Best Wi-Fi Router for Smart Home Devices

Since you are looking to control smart home devices from anywhere, you need the best Wi-Fi router on the market. But smart home devices are now more sophisticated than ever.

And this means only select Wi-Fi router models will control them efficiently.  As such, you want to take your time and find the best Wi-Fi router for your sophisticated smart home devices.

This article has enlisted and reviewed some of the best Wi-Fi routers that could efficiently control your smart home devices. Also, the article has included a buyer’s guide to help you pick other incredible Wi-Fi routers since we could not list them all.

So, be sure to read on for more information.

What Are the Best Wi-Fi Routers for Smart Home Devices?

TP-Link AC1750 Smart Wi-Fi Router (Archer A7)

The first thing you probably notice about this TP-Link Archer A7 is that it has three antennas. And that is an intentional design to give you far-reaching Wi-Fi coverage.

This Wi-Fi router can broadcast its dual-band Wi-Fi signals to cover 2,500 square foot areas. And this makes it an ideal choice for larger homes.

As we have already mentioned, this Wi-Fi router is dual-band. It broadcasts the Wi-Fi signals at two frequencies: 2.4GHz and 5GHz. Of course, you will experience faster speeds at 5GHz.

To be as precise as possible, 5GHz gives you speeds of up to 1300 Mbps. On the other hand, 2.4GHz gives you speeds of up to 450 Mbps. And on average, your Wi-Fi router has an internet speed peaking at 1750 Mbps.

As a result, the connected devices don’t experience video buffering, even if you’re streaming videos at 4K resolution.

Besides plugging in your DSL modem at the back of your wireless router, you can also plug in the internet cable for a wireless home network for all smart home devices.

Also, this Wi-Fi router has a USB port for plugging in your USB drive. The router will access the files in the drive, making the USB drive a local media server.

This Wi-Fi router also has 4 Gigabit LAN ports at the back for wired internet connection. You can control this router by voice since it works with Alexa.

Also, you could control it remotely via the TP-Link tether app. Therefore, it is one of the best Wi-Fi routers for smart home devices.

Pros	Cons
Dual-band Wi-Fi signals.	It doesn’t work efficiently with some gaming consoles.
Long-range coverage.	Some users complain about durability.
4 LAN ports.
Best Wi-Fi Router for Smart Home Devices Reviews

Linksys AC1200 Smart Mesh Wi-Fi Router

This Wi-Fi router only has two antennas. But it still engulfs a large area with its dual-band Wi-Fi network. To be precise, your smart Wi-Fi router covers a 1,200 square-foot area with a wireless network. And this makes it yet another ideal Wi-Fi router for larger homes.

You can be sure to connect up to 12 smart home devices to this Wi-Fi router. And with 2.4GHz and 5GHz wireless network frequencies, you can achieve faster speeds of up to 1.3Gbps.

It has four Gigabit LAN ports, and this makes it an ideal Wi-Fi system for gamers. Besides, the speeds are incredible, and your gaming will not lag.

You can also stream videos at 4K resolution and not experience video buffering. Users looking for buffer-free video calls can also find this Wi-Fi router very efficient.

Even though this Wi-Fi covers a 1,200 square-foot area, this coverage might be insufficient for larger homes.

Fortunately, you can add mesh networking products to increase the range. And the most compatible mesh networking product is the Linksys mesh system.

As such, consider adding this mesh for broader wireless network coverage. It is incredible how this Wi-Fi router is future-proofed.

Controlling this Wi-Fi router is also convenient since you can control it by the sound of your voice. It supports Alexa, and you can tell Alexa to manage access to the router.

Also, you could use the Linksys app when setting up everything and controlling the router remotely. So, if you’re looking for incredible connection speeds, this Wi-Fi router could be what you seek.

