Your Wi-Fi signal reaches every room in your house except the one where you actually spend time. The bedroom gets perfect coverage. The hallway is fine. But your living room couch, where you actually sit and stream, buffers constantly.

The problem is that routers broadcast in all directions equally, which sounds fine until you realize that means blasting signal into walls, out through windows, and into your neighbors' living rooms. Half your coverage is going somewhere you'll never use it.

A sheet of aluminum foil positioned behind your router can redirect that wasted signal toward the rooms that actually need it. It sounds like the kind of tip your uncle shares on Facebook, but research from Dartmouth College confirms it. Here's how to set it up.

Have another crazy tech hack that actually works? Tell us in the comments!

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TP-Link’s Deco BE23 marks a fresh start for affordable mesh networking that combines Wi-Fi 7’s charm and speeds with a low price tag. What do you get for $180? In addition to three powerful mesh networking devices, the BE23 provides surprisingly fast wireless data that can fill the typical house.

While it lacks top speed 6GHz throughput and skimps on networking ports, the BE23 offers a lot of mesh networking for the money for the typical family but might not provide enough networking oomph.

My TP-Link Deco BE23 review will help you decide if this is the best mesh Wi-Fi system for your needs or if you’re better off spending more for one of the best Wi-Fi 7 routers with tri-band connectivity.

TP-Link Deco BE23 review: Price and availability

If you’re looking for a Wi-Fi 7 mesh bargain, TP-Link’s Deco BE23 does the trick with a list price of $250 for three devices; Amazon has it for $180 – or $60 per unit. I used the $140 two-pack; a single BE23 unit costs $80.

Right now, it defines the entry level for this genre of home mesh networking at a big discount compared to the $230 Orbi 370 two-pack. According to TP-Link, the two- and three-packs can cover 4,500 and 6,500 square feet.

TP-Link Deco BE23 review: Design

Less than a year ago, when reviewing the Netgear Orbi 370 devices, I marveled at how small, powerful and inexpensive they were. What a difference a year makes with the TP-Link Deco BE23 devices coming in one-third smaller at 5.9 x 5.9 x 2.4 inches while pushing throughput to new highs and pricing to new lows.

The small white and gray BE23 units are so understated that they can hide in plain sight on a bookshelf, coffee table or windowsill. The discs lack cutouts for wall-mounting, but several online firms sell brackets. Underneath is a subtle status LED that’s green when everything is working and red means something’s amiss; it can be turned off in the app.

With a BE3600 rating, the BE23 uses Qualcomm’s IPQ5312 and QCN6422 Wi-Fi chips, a 1.1GHz quad-core processor, 128MB of RAM and 512MB of storage space for the firmware and settings. The devices use 2X2 streaming over the 2.4 and 5GHz bands for peak 688Mbps and 2.882 Gbps throughput and up to 150 connections. The BE23 ignores the 6GHz band and super-wide 320MHz data channels.

Based on Wi-Fi 7’s 4K Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM), Multi Link Operations (MLO) and Multiple Resource Unit (Multi-RU) technology, the BE23 streamlines data flow. The devices are set up as the host router and mesh nodes during installation and use artificial intelligence to speed things up and adapt to new situations.

Some will find the lack of a USB port and the pair of 2.5 Gbps networking ports limiting, but you can always connect a network switch to get more. In addition to a Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) button for quick connections, there’s one to reset the device.

It’s secured with TP-Link’s HomeShield’s included basic plan that scans the router for flaws, camera security and rudimentary parental controls. The Security+ plan ($5 a month or $36 a year) adds advanced IoT protection and in-depth reports on networking flaws while the $70 annual Total Security package is comprehensive with malware protection, VPN and password manager.

The router’s two-year warranty includes unlimited support for the product’s life. By contrast, the Orbi 370’s one-year warranty includes 90 days of support. Beyond that, you need to pay.

TP-Link Deco BE23 review: Performance

I set the Deco BE23 up in my 100-year-old home and gauged its performance with Keysight’networking benchmark IXChariot set to simulate 10 data-hungry users. Using an HP Envy X360 notebook, the BE23 delivered an excellent balance between price and performance, starting with 1.667 Gbps of throughput next to the test notebook. That’s 43-percent higher than the Orbi 370’s 1.169 Gbps.

At 15-feet, the BE23 delivered a real-world data speed of 1.449 Gbps, compared to the Orbi 370’s 1.074 Gbps and the MSI Roamii BE Lite at 970.3 Mbps. It’s below the tri-band Deco BE63 at 1.821 Gbps though. For all but the family’s data hog it’ll likely be enough throughput.

The BE23 recorded 953.7 Mbps at 50 feet, nearly double the Orbi 370’s 515.4 Mbps, while besting the more expensive BE63’s 610.7 Mbps. It led at 75 and 90 feet with 350.4 and 150.1 Mbps versus the Orbi 370’s 191.2 and 85.0 Mbps. The BE23 had a 115-foot range.

It finished its benchmarking clean sweep with 1.256 Gbps available in an adjacent room 25-feet away and delivered 450.7 Mbps with the test system 40 feet from the upstairs node. That’s well ahead of the Orbi 370’s 930.5 Mbps and 375.3 Mbps.

For two weeks, the BE23 network faithfully delivered gaming, 4K video, emails and music streaming. Having a third unit would likely have filled many of the dead zones in my 3,500 square foot home. The BE23 lacks a USB phone backup for when the Internet connection goes south, something more expensive products add.

The devices passively pull cooling air in from the bottom and the unit ran warm at 104.4 degrees Fahrenheit. The Orbi 370 was cooler at 101.5 degrees Fahrenheit.

The host BE23 and nodes used 10.4 and 5.9 watts. If the network operates 24/7, the three units should cost about $25 a year based on the national average of 17.5 cents per kilowatt hour of electricity. By contrast, an Orbi 370 host and node might cost a few dollars more annually.

TP-Link Deco BE23 review: Setup

Unlike Netgear Orbi mesh sets, either of the TP-Link devices can be the host router. I picked one, plugged it in and used TP-Link’s Deco app on my Samsung Galaxy S25 phone. I couldn’t do it with a connected browser.

After adding names for the network and device, I connected the upstairs node. In 3 minutes, the LAN was supplying my house with data.

TP-Link Deco BE23 review: Configuration

With a wide array of configuration choices, the Deco BE23 app has a nice main Network screen. It shows the LAN layout, how many clients are online and has a link to test the Internet speed.

In addition to a separate IoT network, the BE23 can integrate and control Tapo, Kasa, Philips Hue and Matter home automation devices.

Below are tabs for Security (with a vulnerability scan) and Parental Controls (to configure Web limiting features). The More section is my fav with QOS and Wi-Fi assistant choices, while the Advanced category has IPTV, fast roaming and beamforming choices.

TP-Link Deco BE23 review: Verdict

TP-Link’s Deco BE23 may not be the fastest or most feature rich Wi-Fi mesh set around, but it delivers more data for the buck than other mesh sets. At $180 for a three pack, it may lack enough networking ports and access to 6GHz data streaming, but it has the advantage today when it comes to the best balance between performance and price.

Fine for anything short of a mansion with a gigabit data plan, the Deco BE23 shows that the price really is right.

Over the past decade, I’ve looked at over 200 of the best Wi-Fi routers and while giving each a hard workout, I checked their temperature with my trusty Fluke 62 Mini Infrared Thermometer. Its red laser pointer allowed me to nose around the router looking for thermal hotspots. Inefficient sure, but I got pretty good at it.

Lately, I’ve found a better way to take a router’s temperature. I now use Topdon’s TC004 thermal imaging camera that delivers a thermal image instead of random temperature readings. The 3.5-inch display shows temperature as color with a scale on the right.

Here’s how it helped me find the ideal spot for my Wi-Fi router and why I should have invested in a thermal imaging camera years ago.

Seeing is believing

At any time, I can snap a screenshot or shoot video that’s saved on its 64GB of internal storage. They end up in the TC004’s gallery showing four thumbnails at a time. The files can easily be moved on to my computer with the included USB-C cable. Topdon also has Windows transfer software (sorry, no Mac software yet) as well as the TopInfared app for Android and iOS that connects over Wi-Fi to deliver a live view as well as access and synchronize the stored files.

At 18 ounces, the black and blue TC004 feels heavy compared to the 9-ounce Fluke 62 although its grippy handle compensates for that. Sturdily built, the TC004 is protected against dust and water with an IP54 rating. For the clumsy – like me – it’s been engineered to survive a 6-foot drop.

Like the Fluke IR thermometer, Topdon’s thermal camera has a red laser pointer that helps aim the infrared sensor to measure the intensity of heat-carrying infrared wavelengths between 8 and 14 microns; it has a 2 percent accuracy over its -4 to 1,022-degree Fahrenheit range. The 56-degree vertical field of view helps with large items — like a car’s engine — while the 4X digital zoom helps with small ones – like a hot AC adapter.

I started with the heat pattern of my hand, where my warm fingers glowed yellow. The device’s LED lights up the target to add a realistic video overlay on top of the thermal image.

It all came together with a hot Netgear Nighthawk AX6 router in a basement bookshelf. The TC004’s thermal image showed 123 degrees Fahrenheit and a bright yellow hot spot at the apex of the device’s vent. It’s all because I committed the cardinal sin of placing the AX6 where it was starved for cooling air.

After cleaning the dust underneath, I put the AX6 on a vertical stand away from the bookshelf’s wall to self-cool. The temperature dropped to a more reasonable 91 degrees Fahrenheit.

An ideal tool for any tester

Priced at $369, Amazon often sells the Topdon TC004 for $289, making it a hot bargain. If that’s too much for a glorified thermometer, there’s also the $160 Mini version that can’t record video and has a smaller screen.

For my money, the full size TC004 is one of the hottest items in my testing toolkit and I want to keep it that way.

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The National Security Agency is warning Americans to reboot their routers to thwart malicious attackers targeting home networks to steal their sensitive information.

“Don’t be a victim!" the spy agency says (via Forbes). "Malicious cyber actors may leverage your home network to gain access to personal, private, and confidential information.”

The push to reboot comes as the NSA joins the FBI in warning about increasing Russian GRU attacks. For the unaware, GRU is the post-Soviet Union intelligence agency that replaced the KGB after it "dissolved" in the 1990s. The American agencies are accussing Russian cyber actors of exploiting"vulnerable" routers to steal personal and sensitive data.

According to an inter-agency report, APT28 (aka Fancy Bear) hackers “have been collecting credentials and exploiting vulnerable routers worldwide, including compromising TP-Link routers using CVE-2023-50224.”

It comes only a couple of weeks after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) effectively banned the import of all new foreign-made routers. That includes some of the best Wi-Fi 7 routers and the best mesh Wi-Fi systems. Especially ones from TP-Link.

The long and short of it is that the NSA recommends that you stop using a router that is near the end of its life or discontinued. Additionally, you should make sure your router is still supported with regular updates.

Clean up your router hygiene

The NSA's recommendations follow a number of best practices beyond just buying a new router.

For one, most people buy a router, set it up, and leave the default settings as is before going on with their lives. That's an excellent point of entry for hackers. Once a Wi-Fi router has been hacked a bad actor can get into all kinds of malicious activity from stealing your data to messing with your internet traffic or redirecting you to fake or malicious sites.

Older routers are the most vulnerable, especially if you haven't kept it up to date. Fix this by keeping your router updated and enabling a firewall - often available as a feature within the best antivirus software.

Additionally, you'll want to make sure you use a strong and unique password on your router and your internet connected devices. Make things easier for yourself by using one of the best password managers.

That all said, an older router can provide a worse online experience. It can cause a bottleneck slowing internet speeds or being unable to handle the number of connected devices in your home.

If you don't want the faster Wi-Fi 7 routers, one of the best Wi-Fi 6 routers is still a major upgrade.

All of these steps add an extra layer of protection for all the devices on your home network. Like outdated or unsupported software, an old router can put you risk, which is why you should take the NSA's recommendations seriously.

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Many of the best wireless routers you can buy offer a choice between two types of Wi-Fi connection: 2.4 and 5 GHz. And, if you plan on using your smart TV’s wireless capabilities (or those of your dedicated streaming devices), you’ll likely run into separate options for the 2.4 and 5 GHz versions of your home network.

If you've been trying to figure out how to stop your smart TV from buffering, you might've found yourself wondering about these two options. As it turns out, there are tradeoffs to both, but one of them might be a better option for your home.

The difference between 2.4 and 5 GHz

2.4 and 5 GHz networks differ in their frequency bands. But while you might assume that the 5 GHz band is better on account of its higher numeral designation, that's not always the case.

Each of these frequencies offers a mix of upsides and downsides. A 2.4 GHz band is capable of covering a larger area and is better equipped to penetrate walls, doors and objects that might be between your router and TV.

However, a 2.4 GHz band isn't as fast as a 5 GHz band. In addition, you're more likely to encounter frequency interference due to overlapping networks from nearby, neighboring devices.

A 5 GHz band is capable of delivering better speeds than 2.4 GHz. It's also less prone to interference from nearby devices.

On the other hand, the area of coverage associated with a 5 GHz network is much smaller than that of a 2.4 GHz network. 5 GHz bands are also not as adept at passing through solid objects, so a network's reliability may fall off past a certain distance from your wireless router.

Wireless routers that support the newest Wi-Fi 7 standard are built different. These devices support Multi-Link Operation (MLO), which allow users to connect to multiple bands simultaneously. This often results in a faster, more-reliable connection.

Choosing between 2.4 and 5 GHz Wi-Fi: Which is better for streaming?

Now that we're clear on the differences between 2.4 and 5 GHz networks, there's a simple way to think about them in the context of streaming movies and shows on your TV. It all comes down to how you've arranged your living space.

I recommend using a 2.4 GHz band if there's significant distance between your wireless router and your smart TV or streaming device. For instance, if you're using a Roku streaming box on a TV in your bedroom and it's connected to a wireless router a floor below, a 2.4 GHz band is better equipped to pass through walls and ceilings.

If your wireless router is stashed in a spot that's relatively close to where you do your streaming, I recommend taking advantage of the increased speeds of a 5 GHz band. As someone who keeps their modem and router next to my media console, I connect my smart TV to a 5 GHz network.

In either scenario, you ought to have enough bandwidth to stream 4K movies and shows without any issues. If you do experience slow speeds, dropped connections or excessive buffering, try switching to the other band.

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If you’ve been putting off a router upgrade, now is the time to act. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) just effectively banned the import of all new foreign-made routers.

In a fact sheet put out by the FCC, the government agency explained that it has updated its Covered List to “include all consumer-grade routers produced in foreign countries.” This move comes after a determination by the White House which found that these routers “pose unacceptable risks to the national security of the United States” as well as the safety and security of its citizens.

The FCC went on to cite the fact that foreign-made routers introduce supply chain vulnerabilities that can be exploited by both hackers and foreign adversaries. This last part is absolutely true and we have seen hackers leverage vulnerabilities in older routers in the past.

Just like with its previous drone ban, this one on foreign-made routers went into effect almost immediately after it was announced. Here’s everything you need to know about the FCC’s new foreign-made router ban and how it will affect your home network going forward.

Old vs new routers

Beginning on March 23rd, the FCC stopped granting new equipment authorizations for any routers made abroad. As such, if a networking company didn’t already have an FCC ID for a new model, they can no longer legally import or sell it in the U.S. However, there is an exception and a big one at that.

Routers that were granted authorization by the FCC before March 23rd can still be imported, marketed and sold in the U.S. So if you were thinking about upgrading to one of the best Wi-Fi 7 routers or even one of the best mesh Wi-Fi systems for whole-home connectivity, existing models aren’t going to be taken off store shelves overnight.

It’s worth noting though that there is a firmware cutoff date that could affect some existing routers. Under the current rules, foreign-made routers will only be guaranteed to receive firmware and security updates through March 1 of next year. After that time, if a company doesn’t have their “Conditional Approval” from the U.S. Department of War or the Department of Homeland Security, they won’t be able to issue new firmware patches or security updates.

As the FCC’s ban just went into effect though, no router manufacturers — including those whose businesses are based in the U.S. — have been granted Conditional Approval. If 2025’s drone ban is any indication, it will take roughly three months for companies to get this approval.

So what does this mean for you? Well, if you’ve been considering upgrading to a new router, now is the time to do so as Amazon, Best Buy and other retailers can still sell router models that were previously authorized. Once this stock is gone though, it will likely take some time for additional devices to find their way onto store shelves.

Then, going forward, there will likely be a delay as companies work to get their Conditional Approval before new models can launch. For instance, if Netgear, eero or another router maker had a router planned to launch this summer, the earliest it would be available would likely be in the fall.

Another thing to look out for if you’re in the market for a new router is price hikes. With no new routers on the foreseeable horizon, retailers and the companies themselves may raise prices to make up for the devices they won’t be able to sell right away because of the ban. As I mentioned before, if you want a new router, now is the time to get one.

FCC Wi-Fi router ban: Outlook

Just like we saw with the FCC’s drone ban, this new foreign-made Wi-Fi router ban is going to face loads of scrutiny. I expect we’ll see lawsuits from companies like TP-Link that are going to be hit the hardest like how DJI recently filed a petition with the U.S. Court of Appeals to challenge the ban.

At the same time, I don’t think we’ll see router production shift to the U.S. anytime soon. While routers from US-based companies like Netgear and eero are designed in the United States, just like with most other electronic devices, they’re produced overseas. In fact, there isn’t a single router that’s Made in the USA.

The FFC may mean well with its new ban and protecting consumers from security threats is important but at the end of the day, router prices will likely go up and there will be less options for people to choose from.

Given that I cover both Wi-Fi routers and cybersecurity for Tom’s Guide, I’ll be following this story closely so stay tuned for all the latest on the FCC’s new foreign-made router ban.

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While its $900 price tag will likely bring a frown to the typical gamer’s face, Asus has gone all-out with its new ROG Rapture GT-BE19000AI, making it today’s top gun router. With the power to be the best router for attacking space stations, stealing inner city cars or tending your digital farm, it combines more than 2.5 Gbps of real-world throughput with game-boosting features and artificial intelligence.

Is it the right router at the right time? Read on to see if this is the best gaming router for your gaming PC or even the best Wi-Fi router for your whole home.

Asus ROG Rapture GT-BE19000AI: Design

While other router makers cherish small devices with internal antennas, Asus goes against the grain with the ROG Rapture GT-BE 19000AI. The black and white router is not only huge at 13.6 x 13.6 x 8.4 inches but looks like a cross between a mechanical spider and a hat rack, with eight protruding antennas. Passively cooled, its short legs allow cool air to enter underneath but it doesn’t have a fan which is why it tends to run hot.

In addition to a window to peek inside the router – including the longitude and latitude for Asus’s Taichung City, Taiwan location – the top has individual lights for the basics as well as the ability to show three spectral patterns. They are chosen in the app and thankfully can be turned off. It lacks the TP-Link BE550’s info screen, although a red pattern shows when it’s offline.

One of the most capable home routers available, the GT-BE19000AI can move 12 data streams and tops out at max theoretical transfer rate of 18.669 Gbps. Its BE19000 rating combines ultra-wide 320MHz data channels, Multi-Link Operations and 4K Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM). The latest firmware update adds AFC Automated Frequency Control for smoother operations.

It’s powered by three Broadcom chips: the BCM6726 (for 2.4 and 5GHz data), BCM67263 (for 6GHz) and the BCM4916’s 2.6GHz quad-core processor. It taps into 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage and has a dedicated AI engine. The Synaptics SL1680 system on chip delivers 7.9 TOPS (trillions of operations per second) of neural processing, about the output of a desktop PC. With 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage space, it runs machine learning models locally and works with Portainer containerized apps.

With both 2.5 and 10 Gbps WAN input ports, the GT-BE19000AI can handle multiple data sources and pairs well with gigabit data plans. In addition to a high-speed 10 Gbps gaming port, the router has three 2.5 Gbps and one 1 Gbps downstream port. There’re USB 2.0 and 3.2 ports for putting the contents of a connected drive on your network at up to 5 Gbps and can connect a mobile phone’s Internet connection during a blackout.

The router has keys to use Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) for quick connections as well as for turning the lights off. There’s an on-off button.

Along with an included subscription to Asus’s AIProtection security software, the GT-BE19000AI has age-based child protection web screening and can block ads and tracking. Its three-year warranty is expected for a high-end router and its manual has lots of links to explanations and tips.

Asus ROG Rapture GT-BE19000AI: Performance

Using Keysight’s IxChariot networking benchmark to simulate 10 data-hungry users and the HP Envy X360 notebook next to the GT-BE19000AI, it moved 2.867 Gbps wirelessly. A wired 15-foot connection yielded 3.519 Gbps.

Using Wi-Fi, the router delivered 2.580 Gbps of real-world throughput at 15 feet, a 27% advantage over the TP-Link Archer GE650 at 2.019 Gbps. Perfect for the data hungry home, it’s plenty for gaming and 8K videos with some bandwidth left over for email and Spotify.

With 50 feet separating the router and test system, the data flow broke the gigabit per second barrier at 1.006 Gbps – 45% better than the Netgear Nighthawk RS700S. The throughput dropped to 528.3 Mbps at 75 feet, well ahead of the RT-BE96U’s 402.1 Mbps.

The router finished by moving 49.1 Mbps at 90 feet versus the RS700S’s 40.6 Mbps. Its 120-foot range was among the best but left a few spots in my 3,500 square foot home uncovered.

Over three weeks of daily use, I sent emails, listened to music, watched videos and, of course, exercised my fingers with a few games. The GT-BE19000AI never let me or my family down and its light show became oddly hypnotic.

It’s a power hog at 26.0 watts, which fell to 19.3 watts with no data flowing. If it’s used for 8 hours a day but left on 24/7 it could cost $33 a year, assuming you pay the national average of 17.5 cents per kilowatt hour for electricity. That’s $10 more annually than the Archer GE650.

The GT-BE19000AI ran between warm and hot at 115 degrees Fahrenheit at the top vent. Others were closer to 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

Asus ROG Rapture GT-BE19000AI: Setup

Creating a functioning GT-BE19000AI LAN was straight-forward with an easy app-based setup. It came ready to roll with a braided Cat 7 Ethernet cable and thoughtful QR code underneath for connecting to my phone. The package included a sheet of reflective stickers.

Unfortunately, I had to redo the Wi-Fi network settings after installing a firmware update. Had I known, I would have saved the settings and ported them over. It took 11 minutes to complete.

Asus ROG Rapture GT-BE19000AI: Configuration

The Asus Router app’s functional home screen puts everything in your face. It shows the IP address, network name and links to the gaming goodies, like the AI-based balance loading.

The Router Assistant and Wi-Fi Insight helps mask the complexity of a modern configuration with simple choices. The Settings section integrates the router into an Asus AIMesh network, uses it with a VPN and sets up the parental controls. There’s a heavy-duty diagnostics section for seeing data traffic based on Wi-Fi band.

A connected browser shows the router’s Dashboard with a cornucopia of information and choices that’s so data dense I needed to zoom the browser to 33% to take it all in on a UHD screen; be ready to squint. In addition to LAN status and which physical ports are active, it shows data movement and traffic.

Asus ROG Rapture GT-BE19000AI: Gaming

The GT-BE19000AI provides lots of gaming help, like the AI Game Boost to provide your rig with the top data priority it deserves. It can use GTNet’s server acceleration network.

The app’s Mobile Game Mode shows current Ping and all-important variations as well as preset options for optimizing Xbox and Switch consoles. There’re settings for individual games like League of Legends and OverWatch as well.

Asus ROG Rapture GT-BE19000AI: Verdict

Thinking of the Asus ROG Rapture GT-BE19000AI as the fastest and best equipped gaming router around only tells part of the story. Sure, it excels with blazing 2.5 Gbps Wi-Fi throughput, the hottest wired ports and an AI boost for games. It’s also top shelf for filling a home with wireless data.

Getting it might gobble up a week’s take home pay but with all that going for it, the $900 router can bring a smile to the face of even the most jaded gamer. Bar none, the Asus ROG Rapture GT-BE19000AI is the best gaming router right now.

Getting out of a three-year relationship is never easy, but Verizon is making it particularly difficult for me. They’ve done everything a bitter ex would do — they scoffed when I said I was leaving; they told me my new service won’t be as good; and now, they’re refusing to come and take their equipment unless I pay them to do so.

I didn’t want it to come to this — I’m not exactly stoked about downgrading to Spectrum’s “fiber-powered” internet — but worsening connectivity issues, unresponsive self-help portals and poor customer service have left me no choice but to move on.

Here’s the story of the rise and fall of my relationship with Verizon.

The honeymoon phase

Like a lot of relationships, the first year of my relationship with Fios was so great. After buying a home, I wasn’t looking to spend extra money on one of the best Wi-Fi routers — Verizon threw one in for free right out of the gate and tacked on a MoCA adapter for free for my office.

That first year, the service was cheap, fast and, importantly, incredibly stable. I was happy as could be with the 1GB Fios plan. It was $99 per month which is pricey but, at the time, I felt it was more than fair for the service that was being provided.

Then we got into our first fight.

It happened after a major storm rolled through Buffalo. I lost power one night and, when the lights finally came back on, my internet connection was spotty at best. No amount of power cycling helped. It turned out that the storm had damaged the delicate fiber optic cable running to the house.

Getting someone to the house to replace it took a week. When they were finished, the line was left unprotected on the lawn — a perfect disaster waiting to happen. They told me they’d need to come back later with tools to bury it underground.

Eventually that got done, but in that time something easily could’ve happened to that cable.

I’m not sure it’s ever been the same since that cable was replaced. I’ve routinely been told by the self-help portal that fixes should be as simple as resetting the Optical Network Terminal (ONT) or unplugging all the ethernet-connected devices from the router.

The beginning of the end

Fast forward to earlier this winter when the Northeastern United States was hit by yet another big storm. Once again we lost electricity. And once again the Fios connection took a huge hit to its overall speed and stability.

Instead of getting on the phone immediately with customer support, I tried to use Verizon’s self-help portal to fix it myself. Each time I performed the test, the router would reset the connection — and within seconds it would go back to losing data packets left and right.

I finally caved and called for help. The representative at the time told me it was something they could fix on their end (it wasn’t) and that issues could persist momentarily but not for more than another day (they did).

Cue another few rounds through the self-help portal.

The breakup and how I discovered Verizon’s wild equipment policy

I didn’t want to do it, but Verizon forced my hand. I called Spectrum and placed an order for their new 1GB Invincible Wi-Fi service that comes packaged with a Wi-Fi 7 router with an integrated 5G cellular backup and an 8-hour battery.

Eventually, a Spectrum sales representative told me, 2GB service will be available in my area — and it could be as soon as the end of the year. That was enough to sell me.

As I explain this all to a Verizon representative, I’m met with contempt: “I’ve never heard of someone leaving Verizon Fios for Spectrum. Are you sure you want to do that? You know you don’t have to.”

It’s too late I say, the boxes with the new modem and router have arrived.

“Send them back.”

I explain that I can’t set up the new equipment because all of the coaxial cables in the house run through the Optical Network Terminal in the basement. She tells me that shouldn’t be a problem. (It is.)

See, it turns out that the old coaxial cable that ran into the house was cut when the ONT was installed. With no way to reach the outside lines except through the Optical Network Terminal, I was effectively cut off from being able to switch out of Verizon.

I’m frustrated at how difficult this is — so I ask, “Can you just come and pick up the Optical Network Terminal?” The answer is that they can… if I’m willing to pay for it.

Routers come and go, but (Verizon's) ONTs are forever

Imagine breaking up with someone and they tell you that they’re going to leave some stuff at your place “just in case you ever decide to reconnect.” That’s definitionally crazy.

It’s not crazy, the representative tells me. It’s their policy, I was told, but not part of the actual contract you sign when agreeing to in-home Fios.

On some level, I understand the policy. To send a technician over to uninstall the Optical Network Terminal would cost them money — money that they’d be spending on a person who is no longer a subscriber. Financially, it makes more sense to just leave the equipment.

I’m not nearly as skilled or as knowledgeable as a technician, but I checked Verizon’s online documentation to see if I can remove it myself. Apparently, doing so can cause damage to the fiber optic line or the equipment itself. Doing damage to the equipment incurs a cost, but so does having a technician come to remove it, apparently.

Over my half-hour conversation with the representative, I’m told, repeatedly, to look after the equipment until there comes a time in the future that I might be interested in Verizon’s services again. So in the basement it stays, I guess.

Don’t cry ‘cause it’s over, smile because it happened

I’m not bitter about the breakup. I’m shocked at the policy I had no idea I signed up for — and disappointed that I now have to pay out of pocket to have Verizon’s equipment returned to them — but I don’t put ISPs on a pedestal. They’re all a mixed bag when it comes to performance and customer service quality.

It turns out that I’m not the only person who’s encountered this issue with the ONT, though. On Reddit’s r/Fios, users have been asking how to get theirs removed. Most folks are saying that it’s not worth the hassle, while others are saying that you can provide written notice to Verizon that they have 30 days to come and remove it from your property or it’s forfeit.

Another user says that technicians can remove it for non-customers at no-cost, something that flies in the face of what the representative told me earlier that day.

I’ll look into having it removed once I’ve returned the router and MoCA adapter, but I’m not sure I’ll go as far as writing them a request for removal — at least, not now.

We had a good run, Verizon. I’m going to miss that first year we had together. I hope that by talking about our issues with the world, you change.

I’ll keep your stuff here, if I must, but I’m definitely going to hide it behind one of the best TVs, like the LG C5 OLED. Whenever Netflix stutters or HBO Max fails to load, I’ll think of you.

More from Tom's Guide

• Upgrading to Wi-Fi 7 is about to get more complicated and these new routers are to blame
• I get faster Wi-Fi speeds in my backyard than some people do in their homes and it’s all thanks to the eero Outdoor 7
• I thought Wi-Fi was good enough until I upgraded to a mesh router — now I’m wiring my whole home for Ethernet

You’ve already scored a massive TV deal and prepped the ultimate game-day spread, but there’s one silent party-killer left to tackle: your home network. Imagine the frustration of a 4K stream freezing during a game-winning drive because your Wi-Fi couldn't handle the heat. Well, despite the rest of your rigorous planning, a crowded or sub-par home network could leave your guests talking about a blurry, low-res stream instead of who's hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy up into the air at the end of the night.

Thankfully, that’s where I can help. Whether you want to go all out and upgrade to one of the best mesh Wi-Fi systems for whole-home connectivity or you’re looking for the fastest speeds possible with one of the best Wi-Fi 7 routers, I’ve rounded up a few of my top picks below. Likewise, maybe you’re not ready for a new router but just want a better connection in your living room, game room or den. Well, that’s where one of the best Wi-Fi extenders could help.

If you’ve tried using a Wi-Fi extender before with no luck, then it might be time to consider either a powerline extender or even a MoCA adapter. The former uses your home’s powerlines to send internet to previously unconnected areas of your house, while the latter does the same thing but uses coaxial cable jacks in your walls — like for that old satellite dish up on your roof — instead.

When all else fails, though, you might want to forget Wi-Fi altogether and use a direct, wired connection to your router instead. For that, you’ll definitely need a super long Ethernet cable, and I’ve picked out a great flat one that’s easy to hide under a carpet so you and your guests don’t trip over it. If you’re running out of free ports on your router, then a network switch easily lets you add more. And if you’re in a warmer climate and want to watch the game outside, well, I’ve included an outdoor mesh extender for that too.

The Super Bowl is one of the best Sundays of the year, and by picking out the right upgrades for your home network now while you still have time, you can ensure that you and everyone you’re hosting can watch the Super Bowl in crisp 4K, even while scrolling on their phones in between plays. And the best part, these are upgrades you and the rest of your household will be able to enjoy and benefit from for years to come.

Ever since the NBN fibre upgrades rolled out last September, I've been waiting for an awesome deal on one of the best mesh routers on the market so that I could finally replace the ageing Google Wifi system that was holding my network back.

Thankfully, I've found that in TP-Link's Deco BE65, a Wi-Fi 7 system with a theoretical throughput of 11Gbps across its three bands (6GHz, 5GHz and 2.4Gz) and which is currently discounted by a whopping 30% on Amazon AU.

Right now, you can grab the TP-Link Deco BE65 mesh router system 3-pack — which includes one main router to connect to your modem and two satellite routers to keep your whole home covered with strong, reliable Wi-Fi — for just AU$764, saving you a massive AU$335 off the AU$1,099 RRP.

In our review of the TP-Link Deco BE63 (the US version of the same system), we said it "tempers all-out speed with an unbeatable price tag", and that's even more true now thanks to this epic deal.

I myself can attest to the Deco BE65's speed — though my old NBN 250 plan was recently bumped up to an NBN 750 plan, my previous mesh router system was keeping my download speeds about the same as they were before the upgrade, despite the plan's advertised typical evening speed of 750Mbps.

However, that all changed drastically once my new Deco BE65 mesh system was up and running. As anticipated, my download speeds have tripled, as evidenced by my most recent Speedtest by Ookla results:

Needless to say, I'm very pleased with the download speeds I'm getting on my new Wi-Fi 7 network. Better still, there's plenty of headroom available should I choose to upgrade to one of the 'hyperfast' NBN 2000 plans at some point in the future.

And thanks to the Deco BE65's 6GHz band (essentially a "fast lane" for newer devices like my Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra), the network congestions and bottlenecking I'd been experiencing for the last few years have seemingly been eliminated.

If, like me, you've been holding out for an exceptional offer on a future-proofed Wi-Fi network to take advantage of the recent NBN fibre upgrades, this is great one that's well worth considering.

More from Tom's Guide

• Best NBN plans in January 2026: top choices for value, speed and more
• Best NBN 500 plans: fast recommendations for the latest speed tier
• Best NBN 1000 plans: top options for Australia’s second-fastest internet tier

VulnCheck cybersecurity researchers have found a new exploit that targets older, end-of-life D-Link routers in order to hijack them. Routers are often vulnerable to attacks because they are often not properly secured, are used when they are outdated and don’t receive frequent firmware updates.

In this instance, the software on the older D-Link routers cannot properly sanitize user input, which allows hackers to send specifically crafted requests to the router without needing any authentication. This means that attackers can inject and execute arbitrary shell commands remotely and hijack the hardware itself.

This vulnerability has actually been seen exploited actively since last November, and VulnCheck researchers have said it begins in the dnsfg.cgi library. The affected endpoint is tied to DNS modification behavior; a technique that has been used in the past allows the attackers to redirect user traffic. That means they can redirect the victim to malicious sites, or cause other malicious behavior.

As it’s related to DNSCharger, the vulnerability is thought to be related to attacks in 2016 and 2019 called GhostDNS attacks, which targeted firmware variants of DSL gateway models. Those attacks mostly occurred in Brazil and affected multiple vendors, including D-Link. They were intended to commit data theft against the targets.

How to keep your router secure

If you own an outdated router, you should replace it right away with one of the best Wi-Fi routers, as it will receive software updates and patches from the manufacturer. Security aside, you're getting a significantly worse online experience when you use an outdated router, including slow internet speeds and difficulties handling multiple connected devices.

You should always apply all available security patches and firmware updates to your router as soon as possible. You should also make sure that you're using a strong and unique password with at least 16 characters. To make things easier, you should use one of the best password managers to generate and securely store it. Additionally, you can disable remote administration and reboot the device.

It’s also a good idea to make sure that you’re using one of the best antivirus software programs – these offer additional features like a VPN that can protect you when you’re online. If you suspect that your router has been compromised, you can contact the FBI’s IC3 (Internet Crime Complaint Center) at ic3.gov to file a complaint.

If you want the latest Wi-Fi, one of the best Wi-Fi 7 routers will provide you with the best experience possible. However, if you don't mind not having access to the faster 6GHz band, one of the best Wi-Fi 6 routers will still be a major upgrade.

More from Tom's Guide

• I’m a security editor and this is how I create strong passwords that are also easy to remember
• The best password managers in 2025
• What are passkeys? Everything you need to know about the death of passwords

Instead of dealing with slow Wi-Fi speeds in parts of my house this year, I’ve decided it’s finally time to roll up my sleeves, get to work and wire my entire home for Ethernet. Extreme I know, but since I’m paying for a super fast 10 Gbps connection, I don’t want all that extra speed to go to waste.

Although Wi-Fi speeds have certainly improved over the years (especially now with Wi-Fi 7), there’s something to be said for the reliability and raw performance of using a wired connection instead. Likewise, there are no passwords to enter and the rest of your wireless devices will have even more bandwidth to work with.

Now I don’t plan on hardwiring every single device in my home. Instead, I have a select few in mind, such as my desktop and my PS5. So why am I running cable up through the attic to rooms throughout my entire house? Well, it all started when I upgraded to one of the best mesh Wi-Fi systems.

That solved my coverage issues, but when I switched from cable internet to fiber, my internet speeds saw a massive boost. The catch is that with my home network's current setup, I can’t take full advantage of them.

Here’s how I plan to wire my whole house for Ethernet and why I came to this conclusion after dealing with inconsistent Wi-Fi speeds for years now.

Mesh (almost) solved my connectivity problems

Back when I first moved into my house, I finally said enough was enough and bought one of the best Wi-Fi routers with my own money instead of renting one from my internet service provider. While it was a nice router and worked well, it just didn’t have the range I needed. You see, up until then, I had only lived in apartments and with a big, one-story house like mine, a single router just couldn’t cut it.

There were Wi-Fi dead zones everywhere and in places like my garage, I could barely get a signal. I tried using one of the best Wi-Fi extenders at first; when that didn’t fix things, I knew I would have to go bigger.

To that end, I picked up the TP-Link Deco XE75 in a three-pack. With one unit serving as the main router and the other two satellites strategically placed throughout my home, my range issues were solved — at least I thought they were.

I ended up having to add another satellite on the very edge of my network to finally get decent Wi-Fi speeds out in my garage. With more than two satellites, though, I ran into another problem. You can only have so many hops between satellites before the overall quality of your home network starts being affected.

The reason for this is that instead of using wired backhaul, I was using wireless backhaul for the communication between the main unit that acted as my router and the other satellites. This works well enough in a smaller home with fewer satellites but given all the ground I have to cover with a strong wireless signal, I knew that connecting them to each other via Ethernet would significantly improve my home network overall.

On a gigabit cable internet connection, though, I wasn’t too worried about making full use of the internet speeds I pay for each month. But once I upgraded to Wi-Fi 7 and switched from cable to fiber, everything changed.

Fiber took my speeds to the next level

Last year, I gave my home network a one-two-punch upgrade. I switched from cable internet to fiber while simultaneously upgrading to one of the best Wi-Fi 7 routers. The best part, though: I actually now pay less for 10 gigabit speeds than what I used to pay for just over a gigabit.

If you’re considering switching from cable to fiber as well, I’d recommend shopping around first; you just might be able to find a great deal with a local provider like I did.

To make things easier both for myself and if I ever sell my house, I had the crew who came out to install my fiber line put it right next to where my cable connection comes into my home. That way, I can still have all of my networking equipment in the same spot. This is also going to play a huge role when I start wiring my home for Ethernet, since I can have all of the lines meet in the same space.

Right now, I’m considering doing a hybrid setup where I have an in-wall network cabinet with some of my equipment and a large bookshelf next to it where I have the rest. This will let me quickly add new things to my network without having to reorganize everything inside my network cabinet, and it will give me a bit more flexibility with my smart home hubs and other wired gear that requires extra ventilation.

I know 10 Gbps will certainly be overkill for most people. However, I decided to go for the maximum speeds possible to have plenty of extra headroom when it comes to bandwidth and to futureproof my home network.

Even with all of this extra bandwidth, though, I’m still dealing with the same problems as before. My internet speeds are blazing fast when I connect directly to the main eero Max 7 unit that serves as my router, but the same can’t be said for my Wi-Fi speeds, especially when I move further away from that router.

Wireless backhaul just isn't good enough

In my game room where I have the main eero Max 7 unit, I often see speeds of over 2 Gbps. This makes sense because, at that distance, my Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 devices can utilize the faster 6 GHz band. However, as you can see here, I don’t get nearly the same speeds in the kitchen on the other side of the house. This is the reality of wireless backhaul — as the signal travels from the main unit to the satellite, the speed takes a massive hit.

Don’t get me wrong, wireless backhaul is awesome. If you aren’t planning to wire your own home for Ethernet and are thinking about upgrading to a mesh router, then you definitely want to look for a quad-band mesh Wi-Fi system like the Asus ZenWiFi BQ16 Pro with an extra band just for wireless backhaul. Likewise, if you’re not using the faster 6 GHz band like I wasn’t back with my TP-Link Deco XE75, you can often use that as a dedicated band for wireless backhaul.

Since I have such a fast fiber connection coming into my home now and I’ve paired that with eero’s top-of-the-line mesh router, I want to make full use of the speeds I’m paying for and what this mesh Wi-Fi system is capable of. While I could use a network switch to connect all of the satellites to my eero Max 7 system, I’ve got another idea since multi-gig switches — especially 10 Gbps ones — are so expensive.

Do you see those two 10 GbE ports on the far right of the eero Max 7? Well, I’m going to use one of those ports to connect the satellites to the main router and the other to connect it to my ONT terminal which converts the data from my fiber line. This will ensure that every satellite has the maximum bandwidth possible; then, I can use those remaining 2.5 GbE ports to connect to a network switch for the rest of my hubs and other stationary wired devices.

With my tentative plan in place, it was time to get the tools and supplies I’m going to need for this project.

Up to the attic I go

In order to get ready for what I’m sure is going to be a time-consuming project, I did plenty of research into exactly what I needed. Since I want to have multiple lines going to each of my drop points, I decided to go all out and get a huge box of Cat6 Ethernet cable. That way, I would have more than I need for this project with plenty left over in case I want to run some extra lines for a hardwired home security camera system down the line.

I know businesses and professionals like to color-code their Ethernet wire based on what it will be used for. Even though red is often used for high-priority lines, I decided to use it for my whole house so that I’d easily be able to see it up in the attic and coming down through my walls when trying to fish it out of holes. It’s a bit unconventional, but I am wiring my own home for Ethernet, after all.

I also picked up a tool kit with everything I’d need for this project instead of buying everything on its own. From a network cable tester to a universal stripper to an Ethernet crimper, it’s packed with useful tools and gadgets that I hope will make the whole process a lot easier. Finally, I got some mounting brackets and wall plates, as I want this to be a clean install I can look at proudly for years to come.

All told, everything you see here came out to just under $200. I’m sure I’ll need other supplies and tools once I actually get going, but considering the major performance improvements that come from wiring your home for Ethernet, this is a small price to pay. As for the labor, that’s free since I’ll be doing this install by myself — though I guarantee I’ll be laid up in bed after crawling around my attic for hours at a time.

A lot of work but a solid investment

I may be in over my head and not even know it right now, but that’s part of the fun of DIY, right? Spending several days crawling through my attic to pull all of this Ethernet cable is going to be a lot of work. Then there’s the anxiety of putting holes in your walls and hoping they line up with the cables you dropped down from above. Still, if I manage to pull this off, not only will I turbocharge and future-proof my home network, but I’ll be able to proudly say that yes, I wired my home for Ethernet.

I did look into what it would cost to get this done professionally, and the quotes were eye-opening. For a whole-home installation, prices typically fall between $1,500 and $3,500, and professional installers usually charge between $150 and $250 per individual line or "drop." When you factor in the labor rates for low-voltage technicians — which can range from $50 to $150 per hour — the cost of a professional retrofit adds up quickly. By doing the work myself for just $200 in parts, I’m saving thousands of dollars in labor.

Like I said before, I know having a 10 gigabit connection and a hardwired home will definitely be overkill for most people. However, since I am paying for all that data and my home is a bit of a fixer-upper anyway, why not wire it for Ethernet?

Instead of another New Year’s resolution that falls by the wayside a few months into the year, I decided to pick one that will massively benefit myself and the rest of my family. To hold myself accountable, I’ve already bought the supplies and started documenting the process. I’ll keep you updated with my progress in a future story, but for now, let me know in the comments if your home is wired for Ethernet or whether or not you’d consider taking on a monumental task like this one. Likewise, if you’ve already wired your house, I’d love to hear some of the tricks you used to pull it off.

More from Tom's Guide

• I got tired of having a bad remote play experience so I used Wi-Fi 7 and this powerful gaming tablet to fix it for good
• Upgrading to Wi-Fi 7 is about to get more complicated and these new routers are to blame
• I get faster Wi-Fi speeds in my backyard than some people do in their homes — and it’s all thanks to the eero Outdoor 7

With the best mesh Wi-Fi systems, dead zones can become a thing of the past for your home. I've struggled getting a strong Wi-Fi signal throughout my space, and if you're experiencing the same issues, it's time to transform your house into a connectivity powerhouse — and we've done the testing to help you find the right mesh system.

To determine which mesh Wi-Fi systems really are the best, we put them through extensive real-world testing in an actual home. From running speed tests and network benchmarks at multiple distances to seeing how well they move data through objects and walls, every mesh Wi-Fi system we review is put through rigorous testing.

Right now, we're big fans of the Asus ZenWiFi BQ16 Pro as the mesh Wi-Fi system for most, thanks to its blazing-fast 2 gigabits per second (Gbps) speeds and amazing range. Looking for more options? We've got them. Whether you want to cover your whole home with a strong Wi-Fi signal on a budget or you’re looking for the latest wireless tech, this guide will help you find the best mesh Wi-Fi systems you can buy, based on our testing and reviews.

The best mesh Wi-Fi systems you can buy today

The best mesh Wi-Fi system overall

The Asus ZenWiFi BQ16 Pro immediately grabbed my attention as it uses a rectangular design instead of a cylindrical one, but it’s the blazing-fast speeds that really set this mesh Wi-Fi system apart from the competition.

Asus has packed the ZenWiFi BQ16 Pro with useful features like completely free built-in security software and the ability to use your phone’s hotspot as a backup when your internet goes down.

Asus ZenWiFi BQ16 Pro Performance Results

Speed measurements

15 feet

Asus Zen WiFi BQ16 Pro

2.62

00.751.52.253

Gbps

15 feet Data

Product	Value
Asus Zen WiFi BQ16 Pro	2.62

50 feet

Asus Zen WiFi BQ16 Pro

1.532

00.511.52

Gbps

50 feet Data

Product	Value
Asus Zen WiFi BQ16 Pro	1.532

75 feet

Asus Zen WiFi BQ16 Pro

567.8

0150300450600

Mbps

75 feet Data

Product	Value
Asus Zen WiFi BQ16 Pro	567.8

90 feet

Asus Zen WiFi BQ16 Pro

46.7

015304560

Mbps

90 feet Data

Product	Value
Asus Zen WiFi BQ16 Pro	46.7

It also has a ton of multi-gig ports to take full advantage of faster internet plans. When our reviewer Brian Nadel put this mesh Wi-Fi system to the test, that’s when it really shone by reaching a max download speed of 2.62 Gbps at close range (15 feet) thanks to its unique quad-band design.

Plus, it provided a solid 90-foot range, but what impressed me the most was that even at 50 feet, the ZenWiFi BQ16 Pro was still blazing fast, hitting speeds of 1.5 Gbps.

The Asus ZenWiFi BQ16 Pro is certainly on the expensive side at over $1,000 for a two-pack. However, if you have multi-gig internet and want to put Wi-Fi 7’s speeds to the test while future-proofing your home network, it’s an easy mesh Wi-Fi system to recommend.

• Read our full Asus ZenWiFi BQ16 Pro review

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The best budget mesh Wi-Fi system

The TP-Link Deco BE23 shows that high-speed, Wi-Fi 7 connectivity in a mesh system doesn't have to cost you a premium. For as low as $180, you can get a set of three powerful mesh networking devices that offer up far-reaching connectivity with some absolutely amazing speeds.

Each of the BE23 units comes in a neat, discreet design that can be placed anywhere while hiding in plain sight, and you can set up a connection for the whole house easily with TP-Link’s Deco app. Plus, any of the units can be used as a host router. Once you're set up, you can take control of your connectivity and devices via the app, like integrating and controlling Tapo, Kasa, Philips Hue and Matter home automation devices.

TP-Link Deco BE23 Performance Results

Speed measurements

15 feet

TP-Link Deco BE23

1.449

00.3750.751.1251.5

Gbps

15 feet Data

Product	Value
TP-Link Deco BE23	1.449

50 feet

TP-Link Deco BE23

953.7

02505007501,000

Mbps

50 feet Data

Product	Value
TP-Link Deco BE23	953.7

75 feet

TP-Link Deco BE23

350.4

0100200300400

Mbps

75 feet Data

Product	Value
TP-Link Deco BE23	350.4

90 feet

TP-Link Deco BE23

150.1

050100150200

Mbps

90 feet Data

Product	Value
TP-Link Deco BE23	150.1

Speed is the star of the show, especially for this mesh system's affordable price. In our testing, we saw highs of 1.449 Gbps at 15 feet, and still 150.1 Mbps as far away as 90 feet. Those numbers beat many routers we've tested, even though it understandably falls behind the likes of a tri-band system (like the TP-Link Deco BE63 with 1.821 Gbps at 15 feet away). With a maximum range of 115 feet for each unit, this mesh system will take you far (quite literally, connectivity-wise). Now that's excellent balance between price and performance.

What you won't get here are more advanced features, like the 6GHz band (just 2.4GHz and 5GHz here) and super-wide 320 MHz data channel, while there's only a pair of 2.5 Gbps networking ports without a USB port, which makes wired connections limited.

For an affordable way to keep your whole home connected with fantastic internet speeds, the price is right with the TP-Link Deco BE23. It may not be the fastest, or the most advanced, but for value, it's hard to go wrong with this mesh setup.

• Read our full TP-Link Deco BE23 review

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The best mesh Wi-Fi system for range

The Netgear Orbi 870 is a powerful mesh Wi-Fi system that really excels at medium and long ranges, even outperforming its larger, more expensive older sibling.

Despite its more premium price, I really like the more cylindrical design with a cleaner overall look of the Orbi 870 and the rest of the company’s Wi-Fi 7-powered mesh kits. While you’ll often see it in white at online retailers, you can actually get an all-black version too, but only on Netgear’s site.

The Orbi 870 is a very reliable and feature-packed mesh Wi-Fi system that’s ideal for futureproofing your home network thanks to its slew of multi-gig ports, including a 10 Gbps input. In his testing, Brian saw speeds of 1.83 Gbps at close range (15 feet).

Netgear Orbi 870 Performance Results

Speed measurements

15 feet

Netgear Orbi 870

1.82

00.511.52

Gbps

15 feet Data

Product	Value
Netgear Orbi 870	1.82

50 feet

Netgear Orbi 870

627.4

0200400600800

Mbps

50 feet Data

Product	Value
Netgear Orbi 870	627.4

75 feet

Netgear Orbi 870

628.6

0200400600800

Mbps

75 feet Data

Product	Value
Netgear Orbi 870	628.6

90 feet

Netgear Orbi 870

102.6

037.575112.5150

Mbps

90 feet Data

Product	Value
Netgear Orbi 870	102.6

However, it was the Orbi 870’s mid- and long-range performance that impressed him the most. For instance, at 50 and 75 feet, this mesh Wi-Fi system had download speeds of over 600 Mbps, beating both the entry-level Orbi 770 and even the Orbi 970 at the top of Netgear’s mesh lineup.

Even at a distance of 90 feet away from Brian’s test laptop, it was at just over 100 Mbps, while the Orbi 970 and even TP-Link’s Deco BE85 were under 50 Mbps. At $1,000 for a two-pack, the Orbi 870 is certainly an investment, just like with the rest of the devices in Netgear’s Orbi line.

However, if you have a large home you want to fill with a strong Wi-Fi signal and a top-tier multi-gig internet plan, it could definitely be worth it. Just keep in mind that you will need to set aside some extra cash if you want to secure your home network with it using Netgear’s Armor security package or want extended technical support, as only 90 days are included.

• Read our full Netgear Orbi 870 review

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The best mesh Wi-Fi system for gaming

The Acer Predator Connect T7 is a mesh Wi-Fi system with a heavy focus on gamers. However, unlike my previous mesh router pick for gaming, the Asus ROG Rapture GT6, it’s a Wi-Fi 7-powered device with a much more subtle look.

Instead of RGB and lots of logos, the Predator Connect T7 features a taller, rectangular design in white or black, and at first glance, it looks quite similar to an Xbox Series X. There’s a splash of RGB lighting on the top, but this mesh kit has a sleeker and more restrained look that I think definitely works in its favor.

Just like with the best gaming routers, the Predator Connect T7 has a low-latency design that uses Intel’s Killer Prioritization engine for peak gaming performance. It also comes with free built-in security software and makes full use of all of Wi-Fi 7’s best features.

Acer Predator Connect T7 Performance Results

Speed measurements

15 feet

Acer Predator Connect T7

1.914

00.511.52

Gbps

15 feet Data

Product	Value
Acer Predator Connect T7	1.914

50 feet

Acer Predator Connect T7

476

0150300450600

Mbps

50 feet Data

Product	Value
Acer Predator Connect T7	476

75 feet

Acer Predator Connect T7

231.5

075150225300

Mbps

75 feet Data

Product	Value
Acer Predator Connect T7	231.5

90 feet

Acer Predator Connect T7

121

037.575112.5150

Mbps

90 feet Data

Product	Value
Acer Predator Connect T7	121

During testing, Brian saw download speeds of 1.9 Gbps at close range (15 feet) with good mid-range performance. While the Predator Connect T7 has a multi-gig input port, its wired Ethernet ports are limited to gigabit speeds, so plugging in one of the best gaming laptops won’t give you a significant speed boost over connecting via Wi-Fi.

The Acer Predator Connect T7 is one of the few mesh Wi-Fi systems specifically designed for gamers and if you want a mesh router that looks as slick as your gaming PC, it’s a big step up over the Asus ROG Rapture GT7.

However, it is on the expensive side at $330 per device and unlike with other mesh kits, you won’t see any discounts at all when buying a multi-pack. Still, if you want gaming-level network performance with the added benefits of mesh and want something less flashy, the Predator Connect T7 is an excellent mesh Wi-Fi system and the only one for gamers with Wi-Fi 7 support so far.

• Read our full Acer Predator Connect T7 review

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The best mesh Wi-Fi system for simplicity

The Eero Pro 7 is a smaller and sleeker mesh Wi-Fi system that’s incredibly simple to set up and use. Unlike Eero’s past mesh kits, which had a puck-shaped design, this one has a rounded rectangular shape and at 7.1 x 5.8 x 2.6 inches, you won’t have any trouble finding a place for it and its satellites around your home.

After testing the larger, more powerful Eero Max 7 myself, I really like the Pro 7’s more compact design and the fact that it's significantly cheaper, too. The biggest selling point of the Pro 7 and Eero’s other mesh Wi-Fi systems is that even a home networking novice will have no trouble at all getting them up and running.

Setup and configuration are handled entirely through the very user-friendly Eero app. Besides how it looks, I really like the way that updates are downloaded and installed automatically, so your mesh Wi-Fi system is always running the latest software.

Eero Pro 7 Performance Results

Speed measurements

15 feet

Eero Pro 7

1.905

00.511.52

Gbps

15 feet Data

Product	Value
Eero Pro 7	1.905

50 feet

Eero Pro 7

994.4

02505007501,000

Mbps

50 feet Data

Product	Value
Eero Pro 7	994.4

75 feet

Eero Pro 7

234.7

075150225300

Mbps

75 feet Data

Product	Value
Eero Pro 7	234.7

90 feet

Eero Pro 7

20.8

07.51522.530

Mbps

90 feet Data

Product	Value
Eero Pro 7	20.8

In his testing, Brian saw download speeds of 1.9 Gbps at close distances (15 feet), but the Pro 7 was equally impressive at mid-range distances with speeds just under a gigabit.

The Eero Pro 7 does cost a bit more than the competition, but nowhere close to what you’d pay for an Orbi mesh kit. As an Amazon company, Eero works great with your Alexa-powered and other smart home devices, and you can even use an Echo Dot as a mesh extender to add some extra range to your home network.

If you want a fast and capable Wi-Fi 7-powered mesh system that’s simple to set up and just works, the Eero Pro 7 is very easy to recommend, especially since it's a lot cheaper than the Max 7. The one downside is that you’re limited to just two Ethernet ports, but they are of the faster 5 Gbps variety, which is great if you have a multi-gig internet plan.

• Read our full Eero Pro 7 review

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Best mesh Wi-Fi system for fiber

The TP-Link Deco BE85 is a top-of-the-line mesh Wi-Fi system that was actually the first mesh router with Wi-Fi 7 support. It builds on the cylindrical design of the Deco XE75 with a more refined and polished look, but it packs in a ton of multi-gig and even a USB port.

As someone who upgraded to fiber internet, I love how it has its own SFP+ port, which lets you plug your fiber line directly in at the back instead of into a separate ONT box first. Even if you’re still using one of the best cable modems, though, the Deco BE85 is a powerful mesh Wi-Fi system that won’t disappoint when it comes to performance.

One thing that’s really convenient about this mesh kit and TP-Link’s other Deco devices is that they’re all identical out of the box and you can use any of them as your main router. The company’s Deco app also makes setup and configuration very easy, and in my experience, it’s on par with Eero’s app in terms of usability.

TP-Link Deco BE85 Performance Results

Speed measurements

15 feet

TP-Link Dexo BE85

1.736

00.511.52

Gbps

15 feet Data

Product	Value
TP-Link Dexo BE85	1.736

50 feet

TP-Link Dexo BE85

790.4

0200400600800

Mbps

50 feet Data

Product	Value
TP-Link Dexo BE85	790.4

75 feet

TP-Link Dexo BE85

179.2

050100150200

Mbps

75 feet Data

Product	Value
TP-Link Dexo BE85	179.2

90 feet

TP-Link Dexo BE85

42.6

015304560

Mbps

90 feet Data

Product	Value
TP-Link Dexo BE85	42.6

During testing, Brian saw download speeds of 1.73 Gbps at a close distance (15 feet) and good mid-range speeds, too. While this might seem a bit low for a premium mesh Wi-Fi system, Brian was one of the first people to get and review the Deco BE85. It's possible this has improved with firmware updates since its launch.

The Deco BE85 has come down in price since it launched, but it’s still expensive, even though this model does go on sale quite frequently. However, if you have a fast, multi-gig fiber internet plan and want top-notch Wi-Fi 7 performance, this mesh router is the only one I’ve seen yet with an SFP+ port around back.

It’s worth noting that just like with Eero, all TP-Link Deco devices are compatible with one another, so you could always mix and match or upgrade to a more powerful model later on if you need to.

• Read our full TP-Link Deco BE85 review

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Best mesh Wi-Fi system test results

The mesh Wi-Fi systems we've used all come with amazing speeds, and we've done the testing to show how fast a router is at short and long ranges. But you'll find some will perform better at various distances, even if one delivers the fastest speeds around.

As an example, the Asus Zen WiFi BQ16 Pro offers the fastest speeds at 15 feet, but it loses out to the likes of the TP-Link Deco BE23 and others at 90 feet. It comes down to what you prioritize: speed or range (or a balance of both!)

So, to compare each mesh Wi-Fi system across the range of distances we've tested, check out the versus table below to help you make the right choice for your home.

Mesh Wi-Fi Systems Performance Results

Select a mesh Wi-Fi system to compare internet speed at different distances (measured in Gbps and Mbps)

Versus Comparison Data

Attribute	Asus Zen WiFi BQ16 Pro	TP-Link Deco BE23	Netgear Orbi 870	Acer Predator Connect T7	Eero Pro 7	TP-Link Dexo BE85
15 feet	2.62	1.449	1.82	1.914	1.905	1.736
50 feet	1532	953.7	627.4	476	994.4	790.4
75 feet	567.8	350.4	628.6	231.5	234.7	179.2
90 feet	46.7	150.1	102.6	121	20.8	42.6

Asus Zen WiFi BQ16 ProTP-Link Deco BE23Netgear Orbi 870Acer Predator Connect T7Eero Pro 7TP-Link Dexo BE85

VS

Asus Zen WiFi BQ16 ProTP-Link Deco BE23Netgear Orbi 870Acer Predator Connect T7Eero Pro 7TP-Link Dexo BE85

15 feet (Gbps)

+81%2.62

1.449

50 feet (Mbps)

+61%1,532

953.7

75 feet (Mbps)

+62%567.8

350.4

90 feet (Mbps)

46.7

150.1+221%

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How to choose the best mesh Wi-Fi system for you

A lot of factors come into choosing the mesh Wi-Fi system that will suit your space, from the coverage you need to the speeds you demand — all for the right price. We've got just the tips to make your choice easier.

• Coverage: If you have a larger home with 3,000 square feet or more, a regular router just won’t cut it. The same is true for multi-story homes and oddly laid out houses, which don’t necessarily match the range pattern of coverage most standalone routers deliver. Even if your home looks like it may be well-served by a traditional Wi-Fi router, there are plenty of obstacles and signal disruptions that can make it difficult to get strong wireless coverage in every part of your home. In this case, the usual steps to make your Wi-Fi faster may not work. The basic guideline is this: If your router leaves you with Wi-Fi dead zones in your home or even out in your yard, you’re likely better off with a mesh Wi-Fi system instead.
• Speed: Picking the right mesh Wi-Fi system for speed is the same as with any other Wi-Fi device. The faster it is at moving data, the better. If you're planning on having the best speeds possible, you'll want the router as close as possible to your chosen device. However, with a mesh Wi-Fi system, this allows you to extend the range throughout a large space without drastically losing speeds. Some are better at maintaining speeds at further distances, while others offer optimal performance the closer they are. Depending on your space and if there are any obstacles in the way, you'll want the right mesh system that offers the fastest speeds at the distance that works best for you.

• Ports: Though improved wireless connectivity is the main thing you want from a mesh Wi-Fi system, you’ll also want to think about wired connections. Ethernet offers faster connectivity for devices like computers, game consoles and smart TVs that use more bandwidth and USB ports are useful for attaching older printers or storage to your network. However, not every mesh system has several physical ports, so make sure you get a system that will meet your needs. Keep in mind, you can always use an Ethernet switch to easily add more ports to your mesh router.
• Price: For many shoppers, it all comes down to value. In other words, which mesh Wi-Fi system provides the most bang for your buck? Mesh routers range in price from $80 to $1,000 or more. As mesh systems use multiple devices, you can generally buy a complete mesh Wi-Fi system as a two or three-unit package at a discount (look out for these during Amazon Prime Day or Black Friday). However, you can also buy individual satellite units to extend a mesh network further. Individual units often sell for $100 to $200, though specialized units that offer additional functionality may cost more. The products on this list are our top picks as they are the best mesh Wi-Fi systems you can buy right now.

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Frequently asked questions

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Meet our testers

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How we test the best mesh Wi-Fi systems

We test every mesh Wi-Fi system to measure performance and range, using Keysight IxChariot. Testing is done in a multi-story home with brick walls. When we test standard routers, we look at performance at a distance to provide real-world information about coverage and speeds. In addition to lab testing, we evaluate the ease-of-setup and features of each device, too.

We measure performance at a 15-foot distance without obstructions, so that we can gauge the maximum amount of data that a router can move. Higher throughput will serve you better in data-heavy uses, like streaming video, gaming, or connecting multiple users at once.

Range measures the furthest usable distance for a particular router. Longer ranges are better for larger homes, where rooms are spread out at a distance. We measure how much data a router can move at 15, 50, 75 and 90 feet, as well as the maximum coverage area of a mesh Wi-Fi system.

We also test how well each mesh Wi-Fi system transmits and receives signals through drywall, brick, concrete and even metal walls; and how each handles coverage in a two- or three-story home. They also go through additional testing to see how well each system does when sending a signal through the main router and through the included satellites.

Of course (and most importantly), we also consider what you really get for your money, considering which features are worthwhile and how any given product compares with other devices from competing manufacturers.

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TP-Link makes some of the most popular and the best Wi-Fi routers but a U.S. government ban on them could be one step closer to reality.

The Shenzhen, China-based company has been in the crosshairs of the American government since December of 2024 when The Wall Street Journal reported that a potential ban was coming within the next calendar year.

Initially, the ban was floated by the Commerce Department. A Washington Post report from late October 2025 indicates that multiple other agencies are backing a potential ban too. Apparently, a coalition of Homeland Security, the Justice Department and the Department of Defense spent this past summer looking into the ban.

Largely, as with the resolved TikTok ban, US officials are concerned about links between TP-Link and the Chinese government. Unnamed officials told the Post that their concern stems from Chinese laws that require TP-Link to comply with Chinese intelligence agency requests. They believe the company could be forced to push malicious software updates to US-based devices.

What is TP-Link

TP-Link is a technology company that makes networking and smart home equipment including routers, smart cameras, plugs and lighting.

Their routers are among the most popular in the country making up nearly 65% of the US market and covering everything from homes and businesses as well as government and military offices.

The 65% number is in dispute though. A former American cybersecurity official told Congress the number was closer to 60%. In December, a TP-Link spokesperson sent Tom's Guide a study that seems to show TP-Link only has a 12% market share in the US for consumers and less than 2% for businesses. That study showed TP-Link behind companies like Ubiquiti, Netgear and Cisco.

For the most part, TP-Link routers are less expensive than competitors while offering equal services. However, those lower prices are one of the reasons the Department of Justice is investigating the company with claims that they are an attempt to create a monopoly as TP-Link is selling them for less than they cost to manufacture.

TP-Link spokespeople have been keen to note that the company's U.S entity is based in Irvine, California, not Shenzhen. The Irvine location opened in 2023. A press release from May of 2024 indicated that the company restructured with "dual" headquarters in the United States and Singapore. From then on, Shenzhen disappears from press releases and is replaced by Irvine. Our research indicates that the company was founded in Shenzhen and still operates there though.

How we got here

TP-Link was first investigated by at least the Defense Department in August of 2024 when it opened an investigation into the vulnerabilities of Chinese routers. Near simultaneously, a House Committee called for an investigation into TP-Link's routers.

"TP-Link’s unusual degree of vulnerabilities and required compliance with PRC law are in and of themselves disconcerting," lawmakers wrote. "When combined with the PRC government’s common use of SOHO [small office/home office] routers like TP-Link to perpetrate extensive cyberattacks in the United States, it becomes significantly alarming."

Two months later in October, Microsoft's Threat Intelligence group released a report that found TP-Link routers were the most compromised devices in a Chinese "password spray" attack and called the hacks "nation-state threat actor activity." That assessment tracked attacks going back to August of 2023.

In December of 2024, similar issues were raised by sources that told the Wall Street Journal that TP-Link allegedly ships routers with security vulnerabilities and claimed that the company had been resistant to addressing those flaws.

At the time, Tom's Guide reached out to the Irvine-based U.S. subsidiary of TP-Link. A spokesperson acknowledged the vulnerabilities, but defended the company's practices.

"Contrary to claims of widespread vulnerabilities, comparative data places TP-Link on par with, or in some cases ahead of, other major industry players in terms of security outcomes," they said. "For example, public vulnerability data (sourced from recognized security repositories like CVE Details and VulDB) shows that TP-Link’s rate of vulnerabilities per product is significantly lower than those of other leading manufacturers."

A different spokesperson told the WSJ that the company is open to working with the US government "to demonstrate that our security practices are fully in line with industry security standards, and to demonstrate our ongoing commitment to the U.S. market, U.S. consumers, and addressing U.S. national security risks."

2025 hasn't been better for TP-Link

In March of 2025, the House of Representatives Select Committee on China held a hearing. "Don't use this," U.S. Rep Raja Krishnamoorthi said while holding a TP-Link router, "I don't have one at home either. It's not a good idea."

Throughout the year, TP-Link routers were hit with several attacks including the Italian Ballista botnet that targeted multiple industries including healthcare services, manufacturing and technology businesses.

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) flagged two security flaws related to TP-Link routers in September that could be exploited. Though TP-Link had released updates for the flaws last year and did recommend upgrading since the affected models TL-WR841N (versions 10.0 and 11.0), TL-WR841ND (version 10.0), and Archer C7 were considered to have reached end-of-life status.

The US vs China and bans

In the last few years, dating back to the first Trump administration, Chinese products have been under the microscope. Whether its Trump who banned the sale of Huawei products in the U.S. or President Biden whose administration picked up on banning TikTok and DJI Drones.

