The internet has become a part of our everyday life; everything is connected to it. In such an intense data usage world, a day without the internet becomes tough for us. That’s why having a WiFi router at home/office is necessary to stay connected without network drops, especially if you already have a broadband connection.
A Wifi router is a device that enables wireless network packet forwarding, routing, and serves as an access point for all devices in the local area network. In simple terms, it gives freedom to use the broadband internet on various devices (mobile, tablet, laptop, etc.) wirelessly within a particular range.
That range, connectivity speed along with many other factors determine whether a wireless router is considered as good or bad. But before digging deep into comparison factors, you should have decided the type of router you need.
Type of WiFi Routers
There are many kinds of wireless router devices depending upon the type of input, the number of antennas, the wireless technology used. Here we are categorizing best wireless routers by kind of input your broadband/Internet service provider gives.
- RJ45 Input – RJ45 is one of the most common types of connectors that many internet providers such as Hathway, Airtel, Reliance, Excitel support nowadays. RJ45 is used with ethernet cables if your broadband provider used these cables than don’t confuse with other types you need a WiFi router with RJ 45 input.
- RJ11 Input – RJ11 is a type of connector which mostly used with telephone lines/landline phones. If you have internet access from telephone line/service provider such as MTNL, BSNL, Airtel, etc. where you can use the same for calling and access the internet, then this type of input you need.
- USB – Have an Internet dongle? In case you want to connect your internet dongle wirelessly with other nearby devices, then you need to buy a router that supports USB input. This type of routers are hard to find nowadays because the dongle era is almost gone, but it’s always better to have an additional USB port on regular RJ45 or RJ11 router.
- Sim Card – Sim cards are the most common medium to access the internet because they give you the freedom to access the internet anywhere and anytime. This kind of wireless routers can convert your sim into a hotspot point, yes you can do it with your smartphone too, but that’s not a permanent solution.
Hope, now it has been evident in your mind what you’re looking to have. Then you can proceed to our next section, where we’ve listed best wifi routers in India that can save a lot of time for you. To know more about factors of comparison and features that you should look into a wireless router, must read our buying guide at the end of the post.
Best WiFi Routers in India
1. Netgear R6260 AC1600 Smart WiFi Router
Netgear R6260 is one of the few smart wifi routers available in the market. It supports the most comfortable setup & management using the Netgear nighthawk app, which lets you get online in minutes. The R6260 is AC standard router that supports speed up to 1600 Mbps, which is more than enough to stream 4k Videos and HD gaming.
Technically it’s a dual-band router with an 880MHz processor to give uninterrupted and high-performance connectivity to all devices. The dual antenna setup with such specs makes it a perfect router for big houses. If you’re looking for an even better range than Netgear R6800 might suit you.
Netgear R6260 wifi router comes with four LAN ports, one WAN port, and a power button for a quick restart. Apart from that, it also has a USB 2.0 port to support dongles to get internet access in case of damage in your broadband line.
- Dual-Band for Wi-Fi speeds up to 300+1300Mbps
- The 880MHz processor delivers high-performance connectivity
- 802.11 AC standard which is latest & better than N Technology
- Advanced QoS for smooth HD streaming and gaming
- USB 2.0 port – wirelessly access and share USB hard drive
2. D-Link DIR-825 AC 1200 Wi-Fi Dual-Band Gigabit (LAN/WAN) Router
D-link is one of the most popular brands when it comes to wifi routers; you must have seen D-link routers installed in homes, colleges, cyber cafes. Just because it is one of the most trusted router brands, now comes in the latest 802.11 AC standards with four antennas to support high frequency up to extended ranges.
This dual-band router has 1200 Mbps speed, which means it’s capable of transmitting 1200 Mb data per second considering all connected devices.
Considering the design, it gives you a techy kind of feel with two antennas on the back and one on each side. The finish is premium on which small LEDs look brilliant.
- 4 High gain antennas to provide broader coverage
- Dual-band – Speed up to 300 Mbps on 2.4 GHz and 867 Mbps on 5 GHz
- USB 2.0 port which can be used as storage data sharing on connected devices
- DIR 825 Gaming & HD streaming experience without lagging
3. Netgear R6120-100INS AC1200 Dual-Band Wi-Fi Router
It’s another excellent router from Netgear R series, which supports 1200 Mbps speed up to a good connectivity range. It has 4 LAN + 1 WAN ports for ethernet connections and USB 2.0 to connect USB storage devices to share files on the go, which is suitable for small offices.
Apart from the speed, the one difference I found is that it has a direct reset button on the backside. The reset button is used to reset the router setting in case of failure of the network or any wrong setup. Generally, router brands will provide a reset hole where the user can reset the device using long-pressing the hidden button using a pin.
There are four lights on the top to show power connectivity, internet connectivity, wifi status, and LAN status. Here are some of its key features to look out:
- WiFi – 300 + 867 Mbps speeds
- ReadySHARE USB Access to wirelessly access and share USB storage
- Manage home network and provide guest access remotely using NETGEAR genie app
- Reliable HD Video Streaming & online gaming
4. TP-Link TL-MR3620 AC1350 3G/4G dongle Support Wireless Dual Band Router
The most classy looking wireless router with all functions in the bucket at an affordable price, what else anyone needs. The best thing about it was you could share 3g/4g mobile data via wireless or wired connection through it.
