The best router for streaming is the Linksys EA7500. Having buffering issues and lag issues on your devices? Upgrade your router today! See our review. With MU-MIMO, the router could talk to the phone using two streams and to the laptop using the other two, simultaneously. Right now, routers with MU-MIMO support are common but not ubiquitous; client devices with MU-MIMO are rarer than hen’s teeth. If you want the ultimate single Wi-Fi router with the best possible performance, get the Asus AC5300. At almost $300, it is among the most expensive single routers you can find in the market. But for that price, you are getting a router with tri-band technology, 4×4 MU-MIMO, 4x Gigabit LAN ports, and more.
The latest in our list of the best Mac Wi-Fi routers in 2017 is Apple AirPort Extreme, another dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi, but at a speed of 1.3Gbps. Obviously, the manufacturer’s price does not quite match the signal speed of this router (and it does not support the latest Wave 2 features, like MU-MIMO, for example). After I changed many Routers I asked for Best buy employee help in a few questions from him he understand very well how kind a router I need and he suggest NETGEAR R6400-100NAS router, which offers Wireless-AC technology and 3 high-powered antennas for reliable performance.
Finding the Right Router
With the gaggle of connected home products, smart TVs, smartphones, and other mobile devices ruling our lives, it's more important than ever to outfit your home or business with a wireless router that can handle the increased demand for Wi-Fi connectivity. When choosing a new router, you should consider the size of your coverage area and the number of clients, as well as the types of devices that will connect to the router. Not everybody needs the kind of performance that you get with the latest and greatest models, and there's no reason to pay for features that you will likely never use. But if you have several family members vying for bandwidth for things like streaming Netflix video and playing Apex Legends online, a new router can make a world of difference and help keep the peace. We guide you through choosing a router that will handle your current and future wireless networking needs, and offer our top picks to get you started.
Radio Bands
Nowadays, any router worth its salt will offer at least two radio bands, a 2.4GHz band and a 5GHz band. The 2.4GHz band operates at a lower frequency than the 5GHz band and offers better range because it is more adept at penetrating walls and other structures. However, is doesn't offer the fat pipe and high speed access that you get with the 5GHz band.
Additionally, the 2.4GHz Wi-Fi band has to compete with other devices in the home that use the same frequency, such as microwave ovens, Bluetooth devices, and wireless phones. That said, it is perfectly adequate for tasks like Web surfing and connecting to social media services like Facebook and Twitter. If one or more of your devices will be streaming video from a service such as Netflix, or connecting to an online gaming service such as Xbox Live, the less crowded 5GHz band offers significantly more throughput with minimal signal interference. Mac os x sierra iso file download. Most dual-band routers allow you to assign a band to specific applications and clients, thereby easing the load on both bands.
If you have a busy network with numerous clients vying for bandwidth, a tri-band router is the way to go. They use three radios—one that operates at 2.4GHz and two that operate at 5GHz, for load balancing. For example, you can dedicate one of the 5GHz bands to handle tasks like video streaming and torrent downloading and reserve the other 5GHz band for online gaming, leaving the 2.4GHz band free for applications that don't require lots of bandwidth.
Wireless Protocols
Wireless Ethernet networks use 802.11 protocols to send and receive data. The most widely used Wi-Fi protocol, 802.11ac, allows for maximum (theoretical) data rates of up to 5,400Mbps and operates on both the 2.4GHz and the 5GHz bands. It utilizes Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) technology, which uses several antennas to send and receive up to eight spatial streams, resulting in enhanced performance. It also supports beamforming, a technology that sends Wi-Fi signals directly to a client rather than broadcasting in all directions, and automatic band-steering, which lets the router select the most efficient radio band based on network traffic, band availability, and range.
The 802.11ac protocol also offers downstream Multi-User MIMO (MU-MIMO) technology, which is designed to provide bandwidth to multiple devices simultaneously rather than sequentially. That means up to four clients can have their own data streams instead of waiting in turn to receive data from the router. In order for MU-MIMO to work, the router and the client devices must contain MU-MIMO Wi-Fi circuitry. MU-MIMO routers are widely available but client devices have been slow to catch on and are still relatively uncommon.
