Choosing the Best Gaming Router – Buying Guide
- Processor Capacity and RAM speed.
- The speed of internet connection.
- Wireless Standards.
- Network latency.
- Multiple band Wi-Fi connectivity.
- Gigabit Ethernet.
There are no monthly charges you have to pay with your gaming router. However, as seen in the features listed on the gaming routers above, certain safety features such as anti-viruses might be paid separately every month. Does a gaming router help at all? A gaming router has better processors and more RAM.
The Nighthawk Pro Gaming XR1000 WiFi 6 router is designed with the capacity to improve Wi-Fi performance by up to 40% and reduce the ping rates (the time it takes to send out a signal and get it back) up to 93% in a congested network, resulting in a less frustrating gaming experience.
This is usually referred to as “ping.†A better router can improve latency, but only to a certain degree. A better, faster router can improve the connection from your ISP's modem connection to your computer or console, either over Wi-Fi or with a more reliable Ethernet connection.
What Internet speed do I need for gaming, you ask? Most video game console manufacturers recommend at least 3 Mbps (or “megabits per second,†the measurement of how much data can be moved in a second) of download speed and 0.5 Mbps to 1 Mbps of upload speed as a generally "good internet speed".
A new router can speed up your Wi-Fi. What a new router can't do is increase the speed of your internet plan. For example, if you have a 100 Mbps internet plan, even the fanciest router on the market can't make your internet speeds go over 100 Mbps.
Anywhere between 3 and 8 Mbps is considered okay for gaming. But depending on who else is using your internet and whether you're calling or video streaming at the same time, this won't be enough. Once you get into the 50 to 200 Mbps range, your speed is considered excellent.
Even extremely high download speeds like 400 Mbps will not eliminate lagging if latency issues range above 100 milliseconds. There is a lot more to having a quality internet connection, especially for gaming, than just having a high download speed.
In general, experts recommend upgrading your router at least every five years. Make that every two to three years if you use lots of smart home gadgets, or if you make a regular habit of buying the latest laptops, phones and other primary Wi-Fi devices.
Best Internet Speed for Streaming GamingIf you want to stream your game for others to see, you're going to need faster internet speeds than standard gameplay. For the best gaming experience, be sure to have upload speeds of at least 5 Mbps and download speeds of at least 50 Mbps.
The Best Streaming Routers
| Router | Max Speed | Protocols |
|---|
| NETGEAR AC1200 Dual Band Smart WiFi Router | 1.2Gbps | 802.11ac |
| NETGEAR Nighthawk Pro Gaming XR700 WiFi Router | 7.2Gbps | 802.11ac |
| GRYPHON - Advance Security & Parental Control Smart Mesh WiFi System | 3Gbps | 802.11bgn |
| TP-Link AC1750 Smart WiFi Router | 1.3Gbps | 802.11.ac |
- TP-Link TL-WR845N Wireless N 300 mbps Router. White, Single Band. 4.2. ₹1,079. ₹1,699. 36% off.
- D-Link DIR-819 750 Mbps Router. Black, Dual Band. 4.2. ₹1,399. ₹2,535. 44% off.
- D-Link DIR-615 Wireless N 300 Router. Black, Single Band. 4.2. ₹899. ₹1,800. Add to Compare.
- Black, Red, Tri Band. ₹22,999. ₹29,999. 23% off. Add to Compare.
Yes, it is possible to use two (or even more than two) routers on the same home network. The benefits of a two-router network include: A second router provides more open Ethernet ports so that additional computers can join the network.
Netgear RAX120: Performance. Thanks to the 5Gbps LAN port, the Netgear can deliver faster real-world speed than the Asus when working with top-notch clients. That's especially true in NAS performance, where each router hosts an external storage device, as shown here.
How to Reduce Lag and Increase Internet Speed for Gaming
- Check Your Internet Speed and Bandwidth.
- Aim for Low Latency.
- Move Closer to Your Router.
- Close Any Background Websites and Programs.
- Connect Your Device to Your Router via an Ethernet Cable.
- Play on a Local Server.
- Restart Your Router.
- Replace Your Router.
While looking over the spec sheet won't impress many, the AC1200 still delivers where it counts. The decent speeds can still accommodate most moderate internet signals, with enough bandwidth for casual online gaming.
The best gaming routers for PC, PS4, PS5 and Xbox 2021
- ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX11000.
- ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AC5300.
- TP-Link Archer C5400X.
- Netgear Nighthawk Pro Gaming XR300.
- Netgear Nighthawk Pro Gaming XR500.
- ASUS RT-AC88U Wireless-AC3100 Dual Band.
- Linksys WRT32X.
- Netgear Nighthawk AX4 4-Stream Wi-Fi 6 Router.
Is Netgear AC1600 Good for Gaming? The Netgear AC1600 router is an excellent choice for online gaming. With it's up to date 802.11ac wireless standard technology and dual-band network, you are nigh guaranteed to avoid issues even during the most hectic online multiplayer matches.
To set up your Nighthawk Pro Gaming router:Use the Ethernet cable to connect the modem to the yellow Internet port on the router. Note: If your Internet connection does not require a modem, connect your main Ethernet cable to the yellow port on the router.
9 more tips to reduce lag and fix ping
- Close background programs and applications.
- Temporarily disable updates.
- Use an ethernet cord.
- Remove other devices from your network.
- Check the game server's ping.
- Select a gamer server closest to you.
- Adjust your frame rate.
- Upgrade your router.
The Best Call Of Duty Routers
| Router | Max Speed | QoS |
|---|
| NETGEAR Nighthawk Pro Gaming XR700 WiFi Router | 7.2Gbps | yes |
| GRYPHON - Advance Security & Parental Control Smart Mesh WiFi System | 3Gbps | yes |
| TP-Link AC1750 Smart WiFi Router | 1.3Gbps | yes |
| NETGEAR Nighthawk Pro Gaming XR500 WiFi Router | 2.6Gbps | yes |
Ethernet is typically faster than a Wi-Fi connection, and it offers other advantages as well. A hardwired Ethernet cable connection is more secure and stable than Wi-Fi. You can test your computer's speeds on Wi-Fi versus an Ethernet connection easily.
Quality of service (QoS) enables you to prioritize important traffic for activities like gaming and video streaming. The traffic of your gaming and streaming applications is sent first, improving performance. NETGEAR recommends that only gamers enable the Upstream QoS feature.
- Netgear Nighthawk X6S. Best Router for Gaming.
- Asus RT-AX56U. Best Budget Router for Gaming.
- Linksys Hydra Pro. Best Tri-Band Router for Gaming.
- Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router (XR1000) Best Dual-Band Router for Gaming.
- Asus ROG Rapture GT-AX11000.
- Netgear Orbi RBK752.
- TP-Link Archer AX11000.
- Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE11000.
Best Wi-Fi routers for home in India
- TP-Link Archer A7 AC1750. The TP-Link Archer A7 AC1750 Wi-Fi router is what you want if you are looking for a high-speed dual band router.
- Tenda N301 Wireless-N300 Easy Setup Router.
- D-Link DSL-2750U.
- TP-Link Archer C20 AC750.
- TP-Link Archer A5 AC1200.
- Netgear R6260 AC1600.
It's important to note that WiFi 6 relies on hardware updates rather than software updates, so new hardware is needed in order to see any boost in performance. Even if a majority of devices in your home already support WiFi 6, a WiFi 6-enabled router is required in order to take advantage of this new technology.
10 ways to speed up your internet
- Check your data cap.
- Reset your router.
- Move your router.
- Use Ethernet cables.
- Use an ad blocker.
- Check your web browser.
- Use antivirus software.
- Clear your cache.
The TP-Link Archer AX50 is capable of serving speedy, reliable Wi-Fi to the growing number of wireless devices in most homes. It wasn't the fastest Wi-Fi 6 router we tested, but it did come close, and it's much less expensive than routers that add limited benefits.