These bans have been proposed or enacted under the auspices of national security and claimed threats of Chinese spying or hacking activity.

The potential TP-Link bans comes as the back and forth tariff war between President Trump and China reaches its current lull. Just before Halloween, Trump and China agreed to lower tariffs though perhaps not as significantly as people might have hoped. The US Senate also passed a resolution to repeal Trump's global tariffs, whether it gets voted on in the the House is another matter though.

If a TP-Link ban is enacted it could be massive and would likely originate from the Office for Information and Communications Technology and Services, which was created under the first Trump administration. That agency was granted the power to prohibit companies from designated nations from selling their products or services in the United States. It's biggest hit so far has been banning the Russian software company Kaspersky from selling its antivirus software in the US.

How to improve your router security

At Tom's Guide, we're monitoring the potential ban and will reevaluate our recommendations if it comes to pass.

That said, whether it's 12% or 65%, many people have TP-Link routers and could be concerned about them being compromised.

Last year's Microsoft analysis found that many TP-Link routers were compromised because owners failed to change the default passwords, the first thing you should do when setting up a new router.

With that in mind, here are some other steps to make your router more secure:

• Create custom login credentials: Most everyday cybersecurity issues stem from people keeping the default login credentials set by the manufacturer or internet provider who supplied the device. Many routers have apps where credentials can be changed, or you can type your IP address in your browser's address bar. As always, avoid common words or character combinations (no "123456" or "password"). Longer is better and you want to use a combination of letters, symbols and numbers to create strong passwords for all of your devices and accounts. Additionally, you never want to reuse passwords across accounts because if hackers compromise one of them, they will then try those credentials to access your other accounts/devices.
• Update your firmware: Often, router makers, like TP-Link, release firmware updates that contain security patches. Keep your router up to date and regularly check for updates.
• Ensure your firewall and Wi-Fi encryption are on: Firewalls and Wi-Fi encryption should be on by default, but it can't hurt to double-check. These features being on help make it harder for bad actors to see data sent between your router and connected devices. These can be found in relevant router apps or websites. Likewise, you can also use one of the best VPNs to keep the data sent from your devices to the internet private and secure.
• Consider a new router: TP-Link gained massive market share over the years by undercutting the competition with less expensive routers. Since your router is something you and the rest of your household use every day, upgrading to a new one is a worthwhile investment, especially if you're worried. However, this could also give you a chance to outfit your house with the latest wireless tech in the form of Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7 if you're using an older Wi-Fi 5 or Wi-Fi 6 device.

TP-Link alternatives worth considering

Whether you're looking to replace your own TP-Link router or just want to upgrade to something faster and more modern, here are a few alternatives we highly recommend.

From the best Wi-Fi 7 routers with the latest tech to the best mesh Wi-Fi systems that can cover your whole home in a strong signal and eliminate Wi-Fi dead zones for good, you'll find something to meet your home networking needs and your budget below:

More from Tom's Guide

• Best Wi-Fi extenders in 2025: eliminate dead zones without a major upgrade
• Wi-Fi 8 just got its first ever demo — here's what makes it different
• What internet speed do I need? Here's how many Mbps is enough

Wi-Fi is no longer just for an office, kitchen or game room anymore because TP-Link’s Deco BE65-Outdoor mesh system can stand up to Mother Nature’s worst while supplying data to a patio, porch or backyard. Unlike eero’s dual-band Outdoor 7 node, the Deco BE65-Outdoor fully taps into all three Wi-Fi 7 data bands for peak performance yet has an IP65 intrusion rating and should survive just about anywhere in the United States.

A marvel of flexibility, the Deco BE65-Outdoor can run wirelessly on AC power or use Power over Ethernet to provide electricity and data on a single cable. Its performance may not set any records up close, but the Deco BE65-Outdoor shows its stuff at mid- to long-distances and has the potential to fill the typical suburban building lot or an urban rooftop with data.

Read on to see how the Deco BE65-Outdoor can brighten up your backyard with data.My TP-Link Deco BE65-Outdoor review will show you how this outdoor mesh node stands up against the best Wi-Fi 7 routers while helping you decide if this is the ultimate upgrade for one of the best mesh Wi-Fi systems.

TP-Link Deco BE65-Outdoor: Pricing & availability

The TP-Link Deco BE65-Outdoor sells for $300 on Amazon as well as at Best Buy. Able to add 3,000 square feet of Wi-Fi coverage, the Deco BE65-Outdoor is a bargain compared to the $400 eero Outdoor 7.

TP-Link Deco BE65-Outdoor review: Design

The key to the TP-Link Deco BE65-Outdoor’s success is that despite its hyphenated last name, it mirrors the components and specs of the indoor Deco BE65. At 7.0 inches tall and a 4.2 inch diameter, the white and black cylindrical device has a slanted top to allow rain to safely run off.

The Deco BE65-Outdoor lives up to its name with an IP65 dust and water intrusion rating that translates into the ability to repel all sorts of sprays, storms and sprinklers. With an IP66 rating, the Outdoor 7 might do better during heavier downpours.

Rather than the Outdoor 7’s sealed cable connection, the BE65-Outdoor’s entire bottom unscrews revealing a direct AC input so no power adapter is needed. Sure there are places that exceed its environmental limits but it’s OK in some of America’s harshest environments, from Anchorage, Alaska (-22 degrees Fahrenheit) to Death Valley (140 degrees Fahrenheit). It was fine in the more forgiving suburban NYC climate of hot summer days (90+ degrees Fahrenheit), heavy downpours as well as being doused by lawn sprinklers.

It can sit on a patio table, an outdoor windowsill or even mounted on a wall or strapped to a pole using the included plastic bracket. The eero Outdoor 7’s half-rounded profile blends into a wall better than the cylindrical Deco BE65-Outdoor, which sticks out an extra inch and can look like an oversized water bottle. Neither should be painted, though.

The Outdoor Deco has two 2.5 Gbps Ethernet connections – one more than the eero Outdoor 7. This allows an additional networking connection, like for connecting an outbuilding or remote garage. Neither have a USB 3.0 port for adding a data drive nor weatherproofed room for one.

While most will use the Deco BE65-Outdoor as a wireless node powered by an AC outlet, its Power over Ethernet (PoE) abilities can deliver data and power over a single cable. You’ll need a PoE switch or injector.

Controlled by Qualcomm’s IPQ5322 and QCN6274 Wi-Fi chips, the BE65-Outdoor has a 1.5GHz quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM and 128MB of storage space. It covers all three Wi-Fi 7 data bands with 2x2 streaming over six independent data channels using everything from 4K Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) to 320 MHz data channels to Multi-Link Operations (MLO). Able to deliver up to 5.765 Gbps and 4.324 Gbps over the 6.0GHz and 5.0GHz bands, it tops out at 688 Mbps over the long-range 2.4GHz band. Its theoretical peak performance is nearly 11 Gbps, 5 times the Outdoor 7’s 2.1 Gbps max performance.

Able to connect 200 clients, the BE65-Outdoor’s six antennas can do something other mesh products can’t by adjusting to local conditions. It offers the choice of horizontal and vertical antenna polarization or using its automatic setting. It, however, lacks support for Eero Outdoor 7’s integrated home automation goodies for linking with the best smart home devices that support Thread and Zigbee. The BE65-Outdoor does support Matter devices though.

Like the Deco BE65, the Outdoor version has a single LED light up front. It glows blue when it’s ready to be set up and yellowish green when operating normally. If it’s red, something’s amiss.

The BE65-Outdoor includes TP-Link’s base HomeShield software with network and privacy protection along with parental controls and excellent Quality of Service (QOS) routines to direct the data where it belongs. The $36 a year Security+ upgrade adds web protection and intrusion alerts, while the $130 a year Total Security package is the equivalent of a security suite with VPN access, a password manager and device-level malware scanning from Trend Micro.

TP-Link Deco BE65-Outdoor review: Performance

Using a Deco BE63-powered network, I started by adding the Deco BE65-Outdoor as a wireless node 25 feet from the host router just beyond my home’s stucco wall. Later I set it up using PoE as a wired node but more on that later.

Using Keysight’s IxChariot networking benchmark set to mimic 10 data hungry users, I connected to an HP Envy 2-in-1 test notebook to clock its performance.

To start, using the Deco BE65-Outdoor’s 6GHz band and the Auto setting for the unit’s smart antenna array yielded 833.7 Mbps at 15 feet from the device. That puts the Deco BE65-Outdoor slightly behind the eero Outdoor 7’s dual-band’s 879.7 Mbps.

That said, adjusting the antenna modulation to horizontal bias yielded 864.0 Mbps of throughput. This 3.6% increase brings it closer to the Outdoor 7.

As expected, at 50 feet, the throughput dropped but not by nearly as much as with the Outdoor 7 or other mesh kits. The Deco BE65-Outdoor moved an average of 693.6 Mbps, blowing away the Outdoor 7’s 388.5 Mbps as well as the indoor-only Netgear Orbi 373 at 515.4 Mbps.

With 75 feet separating the Deco B65-Outdoor and the test system, the recorded throughput dropped to 635.4 Mbps. More than double the 274.9 Mbps that the eero Outdoor 7 delivered, this result is three-times the Orbi 373’s 191.2 Mbps.

The 90-foot result put the most distance between the BE65-Outdoor and the pack at 373.2 Mbps. By contrast, the Outdoor 7 moved 52.2 Mbps.

Using the wired LAN abilities of the Deco BE65-Outdoor yields an eye-popping bandwidth upgrade. With a TrendNet PoE+ injector supplying electricity and data over 50 feet of Cat 6 cabling between the Deco BE63 router and Deco BE65-Outdoor node, the device delivered 1.577 Gbps at 15-feet. That’s nearly double the throughput of either the eero Outdoor 7 or Deco BE65-Outdoor in wireless mode.

It dominated the testing at 50- and 75-feet with throughput readings of 765.5 Mbps and 700.9 Mbps – just about double the eero Outdoor 7’s throughput. It fell slightly behind the wireless results at 90 feet.

The biggest surprise was that I got high-speed data on an elevated porch about 90 feet from the BE65-Outdoor and a 150 foot range. This extended range is due in part to the lack of obstructions, like interior walls, blocking or attenuating the signal that is common indoors.

Whether wired or wireless, the Deco BE65-Outdoor did well on our network saturation test where I streamed data to four computers at various outside places. While an HP Envy 2-in-1 notebook played 4K YouTube videos and a Samsung Galaxy S25 phone listened in on the BBC news feed, my Dell XPS 15 notebook binged “Fisk” episodes and an Acer notebook moved data onto and off a networked RAID storage array. All the audio and video came through without a problem, freeze or lost frame.

Powered by AC current, the Deco BE65-Outdoor used 8.3 watts, slightly more than the 6.3 watts that the eero Outdoor 7 consumed, but the Outdoor 7 has a 2.1-watts idle mode – something the BE65-Outdoor lacks. If it’s left on 24/7 and you pay the national average of 17.5 cents per kilowatt hour, expect that the BE65-Outdoor will cost $12.75 a year, more than double the electricity bill for the eero Outdoor 7.

Passively cooled, the Deco BE65-Outdoor doesn’t have a cooling fan. It hit a peak of 113.5 degrees Fahrenheit while being tested.

TP-Link Deco BE65-Outdoor review: Setup

The Deco 65-Outdoor’s setup required equal amounts of physical and software manipulation, starting with getting the Deco app and setting up a TP-Link account on my Samsung Galaxy S25 phone. I unscrewed the device’s bottom and plugged in its AC cord. After I reset the silicone seal and screwed the bottom back on, it was ready but the task felt like it required three hands.

After tapping the app’s “+” link, it found the new Outdoor node and connected.

The app asked how the device is powered, in this case with AC power. I later set it up as a wired node with PoE power.

I gave the device a name (“outside”) and the app created the network.

My last step was to physically mount the node on a pole outside using the included bracket. The app’s instructions are a help but the included straps were too thick to allow the BE65-Outdoor to easily snap into the plastic bracket. Thinner cable ties did the trick.

It took 8 minutes to create the network and mount the gear.

TP-Link Deco BE65 Outdoor review: Configuration

The Deco app’s ability to customize the BE65-Outdoor node is standard Deco fare, with a well-stocked Network page. Tap on anything to see the connection details.

There are tabs below for Security and Parental Controls. The More section is a Wi-Fi gold mine with Deco Lab beta software, VPN access and controlling or scheduling the LED.

In addition to the Internet connection details, there’s a Wi-Fi Settings page for the wireless details. Due to security precautions, it prevents screen shots from being taken.

A fruitful first stop is Network Optimization. After a one-minute scan, the mesh network was proclaimed to be “Perfect”. It was actually pretty good.

The Advanced screen shows static routing, cloning the MAC address and changing the DHCP auto IP addressing specs.

On top of scheduled rebooting, a big step forward is the BE65-Outdoor’s Smart Antenna. I was able to change the antenna polarization from vertical (for more up-down coverage) to horizontal (for more side to side coverage). The Auto setting is for those who can’t decide.

The HomeShield software includes parental controls and protection for home automation devices, but the $130 total Security Package does it all with extra privacy protection, device malware scanning and VPN access. That’s about what Netgear charges for its Armor security services.

The Deco BE65-Outdoor’s two year warranty is a year short of eero Outdoor 7’s three years of coverage. Both include lifetime support though.

TP-Link Deco BE65-Outdoor review: Verdict

It may not be the fastest mesh device up close but TP-Link’s Deco BE65-Outdoor device is the right way to network outside. While the triband node’s wireless results mirrored the eeo Outdoor 7’s dual-band throughput up close, data flew at record speeds at middle and long distances. It came into its own as a wired node that can push more than 1.5 Gbps of data.

Throw in its ability to be powered by an AC outlet or by PoE Ethernet cabling and you have an incredibly versatile mesh node that can fill a patio, backyard and even a parking lot with Wi-Fi data. In other words, the Deco BE65-Outdoor is the key to extending a home network beyond a home’s four walls to deliver data to the great outdoors.

Wi-Fi 7 routers are just growing in popularity, but that hasn’t stopped TP-Link marching towards Wi-Fi 8. The company has confirmed that an early prototype has been successfully tested, which is a huge milestone in its development towards a public launch.

Back in July, Qualcomm broke down the aims of Wi-Fi 8 for stability and reliability. But this is the first time this tech has been tested, and following the success, I can’t wait to see a peak data rate of 23Gbps spread across my many devices at home.

The benefits are huge for AI systems, XR devices, and high-density environments like apartment blocks. Ever had that frustration in a stadium where you’re technically on a network, but getting no data? Yea, this would fix that.

What is Wi-Fi 8?

While most odd-numbered generations of Wi-Fi focus on speed boosts, even-numbered versions focus on improving reliability and efficiency, and that much is true with Wi-Fi 8. The focus is Ultra High Reliability (UHR) — aiming for consistent performance over the maximum peak speed Wi-Fi 7 brought to the table.

This is done through enhancing the range, co-ordinating multiple access points like in a mesh network, and optimizing the use of available spectrums to improve performance in low signal environments or places with a lot of network activity. Because think about it, the amount of devices around your home requiring a Wi-Fi connection has multiplied in recent years.

So focusing on the reliability is critical for assuring things like lag-free gaming and lower latency streaming without freezes — even eliminating call drops and the classic “robot voice” you hear in Zoom chats.

When will we see Wi-Fi 8?

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TP-Link has done what most would have thought impossible: building a Wi-Fi 7 router for under $100. Built around Wi-Fi 7’s techno goodies, the Archer BE3600 has bandwidth expanding 4K QAM and Multi-Link Operations but stops short of using the high throughput 6 GHz band. Far from being stripped of important features, the Archer BE3600 not only has 2.5 Gbps ports and an easy installation process but can incorporate a USB drive and use TP-Link’s HomeShield online security, although this can add to its cost.

While it works best at mid-range distances and lacks some streamlining choices, the Archer BE3600’s sub $100 price tag will be hard to pass up. My TP-Link Archer BE3600 review will help you decide if this is the best Wi-Fi router for you or if it’s worth paying a bit more for a tri-band device instead of a dual-band one.

TP-Link Archer BE3600 review: Pricing and availability

With a list price of $120, the Archer BE3600 is available for as little as $97 at Walmart. Amazon sells the identical router for $108 as the Archer BE230 model. Regardless of which you get, the router tempers throughput with a low price, making it one of today’s best values in Wi-Fi 7 networking. It’s rated to cover at least 1,800 square feet.

TP-Link Archer BE3600 review: Design

Wrapped in black plastic, the Archer BE3600 could be the stealth router of the year. Thin and lean, the rectangular router is midsized at 10.7 x 5.8 x 1.6 inches, plus another 5.0 inches for its antennas. This is significantly larger than the tiny Archer AX55 (10.2 x 5.3 x 1.5 inches) but petite next to TP-Link’s heavyweight Archer BE800 router (11.9 x 10.3 x 3.8 inches).

Design mavens take notice: the BE3600 lacks any ornamentation, like chrome accents because this router prioritizes price over appearance. The vented top’s square holes allow hot air to flow out and is the only thing that can be considered decoration on the Archer BE3600. That said, it keeps the temperature under control.

Old school all the way, the router’s seven LEDs show the basics (power, Internet status, action on each of the wireless bands and wired connections) as well as for Wi-Fi Protected Setup and an attached USB drive. Happily, the back has buttons for turning the LEDs off as well as for power and resetting the system. The Archer BE3600 has rubber feet for tabletop use as well as cutouts so that it can be easily wall-mounted without buying brackets.

Inside, the Archer BE3600 is powered by Broadcom’s BCM6764 Wi-Fi chip with a quad-core 2.0 GHz processor, 512MB of RAM and 128MB of flash storage for the network’s firmware and settings. Like other dual-band Wi-Fi 7 routers, the chip supports 6 GHz transmission; it’s just turned off for the sake of economy and simplicity.

Still, the router can perform the basics of Wi-Fi 7 networking with 4K Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) and Multi-Link Operations. The Archer BE3600’s four antennas can be swiveled to grab the best signal but can’t easily be replaced. Its 2X2 data flow moves a peak of 688 Mbps over the 2.4 GHz band as well as 2.882 Gbps over the 5 GHz band. As its name implies, it adds up to a BE3600 rating that’s well off the MSI Roamii BE Lite with its BE5000 spec.

The Archer BE3600 should be more than enough for most home networkers with two 2.5 Gbps ports, one for the WAN input and one for high-performance downstream connections; there are also three downstream 1 Gbps ports. That said, the BE3600 takes two steps forward with a USB 3.0 port for making the contents of a data drive accessible across the network, something that many more expensive routers lack. The BE3600 can also meld with TP-Link’s EasyMesh devices but it lacks the ability of more expensive routers to connect with a mobile phone to provide internet service in an outage.

As is the case with other Archer routers, TP-Link has the choice of three extra layers of security. The included HomeShield Standard combines router and network security scans, parental controls, protection for wireless cameras and Quality of Service (QOS) device prioritization. Not enough? At $36 a year, the At-Home upgrade adds Web and Intrusion Protection as well as reports of network flaws and usage.

The pinnacle of protection is TP-Link’s $70 At-Home + On-the-Go plan. It adds device-based malware protection from Norton as well as VPN access and Password Vault, making it a bargain compared to the $100 a year Netgear Armor plan.

TP-Link Archer BE3600 review: Performance

TP-Link’s Archer BE3600 favors price over performance. With Keysight’s IxChariot networking benchmark simulating 10 data hungry users, I used a Wi-Fi 7 equipped Acer Swift Edge 16 notebook to gauge the network’s performance in my 3,500 square foot home. The Archer BE3600 worked well with sub-gigabit data plans.

With the router and test system next to each other, the Archer BE3600 was able to provide 1.234 Gbps of throughput, more than enough for most. At the start of the dual-band Wi-Fi 7 era, there’s not much to compare the Archer BE3600 with, but it outperformed the MSI Roamii BE Lite’s 1.094 Gbps by more than 10 percent.

That said, the BE3600 moved 1.103 Gbps with a 15-foot wired connection. It’s well behind the Roamii BE Lite’s 1.861 Gbps and pales to the full-spec Wi-Fi 7 routers that can move more than double that over cables.

That said, at real world distances, the Archer BE3600 ruled the dual-band Wi-Fi roost by supplying 1.138 Gbps at 15 feet. This is a big step up from the 970.3 Mbps that the Roamii BE Lite put out but well off the 2 Gbps that high-performance Wi-Fi 7 routers, like the Asus RT-BE96U (at 1.948 Gbps), can deliver at close range. This dichotomy shows the value of exploiting the 6 GHz band at close range.

When the router and test system were set up 50 feet apart, the Archer BE3600 came into its own by moving 702.3 Mbps of data back and forth. Nearly 50 percent over the Roamii BE Lite’s 470.5 Mbps, it bested some of the top routers on the market, like the Asus RT-BE96U (392.7 Mbps) and the Archer GE800 (355.6 Mbps) at medium distances.

At 75 feet, the Archer BE3600 fell short compared to the RT-BE96U’s 402.1 Mbps but blew away the Roamii BE Lite’s 172.8 Mbps and the GE800’s meagre 91.5 Mbps. It had a range of 95 feet and delivered a modest 15.5 Mbps at 90 feet, putting it behind the others at the extreme and fell short of filling the entire house with Wi-Fi data.

That said, it surprised me when I set the test system in an adjacent room 25 feet from the router. The Archer BE3600 delivered 1.114 Mbps, well ahead of the Roamii BE Lite’s 990.1 Mbps. It was a distant runner up next to the RT-BE96U’s 1.801 Gbps.

The Archer BE3600 excelled at our network saturation test, where I set it up along with four other devices for a media-intensive round of testing. The other connected systems included a Samsung Galaxy Book listening in on the BBC WorldService audio feed, an HP Dragonfly notebook playing YouTube videos, an iPad Pro playing Spotify music and a ThinkPad T470 swapping files with a networked RAID storage array. All the audio and video came through without a glitch, freeze-up or artifact.

As is the case with just about every router sold today, the Archer BE3600 uses passive cooling through those square holes in its top and hit a peak of only 106.7 degrees Fahrenheit. As the data was flying back and forth, the Archer BE3600’s Normal power mode consumed 7.7 watts of power, making it among the most economical routers available. If it runs 24/7, it should cost roughly $10.80 a year in electricity bills if you pay the national average of 16 cents per kilowatt hour for electricity. That’s a bargain compared to the higher performing Archer BE800’s $37.50 a year.

TP-Link Archer BE3600 review: Setup

The easiest way to set the Archer BE3600 up is with TP-Link’s Tether app. With my Pixel 7 phone, I agreed to the company’s Terms of Use but I declined their kind offer to share my online data. There’s also an iOS app and a way to use a connected browser to tap into the router’s internal interface

After plugging everything in, I created an account and verified an activation email. I set my phone to the router’s default SSID using the passcode printed underneath.

The app found the router within a few seconds. Next, I added an administrative password, along with registering my fingerprint and setting up two factor authentication.

I entered my network’s name and passcode as well as setting a time for the router to check for new firmware every night.

It automatically configured and optimized itself and connected on the first try. It took all of six minutes to set up.

Finally, the app congratulated me on creating the network. Unfortunately, this was followed by a full screen ad for HomeShield’s paid version.

TP-Link Archer BE3600 review: Configuration

As was the case during set up, there’s the choice between using the app or the more detailed connected browser approach to customize the Archer BE3600. Starting with the app, the main Network view shows a photo of the BE3600 along with a reassuring “Working Well” line next to a green dot.

It’ll change to a red warning that there’s “No Internet” when offline. The router’s LAN light turns red as well.

Below are boxes for upload and download speeds as well as how many clients are online, a look at the data traffic and access to the Guest Network. Tap any for details, including a nice stats page that shows the network data flow, CPU and memory usage.

Along the bottom are tabs for Security (HomeShield) and Family (parental controls).

That said, the More has a cornucopia of settings and features, like Wi-Fi settings, blocking clients and setting up the Eco mode. A level below the surface, the app has an excellent optimization scanner that tries to wring extra throughput out of the router.

The main page’s three-line icon in the upper left yields a pull-out menu with mundane items like HomeShield, a backdoor entry point for the router and a link to TP-Link’s support crew. The hidden gem is Tether Lab, which has a beta Wi-Fi Toolkit and Wi-Fi Detective for spotting and fixing anomalies before they become problems.

Unfortunately, to get access to the USB drive’s configuration, I needed to switch to the connected browser interface. It shows how much space is available and adding read-write privileges. There’s a place to set the drive up to work with Time Machine backups.

The Archer BE3600’s interface has a main Network Map view showing what’s online and confirming an active Internet connection. The IP address, type of IP connection and MAC Address are below.

Happily, the system’s 7 LEDs can be shot off using the interface. There’s also a scheduling feature for keeping it off at night and on during the day.

The Archer BE3600 lacks many of the optimization settings that I take for granted, like Airtime Fairness, Beacon Interval and RTS Threshold. That said it has three power modes. I used the Normal Mode, but there are also settings for Power-Saving and Ultra Power Saving.

The Archer BE3600’s two-year warranty includes lifetime support that excels compared to Netgear’s one-year warranty on comparable products and 90 days of support. There’s lots online, including help with the app, explanations of HomeShield features and assistance with making a mesh network. Firmware upgrades as well as a full manual and videos are front and center.

TP-Link Archer BE3600: Verdict

Showing that a low price tag and reasonable performance don’t have to be mutually exclusive terms, the $100 Archer BE3600 effectively competes with 802.11AC and AX (aka Wi-Fi 5 and 6) routers on price in online searches and on store shelves. It, however, goes a step further by delivering much more throughput, better connection potential and can add stronger security. Three out of four isn’t bad because the one thing the Archer BE3600 can’t do is connect over Wi-Fi 7’s top performing 6 GHz Wi-Fi band that makes data fly at short distances.

Few will notice the difference, and likely laugh all the way to the bank with performance that is more than good enough for those with sub-gigabit data plans at half the price of typical Wi-Fi 7 gear. The BE3600 offers more networking bang for the buck than any other router, making it the perfect replacement for a six year old router.

While $100 might buy a nice date night dinner, it is enough to upgrade to Wi-Fi 7 with TP-Link’s Archer BE3600 router with enough left over for a coffee. I can’t think of a better way to spend $100.

There’s nothing like a good Apple event to get you thinking about the company’s past and where it’s going next. Like many others that tuned into Cupertino’s “Awe Dropping” presentation this past week, I was hoping for a “one more thing” moment that never came to be. However, my wish wasn’t for a budget-friendly MacBook, a foldable iPhone, the rumored Apple Ring or even a HomePod with an iPad-like screen.

While we did get to see the new iPhone 17 series, the highly-anticipated iPhone Air, the AirPods Pro 3 and the Apple Watch Series 11, part of me was hoping that Apple would finally get back into a business it exited almost a decade ago. Although I never had an AirPort Wi-Fi router of my own, I know from those that did, they were some of the most beloved Apple products.

Unfortunately, the iPhone maker decided to call it quits on its router line just before the arrival of what myself and many others consider the biggest breakthrough in Wi-Fi tech yet — and no, I’m not talking about Wi-Fi 7. Apple's exit from the Wi-Fi business still hurts to this day and that’s why I’ve had my fingers crossed that Apple would reinvent Wi-Fi in the same way it did with smartphones and portable music before that.

Apple may not have announced a new take on Wi-Fi connectivity alongside the iPhone 17 but thanks to its continued work on Apple Silicon, the company is in the perfect position to do just that. Here’s what I think a modern AirPort router could look like and what it could do to shake up the industry we may not give much thought to but rely on every day.

A brief history of Apple's AirPort

While Apple’s new N1 wireless chip got a brief mention during the iPhone Air reveal, the company's first AirPort product did actually get the “one more thing” treatment all the way back in 1999. You see, the original AirPort arrived as both a base station or router and as an optional expansion card for the predecessor to the MacBook, the iBook.

Then a few years later, Apple took things up a notch with the AirPort Extreme. Just like the original, it was available as both a router and as a Wi-Fi expansion card. Then Apple released the AirPort Express; besides being more compact, it was also a travel router and even a streaming audio receiver that let you play music over Wi-Fi through AirTunes, the precursor to AirPlay.

In 2013, Apple released its fifth and final generation AirPort Extreme base station (pictured above) before disbanding its router team in 2016 and finally discontinuing the entire AirPort product line in 2018. It was truly the end of a Wi-Fi era for the company but another tech giant swooped in to take its place, albeit with a big Wi-Fi trick up its sleeve.

Abandoning Wi-Fi right before the mesh breakthrough

Apple’s AirPort base stations took a similar approach to the best Wi-Fi routers you see today. However, Google’s own Google Wifi and then Nest Wifi devices take a different approach. Instead of just a single, traditional router, the search giant went all in on the best mesh Wi-Fi systems from day one. Doing so solved one of Wi-Fi’s biggest problems: Wi-Fi dead zones.

With a regular Wi-Fi router, you just have one device that provides wireless connectivity to your phone, laptop, streaming devices etc. However, in multi-story and larger homes, this just doesn’t do it and you’re left with places throughout your house where you just can’t get a signal. With a mesh router or mesh Wi-Fi system, you have several devices with one serving as the main router and the rest acting as satellites that spread its signal even further.

Upgrading to a mesh router was a real game changer personally, as it meant I no longer had to deal with Wi-Fi dead zones. Likewise, I didn’t have to worry about switching between different Wi-Fi networks at home like you often have to do with one of the best Wi-Fi extenders.

One of my favorite things about the Nest Wifi Pro I tested out a few years back is that it takes advantage of the rest of Google’s ecosystem. For instance, here I’m using one of the best smart displays to run a speed test on my home network and I can even see the results right on its screen. While Google ditched it with the Nest Wifi Pro, its previous mesh Wi-Fi system also came with the same functionality found in the best smart speakers baked into every device.

Compared to Google, one of the best things that Apple has going for it, if the company ever re-entered the Wi-Fi game, is its ecosystem. It’s quite rare to own just a single Apple device and once you pick up one of the best iPhones, it’s very likely you’ll also get a Mac, an iPad and even a pair of AirPods to go with it. Now imagine if all those devices worked together in your home network the same way that Apple’s Find My network does. The possibilities are almost endless, but Apple has another way to set itself apart in the world of home networking, its own custom chips and all the work that has gone into Apple Silicon over the past few years.

Mesh Wi-Fi but with the power of Apple Silicon

Just like Google does with its mesh routers, Apple also used third-party chips with its AirPort and AirPort Extreme base stations but this time around, the company is in the perfect position to use its own silicon. With the iPhone, it too used third-party wireless chips, specifically modem chips from Qualcomm.

However, after a lengthy legal dispute and acquiring Intel’s modem business, Apple developed its own modem in the form of the C1 chip which debuted in the iPhone 16e.

Now with the iPhone Air, though, we’re getting an upgraded version of this modem called C1X which will work alongside the company’s new N1 wireless chip that provides Wi-Fi 7 connectivity alongside Bluetooth 6 and Thread support. This is the continuation of Apple’s silicon expansion which began when the company ditched Intel’s chips for its own M chips in its Mac products.

If Apple can build a modem and wireless chip for its phones from scratch, who’s to say it can’t do the same thing with routers. This would give a revived AirPort router line a big step up over the competition while allowing the company to control everything about how these new wireless devices are made and work from top to bottom.

For instance, have you ever bought a new Apple device, turned it on and the rest of your Apple devices immediately recognize and work with it? Well, what if the company brought this same “it just works” experience to home networking. No more fiddling with QR codes or default passwords, just plug in your new Apple router and every device in your home immediately connects to it.

I’ll give Apple credit where it’s due — by adding Wi-Fi 7 support to the entire iPhone 16 lineup, the company really helped spur the adoption of the best Wi-Fi 7 routers. We’re still waiting for Wi-Fi 7 on the Mac side as the MacBook Air M4, MacBook Pro M4 and the Mac mini M4 are still stuck on Wi-Fi 6E. Maybe Apple could have the release of its first Wi-Fi 7-powered Macs coincide with its return to the Wi-Fi router business, though.

Given that the N1 chip comes with Thread support, a refreshed AirPort router with a big focus on smart home connectivity would also make a lot of sense. This too could work really nicely with that rumored HomePod with an iPad-like screen we’ve been hearing about for what seems like years now. The same is true for Apple TV and a Wi-Fi 7-powered Apple router would really improve the experience of streaming new shows and movies from Apple TV Plus.

Apple is also really well known for putting the privacy and security of its users first, and taking this approach with a new router or better yet, a mesh router would make a lot of sense too. From improved parental controls to security safeguards that extend to every device on your home network, this is another area where Apple could easily distinguish itself without having to rely on third parties to do so.

Since Apple likes to have full control over its product lines from hardware to software, a new take on its AirPort routers would let the company extend this even further. From blocking intrusive ads to isolating more risky, third-party devices on your home network, there’s so much it could do. Likewise, it could intelligently throttle bandwidth to its own devices to improve the overall experience.

For instance, if you’re downloading a new movie, it could prioritize your Apple TV’s traffic while slowing down that of your iPhone, iPad or Mac to speed up the process to allow you to watch it sooner.

As close as you can get to an Apple router (for now)

With every Apple event I cover going forward, I’m going to keep my fingers crossed for a refreshed AirPort router or mesh Wi-Fi system. Knowing Apple though, if this does happen, the name will probably be dead simple, so for now, my best guess is “Apple Wi-Fi.”

This would also be an easy win for Cupertino too as unlike the Apple Car or even the Vision Pro, everyone from the less tech savvy to the most knowledgeable people use Wi-Fi everyday. And if Apple could come up with one of its unique, standout features that only its products working together with its other devices could achieve, then I’m sure Apple Wi-Fi would likely be a day-one purchase for a lot of its users.

While we might never get a modern take on Apple’s AirPort routers, I still recommend investing in your own networking equipment to make the best use of your existing Apple devices. I’ve tried several different mesh Wi-Fi systems from a number of brands over the years but if you want the closest thing to an Apple-like experience, then I’d say getting a mesh router from Amazon’s eero is your best bet right now.

Eero’s extremely well-engineered and aesthetically-pleasing mesh routers come as close to scratching that Apple itch as you can get. The company’s app is streamlined and incredibly simple to use and since updates are downloaded as well as installed automatically, the eero devices I’ve tried have that “just works” feel to them too.