You'll see 802.11ac routers with labels like AC1200, AC1750, AC3200, and so on. This designates the theoretical maximum speed of the router. For example, a router that can achieve a maximum link rate of 450Mbps on the 2.4GHz band and 1,300Mbps on the 5GHz band is considered an AC1750 router. A tri-band AC3200 router gives you 600Mbps over the 2.4GHz band and 1,300Mbps over each of the two 5GHz bands, and an AC5400 router is capable of speeds of up to 1Gbps on the 2.4GHz band and 2.1Gbps on each of the two 5GHz bands. It's important to note that routers rarely, if ever, reach these 'maximum speeds' in real-world applications, but if you're looking for performance, consider one of the high-speed routers (but be prepared to pay a premium).
The latest Wi-Fi protocol, 802.11ax, also known as Wi-Fi 6 or High Efficiency (HE) Wireless, is an evolution of 802.11ac technology that promises increased throughput speeds (up to 4.8Gbps), less network congestion, greater client capacity, and better range performance courtesy of several new and improved wireless technologies including Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) and Target Wake Time (TWT). OFDMA improves overall throughput by breaking Wi-Fi channels into sub-channels, allowing up to 30 users to share a channel at the same time. Target Wake Time (TWT) is designed to reduce power consumption by allowing devices to determine when and how often they will wake up to begin sending and receiving data. TWT tech is expected to extend the battery life of mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets as well as battery-powered smart home devices such as security cameras and video doorbells.
Additionally, 802.11ax takes advantage of previously unused radio frequencies to provide faster 2.4GHz performance, and it uses refined uplink and downlink bandwidth management to provide enhanced QoS (Quality of Service). It also offers uplink and downlink MU-MIMO streaming (802.11ac only supports downlink MU-MIMO). Although there are a handful of 802.11ax routers available now, client devices aren't expected to hit the market until later this year. As with the 802.11ac protocol, 802.11ax is backward compatible and will work with devices that use 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi radios. For more on the benefits of the 802.11ax protocol, check out our primer: What Is Wi-Fi 6? New Wi-Fi Names Explained.
Features
Wireless routers come with a variety of features, and as is the case with just about everything, the more features you get, the more you can expect to pay. Look for a router with at least four 10/100/1000 (gigabit) Ethernet ports, which allow you to connect to wired devices such as desktop PCs, network-attached storage (NAS) drives, and home-automation hubs. If you require faster throughput for large file transfers, look for a router that supports link aggregation. Simply put, link aggregation uses two gigabit Ethernet LAN ports to provide increased throughput (up to 2Gbps). It also provides a fail-safe if one LAN connection goes down and can be utilized to load balance your network traffic. Having at least one USB port makes it easy to plug in a printer or a USB drive and share it across the network, but with two ports you can do both. Additionally, try to choose a router that offers removable antennas. Some router manufacturers offer replacement high-gain antennas that will help boost performance, and there are a number of third-party antennas available. Just make sure your router supports whatever antennas you buy or you'll probably wind up with decreased performance.
See How We Test Wireless Routers
Best Budget Mu Mimo Router
If you want to manage how your Wi-Fi network is being used, make sure your next router has parental controls, Quality of Service (QoS) options, and a guest-network feature. Parental controls allow you to limit network access for certain users to specific times and days and is ideal for parents who want to keep tabs on their child's online gaming and social networking activities. Some routers offer basic parental controls such as access scheduling and website blocking options, while others provide more robust controls that give you the ability to pause the internet and select age-appropriate presets that will automatically block access to social media platforms and sites that contain things like adult content, gambling, shopping, blogs, games, and more.
A guest network lets you offer Wi-Fi connectivity to guests without leaving your entire network vulnerable. In a nutshell, you're creating a separate network for guests with a Service Set Identifier (SSID) and password that are different from your main network credentials. This lets your guests connect to the Internet, but doesn't give them access to your files, printers, and other connected devices.
With QoS settings, you can decide which applications and clients get network priority. For example, if one device is streaming Netflix video, and another device is downloading files or running a print job, you can give priority to the streaming device to avoid choppy, out-of-sync video. The same goes for online gaming; assigning a high QoS priority to a gaming console such as the Microsoft XBox One S or the Sony PS4 Pro will help eliminate lag time and improve overall gameplay.
Almost all routers offer several forms of security. A router with Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) lets you add compatible devices with the push of a button. Just press the WPS button on the router then press the WPS button on the client device to add it to your network. For a more secure connection, you can use Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA or WPA2), which requires entering a network password for each device. Routers with WPA-Enterprise security offer a higher level of security than WPA/WPA2, but require a Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service (RADIUS) server to authenticate each client.
The technology currently used to assign IP addresses, known as Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4), will eventually be replaced by its successor, IPv6. IPv4 is a 32-bit addressing scheme that before long will run out of addresses due to the number of devices connecting to the internet. IPv6 is a 128-bit scheme that will offer an (almost) infinite number of IP addresses. Most current routers have built-in support for IPv6 addressing, but it's a good idea to verify this if you want to be ready for the transition when IPv4 finally hits the wall.
Price
Like anything else, router pricing is based on performance and features. An entry-level AC1750 802.11ac router will cost anywhere from $60 to $100, but if you want an AC2400 router with MU-MIMO streaming capabilities, expect the price to land in the $100 to $200 range. A tri-band AC5400 gaming router with all the bells and whistles could cost as much as $500, while the new 802.11ax routers are in the $300 to $500 price range depending on data rates and features.
How to Extend Your Wireless Signal
If you live in a large or multiple-story home, you may have Wi-Fi 'dead zones.' These are areas of your home where your main router isn't able to reach with a wireless signal. An easy way to solve this, without the hassle of running long cords around your home, is a wireless range extender, which will pick up your router's Wi-Fi signal, amplify it, and rebroadcast it. They come in both desktop and plug-in variations, and are relatively easy to install.
They do have limitations, though: The rebroadcasted signal is typically half the strength of what you get from your main router, and most of these create a separate network that makes seamless roaming through your home difficult. However, some router manufacturers are now making extenders that will share the same network SSID and password as your existing router. There's a catch, however: The router usually has to be made by the same manufacturer as the extender and must support seamless roaming capabilities.
Wi-Fi Mesh Network Systems
If a range extender doesn't do the trick, consider overhauling your network with a Wi-Fi mesh system. This technology offers an easy way to fill wireless dead zones in your home without the need for additional wiring, range extenders, or access points. They utilize extension nodes, or satellites, to extend your Wi-Fi signal across a larger area than most routers are capable of. Systems such as Google Wifi and the Linksys Velop employ mesh technology, where the satellites communicate with each other to provide coverage throughout your home, while others, like the Netgear Orbi High-Performance AC3000 Tri-Band Wi-Fi System (RBK50), use a dedicated Wi-Fi band to communicate with its satellite. Depending on the number of nodes in the system you choose, you can spread a consistent internet connection across as much as 4,000 to 6,000 square feet of space.
Satellites in a Wi-Fi mesh system are all part of the same network and provide seamless connectivity as you roam throughout the house, and they do not usually require any configuration or management beyond a few taps on a free associated mobile app. A number of the solutions in this category support high-end features like guest networking, device prioritization, parental controls, and MU-MIMO, but because Wi-Fi mesh systems are designed to be simple, in most cases you won't be able to access the same kind of in-depth settings you can on routers. For that reason, power users and compulsive tinkerers might not love Wi-Fi mesh systems, but for everyone else who finds network setup intimidating, these are among the friendliest and most innovative options you can find today.
For more details, read about The Best Wi-Fi Mesh Network Systems. And once you've purchased one, check out our primer, How to Set Up a Wi-Fi Mesh Network.
Next Steps
You'll find a list of our favorite routers below. Once you've found the right one, read our tips for setting up your router and boosting your Wi-Fi signal. https://patenttree222.weebly.com/blog/best-mac-for-gaming-2018. Or if you're a gamer, you'll want to take a look at our roundup of the best gaming routers.
