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Recent updates to our Wi-Fi routers pageThe best mesh router overall is the Netgear Orbi 870, which delivered exceptional throughput, jitter and packet loss scores in our testing. It also gets you access to the ultrawide 6GHz band -- essential if you want to future-proof your home network.  If you’re looking for more of a splurge, the Netgear Orbi 970 earned a CNET lab award for the fastest mesh router. Currently listed at more than $1,000 for a two-pack, you’d need a fast internet connection to make the most of this mesh system, but it lived up to the high price tag in our tests. 

The best Wi-Fi 7 router for most people is the TP-Link Archer BE550, which earned our Editors’ Choice badge for its combination of value and performance. It checked every box on paper and delivered results in our lab tests that made the most of all the technical upgrades Wi-Fi 7 introduced. It’s also incredibly affordable. At $177, it was nearly $100 cheaper than any other tri-band Wi-Fi 7 router we tested, and it outperformed models that cost more than three times as much.  If you're looking for pure speed, the Netgear Nighthawk RS700S earned our CNET Lab Award for the fastest Wi-Fi 7 router,

Home internet is already expensive. In fact, in 2025, over 63% of US adults reported paying at least $195 more on their internet plans than they had the year before. Mesh routers typically aren’t cheap, either, so if you've taken the extra step of investing in one, the last thing you want is to compromise the quality of your connection with poor placement. Just as you would with a single router, you'll want your mesh system’s main router, or the mesh device that’s wired to your modem, to be located as centrally in your home as possible. This is critical in mesh setups, which work best when eac