Router for home which is better 2018 price

"Inexpensive" model costing around 16000 rubles can scare off aggressive appearance. But its capabilities surpass even more expensive routers. The router is easy to configure, guided by pop-up prompts.

The best routers of 2018 for the home

Choosing a budget router for the home, it is better to give preference to the model Netis WF2419E. With all its advantages, it has almost no disadvantages.

Due to the minimal competition in the mobile router market, it is difficult to single out one model. But the leader in terms of functionality/price ratio here is Huawei E5330.

What can't a modern person live without? Without water, food and… Internet. Having access to the World Wide Web, we search it for the necessary information, work, rest, communicate, learn, and discover new opportunities. And in order not to be tied to a specific place in the house or office, where there is a cable connection to the Internet, you need to use a Wi-Fi router.

Manufacturers offer different models, including those with a design. But the router must be reliable! This is the only way to ensure uninterrupted and continuous access to the Internet. Therefore, to make your life easier in the future, you need to choose the best Wi-Fi router available today in the stores. And we will help you in this.

Top 10 routers of 2018

Name	Wi-Fi Frequency	WAN speed	LAN port speed	LAN Ports	USB Ports	Price
Xiaomi Mi Wi-Fi mini	802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5 GHz)	1167 Mbps	100Mbps	2	1	Check price
TP-LINK TL-WA901ND	802.11n (2.4 GHz)	300 Mbps	–	–	–	Check price
ASUS RT-N56U	802.11n (2.4/5 GHz)	300 Mbps	1000 Mbps	4	2	Check Price
Budget Models
TP-LINK TL-WR841N	802.11n (2.4 GHz)	300 Mbps	100 Mbps	4	–	Check price
D-link DIR-300/A/D1	802.11n	150 Mbps	100 Mbps	4	–	Check price
Netis WF2419E	802.11n (2.4 GHz)	300 Mbps	100 Mbps	4	–	Check price
Tenda N301	802.11n (2.4 GHz)	300 Mbps	100 Mbps	3	–	Check price
ZyXEL Keenetic Start	802.11n (2.4 GHz)	150 Mbps	100Mbps	4	–	Check price

What to look for when choosing a router

Technical characteristics are important in a router. The buyer needs to know the basic ones – type of connection, frequency range, Wi-Fi standard, the number of LAN ports. Sometimes you also need to think about the number of antennas, USB ports, built-in security system.

Connection Type

Each router has a WAN-connector, through which the Internet cable is connected. There are two kinds of connectors – DSL and Ethernet. The difference between them is the type of connection: the first is adapted to a telephone line, the second – to an Ethernet cable.

This means that if you use a connection via a home phone, you need to look for routers with a WAN port for DSL. Devices with other connectors will not work. Similarly with Ethernet cables.

Which router is best to choose for your home according to this technical parameter directly depends on the format of the connection. Ordinary telephone cable provides a lower data rate, not very convenient to configure – the wires are stretched to the phone, and from it to the router. This makes a network of wires cumbersome and difficult to place. Using Ethernet cable allows for faster speeds. It is also convenient in that there is a separate wire that runs to the router. You can place the device in any part of the apartment, regardless of the location of the phone.

Among the offerings of devices you can find universal routers, they have two jacks at once. However, in most cases, it makes no sense to buy such models.

Recently, many providers offer connection via fiber optic cables. They use routers with other technical requirements, the providers install the equipment themselves.

Frequency range

WiFi routers support two bands: 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. There are two main differences between them – range and congestion.

Which Wi-Fi router to choose for your home: what's the bottom line

There is no universal recommendation on the choice – routers need to be selected individually according to the requirements of the subscriber. Otherwise, there is a risk of overpaying for unnecessary functions or missing important characteristics in the device.

• Find out your ISP's requirements for the equipment. Pay attention to the maximum data transfer rate for the tariff and type of connection. Other features depend on your preferences. If you don't use the Internet for work, entertainment like online games, or other functions that require high-speed network access, there's no need to buy expensive devices; a standard router is enough for you.
• Read the comments of other subscribers on the models you are interested in. Reviews allow you to understand which router is better to choose, especially if the comments are relevant – dated 2018. Companies are constantly evolving and changing places in the top. It is possible that the manufacturer, which was inferior to competitors in terms of product quality two years ago, now delivers more reliable and convenient devices.
• Don't be afraid to buy equipment from your ISP. He will offer you a router that meets the technical requirements.

