8 Best Routers for Cox in 2023 [Expert Choices]

Cox charges $13 monthly for the Panoramic WiFi gateway, which is about $156 yearly. If you want to avoid this equipment rental fee and purchase your own wireless router that works well with Cox internet, you’re at the right place.

Unlike finding Cox-compatible modems, you don’t need to check ISP compatibility for wireless routers. However, there are certain things to consider to locate the best Cox router for your home or office. These include suitability with an internet plan, coverage, security features, wired connectivity, and more.

Keeping these things in mind, I got 18 devices, paired them with Cox internet, and tested them in several situations. After immense testing over 31 days, I finally qualified the 8 best choices for 2023:

1. Best For Cox Gigablast: TP-Link AX90
2. Best for Gaming: ASUS RT-AX82U
3. Best for Streaming: Netgear RAX43
4. Best Mesh Router: Amazon Eero 6+
5. Best Router/Modem Combo: ARRIS G34
6. Best For Home Use: Linksys EA8100
7. Best Budget Wi-Fi 6: Netgear R6700AX
8. Cheapest Option: ASUS RT-AC67P

8 Best Routers for Cox in 2023

Overview of the List: The list begins with a high-end model featuring state-of-the-art performance and moves ahead with mid-range picks. It also includes some affordable options if you’re on a low budget. Now, without further ado, let’s get started!

1. Best for Cox Gigablast: TP-Link Archer AX90

Archer AX90 is a wireless router with high-end features like tri-band operation, Wi-Fi 6 support, powerful hardware, and a nice selection of ports, including a 2.5 Gbps WAN/LAN. Besides, it comes with solid security, which takes it to the top of my list.

Why is it suited for Cox?

An extra 5GHz backhaul band lets you use the less congested channels for transferring data much faster. So you can expect minimal latency and lags every time you connect to the Gigabit plan of Cox.

I tested the same on my iPhone 13 and got maximum download speeds of 940 Mbps and 195 Mbps, respectively. The speeds dropped massively on the 2.4GHz band, averaging at 457 Mbps and 115 Mbps.

Nevertheless, the speeds might vary depending on your location and usage. Also, the speeds are good enough for online gaming, stock trading, video conferencing and even Twitch streaming for gameplay.

Wired Connectivity

There are 5 Gigabit Ethernet ports and a 2.5 Gigs WAN/LAN port that further boosts the experience. It lets you set up high-speed wired connections, primarily with bandwidth-hogging devices like gaming consoles. My Dell laptop received download and upload speeds at 980 Mbps and 110 Mbps.

The ports further support Link aggregation, allowing you to pair two IPs to experience multi-gigs of speeds.

WiFi Coverage & Devices Capacity

Archer AX90’s 8 powerful antennas have a range on par with many top-tier mesh systems. It could easily cover my 2,500 Sq Ft test centre with strong signals. These antennas are further integrated with beamforming technology that, rather than dissipating signals everywhere, sends strong beams of signals to your connected devices.

Besides, technologies like MU-MIMO, OFDMA, and others ensure all your connected devices receive signals of similar strength. And I could stream 4K videos on 20 devices and video conferencing on 30 devices at once without any clunkiness or network drops.

Security Features

Archer AX90 comes with WPA3 Wi-Fi security, but being a new standard, it might not be compatible with many devices. Also, there is an Avira-powered TP-Link Homeshield antivirus whose premium version would cost you around $55 a year. But it does come with some cool features like malware detection, firewall protection, and weekly scans.

Moreover, it includes smart parental controls to give today’s digital moms the power to control their kids’ internet activities. From restricting certain categories to showing the most visited websites and scheduling Wi-Fi, you’ve got everything.

Conclusion

Overall, Archer AX90 is the best router for Cox Gigablast users. An additional 5GHz band is especially helpful if you have multiple connected devices. Besides, it has got a no-nonsense port setup and capable hardware. It might cost a bit, but its features justify the price.

