When you are comparing the gaming routers, there are a lot of gratitude. Is it able to slip on a new Wi-FI 7 standards? Does your home need a mesh system or will a router work? What is the 4K prices in the world? That’s what I wanted to know, so I discovered in the details of personal struggle to find the best router for gaming.
Before buying any gaming routers, I suggest that the CNET leader look at the gaming interval about how you can reduce your delay. You may not need a new router, and in many cases, moving your wireless router to a different location or adjusting your existing router antenna can improve your network and your online gaming performance.
If you have tried all this and your gaming connection still needs an upgrade, keep in mind some important things here when buying routers.
WiFi Technology
These days, you will see three Wi -Fi standards when buying most Wi -Fi routers: Wi -Fi 6, Wi -Fi 6E and Wi -Fi 7. WiFi is the seventh repetition of 7 WiFi standards.
All these standards were developed Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEE)Association of Technical Professionals Worldwide. When a device uses the sophisticated standards, an organization called Wi-Fi Alliance Gives approval stamps to the equipment that fulfills its ability.
| WiFi 5 (802.11ac) | Wi-Fi 6 (802.11AX) | Wi-Fi 6E (802.11AX) | WiFi 7 (802.11be) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frequency | 5GHz | 2.4 and 5GHz | 2.4, 5 and 6GHz | 2.4, 5 and 6GHz |
| Maximum bandout | 80 MHz | 160 MHz | 160 MHz | 320 MHz |
| Maximum speed | 1.3 GBPS | 9.6 GBPS | 9.6 GBPS | 46 GBPS |
- Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be): 2.4, 5 and 6GHz uses the band and double the 6GHz band channel size from 160 to 320mHz. A typical Wi-Fi 7 laptop can reach a “potential maximum” speed of 5.8 GBPS-which is 2.4 times faster than possible 2.4 Gbps with WiFi 6 and 6E, According to Intel. Multi Link Operation (MLO) also allows Wi-FI 7 devices to be connected to two bands simultaneously, which can provide better reliability and very low delays.
- Wi-fi 6e (802.11AX): First Wi-FI standard to add to the 6GHz band 2.4 and 5GHz “target =” _ itself.
- Wi-Fi 6 (802.11AX): Wi-Fi 5, a massive upgrade on Wi-Fi 6, was the first standard that allowed your router to distribute the channel that he is using-2.4 or 5GHz- to send your signal through a small frequency allocation. This allowed a lot of speed than the previous general.
- WiFi 5 (802.11ac): Wi -Fi 5 specially used 5GHz band. It was the first Wi -Fi standard to exceed 1GBPS maximum speed, but its limit is significantly lower than Wi -Fi 6.
If it seems confused, you are not alone. WiFi 6E to Wi -Fi 7 has been particularly technical. Although the two use the newly open 6GHz band, only the Wi-FI 7 routers will get the MLO feature.
“Whenever I talked to the Wi -Fi alliance, they always tried to forget people that there was a Wi -Fi -6E.” Nicolas de leonA reporter covering routers for consumer reports (CNET has nothing to do with Samantha de Leone). “This was a stop gap, band aid solution when WiFi was on the way to 7.”
As it is not confused, some WiFi 7 routers do not even use 6GHz bands. Best Budget WiFi 7 Router of Our Selection, Net Gear Night Hawk RSS100One of them. This “double band” is one of the rising wave of Wi -Fi 7 routers, which is to some extent because they are losing the most important part of the equation.
Wireless networking director David Coliman said in high networks, but Wi -Fi is more than 7 6GHz band.
“Wi -Fi -7 has introduced several important upgrades that keep it separate from the Tree Band Wi -Fi -6 e -routers,” Colman said in an email. “For example, Wi-Fi 7 320 MW supports wide channels-double the size of the wider channels in Wi-6E-which means it can provide a lot of data rate. It also brings 4K-QAM Modelon, which increases the transmission of 20 % compared to Wi-Fi 6E.”
Keep in mind that you will need both Wi-Fi 7 routers and Wi-Fi 7 device to take advantage of quality improvement. When Wi -Fi 7 was formally launched in January 2024, very few devices can actually use it. Today, the list has a tremendous extension and includes the latest iPhones, Microsoft level laptops and PS5 Pro.
These WiFi standards are backward, so a Wi -Fi -7 router will still work with a device that has only Wi -Fi 6. Similarly, you can use Wi-Fi 6 routers for the game on the PS5 Pro-you will not only be able to take advantage of its better speed.