If you’re a home networking power user with a lot of wired devices and the fast internet speeds you can get, I’d recommend the larger eero Max 7. For those that want a similar but less expensive Wi-Fi 7-powered experience, then the eero Pro 7 is a great choice. Meanwhile, if you want a mesh kit that small with satellites that are easy to hide around your home, the Wi-Fi 6-powered eero 6+ is an even more affordable option.

Big companies like Apple are spending so much time, effort and money chasing AI and the next big thing, they’re forgetting about one of the most essential devices we use every day. With Apple Silicon and the advancements it has made in design since ending its AirPort line, Apple has a chance to truly revolutionize Wi-Fi in a way that no other company currently does.

Hopefully, Apple takes advantage of this and realizes the benefits doing so could bring instead of just trying to make its current devices thinner and lighter. Only time will tell if Apple does decide to get back into the Wi-Fi business but in the meantime, I’ll be on the lookout for a new Apple router at every one of its future events.

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What does $350 buy in terms of Wi-Fi 7 gaming routers? An awful lot when it comes to TP-Link’s Archer GE650. It not only outperforms more expensive networking gear but could be one of the best all-around routers by combining data speed with a slew of gaming enhancements, including accelerators, access to the Gamers Private Network and an interface that other networking companies would kill for. It even has an extra layer of security to keep your outrageous gaming style safe from malware and hackers.

If the GE650 had 10 Gbps ports and its range was a little longer, it would be my top gaming companion. My TP-Link Archer GE650 review will help you decide if it’s the best gaming router or even the best Wi-Fi 7 router for your needs or if it’s worth spending extra on something more powerful.

TP-Link Archer GE650 review: Pricing and availability

Despite having a list price of $350, the Archer GE650 is available for $250 at a variety of locations, including Amazon, Newegg and Walmart. This makes it among the least expensive gaming routers on the market. While competitors might have one or two gaming systems, TP-Link neatly slots the 11 Gbps Archer GE650 between the $200 Archer BE550 with 9.3 Gbps on tap and the $350 19 Gbps Archer BE800.

TP-Link Archer GE650 review: Design

With a look quite similar to Darth Vader’s helmet, the triangular TP-Link GE650 exudes raw power with a matte black design that features venting and lighting down the middle. It measures 9.3 x 7.6 x 5.1 inches and sadly isn’t available in white to mimic the Imperial Stormtroopers’ headgear.

This is not a router to hide because the Archer GE650 can not only intimidate opponents but its LEDs put on a show. It can display a sequence of colored lights in several different pre-coded patterns, let you customize your own sequence or turn it off entirely. When everything is working fine, the router’s default display is TP-Link’s Fire pattern of pulsing red lights, which I changed to the Spectrum setting that goes through the rainbow one color at a time, it was soothing to the point of hypnotic to watch.

The router interrupts the show to telegraph what’s going on inside the Archer GE650. Here, blinking red and blue lights indicate it’s starting up and red means there’s no online connection.

Inside, the Archer GE650 is a fully up to date triband 802.11be router with everything that Wi-Fi 7 brings to the epic online battle that is your gaming life. Controlled by Qualcomm’s QCN5024 and QCN6274 chips, the GE650 has a quad-core 1.5 GHz processor, 256MB storage space on board and a massive 2GB of system RAM. It brings together Multi-Link Operations to combine the bandwidth of Wi-Fi bands with 4K Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) to squeeze more data out of thin air as well as the ability to use wide 320 MHz data channels for peak bandwidth at short distances.

With 2X2 streaming for the 2.4, 5.0 and 6.0 GHz bands, it adds up to a theoretical peak performance of 10.661 Gbps. That’s good, but more expensive competitors take this up a notch with 4X4 streaming for the 6 GHz band. Still, it should work well in homes with gigabit data plans.

The router has four internal antennas, with two for the 2.4/5 GHz and 6 GHz transmission bands. Together, they create a spherical transmission field that’s a good compromise for those in multi-story homes and those with a single floor to bathe in Wi-Fi.

There are preset port forwarding protocols for gaming consoles, like the PlayStation 5, Xbox, Switch and Steamdeck as well as lots of gaming help. The add-ons range from prioritizing gaming with a dedicated wired port and gaming accelerators to Gamers Private Network’s WTFast connections.

The router’s virtual worlds connect with the real world via its 5 Gbps WAN port that’s in between the Archer GE800’s 10 Gbps connection and the 2.5 Gbps port on many gaming routers. Its 5 Gbps downstream gaming port and three 2.5 Gbps networking ports, the GE650 should be more than enough for even the most ardent gamer.

Its USB 3.0 port can add network-wide storage that’s accessible to any connected device. The router’s USB Type-A port makes it nearly universal for flash drives and external storage with transfers that top out at 5 Gbps with the right drive.

There’s a Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) button on the router that doubles as a switch for turning the Wi-Fi transmissions on or off. It’s next to an On/Off button, a recessed reset switch and a key for turning the lights on and off. Turn the router over to see that the label has a QR code that helps get the device online and distributing data quickly. The default network names and passwords are also printed there.

The Archer GE650 has security covered with the company’s HomeShield router-based defenses. It can protect personal information from leaking out as well as block malware and limit a child’s Internet scope and use. Best of all, the base package includes lifetime updates.

The $36 a year Security Plus upgrade adds extra parental controls, YouTube restricted mode to screen out unsavory content and reward good online hygiene by family members. The big bonus is Avira security software for scanning devices for infections. There’s a 30-day trial.

TP-Link Archer GE650 review: Performance

The TP-Link Archer GE650 showed its stuff during testing, although it fell short of filling my 3,500 square foot home with Wi-Fi data. It came close with a few places on the periphery disconnected.

Using Keysight’s IxChariot networking benchmark to simulate 10 data-hungry users and an Acer Swift Edge 16 notebook, the Archer GE650 performed well. Given its $250 price tag, its performance was a surprise and a revelation.

To start, with the test system next to the router, it moved 2.288 Gbps of data, just behind the more expensive Asus RT-BE96U at 2.685 Gbps. With a wired 15 foot connection, the older brother of the Archer GE800 led the way with 4.449 Gbps of throughput versus a no less impressive 3.849 Gbps for the GE650.

When I set up the test system 15 feet from the GE650, it recorded a real-world throughput figure of 2.019 Gbps, well ahead of the more expensive Archer GE800’s 1.322 Gbps, the RT-BE96U’s 1.948 Gbps and the Netgear Nighthawk RS700S at 1.773 Gbps. In other words, this is the router to get for those with multi-gig data plans because it is the rare router that can use it all.

The Archer GE650 came in second place at 50 feet, where the 6 GHz band wasn’t active. Here, the GE650 moved 552.5 Mbps versus 691.8 Mbps for the Nighthawk RS700S. It blew away the 456.7 Mbps and 392.7 Mbps for the Archer GE800 and the RT-BE96U.

At 75 feet, the Archer GE650’s 238.2 Mbps of data flow was bested by the RT-BE86U’s 402.1 Mbps, but was no slouch, besting the GE800’s 197.1 Mbps. It barely made contact at our terminal distance of 90 feet with 4.3 Mbps of throughput available, about enough for a low-grade video feed or grabbing email. That was it for the GE650’s 90-foot range; the GE800 and RT-BE96U stayed online for 105 feet.

The router transmitted a strong signal across my 20 foot office and into an adjacent room with 954.9 Mbps of available throughput, just missing the gigabit throughput barrier. It just about matches the GE800’s 931.7 Mbps but fell short of the RT-BE96U’s 1.810 Gbps.

I used the Archer GE650 for everything from emails and downloading and playing new games to running video calls and listening to music. It never let me down, even when I tried to overload the network with lots of data flying back and forth. I set up four systems, including a MacBook Air playing UHD videos, an Acer Swift Edge 16 streaming the BBC WorldService news feed and a Samsung Galaxy Book playing Spotify tunes. All this was going on while an HP Dragonfly shuffled data onto and off my network RAID server. Everything came through loud and clean with no lost frames, freeze ups or anomalies.

The Archer GE650 is a bit of a power hog at 16.5 watts while moving lots of data back and forth. If it’s left on 24/7 and you pay the national average of 16 cents per kilowatt hour of electricity, expect it to add about $23 to your annual power bill. That’s about one third lower operating expenses compared to the Archer GE800’s $37.50 a year. Over two weeks of heavy data movement, it stayed cool without resorting to needing a fan at a maximum temperature of 103.6 degrees Fahrenheit.

TP-Link Archer GE650 review: Setup

Getting the Archer GE650 set up started with unboxing it, where I was happy to see a card with six of the device’s main attributes explained. It’s a nice touch and shows TP-Link’s attention to detail.

I set up the Archer GE650 using TP-Link’s Tether app and my Samsung Galaxy S25 phone but could have used a connected browser. I created a TP-Link account while waiting for the vertical LEDs to pulse blue and red.

I added fingerprint access and two-step authentication, followed by tapping “+” in the upper right of the interface and scanning the QR code underneath the router to feed the connection data into the app. It found the hardware and the app changed my phone’s Wi-Fi connection to match the router’s default LAN.

I set a device password and allowed the app to interrogate my Internet connection; it correctly assigned it as Dynamic IP addressing. It can be manually set to PPOE, Static IP, L2TP and PPTP connections.

I added new network names and passwords for the combo 2.4-5 GHz LAN and the 6 GHz one and allowed the router to check its time every morning online.

I thought I was done at 7 minutes and 30 seconds, but the app offered to set up the router’s Game Boost, Same Server Acceleration and Gaming LAN Port. It worked on the first try.

TP-Link Archer GE650 review: Configuration

Like so many other routers, TP-Link allows configuration with the app (with versions for iOS and Androids) or a connected browser. While the former is visual and easy to master, the latter provides more choices, including a deeper set of gaming choices.

The app is good for quickly seeing what’s going on inside the router with down- and upload rates and a router illustration with a simulation of the current LED light sequence up top. Its overall appearance is dark and it says it’s “Working Well,” when it is.

Scroll down to see details, like how many devices are online, what the current light show is and the online status. There’re places to check on the data flow for games and see weekly security reports.

Along the bottom are tabs for quickly getting to the main Gaming page as well as Security (for HomeShield settings) and Family (for parental controls).

The More tab is where the action is for redoing the set up and Internet Connections as well as creating Guest and IOT Networks. There’s a place to use the GE650 in a mesh network, optimize the LAN and check for a firmware update.

Just as dark, the browser connection allows more in-depth work. I like its LAN topology with the 2.4, 5.0 and 6.0 GHz bands standing out in yellow, blue and green, next to the number of connected devices. A box below has the type of connection, Mac address, IP address as well as how long the current networking session has lasted.

Its main page has tabs across the top for Game Center, which we’ll go over later, as well as Internet with connections details and Wireless for changing a slew of parameters. It was where I started using Multi-Link Operations.

My favorite is the Advanced tab with its familiar gear logo. It yields everything from Internet, LAN and Dynamic DNS to DHCP Server, Routing and using the router to set up a network-wide storage drive with its USB port.

TP-Link Archer GE650 review: Gaming

The Archer GE650 has a load of goodies for gamers and general purpose home computing alike. In fact, it’s just as good for flying a simulated airplane as for getting into a World War II tank battle. Its Game Boost can accelerate your favorite games. You’ll have to set its bandwidth limits, though.

The app and browser interface both have places to start using TP-Link’s Game Server Acceleration. Based on the Gamers Private Network’s WTFast protocol, it shows where in the world the fastest (and slowest) connections are.

At the Game Center there is a wide assortment of possibilities, like changing the router’s LED pattern and seeing the current network traffic. I particularly liked the router’s CPU and memory usage in figures and a horizontal graph.

In addition to game port forwarding, the interface has an entry for the Game Detector to optimize the connection to suit its data demands. It has 10 popular games listed. Below is the Game Diagnostics, which uses a Ping to help figure out why things aren’t connecting properly or quickly.

The Archer GE650’s warranty lasts two years and TP-Link’s tech support goes for the life of the product. This is much better than Netgear’s 90 day policy. In addition to a well-stocked FAQ section and downloads, the support pages have videos and troubleshooting help.

TP-Link Archer GE650 review: Verdict

One of the hottest gaming routers on the planet, the Archer GE650 brings together everything from low latency, 5 Gbps ports and an LED light show for when you’re bored blasting aliens. The gaming enhancements will warm the heart of devoted gamers and the router has an extra layer of security so you shouldn’t feel vulnerable when battling someone on the other side of the earth.

That said, little things could have made it a more powerful gaming ally, like faster wired ports and more range, but at $250, the GE650 sells for half or less compared to gaming gear from the competition. Make sure it’s at your next LAN party.

More than the latest member of the Orbi family, the Orbi 370 mesh Wi-Fi system breaks new ground for those looking for economical home networking that still delivers the data. Small enough to fit in places where its larger siblings can’t, the Orbi 370 series offers more bang for the networking buck than the Orbi 770, 870 and 970 mesh routers. Its dual-band design may lack access to the high-performance 6 GHz data band and with it the high speed data flow that Wi-Fi 7’s 320 MHz data channels offer, but the Orbi 370 members deliver reliable data at surprisingly sprightly wired and wireless speeds.

At $350 for a three-pack, the Orbi 373 kit I looked at blazes a more economical online trail for Netgear although it can’t compete with its larger and more expensive siblings, particularly at close range. This inexpensive Wi-Fi 7 mesh kit has the potential to make data fly back and forth. My Netgear Orbi 370 review will help you decide if this is the best mesh Wi-Fi system and the best Wi-Fi 7 router for you or if you’re better off spending more on a tri-band mesh router.

Netgear Orbi 370: Price and availability

Without a doubt, the Orbi 370 clan breaks new ground for Netgear with inexpensive mesh technology. The Orbi 373 three-pack I looked at sells for $350, one-fifth the price of Netgear’s top of the line Orbi 973 triband set and about what an extra Orbi node costs.

Aimed at covering 6,000 square feet, the Orbi 370 series trio should be enough to fill most homes, although the two-part Orbi 372’s 4,000 square feet might be a better bet for an apartment or cottage; it costs $250. Extra satellites are $150 and can cover dead zones with an extra 2,000 square feet of coverage.

That said, the Orbi 370 costs about the same as the TP-Link Deco BE25’s $270 three-pack and is a bargain compared to the similar $260 for two MSI Roamii BE Lite units.

Netgear Orbi 370: Design

After opening the box, the first thing you notice about the Netgear Orbi 370 mesh devices is how small and light they are compared to previous Orbis. At 8.0 x 4.7 x 3.0 inches and 13 ounces, the triangular towers are half the size of MSI’s Roamii BE Lite mesh devices.

Available only in white, the devices can fit on a shelf, tabletop or off in the corner of a room. Unlike competitors, Netgear sells a $40 plastic mounting shelf.

The mesh set takes advantage of the latest Wi-Fi 7 updates, including 4K QAM, Multi-RU and preamble puncturing to push throughput levels. To use its fronthaul Multi-Link Operations (MLO), you need to set the router to use WPA2+WPA3 encryption. It pushes the Wi-Fi 7 spec with 240MHz streams while sending and receiving data over its four internal antennas.

That said, it limits data flow to the 2.4- and 5.0 GHz data bands and ignores the high-speed 6 GHz data band and its ability to make the bits fly over 320MHz data channels. Based on Qualcomm’s IPQ5322 circuitry with a 1.5 GHz quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM and 512MB of storage space for its firmware and settings. With four independent data streams, it can theoretically move up to 688 Mbps over the 2.4 GHz link and 4.324 Gbps over the 5 GHz connection for a total of just over 5 Gbps.

For most this will be plenty, but super networkers, beware: the Orbi 370 will likely start to bog down with more than 70 connected devices. Plus, the router has two 2.5 Gbps networking ports while the node has one, leaving one open connection on each for a downstream link to a storage system or to wire the devices together. Most won’t care, but it will feel constraining for some and require a network switch for further connections. More on this later.

Unlike others that assign the router and node on set up, Orbi continues to have slightly different routers and nodes. They both have a Sync button and a recessed reset key for wiping the unit but neither has a USB port to use a phone as internet backup (as with many Asus devices) or making the contents of a hard drive available across the network (with TP-Link systems).

The Orbi 370’s discrete LED blinks white when it’s starting up and glows a solid white when ready to be installed. It turns red when it’s offline. However, here’s no way to control the light.

They set the pace with security features, like automatic firmware updates that need to be signed and an advanced firewall to separate your network from the current chaos of the web. There’s also Netgear’s Advanced Radio Protection, a cloud-based heuristic behavioral analysis technology that uses an AI engine to block known threats – and a few new ones.

The optional $100 Armor security package adds Bitdefender malware defenses at the device level as well as extending the scant 90 days of technical support and 1-year warranty to two years. Netgear’s Armor Plus plan costs $150 and takes this a step or two further with an adblocker and antitracking technology to protect family members. The big security extra is unlimited global VPN access for up to 50 users.

Netgear Orbi 370: Performance

Based on testing with Keysight’s IxChariot networking benchmark, the Netgear Orbi 370 showed itself to be a powerful mesh kit that did equally well with wireless and wired work. Over the course of two weeks, it was a reliable and consistent online companion, always putting the family’s data needs first. On the other hand, the Orbi 370 three-pack couldn’t fill my 3,500 square foot home with wireless data.

Using an HP Envy 2-in-1 notebook, the Orbi RBE 370 router achieved a throughput of 1.169 Gbps at close range. Unfortunately, it wasn’t as easy to gauge its wired LAN capabilities because the test requires two free router networking ports, one for the benchmark’s server and one for the test system. With a 10 Gbps switch, I got a 2.379 Gbps reading with a 15-foot cable, putting it on a par with more expensive routers.

With the switch and cables stashed, the Orbi router achieved wireless throughput of 1.074 Gbps with it 15 feet from the test system. That’s 10% ahead of the MSI Roamii BE Lite’s 970.3 Mbps performance. It’s not quite up to the data flow from triband systems, like TP-Link’s Deco BE63 (1.821 Gbps) or the Netgear Orbi 770 (1.721 Gbps) but should complement modest broadband plans.

At 50-feet, the Orbi 370 pushed 515.4 Mbps, well ahead of the Roamii BE Lite’s 470.5 Mbps but well behind the Deco BE63’s 610.7 Mbps. Still, it humbled more expensive triband routers like the Orbi 770 (391.1 Mbps).

With 75 feet between the router and test system, the throughput dropped to 191.2 Mbps, plenty for some gaming, 4K video or nosing around the web. It was about the 199.2 Mbps of throughput achieved by the Orbi 770 and a three-fold advantage over the Deco BE63’s 58.1 Mbps.

At the test’s terminal 90-foot test, the Orbi 370 ruled the Wi-Fi 7 roost at a throughput of 85.0 Mbps. That’s well ahead of the Roamii BE Lite’s 46.7 Mbps and the Orbi 770’s 54.2 Mbps and the Deco BE63’s 17.1 Mbps. The router’s 110-foot range was five feet farther than the Roamii BE Lite.

The Orbi 370 excelled at sending a strong Wi-Fi signal across my 25 foot office and through a wall into an adjacent room, delivering 930.5 Mbps, slightly better than the Roamii BE Lite’s 920.8 Mbps. With Orbi RBE370 nodes set up a floor above and below the Orbi RBE371 router, the wireless network moved 375.3 Mbps upstairs to the test system set up 40 feet away. The downstairs reading under the same conditions yielded 227.2 Mbps.

It aced our network saturation test, where the Orbi 370 fed data to four systems spread throughout the house. As an iPad viewed 4K videos and an HP Envy 2-in-1 played the BBC World Service audio feed, an Acer Edge notebook ran YouTube videos and a Dell XPS 15 moved data on to and off of a networked storage array. All the multimedia files came through without incident with no freeze ups, lost frames or audio glitches.

The Orbi 370 cools itself by passively pulling room air in from the bottom and expelling warm air out a top vent. None of the devices got above 101.5 degrees Fahrenheit. With the RBE371 router using 11.4 watts and each RBE370 node using 7.7 watts, the network should cost about $41.10 a year to operate if it's left on and you pay the national average of 17.5 cents per kilowatt hour. That’s about $15 a year less than the Orbi 770 three-pack.

Netgear Orbi 370 review: Setup

Getting the three Orbi 370 units set up was simple but at 22 minutes, it was a tad tedious; others do this in one-third of the time. There’s the choice between using a connected browser (at orbilogin.com or orbilogin.local) or either the iPhone/iPad or Android app. Using my Galaxy S25 phone, I started by plugging everything in and creating a Netgear account.

After a verification email, I activated Touch ID to use my fingerprint to open the app. Snapping the QR code on the front of the router didn’t work, but the QR code underneath did.

With a steady white LED, the Orbi device connected the router with my phone. It checked the Internet connection.

I added a LAN name and passcode, followed by an Admin password and two challenge questions in case I forget the log in credentials.

After it updated the firmware, the app connected the two satellites followed by an Armor subscription come-on. All devices connected on the first try.

Netgear Orbi 370 review: Configuration

While the app is a visual way to explore options and make changes, using the network’s browser interface has more choices and details. The top of the app’s main page shows everything from online status to the number of connected nodes to the choice of 10 activities that include Device Manager and Security & Support.

There’s more available by scrolling down to get to WiFi Analytics, Network Map and WiFi Settings.

The network map provides access to what’s connected to each node. There’s a place to change the network’s parameters and share access with a QR code.

In addition to an internet speed reading, the Orbi app has a Traffic Meter for deeper trends with daily, weekly and monthly totals.

The app’s three line link opens the Settings, Support and Subscriptions sections. It has a place to reboot the devices and rerun the set up sequence.

Using Orbi 370’s web browser interface, the Basic main page has internet connection, guest network status and the number of devices online. Do yourself a favor and guard the scrolling network name and password from strangers.

The Advanced section yields a wealth of router info, internet details and Wi-Fi settings. It can show current throughput statistics.

In addition to turning the mesh nodes into wired access points, there’s the ability to use the Orbi 370’s 240MHz transmissions and password-protect the wireless backhaul data flow.

What’s missing? Despite its many options and settings, the Orbi 370 doesn’t have a way to control or turn off the LEDs. Other Orbi systems and most competitors have this.

Netgear Orbi 370 review: Verdict

While limiting the data flow to the 2.4- and 5.0 GHz bands, Netgear’s Orbi 370 kit stuffs Wi-Fi 7’s features and performance into units that are not only much smaller and lighter than previous Orbi efforts but a bargain at $350 for a router and two nodes. This undercuts the company’s other mesh products by hundreds of dollars. It has 2.5 Gbps networking ports, but some will find one free connection on each unit a tough compromise to swallow.

Still, the network delivered reliable and lively performance with over 1 Gbps wireless and over 2 Gbps wired connections. The final cut corner is Netgear’s 90-day support policy that requires at least $100 a year to extend.

At $350 for a three-pack, Netgear’s Orbi 370 democratizes Wi-Fi 7 and is a big step away from outrageously priced mesh gear that’s likely to be overkill for most homes. In other words, the Orbi 370 is the right mesh kit at the right time.

Welcome to the third generation of Wi-Fi 7 routers where TP-Link’s Archer BE9700 delivers top throughput, range and features at a price that’s hard to argue with. Priced at half what comparable routers cost, you don’t have to skimp on groceries or car payments to fill your home with top speed data. That’s because the Archer BE9700 brings together the latest Wi-Fi has to offer, including the 6 GHz band’s ultrawide 320MHz data channels, top speed Internet ports and built-in security to protect you, your network and your family.

It has the power to pump data not only faster but farther than the competition, making it a must-have for those who crave byte blasting speed throughout the home. That said, at mid-range distances the BE9700 lagged the Wi-Fi 7 field but made up for it with the best Wi-Fi 7 range.

Selling for between $220 and $250 (depending on where you buy it), the Archer BE9700 or its BE600 clone just might be a networking luxury that we all can afford. It could be the Wi-Fi 7 router we’ve all been waiting for. My TP-Link Archer BE9700 review will help you decide if this is the best Wi-Fi router for your home as well as if it’s the best Wi-Fi 7 router for an affordable home network upgrade.

TP-Link Archer BE9700 review: Pricing and availability

The Archer BE9700 is available at several physical and online stores, including Best Buy for $250 at the moment. The same device is sold on Amazon as the Archer BE600. By comparison, the Asus RT-BE96U matches its abilities and costs closer to $550.

TP-Link Archer BE9700 review: Design

Regardless of whether you get the Archer BE9700 or the BE600, you’re getting a lot of Wi-Fi 7 performance for the money stuffed into an unassuming black box. In fact, it’s so low-key that many will be surprised at the router’s data-moving abilities.

The BE9700 takes up a space efficient 11.4 x 5.5 x 1.8 inches with its six antennas folded flat. Tiny next to the Asus RT-BE96U router, the BE9700 can sit on a table or be mounted on a wall. The router’s antennas raise its height to 6.9 inches when extended.

Plan on spending a couple minutes peeling away the plastic wrapping from each. Happily, it was the most annoying aspect of the router but if you plan on trimming your fingernails, do it afterwards.

Passively cooled, the BE9700’s honeycomb of tiny square cavities on the top and bottom promote air flow but this router is not for those with trypophobia, the fear of clusters of small holes. The top is riddled with hundreds of them. Its barely visible heat sink under the surface helps dissipate the heat with the system hitting a peak of 102 degrees Fahrenheit during intense activity.

The triband router brings everything that Wi-Fi 7 has to bolster a home network from its quad-core 2.0 GHz processor to the Broadcom BCM 6765 and 6711 Wi-Fi chips. Its 1GB of RAM and 128MB of storage space round out the BE9700’s underpinnings.

Capable of making data fly through thin air, the BE9700 relies on Wi-Fi’s 2.4-, 5.0, and 6.0 GHz data bands using 4K Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) and Multi-Link Operations (MLO). It can tap into 320 MHz channels and tops out at a theoretical speed of 9.7 Gbps.

Able to service 2,600 square feet and 120 devices, the BE9700 should fit right into a multi-gig household with the choice of using a 10 Gbps or 2.5 Gbps port as its broadband WAN input. The one that isn’t used is free for downstream wired networking connections along with three other 2.5 Gbps LAN ports for a quartet of high-speed wired networking connections.

The router’s side-mounted USB 3.0 port can move 5 Gbps of data back and forth with the right drive. Unlike many Asus routers, like the RT-BE96U, the port can’t use a mobile phone in an emergency to supply Internet service in a pinch.

Its seven LEDs are all business and stand in stark contrast to the light shows that others put on. In addition to seeing that the BE9700 is powered up and has internet access, there’re lights for its wired ports and three wireless bands. There’s also a Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) LED to show that the router is making a quick connection to a new device.

With HomeShield security software included, the BE9700 has the power to help keep malware, intruders and privacy thieves at bay. Unlike some competitors, all updates for the basic service are included. By contrast, the $36 Security+ plan adds defenses for IoT devices, Intrusion guards and protection from rogue sites. The Total Home Security package costs $65 for the first year (and $130 annually after that) and adds device-level malware scanning, VPN access and a password manager.

TP-Link Archer BE9700 review: Performance

Of all the traditional routers I’ve recently tried in my 100 year old home, TP-Link’s Archer BE9700 did the best at filling it from end to end, top to bottom with wireless data. There were no gaps or dead areas although the router delivered single digit megabit per second throughput readings.

Based on extensive testing using the Keysight IxChariot networking benchmark set to mimic 10 high-performance users and an HP Envy 2-in-1 test notebook, the router started out strong with 2.449 Gbps of wireless throughput next to the router. That’s just a shade below the more expensive RT-BE96U’s 2.685 Gbps. Later it moved 2.403 Gbps over its Ethernet ports and 15 feet of cabling.

When the test notebook was moved to the real-world distance of 15 feet from the BE9700 router, it delivered an amazing 2.201 Gbps that should satisfy just about anyone’s data lust and justify their multi-gigabit data plan. That’s more than 10 percent higher data flow than the RT-BE96U’s 1.948 Gbps or the Netgear Nighthawk RS700S’s 1.773 Gbps, both of which cost more. It’s now the router to beat for those with the need for speed.

At 50 feet, the BE9700 continued to lead the pack at 700.7 Mbps of bandwidth available on the test system. That’s slightly ahead of the Nighthawk RS700S (at 691.8 Mbps) but more than twice as fast as the TP-Link Archer GE800 router (335.6 Mbps).

Its fortunes dimmed slightly at 75 feet, where the BE9700 fell to 146.9 Mbps, putting it between the Nighthawk RS700S’s 187.6 Mbps and the Archer GE800’s 91.5 Mbps. All three were bested by the Asus RT-BE96U’s 402.1 Mbps.

As if rising from the grave, the BE9700’s throughput at 90 feet rose to 191.1 Mbps, several fold more than the competition. The BE9700’s class-leading 120 foot range was 15 feet farther than the RT-BE96U was capable of.

It should do well in multi-room homes with its ability to move 1.432 Gbps of data across my 25 foot office, through a wall and into an adjacent room. This was 20% off the RT-BE96U’s blistering pace of 1.810 Gbps but impressive, nonetheless.

The router fit right into my family’s data thirst with a month of reliable Internet access, regardless of whether it was for watching 4K movies, playing online games, listening to music or just grabbing emails. It easily passed the saturation test where an HP Envy notebook played YouTube videos while an Acer Swift Edge laptop played the BBC World Service radio feed and an iPad streamed Spotify music. As all this data was flying back and forth, a Dell XPS15 sent and received data from a networked RAID file server. All the audio and video came through cleanly without a glitch, freeze up or dropped frame.

At its peak, the BE9700 used 11.3 watts of power, making it a miser compared to the RT-BE96U’s 20.1 watts. Unlike most routers, the BE9700 has two power saving ECO modes, which lowered its consumption to 10.1 watts when not in use. Happily, this sleep mode can be scheduled and the router wakes up when called upon.

If it’s left on 24/7 and you pay the national average of 16 cents per kilowatt hour of electricity, expect that the Archer BE9700 will cost about $16 a year. The Eco mode can save about a dollar a year if it’s asleep half of that time. Either way, it’s a bargain compared to the Archer GE800’s $37.50 a year.

TP-Link Archer BE9700 review: Setup

To get going, I started by ripping the annoying plastic wrapping on the router’s six antennas. After plugging everything in, I loaded the TP-Link Tether app and set my Samsung Galaxy S25’s Wi-Fi to the BE9700’s default network printed underneath. Alternatively, I could have used a connected browser to install the router.

The app immediately found the new router.

I added it and set a password for the device.

Finally, I checked that I’d be using the 10 Gbps WAN port.

Once it detected and analyzed my broadband connection, I added new network names and passwords for the combo 2.4/5 GHz as well as the 6 GHz LANs. I OKed updating its clock every morning.

After confirming and saving my settings, the router did its set up and optimization. I was done in less than six minutes, including scraping off the antenna plastic wrap with my fingernails.

TP-Link Archer BE9700 review: Configuration

The BE9700 can be configured and adjusted using the more visual Tether app or the more detailed connected browser approach. The app’s Network page shows the router’s picture next to a green dot and “Working Well”.

Below are its current up- and download rates as well as the Network status and number of clients. There’s a place to configure the Guest Network.

The other tabs along the bottom are for Security (to scan the network for faults) and Family (for parental controls).

Like other TP-Link devices, the More section has lots of details, like the ability to block devices, tune its Quality of Service (QOS) and use the ECO mode. There’re places to set up a VPN server and redo the entire set up sequence for a fresh machine.

The meat of it is a long list of adjustable items, from Internet Connection and IoT network to Operation Mode and Network Optimization and Diagnostics.

There’s even a place to turn off the LEDs or schedule them to turn off at night.

Using the connected browser might not be as pretty but it has access to the nitty gritty. That includes the Network’s map, IP information and number of clients.

Meanwhile, the Internet area shows the active WAN port as well as Internet connection protocol.

In addition to the expected ability to change the Wi-Fi networks names and passwords, the Wireless category controls the router’s MLO settings.

There’s also a place to run a HomeShield scan of dangers and set up router protection.

For those interested in tweaking and optimizing the router manually, the Advanced section is like a networking candy store. In addition to Access to the USB drive settings, the Wireless page has things others leave out, like the OFDMA setting.

Able to run as a VPN server or client, the BE9700 includes WireGuard and OpenVPN protocols.

The Archer BE9700’s two-year warranty and lifetime product support matches Asus’s policy on its RT-BE96U and other premium routers. Both easily surpass Netgear’s one-year warranty and 90 days of support.

Its DIY support includes FAQs, videos and set up help. The downloadable manual is complete and shows how to use it as a traditional router, access point or part of a TP-Link EasyMesh LAN. There’s even set up instructions for using an Xbox console but lacks gaming software or built-in access to services like the WTFast network.

TP-Link Archer BE9700 review: Verdict

While its looks are modest and reserved, the TP-Link’s Archer BE9700 (or BE600) is anything but. Its price tag points to compromises, but the BE9700 is one of the best balanced traditional routers available anywhere today. It not only fulfills the promise made years ago about Wi-Fi 7 pushing data faster and farther but delivers tri-band throughput at dual-band prices.

Its ability to push over 2 Gbps in typical use can fill all but McMansions with high-speed data. A winner with one 10 Gbps and four 2.5 Gbps wired connections, the BE9700 is defended with TP-Link’s HomeShield security to keep the network safe and sound. Able to push data 120 feet, its only performance hiccup was the BE9700’s disappointing mid-level speeds at 75 feet, but the router redeemed itself with faster performance at 90 feet.

Regardless of whether you buy the Archer BE9700 for $250 or the identical Archer BE600 at Amazon, it’s a take no prisoners, all-out high-performance router at an unbeatable (at least for now) price. Think of it as akin to ordering a Big Mac and getting a sirloin steak instead. It all sounds very appetizing to me.

No matter if you need a powerful laptop for creative work, a lightweight 2-in-1 for on-the-go productivity, or a gaming laptop with crisp graphics and high frame rates, the world of computing has never looked brighter.

From AI-powered laptops with extra processing power and dual-mode monitors that support multiple resolutions, to blazing fast Wi-Fi 7 routers for lightning-fast downloads and security software designed to help keep you safe online, you have loads of different options for your next upgrade. We've tried the best computing and home office gear you can get.

