Best router 20203/20/2023 ![]() Carefully distributing streaming devices allows the slower 2.4GHz band to be kept clear for less demanding Wi-Fi devices like smart home accessories. The RT-AC5300 has two 5GHz bands and one 2.4GHz band, which allows power users to sequester themselves on the two higher bandwidth wireless frequencies, causing less network clutter. As long as your walls aren’t too thickly insulated, you should have no need for a range extender in 90% of home setups. This router is powerful enough to broadcast through large homes. This Tri-Band router’s eight directional antennas make it look ridiculously similar to the Dark Tower that houses the Eye of Sauron. For most users, the Asus ROG RT-AC5300 is the definition of overkill. The Asus RT-AC5300 is designed to function in the most demanding situations. That said, if you stream or game hard enough to warrant buying a router this expensive, then you might as well futureproof yourself for the next decade and go with the Nighthawk AX8.Įthernet ports: 2 gigabit, 2 gigabit with link aggregationįind more Netgear Nighthawk AX8 information and reviews here. The biggest downside is that these are primarily accessed through the Netgear Nighthawk app, whose GUI leaves a lot to be desired from those who have known better.Īs impressive as this router is, it is likely to be overkill for most home networks. It supports QoS too but you have to manually choose which programs get prioritized. It supports useful functions like parental controls, guest networks, DoS, firewalls, and VPNs. This router is highly configurable under the hood, making it a great choice for the power user who likes to control how their home Internet traffic functions. Theoretically, the 2.5 Gbps WAN port could be used to stream multi-gig Internet but ISPs aren’t even offering these kinds of speeds commercially yet. The last two ethernet ports support link aggregation to support multi-gig file transfer speeds across your local network. The AX8 has two USB 3.0 ports for NAS (Network Attached Storage) devices, a 2.5 Gbps WAN port, and four 1 Gbps ethernet ports. That said, this is still enough coverage for a medium-to-large home. The Nighthawk AX8’s antennas can broadcast to an area of 2,500 square feet but this doesn’t factor in physical impediments like walls and interference from neighboring devices. It also supports MU-MIMO (multi-user, multiple-input, multiple-output) for up to 8 devices without having to alternate streams, which eliminates one of the most common sources of local web traffic. It also has tri-band wireless, which means it has an additional 5 GHz band on top of the standard 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz combination, and therefore supports upwards of 40 devices at once with ease. First of all, it is a Wi-Fi 6 router (also called 802.11ax), which actually supports multi-gig speeds. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form.Currently, the Netgear Nighthawk AX8 stands out as one of the best consumer routers for a device-heavy household for a number of reasons. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. ![]() Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. ZDNET's editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. ![]() Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers. Neither ZDNET nor the author are compensated for these independent reviews. This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay. When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions. ![]() And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. ![]() ZDNET's recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply.AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |