It doesn’t matter if you’re a hardcore gamer or the occasional online shopper; no one enjoys lag. There are plenty of things that cause internet lag, but cheap routers are often at the heart of the problem. That’s why we’re rounding up the fastest routers for 2018. We tested several routers in our search for the most rapid routers. Nothing under 200Mbps would make the fastest router list, but they also needed to operate or have the option at least, on the 5GHz spectrum. We tested each router at various distances for upload and download speed. They needed to be fast to make our list, but not if you have to sit next to the router to enjoy fast speeds. Making a list of the fastest routers for 2018 was our goal, so price and design were secondary concerns. The primary focus was on speed and coverage.
TP-Link Wireless Router AC1900 Smart WiFi Dual-Band Gigabit
- 1 of wireless routers for Home which is compatible with all Wi Fi devices, 802.11ac and older
- Gigabit router with 4 gigabit LAN ports, fast Access to Multiple connected wired devices, also ideal as gaming router
- Long range Coverage by 3 external antennas; FCC less than 30dBm
- Beamforming Technology makes the router Smart detecting where you need fast wi fi
- 1G hertz Powerful dual core processor easily handles Multiple devices (Laptops, Tablets, phones, Smart Home, Alexa Enabled devices and more); Operating Temperature: 0℃ to 40 ℃ (32 ℉ to 104℉)
This router is one of the fastest, most affordable routers tested. If you’re within 20 or 25 feet of this router, upload and download speeds are fast. If you stray too far outside that range, they can drop a little, so if you’re using this as your primary router in a large home, it may not be ideal. Walls and doors can limit coverage as well. Our favorite thing about this router was the price. It comes close to matching the other routers we tested at a more affordable price. Beyond price, the router firmware was intuitive and easy to use. It also includes an iOS app for easy configuring using a MAC. A few things we don’t like include the standup design and the LED lights. Standing routers aren’t any less useful than flat models, but they take up more space and are easier to knock off. The LED lights are bright, and in a dark room, they are a bit annoying. Neither of these issues is cause to ignore this excellent, speedy router. Let’s look at the technical specs:
- WiFi type is 802.11ac
- It works as a wireless router, bridge, or access point
- 128-bit wireless encryption
- Operates on 2.4GHz and 5GHz spectrums
- It has a USB 3.0 and a USB 2.0 port
- It has 4 LAN ports and 1 WAN port
Sitting next to the router, it hit the maximum speeds possible on the 2.4GHz frequency. On the 5GHz spectrum, the AC1900 did not disappoint. It averaged 290Mbps download at 10 feet and almost 400Mbps upload at the same distance. Wired speeds exceeded 500Mbps for both upload and download tests. At $89.99 on Amazon, you just can’t beat this router for speed and price.
Ubiquiti AmpliFi HD (High-Density) Home Wi-Fi System
- WHOLE HOME WiFi SYSTEM: Not Just a Wi-Fi router, it's a Wi-Fi system. The AmpliFi HD Kit includes a Wi-Fi router with an easy-to-use touchscreen display, two MeshPoints to maximize coverage and eliminate dead zones in your home, four Gigabit Ethernet ports, a WAN port, and an Ethernet cable. The AmpliFi HD WiFi system provides superior coverage with a range of up to 10,000 sq. ft.
- 802.11AC TECHNOLOGY FOR FASTER SPEEDS AND BETTER COVERAGE: AmpliFi HD is more than a wireless router: it’s the ultimate Wi-Fi system. With turbocharged 802.11ac Wi-Fi, AmpliFi utilizes multiple self-configuring radios and WiFi super antenna technology to bring ubiquitous secure Wi-Fi coverage to any home network. Delivers connectivity needed in today’s modern home for 4k streaming, smart home products, gaming, vid chats, downloads, and working from home.
- Wi-Fi RANGE EXTENDER REPLACEMENT: AmpliFi MeshPoints feature adjustable super antennas that can be placed discreetly in almost any location in your house, wherever dead spots need coverage. Signal strength LEDs are integrated into the design to provide immediate and continuous feedback ensuring system is positioned for optimal performance.
- INSTANT SETUP: The intuitive, easy to use AmpliFi app allows you to setup your system in 5 minutes. It also features configuration options, powerful reporting metrics, parental controls, remote access, and easy guest access. The mobile app is available for Android and iOS smartphones.
- Wi-Fi TECHNOLOGY EXPERTISE: The AmpliFi home wireless system is designed by Ubiquiti Labs, a division of Ubiquiti Networks, a global leader in developing Wi-Fi access points, Wi-Fi antennas, network switches, Internet gateways, security cameras, VoIP phones, smart home and outdoor Wi-Fi solutions.
- WiFi type is 802.11ac
- It works as a wireless router, access point, or bridge
- 128-bit wireless encryption
- Operates on 2.4GHz and 5GHz spectrums
- It has a USB 2.0 port
- It has 4 LAN ports and 1 WAN port
Typical tests and benchmarks don’t apply to the AmpliFi HD. Since it has extenders, almost anywhere in your home can be right next to the router. Speed is the only test that applies in this case. On the 2.4GHz frequency, the AmpliFi HD performed well and hit the fastest rates you would expect from 2.4GHz. The 5GHz frequency performed at higher than expected speeds. Upload speeds hit 390Mbps, and download speeds averaged 540Mbps, even when tested from outside. The price on Amazon is $329.99. That’s a lot of money to spend on a router. To make up for the higher cost, the AmpliFi HD comes with two extenders you can plug in around your home to extend the coverage. It has a handy touch screen display which is an unusual feature in a router, but this is a unique router.
