How to Choose a Better Wi-Fi Router for Your Home

Your internet service provider delivers a signal to your home, but your router is what takes that signal and spreads it wirelessly throughout your house. A slow or outdated router can limit your internet speed, cause dead zones in certain rooms, and drop connections regularly — even if you are paying for fast internet service.

If your router is more than five years old, upgrading it is one of the most cost-effective tech improvements you can make. You will likely notice faster Wi-Fi speeds, fewer dropped connections, and better coverage throughout your home — all for a one-time cost of $60 to $200.

Wi-Fi has several generational standards. Wi-Fi 5 (also written as 802.11ac) was the dominant standard from around 2013 to 2020 and is still plenty fast for most homes. Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) is the current mainstream standard. It handles more devices simultaneously and delivers better speeds especially in homes with many connected devices (smart TVs, phones, tablets, smart home gadgets). Wi-Fi 6E adds a third radio band at 6 GHz for even less congestion, though it requires devices that also support 6E to benefit. For most households, Wi-Fi 6 is the sweet spot.

Single routers work well for smaller homes and apartments — usually up to 1,500 to 2,000 square feet. If you have a larger home, multiple floors, thick walls, or a detached garage you want covered, a mesh Wi-Fi system uses two or three small access points placed around your home that all share a single network name so your devices switch between them automatically. Brands like Eero, Google Nest, and TP-Link Deco make well-regarded mesh systems.

If your ISP provides a router as part of your plan, it is often worth replacing it. ISP-provided equipment tends to be older, less capable, and updated less often than consumer routers. However, check with your ISP first — some plans require you to use their router to access certain features or to be eligible for tech support.