many new interesting models of routers appeared. The following is a list of devices that users were particularly pleased with.

Zyxel Keenetic Giga III

Quite a powerful Wi-Fi router from an experienced manufacturer. It is capable of operating in all known wireless networking modes and protocols, including the ac standard. Has the ability to transmit data on two frequencies 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. At the same time, he knows how to do this simultaneously at two frequencies. The declared data transfer rate is 1167 Mbps. The router is equipped with four LAN ports, 2 USB, versions 2 and 3. Additional features include the ability to use a file server, download content from Internet connection, 4 additional signal power amplifiers and the ability to connect additional modules via USB.

Here is one of the reviews from the user Maxim Morskov:

«Advantages:

two Wi-Fi bands with dynamic switching. Very easy to set up. There are 2 USB ports that work with both modems and hard drives (add. power is not required).

There is a Transmission torrent client with a web interface. A large number of possibilities in software. "

More details on Yandex. Market: https://market.yandex.ru/product/12894749/reviews? track = tabs.

TP Link Archer C7

One of the most powerful Wi-Fi routers. It is capable of operating at two frequencies, and has a fairly high declared speed of 1750 Mbit / s. The transmitter power of the router is 20 dBM. In this case, the number of internal and external antennas is 3. This greatly affects the stability and quality of the transmitted signal of the TP Link Archer C7 AC1750 router. Of the interfaces, there are standard 4 LAN ports and two USB 2.0. Additional features include the presence of a guest network, firewall, support for 3G and LTE modems and IPv6. This is one of the long range Wi-Fi routers.

One of the users left the following review about this device:

"Advantages:

easy to customize, packages does not lose, speed does not cut. Communication 2.4 in a 3-room apartment with a bang, everywhere the full scale, the speed is the same everywhere, 5g in the girth area is rather weak.

Flaws:

except for the rather weak signal 5d, I did not find it. After a week of use, I noticed a crackling sound like from throttles ((. At night it is audible, but not much. "

More details can be found on Yandex. Market: https://market.yandex.ru/product/10460442/reviews? track = tabs.

TP Link Archer C20

A more budget-friendly router designed for widespread use in everyday life. Despite this, it has a dual-frequency band, AC protocol and a claimed data transfer rate of 433 Mbps. The speed of 4 LAN ports in the specification is indicated as 100 Mbps. There are 3 external antennas on the body of the device.

Zyxel Keenetic Viva

One of the best Wi-Fi routers for an apartment in 2019. It has a low cost, an average data transfer rate of 300 Mbit / s, four standard LAN ports of 1 Gbit / s each. It has two external antennas on its body, each with a power of 3 dBM. Of the features, it is worth highlighting the presence of its own 256 MB RAM, the ability to download files, a file server and an FTP server.

TP Link TL MR3420

Not a bad budget router for your home. It has a maximum data transfer rate of 300 Mbps. Able to operate at a single frequency of 2.4 GHz. The transmitter power of the device is 20 dBM. The case has 2 external antennas, a USB port, 4 LAN ports with speeds of 100 Mbps each.

Xiaomi Mi Wi-Fi Router 3

A powerful router with great capabilities. Able to work with the protocols of the latest revisions of the AU, while it has a dual-frequency range. In addition, it can work simultaneously in both of them. The maximum declared data transfer rate is 2533 Mbps. The device has 3 LAN ports with speeds of 1000 Mbit / s and one USB connector on board. In addition to all this, inside the case there is its own 1 terabyte hard drive. 4 external antennas are used as a transmitting element. The amount of RAM is 512 MB.

Zyxel Keenetic Extra 2

Inexpensive solution for home and office. At the same time, it knows how to work with the protocols of the latest version, has a two-frequency range. The declared data transfer rate is 1167 Mbps. Features include four external antennas placed in a bizarre way, ADSL support, Link Duo, and custom control apps for Android and iOS.

Asus RT-AC51U

The device is capable of working with the latest AC wireless protocols. There are two different frequencies and a maximum data rate of 733 Mbps. To connect network devices via a cable, there are 4 LAN ports on the case. As reception and transmission, 2 external antennas and 1 internal one are used. The range of possibilities has been expanded due to the alternative use of 3G and 4G modems as an Internet provider. To expand the functionality, there is a file server, an fTP server and the ability to download files. A guest network function has been implemented to connect unknown devices.

Huawei B315S

This router is designed for use in 4G networks and directly from the provider's cable. Despite the high price, this device operates at only one frequency and has a data transfer rate of up to 300 Mbps. Of the available interfaces, 4 LAN ports and one USB can be distinguished. The power of the device can be increased using external antennas, for which there are special connectors. This router is notable for the fact that it has a special RJ-11 port for connecting a phone.

At what price can you buy a Wi-FI router

The table below will help users figure out which is the best Wi-Fi router for home to choose, and where to buy it.

Model	Peculiarities	Average price, rub.	Where can I buy
	Dual frequencies, AC standard, MIMO support, file download, file server, 4 external antennas.	2 830	Euroset, Svyaznoy.
	Dual frequencies, AC standard, file server, 4 external antennas.	1 890	Euroset, Megafon, Online Trade.
	300 Mbps, two antennas, power 20 dBM, standard N.	1 750	Messenger.
	4G modem support, file server, two antennas.	2 900	Comp2YOU, Nix.
	AC protocol, support for 4G modem.	1 810	Mvideo, CSN, Eldorado.
	Two frequencies, AC standard, MIMO support, power 20 dBM, three antennas.	5 500	Mvideo, DNS, OZON.
	Two frequencies, AC standard, MIMO support, file server, 2 antennas, 4 power amplifiers, Yandex. DNS.	6 890	Messenger, Mvideo, Technopoint.
	4G modem support, file server.	5 490	OnlineTrade.
	Dual frequencies, AC standard, file download, file server, 2 antennas.	2 130	OnlineTrade, OZON, Citylink Euroset.

Read also:

Which is the best to buy a Wi-Fi router and how to set it up

Setting up an Asus router: nuances and tricks available to professionals