Faster internet is constantly in demand with people consuming bandwidth-demanding videos, games, apps and gadgets. An investment in a good Wi-Fi router is thus a need for the year.
Among the routers, Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6e are the latest additions. Wi-Fi 6 isn’t just a speed boost but also comes with technologies that help mitigate the issues that come with connecting multiple devices on a single network. Wi-Fi 6e started making rounds in April 2020 when the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) opened a plot of the spectrum (1200MHz of the spectrum) in the 6 GHz band for unlicensed use. This resulted in more open waves that routers can broadcast Wi-Fi signals from. It means a lot more bandwidth and a lot less interference. This solves the spectrum congestion problem to a great extent. When you are experiencing a bad network, the chances are high that many devices are trying to connect in the same band frequencies. 6 GHz Wi-Fi will offer airwaves for routers to use that does not require overlapping signals.
Now, to get Wi-Fi 6 or 6e, you will need to buy a new version Wi-Fi router. If your Wi-Fi does not support Wi-Fi 6, you cannot avail the benefits, even if you bring Wi-Fi 6 devices home. Both Wi-Fi 6 and 6e are part of the 802.11ax protocol. We saw a new range of Wi-Fi 6 and 6e routers at CES 2022. The current consumer devices support only regular Wi-Fi 6, so more routers are coming out that do not do 6e. Here we collate a list of a few Wi-Fi 6 and 6e routers.
TP-Link Archer AX11000 Next-Gen Tri-Band Gaming Router
TP-Link Archer AX11000 comes with a game-centric UI, numerous ports and anti-malware tools. It delivers 12-streams Wi-Fi Speeds over 10 Gbps - 4804 Mbps (5 GHz Gaming) + 4804 Mbps (5 GHz) + 1148 Mbps (2.4 GHz). It can detect and optimize gaming streams, has enhanced security powered by Trend Micro and offers real-time latency. For connectivity, it comes with a 2.5 Gbps WAN port, eight Gigabit LAN ports, two USB 3.0 in Type A and Type C. Under the hood, it has a 1.8 GHz Quad-Core CPU and 3 coprocessors. It features OFDMA technology that allows one transmission to deliver data to multiple devices simultaneously, reducing lag.
Asus ZenWiFi AX (XT8) Tri-band Router
Asus ZenWiFi XT8 comes with a tri-band mesh Wi-Fi system, which means strong Wi-Fi to every corner of your home, delivering a total wireless speed of 6600 Mbps. With OFDMA and MU-MIMO, ZenWiFi AX enables faster transmission even with multiple devices. Similar to TP-Link Archer AX11000, Asus ZenWiFi AX also comes with lifetime free network security powered by Trend Micro. It offers a good range of I/O ports and parental control tools.
Netgear Nighthawk Tri-Band RAXE500 Wi-Fi 6E Router
Netgear Nighthawk Tri-Band RAXE500 is powered by a 1.8GHz AX optimized CPU designed to handle 8K video streaming. Its tri-band design can achieve a speed of up to 1.2 Gbps on the 2.4 GHz band, up to 4.8 Gbps on the 5GHz band, and up to 4.8 Gbps on the 6 GHz band. It also supports the latest 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) technologies, 1024 QAM, WPA3 encryption, OFDMA, MU-MIMO simultaneous data streaming, and direct-to-client signal transmissions. Its security solution is powered by Bitdefender, which comes with a 30-day free trial. Parental controls are also limited.
Linksys Dual-Band Mesh MR9600 Wi-Fi 6 Router
Linksys Dual-Band Mesh MR9600 Wi-Fi 6 Router can cover up to 3,000 sq. ft, handles 40+ devices, and speed up to 6.0 Gbps. This simultaneous dual-band router is powered by Linksys’s Intelligent Mesh Technology, offering good speed to every corner of the home, and can isolate your network to eliminate interference. Under the hood, it comes with a 1.8 GHz Quad-Core Processor. It has 1x Gigabit WAN, 4x Gigabit LAN, and two USB 3.0 ports for connectivity. There are some intelligent security systems with automatic updates, parental controls and guest mode.
TP-Link Archer AX90 AX6600 Tri-Band Wi-Fi 6 Router
TP-Link Archer AX90 AX6600 comes with a good selection of I/O ports, including 1× 2.5 Gbps WAN/LAN port + 1× 1 Gbps WAN/LAN port + 3× Gigabit LAN ports and two USB ports. Its eight high-gain antennas equipped with beamforming will ensure extensive coverage. It comes with TP-Link HomeShield security, Wi-Fi encryption and robust parental controls. A 1.5 GHz quad-core processor powers the equipment. It can reach maximum data speeds of 574 Mbps on the 2.4GHz band, 1201 Mbps on one of the 5 GHz bands, and 4804 Mbps on the secondary 5 GHz band.
