- TP-link N300 TL-WR845N Suitable for ~50-100(limited by ‘fast’ ethernet ports) mbps over copper connections and a maximum of 1000 sq. ft.
Inexpensive and performant. Some QC and build concerns aside, this is a great entry-level router. - ASUS RT-AC53 AC700 (Fiber optimized, SU-MIMO)
MediaTek MT7620A 580 Mhz processor, 8 MB flash, 64 MB RAM, Gigabit WAN/LAN. Unless you have a very specialized use-case, this should be all you need. Suitable upto 1500 sq. ft. - ASUS RT-AC59U V2 AC1500 (AiMesh, MU-MIMO beamforming)
Broadcom BCM4708A0 800 Mhz processor, 32 MB Flash, 128 MB Ram, Gigabit WAN/LAN ports (5) and USB. Should maximize most residential connections. 2000 sq. ft.
Mesh: Essentially, a repeater with an optimization algorithm. While most spaces will be covered with 2 routers( with 1 in repeater mode), an actual mesh is useful if more nodes are needed. ASUS has a particularly good implementation(AiMesh) and option 3. is the entry-point for official support. There is no replacement for a good primary device so it’s best to address the source first.
AX: Questionable utility until you have a significant number of supported devices, are looking to future-proof or are interested in some of the new standard’s features. An exceptional internet connection with ethernet backhaul wiring can justify the upgrade. Bear in mind that older devices will likely face compatibility issues, often require disabling ax support.
- ASUS RT-AX3000
Current AX router recommendation. Dual WAN(LAN+USB), OFDMA. Supports spectrum upto the 7Ghz band(subject to regulatory approval). - ASUS ZenWiFi Mini XD4
An aesthetic choice, alternative to Google’s WIFI products.
The priority of this selection is maximizing 2.4Ghz speeds and range. On that front, lower channel bandwidth (20, 40, 80, 160Mhz) should offer improved range and in some cases, better performance. If you really care about speed and stability, you want a wired connection and multiple 5ghz repeaters (all but the most basic routers feature gigabit ethernet ports+dual-band connectivity).
Tri-band: Could be worth considering if the installation location does not and will not allow for the possibility of wired backhaul. In this case, the extra 5Ghz band could be used as a dedicated wireless backhaul. With careful AI mesh router/node selection, this could be the best possible wireless-only implementation. If so, the RT-AX92U is what you’re looking for.
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