The best home Wi-Fi routers of CES 2022

Lifestyle product shot of the Linksys Hydra Pro 6 Wi-Fi router on a side table with a woman on a sofa in the background.

(Prototype credit: Linksys/Belkin)

CES 2022 featured several of the world'southward most prominent networking-gear makers exhibiting new wares, including Linksys, Netgear and TP-Link. The trend is conspicuously toward more than Wi-Fi 6e routers that tin take advantage of the newly opened 6-GHz ring, which offers a huge spectrum range that, for the moment, is largely unused.

Most contempo consumer devices, still, support only regular Wi-Fi six, and so nosotros're still seeing new routers come out that don't exercise 6e. (Both are part of the 802.11ax protocol, the current standard.)

We saw mesh routers, gaming routers and some that span the gap between the two styles. Our favorite, however, was a unique gaming router whose antennas twist and pivot on mechanical artillery to improve focus signals on devices as they move well-nigh the house. Whether information technology lands on our best Wi-Fi vi routers page remains to be seen.

TP-Link Archer AXE200 Omni

The TP-Link Archer AXE200 Omni has to be seen to be believed. Its iv stubby, rounded antennas seem to come alive, folding out and twisting in identify equally they try to optimize wireless connections with specific devices around the firm. It's also pretty impressive on the wired side, offering i Ethernet port (out of six in total) capable of 10 Gbps throughput to evangelize massive data streams to virtual-reality and 8K video devices.

Like TP-Link's other top-finish routers, the Archer AXE200 Omni ships with the free tier of the company's HomeShield software, which offers security protections and parental controls. (The paid tier is $6 per month or $55 per year.) And you tin can besides add together it to an existing TP-Link mesh network. The TP-Link Archer AXE200 Omni volition be available later this twelvemonth at a price to be determined.

Netgear Nighthawk RAXE300

Continuing the tradition of gaming routers that look like Darth Vader'due south spaceships, the Netgear Nighthawk RAXE300 has swooping black wings that appear ready to strafe a rebel base with laser fire. In reality, it'due south blanketing your firm with Wi-Fi 6e signals, which Netgear says volition move up to 7.viii Gbps of data at once. That house can be up to 2,500 square feet, nether optimal atmospheric condition of course.

The RAXE300 is a cheaper ($399 instead of $599) version of the Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500, which was released in mid-2021 and is still one of the fastest routers on Earth. The RAXE300 has six antennas (hidden in the bat wings) to the RAXE500's 8, while the pricier model delivers theoretical throughput of up to 10.8 Gbps. Only in reality, most people who happen to take Wi-Fi 6e-capable devices in the home will be more satisfied with the RAXE300, which Netgear said will be bachelor by the terminate of March.

Linksys Hydra Pro half dozen

Lifestyle shot of the Linksys Hydra Pro 6 Wi-Fi router atop a side table in a well-appointed living room. — (Image credit: Linksys/Belkin)

A lot of Wi-Fi 6 routers retail for well north of $300, but Linksys is trying to undercut that with an affordable (MSRP $299) model that withal delivers a solid gear up of specs. The Linksys Hydra Pro six pumps a maximum throughput of 5.4 Gbps on iii bands from its ii adjustable antennas, connecting to as many every bit 30 devices at once over an surface area of up to 2,700 square anxiety. Information technology can exist added to a Linksys mesh network.

On the back are 4 gigabit Ethernet ports for wired devices and a fifth for the modem, plus a USB 3.0 port. Like other new Linksys models, the Hydra Pro vi comes with parental controls, supports the WPA3 encryption standard and can be managed via a smartphone app. Information technology's bachelor now on the Linksys website and will shortly be at major retailers.

TP-Link Archer AXE300

TP-Link's other new gaming router was a little more than traditional, if yous tin can regard something that looks similar a mechanical evil spider on its back as ordinary. The Archer AXE300 is a high-cease Wi-Fi 6e gaming router with 8 antennas that deliver more than 15 Gbps (in theory) over four bands.

On the wired finish, there are a whopping vii Ethernet ports, ii of which provide 10 Gbps throughput while a third delivers ii.5 Gbps. At that place'southward besides an SFP+ port to piece of work in conjunction with one of the ten Gbps Ethernet ports. Like the Archer AXE200 Omni, the Archer AXE300 can be integrated into a mesh network, comes with HomeShield and will exist available later this yr at a price nevertheless to be announced.

TP-Link Deco XE200

Finally, TP-Link introduced the Deco XE200, a Wi-Fi 6e mesh system that promises to deliver up to 11 Gbps of throughput over six,500 foursquare anxiety with a base of operations station and unmarried satellite. The units are white tapered standing cylinders with translucent tops, and resemble small air purifiers rather than alien spacecraft.

Each has a 10-Gbps Ethernet port complemented by two gigabit ports, although in that location don't appear to exist any USB ports. Equally with the other TP-Link models already mentioned, the system comes with HomeShield and will exist available later this twelvemonth for an every bit-yet-undisclosed price.

Paul Wagenseil is a senior editor at Tom'due south Guide focused on security and privacy. He has besides been a dishwasher, fry cook, long-haul driver, code monkey and video editor. He's been rooting around in the information-security space for more than than 15 years at FoxNews.com, SecurityNewsDaily, TechNewsDaily and Tom'due south Guide, has presented talks at the ShmooCon, DerbyCon and BSides Las Vegas hacker conferences, shown up in random Idiot box news spots and even moderated a panel give-and-take at the CEDIA abode-applied science conference. Y'all can follow his rants on Twitter at @snd_wagenseil.