Top 802.11ac Router Picks
More on these AC routers below. The links above will take you through to Amazon.
Well, it’s almost time to bring in another year…
But before we do, it would be a great idea to list the best 802.11ac routers out there. Why? Well, because we just felt like it, lol.
AC routers have seen a huge surge in popularity. Not only because they have become more affordable (and will continue to do so), but because consumers are starting to become more demanding with wireless bandwidth.
The Asus RT-AC68U Is A Popular “all-round” AC Router
It’s not enough to just connect to the Internet. Lets face it, a Wireless 802.11n router is sufficient for that. Nowadays people are increasingly storing their HD movie & TV collections on their local NAS storage drives. They want the convenience and flexibility of Wi-Fi to watch and listen to their HD media anywhere around the home.
Gigabit 802.11ac offers the consumer the option of wirelessly streaming HD locally. It also helps cut down on latency and jitter for the gamers, and lets more users access fast Wi-Fi all at the same time.
Wireless Access Points for the Home
Ok, so these are some of the reasons why Wireless AC is so awesome. But enough of the “why”… how about some of the “what”. Lets get on with listing what the best 802.11ac routers are for 2017.
Ok, here goes!
Best Wireless AC Routers
Netgear Nighthawk X6 R8000 – At the high end of the scale
The latest Netgear router is also the most powerful. A Tri-Band router (2x 5GHz bands, and 1x 2.4GHz band) with data rates adding up to 3.2Gbps, this is a monster of a router keeping those “Stealth Bomber” looks
>>>Full Netgear Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Review<<<
Asus RT-AC87U AC2400 – Another big-hitter!
The RT-AC87U is another one of the top-end routers with features including MU-MIMO, dual core CPU, Quality of Service and 4x detachable antennas. A direct competitor to the above mentioned Nighthawk X6
>>>Full Asus RT-AC87U AC2400 Review<<<
Linksys E8350 AC2400 – New with lots to offer
Linksys have given us a gem here. Excellent coverage all helped along with the 4 spatial streams intertwining with MU-MIMO. A three-way tie between the Asus and the Netgear above. Let the battle commence!
>>>Full Linksys E8350 Review<<<
TP-Link Archer C8 – For those on a budget
If you want the big speeds but without the big price tags, you might want to consider the Archer C8 router. The follow-up to 2013’s ever popular Archer C7 the C8 has a lot of the features that the above routers have
>>>Full TP-Link Archer C8 Review<<<
D-Link DGL-5500 Gaming Router – For gamers on a budget
When it first came out 18 months ago, the DGL-5500 was pretty much the best router out there for the online gamers, with it’s StreamBoost QoS feature. It’s not the best out there now, but if you don’t want to break the bank, this is well worth a look
>>>Full D-Link DGL-5500 AC1300 Review<<<
Linksys WRT1900AC AC1900 – Retro looks, modern specs
With Open WRT (a DD-WRT form) straight out of the box, the WRT1900AC is for those that want to customize their router to the max. It also has the old skool looks about it. Remember the WRT54GL Wireless G router anyone?
>>>Full Linksys WRT1900AC Review<<<
Apple AirPort Extreme ME918LL-A (REFURBISHED)- For the Apple fans
The Apple AirPort Extreme is getting on a bit now, but is still appealing, and not just for the Apple fans out there!
>>>Full Apple AirPort Extreme Review<<<
Netgear Nighthawk R7000 – The original Nighthawk is still an awesome router
We still love this piece of technical genius. The Nighthawk (original) is as popular today as it always ways. It’s dropped in price too, due to it’s successor being released. Result!
>>>Full Netgear Nighthawk R7000 Review<<<
Netgear R6300v2 – Cheap and cheerful
Another one of the slightly older routers, that’s seen a price drop in recent times. Has a lot of the features that the newer routers have. Will suit most consumers out there. A good buy.
>>>Full Netgear R6300v2 Review<<<
Asus RT-AC68U AC1900 – Last but certainly not least…
I know it features at the top of this article, but we need to include it in the list too. We still love this classic router. Also available in white
>>>Full Asus RT-AC68U Review<<<
To read more on AC routers, visit our Wireless 802.11ac section.
Do you agree/disagree? Why not comment below and let us know what you think…