The farther away you get from your router, the weaker your internet connection tends to be. But the best mesh routers can fix this. For most homes, our top pick is the TP-Link Deco W7200, a two-piece mesh system that offers excellent performance for around $200. There are lots of other top-tier mesh routers worth considering too, and we’ve spent years testing them out in order to find the best systems of the bunch.
Wi-Fi Standard Wi-Fi 6Speed Rating AX3600Range Up to 5,500 sq. ft. (two devices)Wireless Networking Security WPA2, WPA3Bands Tri-Band (2.4 and two 5GHz)
For a mesh router upgrade that really feels like an upgrade, you’ll want to look for these things: Wi-Fi 6 support and a tri-band design with the usual 2.4 and 5GHz bands. You’ll also want a second 5GHz band that the system can use as a dedicated backhaul connection for wireless transmissions between the main router and the satellites. The problem is that tri-band Wi-Fi 6 mesh routers like that are typically expensive. Not too long ago, I was commending Asus and Eero for bringing the cost of a two-piece system like that down to around $400 or so.
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Looking for the fastest mesh router on the list? Look no further — it’s the Asus ROG Rapture GT6, a Wi-Fi 6 mesh gaming router that costs about $450 for a two-pack. In our controlled speed tests on a gigabit network, the GT6 finished with an overall average download speed across all distances of 809Mbps, along with an equally impressive average upload speed of 785Mbps. Nothing else we’ve tested has delivered speeds as fast as that, not even fancy Wi-Fi 6E systems that cost even more.
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Wi-Fi Standard Wi-Fi 5Speed Rating AC1200Range Up to 4,500 sq. ft. (with two satellites)Wireless Networking Security WPA2Bands Dual-Band (2.4 and 5GHz)
The AC1200 version of Netgear Orbi is a smaller, simpler version of the popular mesh system. It doesn’t offer blazing-fast speeds, but the performance is consistent, and it costs a whole lot less than other, fancier Orbi builds.
Watch this: Best Wi-Fi Routers for 2023: A Buying Guide
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Some of the most consistent mesh router performance we’ve seen in our tests comes from systems from Eero, which popularized mesh networking before being bought by Amazon in 2019, as well as the latest setups from the TP-Link Deco, Asus ZenWiFi, Netgear Orbi and Google Nest product lines. Mesh systems regularly sold for as much as $500 a few years ago, but now these manufacturers offer multipoint mesh router systems — including the main router and the additional satellite extenders — for closer to $200. Though we’d recommend aiming a bit higher, you can even find basic, entry-level mesh systems for as little as $40 per device that can provide strong Wi-Fi signal throughout your entire home.
Here’s how we speed test mesh routers
Router manufacturers make big claims about top speeds, many of which can be misleading or at least confusing when you’re shopping for a new one. That’s why we put every router we review through our own, independent speed tests in a real-world test environment. For much of the past few years of working from home, that test environment has been my house, but in 2023 CNET’s been working to relocate those tests to our test lab, where we can do more to control for variables in the environment.
Specifically, we’ve set up a five-room, 1,300-square-foot test space for home networking tests, with incoming gigabit internet speeds (940Mbps downloads, 880Mbps uploads). It’s not as big as the multibedroom, multistory homes where mesh routers really shine, but it’s still enough space to see separation between the top mesh systems on the market.
To get there, we set each mesh system up in the same locations within the environment, and then we start running Wi-Fi speed tests across each of the five rooms. That includes tests during morning and evening hours, and tests to a variety of client devices, including both Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E devices. For half of my tests, I start by connecting in the same room as the router and then work away from it — for the other half, I start by connecting at the farthest point from the router and then work towards it. In the end, I average it all together to get a good, comprehensive look at how each system performs.
You can see those results for yourself in the bar graph above, which shows the overall average Wi-Fi 6 upload and download speeds for each system we’ve tested. We’re still working to re-test the top-rated systems from previous years alongside new systems as they come out, so you can expect regular updates to this post whenever I’ve got new data to share.
For now, the system that kept my Wi-Fi 6 downloads the highest was our top performance pick, the Asus ROG Rapture GT6. In second place is the TP-Link Deco X4300 Pro, followed closely by our top recommended system for most homes, the affordable TP-Link Deco W7200. At this point, it’s been a performance standout across multiple rounds of exhaustive speed tests in multiple locations against dozens of competitors. It’s always been right at the top of the pack in terms of speeds and reliability, so it remains my top overall recommendation among Wi-Fi 6 mesh systems, especially considering that it isn’t too expensive at $209 for a two-pack.
Top picks aside, some interesting new competition has entered the scene in recent months. Most notable are the two newest mesh systems from Amazon, the Eero 6 Plus and the Eero Pro 6E. Like the Deco W7200, each of those systems has held up well across multiple rounds of speed tests, with demonstrably stronger speeds than previous-gen Eero devices. The two offer a similar level of performance to Wi-Fi 6 devices, so the less expensive Eero 6 Plus is probably the better pick for most homes at $300 for a three-pack (or less, if you can catch one of Amazon’s frequent sales).
That said, if you’re starting to use devices at home that support Wi-Fi 6E, then the Eero Pro 6E might be worth the extra expense, as it adds in access to the 6GHz band to deliver faster speeds to devices like those. I re-ran my speed tests on a Wi-Fi 6E test device capable of connecting over 6GHz and the only Wi-Fi 6E system that returned faster speeds than the Eero Pro 6E was the AXE11000 version of the Netgear Orbi, which costs a whopping $1,499 for a three-pack. From a performance standpoint, it’s our top-tested Wi-Fi 6E system — but the Eero Pro 6E is right behind it and costs less than half as much at $550 for a three-pack or less. Just note that the system that finished in first place in these tests was, again, the Asus ROG Rapture GT6, which isn’t a Wi-Fi 6E router at all, but rather, a super speedy Wi-Fi 6 router.
Meanwhile on the Wi-Fi 6E front, I was less impressed with the speeds I saw from the Motorola Q14 and from the Nest Wifi Pro, both to my Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E test devices. Both were workable systems that did the job in my tests — but with 6GHz speeds that fell short of Eero and Netgear, neither system offers a noticeable speed upgrade over the competition, and that makes them harder to recommend. Still, give Nest Wifi Pro some credit for stable speeds, strong smart home chops and good value at $395 for a three-pack.
The Asus ZenWifi AX Mini costs less than other ZenWifi systems that support Wi-Fi 6, but performance was scattered in our speed tests.
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Asus ZenWifi AX Mini: Also known as the ZenWifi XD4, the ZenWifi AX Mini is a pint-sized smaller sibling to the larger and more powerful ZenWifi XD6 and XT8 systems recommended above. Performance was scattered in my tests, with annoying speed drop-offs whenever I’d connect at a distance, so it isn’t as recommendable as other ZenWifi offerings.
Eero 6: Amazon’s first Wi-Fi 6 mesh router, the Eero 6 hit the market back in 2020, but it didn’t blow us away during our tests. Eero systems that followed it did a lot better in my speed tests, and they offer the same smart home perks, like built-in radios for Zigbee and Thread.
Eero Pro 6: While the standard Eero 6 system was a bit underwhelming in 2020, the beefier, more powerful Eero 6 Pro left us impressed, particularly for fast average uploads and low latency. The Eero Pro 6E system that followed it is the better upgrade pick for most thanks to the addition of the 6GHz band, but if you’re skipping Wi-Fi 6E and just want a solid, tri-band Wi-Fi 6 system, this one still fits the bill.
The Nest Wifi Pro is one of the newest Wi-Fi 6E routers on the market. There’s a lot to like about it, but the average speeds were underwhelming among Wi-Fi 6E systems.
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Nest Wifi Pro: The Nest Wifi Pro mesh router reworks the original Nest Wifi pitch by ditching the built-in Google Assistant smart speakers and adding in access to the 6GHz band via Wi-Fi 6E support. With a built-in Thread radio and robust smart home controls via the Google Home app, it’s a decent pick for smart home enthusiasts, and it was as stable a performer as I’ve seen in my speed tests. Still, those speeds were a bit lackluster, and the system also lacks backwards compatibility with previous Nest Wifi and Google Wifi hardware. At $400 for a three-pack, it’s a bit expensive for such middle-of-the-road performance.
Netgear Orbi AXE11000: The AXE11000 version of the popular Netgear Orbi router is a high-powered Wi-Fi 6E tank that leads all other routers I’ve tested in terms of its speeds to Wi-Fi 6E devices. It’s a strong performer over plain ol’ Wi-Fi 6 too, but not nearly as dominant as you might expect given that it costs $1,500 for a three-pack.
TP-Link Deco X4300 Pro: The Deco X4300 Pro is an impressive system that features some of the best Wi-Fi 6 speeds we’ve seen, plus multi-gig Ethernet jacks on each device. The Deco W7200 still seems like the better value for most homes, but if you’re looking for a step up from that system, put the X4300 Pro on your radar.
TP-Link Deco X55 Pro: The X55 Pro shares a lot of similarities with the Eero 6 Plus — support for Wi-Fi 6, far-reaching range, gigabit Ethernet jacks — but I lean towards Eero’s mesh system for its features like built-in Zigbee radio. The Eero 6 Plus also returned slightly faster speeds in testing. At $250, the X55 Pro is a decent value for a three-piece mesh system, but I’d put it more in “good not great” territory.
TP-Link XE75: TP-Link’s first Wi-Fi 6E mesh router, the XE75 did a decent job in our initial tests in 2022, though the system’s average upload speeds were lower than I’d expected. It’s a clear value pick and currently available in a two-pack for well under $250, so give it a look if you’re curious about Wi-Fi 6E but fearful about breaking the bank. I’ll update this page once we’ve retested it in our lab, so stay tuned for that.
TP-Link Deco X90: With a multi-gig WAN port and a faster speed rating, the Deco X90 is a midrange upgrade pick over the Deco W7200, and it costs $300 for a two-pack. It performed well in my tests, but not enough that I’d recommend paying $100 more than the Deco W7200 for it.
Vilo: The Vilo mesh router was one of the most affordable mesh routers I had ever tested back in 2021, when devices were available for about $20 each. These days, you can snag it for a little less than $40 per mesh device, but you shouldn’t expect high speeds from a low cost Wi-Fi 5 system like this one — in fact, it rang in with the slowest average uploads and downloads among any system I tested it against. Still, it got the job done, so if you just need something dirt cheap, speeds be damned, give it a look.
With multiple devices working together to spread a strong, usable connection across a larger space, a mesh router is usually better than a single, stand-alone router, especially in medium to large homes. In a home or apartment that’s smaller than 1,500 square feet or so, a mesh router might be more hardware than you need.
Yes — a mesh router will replace your existing router.
While both aim to spread your Wi-Fi connection around your home more completely than a basic router, a mesh Wi-Fi system is more effective at doing it. Mesh systems are complete replacements for your Wi-Fi router, while an extender simply re-broadcasts your existing Wi-Fi signal in another part of the home. Your devices won’t automatically switch between the two Wi-Fi broadcasts, so you’ll have to manually switch every time you want to use the Wi-Fi upstairs. With a mesh system, your devices will automatically connect to the closest node.