Ethernet ports
Ethernet ports allow you to plug a device directly into your router. The wired connection is naturally stronger than Wi -Fi. In a test “target =” _ themselvesA CNET writer received 395Mbps download speed through Ethernet and 126Mbps via Wi-FI. If there is a device – such as a gaming console or PC – which you want to get the best contact, the way to go to Ethernet cable. They are often sold as “Gigabit Ethernet ports”, which means they are able to supply Gigabit’s speed “target =” _ itself Through a wired connection. The higher the router in the ports, the more you can connect.
Band Support
You will mainly see two types of gaming routers: Tree Band and Double Band. Tree band routers work on 2.4, 5 and 6GHz channels, while double band routers use only 2.4 and 5GHz. The 6GHz band has a key upgrade in Wi-FI 6E and Wi-FI 7 routers, but router companies are rapidly selling dual band Wi-Fi 7 routers. These do not you find at 6GHz, but they have other features of Wi-Fi 7 such as Mlo and 4K Qam. When calling these double band routers Wi -Fi 7 is a bit when they lose 6GHz bands, but they are usually much cheaper than the Tree Tree Band Wi -Fi 7 routers.
Features gaming
The central feature that regularly separates gaming routers from old Wi -Fi routers is the Quality of Service (QOS) or Bandothth preference. This allows you to prefer traffic over a specific device such as a gaming console or PC, making sure it will always be number one in the fastest speed of your network.
Some are more advanced than others. Our choice for the Best WiFi 6 Gaming Router, ASUS ROG is equipped with GT-Ax6000, Game Boost, which is ASUS specific QOs that prefer game data. Generally, these features are the best of the network nerves among us. Even if you do not mess with them, a standard gaming router should still experience fast, intermittent gaming.
Processor and ram
The processor in the Wi -Fi router is like his brain. It determines how far it can handle your network traffic and perform multiple tasks simultaneously. All of our top pits use a quad -core processor (when listed publicly), which is the standard in 2025. However, not all the processors of the quad -core are made equal. For example, the A73 processor used by Aero Max 7 is considered to be significantly more developed than the A53 processor used in Ero Pro 6E.
The router’s storage capacity can also affect the extent to which it performs well. It usually breaks into Ram and Flash. RAM, shortly for random access memory, affects the ability to take action on router data, while flash storage usually contains router settings.
Limit and coverage
Will the same gaming router be able to broadcast a Wi -Fi signal throughout your house? It doesn’t matter how good the rotor is, you will always see an important speed drop in rooms far away from the router.
Many Wi -Fi routers list the coverage areas north of 5,000 square feet, but I suggest that if your home is larger than 2500 square feet, I turn into a mesh system. He said, this is a percentage. If you have a multi -gag internet plan, you still have enough speed to run TV or browse social media in the corner of the 5,000 square feet home. But if you are just starting with 100 MBPS, you will probably have problems.
In addition, the kind of home you live-not just the size-can affect your Wi-Fi signal.
“It has a lot of dependence on the construction of housing,” said De Levin. “I have dropped the family in Puerto Rico and Florida where many houses are solid, and it clearly eliminates only Wi -Fi signals.”
Network security and protection
The router you see should have at least the WPA3 certification. This is a recent security protocol issued by the Wi-FI alliance, and ensures that the router follows the best methods that make the password difficult to break and secure data.
“In fact, as long as it has WPA3, this is probably a great thing of security,” said Leone.
He also recommended the search for routers supporting firmware updates. Not all CNET routers recommend updating their firmware. One of the manufacturers I talked to, said they had received a “very clear opinion from society” against them, as they could affect network performance. Whether it’s automated or not, the basic thing to know is that the manufacturer releases regular updates, and that is easy to install them.
Mobile apps and user interface
All gaming routers that we suggest come with a mobile app that helps you control your home network. It is important for things to set your Wi -Fi network, update your router firmware and use gaming features. I didn’t feel too much separation between apps on gaming routers that we have experienced, but if you plan to customize your own network to give priority to gaming devices, it can affect your experience.
Parents’ control
These days, parents’ controls are quite standard on Wi -Fi routers, and it includes gaming routers I have suggested above. They can be accessed through the router app and allow you to automatically ban access to specific websites or any adult content. You can often set a schedule where a device can also access the Wi-FI, or even set the daily limits.
The number of antenna and placement options
You think a Wi-Fi router is as much antenna as you can, you can expect its signal strength, but our testing was the best signal strength scorer ASUS RT-Ax86U Pro, with only three exterior and one internal antenna. The outer antenna allows you to direct the Wi -Fi signal towards specific areas of your home, but I do not see much difference in the performance between internal and external antenna routers.
Is more important Router “target =” _ Self -placement. It should travel a few feet from the ground at the main location of your home and away from any walls or electronics.