Best Wireless Routers Featured in This Roundup:
Asus ROG Rapture GT-AC5300 Review
MSRP: $399.99Pros: Speedy throughput performance. Lots of gamer-friendly features. Eight LAN ports. Works with Alexa voice commands and IFTTT applets. Slick user interface.Cons: Expensive. Huge footprint. Middling file-transfer speeds.Bottom Line: One of the fastest routers we've tested, the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AC5300 offers lots of gamer-friendly features, copious I/O ports, and a slick management console that lets you optimize your network for lag-free gaming.Read ReviewNetgear Nighthawk X10 AD7200 Smart WiFi Router (R9000) Review
MSRP: $499.99Pros: Speedy 60GHz throughput. Excellent 5GHz performance. Very fast file-transfer speeds. Supports Multi-User Multiple Input, Multiple Output (MU-MIMO), 802.11ad, and 160MHz networking technologies. Feature-packed.Cons: Very expensive. So-so MU-MIMO throughput in testing. Lacks detailed Quality of Service (QoS) settings.Bottom Line: The 802.11ad, MU-MIMO-equipped Netgear Nighthawk X10 R9000 delivers blazing 5GHz throughput and even faster 60GHz speeds, and despite the high price, is an excellent way to future-proof your wireless network.Read ReviewAsus RT-AC66U B1 Dual-Band Gigabit Wi-Fi Router Review
MSRP: $109.99Pros: Affordable. Speedy throughput performance. Easy to install. Four LAN ports. Robust parental controls and malware protection.Cons: Middling file transfer performance. Non-removable antennas.Bottom Line: The Asus RT-AC66U B1 is a budget-friendly dual-band router that is easy to install, feature-packed, and delivers solid throughput performance.Read ReviewD-Link AC2600 Wi-Fi Router (DIR-2680) Review
MSRP: $199.99Pros: Speedy throughput performance. Strong security tools. Robust parental controls. Alexa voice control. Easy to install.Cons: Middling file-transfer performance. Bulky design.Bottom Line: The D-Link DIR-2680 is a speedy dual-band router that uses embedded McAfee security tools to protect your network and everything connected to it.Read ReviewD-Link AC1200 Wi-Fi Router (DIR-842) Review
MSRP: $59.99Pros: Very affordable. Good throughput performance in testing. Dual-band Wi-Fi. Lots of management settings.Cons: No USB ports. Non-removable antennas.Bottom Line: The D-Link DIR-842 is a $60 dual-band router that delivers solid throughput, has four wired LAN ports, plenty of management settings, and is a breeze to install.Read ReviewLinksys EA6350 AC1200+ Dual-Band Smart Wi-Fi Wireless Router Review
MSRP: $89.99Pros: Nice price. Blazing 5GHz throughput in testing. Easy to install and manage.Cons: Middling file-transfer speeds. Non-removable antennas.Bottom Line: The Linksys EA6350 is a dual-band router that offers blazing 5GHz throughput speeds, four Gigabit LAN ports, and a fast USB port. And it rings up for less than $90, making it our top pick for budget Wi-Fi routers.Read ReviewTP-Link Archer C7 AC1750 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router (V2) Review
MSRP: $99.99Pros: Affordable price. Very fast throughput performance. Easy to install. Lots of management settings.Cons: Clunky user interface. Middling file-transfer speeds. Only USB 2.0 ports.Bottom Line: The TP-Link Archer C7 AC1750 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router (V2) delivers the fastest throughput speeds we've seen from a sub-$100 router. It's also a breeze to install and offers plenty of settings.Read ReviewTrendnet AC2600 StreamBoost MU-MIMO WiFi Router (TEW-827DRU) Review
MSRP: $208.99Pros: Very fast throughput in testing. Multi-User Multiple Input, Multiple Output (MU-MIMO) data streaming. Lots of management settings. Dual USB 3.0 ports.Cons: User interface needs work. File-transfer write speeds could be faster.Bottom Line: The Trendnet TEW-827DRU router delivers outstanding single-user and MU-MUMO throughput, is a breeze to install, and offers plenty of management settings.Read ReviewAsus RT-AX88U Review
MSRP: $349.99Pros: Speedy performance. Easy to install. Uses the latest 802.11ax technology. Eight LAN ports. Robust QoS settings. Built-in malware protection.Cons: Expensive. https://qexdjsn.weebly.com/pdf-editor-for-mac-coupon-code.html. AX clients are scarce.Bottom Line: The Asus RT-AX88U is a speedy Wi-Fi 6 router loaded with robust features and powerful software.Read ReviewJetstream AC3000 Tri-Band Wi-Fi Gaming Router Review
MSRP: $109.99Pros: Easy to install. Solid close-range throughput performance.Cons: Middling long-range throughput performance. Lacks device prioritization and parental control settings.Bottom Line: The Jetstream AC3000, sold exclusively through Walmart, is a tri-band router designed to balance gaming and video-streaming networking loads.Read Review
In these days of online traffic monitoring, targeted marketing and cybercrime, subscribing to a VPN service that will hide your identity and location makes more sense than ever. In fact, it’s a good idea to protect your entire home WiFi network.