Linksys Max-Stream MU-MIMO Tri-Band AC5400 Wi-Fi Router
- Provides up to 3,000 square feet of Wi-Fi coverage for 25+ wireless devices
- Works with existing modem, simple setup through Linksys App
- Enjoy 4K HD streaming, gaming and more in high quality without buffering
- Tri band router delivers the fastest combined Wi-Fi speeds to all your devices
- Tri band Wi-Fi speeds up to 5.3 Gbps (5 GHz / 1000 Mbps) + (5 GHz / 2166 Mbps) + (2.4 GHz / 2166 Mbps)
- WiFi type is 802.11ac
- It works as a wireless router, access point, or bridge
- 128-bit wireless encryption
- Operates on 2.4GHz and 5GHz spectrums
- It has a USB port
- It has 8 LAN ports and 1 WAN port
Speed tests left us thinking this router is for 5GHz only. On 2GHz it performed well enough but averaged only 100Mbps download speeds and 90Mbps upload speeds. However, using the 5GHz frequency, it downloaded at a blazing 300Mbps and uploaded at the same rate. The speeds were consistent if we tested next to the router or 20 feet away.
NETGEAR Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band Gigabit Wi-Fi Router
- Recommended for up to 50 devices: Reliably stream videos, play games, surf the internet, and connect smart home devices.
- Wired Ethernet ports: plug in computers, game consoles, streaming players, and other nearby wired devices with 4 x 1 gigabit Ethernet ports.
- Loaded with advanced technology: Designed with a 1GHz dual core processor, 6 amplified antennas, Beamforming+, Dynamic QoS, Smart Connect, Amazon Alexa Voice Controls, and more.
- USB connections: Share a storage drive and printer with any connected device, and create a personal cloud storage to access from anywhere, using the 1x3.0 and 1x2.0 USB ports.
- Smart parental controls: Pause device internet access, view site history usage, and filter websites for free. Set online time limits, schedule device internet access, and more for dollar 4.99/month (1st month free trial).
- WiFi type is 802.11ac
- It works as a wireless router, access point, or bridge
- 128-bit wireless encryption
- Operates on 2.4GHz and 5GHz spectrums
- It has 2 USB ports
- It has 4 LAN ports
The Nighthawk X6 performed well on the 2.4GHz frequency. Upload speeds were faster than download speeds at 85Mbps and 60Mbps respectively. These speeds aren’t high for 2.4GHz, but most users won’t notice. Gamers and streamers will find 2.4GHz speeds limiting on the Nighthawk X6. If you usually have more than one person streaming or gaming at any point, you’ll get some lag. Switched to the 5GHz frequency, the NightHawk X6 proved itself worthy of the fastest routers for 2018 list. It averaged 220Mbps download speeds and 270Mbps upload speeds. Those speeds would allow for almost any gaming or streaming needs with very little chance of lag becoming an issue. Oddly, the wired speeds for this router were slower than the wireless speeds, but only by a few Mbps.
Linksys WRT AC3200 Open Source Dual-Band Gigabit Smart Wireless Router
- Fast wireless router provides Wi-Fi coverage for your home (works with existing modem)
- Open source firmware offers advanced customization; Certified operating systems: MacOS (10.X or higher), Windows 7, Windows 8.1 (Works with Windows 10)
- Tri stream 160 technology doubles bandwidth from 80 MHz to 160 MHz
- Enjoy 4K HD streaming, gaming and more in high quality without buffering
- Dual band Wi-Fi speeds up to 2.6 Gbps (2.4 GHz / 600 Mbps) + (5 GHz / 2600 Mbps). Operating temperature: 32 to 104 F (0 to 40 C)
- WiFi type is 802.11ac
- It works as a wireless router, access point, or bridge
- 128-bit wireless encryption
- Operates on 2.4GHz and 5GHz spectrums
- It has 4 LAN ports and a WAN port
As expected, on the 2.4GHz frequency this router hit download speeds up to 75Mbps and upload speeds that were faster than download speeds. Upload speeds averaged 100Mbps which is fast for the 2.4GHz spectrum. The speeds dropped about 5 percent when tested at 20+ feet and fell another 30 percent at 30+ feet. An extender would make this router more appealing, and there are multiple aftermarket extenders help performance at longer distances. Test on the 5GHz frequency made up for the slower 2.4GHz tests. This router performed at speeds averaging 460Mbps for downloads and 490Mbps for uploads. That was a lot faster than we expected after the slower 2.4GHz tests. Speeds suffered similarly to the 2.4GHz results as we increased the distance between us and the router.
The Final Results
Listed in order:
- Linksys Max-Stream MU-MIMO Tri-Band AC5400 Wi-Fi Router
- Linksys WRT AC3200 Open Source Dual-Band Gigabit Smart Wireless Router
- NETGEAR Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band Gigabit Wi-Fi Router
- Ubiquiti AmpliFi HD (High-Density) Home Wi-Fi System
- TP-Link Wireless Router AC1900 Smart WiFi Dual-Band Gigabit
The only reason the Linksys Max-stream beat out the Linksys WRT AC3200 Open Source Dual-Band Gigabit Smart Wireless Router for the top spot was the poor performance on the 2.4GHz frequency. Either router would work great for anyone from households with massive streaming needs to the average internet user looking for better movie streaming on weekends.
Last update on 2021-01-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API