Our team of experts has tested and reviewed all of the latest laptops, tablets, monitors, accessories and networking gear for the Tom’s Guide Awards 2025. Below, we highlight our favorite computers, displays and essential gear from the last 12 months which have made doing our own jobs a bit easier.

Best laptop

M4 MacBook Air

The latest 13-inch MacBook Air M4 is the best MacBook for most people. Though it retains the same design as its two immediate predecessors, this thin and lightweight laptop delivers astonishing performance and long-lasting battery life. The fact that it starts at $999, which is $100 cheaper than before, makes the MacBook Air M4 a no-brainer choice.

As before, the 13-inch MacBook Air 13-inch M4 features a 13.6-inch Retina display that’s ideal for everyday work, watching videos and playing games. The M4 chip inside has more than enough power to handle whatever you throw at it. Apple’s silicon also allows the laptop to last for nearly 15 hours on a single charge. On top of that, you get a responsive keyboard and MagSafe charging in an elegant ultraportable design.

Thanks to everything it offers, the MacBook Air M4 is still the MacBook to beat and easily earns its award for best laptop of 2025.

Best AI laptop

MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo

The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo is an excellent Windows ultraportable with AI features that are actually useful in day-to-day work. The model we reviewed came with a high-end Intel Core Ultra 9 285H CPU inside, and while its NPU (Neural Processing Unit) can’t match the power of Apple silicon or Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X chips it’s more than capable of helping out with AI tasks.

That frees up the CPU and Intel Arc GPU for other tasks and helps you cut down on battery usage, especially if you enable the AI Engine feature that automatically adjusts the laptop’s settings to help you achieve peak battery life. Additional AI features like noise cancellation, Windows Studio Effects and the AI Lan Manager (which automatically analyzes your network traffic and tries to reduce latency) integrate seamlessly into your work day without distracting you, giving us the first real taste of how an AI laptop should work.

Plus, it’s just a nice laptop. The 16-inch 1600p display gives you plenty of screen real estate, and the spacious full keyboard is comfy to type on. It’s also surprisingly light and easy to carry (for a 16-inch laptop) at just 3.5 pounds and 0.7 inches thin. The Wi-Fi 7 support and useful port array are nice to have, as is the 15+ hours of (tested) battery life we recorded in our testing lab. So while the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo might not put AI features front and center, the subtle integration of them into this already excellent laptop make it the best AI laptop we’ve tested all year.

Best keyboard

ZSA Moonlander

The ZSA Moonlander looks a little odd at first, but once you get to grips with how it works you’ll appreciate what a smartly designed keyboard this is—especially if you like to tinker and fine-tune your desk setup.

We think it’s the best keyboard we’ve reviewed all year because of its one-two punch of great ergonomic design and robust customization software. The Moonlander is modular and customizable, so you can push one side away and use only the left half when PC gaming or use the built-in legs to tent each half off the desk so it feels comfortable under your hands. The mechanical switches are easy to swap out, too thanks to the fact that ZSA includes a keypuller (as well as a carrying case) with every keyboard.

The Moonlander also has a pair of unique “Meh” and “Hyper” keys that trigger complicated key combos when pressed (pressing Meh defaults to Ctrl + Shift + Alt, for example, while pressing Hyper triggers Ctrl + Shift + Alt + Windows/Command), so you can use them to easily build your own unique keyboard shortcuts using ZSA’s Keymapp software. This software is the best we’ve ever seen for a keyboard, as it allows you to not only rebind any key on the keyboard but also create custom layers of commands for each key that can be further customized based on whichever app you happen to be using. You can even use the software to see heat maps of which keys you use most and run through typing drills to test your new configuration, making this a keyboard you can easily fine-tune to your exact needs. Oh, and did we mention there’s a modding community?

For all of these reasons and more, the ZSA Moonlander is the best keyboard we’ve tested this year.

Best gaming laptop

Alienware Area-51

The Alienware Area-51 lives up to its name thanks to its otherworldly design. It demands a steep asking price, but it’s worth every penny thanks to the incredible gaming performance it delivers. If you’re looking for a beast of a gaming laptop, this is the one.

This gaming laptop’s Liquid Teal anodized aluminum chassis gives it a distinctive iridescent sheen that shifts colors when viewed under different lighting conditions. The RGB lighting on the back mimics the motion of the aurora borealis, which adds to the alien-like flair. The clear Gorilla Glass window on the bottom lets you see inside the laptop, which is also fancy.

Inside, the Alienware Area-51 packs a fast Intel Core Ultra 9 CPU and up to a powerful RTX 5090 GPU. Toss in up to 64GB of RAM, and you have a powerful gaming rig that can deftly handle the most graphically demanding games, especially with DLSS 4 enabled. And of course, said games look astonishing on the laptop’s 16-inch 240Hz display.

Best 2-in-1 laptop

Asus ROG Flow Z13

PC gaming has been dominated for decades by one thing — dedicated GPUs. They have been the driving force behind gaming laptops for ages now, but something fascinating is starting to happen. Bit by bit, integrated graphics are no longer becoming a dirty word, but rather a great way to play games while being more power efficient.

And the Asus ROG Flow Z13 is the pinnacle of this in 2025, and easily the best 2-in-1 of the year. With AMD Ryzen AI Max inside, you’re getting up to the same performance as a whole RTX 4070 without the additional power drain of a dedicated GPU.

Throw in a gorgeous display, slimline construction, an impressive battery life and the best keyboard I’ve ever used on a 2-in-1, and you’re onto a winner for gaming on-the-go.

Best monitor

LG 5K2K ultrawide

While the LG UltraGear 45GX950A-B is a gaming monitor, we actually think it’s one of the best monitors for productivity. That’s because of its 45-inch ultrawide 21:9 curved display that allows you to easily have multiple windows open across the screen. If you want to boost your productivity, this giant monitor will help you.

For gaming, this monitor’s main draw is that it has two display modes: 5K resolution at 165Hz and 2K resolution at 330Hz. The former is ideal for cinematic games, while the latter is made for competitive games. The OLED panel also delivers fantastic contrast and vivid colors. Though big and expensive, this is one of the best monitors for productivity.

Best AR Glasses

Xreal One Pro

If you want the absolute best of the best in AR glasses, the clear option is Xreal One Pro. The price may be a little steep compared to its competition (and the Xreal One), but the technology here is a generational leap forward.

AR glasses experts like me have been looking for two key things to happen — make the display bigger with a wider field of view, and make said display tech smaller. Up until this point, we’ve dealt with what are called “bird baths” in the industry: the giant glass prisms you see behind the lenses of specs that project the image into your eyes.

Xreal has managed to drastically reduce the size of these with their own flat prism tech, which makes this pair of glasses a lot more inconspicuous on the face. And on top of that, the company has packed a giant 1080p display with great color reproduction and a 57-degree field of view.

But the real magic here is that X1 chip built into the glasses. For all of the fancy spatial computing tricks so far like creating multiple monitors through your specs of 3DoF tracking, you normally have to rely on software to do it. That brings compatibility issues and potential latency between software and glasses.

On Xreal One Pro, however, you’ve got all of this done through silicon via this one-of-a-kind chip — which can project an ultrawide display perfectly tracked to the back of an airplane seat wherever you want.

Best webcam

Insta360 Link 2C

The Insta360 Link 2C is the only webcam we’ve ever awarded a 5-star rating too, and that’s thanks to its ability to capture sharp and detailed stills, next-gen AI subject tracking and autofocus. It’s one of the most premium snappers on the market, utilizing a combination of plastic and metal to deliver a sturdy webcam.

What we love most about the Link 2C is just how many details it captures with its 1/2-inch sensor. We could see fine details in our faces when we tested it, and really appreciated its ability to record and transmit 4K/30fps and 1080P/60fps video. It’s also equipped with AI features such as hand tracking and gestures, as well as product prioritization which puts the object closest to the lens in focus.

There really isn’t a better professional webcam out there — at least not one that makes you look like you’re dressed to the nines at such a low price tag.

Best tablet

iPad Air M3

It's hard to improve on excellence, but the iPad Air M3 manages to do it anyway. It's not a revolutionary jump over its predecessor, the iPad Air M2, but with the might of Apple's M3 chip onboard, not only does it deliver helpful Apple Intelligence features, but also a way to breeze through demanding apps and even play AAA titles at a steady frame rate. All in that minimalist, lightweight design with an incredibly vivid display? That's a tablet that deserves praise.

Apple has found something magical in putting full-blown MacBook chips into its tablets, and the latest iPad Air never fails to impress in terms of bringing speedy performance to a tablet. With an updated Magic Keyboard (albeit pricey) boasting a 14-key function row and larger touchpad, this tablet can easily be a laptop alternative, and that already says a lot. Throw in its usual sharp 11-inch (2360 x 1640) Liquid Retina display, good near 10-hour battery life and thin, portable design, and the iPad Air M3 shows why Apple's tablets still wear the crown.

Best router

Netgear Nighthawk RS600

Upgrading to a Wi-Fi 7-powered router used to cost a fortune but that’s no longer the case as the latest wireless standard is inching closer to becoming mainstream. While still on the expensive side, the $500 Netgear Nighthawk RS600 gives you blazing fast speeds and all of Wi-Fi 7’s best features at a much lower price than the company’s RS700 router from a few years ago.

The Nighthawk RS600 is a tri-band Wi-Fi 7 router that comes in a much smaller package than the top-of-the-line RS700. Thanks to its 10 gigabit per second (Gbps) input port, this router is ideal for multi-gig internet plans and in our testing, it reached speeds of 1.4 Gbps at close range. However, it was at middle distances where other routers often fall short that the RS600 really excelled. If you’re after a high-performance Wi-Fi 7 router that isn’t priced like one, Netgear’s Nighthawk RS600 delivers and then some.

Best mesh router

Asus ZenWiFi BQ16 Pro

The main thing that sets Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7-powered routers apart from previous Wi-Fi generations is support for the faster 6 GHz band. Well, with the ZenWiFi BQ16 Pro, Asus doubled down on this to achieve some of the fastest speeds we’ve seen yet from a mesh Wi-Fi system. During our testing, it reached a max speed of 2.6 Gbps, making it one of if not the fastest router we’ve tested yet. The reason for this is that the ZenWiFi BQ16 Pro is a quad-band mesh router with dual 6 GHz bands.

Besides its blazing fast speeds, we also really appreciate how Asus includes its built-in AiProtection security software for free while other companies require a monthly subscription for similar solutions. Likewise, thanks to the USB port on the back of the ZenWiFi BQ16 Pro, you can also connect your phone and use its mobile hotspot to keep your home network running during an internet outage. This mesh Wi-Fi system also features not one but two 10 Gbps Ethernet ports so you can take full advantage of even the fastest internet speeds.

If you want a mesh Wi-Fi system that’s as fast as it is capable, the Asus ZenWiFi BQ16 Pro is easy to recommend.

Best antivirus

Norton 360 Deluxe

Norton 360 Deluxe has a lot to offer those in need of a security suite – and we mean a lot. In addition to excellent real-time malware protection against everything from botnets and brute force attacks it adds a long list of additional features that protect you and your devices while you’re online. Apps can be started in sandbox mode, your webcam access can be blocked, and Safe Search can show you a warning if you navigate over to any websites that might be shady. There’s a rescue disk that will give you an ISO (digital copy) to protect your data in case of a ransomware attack, and you still get dark web scanning, a software check that scans for outdated programs, cloud backup, parental controls, a password manager, a VPN and a firewall. That’s an awful lot all under a single subscription, and Norton’s fee will cover five devices annually.

During testing, we appreciated the multiple scan options which were all speedy and didn’t make a dent in overall performance, as well as a familiar and easy to navigate interface that made it easy to find functions and advanced features alike. In independent testing, Norton performed well in blocking general and targeted virus attacks, but did produce a high rate of false positives. We recommend Norton as our best features pick for obvious reasons, but it’s also a good choice for anyone who has multiple devices to cover and doesn’t want to pay extra for features to stay safe online.

Best VPN

NordVPN

NordVPN is practically a household name at this point – and for good reason. In our reivew, it sailed through our privacy checks with flying colors, and multiple independent audits back up its solid no-logs policy. NordVPN is also seriously powerful when it comes to unblocking regional libraries on sites like Netflix and Disney Plus – earning it a spot on our guide to the best VPNs for streaming.

With apps for almost every platform imaginable, it's a great choice whether you're an occasional VPN user looking to unblock streaming content and improve your online privacy, or a journalist working in a dangerous, restrictive country.

Additional features like Meshnet and Threat Protection Pro – the latter independently rated as the best VPN-bundled malware protection by AV-TEST – add to NordVPN's impressive package of privacy tech. Overall, no VPN can match NordVPN completeness as a privacy suite, and excellent pricing is the icing on the cake.

Struggling with slow Wi-Fi, dead zones, or random drops? Before blaming your internet provider, take a look at where you've placed your mesh router. Mesh systems are designed to spread your connection across your entire home, but they only work well if each device is in the right spot.

Unlike single-point routers, mesh networks rely on the positioning of multiple nodes to keep signals strong and consistent. Put them in the wrong places, and even a top-tier setup can underperform. That often means the places you work, stream, or game are the ones with the worst signal.

You can improve your Wi-Fi dramatically just by rearranging your mesh devices. It’s simple, effective, and completely free. Here's how.

More from Tom's Guide

• Best mesh Wi-Fi systems of 2025
• Don't toss out your old mesh router — here’s how you can give it new life
• How to use an Echo Dot as a mesh Wi-Fi extender

Looking for a signal when you’re outside is one thing, but having to do so within your own home is another. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what it’s like for people still living with Wi-Fi dead zones.

You see, even with one of the best Wi-Fi routers (and definitely without one), you could still end up in a situation where parts of your home aren’t covered with a strong wireless signal. Maybe your home has an odd layout, or perhaps it’s built out of materials like brick or cinderblocks, which make it difficult for your router to achieve its maximum range. Likewise, your home may just be too big for your current router.

In this case, upgrading to one of the best mesh Wi-Fi systems is your best bet. Unlike a traditional router, a mesh system is actually made up of multiple devices, often called satellites or nodes, that relay the signal of the main unit (which serves as your router) even further. This way, whether you’re on the other side of your house, upstairs or downstairs, you always have a strong signal that doesn’t drop off as you move further away from your router.

I upgraded to a mesh router after moving into my first home, and it’s been wonderful not having to deal with Wi-Fi dead zones anymore. However, there was still one area of my home that eluded me: the great outdoors. Well, not necessarily the great outdoors, but my backyard. Sure, I could get a signal out there, but it paled in comparison to the types of speeds I saw indoors. That was until I added the eero Outdoor 7 to my mesh network.

I’ve been using the eero Outdoor 7 for seven months now, and I haven’t had any issues with it yet, even though it’s mounted on a fence in my backyard. Here’s everything you need to know about the next big thing in mesh networking and why you might want to add an eero Outdoor 7 or a similar device to your own backyard.

As simple as adding another satellite

One of the great things about most mesh Wi-Fi systems is that many of them provide you with an easy way to upgrade your network later on. This is especially useful if you underestimate the size of your home, buy a two-pack and then realize that you don’t have enough coverage, as you can always buy an additional satellite.

I know for a fact this is true with both eero and TP-Link, as I did exactly that in my detached garage before adding the eero Outdoor 7 to my home network.

Last year, when I switched from cable to fiber internet, I also upgraded to the eero Max 7 to take full advantage of the significantly faster 10 gigabit per second speeds I now get from my local internet service provider. While the Max 7 is eero’s flagship mesh system, the good thing about the Outdoor 7 is that it’s compatible with the rest of eero’s mesh routers. In fact, all eeros are compatible with one another, just like with TP-Link’s Deco mesh routers.

At first glance, the Outdoor 7 looks like just another eero satellite. However, it works like one, too. Once you have it plugged in, you then go through the setup process in the eero app, which is almost identical to adding another satellite, except for the mounting section.

In the box, you get all the gear you need to mount it to wood, vinyl and even stucco, though eero does offer professional installation through MasTec in the U.S.

I won’t get into all the nitty-gritty details, but you also have two options as to how you decide to power the eero Outdoor 7. While you can pay extra for an AC power adapter, if your home is wired for Ethernet, you don’t have to. Instead, you can use Power over Ethernet (PoE) for the Outdoor 7, which can be especially useful if you’re installing it somewhere that you don’t already have an AC outlet.

As my home isn’t wired for Ethernet (maybe one day), I took the easy route and just plugged it into a nearby AC outlet where I also have my smart string lights installed.

The optional AC adapter for the Outdoor 7 is just as strong and weatherproof as the device itself. That way, you don’t have to worry about water accidentally seeping in at its base.

The Outdoor 7 has an IP66 rating, and during its development, eero’s engineers tested it to operate in temperatures as low as -40°F and as high as 131°F. It can easily stand up to the elements too, with protection from dust, rain and snow.

So what’s it been like having a full-fledged mesh router mounted on my back fence? Wonderful, to say the least, even though I’ve yet to fully push the Outdoor 7 to its limits.

Fast outdoor Wi-Fi (rain or shine)

Last November, once my upgrade to fiber internet and Wi-Fi 7 was complete, I went outside and mounted the Outdoor 7 on a fence post in my backyard. To this day, I haven’t had to mess with it yet, either in the eero app or physically out in my backyard. It just works and I’ve been really impressed with how "plug-and-play" such a complicated device like an outdoor mesh extender can be.

It’s worth noting, though, that while the Outdoor 7 is a Wi-Fi 7-powered device, it doesn’t utilize the full potential of the latest wireless standard. This is because it uses dual-band Wi-Fi 7 instead of tri-band Wi-Fi 7 like the Max 7 mesh system in my home. Though you get access to both the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands, the Outdoor 7 doesn’t support the faster 6 GHz one first introduced with Wi-Fi 6E.

I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed by this at first. However, in practice, it hasn’t made that much of a difference. When I’m out in the backyard, say for a family party or get-together, all of my devices have a strong signal, and there isn’t a Wi-Fi dead zone in sight. We’ve even brought my projector outside and streamed movies via a Chromecast without any buffering or other issues, too.

Before writing this story, I took the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE (admittedly a Wi-Fi 6E-powered device), which I borrowed from work to use with a pair of AR glasses on a plane, outside to do some speed tests. While I’ve been using Orb for most of my speed testing since it launched back in April, I decided to use Ookla’s Speedtest.net for this round of testing, as I’m sure that’s what most people are familiar with.

As you can see in the screenshots above, even though I was outside, I consistently saw download speeds of between 350 Mbps and 450 Mbps. Keep in mind, this was during peak hours, and I had a whole house full of connected devices slurping up bandwidth at the same time.

I’m sure if I had turned a few off or used a Wi-Fi 7-equipped phone like the iPhone 16 or the Galaxy S25, these numbers might have been even higher. Still, I was pretty pleased with the results of the dozen or so speed tests I ran back to back for this story.

I don’t get to do it as often as I like, due to the heat here in Texas, but I’ve even gone outside and streamed games from my PS5 Pro and Xbox Series X back inside from the eero Outdoor 7. Sure, the glare from the sun did make it somewhat hard to see, but there was no stuttering whatsoever, and gameplay was buttery smooth.

In fact, one of the reasons I put together my ultimate remote play setup using a Lenovo Legion Tab 3 and a Razer Kishi Ultra mobile game controller was for this exact reason.

Now, to truly push the Outdoor 7 to its limits, I’m considering setting up one of the best standing desks on my side porch and moving my home office outdoors. However, that’s a story for another day once the weather finally cools here in Houston.

For now, I’m quite pleased with how the Outdoor 7 has held up over seven months and the way in which it has completely eliminated Wi-Fi dead zones, both in my backyard and garage, as well as around the rest of my property.

Great for eero but not your only option

If you already have an eero-powered mesh network, then the Outdoor 7 is an easy recommendation due to just how seamless it is to add and integrate it with your other eero devices. However, if you don’t, it’s not your only option.

Back at CES 2025 in January, I got to take a look at TP-Link’s outdoor mesh extenders for its Deco mesh devices. Unlike eero, the company is launching two Wi-Fi 7-powered mesh extenders quite soon. The first is the Deco BE25-Outdoor, and like the Outdoor 7, it is a dual-band Wi-Fi 7 device. There’s also the Deco BE65-Outdoor, and that will be a full-fledged Wi-Fi 7 mesh extender with support for the faster 6 GHz band in addition to the 2.4 and 5 GHz ones.

One other key difference with TP-Link’s upcoming outdoor mesh extenders is that they’ll also feature two 2.5 Gbps Ethernet ports, which could be really useful if you have other wired outdoor devices you want to add to your home network.

Now that eero has paved the way with the first outdoor mesh extender and TP-Link is bringing its own take on this tech to market soon, I expect other networking hardware makers will follow suit. This means that regardless of which mesh Wi-Fi system you have indoors, you’ll be able to extend it out into your backyard.

The days of poor internet connectivity and Wi-Fi dead zones are quickly becoming a thing of the past, especially now that your home network can extend well beyond your home. For instance, the Outdoor 7 has a range of 15,000 square feet, and you can also add multiple units for even greater range. After testing out an outdoor mesh extender for myself, I can’t wait for this tech to become mainstream. That way, we can all have a strong wireless connection in the places where we previously had to rely on mobile data.

For now, I’m off to see what else I can do besides streaming movies and playing games with Wi-Fi 7 out in my backyard.

More from Tom's Guide

• What internet speed do I need? Here's how many Mbps is enough
• These are the best Wi-Fi 7 routers you can get right now
• I helped my uncle upgrade to a mesh Wi-Fi system — here’s how I did it

It may not be the fastest wireless router around, but the Asus TUF Gaming BE6500 (aka TUF-BE6500) makes a design statement with a dual-band Wi-Fi 7 device that looks like nothing else and makes the most of its 2.5 Gbps connections with excellent wired Ethernet gaming connections.

The TUF-BE6500’s combination of game acceleration software and the ability to run as a traditional standalone router or as part of a mesh network gives the router extreme installation flexibility, while its ability to tap into a mobile phone’s Internet connection in emergencies makes it a winner for non-stop gaming. It can even protect your rig with an extra layer of security software that others charge for.

Forget about spending $500 or more because the TUF-BE6500 puts price first at just $200. It’s also one of the rare networking devices with a three year warranty that should get you into the Wi-Fi 8 era. My Asus TUF Gaming BE6500 review will help you decide if this is the best gaming router for your home network or if it’s worth taking a look at another one of the best Wi-Fi 7 routers instead.

Asus TUF Gaming BE6500 review: Pricing and availability

While Asus lists the Asus TUF Gaming BE6500 at $260 on the company’s online store, it’s a real bargain at Costco and other places where it can be had for as low as $200. This undercuts the price of many of its competitors in the Wi-Fi 7 gaming universe by hundreds.

Asus TUF Gaming BE6500 review: Design

Rather than looking like a spaceship or a generic tower, Asus designers focused on an organic design aesthetic for the Asus TUF Gaming BE6500. Wedge shaped, the black device has cutouts on each side that makes it look like a Formula 1 steering wheel.

More than good looks, the TUF-BE6500’s open areas help dissipate heat that along with grilles underneath and an internal aluminum heat sink, help keep it from overheating without a fan. It topped out at 110 degrees Fahrenheit and doesn’t need MSI RadiX AXE6600’s use of exotic graphene coated heat sink fins.

At 11.9 x 6.7 x 8.4 x 2.4 inches, it’s small compared to other gaming routers, like the MSI RadiX AXE6600 or Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500. The unit’s six antennas extend the height by 6.4 inches and can be aimed but not easily replaced.

Its rubber feet won’t scratch the furniture and the TUF-BE6500 can be wall mounted too.

Compared to the undulating light shows that others put on, the router’s row of five LEDs along the bottom are subtle to the point of being unnoticed. To see what’s going on inside the router, I needed to lean over its edge. There are lights for power, action on the 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz bands as well as for the WAN input and the downstream wired network.

In addition to its power port, the TUF-BE6500 has four 2.5 Gbps Ethernet connections, one of which is taken up by the incoming broadband signal. That leaves three downstream 2.5 Gbps wired connections that to some will seem to be at least one short. For others, it will be enough. The router has a USB 3.2 port for connecting a data storage device that can move upwards of 5 Gbps with the right drive.

Powered by Qualcomm’s mid-range Immersive Home 326 Wi-Fi chip, the TUF-BE6500 should be plenty for home gamers looking for a little advantage online. Built around a quad-core 1.5GHz processor, the router has 1GB of RAM and 256MB of storage. The dual-band design uses 2X2 streaming for the 2.4GHz band and 4X4 streaming for the 5GHz band to move a theoretical 6.434 Gbps.

That said, it does without access to Wi-Fi 7’s 6GHz band with its ultra-wide 320MHz data channels for close up data blasting. Doing that might have doubled its throughput. Still, it brings together Wi-Fi 7’s 4K Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) and Multi-Link Operations.

The TUF BE-6500’s low latency design makes data packets fly back and forth and includes gaming accelerators that can provide an advantage online. Plus, if your Internet connection goes down during a League of Legends bout, the TUF-BE6500 can quickly switch over to a backup mobile phone’s online connection by plugging it in with a USB cable.

Unlike other routers that ignore security for the sake of the game, Asus includes its AiProtection Pro software. In addition to the ability to use the router as a VPN server, the defenses include steering away from malicious sites, blocking infected machines from spreading their danger and periodically running a security assessment with recommendations. The best part is that while Netgear and others charge for this type of service, Asus includes it for free.

Asus TUF Gaming BE6500 review: Performance

Although not able to compete with tri-band Wi-Fi 7 routers, the TUF-BE6500 was a good basic Wi-Fi router based on extensive testing with Keysight’s IxChariot network benchmark set to simulate 10 data-hungry users. It, however, did better as a wired router with the ability to move 4.653 Gbps over a 15 foot Ethernet cable – double the speed of routers costing much more. That said, it hit a peak of 1.150 Gbps of wireless throughput at close range. Still, it should be plenty for most gaming and home uses.

Its Wi-Fi action at everyday distances was underwhelming with a throughput reading of 960.9 Mbps at 15 feet. This was well off the pace set by more expensive devices, like the TP-Link Deco BE63 (at 1.821 Gbps) or the Netgear Orbi 773 (1.721 Gbps). It was neck and neck with the MSI Roamii BE Lite at 970.3 Mbps.

The TUF-BE6500 moved 336.1 Mbps at 50 feet, half the level of some of the others, but slightly ahead of the TP-Link Deco XE75 at 318.5 Mbps. It was middle of the pack at 75 feet with 189.4 Mbps at its disposal, putting it between the Deco XE75’s 299.1 Mbps and the Roamii BE Lite’s 172.8 Mbps.

With the test system 90 feet from the router, it delivered 27.9 Mbps of data, putting it, again, right in the middle of the pack. The TUF-BE6500 had a range of 105 feet but fell short of filling my 3,500 square foot home with wireless data.

When I set the gear up to send data across a 25 foot room, through a wall and into an adjacent room, it yielded an acceptable, but not stellar, 659.1 Mbps. By contrast, the Roamii BE Lite’s 920.8 Mbps was better.

It did a great job of being a general all-around router over two weeks of daily use. Able to satisfy several data hungry users at once, it easily passed my saturation test where four systems were moving gobs of data. In addition to an Acer Swift Edge 16 showing 4K videos, a MacBook played Spotify music and an HP Dragonfly played the BBC WorldService radio feed. All this was happening while an HP Envy desktop moved data onto and off a networked RAID server. All the audio and video came through without artifacts, drop-outs or skips.

The router’s 13.3 watt power use matches the consumption of others in its class. If the TUF-BE6500 is left on 24/7, expect to pay $18.65 a year to use it if you pay the national average of 16 cents per kilowatt hour of electricity.

Asus TUF Gaming BE6500 review: Setup

It’s easy to set the TUF-BE6500 up with a connected browser or with the Asus Router app for either Android or iOS. I chose the app approach with my Galaxy S24 phone that started with a welcome screen.

Unlike others, it didn’t require an account, but you might want to set one up anyway because it allows remote monitoring and operations. I picked the TUF-BE6500 from a photo list.

It immediately found the new router, but there’s also connection information linked to a QR code under the router, just in case. I tapped “Get Started” to begin the actual installation.

The app quickly detected my Internet connection and I added a new LAN name and password. There’s a provision for setting up a parallel 2.4GHz IoT network.

After adding local log in information, the TUF-BE6500 set itself up, upgraded its firmware and ran a network optimization routine to streamline connections.

It ended with a screen showing its key connection data and offered to save it. The router took 10 minutes to get going and worked on the first attempt.

Asus TUF Gaming BE6500 review: Configuration

While using the app is very visual, the browser interface is deep with lots of customization options. The interface’s Network map’s overall dark appearance is highlighted with gold outlines and a central blue section.

It requires a lot of scrolling and setting the browser to 67% is a nice compromise. A big bonus is that the interface provides more relevant performance data than most other routers with overall memory usage as well as CPU usage figures for all four processing cores and color-coded wired port connections.

Its left side is dominated by a long list of tab links that include configuring it as a VPN server, Wireless and Internet settings. There’s a way to rerun the setup routine to start fresh.

The Traffic Analyzer tracks the data flow based on the client or app, making it a multi-purpose tool for monitoring the network’s performance. It needs to be turned on at the top of the screen.

At the AIProtection tab, I found a nice appraisal of the security situation and places to turn on the defenses or customize them. At the other extreme, the Game Boost section has lots of gaming goodies; more on that later.

There’re thorough port forwarding instructions with profiles for popular games to match the data flow with the on-screen action. On the other hand, it lacks forwarding protocols for popular gaming consoles.

While it worked well as a traditional router, the TUF-BE6500 can be part of an AiMesh network. The interface has places for current nodes and adding clients as well as optimizing the data flow.

If your broadband connection goes bad, it takes less than a minute to use an Android or iPhone as a mobile Internet connection for fail-safe gaming. After plugging the phone into the router’s USB port, the USB section of the home page reflects the phone’s connection. Click on it to establish the connection.

The basics aside, the TUF-BE6500’s Advanced section has a slew of options, including using any of four VPN server settings, including WireGuard. It can connect to several VPN servers at once with Asus’s VPN Fusion software.

By contrast, the app only works in portrait mode that’s great for phones and not so great for tablets. Its interface is just as dark, although there’s the choice of three other themes, including a bright white one.

The Home screen has a prominent Real-time traffic window that shows up- and download speeds, while the current networks and IP address are above.

Along the bottom is access to the router’s configuration and options with five tabs. They can show a list of devices, the Insight section let me impose the more secure https protocol while the Family area had details for using the parental controls.

The Settings tab is the gateway to a wide assortment of connection info and options, mirroring the browser’s tabs with QOS, LAN, WAN and firmware upgrade. The USB tab is an essential stop for setting up an external drive as a Samba media server.

Asus’s three year warranty on the TUF-BE6500 is excellent compared to the year or two of coverage for the competition. It includes life-of-product support, instead of Netgear’s 90 day support policy. In addition to the expected downloads of firmware and the manual, the site has a good assortment of FAQs for common problems.

Asus TUF Gaming BE6500 review: Gaming

The Game Boost section has lots for gamers – serious or casual. This starts with network game acceleration that boosts access to networked data.

There’s also the Mobile Game Mode that can turn your phone or tablet into a gaming powerhouse. It’s part of the Asus Router app and has a quick three-step port forwarding routine for eight popular games and the ability to add rules for others.

Finally, like competitors, the TUF-BE6500 has access to the Gamers Private Network’s WTFast to find the best location globally to game. It requires registration, though.

Its dedicated Ping interface can send time packets for round-trip analysis. Unlike others, it offers the choice of 17 different diagnostic designations.

Asus TUF Gaming BE6500 review: Verdict

By balancing economy with basic Wi-Fi 7 technology and the most importantly, high-end gaming features, Asus has created a unicorn of a gaming router that can help blast aliens or speed up Mario Kart without killing an entire paycheck doing so. The dual-band router provides enough wireless throughput for most but I wonder what its performance would have been like if Asus engineers had included the high-performance 6GHz band. We’ll never know but the TUF-BE6500 ironically sets the pace with wired Ethernet connections that easily outperform more expensive routers. In other words, get those Cat 6 cables ready for your next gaming session.

The TUF-BE6500 tops this off with a gang of gaming help, including boosters, access to the GPN WTFast network and the ability to use a mobile phone as a backup Internet connection. For the paranoid gamer (and who isn’t these days), the TUF-BE6500 adds extra online security and VPN compatibility.

Price is the best part, regardless if you’re chasing aliens or being chased by zombies. With other gaming routers costing twice the Asus TUF-BE6500’s $200, it’s for those who want to game hard without the cold hard cash.

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has issued a warning about several popular TP-Link router models that have once again been exploited by hackers.

Three TP-Link router models have been attacked with a command injection vulnerability with a severity score of 8.8; the flaw is considered highly severe and was actually discovered a few years ago but was recently updated by CISA on the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog.

According to Cybernews, this may indicate that attackers have begun to exploit the vulnerability again. The flaw allows hackers to execute commands on vulnerable TP-Link routers without proper authorization. The bug itself appears in the web management interface of the router where a specific parameter is processed in a GET request. Basically, it fails to become properly validated with user input and this is what allows a threat actor to inject malicious commands into the router's firmware.

Even more dangerous on publicly exposed routers with remote access features enabled, threat actors can also successfully exploit the flaw from within the same network.

CISA warns users that these vulnerabilities and others of the same type are “frequent attack vectors for malicious cyber actors and pose a significant risk to the federal enterprise.” Federal agencies must remove the affected routers from their networks by July 7th, 2025 with CISA urging other organizations to also remove these models:

• TP-Link TL-WR940N
• TP-Link TL-WR841N
• TP-Link TL-WR740N

A very popular model in the consumer market, the TP-Link TL-WR940N Mbps router (V2/V4) was last updated with new firmware back in 2016. Another affected model is the TP-Link TL-WR841N (V8/V10) which last received a firmware update back in 2015. Lastly, the TP-Link TL-WR740N (V1/V2) hasn’t been updated for fifteen years.

All three of these models are all at end-of-life and won’t receive any further security updates.

