This affordable Wi-Fi 6 router is what I think most people should be using. The glossy black finish is attractive, and there are four antennas to direct Wi-Fi to every nook and cranny (well worth tweaking and testing different locations). Performance was consistent throughout my 1,600 square foot two-story home but fell slightly in the back garden. Stability was excellent during a couple of weeks of testing, reaching above average in my speed and range tests. This router also ticks all the feature boxes you want (MU-MIMO, beamforming, WPA3 — we explain many of these terms in Instructions on how to buy a router). It has four Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports, one Gigabit WAN port, and one USB 3.0 port on the back, which should be enough for most people.
I’m a fan of TP-Link’s Tether app, where you can review traffic, split bands, create guest networks, schedule reboots, set automatic updates, and even request Bridge LED lights off at night. TP-Link’s basic free HomeShield tier offers network scanning, QoS (Quality of Service) for device prioritization, and basic parental controls so you can filter and list websites black. If you want more perks, like app time limits, downtime, and real-time security protection, you’ll need to upgrade to HomeShield Pro ($6 per month or $55 for the whole year). ).
★Another alternative solution: the TP-Link Archer AX50 ($120) very similar to AX55 but maybe prone to overheating. The AX50 also lacks OneMesh support, allowing you to add extenders to create networks with the AX55. On the other hand, the AX50 has HomeCarea service launched before HomeShield that includes superior parental controls without registration.
