Wi-Fi router buying checklist
Open a section, slide each spec to what you want, and print your own router wish list at the end.
Each Wi-Fi generation is faster and copes better with many devices. Your phones and laptops need the same generation to get the full benefit.
Faster and steadier with many devices. Right for most homes in 2026.
Labels like AX3000 add up the top speed of every band. AC means Wi-Fi 5, AX Wi-Fi 6, BE Wi-Fi 7. One phone gets well under the number.
Comfortable for plans up to about 500 Mbps
Rough match for one recent phone near the router. Walls cut speeds a lot.
Entry-level Wi-Fi 6. A good match for most home plans.
Bands are radio channels. 2.4 GHz reaches further but is slower, 5 GHz is faster but weaker through walls. Tri band adds a third band.
The standard. Right for most homes.
The broadband speed you pay for. A router far faster than your plan adds little, but a slow router wastes a fast plan.
An AX1500 Wi-Fi 6 router is a good match
A rough match between your plan and the router you need.
Wi-Fi 6 helps you get the full speed in more rooms.
How much space the Wi-Fi has to reach. Brick and concrete walls block a lot, so one router often struggles beyond a few rooms.
One good router in the middle of a 2 to 3 BHK
A rough guide. Wall material and router placement change it a lot.
A good single router can cover it if placed centrally.
Mesh uses two or more units that act as one network, so your phone switches between them as you move. Range extenders are cheaper but usually slower.
You can add mesh units later, often only from the same brand. EasyMesh works across some brands.
Phones, TVs, cameras and smart plugs all count. Box claims like "up to 150 devices" are best-case. Wi-Fi 6 and later cope far better with many.
Roughly how many people, with their phones and gadgets, this suits.
A family with phones, laptops, TVs and some smart devices.
More antennas do not always mean more range. Placement matters more: high up, central, and away from thick walls, mirrors and the microwave.
Point some up and some sideways to reach more rooms and floors.
WAN is where the internet cable comes in, LAN ports are for TVs and PCs. Gigabit means 1 Gbps, and 2.5G ports are needed for faster plans.
Right for plans up to 1 Gbps.
Many ISPs need a login (PPPoE) or a VLAN ID (a tag on the connection) entered in the router. Ask your ISP what it uses before you buy.
Can log in to fibre plans directly, so it can replace the ISP's router.
A USB port can share a hard drive or printer across the home. Some routers can also use a 4G dongle as backup internet.
Most people never use it.
WPA3 is the newest Wi-Fi password protection. It makes guessing your password much harder than the older WPA2.
Standard on Wi-Fi 6 and later routers. Older devices can still join in mixed mode.
Firmware is the router's own software. Updates patch security holes, and routers are a common target for attacks.
Installs security fixes on its own, usually overnight.
A guest network keeps visitors away from your own devices. Parental controls filter sites and pause Wi-Fi for kids at set times.
Pause the internet on a child's devices at bedtime.
Most routers can now be set up from a phone app instead of a web page. Remote access lets you check or restart it while you are away.
Guided setup in a few minutes from your phone.
How long the brand will repair or replace it. Routers run all day, every day, so a longer warranty is worth having.
More cover for a device that never switches off.
Your wish list
ROUTER WISH LIST
by TechPP Insights
Your next router should have these minimum specs
Your picks will print here.
Scan to make your own wish list
techpp.app
Choose at least one spec to print your wish list.
Upgrading the gadgets that connect to it? Phone buying checklist or laptop checklist
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