What to do if you own an affected model

If you own one of the affected router models, the recommendation is to replace it right away with one of the best Wi-Fi routers instead as they will receive frequent software updates and patches from their manufacturer.

It’s also a good idea to make sure that you’re using one of the best antivirus software programs – many of these will offer additional security features such as a VPN that can help protect you when you’re online. Likewise, many router makers (including TP-Link and Netgear) offer security packages for their devices that can protect your entire home network.

Security aside, you're getting a significantly worse online experience when using an outdated router. From slow internet speeds to difficulties handling the increased number of connected devices in your home, you owe it to yourself and to your devices to use a faster, newer router instead.

If you want the latest and greatest Wi-Fi and have the budget for it, one of the best Wi-Fi 7 routers will provide you with the best experience possible. However, if you don't mind not having access to the faster 6GHz band, one of the best Wi-Fi 6 routers will still be a major upgrade.

By using a new router with frequent security updates and by making sure to install them when they become available, you're essentially adding an extra layer of protection for all of the devices on your home network. Just like with outdated software, an old router could also be putting you at serious risk online which is why you should take CISA's recommendations here seriously.

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If you’re looking to up your gaming experience without buying a new graphics-intensive rig, look to Acer’s Predator Connect T7 mesh router and node. While you’ll have to buy them one at a time and there’s a distinct port shortage, the Wi-Fi 7 mesh system makes the most out of a high-speed broadband connection to fill a home with instant gaming gratification. The design features low latency, Intel’s Killer Prioritization engine and one of the easiest and quickest set up routines around. In other words, you’ll be pounding the W-A-S-D keys in a few minutes.

By combining good overall performance with top range, the Predator T7 can be the family’s all-around high-performance router that’s as good at retrieving email and distributing 4K videos as making the online gaming experience more competitive. It falls short of being a top zombie killer, though, with only two wired networking ports that top out at a maximum speed of 1 Gbps and the system lacks software gamer gotta-haves like a Ping heat map and the ability to geofence a region.

Still, Acer’s Predator Connect T7 can provide a way to make online gaming faster and better. My Acer Predator Connect T7 review will help you decide if this is the best gaming router for your needs along with whether or not it’s also one of the best Wi-Fi 7 routers you can get right now.

Acer Predator Connect T7 review: Pricing and availability

The Predator Connect T7 mesh units are available individually on Acer’s site and on Amazon for $330 each. There’re no multipacks available in the U.S., but Acer is working on it. Unfortunately, this means that making a network from a trio of Predator T7s costs close to $1,000.

Each device can cover 3,000 square feet, according to Acer engineers. That adds up to mansion-sized coverage with three or more units.

Acer Predator Connect T7 review: Design

While other gaming routers strive for odd individualistic designs that focus on menacing otherworldly motifs, Acer designers have been more restrained with the Predator 7’s square monolithic towers. Available in black or white, they should be easy to hide at 8.6 x 4.3 x 4.3 inches.

As you’ll see, the Predator T7’s bland looks may be deceiving, potentially making it the stealth router of the year. Its extensive venting on top is lit with the Predator logo and there’s a discrete light bar up front. It pulses bluish green when data is flowing smoothly and turns red when it’s offline.

Powered by Qualcomm’s IPQ5322 and QCN6724 chips, the tri-band Predator T7 plays a name game by calling the host router its “Controller” and the node its “Agent”. Either way, it yields 2X2 streaming across the 2.4GHz, 5.0GHz and 6GHz Wi-Fi bands, while others extract higher short range performance by doubling up on the 6GHz band with 4X4 streaming.

Able to take advantage of Multi-Link Operations (MLO), the Predator T7 uses 4K Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) and Acer’s hybrid Quality of Service (QOS) routine for picking who gets first dibs on the Internet connection’s data flow. It adds up to a potential streaming of up to a peak theoretical throughput of 10.662 Gbps. In other words, it should satisfy those with 1 Gbps data plans.

The device has a vertical array of six antennas arranged to deliver a spherical transmission pattern and a low latency design that yields short ping values. It uses Intel’s Killer Prioritization engine and Qualcomm’s packet allocation algorithm to streamline the data movement while taking stress off the processor during intense intervals.

A big bonus for consoles, like the PlayStation 5, Xbox, Switch 2 and Steam Deck, are the Predator T7’s port forwarding details. On the other hand, it lacks gaming router gotta-haves, like software accelerators as well as a ping heat map to show areas of fast and slow connections or gaming accelerators.

Its 2.5 Gbps broadband input is the ticket of entry to the gaming world these days, but it pales in comparison to those with 5 and 10 Gbps ports, like TP-Link’s Archer GE650 and Archer GE800. Plus, the Predator T7’s two downstream LAN ports are rated at 1 Gbps. In other words, it’s adequate but not impressive, although the port marked Gaming in green gets top dog priority of the data flow.

There’s a WPS button for quickie connections with new devices as well as a USB-C port on the back for connecting a data drive. However, it uses the USB 2.0 protocol for peak transfers of 480 Mbps.

In addition to a recessed reset key underneath, the Predator T7 has an On/Off switch. The network names, passwords and the administrative credentials are printed on a label underneath. Built-in router security software from Trend Micro rounds out the package with traffic monitoring for suspicious sources and data flow. Unlike others that charge an annual security fee, the router’s basic defenses are included with a lifetime of updates. It can be turned on with one tap of the app.

Acer Predator Connect T7 review: Performance and in use

With the two units I set up in my 3,500 square foot home, I flogged the Predator T7 daily for a variety of tasks. It didn’t quite reach the house’s periphery and a third unit would likely have done the trick for whole-house coverage.

I used Keysight’s IxChariot networking benchmark set to simulate 10 data-hungry users and an Acer Swift Edge 16 notebook to gauge its performance. Zombies and aliens take note, the Predator T7 moved upwards of 2.165 Gbps close up and 1.914 Gbps at 15 feet. That’s well off the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE11000 at 2.956 Gbps and the Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 at 2.396 Gbps, but they are high-performance traditional routers that cost at least twice as much.

With the host router (err, Controller) and test system 50 feet apart, a distance where many mesh systems lag, the throughput dropped to 476.0 Mbps. This easily led the pack, making the Predator T7 an excellent router for mid-sized abodes.

At 75 feet, the Predator T7 moved 231.5 Mbps, putting it in the middle between the faster Asus ROG Rapture GT6 (at 273.8 Mbps) but ahead of the ROG Rapture GT-AXE11000 (98.3 Mbps) and Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 (148.6 Mbps).

It had a range of 115 feet versus between 85 and 95 feet for the others, making it the long distance champ. At 90 feet, it delivered 121.0 Mbps, when others were either offline or moving a few megabits a second.

When sending the Wi-Fi data signal across a 20 foot room and through a wall, the Predator T7 was a mediocre player at 654.9 Mbps. This should be plenty of throughput but lagged behind the ROG Rapture GT6’s 1.272 Gbps. Later, with the node (aka Agent) set up a floor above the host (Controller), the network pushed 517.1 Mbps to the test system 40 feet away. Again, it was well behind the GT6’s 771.8 Mbps.

Over two weeks of intensive daily use, the Predator T7 came through on emailing, downloading and streaming movies while I played games online and watched others play on Twitch. It stood up to several devices demanding data, such as when I tried to overload the network by playing 4K video on an Acer Swift Edge 16, while I was using a MacBook Air to stream the BBC World Service’s news feed and my Samsung Galaxy Book was playing Spotify music. All this was happening while my HP Dragonfly system was moving data onto and off my network RAID server. All the items came through without a hiccup, lost frame or freeze up.

Its power use is on a par with other Wi-Fi 6E and 7 mesh systems at 13.3 watts for the host and 10.1 watts for the node. If they’re left on 24/7, expect to have an annual electricity bill of $32.80 for the two devices if you pay the national average of 16 cents per kilowatt hour. By contrast, the Wi-Fi 6E based Asus ROG Rapture GT6 should cost $38.90 a year using the same criteria.

While banging data packets back and forth, the Predator T7 kept its cool without needing a fan. It hit a peak of 104.7 degrees Fahrenheit during testing.

Acer Predator Connect T7 review: Setup

As is the case with most mesh products, Acer provides the choice of using a connected browser and the Predator Connect app to set it up and make changes; there are versions for iOS and Android. I started by creating an account on my Galaxy S25 phone followed by an email verification.

After tapping “+” in the upper right, I picked the Predator T7 from a photo list. The units came pre-paired with the host marked as Controller and the node as Agent.

I chose to set it up as a mesh LAN rather than as a standalone router and set the phone to the router’s default network using the info printed underneath.

Back at the app, everything was automatically set up in a minute. It took all of 6 minutes and 10 seconds – half the time normally allotted to setting up a mesh network. Unfortunately, the process named the node (oops, Agent) as the “living room”. I later changed it.

Acer Predator Connect T7 review: Configuration

The Predator T7 can be adjusted and optimized with the app or a connected browser. Using a browser, the system connects easily and zooming out to 50- or 67-percent let me see most of the options without having to squint too much.

With a dark interface, the Predator T7’s Dashboard shows the must-see items, like whether it’s online, the network topology and current data traffic. It adds a real-time speed indicator.

It shows lists of connected clients for the main and guest LANs below as well as how long it’s been online and what wired resources are being used. Along the left are tabs for main categories for the router, including details for using the device’s Hybrid QOS routine.

It does the basics well with places to check the WAN settings, change the Wi-Fi network names and passwords as well as repeat the setup. I particularly like the IPV6 configuration choices with Stateful IPV6 or the SLAAC Stateless IPV6 or as a SLAAC Recursive DNS server – something that many expensive routers ignore.

The links to the device’s User Manual and app download QR code are helpful as are the Home Security section’s on/off switches for its protective measures.

Meanwhile the System link has everything from changing the password to backing up the router’s settings to remotely restarting the device. While the Main LED entry explains the different colors and allowed me to dim them on the router at night, I couldn’t find a way to turn the node’s lights off, however.

The app’s look and feel is similar but only works in portrait mode, so it’s better for phones than tablets. Just as dark, it’s augmented by photos and illustrations, starting with the My Devices entry page that shows the hardware and if it’s online.

It leads to the LAN map and networking components on the Mesh Wi-Fi page that offers an array of details. Below the surface are the node’s signal strength, changing the backhaul wireless connection. It’s where I found the place to change the node’s name from “living room” to “office’’.

There are three other tabs below for a client list, Boost for using the router’s Network Address Translation acceleration and the Hybrid QOS. The Settings gear on the right mirrors the browser interface with items for Device Information, Firmware Upgrade and using the Trend Micro Security.

Finally, the three line hamburger link in the upper left pulls an auxiliary menu out. It can take you to the My Devices page, change the language and see any pending notifications. There’s a contact section for sending an email to Acer’s support people.

The Predator T7’s one year warranty is standard and adequate but can’t compare with the two years of coverage provided by Asus for their gaming products. Its lifetime support is, however, much better than Netgear’s 90 day policy. The site has a slew of DIY material, from firmware upgrades to setup help to access to the manual.

Acer Predator Connect T7 review: Verdict

It may not have all the gaming bells and whistles that can help turn an online bout into an intergalactic rout, but Acer’s Predator Connect T7 can speed the data flow significantly. Its low latency design is matched by all of Wi-Fi 7’s performance-oriented updates and access to Intel’s Killer Prioritization engine.

For those who are wary of the potential complexity of installing and using a gaming router, the Predator Connect T7’s set up process is just about automatic and one of the quickest mesh installations on the planet. Its easy configuration process can make quick work of tweaking and optimizing the network’s performance. Its use of Trend Micro security to keep the bad guys out is the icing on the online cake.

The result is reasonable performance with good mid-range data flow and excellent range so that it should fill most homes with Wi-Fi. It’s not without qualms, however, because the Predator T7 has only two downstream LAN ports for wired connections and they both max out at 1 Gbps – hardly inspiring for hardcore gamers.

Available one at a time, my advice for small homes or apartments is to get a single Predator T7 and spend the difference on a couple of new games. For now, larger homes will require buying a few Predator T7s one at a time.

Although it’s stuck in the Wi-Fi 6 era of home networking, the Asus RP-AX58 makes the most of the networking spec and comes close to the performance of a Wi-Fi 7 extender. However, it lacks the ability to use the 6GHz networking band, has a gigabit Ethernet port and does without a USB connector for a data drive. Still, it’s one of the most economical ways to push a data signal into new areas of a home.

My Asus RP-AX58 review will help you decide if this is the best Wi-Fi extender for your home or if you’d be better off with something more powerful or perhaps even upgrading to one of the best mesh Wi-Fi systems instead.

Asus RP-AX58 review: Pricing and availability

The Asus RP-AX58 extender sells for $80 in a variety of stores, making it slightly more expensive than the Linskys RE7350 ($70) but a bargain compared to the Netgear Nighthawk EAX17 ($130) or the TP-Link RE655BE ($230).

It’s been designed to extend a wireless network by upwards of 2,200 square feet.

Asus RP-AX58 review: Design

Clothed in a matte white finish, the Asus RP-AX58 extender measures 5.9 x 2.8 x 2.2 inches, making it one of the largest extenders on the market. Its two prong plug means it will work in older houses that lack grounded outlets and its back is covered with vents to keep it cool. The extender can accommodate an adjacent plug and stand on its own if used with an extension cord.

The RP-AX58’s front has a raised diagonal peak that runs from corner to corner with an angled LED bar at the bottom. When it glows white, the extender is working fine, but red indicates no active signal.

Like the others, there isn’t an on/off switch, but its WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) key lets you quickly add it to a network. There’s also a recessed reset button for starting the setup procedure over again. It works with Asus’s AiMesh networking as an additional node, as a generic extender or as either an access point or a media bridge.

That said, the RP-AX58 lacks a USB port for adding a data drive. Its gigabit per second wired Ethernet connection is second best compared to the RE655BE’s 2.5 Gbps port, though.

Asus RP-AX58 review: Performance

In a series of real world tests at my 3,500 square foot home using the Keysight IxChariot networking benchmark configured to simulate 10 data-hungry users, the RP-AX58 did an outstanding job of filling in Wi-Fi dead zones. Using a Netgear Nighthawk RS600 router and the extender set up 40 feet away, it was able to wring more data out of thin air than other Wi-Fi 6 competitors.

With the extender and Acer Swift Edge 16 test system next to each other, the extender’s throughput hit 449.6 Mbps, about 50% off the pace set by the Wi-Fi 7-powered RE655BE’s 663.5 Mbps. With 10 feet between the extender and test system, the throughput rose to 490.2 Mbps, well off the RE-655BE’s 719.5 Mbps, but well ahead of the other Wi-Fi 6 extenders, like the RE7350’s 203.7 Mbps or the EAX17’s 383.1 Mbps.

At 40 feet, the extender pushed 201.1 Mbps of data to the test system. This is on a par with the EAX17’s 197.9 Mbps but well behind the RE655BE’s class leading 376.7 Mbps. Its 115 foot range was the longest I’ve seen for an extender and perfect for those with larger homes.

Over the course of two weeks, I used the RP-AX58 daily to move emails, transfer data and watch 4K videos. Its passive cooling kept the extender’s temperature below 98 degrees. Its 5.3 watt power consumption was middle of the pack. If it runs all day and night, the RP-AX58 should add about $7.40 to your annual power bills if you pay the national average of 16 cents per kilowatt hour.

Asus RP-AX58 review: Features

Based on the Wi-Fi 6 standard, the RP-AX58 can work with data traveling on the 2.4 and 5.0GHz bands but can’t tap into the higher-performing 6GHz band. It uses 2x2 streaming with the data traveling through two internal antennas; neither are aimable.

It taps into all the 802.11AX protocols, from beamforming and MU-MIMO to 1024 Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) but can’t use 320MHz data channels. Over the 2.4- and 5.0-GHz bands, it can move 574 Mbps and 2.402 Gbps for a rated 3 Gbps theoretical peak output.

Asus RP-AX58 review: Setup and software

Asus gives the option of using the WPS quick connect protocol to link the extender with a router, using a connected browser to tap into the device’s internal interface or the company’s Extender app which is available for iOS and Android. I chose the latter and got the Wi-Fi ball rolling by tapping on “Set up Extender” after it connected.

Next up, I picked the extender. Be careful, there are likely to be two nearly identical listings; I chose the one that included “(Connected)”.

While the interface said that I needed to wait a few seconds, it took nearly two minutes to connect to the extender and get the installation going. I needed to name the room it would live in and pick the LAN to be extended. I added the network’s passcode.

To simplify roaming, I used the same name and passcode. Then, I finished up by adding an administrative password. After a firmware upgrade, it connected on the first attempt. Start to finish, it took 6 minutes and 20 seconds.

The app’s main screen shows the network topology, the extender’s IP address and its names. The “+” sign is for adding another extender. There’s something that’s rare for a networking app: a handy FAQ section up top should you have trouble.

The three line hamburger link in the upper left is for everything else with tips for placement and starting up.

That said, the Network Tool includes a nice Network Analyzer that shows all the local Wi-Fi networks and a Wi-Fi Signal page with a signal strength graph. There are Ping and Trace Route diagnostics but it’s missing basics like the ability to use the detailed networking data to adjust the extender’s settings or turn the LEDs off.

Asus RP-AX58 review: Warranty and support

Asus matches TP-Link with a two year warranty and unlimited support for the RP-AX58 extender. Others, like Linksys, cover their extenders for a year and Netgear only offers 90 days of support unless you pay extra.

In addition to the FAQ help on the app, the RP-AX58 support pages have a lot to offer, including places to get new firmware, help with setup and a deep list of FAQs. Some of the items are generic to the company’s extenders and there’s no manual available, only a quickstart sheet.

Asus RP-AX58 review: Verdict

It may not be the fastest extender on the planet, but Asus wrings the most performance out of the Wi-Fi 6 standard with its RP-AX58. It misses the ability to tap into Wi-Fi 7’s 6GHz data band and 4K QAM but the RP-AX58 is one of the fastest ways to extend a wireless network, particularly close up and will fit right into an Asus AiMesh network as an additional node.

While it lacks access to the top performing 6GHz band, getting the RP-AX58 could be the best $80 you can spend on a network if you don’t want to upgrade to a mesh Wi-Fi system.

It may not be the cheapest or fastest router available today, but one thing is certain, ExpressVPN’s Aircove is one of the most secure home networking devices available. With built-in links to the company’s Virtual Private Network (VPN) service, it can connect globally to stream programming from just about anywhere while keeping your data and online identity safe at home.

Getting the most out of Aircove, however, requires a $100 a year ExpressVPN subscription that includes ID insurance and monthly credit reports as well as ad and malware blockers.

It’s certainly a good choice for the security minded among us, but can the Aircove compete with the best when it comes to doling out data?

ExpressVPN Aircove review: Pricing and availability

Priced at $190, ExpressVPN’s Aircove router is $10 more than the similar Privacy Hero 2 VPN router, which includes a year of VPN service, not the Aircove’s month. It’s also pricey compared to conventional Wi-Fi 6 routers, like the $80 TP-Link Archer AX55 or the $130 Reyee RG-E5. The company also has a mobile Air Cove Go router that sells for $170.

ExpressVPN Aircove Review: Design

Small and unobtrusive, the Aircove router has a sophisticated matte black finish and an angular look. At 8.3 x 5.9 x 1.4 inches, it’s not only about 40% smaller than the already tiny TP-Link Archer AX55 but only about the size of a thick paperback book. When folded up, the router’s four antennas add 4.6 inches to its height.

Its AC adapter is equally small and comes with four plugs to cover many of the world’s outlets. Once powered up, the Aircove’s LED glows blue when it’s online like a small smile. It blinks white when the router is offline.

Passively cooled, Aircove has vents underneath and on its sides. It topped out at a temperature of 97.6 degrees Fahrenheit. There’re soft silicone feet and inserts underneath to wall mount it.

Powered by Qualcomm’s IPQ6000 Wi-Fi chipset, the dual-band Aircove router uses Wi-Fi 6 2X2 data streaming over each band. Its AirCoveOS software is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core processor and 512MB of RAM with 128MB of flash storage for its firmware and settings. The router tops out at maximum speeds of 600 Mbps for the 2.4GHz band and 1.2 Gbps for the 5.0GHz band. Its AX1800 rating is a step or two behind the Archer AX55’s AX3000 spec and can’t tap into the 6GHz band that Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 routers can.

Other than that, it combines the best of Wi-Fi 6’s protocol, including 1K Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM), MUMIMO and beamforming for customizing its data transmissions to its recipient. Its Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) spectrum sharing allows multiple high-speed connections.

The device’s back has a WAN input and four wired downstream networking ports that top out at 1 Gbps peak speeds. Next to its reset button, the Aircove has a curious USB port hidden by a rubber boot that can neither charge a phone nor connect a data drive to the router’s network. It might be for a future upgrade.

Aircove protects in two ways, starting with any device connected to its network because all the router’s data traffic – in and out – goes through the VPN. Plus, there’re a variety of apps for the most popular platforms for standalone VPN use from Windows, Mac, Chromebook and Linux to iOS, Android and Amazon Fire to several gaming and streaming consoles. To make the most of it, you’ll need an ExpressVPN subscription that allows Aircove plus any other seven app-connected systems to be VPN protected at a time. It can be a big deal when traveling or working from a café.

Aircove includes a 30-day VPN subscription, which pales next to Privacy Hero 2’s full year of included NordVPN service. After that, the Aircove’s VPN costs $12.95 a month for basic service, but the $100 annual plan (actually 15 months) is a bargain with monthly credit reports, $1 million in ID insurance and ExpressVPN’s password manager; there’s also a $140 plan for 28 months that amounts to $5 a month, about the cost of a fancy cup of coffee. The company’s newest addition is a one-time 5GB eSIM account with Holiday.com for a mobile device. You can pay with plastic, Bitcoin or PayPal.

The router’s 1 year warranty and lifetime support is a lot better than Netgear’s 90 days of personalized support after which you have to pay upwards of $100 a year. Aircove is the rare router that has a direct link to the product’s help pages. There’re also three hidden gems: an IP address checker as well as DNS and WebRTC leak testers.

ExpressVPN has lots of online self-serve items like setup help, how to check the router’s status and assistance with VPN connections. There’s a 24/7 chat window that’s staffed with humans but no traditional user manual to read up on its capabilities and methods.

ExpressVPN Aircove review: Security

Raw speed misses Aircove’s privacy focus and its ExpressVPN Virtual Private Network service. Others allow the router to be set up as a VPN server or client but making it work can be a hit and mostly miss proposition. With Aircove it’s all set up and only requires registration.

ExpressVPN’s geographic scope is good with servers in 105 countries, from Argentina to Vietnam although NordVPN covers 117 countries, including Angola. The Aircove uses ExpressVPN’s Lightway protocol but the app allows switching to IKEv2 or OpenVPN. Either way, the company’s servers offer 256-bit AES encrypted secure tunnelling, a kill switch and the company’s Domain Name Servers (DNS) close the loop; ExpressVPN promises not to share or sell this data.

The Network Lock keeps you from insecurely moving to a new webpage if the VPN connection is interrupted, making it perfect for use with inherently insecure public Wi-Fi. Like eero’s networking products, the Aircove can’t use the Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) option to quickly add devices to a network. It can be a major vulnerability, although the majority of the home networking world continues to offer it.

All of Aircove’s transactions occur in the server’s memory, so there’re no logs or leave-behind data. Plus, based in the British Virgin Islands, ExpressVPN is beyond the long arm of law for snoops from the Five Eyes countries (Australia, New Zealand, United States, United Kingdom and Canada). This means your data and where you’ve spent your time online are safe from prying eyes.

While it lacks the antivirus scanning software that comes with Netgear’s Armor, ExpressVPN makes up for it with router level malware protection, an ad blocker and parental controls. Its router and client firmware is updated monthly and requires the correct digital signature to be installed.

While the focus is on online security, Aircove’s VPN access allows tunneling to just about any foreign country to grab media that’s not available in the U.S., like “Plan 75” or “Fisk”. That said, the router supports up to five groups that can have the data emerge in a specific country or city.

ExpressVPN Aircove Review: Performance

A competent Wi-Fi 6 router, Aircove should be more than enough for most, but lacks access to the high-performance 6GHz networking band. Its antennas deliver a horizontal ellipsoid shaped transmission pattern that might be better for a single floor going up or down a story.

Using networking benchmark software from Keysight IxChariot set to mimic 10 data hungry users and the Aircove’s VPN connection turned off, the Acer Swift 16 Edge system recorded a close up throughput of 869.5 Mbps. That improved to 1.843 Gbps with 15 feet of Cat 6 cabling.

At the real-world distance of 15 feet, the router’s throughput dropped to 788.3 Mbps. That’s less than 10% behind the class-leading Reyee RG-E5’s 849.2 Mbps or TP-Link Archer X55’s 823.7 Mbps.

With 50 feet between the Aircove and test system, the router delivered 419.7 Mbps of data, perfect for a sub gigabit per second data plan. It offers a speed boost over the Linksys MR9600’s 363.3 Mbps and the Archer AX55’s 288.4 Mbps.

At a distance of 75 feet, the Aircove’s 216.8 Mbps was just off the pace of the resurgent RG-E5’s 298.0 Mbps. It blew away the lagging Archer AX55’s 89.6 Mbps. The Aircove pushed 15.7 Mbps at our terminal test distance of 90 feet, well off the RG-E5’s 45.8 Mbps. At the same distance the MR9600 was out of range. The Aircove had a range of 105-feet and was able to blast 661.4 Mbps across a 25 foot room and through a wall.

Using the Automatic VPN protocol setting, it took an average of 2.6 seconds to establish a secure link with an ExpressVPN server in New York. My unfettered 338.2 Mbps connection dropped roughly in half to 176.9 Mbps of secure throughput. More to the point, the connection’s average latency grew by 2 milliseconds to 16.7ms. Manually changing this to Lightway TCP, the throughput rose about 20 Mbps to an average of 195.9 Mbps, making it the one to use for me.

With or without a VPN connection, the Aircove easily passed our saturation test where several connected devices play a variety of media. While my iPad viewed videos and a Galaxy Book played the BBC World Service news feed, a MacBook had 4K videos playing. As all these bytes were flying back and forth, my Acer Swift 16 Edge moved data onto and off of a network RAID server. There were no glitches, freeze ups or anomalies as everything came through loud and clear.

During the benchmarking stress test, the Aircove used all of 6.2 watts, making it more efficient than the Archer AX55’s 8.4 watts. It should cost roughly $8.70 a year to use if left on 24/7 and you pay the national average of 16 cents per kilowatt hour of electricity.

ExpressVPN Aircove Review: Setup

Even with subscribing to ExpressVPN’s service, getting the Aircove installed and set up was surprisingly easy. I started by plugging everything in and connecting my Galaxy Book notebook to the router’s default network; the passcode is printed underneath. The “Hello” welcome screen wanted me to pick my favorite language.

Next, I typed “expressvpnrouter.com” into the browser’s address bar to start the installation; 192.168.132.1 works just as well. I declined to share my data with them to improve the service.

Next up, the router connected to ExpressVPN with the choice of a 30-day trial or creating an account. I set up a year’s worth of service, followed by creating an admin password. The router updated itself.

My Galaxy S25 phone connected on the first try but it still had the router’s default connection details, which I quickly changed. The final screen shows the network’s log in credentials. All done in 11 minutes.

Express VPN Aircove Review: Configuration

The Aircove’s browser-based Dashboard focuses on simplicity. The VPN status is up front and connected systems listed below. On the right are thoughtful suggestions for adding connection groups and other items. On the left are tabs for a variety of options.

In addition to being able to change the network name and passcode there’s a place to change the VPN protocol. I started at Automatic and then tried Lightway TCP.

Other than light and dark interfaces, there’re not a lot of optimization choices, although the Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU) can be adjusted. It’s easy to use different DNS connections when not VPN-connected.

As soon as you find a configuration that works, it can be saved in case you encounter problems later on.

In addition to nightly firmware checks and restarts, it’s easy to turn the LED status light off. There’s no way to schedule it, though.

ExpressVPN Aircove Review: Verdict

Regardless of whether you care more about online security and privacy or going on a worldwide streaming tour, ExpressVPN’s Aircove router can do the trick. It may not be the fastest at moving data, but its VPN link, ad blocker and malware protection make the Aircove a security bull’s eye. Its ability to safely tunnel to over 100 countries make it an international entertainment hit.

Its oddities, like an unconnected USB port aside, the Aircove is a well-designed Wi-Fi 6 router with an extra layer of household online security. The $100 annual subscription not only secures the router with access to ExpressVPN’s network for more than a year, but it provides lots of added goodies, like a 5GB mobile device eSIM account.

If your top three online concerns are security, privacy and preserving an online identity, the ExpressVPN Aircove is the Wi-Fi 6 router to get. At $190, it’s a bit steep compared to less secure Wi-Fi 6 routers, but it’s worth it as much for security as for the online peace of mind it can provide.

While its speeds couldn’t match the best in the business, the Linksys RE7350 is an inexpensive way to extend a wireless network to fill in Wi-Fi blank areas. It goes the extra Wi-Fi mile with excellent range and more customization choices than many of the best Wi-Fi extenders but lacks access to the 6 GHz band as it only supports Wi-Fi 6. Rather than a convenient app, the RE7350 requires using a connected browser to set it up and make changes.

Still, it could be an effective way to cover your entire house with Wi-Fi on a budget. See how it matches up with the best.

Linksys RE7350 review: Pricing and availability

With a list price of $130, the Linksys RE7350 can be had for as little as $70 at a variety of online stores, like Amazon. That’s about one-third the price of some of its competitors.

It’s been designed to add coverage for 2,000 square feet to a network.

Linksys RE7350 review: Design

The monolithic Linksys RE7350 is a dead ringer for the previous RE7310 model, although it’s been significantly upgraded. At 5.2 x 3.9 x 1.8 inches, it’s shorter and thicker than the TP-Link RE655BE and is available only in white.

The back’s two-prong AC plug goes right into a wall outlet and the unit leaves room for an additional plug. Alternatively, it can sit on its own with power coming from an extension cord. There isn't an on/off switch but the RE7350 has buttons on the side for resetting the device and starting up the Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) procedure for a quickie installation.

On the bottom is a gigabit per second Ethernet port for connecting a computer, printer, storage device or other networked appliance. It’s a lot slower than the RE655BE’s 2.5 Gbps port and the extender does without a USB port for a connected storage drive.

The RE7350’s front is dominated by an LED bar that shows its status and connections. Using Linksys Spot Finder technology, the light glows blue when it’s connected and working fine. If it turns orange, it means that the extender is offline. There’s no way to turn the light off though.

Linksys RE7350 review: Performance

Using our real world testing protocol and the Keysight IxChariot networking benchmark set up to simulate 10 data-hungry users, the RE7350 proved to be a reliable way to extend a Wi-Fi 6 network in my 3,500 square foot home. It was able to push a connection from the Netgear Nighthawk RS600 router into previously uncovered areas of the house. That said, the RE7350’s overall performance lagged behind the others I tested although it had excellent range.

With the Nighthawk RS600 router 40 feet from the RE7350 and the Acer Swift Edge 16 Wi-Fi 7 notebook next to it, the extender yielded a throughput of 203.5 Mbps, about half what other Wi-Fi 6 extenders deliver. At the more reasonable distance of 10 feet, the throughput rose slightly to 203.7 Mbps. Good, but well below competitors like the Wi-Fi 7 RE655BE’s 719.5 Mbps result or the Wi-Fi 6 RP-AX58’s 490.2 Mbps.

When the repeater was set up at 40 feet from the router, the extender only exchanged 80.6 Mbps, well at the back of the pack. It had a 110 foot range that was only beaten by the RP-AX58 extender.

The RE7350 was able to send emails, stream 4K videos and play music on connected devices but it lacks power-conservation settings to cut its 6.3 watt power draw. This translates into an annual power bill of roughly $8.80 if it’s left on 24/7 and you pay the national average of 16 cents per kilowatt hour of electricity.

Over two weeks of daily use, its passive cooling worked well, with the RE7350 never getting over 96.3 degrees Fahrenheit. The hot spot was at the top.

Linksys RE7350 review: Features

Rated to handle Wi-Fi 6 transmissions, the dual-band extender uses 2x2 streams to move data over the 2.4 and 5 GHz data bands. It carries an AX1800 throughput rating, although it lacks the ability to tap into 6 GHz networks or 320MHz data channels.

The RE7350 can work as an access point or extender and takes advantage of the Wi-Fi 6 to the fullest. In addition to using beamforming, the extender works with 1024 Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) and MU-MIMO. It can connect up to 20 clients at a time.

Linksys RE7350 review: Setup and software

Unlike other networking gear, the RE7350 does without a setup and configuration app. Instead, there’s the choice between the WPS button on its side and tapping into the RE7350’s internal user interface, which was anything but quick and easy. I started by connecting to the extender’s default Wi-Fi network (“Linksys Extender Setup – 393”) and typing “extender.Linksys.com” into Chrome’s address bar.

The opening page has the Linksys license terms and auto firmware update prechecked.

I set it for wireless range extender instead of access point and picked the 2.4 and 5.0 GHz LANs to extend separately. I entered the passcode for each.

The extender had trouble connecting over the 5 GHz band although it worked on the third try. I finished up by adding an administrative password and reminder hint. The process took 13 minutes – double what it should.

All that time and effort actually pays off with good customization options. The main page is for basic settings showing network names, passwords and connection status.

Under each network is an advanced section for channel width details. Unfortunately, the extender is limited to a maximum of 80Mhz data channels, which limits the extender’s throughput.

In addition to QOS, there’s a unique Spot Finder. Here, the extender visually tells you if you’re too far, too close or just right for a prime connection.

Finally, its statistics page provides excellent networking data, although in tabular and not graphic form. There are places for things like data packet count. There’s no place to turn the LED off.

Linksys RE7350 review: Warranty and support

Like most extenders, the RE7350 comes with a one-year warranty and lifetime support. That’s not as good as TP-Link’s two years of coverage but better than Netgear’s standard 90 days of support, unless you pay to upgrade.

The text-only support pages for the Linskys RE7350 may not be as pretty as its competitors, but it has what’s needed to help get the extender online and working. The FAQ section is very deep and the extender has a basic manual but the site lacks helpful setup videos.

