The best gaming routers 2018
If you are always playing the best PC games online, you probably want one of the best gaming routers to make sure your online gaming isn’t compromised.
The best gaming routers are specially designed to prioritize network traffic from games, a feature known as Quality of Service (QoS), so your gaming won’t be interrupted by your roommate trying to watch Bojack Horseman in the other room.
Many gamers will happily espouse the benefits of using a wired connection for online gaming and streaming through services like Steam In-Home streaming and Playstation Now, and we’d have to agree. The best gaming routers, then, should feature plenty of Giggabit Ethernet ports for hardwiring your favorite gaming devices to the internet – or even for throwing a LAN party.
However, it’s not always possible to have a wired connection, so having the best gaming router for the job, with the latest – and fastest – Wi-Fi technology (currently 802.11ac), is extremely important. Having external antennae which can be moved to direct the Wi-Fi signal to certain areas of the home is also useful.
With the particular needs of gamers in mind, then, here are the very best gaming routers you can buy.
If you’re looking for one of the best gaming routers with old-school aesthetics and new-school tech, the TP-Link Archer C5400 v2 is exactly what the doctor ordered. This gaming router blends enthusiast-grade features and accessible setup into a package that’s appealing to pretty much everyone. And, when you add in the Alexa support, you have a router that can adapt to any situation, whether you’re focusing hard on topping the leaderboards in Overwatch, or you have guests all connecting to your network.
Read the full review: TP-Link Archer C5400 V2
The Asus RT-AC5300 is one of the best gaming routers – it comes with a variety of advanced features, making online and network gaming as lag and frustration free as possible. This includes an easy-to-use yet powerful interface, as well as comprehensive QoS settings. The spider-like design won’t be to everyone’s taste, but the eight antennae serve a purpose, as they can be used to direct your Wi-Fi signal throughout your home, giving this router an excellent range.
Read the full review: Asus RT-AC86U
The Asus RT-AC5300 is an excellent high-end gaming router that comes with a number of advanced features for making online and network gaming as lag and frustration free as possible.
This includes an easy-to-use yet powerful interface, as well as comprehensive QoS settings. The spider-like design won't be to everyone's tastes, but the eight antennae serve a purpose, as they can be used to direct your Wi-Fi signal throughout your home, giving this router an excellent range.
Read the full review: Asus RT-AC5300 Tri-band Gigabit Router
While it looks like it’ll start abducting a close friend or family member, we assure you, the Zyxel Armor Z2 AC2600 isn’t as alien in function as in appearance. Strapped with MU-MIMO support, which improves speed when multiple devices are connected to the same network, the Armor Z2 AC2600 prides itself on its performance capabilities. Coupled with StreamBoost, Zyxel has devised a router that not only can handle tons of traffic, but it can actually prioritize bandwidth based on the needs of each device connected to it.
Read the full review: Zyxel Armor Z2 AC2600
The Asus RT-AC88U justifies its high asking price with insane next-generation 802.11ac wireless performance. Rocking four antennas and NitroQAM tech, which pushes speeds even further, this gaming router enables wireless performance that can break the 1GB/sec limit. But, there is a catch – you’ll need to invest in a NitroQAM wireless adapter, such as the Asus PCE-AC88, to see those faster speeds. It’s worth it though, with speeds like this it’s easy to see why the Asus RT-AC88U is one of the best gaming routers you can buy today.
If routers had a fashion contest, Netgear’s D7800 would be among the top contenders. Its solid black finish is complemented by a quartet of antennas. Plus it’s damn fast and bettered by its inclusion of a duo of USB ports paired with an eSATA connector. The real centerpiece, though, is the VDSL 2 modem built into the Nighthawk X4S D7800, negating the need to buy or lease one separately. The outfitted software isn’t too shoddy either; a simple Dynamic QOS system makes it a breeze to govern a multitude of devices on a single home network.
Yeah, we know, it looks like something you saw on the set of a Star Trek episode, but the D-Link DIR 885L/R is a dependable mid-range router with great speed and range. If you’re looking for the be best gaming router, you might want to take a look at this one – it has a good selection of ports, and a nicely designed UI. It also features DD-WRT open-source firmware, which makes this router as flexible as it is powerful.
- We’ve also picked out the best best wifi extenders of 2018
- Bill Thomas has also contributed to this article
