Choosing the right WiFi router for a large home can be a daunting task, given the myriad of options available in the market. A router with extensive coverage, robust performance, and advanced features is essential to ensure seamless connectivity across every corner of your home. To help you make an informed decision, we have compiled a list of the best routers for large homes in 2024. Let’s dive into our top picks!
Table of Contents
Key Takeaways
- Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 offers a range of up to 3,500 sqft and features WiFi 6E technology, making it ideal for large homes with four to five bedrooms.
- TP-Link Archer AX21 is an affordable option with 2,500 sqft coverage and dual-band WiFi 6, suitable for budget-conscious buyers.
- Netgear Nighthawk RAX50 provides a mid-range solution with excellent coverage and performance for large homes.
- TP-Link Deco XE75 – Three Pack is a mesh system that offers comprehensive coverage for multi-floor houses.
- ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 Pro is designed for gamers, offering top-tier performance and extensive coverage for large homes.
Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500
Overview
The Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 is a tri-band device that truly lives up to the hype. During our testing, it delivered an impressive 2.39 Gbps at 15 feet. This, combined with its slick design and highly customizable configuration options, makes it one of the best wireless routers we’ve ever reviewed. While it excels at close quarters and is one of the more expensive routers on this list, the RAXE500 is worth every penny if you have the need for speed.
Coverage
When it comes to range, the Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 can cover an area of around 3,500 sqft, making it a solid choice for a house with four to five bedrooms. This is pretty impressive, considering only a few routers can deliver such coverage without relying on extenders. The router can also connect with up to 60 devices simultaneously, but you shouldn’t expect it to deliver exceptional results when it’s at full capacity.
Features
The RAXE500 comes with the latest WiFi 6E technology and an additional 6GHz band, which improves the overall WiFi performance. It also features a multi-gig port for a fast and stable wired connection. Here are some key specifications:
Feature | Specification |
---|---|
Wireless Spec | 802.11ax |
Security | NETGEAR Armor, WPA3, Guest Wi-Fi Secure Access |
Standard/Speed | AX6000 |
Bands | Dual-band |
MU-MIMO | Yes |
Beamforming | Yes |
Wired Ports | 5 |
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Outstanding coverage
- Very easy setup
- Highly customizable configuration options
Cons:
- Overkill if not used with a high-speed internet plan
- Not ideal for busier households
The Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 is the fastest Wi-Fi 6E router we’ve tested. If you’re looking for top-notch performance and extensive coverage, this router is a fantastic choice.
TP-Link Archer AX21
The TP-Link Archer AX21 is a fantastic choice for those seeking a budget-friendly router with solid performance. It offers a range of up to 2,500 sqft, making it suitable for a three-bedroom house. However, it might not be the best option for homes with multiple floors. The router can connect with up to 30 devices simultaneously, ensuring that all your gadgets stay connected without a hitch.
Coverage and Performance
The coverage of the Archer AX21 is quite impressive, thanks to its four high-gain antennas. These antennas help deliver strong signals throughout your home, ensuring a stable connection. The dual-band WiFi 6 technology further enhances its performance, providing faster speeds and better efficiency.
Ease of Setup
Setting up the Archer AX21 is a breeze. You can easily do it by downloading the TP-Link Tether app and following the on-screen instructions. This user-friendly approach makes it accessible even for those who aren’t tech-savvy.
Pros and Cons
- Pros
- Affordable
- 2,500 sqft coverage
- Dual-band
- WiFi 6
- Cons
- Range may be too much for a small apartment
The TP-Link Archer AX21 is one of the best budget routers in the market, offering a good range and decent performance without breaking the bank.
Netgear Nighthawk RAX50
The Netgear Nighthawk RAX50 is a dual-band router that offers impressive performance and security features, making it an excellent choice for large homes. With a range of up to 2,500 sqft, it can easily cover a house with multiple bedrooms. The router supports the latest WiFi 6 technology, ensuring faster speeds and better efficiency.
Key Features
- Wireless Spec: 802.11ax
- Security: NETGEAR Armor, WPA3, Guest Wi-Fi Secure Access
- Standard/Speed: AX5400
- Bands: Dual-band
- MU-MIMO: Yes
- Beamforming: Yes
- Wired Ports: 5
Performance
During testing, the Nighthawk RAX50 delivered speeds of up to 2.39 Gbps at 15 feet, making it ideal for streaming, gaming, and other high-bandwidth activities. The router can handle up to 25 devices simultaneously without compromising on performance.