While many of the best VPN services support simultaneous connections for multiple devices, usually that won’t be more than three to five. (Read our NordVPN review for a VPN that supports six). Those limitations don’t mean you have to spend more money on VPN subscriptions though, if you buy a VPN-capable router.
During this guide, we’ll be touching on the five best VPN routers available today. We’ll consider both compatibility and power in our analysis. By selecting a quality VPN service from our VPN reviews library and pairing it with one of these routers, you’ll not only be able to protect your computers and smartphones, but your game consoles, smart TVs and other IoT devices and appliances, too.
What Makes the Best VPN Router
Before we get to our best router selections, let’s explore what makes a router particularly good for working with a VPN service. Knowing what to look and why to look for it will help you understand the considerations we took into account when making our selections and help you spearhead your own search in case our suggestions don’t meet your needs.
Ask just about anyone what’s most important to them in a router and “speed” will probably be the answer. When you’re shopping for a wireless router with intentions use it with a VPN, speed often becomes even more critical.
That’s because VPNs reroute network traffic through a VPN server in order to safeguard your privacy. Even if you spend on one of the fastest VPN services available today, expect at least a small drop in speed.
Wireless AC Routers
One of the key speed considerations when router shopping is making sure you’re buying a router that uses the fastest wireless standard your devices can run. Right now, for most devices, that’s 802.11ac, which replaced the 802.11n standard. Routers running 802.11ac are often termed Wireless AC; those running 802.11n are Wireless N.
Make sure you get this part right, because many routers sold still use 802.11n despite being six times slower.
Wireless AD routers, which use the 802.11ad standard, are starting to hit the market, too. If you tend to stay on the cutting edge when it comes to electronic devices, you may want to go ahead and future-proof your home WiFi network by going with Wireless AD. Unfortunately, many of those available don’t support VPN installation.
Dual-Band Routers and Tri-Band Routers
Also, look for at least a dual-band router. Most devices connect using the 2.4GHz band by default. So do most of the devices your neighbors are probably using. The result is lots of signal congestion that can result in slower data speeds.
Dual-band routers can also transmit using the 5GHz band, which is less commonly used. All 802.11ac routers are dual band, while the same isn’t true of 802.11n. Your connecting device, such as your laptop, will also need to have a network adaptor that supports 5Ghz.
Better yet are so-called “tri-band routers.” Tri-band routers broadcast three separate signals, which if properly divided up between your devices, is kind of like running three separate routers. With these routers, you’ll get one 2.4GHz and two 5Ghz frequencies.
Wireless AD routers, mentioned above, can also transmit on a 60GHz band. In theory this band can run at 7Gbps. However, theoretical speeds are rarely achieved in practice. Also, higher frequency bands don’t have as long a range. Still, faster is better, particularly when you’re dealing with VPNs.
MIMO Routers
Number of antennas matter, too. A router with two antennas uses one of those for sending and one for receiving. This is the basic configuration of most low-end routers and is called SISO, which stands for “single input, single output.”
Routers configured for multiple input and multiple output are called MIMO routers. The fastest routers today use a MIMO configuration. A router with four antennas uses two for sending and two for receiving; two data streams means double the data rates.
Multiple antennas also help ensure connection reliability because each antenna receives a different signal, which the router can merge to create a stronger one. This approach to antenna configuration in wireless systems is called spatial diversity.
Be careful about just counting antennas when you router shop, because some of those with more than two can still only communicate with one device at a time. Those are what are known as single-user MIMO (SU-MIMO) routers). Multiple-user MIMOs (MU-MIMOs) can talk to several devices simultaneously, reducing that dreaded lag and averting sibling fistfights in the process.
DD-WRT and Tomato VPN Routers
Most routers you’ll find on store shelves don’t come already running VPN. More importantly, many of them don’t even support VPN service.