2. Best for Gaming: ASUS RT-AX82U

ASUS RT-AX82U is a high-end gaming router built exclusively for gamers. It combines powerful hardware with good software to deliver consistent throughout and lag-free gaming, provided you’ve got a gaming modem. Besides, its striking design, vibrant RGB lighting, and dedicated gaming port stand out from other Cox-certified routers.

Plus, the manufacturer has made some significant upgrades over ASUS RT-AX86U to enhance the overall user experience.

Why is it suited for Cox?

The dual-band Wi-Fi 6 makes quite an impression alongside 160MHz channel support means the router can exceed Gigabit of speeds in the right situation.

Connecting to Cox’s Gigablast plan, you can expect speeds of up to 900 Mbps for downloads and nearly 150 Mbps for uploads with its 5GHz band. Besides, the 2.4GHz has got a decent speed output. The download speeds averaged around 500 Mbps, while 105 Mbps was the upload speed.

Wired Connectivity

The device has 5 Ethernet LAN/WAN ports, allowing you to create an Ethernet backhaul. My consoles got around 950 Mbps and 175 Mbps for downloads and uploads, respectively.

So, I’d say that the speeds are more than adequate for you to play bandwidth-hogging online games without making a fuss as long as you plug in the proper console.

WiFi Coverage & Devices Capacity

RT-AX82U has 3 high-performance beamforming antennas that offer three times the coverage of your traditional and outdated Cox wireless router. My home office of 1,800 Sq Ft was sheathed with a strong internet connection.

Other than that, MU-MIMO and OFDMA helped give a stable connection on 20 devices at once. I played online games, streamed 4K side, browsed social media, and sent emails alongside.

Security Features

Asus has provided a lifetime-free AiProtection Pro security suite that ingrains advanced features like malware blocking, generating weekly reports, and preventing external attacks. It also comes with some useful parental controls, including monitoring one’s online activity, blocking websites, or pausing the WiFi anytime.

Conclusion

The RT-AX82U is a fantastic gaming router that provides stable and consistent throughput, which is the most critical aspect when gaming. Furthermore, a dedicated gaming port and several optimizations improve stability during gaming. Despite this, the lack of a tri-band dropped it to second place. Read its full review for more.

3. Best for Streaming: Netgear Nighthawk RAX43

Are you interested in purchasing a Netgear router for Cox that doesn’t cost you an arm and a leg? Then look no further than Nighthawk RAX43, which comes with Wi-Fi 6 support. And if you compare it to the previous model, RAX40, you will find upgrades like a powerful processor, more ports, and others.

Why is it suited for Cox?

With Cox’s Gigablast plan, the proximity test with the 5GHz band yielded download and upload speeds at around 860 Mbps and 140 Mbps, respectively. I tested the router from 5 feet distance and managed to clock a download speed of 770 Mbps.

Don’t get me wrong when I say the device is fast. I discovered that the speed is enough to stream 32 Netflix movies at once.

Wired Connectivity

There are 5 Gigabit LAN and 1 WAN port that allow you to pair with 1000 Mbps speed plans. So, in terms of wired speeds, downloads, and uploads can be expected at 900 Mbps and 160 Mbps. And so the speeds are enough to let you download your large files within seconds.

WiFi Coverage & Devices Capacity

In terms of coverage, with 4 external antennas, the device easily covered my friend’s 2,000 Sq Ft house. I and my friend connected over 20 devices with it and had zero issues while multitasking. Apart from that, thanks to technologies like 1024-QAM and smart connect, signal strength was similar in most connected devices.

Security Features

Netgear has some basic security features like WPA3 and VPN-passthrough that keep your passwords and other databases safe. But if you want to upgrade the security, you must pay for it. With an annual paid subscription, you can access features like weekly scanning, malicious website identification and blocking, and others.

Besides, its parental controls are also paid. However, some cool features include creating separate user profiles, blocking inappropriate or explicit websites, and pausing the WiFi anytime. So, I’d recommend subscribing to both if you have young children in your house or need an additional level of security.

