Search

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,

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. 

You can still use your existing router, but there is one big caveat hidden in the FCC’s Public Notice: “All routers authorized for use in the United States may continue to receive software and firmware updates that mitigate harm to US consumers at least until March 1, 2027.” On May 8, that deadline was pushed back to "at least Jan. 1, 2029," and it's possible that it will be eliminated entirely. Firmware updates are essential to both your router’s performance and security. Most router companies issue automatic firmware updates to fix security vulnerabilities as they pop up, and you may not eve

Representatives for the FCC couldn’t tell me which specific router companies will be subject to the ban, but nearly every Wi-Fi router available in the US has some stage of “manufacturing, assembly, design and development” occurring outside the country. Untangling each router’s supply chain will be a complicated process, and router companies are already lobbying the FCC for “Conditional Approval.”  “Every single one of these devices, even if the final assembly happens in California, for example, they're all going to come with components that are manufactured in China, as an example,” Sonu Shan