How to choose a router for your internet speed

Pick a router that matches three things: your plan speed, your home's size and your devices. For most plans up to about 1 Gbps, a Wi-Fi 6 router with a gigabit WAN port is enough. Above 1 Gbps, you need a router with a 2.5 Gbps or faster WAN port. In a large or multi-floor home, a mesh system matters more than the Wi-Fi generation.

First, check whether you need a new router

A router only helps if it's what's holding you back. Run the speed test twice: once on a computer plugged into the router with Ethernet, once on Wi-Fi near the router.

• Wired is slow too: the plan, the modem or the line is the problem. A new router won't fix it.
• Wired is fast, Wi-Fi is slow even nearby: the router is likely the bottleneck.
• Fast near the router, slow in far rooms: coverage is the problem. Mesh or a better-placed router helps.

Signs your router is slowing your internet lists the other symptoms, such as frequent reboots and slow speeds on every device at once.

Match the Wi-Fi standard to your plan

The Wi-Fi Alliance names each generation with a number. The main ones on sale today:

Name	Standard	Bands	What it adds
Wi-Fi 5	802.11ac	5 GHz	Older but still common on budget and ISP routers
Wi-Fi 6	802.11ax	2.4 and 5 GHz	Better performance when many devices are connected
Wi-Fi 6E	802.11ax	2.4, 5 and 6 GHz	Wi-Fi 6 extended into the 6 GHz band, which is less crowded
Wi-Fi 7	802.11be	2.4, 5 and 6 GHz	320 MHz channels and multi-link operation, for multi-gigabit device speeds

A rule of thumb for matching them to your plan:

• Up to about 300 Mbps: any decent Wi-Fi 6 router. Wi-Fi 5 can work if your home is small.
• 300 Mbps to 1 Gbps: Wi-Fi 6 or 6E. Wi-Fi 6E helps if you have 6E phones and laptops and live somewhere crowded with neighbors' networks.
• Above 1 Gbps: Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7, plus multi-gig ports (see below). Even then, expect full speed mainly on wired devices.

Your devices matter as much as the router. A phone that only supports Wi-Fi 5 won't get Wi-Fi 7 speeds from a Wi-Fi 7 router. The router's 6 GHz band only helps devices that support it, and 6 GHz signals don't reach as far through walls as 2.4 GHz. 5 GHz vs 2.4 GHz explains the band trade-offs.

Check the WAN port speed

The WAN port is where the router connects to your modem or fiber box. It caps your whole connection.

• A gigabit (1 Gbps) port suits plans up to 1 Gbps. Expect about 940 Mbps of usable speed on a gigabit line; Verizon, for example, lists its 1 Gig Fios plan as up to 940 Mbps wired.
• For plans above 1 Gbps, the router needs a 2.5 Gbps, 5 Gbps or 10 Gbps WAN port. A gigabit port would hold a 2 Gbps plan to under 1 Gbps.
• If you want multi-gig speeds on a wired computer, the router also needs a matching LAN port, and the computer needs a matching network adapter.

Router boxes often advertise a combined number such as "AX5400" or "BE19000". That adds up the theoretical maximum of every band. No single device gets close to it, so compare the Wi-Fi standard and port speeds instead.

Single router or mesh?

A single router works well in an apartment or a compact single-floor home, especially if you can put it near the middle.

A mesh system uses two or more units to spread Wi-Fi across a large home, several floors, or rooms behind thick walls. Mesh points can connect to each other over Wi-Fi or, better, over Ethernet. Wired backhaul keeps the full speed at every point.

As a rough guide, if any room you use regularly is more than two walls or a floor away from the router, mesh is usually a better upgrade than a faster single router. How to boost your Wi-Fi signal covers placement fixes to try first.

Keep the ISP's box or buy your own?

Keep the ISP's router if it's recent, supports at least Wi-Fi 6, covers your home and doesn't cost much a month. ISP support is simpler when they supplied the hardware.

Buy your own if the ISP's box is old, rental fees are adding up, coverage is poor, or you want features the ISP box lacks. Check before you buy:

• Can the ISP's box run in bridge or modem-only mode, so your router does the routing? Running two routers in a row can cause problems with gaming and video calls.
• For cable, does the provider need to approve your modem, or do you only replace the router?
• For fiber, does your router just plug into the provider's fiber box over Ethernet?

Features that help in daily use

• Smart queue management (SQM) or similar. Keeps ping low while someone uploads or downloads. It's the feature that best fights bufferbloat.
• Regular firmware updates from the maker, for security and bug fixes.
• WPA3 security support.
• Enough wired ports for a TV, console or desk computer, or plan for a switch.

How to tell if the new router worked

Test in the same spots as before: wired at the router, Wi-Fi next to it, and Wi-Fi in the rooms you use most. If the far rooms improved, the upgrade did its job. If a 400 Mbps plan shows up in the high 300s on wired and close to it on Wi-Fi nearby, your router is no longer the limit.