Conclusion

A few things make Netgear RAX43 the best router to replace Cox Panoramic WiFi, but it’s a tad expensive for the features it offers. I have noticed throughput issues at the ranges of 50 and 70 feet. However, its performance should be apt for most streamers and gamers.

4. Best Mesh Router for Cox: Amazon Eero 6+

Finding a mesh router for a large place can be overwhelming, owing to several options and choices. You can opt for Amazon Eero 6 Plus, which is known for delivering consistent internet connection and not leaving any dead spots. And in terms of upgrades from the previous version, there’s a lot on the table.

Why is it suited for Cox?

What works in this mesh system’s favor is Wi-Fi 6 technology with dual-band WiFi for sending strong signals through interferences and congestions.

In my wireless tests over my iPhone 13, the average speeds were recorded at 820 Mbps for downloads, while for uploads, it was 110 Mbps. The speeds are good enough for my Sunday movie marathon for my entire family, where we stream UHD movies one by one on our projector.

Wired Connectivity

Besides, each unit has 2 GigE LAN ports to establish an Ethernet backhaul mesh network. With the Gigabit plan, the maximum download and upload speeds clocked at 900 Mbps and 125 Mbps, respectively. You know what not you can do with such speeds in place.

WiFi Coverage & Devices Capacity

Being a mesh system, it’s expected from the device to sheath the thick wall home with strong signals. And in my tests, it performed well. Using the 2-unit pack, I could fill my friend’s 2,500 Sq Ft house with a stable internet connection, and none corners were left blank.

Regarding the connection capacity, the mesh system could send similar strength signals on 30 devices without any potential speed drops.

Security Features

Now talking about security, Amazon comes with a paid two-fold security software, Secure, and Secure+. With a $99 monthly subscription, you get advanced features like blocking malicious websites, threat detection, and others. Besides, it comes with smart parental controls like restricting entry to certain websites and monitoring your kids’ online time and activities.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Amazon Eero 6+ is a reliable and quality mesh router to use with Cox internet. It engulfs your entire space with faster connectivity. Besides consistency, some advanced security features keep your home network and connected devices protected from unwanted attacks and malware and viruses.

Want to learn more? Check out my Eero 6 Plus review!

5. Best Modem-Router Combo: ARRIS Surfboard G34

Arris G34 is one of the best-rated modem-router combos in the retail space, boasting advanced capabilities and a pretty expensive spec sheet. The best thing about it is you can deploy any mid-tier or low-tier Cox internet plan without worrying about network congestion.

Why is it suited for Cox?

Those looking for a compact device that does the job of two need not look further than this modem-router combo by Arris. Aside from boasting a DOCSIS 3.1 future-proof modem, its wireless speeds are pretty impressive, with Wi-Fi 6 support.

So, in my tests with the Internet Ultimate 500 plan, the download speeds panned out at 487 Mbps, whereas 95 Mbps were my upload speed. These were recorded with my 5GHz band. On the other hand, with the 2.4GHz band, respective download and upload speeds were 175 Mbps and 42 Mbps. With such speeds, I could play Vanguard with my friends without any latency.

Wired Connectivity

On the other hand, there are 4 Gig Ethernet ports, provided there’s a need for establishing wired connections for much faster speeds. My Dell laptop’s download and upload speeds were recorded at 495 Mbps and 28 Mbps, making it one of the best routers for Cox’s mid-tier plan.

So, whether you are a gamer or love streaming 4K movies and videos, get this versatile device and save money.

WiFi Coverage & Devices Capacity

Being a modem-router combo, I wasn’t expecting much from this device in terms of coverage. However, to my surprise, it seamlessly covered my old 1,500 Sq Ft house, and the previously existing network gaps were completely gone. So, it’s a great WiFi router for apartments.

The device also integrates a 2 x 2 OFDM/OFDMA that promises congestion-free data transmission to multiple devices at once. So, all my 20 connected devices could run high-bandwidth games without lags.

Security Features

Arris G34 does not come with many security features you find in the Cox router list. So, if you have some sensitive data to protect, get a third-party antivirus installed that integrates all the features you need. Nevertheless, if WPA3 encryption and VPN passthrough fulfill your security needs, you are sorted with this device.

Conclusion

Overall, ARRIS G34 is the best modem router combo for Cox that strikes a great balance between utility and price. The latest technologies in both (modem and routing) make it a viable choice. However, speed outputs are much lesser than those stand-alone Cox-supported routers, hence the position.

6. Best for Work From Home: Linksys EA8100

There aren’t many affordable wireless routers that deliver decent speed. Despite featuring Wi-Fi 5 standard, Linksys EA8100 is an effective resource for home internet use. The device ingrains a faster processor, more RAM, and other advanced technologies than its previous version.

Why is it suited for Cox?

I tested the same with Cox’s 500 Mbps internet plan and went online on my Dell laptop to check for wireless speeds on 5GHz and 2.4GHz bands.

I could churn out download speeds of around 435 Mbps for the high-frequency band, and upload speeds were around 75 Mbps. And for the 2.4GHz band, I could experience download and upload speeds of 200 Mbps and 18 Mbps, respectively.

Wired Connectivity

You can boost your WiFi speeds a few Mbps further by plugging your devices into the router’s 4 Gigabit Ethernet ports. Maximum speeds when playing the Fifa tournament with my friends turned out to be around 450 Mbps for downloads and 90 Mbps for uploads.

However, the standout aspect of this router is its Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) certification. With this in place, the router can effectively route your signals through less congested channels and, therefore, faster data transfer. Thanks to it, none of the gaming consoles suffered through lags or latencies.

WiFi Coverage & Devices Capacity

Like any traditional router, EA8100 boasts 4 external antennas, which successfully encased my uncle’s 1,500 Sq Ft Work-From-Home office. He connected around 18 devices to the network to perform tasks like sending, receiving or confirming orders online, preparing bills, sending emails and other business-related tasks.

Security Features

Basic security features are more or less similar in most devices out there, and Linksys EA8100 is no different. Some highlights are WPA3, basic scanning and VPN-passthrough. These features are powerful enough to safeguard your home network, but I recommend installing a third-party antivirus to keep your device safe in commercial settings.

Conclusion

In conclusion, EA8100 is a budget router to pair with Cox mid-tier internet plans. The antennas are powerful enough to encase your decent-sized workplace or residential area. However, with lesser speeds and inadequate security measures compared to other options, it’s pushed down to the sixth position.

7. Best Budget Wi-Fi 6 Router: Netgear R6700AX

The penultimate product on my list is a bit of a surprise. This Netgear router has Wi-Fi 6 support, making it capable of handling decent-speed Cox plans. You can’t expect high-end features at the given price, but with a quad-core processor, 4 beamforming antennas, and 1800 Mbps maximum speeds, it’s an upgrade over Netgear RAX40.

Why is it suited for Cox?

In my testing with Cox Ultimate, the speeds panned out to around 350 Mbps as the maximum download throughput for the 5GHz band. The upload speeds in a similar scenario are capped at 75 Mbps.

I tested the speeds by playing Fortnite on my Xbox 360 and watching Netflix in UHD, and it worked out really fine. Besides some minor inconsistencies, the device delivered really fine.

Wired Connectivity

I was really impressed with the number of ports the router comes with despite being in this price range. Its 4 GigE LAN ports can give you download speeds at 380 Mbps and 85 Mbps upload speeds. Mark my words, there won’t be any inconsistencies when you create wired connections, and you can complete any game with peace of mind.

WiFi Coverage & Devices Capacity

With 3 antennas, the number is much less when compared to other routers on my list, which clearly affects its overall range. The antennas could cover only 1,300 Sq Ft without dropping speeds despite integrating beamforming technology. The device wasn’t online in grandpa’s garden or garage.

Aside from this, I tested the connection capacity of this router. At a stretch, it could deliver decent network signals to 9-11 devices at once. So, people with any more devices should consider any alternative option.

Security Features

Like any Netgear router, this has got a premium Netgear Armor feature, and subscribing to it has its own perks. Besides protecting your devices and home network from external threats, it conducts periodical scans and warns if it identifies potential threats.

Other than that, its pro parental controls give you control over what your children watch, how much time they spend online, and whether or not they are safe.

Conclusion

So overall, Netgear R6700AX is a budget yet reliable Wi-Fi 6-supported router with features suitable for people with decent speed requirements. It’s a major upgrade over any of your traditional or outdated Cox rented routers but lacks behind most routers on my list. This is why it’s pushed to the seventh position on the list.

8. Cheapest Option: ASUS RT-AC67P

Don’t want to spend too much yet need a good router for Cox internet? Look no further and bring ASUS RT-AC67P your home!

The final product on my list of best routers to use with Cox is a value-added and one of the cheapest options you’ll find in this retail arena. ASUS RT-AC67P is ingrained with basic features and technologies that deliver a seamless internet usage experience.

Despite featuring 3 antennas, the WiFi range of this device is on par with many top-tier models and is definitely an upgrade over RT-AX56U.

Why is it suited for Cox?

Unavailability of many low-tier plans with Cox, I paired the RT-AC67P with the 100 Mbps plan, and the download speed for the 5GHz band was around 90 Mbps. Upload speeds for a similar band were recorded at 10 Mbps.

The speeds might sound a tad low, but there’s a lot you can achieve with 100 Mbps. Although downloading or uploading Gigs of files means you have got your work cut out for you, tasks like streaming videos or playing games won’t be an issue.

Wired Connectivity

The device ingrains 4 Gigabit LAN ports which boost your speeds by a few extra gigs. So, you can connect your bandwidth-hogging devices to it to receive consistent and fast throughput.

WiFi Coverage & Devices Capacity

As mentioned earlier, coverage is the strong suit of RT-AC67P, and its 3 beamforming antennas can deliver a maximum coverage of around 3,000 Sq Ft. This is the same as Amazon Eero 6 Plus mesh that I review above. So, irrespective of its speed, you are bound to get that in every corner of your house.

Apart from coverage, the Asus router can simultaneously fulfill the network needs of nine of your bandwidth-hungry devices. Besides, the device can handle at least 15 devices working on tasks like sending emails, streaming music and browsing social media.

Security Features

Security isn’t the greatest in this router. Features like WPA2 encryption keeps your databases in encrypted form and delivers a decent level of security to your residential network. Furthermore, some basic parental controls like pausing your Wi-Fi and monitoring the time your connected devices are online.

Conclusion

In conclusion, ASUS RT-AC67P has got some basic features that make for a considerable upgrade over your ISP-rented Cox internet router. The standout feature of this device is its coverage, but it lacks advanced security features, and speeds are much lesser than other routers, which takes it to the bottom of the list.

Frequently Asked Questions

Verdict

That concludes my discussion of the best-suited wireless routers for Cox. I hope you found the guide to be informative enough to purchase an appropriate device. However, if you’re still perplexed, here are some of my personal favorites:

• For experiencing buffer-free 4K streaming and zero latency gaming, I’d recommend you purchase TP-Link Archer AX90, which features tri-band Wi-Fi 6 technology.
• If you want a reliable router without putting a hole in your pocket, I’d ask you to consider Netgear Nighthawk RAX43. It doesn’t boast MU-MIMO and advanced security but it’s a great option for speeds and consistency.
• If you want to minimize hassles and want a powerful gateway, go for ARRIS Surfboard G34.
• Also, if you’ve subscribed to low-tier plans and need an upgrade over your traditional router, ASUS RT-AC67P is a good router to invest in.

With that, I’d take a leave. Leave any questions in the comment box!