Pros	Cons
Dual-band network.	You can only connect 12 devices.
3Gbps internet speed.	No USB port.
1,200 sq. ft. coverage.
Best Wi-Fi Router for Smart Home Devices Reviews

Speedefy AC2100 Smart Wi-Fi Router

While other Wi-Fi routers have two or three antennas, this Wi-Fi router boasts seven of those antennas. And with such an incredible number of antennas, you can expect to connect more devices to your router.

Lucky enough, you get to connect over 25 smart home devices to this Wi-Fi router for breakneck internet speed.

As you can expect from a Wi-Fi router with seven antennas, you also get dual-band Wi-Fi connectivity if you opt for this product.

It broadcasts wireless networks at two frequencies: 2.4GHz and 5GHz. Of course, 5GHz gives faster speeds, reaching 1733 Mbps. On the other hand, 2.4GHz gives you 300 Mbps of internet speed. Together, these Wi-Fi frequencies give you 2100 Mbps of speed.

This Wi-Fi router owes its incredible 2.1Gbps internet speed to its dual-core CPU, ensuring your videos don’t buffer. As a result, you will be browsing at incredible speeds for faster search results and video loading.

So, if you are a gamer or you love streaming videos at 4K resolution, this could be the best Wi-Fi router for you.

Gamers will appreciate the MU-MIMO Technology built-in for playing online games without buffers. Also, this technology comes in handy when sharing large files over the Wi-Fi network.

Also, this router guarantees security and reliability. And that is because the Wi-Fi system detects issues with your network automatically and resolves those issues.

You can also set parental controls to filter access to information. As such, this is a smart Wi-Fi router that is ideal for gamers and parents.

Pros	Cons
Remote control.	Unresponsive customer support.
It supports voice controls.	Some users are dissatisfied with the material quality.
1Gbps internet speed.
Best Wi-Fi Router for Smart Home Devices Reviews

NETGEAR Nighthawk Smart Wi-Fi Router (R7000-100NAS)

This NETGEAR Nighthawk is a Wi-Fi router with three amplified antennas. With its three antennas pointing in different directions, this Wi-Fi router can cover an 1,800 square-foot area.

This area coverage might not be the best, but this router still does an incredible job of covering medium-sized homes.

You can connect up to 30 smart home devices to this Wi-Fi router and control the devices from anywhere. You find four Gigabit LAN ports for wired internet connection at the back of this smart Wi-Fi router.

Of course, not every device accesses the internet wirelessly. And such devices will connect through the LAN cables.

As with every Wi-Fi router that is the best on the market, this one also boasts dual-band Wi-Fi radio frequencies: 2.4GHz and 5GHz. These frequencies give you speeds peaking at 600 Mbps and 1300 Mbps, respectively.

As such, you have an internet speed peaking at 1900 Mbps, which is ideal for gaming and streaming 4K videos.

This is one of the most secure Wi-Fi routers. It features the brand’s NETGEAR Armor for cybersecurity protection. You can also encrypt the router with WPA2 wireless security protocols.

As a result, no one stands a chance of hacking into your network. If you’re looking to extend the network range, consider adding the NETGEAR Orbi mesh router.

Pros	Cons
Remote control.	Some users are dissatisfied with the speed.
It supports voice controls.	The coverage range is not extensive enough.
1900 Mbps internet speed.
Best Wi-Fi Router for Smart Home Devices Reviews

Tenda Wi-Fi 6 Router AX1800 Smart Wi-Fi Router

This Tenda Wi-Fi 6 router comes with four antennas. The multi-directional antennas give this Wi-Fi router an incredible Wi-Fi coverage range of 1,200 square-foot. Of course, this wireless network range might not serve larger homes better.

Fortunately, you can add the Nest Wi-Fi mesh for a more extensive wi-Fi coverage.

What’s more, you can connect up to 64 smart home devices to this router. As with most Wi-Fi routers that are the best on the market, this one also boasts incredible internet speeds, reaching up to 1.8Gbps.

And that incredible internet speed comes from the dual-band performance.