While some VPN services offer downloadable apps designed to work with specific routers (ExpressVPN, for example, has apps for a few Linksys models), generally you’re going to have to make some software changes to your router, first. That generally means installing either DD-WRT or Tomato firmware, both of which are open source and free.
In addition to allowing you to run most of the best VPN services available, both firmware options also let you tweak some other things like extending the range of your router and managing how bandwidth is allocated between devices. Both also improve router security, removing things like manufacturer backdoors. That’s likely a big reason many brands lock up their routers to prevent firmware upgrades.
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The installation of either firmware requires flashing the firmware to your router. The steps aren’t exceptionally complex, but missteps could lead to bricking your router. Because DD-WRT and Tomato are open source and not officially supported by VPNs or router manufacturers, nobody will be covering the cost of your bricked device, either.
Many VPN services provide detailed instructions for flashing firmware, and we’d recommend using those for the most updated instructions. With that caveat understood, if you want a glimpse of what the process looks like, check our article on how to install DD-WRT on your router. https://patenttree222.weebly.com/blog/best-photo-scanner-2018-for-mac.
Between DD-WRT and Tomato, Tomato is easier to install and generally more user friendly. Sadly, it’s not compatible with as many devices as DD-WRT, so your shopping options are severely limited. If you’re going to go it alone, we’d still recommend Tomato over DD-WRT for its ease of use.
However, the easiest approach is to simply buy a router with your firmware of choice already flashed. While you won’t find many manufacturers that sell routers ready to go, the online router store FlashRouters.com has a decent selection of flashed routers for sale. Dmg mori seiki co..
Several VPN services have partnerships with FlashRouters.com, too. You can buy a router already setup to work with your VPN subscription, saving you even more work. VPN services that FlashRouters.com sells routers configured for include:
- ExpressVPN (read ExpressVPN review)
- Private Internet Access (read Private Internet Access review)
- IPVanish (read IPVanish review)
- NordVPN (read NordVPN review)
Fair warning, going with FlashRouters.com will cost more money than buying your router from Amazon.com. To take those costs into consideration, we included both in our VPN router selections, if available.
The Five Best VPN Routers Available
Now that we’ve got some router basics out of the way, it’s time to talk specifics: namely, which routers options are best suited to pairing with your VPN? There are many router options available, so this was no easy task. However, thanks to some impressive specs and generally positive user experiences, we’re fairly confident the selections below will not disappoint. https://skyeymatters300.weebly.com/get-rid-of-duplicates-in-scratch-live.html.
NETGEAR Nighthawk X10 AD7200
Picking the Nighthawk X10 for the number one spot in this roundup was probably the easiest decision we had to make, and not just because it looks cool: it’s one of the fastest routers on the market today for a variety of reasons.
First, we should point out that it’s actually one of the few Wireless AD routers available. Most of the others don’t support firmware changes, either. If you have devices capable of 60GHz connections, that means you could be looking at a serious speed advantage perfect for solving Kodi buffering issues and online gaming.
The X10 has four antennas for input and output, too, and runs MU-MIMO technology to sustain multiple data streams. To assist, NETGEAR routers make use of proprietary dynamic quality of service (QoS) software to give priority to activity with higher bandwidth needs, like gaming and 4K video streaming.
The icing on the cake is Nighthawk X10’s 1.7GHz quad core processor. Most routers take the cheap route when it comes to processors. However, if you’re managing multiple streams or have aspirations of VR gaming and 4K streaming, a fast processor can make a world of difference.
Nighthawk X10 AD7200 | Price: |
---|---|
Amazon | Around $450 |
FlashRouters.comDD-WRT | Around $600 |
FlashRouters.com Tomato | n/a |
The downside is that the Nighthawk X10 isn’t exactly cheap. However, the fact that it runs Wireless AD means you’ll be getting a router that you can use for years to come, so it may be more justifiable than spending less on a router that will be obsolete sooner rather than later. https://lexnew942.weebly.com/download-dedrm-plugin-for-calibre-mac.html.
The other downside is that it doesn’t support Tomato firmware. Hopefully, that’ll change down the road, but for now you’re stuck with DD-WRT.