Security
The Nighthawk RAX50 comes with basic security features, but you can subscribe to Netgear Armor for advanced protection. This includes parental controls, VPN support, and more. The subscription offers a 30-day free trial, allowing you to test its capabilities before committing.
The Netgear Nighthawk RAX50 is a solid choice for those who need a reliable and secure router for a large home. Its combination of performance, range, and security features make it a standout option in its category.
TP-Link Deco XE75 – Three Pack
If you have a large house with more than five bedrooms or multiple floors, I’d suggest going for a mesh system instead of a single router. For this, I recommend the TP-Link Deco XE75, which is one of the best mesh routers in the market. This system offers up to 7,200 sqft of coverage and can connect with 200 devices, making it ideal for large homes.
Pros
- Mesh system
- Three units offer up to 7,200 sqft of coverage
- Can connect with 200 devices
- Speeds up to 5,400 Mbps
Cons
- Extenders can be expensive
Key Features
- Wi-Fi 6E connectivity
- Free basic parental controls
- No USB connectivity
Pricing
Package | Price |
---|---|
1-Pack | $139.99 |
The TP-Link Deco XE75 is surprisingly loaded with features, but expect to pay for a subscription to get the most out of it.
ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 Pro
The ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 Pro is a top-tier router, especially designed for gamers. With its blazing fast performance and excellent range, it stands out as one of the best options for large homes. This router is equipped with a tri-band design and offers a maximum throughput of 10.8Gbps, ensuring that even the most demanding online activities are handled with ease.
Key Features
- Tri-band Design: This router operates on three bands, providing more channels for your devices and reducing congestion.
- High Throughput: With a maximum throughput of 10.8Gbps, it ensures fast and reliable internet speeds.
- Multiple Ports: It includes four Gigabit LAN ports, a 2.5G Ethernet port, and two USB 3.0 ports for extensive connectivity options.
- Advanced Security: Features like AiProtection and WPA3 ensure your network remains secure.
Performance
In our testing, the ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 Pro delivered impressive speeds, managing 731 Mbps at a distance of 50 feet. This makes it an excellent choice for large homes where maintaining speed over longer distances is crucial.
Pros and Cons
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
Blazing fast performance | Pricey |
Excellent range | No USB ports |
2.5Gbps WAN port |
The ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 Pro is not just for gamers. Its features and performance make it a great choice for anyone looking to upgrade their home network.
Conclusion
Overall, the ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 Pro is a solid investment for those who need a high-performance router. While it comes with a premium price tag, its features and performance justify the cost. Whether you’re a gamer or just need a reliable router for a large home, this model is worth considering.
Netgear Orbi RBKE963
The Netgear Orbi RBKE963 is a top-tier tri-band Wi-Fi 6E mesh system that offers exceptional performance and coverage for large homes. With its innovative antenna design, it provides download speeds that are four times faster than its predecessor. This system is perfect for those who need reliable and fast internet throughout their home.
Specifications
- Wi-Fi spec: Wi-Fi 6E/Quad-band
- Number of antennas/removable: 12/No
- Ports: 1 WAN/4 LAN (base unit), 4 LAN (satellites)
- Measured peak throughput: 1.009 Gbps
- Size: 11.1 x 7.5 x 3.0 inches
Pros
- Exceptional performance with Wi-Fi 6E
- Great coverage with two satellites
- Fast download speeds, especially at a 10-metre range
Cons
- Expensive
If you can’t justify spending a lot of money on a Wi-Fi 7 router, especially since most devices don’t support the wireless standard just yet, then the Netgear Orbi RBKE963 Wi-Fi 6E is the best mesh system alternative you can buy today.
Netgear Nighthawk M6 Pro (MR6450)
The Netgear Nighthawk M6 Pro (MR6450) is a top-tier router designed to handle the demands of a large home. Its outstanding coverage ensures that every corner of your home is blanketed with a strong Wi-Fi signal, eliminating dead zones and providing seamless connectivity.