Linksys RE7350 review: Verdict

A reliable way to fill a house with Wi-Fi, the Linskys RE7350 extender comes up short compared to the competition in terms of speed but had excellent range. Based on Wi-Fi 6, it can’t use the 6 GHz high performance data band or 320MHz data channels and its 1 Gbps Ethernet port can’t compare to the 2.5 Gbps ports that are starting to show up on extenders. Plus, unlike the others, it lacks an app for setting up and configuring the extender.

That said, the RE7350 offers a good combination of price at $70, reliable operation and an excellent assortment of setup choices available. In fact, it’s for those who care less about raw speed and more about tweaking and configuring the network.

While it has the potential to move lots of data into previously unconnected areas of a home, the Netgear Nighthawk EAX17 suffers from having a three-prong plug, making it a hassle for those in older homes with ungrounded outlets.

Still, it’s able to extend a Wi-Fi 6-powered home network and has a gigabit per second Ethernet port but lacks the ability to tap into the high-performance 6GHz wireless data band.

Read the review to see if the EAX17 is one of the best Wi-Fi extenders you can buy today along with whether or not it deserves a place in your home.

Netgear Nighthawk EAX17 review: Pricing and availability

Priced at $130, the Netgear Nighthawk EAX 17 is among the newest Wi-Fi extenders on the market and not discounted anywhere I could find. The Wi-Fi 6 EAX15 is rated at AX1800 and sells for as little as $100.

The EAX17 can add up to 1,500 square feet of Wi-Fi coverage, according to Netgear.

Netgear Nighthawk EAX17 review: Design

Long and narrow, the white Netgear Nighthawk EAX17 extender is larger than the Linskys RE7350 at 5.8 x 2.7 x 1.9 inches. This leaves just enough room to use an adjacent AC outlet, although its three-prong plug makes it a tough sell in older homes that lack grounded outlets. Powered by an extension cord, it can stand on its own.

Like so many other extenders, it does without an on/off switch but there are ones for starting the Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) sequence for quickly adding it to a network as well as a recessed reset key. Below is a gigabit per second Ethernet port for adding a printer, scanner or network appliance to the LAN that pales in comparison to the RE655BE’s 2.5 Gbps networking. The EAX17 also lacks a USB port for networking a data drive.

Its top and back have cooling vents and the front’s four LEDs show what’s going on below the surface. In addition to an on/off light, there are ones that indicate the quality of the online connection, if client devices are connected and if WPS is being used.

Netgear Nighthawk EAX17 review: Performance

A mid-range performer, the EAX17 did a good job of filling in the blanks in my 3,500 square foot home’s Wi-Fi network based on results from using the Keysight IxChariot networking benchmark. With it set to mimic 10 heavy use clients and the EAX17 extender set up 40 feet from a Netgear Nighthawk RS600 router, the EAX17 hit a peak of 415.9 Mbps with the Sharp Swift Edge 16 test system next to the extender. That’s right on the heels of the RP-AX58’s 449.6 Mbps but well off the 663.5 Mbps pace set by the Wi-Fi 7-powered RE655BE.

When I moved the Edge 16 notebook to a more realistic distance of 10 feet from the extender, its throughput dropped by 8% to an average of 383.1 Mbps. That’s right in the middle of the pack ahead of the Linksys RE7350’s 203.7 Mbps faster and well behind the RE655BE’s 719.5 Mbps, which uses Wi-Fi 7’s expanded bandwidth.

At 40 feet, the data flow dropped further to 197.9 Mbps. This puts it ahead of the RE7350’s 80.6 Mbps and on a par with the RP-AX58’s 201.1 Mbps of Throughput. It was well behind the RE655BE’s 376.7 Mbps.

The EAX17 easily handled emails, music, 4K videos and the occasional gaming session. It had a 105 foot range.

While working, the EAX17 used all of 3.6 watts, about half what many other extenders consume. In fact, it’s one of the most economical extenders to use. Left on 24/7, it should cost about $5 a year if you pay the national average of 16 cents per kilowatt hour of electricity. There aren’t any power conservation settings to lower that, but at the lowest power draw you won’t need any.

It hit a peak of 95.7 degrees Fahrenheit at its top vent and relies on passive heat transfer to keep its cool.

Netgear Nighthawk EAX17 review: Features

The EAX17 is Wi-Fi 6 all the way. Powered by a 1.3GHz dual-core processor, it re-transmits Wi-Fi data over the 2.4 and 5.0GHz data bands. On the downside, it lacks the ability of the TP-Link RE655BE to connect over the high-performance 6GHz band or use 320MHz data channels.

Still, the EAX17 uses beamforming, MU-MIMO and 1024 Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) to squeeze data out of thin air. It uses 2x2 streaming for the 2.4GHz band and 3x3 data flow for the 5GHz band. All told, the EAX17 has an AX3000 rating, can service up to 20 devices and can also be set up to operate as a Wi-Fi extender or access point.

Netgear Nighthawk EAX17 review: Setup and software

The EAX17 can be connected with a network’s router in three ways, starting with WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup). Most will use the Nighthawk app for iOS and Android but Netgear also offers the option of using the extender’s internal interface via a direct browser connection.

I started by plugging the EAX17 in 40 feet from the network’s router. After accepting Netgear’s terms and conditions, I created an account.

Once I logged in and verified my existence with an email, I set the phone’s Wi-Fi connected to the EAX17’s default LAN (“Netgear_Ext”). I selected Range Extender and the app quickly found the hardware.

I picked the network to rebroadcast and entered the passcode. The app allows separate SSIDs for the 2.4 and 5.0GHz networks, but I chose to use a single one to ease roaming.

A few minutes later, it was all set up, taking 9 minutes and 50 seconds. The extender connected on the first try.

Using the connected browser approach to make configuration changes, the main screen has the basics. In addition to signal strength for each band, it shows their theoretical top speed as well as the status of the optional guest network.

In addition to turning off the extender’s lights, the interface allowed me to check for new firmware updates and install them.

Finally, the extender’s “Other” section is a bit of a catch-all that should not be ignored. It hides critical things like backing up and restoring the extender’s settings as well as restarting the device. It’s where an overall system reset to its original firmware and settings can be accomplished.

Netgear Nighthawk EAX17 review: Warranty and support

Like most extenders, the EAX17 comes with a one-year warranty and life of product support. It’s second best compared to TP-Link’s two years of coverage. More to the point, Netgear’s scant 90 days of support shortchanges buyers used to getting life of product help without an annual paid subscription.

In addition to lots of help with installation, updating the firmware and making configuration changes, the troubleshooting section can help figure out what’s wrong with the product. The connectivity and performance section can help goose throughput. There’s a good manual available too.

Netgear Nighthawk EAX17 review: Verdict

An easy way to push a Wi-Fi network into unconnected areas, the Netgear Nighthawk EAX17 has everything that Wi-Fi 6 has to offer but lacks the 6GHz available with Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7. Its throughput readings and range were middle of the pack but it was a reliable way to push data into previously unconnected areas. The most economical extender to use, though its grounded plug might be a turn off to those in older homes without three-prong AC outlets.

If you care as much about electricity bills as raw speed, the EAX17 could make your home a happier Wi-Fi place.

My favorite notebook of all time is an HP EliteBook Dragonfly from 2019 that goes where I go, regardless of whether it’s cross town or across the globe. Despite its age, it still has lots of power, a bright touchscreen, excellent Bang and Olufsen audio and a 7 hour battery life. Its dark blue machined aluminum case makes for a sophisticated 2.5-pound package that travels easily, although its Wi-Fi networking has fallen behind the times.

Rather than get something newer, I’m going to add Wi-Fi 7 to this system with a USB adapter that promises top speeds without, hopefully, draining the battery too much. The two Wi-Fi 7 USB adapters available right now couldn’t be more different though.

A tale of two Wi-Fi 7 USB adapters

The Asus USB BE92 Nano ($70, Amazon) is tiny, weighs less than an ounce and sticks out of the notebook’s side only 0.7 inches like a little black nub. The module’s pair of antennas are buried deep inside and the device lacks any lights to show that it’s online.

By contrast, TP-Link’s Archer TBE6500UH ($180, Best Buy) is much bigger and heavier at 4.2 x 1.2 x 0.7 inches and 1.3 ounces. The black and gray device sticks out 3.9 inches and easily snags things in my bag but it does come with a desktop stand and features a status LED along with two adjustable, high-gain paddle antennas.

Despite their physical differences, they have a lot in common, starting with the Realtek 8912AU Wi-Fi chip that both use. This allows them to cover all three Wi-Fi 7 bands including the high performance 6 GHz one with 2x2 streaming that seems like a modern miracle considering the Nano’s size. They can move a maximum of 688 Mbps over the 2.4 GHz band as well as 2.882 Gbps over the 5.0 and 6.0 GHz bands for a BE6500 speed rating.

Both are held back from peak performance by not being able to tap into Wi-Fi 7’s ultrawide 320MHz data channels though.

Riding on slow and fast buses

The beauty of an external Wi-Fi adapter is that I don’t have to open up the notebook to swap out parts and at any time, I can revert to the notebook’s built-in Intel AX200 Wi-Fi 6 card. On the downside, both USB adapters take up the Dragonfly’s only USB Type A port, an even bigger problem with newer systems that only have USB C ports. Neither device included something as simple as a USB-C to USB-A adapter.

Unlike the Dragonfly’s mini-PCI based AX200 networking card, my pair of Wi-Fi 7 adapters connect with the notebook’s slower USB bus. While the TBE6500UH uses the computer’s USB 3.0 that tops out at 5 Gbps, the Nano takes a step back with the slower, but more compatible USB 2.0 standard at one-tenth as much data flow.

That said, it took all of 3 minutes to install each. Both setups were easy, quick and hassle-free, both required loading a driver file from the device.

Not for Mac or Chromebooks

There’s one more thing they have in common: the Nano and TBE6500UH modules sadly only work with Windows 10 or Windows 11 systems. While each worked well with my Windows 11-powered Dragonfly system, it’s a big disappointment because I use Chromebooks and Macs a lot and feel strongly that they should be able to take advantage of the speed boost available.

The proof of Wi-Fi 7 is in the downloading and both improved the Dragonfly’s networking abilities – one more than the other. The baseline here is its stock X200 networking chip that registered 326.6 Mbps 15 feet from a Netgear Nighthawk RS600 router using Keysight’s IxChariot networking benchmark.

A reasonable amount of throughput for a five year old notebook but with the Nano in place, the throughput rose 9 percent to a reasonable 354.1 Mbps. By contrast the TBE6500UH’s 478.4 Mbps led the way a third more throughput than the Nano delivered. Neither, however, could compete with the 539.5 Mbps that my Acer Swift 15 Edge system with PCI-based Wi-Fi 7 moved.

Running hot and cool

The TBE6500UH’s large antennas ruled with the device staying online for 125 feet, compared to the Dragonfly’s 95-feet; in between was the Nano’s 115 feet. While the data was flying back and forth, both the Nano and the TBE6500U used a modest 0.9 watt of power although because of the Nano’s constrained design, it a peak temperature of 105 degrees Fahrenheit versus the larger and better ventilated TBE6500UH’s 95 degrees Fahrenheit.

Both of these USB Wi-Fi upgrades were workhorses for moving data but they both reduced the system’s battery life to 5 hours and 45 minutes. That’s 18% slower than the Dragonfly’s 7 hours of runtime with its native Wi-Fi 6 networking. This shows that the price of Wi-Fi 7 performance can be measured in more than dollars and cents.

Small and sleek or top performance

Which to get is a tough choice. I love the sleek simplicity and $70 price tag of the Asus USB BE92 Nano that disappears into the side of one of the best laptops. For a few minutes work, it’s a no brainer.

On the other hand, for top speeds look to the TP-Link Archer TBE6500UH. It may be larger but it has the ability to take in nearly 50% more data than the notebook’s built-in Wi-Fi networking. At $180, it’s expensive but peanuts compared to a new computer. Likewise, the included stand is perfect for using it at your desk with one of the best computers.

This first generation of USB Wi-Fi 7 adapters don’t completely fulfill the promise of Wi-Fi 7 and I can’t wait for the second generation. The reason being is that they will come with full throttle 320MHz networking to better take advantage of Wi-Fi 7’s performance potential while lowering its thirst for power. That way I’ll enjoy bandwidth busting performance without worrying about straying too far from an AC outlet.

More from Tom's Guide

• I test Wi-Fi routers for a living — 9 things to look for before you buy
• Think you know what Wi-Fi stands for? Get ready for a surprise
• I upgraded to Wi-Fi 7 and it convinced me to finally ditch cable internet for fiber

If you’re considering upgrading to one of the best mesh Wi-Fi systems to say goodbye to Wi-Fi dead zones for good and are also in the market for one of the best Wi-Fi 7 routers, then the new eero Pro 7 or the eero Max 7 are both excellent options. Unlike with other mesh routers, eero’s are incredibly simple to set up and use with an intuitive app and plenty of extra features like built-in smart home hub functionality and automatic security updates.

While Netgear, TP-Link and other networking companies also make traditional Wi-Fi routers in addition to mesh ones, eero was founded back in 2014 with the goal of simplifying home Wi-Fi using mesh technology. It became an Amazon company in 2019 and its mesh router lineup has seen numerous improvements over the years. One big thing that sets eero apart from the competition is that every eero device — including the eero Pro 7 and the eero Max 7 — works with all of the company’s previous mesh routers.

The eero Max 7 was the company’s first mesh router with Wi-Fi 7 support and launched back in 2023. Now though, eero has released two new Wi-Fi 7-powered mesh kits in the form of the eero Pro 7 and the eero 7. However, as the eero 7 is a dual-band Wi-Fi 7 router, we’ll be comparing the new eero Pro 7 to the eero Max 7 to help you find the right eero mesh system with full Wi-Fi 7 support for your home.

Whether you want the faster speeds or new features like Multi-Link Operations, 4K QAM and ultra-wide 320MHz data channels that come with upgrading to Wi-Fi 7, the eero Pro 7 and the eero Max 7 both have you covered. However, deciding which one is a better fit for you and your household’s needs comes down to price, performance, features and design.

Here’s everything you need to know about the new eero Pro 7 and the eero Max 7 to help you decide between eero’s two most powerful mesh Wi-Fi systems.

Specs: How do the Eero Pro 7 and Eero Max 7 specs compare?

Pricing: What is the price difference between the Eero Pro 7 and Eero Max 7?

As one of the first Wi-Fi 7 mesh kits available, the eero Max 7 carries a significantly higher price tag than the less powerful eero Pro 7. A single eero Max 7 costs $599 while a two-pack is available for $1,149 and there’s also a three-pack for $1,699. Meanwhile, the newer eero Pro 7 is priced more competitively. A single eero Pro 7 costs $299, a two-pack is available for $549 and a three-pack will set you back $699.

Since you can buy individual units, you can always start with a two-pack and then purchase another eero Max 7 or eero Pro 7 later on if you need more coverage in your home.

Likewise, you can use an Echo Dot (4th or 5th gen) as a mesh extender with either of these mesh Wi-Fi kits for additional coverage in a pinch. However, when using an Echo Dot as a mesh extender, they only support speeds of up to 100 megabits per second (Mbps). Still, this is a nice option to have, especially if you already own several of the best smart home devices from Amazon.

Design: How do the Eero Pro 7 and Eero Max 7 designs differ?

Up until the release of the Max 7, all of eero’s mesh routers featured a puck-like design and were significantly smaller. With more antennas and warmer components powering them, eero’s Wi-Fi 7 devices needed a taller design with better cooling.

At 7.2 x 8.7 x 3.5 inches, the Max 7 is eero’s largest mesh router yet but it’s by no means the most sizable Wi-Fi 7 mesh router.

The Netgear Orbi 970 series is the tallest at 11.4 inches, though the TP-Link BE85 and Asus ZenWifi BQ 16 Pro are both quite large too with the former also sporting a cylindrical design while the latter is one of the only rectangular Wi-Fi 7-powered mesh routers.

To really get a good idea of the size difference between these two mesh routers, you need to see them side by side. At 7.1 x 5.8 x 2.6 inches, the Pro 7 is almost two-thirds smaller than the Max 7. Size is definitely something you want to consider when upgrading to a mesh router as unlike with one of the best Wi-Fi routers, a mesh Wi-Fi system is comprised of multiple devices that need to be strategically placed around your home.

For instance, in my own home, I have our main mesh router in the game room with another satellite in the living room and a third one in the kitchen. The Pro 7 units will definitely be easier to hide on top of bookshelves or you could even place one on a desk. I’ve been using the Max 7 since November of last year and while it is larger than the TP-Link Deco XE75 I used previously, its larger size isn’t as big of a deal as I thought it would be at first.

Both the eero Pro 7 and Max 7 have plenty of ventilation throughout their respective designs. There are large openings on the top, at the rear and on the bottom of both mesh routers. The Pro 7 and Max 7 aren’t loud though as they are passively cooled and don’t have an internal fan. All of this extra ventilation does seem to do the trick and neither device got more than warm to the touch after running for days on end during our testing.

Features: What are the key feature differences between the Pro 7 and Max 7?

Besides the size difference between these two devices, the available ports on the back are the other big differentiator in terms of how they’ll fit into your home network. The Pro 7 has two 5 Gigabit Ethernet ports, a reset button and a USB-C port for power around back while the Max 7 has two 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet ports, two 10 Gigabit Ethernet ports and the same reset button and USB-C port for power.

If you’re plugging in the Pro 7 or Max 7 into one of the best cable modems or an Optical Network Terminal for those with fiber internet, you can use any of the available Ethernet ports to do so. However, if you have a multi-gig internet plan with speeds faster than 2.5 Gbps with the Max 7, then you’re going to want to use one of the 10 Gigabit Ethernet ports instead.

Out of all the mesh routers I’ve tried and the ones we’ve reviewed at Tom’s Guide, only eero’s have a USB-C port for power while the others use a barrel port connector. The great thing about this is that if one of the power adapters in your eero mesh kit breaks or say gets lost during a move, you don’t have to buy a replacement directly from eero. Instead, you can use any power adapter with USB-C like a GaN charger, granted it has the correct wattage.

Since it is a larger device, the Max 7 has a 45W adapter while the smaller, less powerful Pro 7 uses a 27W one. Besides the Max 7’s higher overall price, it will also cost you more to run over time. For instance, if you pay that national average of 16 cents per kilowatt hour, a Max 7 two-pack will cost about $52 per year while a Pro 7 two-pack will cost around $25 per year.

One of the reasons you might be considering eero over other mesh routers is because of their features and simple setup process.

For starters, the company’s TrueMesh network intelligence helps limit interference while ensuring fast, reliable connections to all your devices. Then there’s TrueRoam which makes it easier for your devices to transition from one eero unit to another while you move around your house and finally there’s TrueChannel to intelligently choose which Wi-Fi channels your devices connect to. There’s a lot of proprietary technology and software powering eero’s mesh routers.

Setting up your eero devices and making changes to them is done entirely through the eero app. In the app itself, there’s a ton of information about your eero mesh kit, the devices connected to it and your internet connection.

If you’re willing to spend a bit more though, there’s also eero plus which costs $9.99 per month or $99 for the year. In addition to extra features like access to historical data, ad blocking, extra network security and eero Internet Backup, you also get antivirus software from Malwarebytes, a password manager from 1Password, a VPN from Guardian and VIP customer support.

Performance: Which router has better performance, the Eero Pro 7 or Eero Max 7?

If you look at our testing data above, you might think that the Pro 7 is faster than the Max 7 at first glance. However, that’s definitely not the case. You see, we did our networking benchmarks for the Max 7 when it was first released in 2023. Over the past two years though, it’s received a ton of automatic updates (one of eero’s best features overall) and they have really had an impact on performance and overall network stability.

One thing that really surprised us with the Pro 7 though is how well it performed at mid-range distances. Also, keep in mind that these tests were carried out using a single eero device and this doesn’t really showcase the true power of a mesh network.

After upgrading to the Max 7 myself with a 10 gigabit Fiber connection, I consistently saw speeds of over a gigabit in my kitchen which is 38 feet away from the main eero unit that serves as my router in my game room. Also, there are several rooms between the two Max 7 units and I have a house filled with other connected devices using up bandwidth.

It’s also worth noting that if you have a very fast multi-gig internet connection, you can see even better speeds by hardwiring your computer to the Pro 7 or Max 7. The Pro 7 can get up to 5 Gbps down over its multi-gig Ethernet ports while the Max 7 can get up to 10 Gbps down.

Granted, you’ll likely see less than either of these numbers as even with a plan with the fastest internet speeds available, internet service providers offer speeds “up to” a certain amount of data. For example, your gigabit internet plan could drop down to 500 Mbps during peak periods where a lot of other people are using your ISP’s services at the same time.

Which is best for you: Should you buy the Eero Pro 7 or the Eero Max 7?

The Pro 7 and Max 7 are both excellent mesh Wi-Fi systems with great features, fast speeds and best of all, a very simple set up and configuration process. You can’t go wrong with either mesh kit but the high price of the Max 7 and its 10 Gigabit Ethernet Ports means that it will likely appeal more to power users and early adopters. The Pro 7 on the other hand is a great mid-range option that doesn’t cut any corners like we’ve seen with other Wi-Fi 7 mesh routers. If $699 for an eero Pro 7 three-pack is too much for you, there’s always the very affordable Eero 7 mesh kit too. However, it doesn’t give you access to the faster 6GHz band which is one of the big draws of both Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7.

One thing that you can do with eero that you can’t do with other mesh routers is mix and match. For instance, you could buy a single Max 7 unit to serve as your main router and then pick up a pair of Pro 7 units to serve as the satellites around the rest of your house. If you want to have the same mesh devices for your whole network, you could also start off with a two-pack and then add an additional unit later on or use several Echo Dot smart speakers to fill out any gaps in your home network’s coverage.

At the end of the day though, the Pro 7 is likely the best Wi-Fi 7-powered eero mesh router for most people due to its features, performance and more affordable price. However, if you have the right internet plan and a lot of hardwired devices, the Max 7 is a great though more expensive option.

More from Tom's Guide

• Don't toss out your old mesh router — here’s how you can give it new life
• The one problem with mesh routers — read this before you buy
• I helped my uncle upgrade to a mesh Wi-Fi system — here’s how I did it

Just when you thought whole home Wi-Fi was enough, you’ll soon be able to extend your home network all the way out into the backyard with Wi-Fi 7 speeds to boot thanks to TP-Link’s new outdoor mesh systems.

At CES 2025, the networking and smart home company showed off not one, but two outdoor mesh nodes designed to withstand the elements while giving your Wi-Fi network extra range.

The Deco BE25-Outdoor and the Deco BE65-Outdoor are compatible with the best mesh Wi-Fi systems from TP-Link and can be powered over Ethernet or using a traditional plug. The Deco-BE25 Outdoor adds an extra 2,600 square feet of coverage and supports over 150 devices while the Deco BE65-Outdoor takes things a step further with 3,000 square feet of coverage and support for up to 200 connected devices.

Both of these new outdoor mesh nodes are IP65-rated and can be mounted on a wall, to a pole or even on a tabletop. The Deco BE25-Outdoor and the Deco BE65-Outdoor are also waterproof and feature dustproof enclosures. Just like the rest of TP-Link’s mesh devices, they’re both compatible with all of your existing Deco units.

As for specs, the Deco BE25-Outdoor is a dual-band Wi-Fi 7 device that can reach a combined top speed of 5 gigabits per second (Gbps). Since it uses Power over Ethernet (PoE), you can power and connect this mesh node with a single cable, that is if your home is wired for Ethernet. Meanwhile, the Deco BE65-Outdoor is a tri-band Wi-Fi 7 device that can reach a combined top speed of 11 Gbps. It also packs in some of Wi-Fi 7’s best features like wider 320 MHz data channels and Multi-Link Operation which lets you use all three bands (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz and 6 GHz) simultaneously. Both devices feature two 2.5 Gbps Ethernet ports though, which are perfect for multi-gig internet.

Deco Wi-Fi 7 Outdoor: Outlook

If you’re still using a traditional Wi-Fi router and live in a larger house instead of an apartment, upgrading to a mesh Wi-Fi system will make a huge difference as doing so can eliminate Wi-Fi dead zones throughout your home. With outdoor mesh nodes like the Deco BE25-Outdoor and the Deco BE65-Outdoor though, you can get the same level of Wi-Fi coverage that you get inside when you’re outside.

I recently added the eero Outdoor 7 to my own home network back when I upgraded to Wi-Fi 7. As the weather isn’t quite warm enough yet though, I haven’t been able to take full advantage of having a strong, fast wireless connection in my backyard. One improvement that I have noticed though is that all of the best outdoor security cameras around my house now connect to the eero Outdoor 7 instead of the eero Max 7 mesh system that’s currently set up inside.

What really got me excited about the Deco BE65-Outside on the show floor of CES is the fact that it’s a tri-band Wi-Fi 7 mesh node. Just like the Deco BE25-Outdoor, the eero Outdoor 7 is also a dual-band Wi-Fi 7 device. With the recently announced Deco BE65-Outdoor though, you’ll be able to take advantage of its faster 6 GHz band. It’s worth noting though that eero Outdoor 7 has significantly more range than the either Deco outdoor mesh node at 15,000 square feet.

If you want to finally have the same Wi-Fi experience that you have indoors while outside, the Deco BE65-Outdoor looks quite promising already. However, we’ll have to get one in for testing to find out for ourselves.

More from Tom's Guide

• Think you know what Wi-Fi stands for? Get ready for a surprise
• These are the best Wi-Fi 7 routers you can get right now
• I helped my uncle upgrade to a mesh Wi-Fi system — here’s how I did it

Imagine buying a new device only to find out after the fact that it can’t do what you expected it to. If something doesn’t change soon, this could very well become a common occurrence with the best Wi-Fi 7 routers.

As we move from one wireless standard to the next, faster speeds are usually the biggest selling point and one of the main reasons people upgrade in the first place. Over the past few years, we’ve seen a big jump in Wi-Fi speeds, and the reason for this is that with Wi-Fi 6E, you’re able to use a brand new band in addition to the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands found on all of the best Wi-Fi routers.

With a Wi-Fi 6E-powered router, you also get access to the 6 GHz band, which has a theoretical top speed of 9.6 gigabits per second (Gbps). While the 5 GHz band also tops out at this same theoretical speed, one of the reasons the 6 GHz band feels a lot faster is due to the fact that it’s less crowded since most of our other connected devices use the other two bands instead. Likewise, the 6 GHz Wi-Fi spectrum is also wider at 1,200 MHz and sports even larger data channels.

When Wi-Fi 7 was first announced, it seemed that this new wireless standard would build on the groundwork laid by Wi-Fi 6E while adding even wider 320 MHz data channels. Wi-Fi 7 also includes a slew of useful new features like Multi-Link Operation (MLO) which lets you use all three bands simultaneously, MU-MIMO to increase the number of spatial streams from 8 to 16 and 4K QAM for faster data rates.

While there are still plenty of reasons to ditch your ISP-supplied router and upgrade to Wi-Fi 7, the waters are becoming a bit murkier. You see, now that networking companies like Netgear, TP-Link, Asus and others have released the first wave of premium Wi-Fi 7 routers and mesh routers, they’re currently working on making them more affordable. Some omissions and cuts are to be expected with this second wave of Wi-Fi 7 networking gear, but one in particular has me worried since it will make buying a new Wi-Fi 7 router even more complicated.

If you’re in the market for a new router or even one of the best mesh Wi-Fi systems with Wi-Fi 7, here’s everything you need to know about this new breed of devices and why spending a bit extra (if you can) makes a whole lot more sense.

Making Wi-Fi 7 more accessible

Last year at CES, I stopped by TP-Link’s booth. In addition to the Archer GE800, the company’s first Wi-Fi 7-powered gaming router, I saw something else that immediately struck my eye: a Wi-Fi 7 router that cost just $100. Surely, there had to be a catch?

Even though the Archer BE3600 is a Wi-Fi 7 router, it’s a dual-band Wi-Fi 7 router. Remember that new 6 GHz band that made Wi-Fi 6E feel almost like a brand new Wi-Fi version? This and other dual-band Wi-Fi 7 routers don’t support it. Instead, just like the best Wi-Fi 6 routers, they only support the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands.

I know this won’t be a deal breaker for most people, but if you skipped out on Wi-Fi 6E since Wi-Fi 7 was looming on the horizon and you were excited about being able to use this new faster and less crowded band, you might be disappointed. Especially if you didn’t read the fine print when shopping for your new Wi-Fi 7 router and thought you were getting a steal of a deal on a more powerful device.

Don’t get me wrong, the Archer BE3600 packs in plenty of features and loads of ports for the price. Around the back, you get a 2.5 Gbps input port to connect to one of the best cable modems along with a second 2.5 Gbps Ethernet port, three gigabit Ethernet ports and even a USB port for sharing data across your network. In terms of Wi-Fi 7-specific features, the Archer BE3600 supports Multi-Link Operation, 4K-QAM and Multi-RU Puncturing, which allows devices to use parts of a data channel even if other parts are occupied. Think of this last feature as a highway that’s under construction where some lanes are closed, yet traffic is still able to flow smoothly through the open ones.

With a dual-band Wi-Fi 7 router, you’re going to have a better experience overall when compared to a Wi-Fi 6 router. However, when it comes to maximum speeds, that missing 6 GHz band will hold your network back, and this is even more true with a mesh router. This is because many mesh Wi-Fi systems — like the TP-Link Deco XE75 — allow you to use the 6 GHz band as a dedicated backhaul channel to avoid crowding up the other ones. If your home is wired for Ethernet, you won’t have to worry about this as you can connect the main unit that serves as the router and its satellites together using cables. These days though, most homes aren’t, and this is where having an extra band can come in handy with a mesh network.

Part upgrade, part downgrade

In the past, as we’ve moved from one wireless standard to the next, all of the new features and any new bands that were added carried over. The only time this didn’t happen though was with Wi-Fi 5, which dropped support for the 2.4 GHz band to focus entirely on the 5 GHz one. While Wi-Fi 7 itself still supports all three bands, these new dual-band routers don’t.

Time will tell as to whether or not dual-band Wi-Fi 7 routers catch on but as they’re significantly cheaper than tri-band ones, I could easily see a budget-conscious shopper picking the former over the latter at checkout. Most people will likely be completely satisfied with this upgrade but others might experience a twinge of buyer’s remorse knowing they don’t have access to everything Wi-Fi 7 has to offer, despite the fact that they just bought and set up a new router.

The Wi-Fi Alliance is the organization that came up with the numbered naming convention to help people know how one wireless standard differs from another. For instance, they added an “E” to Wi-Fi 6 to show that Wi-Fi 6E is an "extension" of Wi-Fi 6 and not a whole new standard like Wi-Fi 7. With dual-band Wi-Fi 7 devices, things are a bit different, but I still think we need a way to differentiate between routers that support the 6 GHz band and those that don’t. Maybe something like “Wi-Fi 7 Lite” might do the trick.

Whether this happens or not, you need to be extra attentive when deciding between one Wi-Fi 7 router and another, especially when there’s a significant price difference between them. Make sure to meticulously look over the specs if you want the complete Wi-Fi 7 experience. Still though, some people might not, and for them, these new dual-band Wi-Fi 7 routers could be the perfect way to level up their home network without breaking the bank. Just be sure you know exactly what you’re getting before you upgrade.

More from Tom's Guide

• I just set up a new Wi-Fi router and wish I did this one thing differently
• Think you know what Wi-Fi stands for? Get ready for a surprise
• I helped my uncle upgrade to a mesh Wi-Fi system — here’s how I did it

TP-Link routers are some of the most popular in the United States. However, they could be facing a ban within the next calendar year according to a new report from the Wall Street Journal.

The company, based out of Shenzhen, China, is reportedly under investigation by a trio of US government agencies including the Departments of Commerce, Defense and Justice due to security concerns and potential ties to Chinese cyberattacks.

Sources told the Journal that routers from TP-Link allegedly ship with security vulnerabilities and the company is resistant to address these flaws.

The report does not indicate that TP-Link routers were used in the huge telecommunications providers data breach earlier this year. That breach which reportedly hit both AT&T and Verizon, among others, was confirmed to be carried out by the Chinese hacking group Salt Typhoon, which supposedly has ties to the Chinese government.

However, Microsoft's Threat Intelligence group released a report in October that found TP-Link routers largely the most compromised devices in a Chinese "password spray" attacks calling the hacks "nation-state threat actor activity." That assessment track attacks going back to August 2023.

TP-Link has been under investigation by at least the Defense Department since August of this year when it opened an investigation into the vulnerabilities of Chinese routers. A House Committee called for an investigation into the company's routers around the same time.

Lawmakers wrote, "TP-Link’s unusual degree of vulnerabilities and required compliance with PRC law are in and of themselves disconcerting. When combined with the PRC government’s common use of SOHO [small office/home office] routers like TP-Link to perpetrate extensive cyberattacks in the United States, it becomes significantly alarming.”

Tom's Guide reached out to the Irvine-based U.S. subsidiary of TP-Link for comment and a company spokesperson provided further details on these vulnerabilities, saying:

"We fully acknowledge that vulnerabilities exist across the industry. However, contrary to claims of widespread vulnerabilities, comparative data places TP-Link on par with, or in some cases ahead of, other major industry players in terms of security outcomes. For example, public vulnerability data (sourced from recognized security repositories like CVE Details and VulDB) shows that TP-Link’s rate of vulnerabilities per product is significantly lower than those of other leading manufacturers."

Meanwhile, a spokesperson told the Journal that the company welcomes opportunities to work with the government and "to demonstrate that our security practices are fully in line with industry security standards, and to demonstrate our ongoing commitment to the U.S. market, U.S. consumers, and addressing U.S. national security risks."

The US vs China and bans

Whether under Trump, who banned the sale of Huawei products in the U.S. to Biden, whose administration is working on banning TikTok and DJI Drones, these sorts of bans have largely been enacted under the auspices of national security and claimed threats of Chinese spying or hacking activity.

However, unlike Huawei and DJI, a TP-Link ban would affect millions of people, businesses and both federal and local government agencies.

If a bans is enacted, it will most likely originate from an office created under the first Trump administration, the Office of Information and Communications Technology and Services, which was granted the power to prohibit companies from designated nations from selling their products or services in the US. That office recently banned the Russian software company Kaspersky from selling its antivirus software in the U.S.