Other Reasons We Like the NETGEAR Nighthawk X10
In addition to six antennas, you can take advantage of six gigabit Ethernet ports and two USB 3.0 ports to directly connect your devices for even faster Internet speeds. Those USB ports in particular make the Nighthawk X10 a perfect compliment to a home media center if you’re using a NAS device.
Read our article on the best personal cloud storage devices for home media for some tips there. Amazon Echo and Alexa compatibility is another perk of this router if you want to control your home network using voice commands.
Pros
- DD-WRT
- Wireless AD
- Four antennas
- MU-MIMO
- 1.6 Ghz quad-core CPU
- 6 gigabit Ethernet ports
- 2 USB 3.0 ports
Linksys WRT AC3200
Linksys produces a broad lineup of reliable routers. Unfortunately, one of the company’s more otherwise drool-worthy models, the Max-Stream AC5400, doesn’t support third-party firmware.
With no option for Tomato or even DD-WRT with any of the Max-Stream lineup of routers (as of this writing), in fact, the best Linksys router with VPN support is the WRT AC3200. Tomato support isn’t an option, but DD-WRT is if you’re looking to spend quite a bit less than the Nighthawk X10 and don’t mind a bit of an inferior product.
That’s not to say that the AC3200 is weak. It’s four-antenna configuration is still capable of MU-MIMO communications and it’s a tri-band router, having one 2.4GHz band and two 5GHz bands to select from.
The device also has four gigabit Ethernet ports and a USB 3.0 port. That That all makes it perfect for supporting multiple devices.
Linksys AC3200: | Price: |
---|---|
Amazon | Around $200 |
FlashRouters.com DD-WRT | Around $350 |
FlashRouters.com Tomato | n/a |
However, while the AC3200’s dual core 1.8GHz processor is better than what you’ll find in most routers, it doesn’t match speeds with the X10. Also, it isn’t Wireless AD, so there’s no 60GHz band.
Other Reasons We Like the Linksys WRT AC3200
Linksys packages it’s WRT series with a handy tool called Smart-WiFi. You can use it to monitor your home WiFi network from your smartphone, set device priorities, manage parental controls and send others passwords to login.
Pros
- DD-WRT
- Wireless AC
- Four antennas
- MU-MIMO
- 4 gigabit Ethernet ports
- USB 3.0 port
- 1.8 GHz Dual core processor
Asus RT-AC3200
The RT-AC3200’s biggest allure is that it’s probably the best Tomato-supported router on the market right now. Granted, that will probably change fast, but the AC3200 should be at the top of the shopping list for those looking for a friendlier user experience than what you’ll get with a DD-WRT router like our first two entries.
The RT-AC3200 has six adjustable antennas (two more than our top two picks) and it’s a tri-band router. It also has four gigabit Ethernet ports and two USB ports, including one for USB 3.0 if you want to hook up to a NAS device.
The CPU could be better: it’s a dual-core 1GHz processor. When it hit the market two years ago, that might have been impressive for a router.
Asus RT-AC3200: | Price: |
---|---|
Amazon | Around $200 |
FlashRouters.com DD-WRT | Around $400 |
FlashRouters.com Tomato | Around $400 |
Best Router 2018 Best Buy
Today, not so much. However, it’s still capable of managing multiple devices simultaneously, so for most users it‘ll be a great option for building a home VPN WiFi network.
Other Reasons We Like the Asus RT-AC3200
The RT-AC3200 sets up easily thanks to a great software package. The GUI is user friendly and the ASUS Smart Connect feature automatically detects the best optimal band for each device instead of forcing you to manually choose.
Some users will also get a lot out of the ASUS AiCloud 2.0 software, which lets you remotely access USB storage devices connected to the router. You can opt for browser access or download an app for your Android or iOS smartphone.
Pros
- Supports DD-WRT
- Supports Tomato
- 6 antennas
- Wireless AC
- MU-MIMO
- 4 gigabit Ethernet ports
- USB 3.0 port
Asus RT-AC5300
If you’re looking for a more high-powered Asus router and don’t mind DD-WRT, the Asus RT-AC5300 will carry you a bit further into the future than the RT-3200. It’s also better suited to larger homes, with an impressive eight antennas capable of covering 5,000 square feet.
Of course, it’s also capable of sending and receiving data from multiple devices simultaneously. Plus, it’s a tri-band router, so you shouldn’t have any issues with network congestion. Like the RT-3200, the RT-AC5300 uses Asus’s Smart Connect feature to automatically manage device bands so you don’t have to.
This includes switching between 5GHz bands to level out the load.
You also get eight gigabit Ethernet ports with the device — two more than you get with the Nighthawk X10. That makes it a great option for gamers, which is backed by built-in support for WTFast Gamers Private Network (GPN), a service that optimizes server routes for online gameplay.
Asus RT-AC5300: | Price: |
---|---|
Amazon: | Around $300 |
FlashRouters.com DD-WRT | Around $600 |
FlashRouters.com Tomato | n/a |
A port each for USB 3.0 and 2.0 are included, too. The CPU is a 1.4GHz dual-core and the device comes with 512MB of memory. That’s not quite as powerful as the X10, plus the RT-AC5300 isn’t Wireless AD. It does have twice the antennas though, so should be able to handle more devices.
Other Reasons We Like the Asus RT-AC5300
It looks like a dead robot spider, which is our favorite kind of robot spider.
Pros
- Supports DD-WRT
- Eight antennas
- Eight gigabit Ethernet ports
- 1.4GHz dual-core CPU
- MU-MIMO
- USB 3.0 port
NETGEAR Nighthawk R7000 (AC1900)
If you’re looking for a more affordable NETGEAR router than the X10, the Nighthawk R7000 is the droid you’re looking for. Actually, it’s the most lowest priced router in this roundup.
In addition to a palatable price tag, another big upside to the R7000 is that it supports Tomato firmware, so you have that as an option if DD-WRT isn’t your thing.
The downside is a big one: the R7000 doesn’t have MU-MIMO technology, as you might guess from its three antennas. It’s also only a dual-band router rather than a tri-band. All of that makes it more suited to users in smaller homes with fewer devices requiring VPN protection.
That said, for limited use, it really does the job thanks to its 1GHz dual-core processor. It also comes with four Ethernet ports, one USB 2.0 port and one USB 3.0 port.
NETGEAR Nighthawk R7000 | Price: |
---|---|
Amazon | Around $150 |
FlashRouters.com DD-WRT | Around $300 |
FlashRouters.com Tomato | Around $300 |
The R7000 utilizes NETGEAR’s Genie software, which lets you set dynamic quality of service (QoS). Dynamic QoS prioritizes Internet traffic for that with the greatest need, like 4K video streaming and online gaming
Other Reasons We Like the Asus RT-AC5300
We can spend the money we save on a better VPN service.
Honorable Mention — Roqos Core
There are a handful on routers available that actually support connecting to VPN services without having to mess with firmware. The best example right now is the Roqos Core router, which can be used with the following VPN services:
- ProXPN
That covers most of our favorite VPNs, including four of the five best VPN for porn. It also comes with one year of Roqos VPN service. On top of all of that, the device sports a 2GHz quad-core processor, 2GB RAM and 8GB of storage.
The reason we didn’t include the Roqos Core in the top five above is because it doesn’t have any adjustable external antennas and can’t communicate with multiple devices simultaneously. It’s also only a dual-band router, and an expensive one at that.
Roqos Core: | Price: |
---|---|
Amazon | Around $300 |
We do like the idea, however, of routers being made VPN-ready by manufacturers, and hope to see some copycat options in the future.
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Final Thoughts
traffic is a big money business, whether for marketing or for more nefarious purposes like identity theft. Somebody wants your data and there are many ways to get it, both legal and illegal. While there are plenty of tools out there to help people maintain privacy, one of the easiest to implement is to subscribe to a VPN service, such as one of those listed in our best VPN roundup.
While there are some good low-cost VPNs like Private Internet Access, modern families tend to have many devices to protect. The easiest and potentially most cost-effective approach is to invest in a router capable running your VPN service directly.
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Doing so will let you overcome connection limitations imposed by VPN services and protect devices that aren’t commonly supported with VPN apps.
Mu Mimo Routers Reviews
Hopefully, this roundup gave you some good ideas for VPN routers. Just remember, if VPN protection is your goal, the most important thing is to make sure that the router you select is capable of hosting a VPN service in the first place. If you’re running a VPN router yourself and have some suggestions, let us know in the comments below. We’re happy to answer questions, too. Thanks for reading!