Wireless Router Reviews

Updated March 2012

Wi-Fi is a great thing, but it's only as good as the wireless router behind it. Almost two dozen sources put a variety of routers through their paces, testing them for connection speed and reliability, range and interference problems. We chose the models below based on the results of these rigorous tests and feedback from hundreds of users.

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Best wireless router for Mac

Apple AirPort Extreme

*Est. $170 Compare Prices

According to reviews, the Apple AirPort Extreme is the best wireless-N router you can buy if you have an all-Mac or mixed Mac/PC network. Experts say it offers great range and is simple for novices to set up and use, and… expandowners call Apple routers the most reliable. Like our top pick for PC networks, the Netgear N600 Wireless Dual-Band Gigabit Router WNDR3700 (*Est. $100), the AirPort Extreme uses the latest simultaneous dual-band, dual-radio, wireless-N technology with Gigabit Ethernet (GbE). It also allows parental controls, guest networking so you can let friends onto the network without sharing your password, wireless external hard-drive sharing and wireless printer sharing. However, the Netgear router includes an extra GbE port and more Windows-centric features. collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

CNET: Justin Yu calls the AirPort Extreme's easy setup suitable for novice Mac users.

Small Net Builder.com: Tim Higgins reviews the latest version of the AirPort Extreme and says not much has changed.

Amazon.com: The Apple AirPort Extreme is one of the top-rated routers at Amazon.com, with more than 300 owners giving it an average 4.4 stars out of 5.

PCMag.com: PCMag.com readers vote Apple AirPort routers the most reliable and best overall in this 2011 service and reliability survey.

Which? magazine: Not dated The U.K.'s Which? magazine, which is similar to ConsumerReports.org, tests routers including the Apple AirPort Extreme.

Macworld: The Apple AirPort Extreme is one of Macworld's favorite routers.

PCMag.com: PCMag.com says the Apple AirPort Extreme is a "solid" choice if you run Macs or a combination of Mac and Windows computers, but if you run all Windows, "you can get better features for less money."

Computerworld.com: Michael deAgonia tests the Apple AirPort Extreme with a variety of Apple devices such as iPhones and MacBooks.

PC World: Apple routers win this reader survey, beating Buffalo, D-Link, Linksys and Netgear units.

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Buy from Amazon for $172.36
Amazon for $172.36	PCConnectio- n Express for $164.99	J&R Music and Computer World for $169.88

Advanced wireless router for Windows

Netgear N600 Wireless Dual-Band Gigabit Router WNDR3700

*Est. $100 Compare Prices

The high-end Netgear N600 Wireless Dual-Band Gigabit Router WNDR3700 is a wireless-N router that simultaneously works on both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. This model comes packed with features, is highly rated for use… expandwith both Windows PCs and Macs, and allows wireless external hard-drive sharing. It figures prominently in many top-10 lists, and reviewers like the unit's high throughput, bandwidth management and speed. Its impressive security features include robust parental controls. On the downside, experts don't recommend it as a network-attached storage device and a printer can't be attached for wireless sharing. collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

TopTenReviews.com: The editors of TopTenReviews.com award Netgear's WNDR3700 second place in their review of the top-10 premium wireless routers.

Macworld: Receiving 4 out of 5 mice, the Netgear WNDR3700 router is called "business ready" and a "joy to use." Although Jon Jacobi is impressed with the unit's speed and reliability, he says this comes only after a difficult setup and configuration process.

PCMag.com: Samara Lynn gives the Netgear WNDR3700 an Editor's Choice award, identifying it as one of the fastest routers she has ever tested.

Small Net Builder.com: Tim Higgins reviews version 2 of the Netgear WNDR3700 router, which increases flash memory to 16 MB and changes the antenna configuration for the 5 GHz band.

MaximumPC.com: The Netgear WNDR3700 beats all rivals -- including the D-Link DIR-855 and Cisco Linksys E3000 -- in this seven-router shootout.