MU-MIMO to simultaneously transfer data to multiple devices for better performance. Beamforming technology to send direct & secure wifi signals to devices. Parental control is the best feature for them who have kids in there home to restrict the data usage on their devices.
- Dual Band Router with 450 + 867 Mbps speed support
- 3G/4G Wireless Sharing using the USB port
- MU-MIMO support which enables it to share data simultaneously on multiple devices
- Parental control & Secure VPN connections
5. TP-Link Archer C20 AC750 Wireless Dual Band Router
The only router in the list with printed skin and slim design make it stand unique among hundreds of routers. It is one of the bestselling wifi routers, simply because of its affordable price and valuable features.
Dual-band IEEE 802.11ac/n/a 5GHz, IEEE 802.11b/g/n 2.4GHz, which gives 2.4GHz 300mbps and 5GHz 433mbps of bandwidth. Three antennas are assigned to provide stable connections without any drop in signals.
- Supports 802.11AC standard
- Three external antennas provide a stable omnidirectional signal
- Archer C50 supports IPv6, the next generation of Internet protocol
- Parental Control, Guest Network, Tehar App for easy setup & management
6. TP-LINK TL-WR940N Wireless-N450 Home Router
It’s kind of similar device of the same brand as the previous one, but the significant difference between them is that it doesn’t support 802.11AC standard. It’s based on 802.11n technology using which you can get speed up to 450Mbps.
- 802.11n technology used which is better than G but AC is more powerful
- IP based bandwidth control allows you to determine how much bandwidth is allotted to each device
- WPS button for one-touch wireless security encryption
- Parental controls to control internet access on various devices
7. D-Link DSL-2750U Wireless N 300 ADSL2 + router
It’s another D-link router on the list with ADSL2 technology. That provides Internet transmission of up to 24 Mbps downstream & 1 Mbps upstream. It seems workable, but the price tag is a bit high as compared to features.
It’s a Qos based device with firewall and WPA/WPA2 wireless security features that are a must for every router to keep your connection secure. The user access control helps in managing connected devices, and you can also give speed priorities across them using priority control.
- Wireless N technology
- Priority control ensures the admin always gets the highest speed
- Two antennas to provide better coverage
8. D-Link Dir-600M N150 Broadband Wireless Router
D-Link 600M is one of the most sold wireless router ever in India. Even the first router that I bought was this model and still works like a charm. It is suitable for you if you’re looking for a simple wifi router within the limited area of under 800 sq feet or one floor.
Apart from that, the function I wish it could have is the restart button because it makes it a lot easy to restart the device when it is a problem in the broadband connection. Perhaps, you can restart via the main power plug, but it’s not convenient.
Still, It is a perfect device for budget buyers who are looking to get one under 1000 INR. Have a look at some of its other features below:
- Wireless N 150 technology for increased speed and range
- Four LAN + One WAN Port
- WPA/WPA2 wireless encryption and a NAT firewall
9. Tenda F3 300Mbps Wi-Fi Router
It’s another RJ-45 router which supports all kind of ethernet connections Hathway, ACT, Tikona, Airtel Fibrenet, MyWorld, Nextra, etc. With the three 5dBi antennas, It can cover a broader range of up to 200meters (as per the manufacturer’s claim).
It has a combination of three LAN + one WAN port with one reset/WPS button on the back. The white color gives it a premium look and stands it out unique as compared to others.
- 300mbps speed over the 2.4GHz band
- LED for the system, Wi-Fi, LAN, WAN, and WPS
- Broadcom Chip which ensures reliable and stable wireless performance
- IP-based broadband control option that lets you efficiently distribute bandwidth among PCs
Best Wifi Router – Buying Guide
For the newbies who never used wifi router, it’s somewhat difficult to get deep into the technology used and small details. To make it simple, we have shared some points that you should need to know before buying a wifi router for home.
Wireless AC vs. Wireless N vs. Wireless G
The current technology that was supported by most of the devices is Wireless N that supports maximum data transmission speed of 450 Mbps, whereas Wireless AC can support up to 1.3Gbps.
Dual-Band vs. Tri-Band
Once you plug your network cable into a Wi-Fi router, the radio waves that wirelessly transmit an Internet signal to nearby devices on one of two frequency bands: 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. It’s these different frequencies that separate a single-band router from a dual-band, and tri-band routers provide three wireless signals using both as one at 2.4GHz and two on the 5GHz band.
Whatever you choose from these depends upon your speed requirement, the number of devices you want to connect, and the budget as the tri-band supports more frequency range and have lower interference, but it’s expensive at the same time.
WiFi Range
The wifi connectivity range depends upon lots of factors, along with the above two; it also affected by the local conditions such as the number of walls, concrete walls, ventilation in the room. These kinds of restrictions limit the range to a lower number, In such cases, you should go with a high-frequency router, or you can also use wifi range extenders with the existing ones.
Conclusion – Sums Up Things
From all the data and research mentioned above, one can conclude that the best Wifi Routers choice depends on personal data transmission requirements. However, one should always opt for the wifi router that supports at least Wireless N and 2.4 GHz frequency to be future safe even if they have lower usage.
If you still have any doubts in your mind, you can ask us through comment sections; we’ll love to hear from you.