A TP-Link ban would be massive, the Journal claims that TP-Link routers make up nearly 65% of the US market and are in everything from people's homes to government offices and military institutions.

In general, TP-Link routers are much less expensive than competitors and the Department of Justice is investigating whether those cheap prices are violating federal laws on attempts to create monopolies by selling its products for less than they cost to manufacture. A TP-Link spokesperson denied those charges though.

UPDATE: A TP-Link spokesperson sent Tom's Guide a study which seems to show that TP-Link only has a 12% marketshare in the United States for consumers and only 2% for businesses. That study was reportedly done by the company Lansweeper, which has an interest in consulting and organizing IT systems for other companies. TP-Link spokespeople claimed that the 65% number came from the Wall Street Journal article and they say that the writers of that article could not provide a source for that number. It is unclear from Journal report where that number came from.

We were also told that the company is based in Irvine, not Shenzhen. That appears to be a recent shift. A press release from May 2024 indicates that the company restructured with "dual" headquarters in the United States and Singapore. The US location opened in 2023. From that point on, Shenzhen disappears from press releases and is replaced by Irvine. From everything that Tom's Guide has found, the company was founded in Shenzhen and appears to still be operating there.

How to improve your router's security

At Tom's Guide, TP-Link routers are featured quite often on our best Wi-Fi routers lists from the best gaming routers and best mesh Wi-Fi systems to the best Wi-Fi 7 routers. This is due to their excellent performance, affordability and the fact that they have a wide variety of devices to choose from.

We are monitoring this story and will reevaluate those choices as more information comes out, especially if a ban goes into effect. In the meantime, there are plenty of other alternatives to TP-Link on our lists from Netgear, Asus, eero and the other biggest names in home networking.

If you do have a TP-Link router in your home or office, you might have concerns that it could potentially be compromised though.

The Microsoft analysis from October found that many TP-Link routers were compromised when people failed to change their default password which is the first thing you should do when setting up a new router.

Here are a few other steps you can take to make your router more secure:

Create custom login credentials: Many, if not most, cybersecurity issues arise because people keep the default login credentials set by the manufacturer of their devices or their internet provider who supplied them. Most routers have apps where you can update your login credentials or you can do so by typing your IP address into your browser's address bar. As always, avoid common words or character combinations (no 123456 passwords for instance). Longer is better and you want to use a combination of letters, symbols and numbers to create strong passwords for all of your devices and accounts. Likewise, you never want to reuse passwords across accounts because if hackers compromise one of them, they will then try those credentials to access your other accounts/devices.

Update your firmware: Most router manufacturers, including TP-Link, regularly send out firmware updates that include security patches. Be sure to keep your router up to date and regularly check for firmware updates.

Ensure your firewall and Wi-Fi encryption are on: While firewalls and Wi-Fi encryption tend to be on by default, it never hurts to actually make sure they're still enabled Having these turned on makes it more difficult for bad actors to see data sent between your router and connected devices. These settings can also be found in relevant router apps or websites. Likewise, you can also use one of the best VPNs to keep the data sent from your devices to the internet private and secure.

Consider a new router: TP-Link gained massive market share over the years by undercutting the competition with less expensive routers. Since your router is something you and the rest of your household use everyday, upgrading to a new one is a worthwhile investment, especially if you're worried. However, this could also give you a chance to outfit your house with the latest wireless tech in the form of Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7 if you're using an older Wi-Fi 5 or Wi-Fi 6 device.

More from Tom's Guide

• I upgraded to Wi-Fi 7 and it convinced me to finally ditch cable internet for fiber
• 5 reasons why you should buy a router instead of using the one from your ISP
• I test wireless routers for a living — 9 things to look for before you buy

There’s no upgrade quite like a new Wi-Fi router, especially when it’s packing the latest wireless tech. However, when you combine that with even faster internet, your home network becomes almost unrecognizable.

That’s exactly what happened to me when I decided it was time to test out one of the best Wi-Fi 7 routers for myself. I’ve been writing about Wi-Fi 7 for the past few years, but since devices that support it are still few and far between, I had originally planned to hold off on upgrading.

Back when I started at Tom’s Guide, one of the first things I did was upgrade from a traditional Wi-Fi router to one of the best mesh Wi-Fi systems and for good reason. Not only was my router struggling to keep up with all of my connected devices but I also had Wi-Fi dead zones throughout my house. Switching to a mesh router solved both of these problems, but it also gave me a chance to experience the higher speeds you get with Wi-Fi 6E thanks to its new, faster 6 GHz band.

For the past two years, my trusty TP-Link Deco XE75 has served me quite well but with Wi-Fi 7’s new features like Multi-Link Operation (which lets you use multiple bands simultaneously) and the promise of lower latency, I knew sooner or later that curiosity would get the best of me. I just didn’t think that one upgrade would lead to another.

Here’s how my experience upgrading to Wi-Fi 7 went and why doing so was the final push I needed to ditch cable internet for fiber.

An upgrade I had to experience for myself

Although I’ve mainly been using a mesh Wi-Fi system from TP-Link, I have tried a few other mesh routers since my initial upgrade including the Wyze Mesh Router Pro and the eero 6+. For this reason, I was right at home when eero offered to send out one of their eero Max 7 mesh kits for me to test out.

While eero’s previous mesh routers were very compact and puck-shaped, the Amazon-owned company had to change up the design of the Max 7 to accommodate for the 10 internal antennas and the extra cooling needed for its more powerful components. At 8.4 x 7.1 x 3.4 inches, the Max 7 is a lot larger than previous eero devices but still smaller than the Netgear Orbi RBE973. In fact, Netgear also redesigned its mesh routers for Wi-Fi 7 while TP-Link stuck with its same cylindrical design.

Even though the eero Max 7 is on the larger side, its oval shape makes these mesh routers easy to hide around your home. After all, unlike with one of the best Wi-Fi routers, a mesh Wi-Fi system is made up of multiple devices (the main router and usually one or two satellites) that work together to create a mesh network to give you better coverage and range.

One thing that I really like about the Max 7’s new design is that there’s room for multiple Ethernet ports at the back. Eero’s previous mesh routers like the eero Pro 6e only had two Ethernet ports. Another big change is that the Max 7 is fully equipped for multi-gig internet with two 2.5 gigabit ports as well as two 10 gigabit ports. Just like with previous eeros though, it still uses a USB-C port for power.

I won’t bore you with all the details but getting the eero Max 7 up and running was incredibly simple. The eero app walks you through the whole process from adding a strong password to your home network to where you should position your eero devices for the best signal. With other mesh routers, you often need to scan a QR code or press a sync button to add a new satellite to your mesh network. With eero, you just plug in your satellites after setting up your main router and the app instantly detects them. It also lets you know if they’re positioned close enough but not too far from your main router.

The whole setup process took less than 10 minutes and my Wi-Fi 7-powered mesh network was up and running in no time at all. To make things easier for myself and all of the smart home devices, mini PCs and other connected gadgets around my home, I used the same network ID and password with the Max 7 that I was previously using with my Deco XE75.

If you haven’t upgraded your router before, this is one of the best networking tricks there is as your devices will automatically reconnect despite the fact that they’re technically on a new network. It didn’t happen all at once but all of my devices eventually came back online and connected to the Max 7, saving me the hassle of having to manually enter passwords for each of them.

From one upgrade to another

I initially had the Max 7 connected to one of the best cable modems. However, one of the reasons you might want to avoid cable internet is because multi-gig plans are much more expensive. Likewise, you might not even be able to get one depending on where you live.

For instance, I’m an Xfinity subscriber (or at least I was) with the company’s Gigabit Extra plan that maxes out a 1.2 gigabits per second (Gbps). Before I upgraded to Wi-Fi 7, I called the company to see if they offered faster plans as one of the big draws of the Max 7 is its faster speeds. Unfortunately, Xfinity doesn’t offer its faster Gigabit Extra x2 plan in my area which has a top speed of 2 Gbps.

With a premium mesh Wi-Fi system like the Max 7, you want to ensure that you have right the internet speeds to truly take advantage of all that extra power. Xfinity didn’t, so I took a chance and called up my local fiber provider instead.

As it turns out, Houston-based Ezee Fiber not only has faster speeds but its plans are also a lot cheaper. Since I test VPN services for Tom’s Guide and often download multiple games at once when reviewing the best mini PCs, I previously paid Xfinity an additional $25 per month for unlimited data. With my new internet service provider, I’m now paying $20 less each month for 8-gigabit fiber internet ($140 vs $120) with no data caps whatsoever.

After a quick call, one of their technicians came the next day to install a box on the side of my house where the fiber optic cable comes in from the street. In order to get my new internet up and running quickly, the technician ran a temporary line from the main one with plans to come back later and bury it in my backyard.

Unlike with cable internet where the line comes into your house at a fixed point, my fiber install was more flexible and I was able to tell the technician exactly where I wanted the box. As we spend most of our time in the game room, I chose to have my new fiber connection come in there.

The following day, another technician came and did the interior installation. Basically, this consisted of putting another smaller box on the interior wall for the fiber line as it entered my home.

As you can see in the picture above, I still have my cable internet connected, though I am going to cancel soon. A great thing about upgrading to fiber from cable internet is that you can actually have both connections coming into your house at the same time. This gives you the opportunity to try fiber internet before you fully commit but you could also have two separate home networks in what’s known as dual WAN setup.

The yellow cable from the wall is then plugged into another box known as an Optical Network Terminal (ONT). It converts the light signals from your fiber internet into electrical signals and has an Ethernet port to connect to your router. Essentially, it works like a cable modem but for fiber internet.

If you decide to switch from cable internet to fiber like I did, you don’t necessarily need an ONT if your router has the right ports. For instance, the TP-Link Deco BE85 has an SFP+ port on the back and with that mesh router, I could have just plugged the yellow fiber cable directly into it. The ONT Ezee Fiber sent over is small enough though and I tucked it away out of sight, with my main eero Max 7 on a shelf next to it.

When I had my new fiber internet connection and the eero Max 7 set up, I immediately noticed a difference when it came to my download speeds as well as latency. All that extra bandwidth meant that my devices didn’t have to fight for their share. Even when running multiple speed tests simultaneously (which I don't recommend for an accurate reading), each device easily had download speeds over a gigabit. However, I wasn’t done there as eero has a brand new Wi-Fi 7-powered device I wanted to add to my home network as the finishing touch.

Bringing Wi-Fi 7 to the great outdoors

With a mesh router, you’re able to access the internet in places where you might not have been able to before. Poor connectivity in my garage was one of the reasons I switched but I also found that I was able to get online out in the backyard too, albeit with much slower speeds.

Depending on the size of your property, that might not be the case which is why eero recently launched the eero Outdoor 7. At first glance, it looks like another Max 7 satellite but it’s actually a weatherproof, outdoor mesh extender. This way, you can bring your mesh network and Wi-Fi 7 outside.

Getting the Outdoor 7 set up and running was as easy as adding another eero device to my mesh network. Once I had it mounted on a fence in my backyard and plugged in, I just went through the same simple setup process in the eero app.

The Outdoor 7 has been hanging out there for two weeks now and it hasn’t disconnected or had any other issues.

I haven’t been able to make the most of it yet as the weather has finally gotten cold but come summer, I’ll be out there with my projector streaming movies without any annoying loading screens. And who knows, I might even take a few video calls for work outside.

So far though, I have a few of the best outdoor security cameras currently connected to it as well as the Ring Mailbox Sensor that lets me know when the mail arrives.

Bottlenecks be gone

I initially thought that I’d see multi-gig speeds on all of my devices with the eero Max 7 hooked up to an 8-gig fiber connection. Instead, though, both upgrades eliminated the bottlenecks I used to experience with my cable internet and now, pretty much every device in my house is able to get a gigabit down without any issues.

The exception being my Wi-Fi 7-equipped mini PCs and when connected to the eero Max 7, I managed to hit 2 Gbps on both the Acemagic F2A and the Atomman G7 Ti.

To really make the most out of my new fiber internet, I’d need to connect directly to the Max 7 using a cable rather than Wi-Fi. The device on the other end would also need a multi-gig Ethernet port but these are becoming more common. Loads of mini PCs now have 2.5 gigabit ports but if you want a 10 gigabit port instead, you can add one to the Mac mini M4 for an extra $100.

Upgrading to Wi-Fi 7 can be expensive if you go with a more powerful mesh kit with all of the bells and whistles but it doesn’t have to be. There are already cheaper mesh kits with Wi-Fi 7 like the Linksys Velop Pro 6 or the TP-Link Deco BE63 but more are on the way.

I was really excited to upgrade to Wi-Fi 7 but if I hadn’t ditched my cable internet for fiber, I probably would have been slightly let down. If you’re thinking of upgrading yourself, just make sure that you have the right internet plan to make the most out of Wi-Fi 7.

More from Tom's Guide

• The Echo Dot now works as an eero mesh extender — just how good is it?
• Wi-Fi 7 routers: 3 things to consider before you upgrade
• Don't toss out your old mesh router — here’s how you can give it new life

The age of the indoor-only Wi-Fi may be at an end thanks to the eero Outdoor 7 which has the ability to wire (or unwire) the great outdoors with a dual-band mesh node that can dole out Wi-Fi 7 data while standing up to Mother Nature. The satellite easily links with an eero network to provide all the goodies of a Wi-Fi 7 network, except using the high-performance 6 GHz transmission band.

Easy to set up and reliable, the Outdoor 7 node combines Wi-Fi 7 speeds and IP66 weatherproofing but using its Power over Ethernet (POE) abilities for a single cable install requires extra gear and the eero Plus package which also includes extra security, parental control software and networking stats for $100 per year. It may be the ticket for alfresco Internet but will it fit in your home, yard and budget. My eero Outdoor 7 review will help you decide if this is the perfect accessory for one of the best mesh Wi-Fi systems from eero.

eero Outdoor 7 review: Pricing and availability

Amazon has updated its powerful eero Max 7 mesh networking kit with the Outdoor 7, a weatherized node for exterior use. A unique product, the Outdoor 7 is rated to cover up to 15,000 square feet and costs $400 with an AC adapter. Eero also sells a $350 standalone Outdoor 7 for use with a POE+ network and a $400 10-port POE+ switch with 2.5 Gbps and 10 Gbps ports.

eero Outdoor 7 review: Design

With a similar design to a traditional eero mesh unit with the back cut off, the Outdoor 7 slides into the included mounting bracket. When installed, it looks like a small shield that at 8.2 x 6.3 x 3.2 inches can go unnoticed on a wall were it not for the fact that it’s only available in white. In other words, it can stand out like a sore thumb against a dark wall.

With an IP66 dust and water intrusion rating, the Outdoor 7 includes a silicone cable cap and a Gore-Tex-like expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) polymer seal that blocks water entry but allows condensation and warm air to escape. It can stand up to the elements though, including a 100 mph gale resistance and a temperature range of -40 to 131 degrees Fahrenheit – good from Fairbanks to Death Valley. Overall, the Outdoor 7 performed well in the milder suburbs north of New York City, working through several downpours and subzero nights.

Built around Power Over Ethernet (POE), the unit’s 2.5 Gbps Ethernet port is also how it’s powered. In fact, the included AC adapter is a POE+ injector that only carries power. The beauty of this design is that it allows power and data to flow over a single cable but you’ll need a POE+ data and power injector for that as well as a home that’s wired for Ethernet.

It lacks an on/off switch but there’s a reset button and a grounding connection for those with lightning problems. Based on Qualcomm’s IPQ5332 chipset, a 1.5 GHz quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM and a generous 4GB of flash storage space, it’s able to route data to and from up to 200 clients and works with older eero gear like the eero Pro 6E or the eero 6+.

The dual-band Outdoor 7 uses 2X2 data streaming over the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands but lacks the all-out performance of the 6 GHz band. Its five antennas create a spherical transmission pattern that uses 4K Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) to send data over 320 MHz channels; the nodes use a 240 MHz backhaul channel and can be wired. It’s rated at a peak throughput of BE2100, one-tenth the Max 7’s 20.8 Gbps output.

Each Outdoor 7 node can connect to the router or another node, allowing effective outdoor mesh networking for connecting a workshop, satellite office or large backyard. It’s also a master of home automation with Thread, Zigbee, and Matter protocols built-in for controlling the best smart lights or viewing live feeds from the best outdoor security cameras.

On the other hand, the Outdoor 7 ignores the Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) that speeds adding devices because it’s – according to eero – too insecure. While many competitors include an extra security layer with their networking products, eero Plus goes further with a package that includes Malwarebytes Premium Security, Guardian’s VPN and 1Password. It costs $100 a year.

eero Outdoor 7 review: Performance

I added the Outdoor 7 to a Max 7 network using its wireless abilities. While the data signal had to travel across a 20-foot room and through the house’s stucco exterior to the Outdoor 7, it filled a 20,000 square foot outdoor area with data.

Using Keysight’s IxChariot networking benchmark to simulate 10 active users with a Wi-Fi 7 equipped Acer Swift Edge 16 notebook, the Outdoor 7 topped out with 987.2 Mbps of throughput close up. This dropped to 879.7 Mbps at the more realistic distance of 15-feet – about half the indoor-only Max 7’s 1.781 Gbps. The performance gap can be explained by the 6 GHz band’s absence.

At 50 feet, the Outdoor 7’s wireless throughput of 388.5 Mbps was more than double the Max 7’s bandwidth, a ratio that held true at 75 feet with the Outdoor 7’s 274.9 Mbps versus 132.7 Mbps for the Max 7. Its 90-foot result of 52.2 Mbps was more than three-times the 16.8 Mbps that the Max 7 yielded.

Next, I used eero’s POE+ network switch and wired data. The hardest part was getting the cable cap off the included power cable and installing it on the data cable; including an extra would have helped. That said, it balked with an older TP-Link POE injector but worked with Trendnet’s $25 TPE-215GI POE+ injector.

At 762.4 Mbps, the throughput at 15 feet was slightly off its wireless performance but the Outdoor 7 caught up with 473.5 Mbps available at 50 feet, a third more throughput than the wireless connection’s 388.5 Mbps. At 75- and 90-feet, the device hit 232.0 Mbps and 39.8 Mbps.

It didn’t matter if the Outdoor 7 was in wireless or wired mode, it had the same 95-foot range. With a second Outdoor 7 node 35 feet away, I bathed my backyard in high-speed Internet.

The Outdoor 7 aced my saturation test where I used several computers for different purposes: a Samsung Galaxy Book played the BBC news feed, an HP Dragonfly notebook cycled through a Spotify play list and an iPad Pro played YouTube videos while a Samsung Galaxy Book swapped data with a networked RAID storage array. All the audio and video came through without a problem, freeze or lost frame.

Using the AC adapter, the Outdoor 7 required 6.3 watts of power that dropped to 2.2 watts at idle by using the Eco Efficiency mode, although it can take a few seconds to wake up. By contrast, the eero POE+ switch used 25 watts, including powering the Outdoor 7. Assuming you pay the national average of 16 cents per kilowatt hour for electricity, the Outdoor 7 should cost $5.95 annually in wireless mode and $35 a year with the POE+ switch.

eero Outdoor 7 review: Setup

Due to its outdoorsy attitude, the Outdoor 7 is a little trickier to set up than just putting a mesh node on an end table. The kit included screws, plastic anchors and clips for attaching to vinyl siding but I set it up on a pole by snaking a flexible hose clamp through the mounting bracket.

I plugged the power adapter into the Outdoor 7’s Ethernet port and screwed its seal tight. I slid it into the bracket.

Using the eero app, I tapped “+” in the upper right, followed by checking that it’s an Outdoor 7 model. There are apps for Android and iPhone but no connected browser installation routine.

The app quickly found the Outdoor 7 and I named it “Driveway”. My last step was to add another Outdoor 7 node 35 feet from the “Driveway” unit named “Back yard”. All told, it took 13 minutes, including the physical installation. At this point, I was able to stay online on my driveway, patio and yard.

Eero Outdoor 7 review: Configuration

The eero app’s Home screen shows the essentials, like Internet access as well as online and disconnected nodes.

Scroll down to see recently connected devices, extra security or business services. At the bottom are tabs for Devices, Activity and Settings.

Tap on the Outdoor 7’s line to reveal the type of connection (wireless or wired) and its IP address. It’s where I updated its firmware.

While the Devices tab shows the connected clients, Settings has the week’s data flow into and out of the network in excellent bar graphs.

There’s also useful info about the account, the network’s name, password and the Guest Network. I could setup DHCP auto IP addressing and use Thread compatible home automation devices

The eero’s Smart Queue Management (SQM) selection optimizes the data flow and shapes the traffic to prioritize the most time-sensitive packets to improve video calls and gaming.

Adding the eero Plus plan helps with useful LAN stats and parental control software. The big addition though is extra security to block individual sites, malware and ads. It costs $100 a year and includes Malwarebytes Premium Security, Guardian’s VPN and 1Password.

Happily, the Outdoor 7 has a three-year warranty – three times longer than the company’s indoor Wi-Fi products. There’s no shortage of online help with the app’s support link, including installation videos for common construction materials.

In addition to the Health Check’s LAN reliability analysis, the app includes links to the product’s help pages as well as the support phone number and email address, something that I wish all router makers would do.

eero Outdoor 7 review: Verdict

Got a disconnected porch, driveway or garage that you’ve wanted to include on your mesh network? The Outdoor 7 is not only weatherproof but complements eero networking gear of all vintages. It has everything that Wi-Fi 7 brings except 6 GHz transmissions but when you’re streaming episodes of “Dark Winds” on your patio, you’ll hardly notice the difference.

Able to connect wirelessly or via a single Ethernet cable with POE+, the Outdoor 7 is versatile and easy to configure. The dual-band device may not be the fastest, but it’s a good way to fill a yard with Wi-Fi while the $100 a year eero Plus package adds malware protection, parental controls and networking stats.

Unique in the expanding world of Wi-Fi 7 mesh systems, the Outdoor 7 may not be a bargain at $400 but the eero Outdoor 7 node is the best way to connect in the great outdoors.

This week D-Link identified six older VPN router models, released in 2011 and 2012, which contain a critical security flaw that could cause them to become infected with malware.

Since the models are all older and at the end of their service life, D-Link will not be issuing a patch or a fix – and full details about the flaw are also not available as this vulnerability is likely able to be exploited.

However, what we know from the bug report is that the flaw could allow unauthorized users to conduct a remote code execution attack; essentially a memory problem within the router could result in a hacker or other threat actor injecting malware or other malicious code into the device.

D-Link is offering affected customers 20% off the purchase of a newer model router, the D-Link DSR-250v2 4-Port Unified Services VPN Router, which retails at $210 on D-Link’s website. It can be found cheaper on Amazon right now because of Black Friday sales.

If you're looking to change brands though (which you might be after a security incident like this one), take a look at our roundup of the best Wi-Fi routers. Likewise, if you want the latest and greatest wireless tech, there are some fantastic Black Friday Wi-Fi 7 router deals on both traditional routers and mesh ones too.

D-Link’s report states if you continue to use the affected devices, you do so against the company’s recommendations; however you should be sure to update the firmware, frequently update the password and keep Wi-Fi encrypted with a separate password.

Vulnerable D-Link routers

• DSR-150 (support ended May 2024)
• DSR-150N (support ended May 2024)
• DSR-250 (support ended May 2024)
• DSR-250N (support ended May 2024)
• DSR-500N (support ended September 2015)
• DSR-1000N (support ended September 2015)

PCMag points out that some of these devices are still on sale at Amazon, so when purchasing tech devices always check their release dates and be sure to do plenty of research on the device itself. Read background information on what a VPN router is, what the pros and cons are and read reviews before making a purchase.

More from Tom's Guide

• ExpressVPN steps up its game with new Credit Scanner tool
• Is VPN by Google coming to Pixel Tablet?
• Microsoft is changing the way admin privileges work in Windows - here's why

Priced like a budget router, but with the power to help the gamer at home master the universe or just tap into that final fantasy, Reyee’s RG-E6 looks like a bargain at $150. The crossover router comes with a 2.5 Gbps input and top-notch prioritization so you’ll get the premium broadband data speeds you pay for. It, however, lacks a USB port for connecting a data drive and does without an extra layer of network security that’s so needed today. 

Still, the question remains, is the RG-E6 penny wise and byte foolish? Our Reyee RG-E6 review will help you decide if this is the best gaming router for you or if it’s worth paying a bit more for something more powerful.

Reyee RG-E6 review: Pricing and availability

The Reyee RG-E6 is a gaming router with an AX6000 rating that even penny pinching players can afford at $150. By contrast, the company’s RG-E5 is rated at AX3200 and might be an even bigger bargain at $90. 

Reyee RG-E6 review: Design

For good or bad, the hexagonal Reyee RG-E6 looks like no other Wi-Fi router. At 10.2 x 10.2 x 6.2 inches, it’s more than twice the size of the TP-Link Archer AX55 unit. It’s just small enough to fit on a bookshelf so it can hide in plain sight. 

Each of its six faces has a pair of antennas that look like big black plastic tuning forks that can be folded toward the center but not rotated or replaced. In addition to cutouts underneath for wall mounting, the RG-E6 has soft rubber feet, so it won’t scratch your furniture. It’s all passively cooled with air entering via vents below; it topped out at 103.1 degrees Fahrenheit.

Based on the MediaTek Filogic 830 Wi-Fi chipset with a 2GHz dual-core processor, the RG-E6 has 512MB of RAM and is capable of servicing over 500 clients. Things run smoother when the device population is kept below 100, though. It uses 802.11AX features, like Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) technology for supporting lots of devices and MUMIMO for streamlining connections, but the RG-E6 lacks some key items reserved for the best Wi-Fi 7 routers like 320MHz data channels and 4K QAM modulation. More to the point, it lacks access to the high-performance and uncrowded 6GHz band. 

It moves 4X4 data streams for a maximum throughput of 1.148 Gbps over the 2.4GHz band and 4.804 Gbps on the 5GHz band. This 5.962 Gbps peak throughput is roughly twice the maximum data moving abilities of the Archer AX55 (AX3000) or Reyee RG-E5 (AX3200).

The router offers a 2.5 Gbps input port as well as four 1 Gbps downstream wired Ethernet connections. There’re specialty networking ports for IPTV video and a low latency dedicated wired Game port. The Game port can be aggregated with one other for top performance. Unfortunately, like the company’s RG-E5 model, the RG-E6 does without a USB port for making the contents of a data drive available across the network. The Archer AX55 has one.

For intense gamers, the router has excellent Quality of Service Prioritization. There’s also access to the GearUp networking service, but the router lacks a worldwide ping map like the one found in the TP-Link Archer GE800.

Plus, there’s no way to tap into Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) for making quickie device connections. On the other hand, while it’s a traditional router, the RG-E6 can be a mesh host or node; just press the mesh button to make the connection with a variety of other Reyee gear, including the company’s RX12 range extender. 

In an age where gamers need to watch their backs when online, the RG-E6 lacks extra online security. Others, like Netgear and TP-Link provide users with Armor and HomeShield but it can cost upwards of $100 a year. 

Reyee RG-E6 review: Performance

Based on tests in my 3,500 square foot home using the Keysight IxChariot networking benchmark and an Acer Swift Edge 16 notebook, the Reyee RG-E6 did surprisingly well at short and moderate distances. In fact, it often bested some Wi-Fi 7 gear. 

For instance, with the router and notebook next to each other, the network moved upwards of 1.234 Gbps, well ahead of any of the other best Wi-Fi 6 routers. At the real-world distance of 15 feet, the router yielded 1.141 Gbps of throughput for a substantial throughput premium over the Wi-Fi 7-based Linksys Velop Pro 7 at 916.7Mbps. It offers 30% faster data flows than the Wi-Fi 6 based Linksys MR9600 (at 822Mbps), TP-Link Archer AX55 (823.7Mbps) or Reyee RG-E5 (849.2Mbps). 

The RG-E6 did well with cables as well at a throughput of 1.802 Gbps using a 6-foot Cat 6 cable connecting the notebook with the router. Gamers will likely appreciate this bonus more than other users who rarely plug in an Ethernet cable.

With 50-feet separating the notebook and router, it dominated the wireless throughput ratings at 505.5Mbps, about 10% ahead of the 453.3Mbps that the Velop 7 delivered. It doubled-up the Reyee RG-E5 (240.1Mbps) and Archer AX55 (240.1Mbps), while the Linksys MR9600 was closer at 363.3Mbps.

At 75-feet, the RG-E6’s 210.5Mbps was middle of the pack compared to the class leading RG-E5’s 298.0Mbps. That said, at 90-feet, the RG-E6’s 6.6Mbps was better than the MR9600, which was offline but behind the RG-E5’s 45.8Mbps and the Archer AX55’s 15.0Mbps. Its 95-foot range left several peripheral areas of my house unconnected. They likely could have been filled by using the router’s mesh abilities. 

The RG-E6 did surprisingly well when sending data across a 25-foot room and through a wall to an adjacent room, managing a stream of 930.7Mbps. Just short of the gigabit per second mark, it was well ahead of the Archer AX55’s 697.1Mbps. 

The RG-E6 powered through my data saturation test, where I streamed 4K videos to a ThinkPad T470 while playing the BBC World Service news feed on an iPad Pro and viewing YouTube videos on a MacBook Air. All this was going on while an Acer Swift Edge 16 copied data to and from a networked RAID server. There were no glitches, freeze ups or anomalies with the audio and video coming through without incident.

It’s a power miser with the RG-E6 using just 7.5 watts of power while it was moving data. That’s a bit better than the Archer AX55’s 8.4 watts and translates into an estimated annual power bill of $10.50 if it’s left on all day and night and you pay the national average of 16 cents per kilowatt hour of electricity. 

Reyee RG-E6 review: Setup

Getting the Reyee RG-E6 installed and configured involves using the Reyee Router app or router’s built in interface and a browser. Using the latter method, I plugged everything in and when the router’s LED glowed white, I connected using the router’s default address (printed underneath) with my ThinkPad T470; “192.168.110.1” brought up its interface. 

I authenticated myself with an email from Reyee and set the router to check for updates at 2AM every morning. Then, I replaced the default network name and password.

Next, I set the time zone and added a management password. There’s the unorthodox option of using the network password for making administrative changes. 

With a firmware update, it took a little over 12 minutes. When done, the interface showed a summary of settings. 

Reyee RG-E6 review: Configuration

Using the Reyee Router app, I had access to the major customization and operational aspects of the RG-E6. The Homepage not only shows up- and download speeds but latency. It adds something others lack: the packet loss rate, which can slow down even the most nimble-fingered gamer. 

To get to a network topology map, swipe right, a nice design element. 

It’s easy to set the router’s prioritization for first dibs on data. Just select the connected system and it becomes the top data dog.

On the downside, the main page requires scrolling to get to the console booster that can turbocharge gaming. It uses the GearUp service with software for lowering the latency for anything from Valorant to Fortnite to GTA V. It requires a separate app and an account; there’s a three-day trial.

The Scenario page has access to the included parental controls and to the guest network. It’s where I checked out the Healthy mode that reduced energy consumption and transmission strength.

There’re also links in Reyee’s app for setting up a separate IoT network for the best smart home devices. I was also able to block any device from using the network.

The Settings section allowed me to change the network’s name and password as well as turn the system’s LED off. There’re places to update its firmware and remotely reboot the router.

That said, the Advanced category has the ability to adjust the signal strength, set up a VPN server and change the base IP address, but not much more.

The connected browser approach looks similar but adds several options. To start, the Home page has the processor usage and has the topology front and center. I needed to set the browser’s zoom at 67% with an HD screen to see it all, though.

While the Clients tab shows what’s online, the Internet tab is for changing the DNS server and the type of broadband connection. The Wi-Fi screen allows using single or multiple network names for the router’s two bands as well as the game network.

The real gem is the More tab, which has everything from IPTV settings to using the device in mesh or access point mode. Meanwhile, the Advanced section includes a LAN check for the most common problems, like disconnected cables and cloud server connections. Still, it lacks high-performance adjustments like RTS Threshold. 

The Reyee RG-E6 comes with a two year warranty and lifetime support and firmware updates, compared to Netgear’s 30-day warranty and 90 days of support. Its support pages have items like tutorial videos, downloads and a nice quick start guide.

Reyee RG-E6 review: Verdict

By making the most out of Wi-Fi 6 tech, the Reyee RG-E6 reaches up a class to deliver speeds that can rival some Wi-Fi 7 routers up close and at mid-distances, making it the perfect router for a gamer living in a studio apartment or bungalow. It may not have Wi-Fi 7 technologies, like 320MHz data channels, but the RG-E6 combines a 2.5 Gbps input with excellent prioritization so that the gamer at home can get top shelf data flows. On the other hand, it does without a USB port for networking a data drive or an extra layer of security that can provide a little peace of mind. 

At $150, it’s a cheapskate gamer’s dream come true that pushes performance to the realm of Wi-Fi 7 but at a Wi-Fi 6 price tag.  

If you're tired of slow internet speeds and dealing with Wi-Fi dead zones around your house, Prime Day is the perfect time to give your home network a major upgrade without breaking the bank.

While the best Wi-Fi routers are fast and easy to use, the best mesh Wi-Fi systems give you a strong signal in every room of your house and even out into the backyard. Also, you don't have to worry about constantly switching between networks like you would with the best Wi-Fi extenders.

Of the mesh Wi-Fi systems currently on sale, you'll find big discounts on many of the best Wi-Fi 6 routers and devices with Wi-Fi 6E support. For the first time though, I've spotted a discount on one of the best Wi-Fi 7 routers if futureproof home networking is what you're after.

These are the best deals on mesh Wi-Fi systems I've seen so far in Amazon's big summer sale but check back as I'll be updating this page constantly throughout Prime Day.

Quick Links

• TP-Link Deco XE75: was $449 now now $289
• Wyze Mesh Router: was $180 now $100
• Asus ZenWiFi ET8: was $329 now $259
• Google Nest WiFi Pro: was $399 now $284
• Netgear Orbi WiFi 6 (RBK852): was $624 now $370
• Eero 6: was $199 now $149
• Linksys Velop Pro 7: was $899 now $540

Best Prime Day Mesh Wi-Fi System Deals