Best Wi-Fi routers price-quality

Given the variety of modern equipment and electronics, it can be difficult for users to spend money wisely. In some cases, an inexpensive device may be no better than a more affordable solution from a competitor. In other situations, a seemingly great product is only a few thousand dollars cheaper than a more functional Wi-Fi router from the same brand, but from an updated line. So that you don't have to regret your choice, we suggest you three excellent routers with the best price to quality ratio.

D-Link DIR-815/RU/R4A 10/100BASE-TX/4G ready

Using a router from the company D-Link, you can build a wireless network at home in the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands. The maximum air data transmission speed for DIR-815 is announced at 1167 Mbps. The 2.4 GHz band is ideal for:

More modern connectivity in a good home router allows you to comfortably watch movies and videos, check social networks and run online games in high definition. And if you need to quickly disconnect the wireless connection, the D-Link router has a separate button for that.

The router also boasts a USB port. You can connect a 3G/LTE-enabled modem to it, which allows you to create a backup Internet connection. USB is also compatible with external drives, which will act as a network drive, and printers, to provide shared access to them from multiple PCs.

• advanced security systems;
• Functional USB Type-A;
• quality of materials and assembly;
• the range of the Internet;
• easy setup and upgrades;
• Quick Wi-Fi deactivation button.

2. TP-LINK Archer C80

Best top segment routers

Advanced Wi-Fi routers for the home are not the solution for everyone. The high price, comparable to not bad smartphones, does not allow you to call these products mass-market. Most customers simply won't see the benefit of having many options, such as an FTP server, a USB port, or a high-speed wireless connection of several Gbps. But if you don't need to explain the benefits of having multiple antennas and the ability to connect LTE modems to your router, then this category of devices is just what you need.

1. Keenetic Giga (KN-1011)

One of the best routers according to customer reviews is made of gray and white matte plastic. The assembly of the router is excellent and the design is minimalistic. The router is equipped with four 17.5 cm antennas with two degrees of freedom. A couple of KN-1011 antennas are on the back, another one on the side edges. Like the competitors, there are two independent transmitters for different bands (separately for 2.4 and 5 GHz).

On the cover of one of the most reliable routers of the rating there are 5 indicators and a button. On the right side there are a couple of USB ports (versions 2.0 and 3.0) and two more buttons for safe disconnection of devices. The assignment of 2 LEDs and all 3 buttons can be reconfigured in the web interface. Moreover the keys recognize several types of keystrokes. Stability and connection speed of Giga are excellent. But for its price I would like to see Wi-Fi 6.

• integrated work with VPN;
• support for USB-storage devices;
• rich software functionality;
• the ability to manage through an application;
• built-in DNS;
• a wide variety of settings;
• three programmable buttons.

2. TP-LINK Archer AX55

Budget

If you need a router for the home for a minimum price, it is not so difficult. There are a lot of inexpensive proposals on the market. Among them, there are the best models that have proven to be reliable:

One of the cheapest routers on the market. Its price is steadily kept around 1000 p. Nevertheless, the router provides stable speeds of up to 300 Mbit/s and freely covers the area of a three-room apartment. It also has 4 LAN ports for wired connection. The only drawback is the lack of a 5 GHz transmitter.

Gadget from one of the leading manufacturers on the market. Its characteristics are similar to the router from Netis, but the price will be higher – up to 1500 p. A few bonuses that justify the price: the menu in Russian, a mobile application to manage the router and a guarantee of reliability. TP-LINK router can work smoothly for up to 10 years.

The unusual design is not the only advantage of one of the best routers for home 2018-2019. For only 2,000 p., the Chinese router provides a strong signal, and 1.5 times more coverage than TP-LINK. In addition, this model supports the WI-fi 802.11as standard, data rates up to 1 Gbps at 2.4-5 GHz.

Budget models, despite their low prices, retain high quality. They will steadily provide reliable Internet for many years. But it should be taken into account that more expensive models can distribute traffic more efficiently, showing the same characteristics of greater return and speed.

In the 21st century there was a major leap in technology in the field of telephony. Back at the beginning of the new century, people were just beginning to…

The average price level

For a large family or a powerful modern computer network in the house, even the best router of the lower price level 2018 release will not be enough.

With the same characteristics and Wi-fi signal strength, the most suitable will be a model with better firmware and a powerful enough processor capable of processing and redirecting data streams to effectively use the power of the router. Among the variety of models in the medium price category are:

A compact router without horns, working under the 802.11n standard at 2.4 GHz may seem too simple to pay 5000 rubles for. But in fact, it is a semi-professional gadget that can fully provide Internet access for any family and even a full-fledged office on a large area thanks to 3 powerful built-in antennas. The only disadvantage is the need for fine-tuning, which will require the help of a competent specialist.