Small Net Builder.com: With high-end features including guest networks on both bands and "routing speed well above what most of us can use," the Netgear WNDR3700 is one of this site's most highly recommended routers.

The Wall Street Journal: The Netgear WNDR3700 comes out on top in Geoffrey Fowler's "real-world torture tests" to find a wireless router that isn't "sluggish and flaky." The unit covers even the farthest reaches of his apartment, and its performance mode improves its reliability.

PC & Tech Authority (Australia): Editors test 12 of the latest wireless-N routers, including the Netgear WNDR3700.

Information Week: The Netgear WNDR3700 "truly is packed with features," which Bill O'Brien lists briefly along with details on five other routers he recommends.

CNET: The Netgear WNDR3700 earns a spot on CNET's list of the best wireless routers in 2009.

NewEgg.com: With more than 775 reviews posted, the Netgear WNDR3700 earns an overall score of 4 eggs out of 5.

Amazon.com: The Netgear WNDR3700 gets an average 3.6 stars out of 5 from more than 825 users at Amazon.com.

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Buy from Amazon for $94.15
UnbeatableS- ale, Inc. for $132.65	Staples for $99.99	Dell for $99.99

Best-value wireless router

Cisco Valet

*Est. $25 Compare Prices

The Cisco Valet is marketed as the simplest router to use, and reviewers say it lives up to its promise. This no-frills, single-band wireless-N router delivers enough throughput for browsing the Internet and emailing.… expandWhat the Valet lacks in power it more than makes up for in style and ease of use. Professional reviewers and users alike rave about its Easy Setup Key, and the router comes with guest networking and parental controls capability. It wins high ratings as a budget starter network for novices and non-techies. collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

TopTenReviews.com: Receiving a Silver Award in this site's roundup of the best wireless routers of 2012, the Cisco Valet gets high marks for its features, security, ease of use and support; however, performance isn't rated.

Small Net Builder.com: Craig Ellison says the Cisco Valet has the "smoothest and simplest setup of any router" he has tested.

Amazon.com: About 500 users posting at Amazon.com give the Cisco Valet an average of 3.8 out of 5 stars.

The Wall Street Journal: Katherine Boehret positions the Cisco Valet as a router for people who are "tired of being intimidated by a blinking box." She likes its simple setup but had some difficulty hooking it up to a Mac, a bug that Cisco later fixed.

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Buy from Amazon for $44.99
Dell for $75.99	Microsoft Store for $79.99	CompuVest for $77.40

Tried-and-true (and hackable) wireless-G router

Linksys WRT54GL

*Est. $60 Compare Prices

If you have old equipment on your network that isn't compatible with wireless-N and you don't want to upgrade it, experts say you might be better off sticking with a wireless-G router for now. The inexpensive Cisco… expandLinksys WRT54GL is based on the older 802.11g wireless networking standard, so it's not as fast as 802.11n routers. Still, reviews say the unit is reliable, easy to set up and secure. Unlike our other Best Reviewed routers, the WRT54GL has 10/100 Ethernet ports instead of high-speed Gigabit Ethernet ports, and Linksys says the router is compatible only with Windows 2000, XP and Vista. But because of its open-source, Linux-based software, developers have created their own firmware that lets this router do all kinds of things it was never designed to do such as control bandwidth usage and signal power. collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

Wi-FiPlanet.com: This article explains how and why the Linksys WRT54G-series routers came to be so hacker-friendly, and how to find and use outside firmware for them -- along with some cautions about such firmware.

PCMag.com: PCMag.com's Eric Griffith lists 10 ways to make your home network run faster.

NewEgg.com: Because professional reviews of the Linksys WRT54GL are hard to come by, user reviews are more meaningful.

Amazon.com: Amazon.com has more than 1,100 user reviews of the Linksys WRT54GL. They give it an average score of 4.3 stars out of 5, with more than 775 owners giving it a perfect 5-star rating.

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