In this constantly updated guide, we will propose the best gaming routers for your needs. We will offer you the best models currently available on the market and we will help you analyze the aspects to be taken into consideration at the time of purchase.
The need for a high performance router has increased a lot in recent times, especially in the gaming world. The ever-increasing bandwidth required for both multimedia content such as streaming and gaming, has led to the demand for this type of product. It is essential to have a gaming router that allows you to have an excellent coverage and a good stable connection that can guarantee the best gaming experience. In this guide we will propose the best gaming routers available on the market today. In addition, we will also explain what are the characteristics and aspects to take into account when buying a product of this kind.
The routers act as repeaters of the signal received from the modem, which takes care of the connection of our PC to the Internet. For this reason you should consider purchasing a product that performs both the router and modem functions. In this guide there are only models that meet this feature. Obviously, there are some aspects to consider before proceeding with the purchase of a gaming router. They are few, but fundamental and require a certain awareness of the end user.
Gigabit Ethernet ports
The Ethernet ports are used to connect the PC gaming or your console to the router via wire. It is important to have enough, so as to avoid disconnecting and reconnecting the various cables. Obviously, it is advisable to purchase routers supporting Gigabit ports. It will seem obvious, but in many products, especially in the medium-low range, the doors of the previous generation are still installed, which allow you to reach only 100 Mbps. In addition, it is advisable to connect the PC to the Internet via cable because the wired connections are much more stable than the wireless connections.
Wi-Fi 802.11ac
Another fundamental aspect to consider is the presence of Wi-Fi 802.11ac, which strongly affects the performance of your gaming router. This technology is much more stable and faster than the previous version, which is 802.11n. This is essential when you want to take full advantage of the 5 GHz band, such as streaming games from one device to another.
Single or Dual Band Router?
Dual band routers are now very popular and much more expensive than their single-band brothers. The main difference is the frequency of the transmission band. For single band devices, it is 2.4 GHz , while for the dual band it is 5 GHz.
Thanks to this new technology, you can enjoy faster data transmission and eliminate any interference. However, they provide less coverage than 2.4 GHz routers.
Port mapping and QoS functions
Routers that use Port Mapping and Quality of Service (QoS) functions are best suited for gaming use. In fact, these functions allow you to prioritize the flow of data related to gaming programs. In this way we will be able to fully enjoy the offered connection and get the maximum performance.
Our selection
Below we offer our selection of the best gaming routers currently on the market. The products have been selected based on their technical characteristics and also based on the price at which they are sold. We are constantly updating our purchasing guides, in order to offer you always available products and also new releases.
Netgear R6120
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It is a cheap dual band WiFi gaming router made by Netgear with an excellent quality and price ratio. It has 5 Ethernet ports, a USB port and a maximum speed of 300+ 867 Mbps. Furthermore, it also guarantees excellent coverage in a very big house. This model is optimized to offer a good experience in online gaming and streaming of multimedia content. The build quality is very good, in line with the price at which it is offered to the public.
TP-Link Archer VR400
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This TP-Link modem router is a good product. The strength of this model is the very affordable price. It is equipped with 4 Ethernet ports, including a Gigabit, an ADSL port and a USB 2.0 port. This is a dual band router that is capable of reaching 300 Mbps on 2.4 GHz and 867 Mbps on 5 GHz. The integrated DSL port supports the most common standard DSL connections, including VDSL2, ADSL2 +, ADSL2 and ADSL.
A dedicated application is available for iOS and Android devices, which allows you to manage all the functions of the router directly from your smartphone quickly and easily. Furthermore, it is compatible with 3G and 4G connections.
ASUS DSL-AC52U
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This is a mid-range gaming router made by ASUS. It is equipped with 4 Gigabit Ethernet ports and a USB 2.0 port. Thanks to the simultaneous dual band you can reach the maximum speed of 433 Mbps on 5 GHz and 300 Mbps on 2.4 GHz, allowing you to enjoy a really good final experience. This router is compatible with VDSL2, ADSL2 / 2 +, ADSL and fiber services. One of the strengths of this model is the price at which it is sold, especially when compared to its direct competitors in the same price range.
The build quality is really excellent, typical of the products made by the company. In addition, this model also offers full support for 3G and 4G connections. Support for VPN customers and for those managing a PPTP / Open VPN server is very welcome.
ASUS DSL-AC68U
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This ASUS dual band AC gaming router has 4 Gigabit Ethernet ports and a USB 3.0 port. The simultaneous dual band guarantees a speed of 1300 Mbps on 5 GHz and 600 Mbps on 2.4 GHz, for a maximum speed of 1,900 Mbps. Of course, support for ADSL2 / 2 +, ADSL, VDSL2, fiber and cable networks is available.
Furthermore, there is the dedicated ASUS Router App software, which guarantees full customization of your network preferences. This gaming router is particularly suitable for those looking for a product that allows you to stream 4K content and play online games with maximum performance.
ASUS RT-AC5300
[amazon box=”B0167HG1V6″ /]
It is a real monster made by ASUS. This 802.11 AC Wi-Fi router offers you maximum performance. Not mono or even dual, but it offers you the beauty of 5.334 Mbps in tri-band. All of this, including Broadcom NitroQAM technology, allows you to play your favorite titles with low latency and get the best performance.
There are 4 Gigabit Ethernet ports and a USB 3.0 port. In addition, Adaptive QoS technology allows us to prioritize bandwidth and data traffic to gaming-related applications. Obviously we will have to have an internet connection worthy of this router, otherwise it is a completely useless purchase. This product is also perfect for streaming high-resolution content. The build quality is really excellent, worthy product in this price range.
Best-selling gaming routers on Amazon
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We also offer you the top 10 best-selling gaming routers on Amazon. The list is kept constantly updated by the store itself. In addition, we advise you to keep an eye on the offers on gaming routers in this section.