One of the best routers for home in the rating of 2018 fully meets its price of 5500 p. It already meets the 802.11as standard and provides data transfer speeds of up to 867 Mbps. For this purpose, it uses 4 antennas operating on the 2.4-5 GHz bands.

Reliable stable connection is also ensured by a powerful 4-core processor, and MU-MIMO technology. An additional advantage of the model is 4 high-speed LAN-ports and another USB 3.0 for 3G and 4G modems.

The new model from the famous Chinese manufacturer. Despite the parameters similar to the model from ASUS, this router provides higher speeds (up to 1267 Mbps) due to better firmware. Even the slow USB 2.0 port does not spoil the overall impression. The only thing is that the model is artificially overpriced for its "novelty" and costs 6,500 roubles.

One antenna, two antennas, three antennas. Four is better!

There will definitely be antennas in any router, even if you don't see them. Another thing is that they may be inside or outside. It is traditionally thought that external antennas do a better job of transmitting the signal through obstructions in the form of interference from other radio devices or room dividers. But this is not always the case.

The power of your Wi-Fi, and therefore the range and data transfer rate, depends on the antenna gain and the power of the transmitter installed in the router. With the first one, everything is more or less simple: it is desirable that the antenna gain is at least 5 dBi. Usually this figure can be found in the characteristics of the device. It is harder to deal with transmitter power because this parameter is not specified on every router.

It may turn out that the range of a router with external antennas with a traditionally higher gain than the internal ones will be less than that of a router with internal ones with weaker antennas but a stronger transmitter. According to Ivan, if the Internet is needed for normal household needs, the user should not worry about such "little things", you can just focus on the antenna gain

The antennas not only determine the network coverage, but also the speed of data transfer via Wi-Fi. For example, for the 802.11n standard, the presence of just one antenna means the maximum theoretical speed of 150 Mbps, but in the harsh reality this figure will be 2-3 times lower. Each subsequent antenna increases the maximum network speed by the same theoretical 150 Mbps.

Since we have already decided that we are choosing a router supporting the 802.11ac standard and the 5 GHz band, there is no need to worry too much about the number of antennas. Each of them gives speeds of 433 Mbit/s, and even with the real 200 Mbit/s this is enough for all home plans.

Features important and not so important

Many routers are equipped with a number of useful features, but even more often – a bunch of absolutely unnecessary features for the average user. The first is the presence of a USB port. It can be used to connect a 3G/4G modem or, more often, a storage device to organize a media server.

Citizens will also appreciate the built-in Torrent-client, which can be easily managed remotely. You return home from work, and a ready-to-run movie is waiting for you. It's convenient!

Do not forget that much depends not only on the quality of service provider and characteristics of the router, but also on the end device with which you go online. If your smartphone has only one antenna supporting the 802.11n standard, then even if you have the coolest router and Gigabit Internet you will hardly get more than 50 Mbps from your device.

The same is true for the network range. The router can easily "reach" the phone on the other floor, but whether the cell phone will be able to "feedback" to the router is a big question.

"In fact, a router is a computer, just not too powerful. Here, too, there is a central processor, RAM and built-in memory. The higher the processor frequency and the more RAM, the better, of course. If we're talking about a good home router, you should focus on a processor with a frequency of 500 MHz, 128 MB of RAM and 32 MB of built-in memory. More is better, – noted Ivan.

Xiaomi Mi Router Pro R3P

Another representative of the brand Xiaomi, which impresses with a solid and powerful functionality. It masters all frequencies, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, simultaneous work in two bands (2.4 and 5) and the speed of each of the four LAN ports to 1 gigabyte per second.

Four antennas and the MT7621A MIPS processor are responsible for the excellent signal transmission. The RAM capacity is also impressive with 512 Mbytes.

The home router is enclosed in an aluminum case with plastic grates on the sides that act as passive cooling. On the back side there are USB 3.0 connectors for connecting a power adapter, etc. This is one of the best Xiaomi routers, which can be configured in two ways: via the Xiaomi MiWiFi App or using the browser to configure the router.

Asus RT-AC5300.

In the top routers for the home is also a representative of the brand Asus, which belongs to the flagship models. It resembles a spaceship due to the beveled corners and eight antennas at once. Its weight is quite large – 1.1 kg, which is more than compensated by the ability of the device to give superfast connection – 5334 Mbit/s.

It is worth mentioning the support of the Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac standards, the Broadcom BCM4709C0 platform and the possibility to work simultaneously in three ranges.

All variants presented in our rating allow you to achieve the main thing – to provide the distribution of the wireless network signal to the devices you need. Which device is better, you decide, based on the number of gadgets to be connected and the required speeds.

Read More: