7 Best Routers for Working From Home in 2023 [Expert Picks]

Even after the pandemic is long gone, many of us still follow the norm and prefer to work remotely. It requires fast and consistent internet connectivity, and that’s why you’re looking for a reliable router for your work-from-home setup, right?

The key is to work out how confusing acronyms, complicated mess of standards, and sci-fi-sounding features translate to a better internet-using experience.

You can spend days figuring these out and selecting from hundreds of so-called “best” WFH routers. Or can choose from the curated list by someone who has been working from home for the last 7 years.

If you choose the second option, join me as I unveil the best options for every budget and specific needs. So let’s get into it!

7 Best Routers for Working From Home in 2023

Don’t just get perplexed by the features and performance of a router, if it doesn’t match your internet plan or requirements, it’s basically a waste. Go through the detailed reviews, weigh their pros and cons, and make a wise decision.

1. Best Overall: TP-Link Archer AXE75

TP-Link Archer AXE75 is a 6 GHz router that lives up to the hype of delivering excellent wireless performance. It further adds the latest wireless technologies and highly amplified antennas to keep your working setup up and running.

Although there aren’t any multi-gig ports, the available ones should fare well with the available tasks.

Speeds & Performance

TP-Link Archer AXE75 with a Wi-Fi 6E standard is AXE5400 rated, which means it’s capable of sending data at 5400 Mbps, and the capabilities of each band are as follows:

6 GHz: 2402 Mbps

5 GHz: 2402 Mbps

2.4 GHz: 574 Mbps

The “plug-n-play” setup with Xfinity 1 Gbps plan was straightforward, and it took around a minute to turn the lights “on,” and a few minutes later, the internet was accessible from my laptop. And trust me on this, the speed blew me away.

I ran the speed test on my Dell XPS laptop 20 feet away, and I broke the record with 948/41 Mbps download/upload speed. It stayed strong at 50 feet (807 Mbps downloads) before dropping to 347 Mbps and 10 Mbps, respectively, at 70 feet. That’s really fast. And the best part is you can upgrade the plan in the future if needed.

From my experience, such speeds are great for working from home if you’re using Zoom, surfing the web, sending emails, and streaming in 4K.

WiFi Coverage & Devices Capacity

Archer AXE75 comes at a stipulated range of 3,000 Sq Ft, keeping it well ahead of many standalone routers out there. With its six powerful beamforming antennas, it filled my friend’s two-story, 2,500 Sq Ft house with signals, which were strong on every level and didn’t leave any dead zones.

Most of the devices quickly grabbed the new signal, and stability was top-notch in each, with the integration of wireless technologies like MU-MIMO, OFDMA, and beamforming.

My laptop, smartphones, internet radio, computer, and others, adding up to 75 devices, stay connected. You can add a few more, provided its claimed capacity of 200.

Security Features

While I praised the network performance and signal quality, its security leaves a bit of room for improvement. The HomeShield basic, however, has most features like WPA3, VPN, guest network, access control, and auto-firmware update.

Besides, its Tether app lets you remove any unwanted or extra devices added to your network.

Conclusion

Ease of use, a WiFi 6E, and resulting fast performance make TP-Link AXE75 my top pick for users seeking to future-proof their work internet setup.

Granted, there aren’t advanced security features, but it compensates with fast throughput and excellent signal range to get most online tasks up and running. For a more detailed look, check out the full Archer AXE75 review.

2. Best Runner-Up: Netgear Nighthawk RAX54S

Using Wi-Fi 6 and many advanced features and technologies to complement it, the Netgear Nighthawk RAX54S makes it to the second spot on my list. It has the perfect mixture of features, efficiency, and costs.

It’s basically a re-branded version of the Netgear RAX50 but with a change in price and security features. Surprisingly, the RAX54S comes with a 1-year premium subscription to Netgear Armor that paves the way for advanced network security.

Speeds & Performance

The dual-band Netgear RAX54S has a maximum throughput capacity of 5400 Mbps, where the speed of each band is as follows:

5 GHz: 4804 Mbps

2.4 GHz: 574 Mbps

Boasting the looks of an alien mothership, RAX54S turned out great in my performance tests. Paired with the Xfinity 1 Gbps plan, its 20 feet test score averaged 938 Mbps and 39 Mbps for downloads and uploads, respectively.

Meanwhile, up to 40 feet, the values were consistent at 794 Mbps before dipping to 315 Mbps and 18 Mbps at 60 feet.

As for the performance, the router didn’t disappoint. Stimulating a congested network environment, I streamed a 4K video on my laptop, attended video calls on my smartphone, and asked my family members to engage in any online activities.

There wasn’t any alteration in signal quality, and the devices breezed through the tasks.

WiFi Coverage & Devices Capacity

The Nighthawk RAX54S, on paper, comes at a maximum range of 2,500 Sq Ft, making it a smart choice for most two to three-bedroom apartments.

In my Nashville test lab, the router just fell short and kept dead spots in a few corners to cover up to 2,350 Sq Ft of space. Nevertheless, the ability should fare well for most people working from home.

Moving on, the antennae tags in beamforming and MU-MIMO tech concentrate signals on the connected devices and ensure a no-lag performance. I could connect up to 27 devices at once, which, although it seems much inferior compared to my top recommendation, is ideal for any WFH setup.

Security Features

Netgear takes an extra step by bundling the premium Netgear Armor 2.0 free for a year. With it activated, you are safe from any unwanted elements like viruses and malware, block malicious websites, and browse anything with peace of mind.

So, the sensitive data you share regularly stays protected by any means. Besides, other features like WPA3, VPN, guest network, and access control add an icing on the top.

Conclusion

All in all, RAX54S is a great buy with plenty of valuable features that make an easy entry into the network of home workers. Its speeds are excellent, and coverage is stable throughout the 2,000-2,200 Sq Ft house.

Besides, its one-year free Netgear Armor subscription (worth $99) keeps your network safe and secure.

3. Best Modem/Router Combo: ARRIS SURFboard G34

If your table is too congested or you want to save a couple of dollars by getting a modem-router combo for your home workshop, ARRIS G34 is your best bet.

It brings in the latest networking standards of both (a modem and a router). As for the modem, there’s DOCSIS 3.1 tech, and the built-in router has Wi-Fi 6, powerful antennas, and other networking technologies to deliver both speed and coverage.

Speeds & Performance

The modem router with Wi-Fi 6 support has the ability to manage data flow at 3000 Mbps, where the respective band-wise speeds are as follows:

5 GHz: 2401 Mbps

2.4 GHz: 574 Mbps

The speed this device offers is amazing! My downloads and uploads are ridiculously fast, making streaming, browsing, and even gaming a seamless experience. Here are the numbers that depict so.

On my MacBook Pro, the 20 feet test raked respective speeds of 931 Mbps and 35 Mbps for downloads and uploads. Meanwhile, moving it further to 40 feet resulted in respective values of  606 Mbps and 26 Mbps. That’s quite fast for a combo device.

Not only speed, the G34 oozes excellent reliability. Since using it for around a week, I didn’t experience any dropouts or disruptions. And even during peak hours, the connection remains strong and stable, which is a relief for remote workers.

WiFi Coverage & Devices Capacity

Generally, modem-router combos aren’t that good in the coverage department, but this one breaks that stereotype. With a theoretical range of 3,000 Sq Ft, you’re sure to get strong & stable signals everywhere.

To test it off, I kept the unit in the central hall of my 2,500 Sq Ft test lab and got amazing range throughout the space. Even in the nooks, the laptop had access to two-bar signals, so sending emails or surfing the web wasn’t a problem.

The antennas, further paired with beamforming and MU-MIMO, allow me to connect 34 smart devices at once.

Security Features

This is the area where most combo devices hinder, and G34 is no exception to it. It bundles basic features like WPA3, VPN, and auto-firmware updates to secure a standard home office network, but it might leave you wanting more.

For instance, there are no advanced parental controls, firewalls, or other features.

Conclusion

Overall, ARRIS G34 is a solid modem router combo to get for working from home. Its impressive speed, ease of use, compatibility with multiple broadband providers, and reliable performance make it to the 3rd spot.

Do consider it if you don’t often play with the security features. Learn more.

4. Best for Gaming + Remote Work: ASUS RT-AX82U

If you love playing games after work and looking for a suitable router, take a look at this RT-AX82U, one of the top ASUS routers on the market.

A souped-up version of RT-AC86U, this one brings some top-notch features like adaptive QoS, a dedicated gaming port, mobile game mode, and more for low-ping gaming.

Besides, its commercial-grade security with AiProtection Pro is something I don’t see in most standard routers in retail space.

Speeds & Performance

Throughput-wise, Asus RT-AX82U stays much ahead of ARRIS G34 with an aggregated value of 5400 Mbps, and the speeds on each band are as follows:

5 GHz: 4804 Mbps

2.4 GHz: 574 Mbps

I got this device to replace his five-year-old RT-AC86U, which started to lose speed and range during testing. Immediately after the tests, I fell in love with it. After painting it with the Xfinity 1 Gbps plan, I tested speeds across several locations.

At 20 feet, the router averaged at around 935 Mbps and 37 Mbps, respectively, for downloads and uploads, bettering my previous pick. The speeds dropped to 668 Mbps and 27 Mbps, respectively, at 50 feet, which was expected.

The adaptive QoS enables traffic prioritization for improved gaming performance. I did the same for PS5, and I could play Overwatch at 9ms ping and 95 FPS for about an hour despite four video streams running in the background.

Exclusive technologies like Game Boost, port forwarding, and others further bettered the gaming performance.

WiFi Coverage & Devices Capacity

WiFi range seemed good, as I saw a slight improvement from its predecessor. I struggled with Zoom calls when used in the backyard, but signals cover around 1,700 Sq Ft, thereby eliminating the issues.

Although it seems great for any mid-sized house, but still stays behind my top picks. Besides, the antennae with MU-MIMO and OFDMA lets you connect up to 26 smart devices to the bandwidth at once.

Security Features

The security tools of the RT-AX86U are the best of the lot. Its lifetime-free AiProtection Pro entails many advanced features like infected device prevention, malicious site blocking, two-way IPS, and others like WPA3, VPN, and access control to deliver commercial-grade protection.

Besides, by using the app, you can limit internet usage and block any unwanted devices if needed.

Conclusion

ASUS RT-AX82U is a perfect router for gaming + working from home. Features like game boost, dedicated gaming port, QoS, MU-MIMO, and OFDMA are designed exclusively for gaming and take care of internet-based tasks seamlessly. But a middling range has pushed the router to the fourth spot.

For more details, check out the full review here.

5. Best Mesh Router: TP-Link Deco X20

If you own a large house and there are plenty of smart devices dispersed all around the space, then opt for a mesh system, TP-Link Deco X20. Living up to the fame, it can transmit strong signals to large homes without dropping the speeds much.

I tested its 2-pack variant only to find exceptional wireless coverage.

Speeds & Performance

TP-Link Deco X20 is a Wi-Fi 6 mesh router with an aggregated speed of 1800 Mbps, split between its two frequency bands as follows:

5 GHz: 1201 Mbps

2.4 GHz: 574 Mbps

With the Xfinity SuperFast 800 Mbps plan, the speed test at 20 feet could yield 781 Mbps and 29 Mbps, respectively, for downloads and uploads. Meanwhile, the long-distance test at 50 feet had respective speeds of 634 Mbps and 25 Mbps.

Not only were the speeds fine at a distance, but the signals turned out stable as my WiFi mapper app shows perfect green patches (decent signal density) throughout my working space. So, even the video calls and streams were stable.

WiFi Coverage & Devices Capacity

Being a mesh router, I had high expectations from Deco X20, and I was nothing short of impressed. In the last few days, it has greatly improved my home network experience.

Installed in the basement of my two-story, 3,700 Sq Ft house, the mesh system ensured a strong and stable signal throughout every nook. I no longer experience dead zones or areas of poor or no connectivity, even in hard-to-reach places like basements or upper floors.

Besides, over 72 smart devices available to me were seamlessly connected to the bandwidth. I could play online games, stream 4K content, and work on many devices simultaneously without any lag or buffering issues.

Security Features

The security of X20 is not as good as with Asus RT-AX82U, but there are features like WPA3, VPN, guest network, and access control to keep the data packets shared over the network secure.

Additionally, there’s an option to upgrade the security by paying a monthly subscription fee for TP-Link HomeShield Pro.

Conclusion

Overall, TP-Link Deco X20 is an excellent choice for people with thick wall houses, and the presence of mesh tech means expanding the range is much simpler. You just need to pair another unit to it.

Besides, its throughput isn’t as great as my top recommendations, but it still gets the job done for home workers.

6. Best Budget Option: D-Link Eagle Pro Ai

Next is D-Link Eagle Pro Ai, which claims to be designed in a way to meet your demanding home network needs.

Powered by a dual-band Wi-Fi 6 standard coupled with four beamforming tech-laid antennas and other networking technologies, you can expect fast speeds, decent signal, and the ability to handle multiple devices at once.

Besides, the manufacturer leaps forward with this model over its previous offering in most aspects, resulting in a much-advanced performance.

Speeds & Performance

D-Link Eagle Pro Ai is AX3200 rated, making it much faster than the Deco X20 and the individual band speeds are as follows:

5 GHz: 2401 Mbps

2.4 GHz: 800 Mbps

I got this router last week and got it installed with Xfinity 1 Gbps plan at my grandpa’s one-story house within minutes, and measured the speeds on the Speed Test app installed on my iPhone 13.

Staying 20 feet away from the router, it managed a download speed of 926 Mbps and an upload speed of 31 Mbps. But doubling the distance, speeds dropped by more than half, valued at around 647 Mbps and 21 Mbps, respectively.

It also passed my informal saturation test, where I streamed videos on my Dell XPS laptop, attended video calls with my partners, sent emails, and surfed the web simultaneously. Not at any point in time, there were any buffers or jitters.

WiFi Coverage & Devices Capacity

The thick walls of my grandpa’s house always created problems in delivering consistent signals to any particular corner of the house. But credit goes to the highly-amplified antennas and their good penetration ability, there weren’t any dead zones or no-network areas in the entire 1,500 Sq Ft house.

Besides, I had about 26 devices connected to the network between Amazon echos, firesticks, light bulbs, smartphones, iPads, laptops, and others, and the connections were great. There weren’t any signal drops or speed issues. All credit here goes to the beamforming antennas combining well with MU-MIMO technology.

Security Features

The security of Eagle Pro Ai is rather basic. It only entails the free features like WPA3, VPN, guest network, and auto-firmware update and misses any advanced ones, free or paid. But I reckon these are great, provided you aren’t required to deal with any sensitive data that needs protection. Or you can just install third-party software on any of your devices.

Conclusion

D-Link Eagle Pro Ai R32 provides precisely the performance you anticipate given its cost: rapid throughput and satisfactory coverage.

It impressively matches the speed of numerous high-end routers but encounters difficulties when handling resource-intensive activities due to the absence of Quality of Service (QoS) support.

Integrating a mere basic set of features and lacking any advanced security features have ranked it in the penultimate position.

7. Cheapest Option: Linksys EA7300

Last but not least, here’s my budget recommendation for working from home professionals, Linksys EA7300. Despite boasting a rather old Wi-Fi 5 support, its multi-port setup, great throughput capacity, and decent range make for a reliable setup.

It comes as a major upgrade over its predecessor, Linksys EA6350, in terms of speed, range, and overall performance.

Speeds & Performance

The EA7300, with its Wi-Fi 5 setup, comes with the ability to transmit data packets at a rate of 1750 Mbps, divided into its two bands as follows:

5 GHz: 1300 Mbps

2.4 GHz: 450 Mbps

It’s only fair to judge its performance with the price it comes in. Paired with the Xfinity 800/15 Mbps plan, the EA7300 at 20 feet managed a top download speed of 647 Mbps and an upload speed of 10 Mbps. Meanwhile, the 40 feet test managed respective download and upload speeds of 165 Mbps and 4 Mbps.

It doesn’t sound majorly impressive, but putting aside a router in a similar price bracket, you’ll see the difference. Up close to the router, you can stream up to twelve 4K Netflix streams on the go. Its stability is on par with many high-end routers out there, turning out a reliable device for work-from-home setup.

WiFi Coverage & Devices Capacity

In this aspect, EA7300 comes as a below-par device with a theoretical range of 1,500 Sq Ft. My tests found that you can stay connected within a 1,200 Sq Ft space, and signals were strong enough to soldier through my HQ video calls. EA7300 could be enough to get you over the line if you have a mid-sized home.

The router further added MU-MIMO tech for signal stabilization but couldn’t handle many devices at once. At once, I could only connect 7 devices simultaneously, including laptops, computers, smartphones, and others.

Security Features

Security of the Linksys router stays in line with my previous recommendation integrating only a basic set of features like WPA3, VPN, and guest network. However, it lacks an auto-firmware update feature, so you must check for updates periodically and get it done manually.

Conclusion

Linksys EA7300 might not be the fastest or greatest option, but it surely gets the job done for any user with a basic working setup. Its speed, stability, and coverage are great, considering the price it comes in, but it lacks heavily in terms of security compared to my other picks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Verdict

Working from home doesn’t specifically involve undertaking high-bandwidth activities like gaming, streaming, or others as such, but it’d be smart to cover the needs of devices separate from your workstation.

This is why I provided you with varied choices, but it has got you confused, here’s the list of the best ones:

• If you need to future-proof your home internet for upcoming high-speed plans, TP-Link Archer AXE75 is the best router for your home office.
• If you can’t spend that much yet won’t compromise on the overall features and security, go for the Netgear Nighthawk RAX54S.
• And if you need the cheapest yet reliable option, get the Linksys EA7300.

Saying that, I’d wrap up this guide. Do tell me in the comments below which one you’ve gone for. See you in my next guide. Till then, goodbye and take care!