Wireless Specifications
- Wireless Spec: 802.11ax
- Bands: Dual-band
- MU-MIMO: Yes
- Beamforming: Yes
- Wired Ports: 5
Security Features
The M6 Pro comes equipped with advanced security features to keep your network safe:
- NETGEAR Armor
- WPA3
- Guest Wi-Fi Secure Access
Performance
With a standard speed of AX6000, the M6 Pro offers robust performance suitable for streaming, gaming, and handling multiple devices simultaneously. The dual-band capability ensures that both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands are utilised efficiently.
Installation and Setup
Setting up the M6 Pro is straightforward, making it easy even for those who are not tech-savvy. The router’s user-friendly interface guides you through the wifi network installation process, ensuring that you can get your network up and running quickly.
The Netgear Nighthawk M6 Pro is an excellent choice for anyone looking to extend their wifi range and eliminate dead zones in a large home.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Outstanding coverage
- Easy setup
- Advanced security features
Cons:
- Higher price point
- Not ideal for smaller homes
Netgear Nighthawk RS700
The Netgear Nighthawk RS700 is best suited to cover small areas, such as a flat, offering some of the best speeds I’ve ever seen. There is a big caveat here, as you’ll need a Wi-Fi 7 device to unlock these speeds, which is currently only possible in the latest phones and laptops. However, the router is backwards compatible, making it an excellent choice for future-proofing your wireless network for the years to come.
Performance
Even with current-gen devices, the Nighthawk RS700 offers very speedy performance. I measured download speeds of up to 95MB/sec over Wi-Fi 6, and 137MB/sec using Wi-Fi 6E. There’s 10GbE too, for ultrafast wired connections. Netgear’s Armor platform provides security for your home network, and there’s a comprehensive Parental Control service, although these are add-on subscriptions.
Price
The Nighthawk RS700 is certainly not a router for everyone. It’s excellent at what it does and provides a strong future-proof option. However, it’s very pricey, no doubt about that. If you’re looking forward to the massive speed potential of Wi-Fi 7, the Nighthawk RS700 is the best next-gen router I’ve seen so far.
Key Specs
- Wi-Fi standard: Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be)
- Stated speed: 19Gbits/sec
- Ethernet ports: 4 x Gigabit Ethernet, 2 x 10 Gigabit Ethernet
- USB ports: 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbits/sec)
The Nighthawk RS700 raises the performance bar to levels the competition can only dream of.
Conclusion
Choosing the right WiFi router for a large home is crucial to ensure seamless connectivity across all rooms and floors. From the extensive range of options available, it’s clear that factors such as coverage, WiFi standards, and additional features play a significant role in determining the best fit for your needs. Whether you opt for the high-performance Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500, the budget-friendly TP-Link Archer AX21, or any other recommended model, you can be confident that these routers will provide robust and reliable internet coverage for your large home. Remember to consider your specific requirements and the layout of your home when making your final decision. Happy browsing!
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I consider when choosing a router for a large home?
When selecting a router for a large house, consider the coverage area, WiFi standard, number of antennas, and whether the router supports mesh networking. Coverage is particularly important, with some routers offering up to 3,500 sqft of coverage.
What is the best overall WiFi router for a large home?
The Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 is considered the best overall WiFi router for a large home. It offers up to 3,500 sqft of coverage, WiFi 6E technology, and a 6GHz band for improved performance.
Is the TP-Link Archer AX21 a good budget option for large homes?
Yes, the TP-Link Archer AX21 is a great budget option for large homes. It provides 2,500 sqft of coverage, supports WiFi 6, and is dual-band, making it a cost-effective choice.
What are the advantages of using a mesh router system like the TP-Link Deco XE75?
A mesh router system like the TP-Link Deco XE75 offers seamless WiFi coverage across multiple floors and large areas. It eliminates dead zones and provides a stable connection throughout your home.
Can the Netgear Nighthawk RAX50 handle multiple devices?
Yes, the Netgear Nighthawk RAX50 can handle multiple devices simultaneously. It is designed to support high-speed connections for numerous devices, making it ideal for large households with many users.
Why should I consider the ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 Pro?
The ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 Pro is ideal for gamers and tech enthusiasts. It offers high-speed performance, advanced gaming features, and robust coverage, making it a top choice for large homes with high internet usage.