This Wi-Fi router broadcasts at radio frequencies 2.4GHz and 5GHz. 5GHz gives you a faster speed of 121 Mbps, and 2.4GHz gives you 574 Mbps.

You can be sure to surf the web smoothly, and stream 4K videos with no buffer since this router features two network performance boosters: MU-MIMO and OFDMA.

One downside of this Wi-Fi router is that it only has three Gigabit LAN ports. That is not a significant drop, but you will connect one device less if you compare it with other best Wi-Fi routers.

Also, it has no USB port for accessing the media on a USB drive. Therefore, you cannot have a USB media server if you pick this Wi-Fi router.

But the router still performs incredibly fast with its 1.5GHz dual-core processor. Also, it features RX3 for improving efficiency while reducing co-frequency.

You can control internet access by the sound of your voice since this device works with Alexa. But remote control only works via the Tenda app, especially when setting up the router after unwrapping it.

Pros	Cons
1800 Mbps internet speed.	It has no USB port.
1,200 sq. ft. coverage.	It only has three Gigabit LAN ports.
You can connect 64 devices.
Best Wi-Fi Router for Smart Home Devices Reviews

What Should You Consider When Picking the Best Wi-Fi Router?

You can be sure to find plenty of Wi-Fi routers on the market. But not all of them are best for today’s smart home devices. That is why you need to consider a few factors to ensure you are getting the best deal on the market.

If you are looking to source the best Wi-Fi router for your devices, ensure you consider the following factors:

The Network Speed of the Router

When buying a Wi-Fi router for your smart home devices, you want to ensure you’re getting sufficient speed from your internet. As such, you should look at the achievable Wi-Fi speed that your router delivers.

The first Wi-Fi routers provided internet at speeds reaching only 11 Mbps.

Then came the mid-range Wi-Fi routers standard 802.11g that provided 54 Mbps. Later, there came Wi-Fi routers that broadcasted signals at standard 802.11n at an improved speed of 600 Mbps.

And in this age, you can achieve 1Gbps internet speed with a Wi-Fi router with signals standard 802.11ac.

Even though a Wi-Fi router could provide speeds reaching 1Gbps (or even more), your internet speed also depends on the bandwidth that your internet service provider (ISP) allocates after you have subscribed.

For example, a Wi-Fi router with 1Gbps speed can only provide 25 Mbps if your ISP allocates this bandwidth to your internet.

As such, you want to choose a Wi-Fi router with the same internet speed as your internet service provider. If you’re looking to subscribe for more Mbps from your ISP, be sure to pick a Wi-Fi router that can handle the incredible ISP speed.

Extendibility of the Wireless Network

After selecting the right internet speed, you want to ensure every section of your smart home has excellent coverage. Of course, your home could differ in size from another person’s home.

And that means the kind of coverage that suits you best might not suit someone else quite as well.

For a smaller home, a Wi-Fi router that covers 1,200 square feet might be suitable. On the other hand, larger homes require more coverage, with 2,500 square feet proving more efficient.

Consider adding a long-range Wi-Fi router if your home is large for extended Wi-Fi network coverage.

You can also consider adding a mesh Wi-Fi network for far-reaching Wi-Fi network coverage. In summary, be sure to check the size of your house first before picking a Wi-Fi router that covers a given area.

You can then proceed to pick the Wi-Fi router that will offer the best coverage.

Dual-Band Wi-Fi Radio Frequencies

Some smart home devices might not connect to a given Wi-Fi network frequency. But with dual-band Wi-Fi routers, such smart home devices have yet another frequency to connect to for internet connectivity.

A dual-band Wi-Fi router broadcasts radio signals at 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequencies.

Smart home devices then have two frequencies to connect to for internet connectivity. What’s more, 5GHz frequency offers faster and more reliable internet speeds. And this makes 5GHz ideal for 4K video streaming, large file-sharing, and gaming.

Other smart home devices that don’t need fast internet speeds can connect to Wi-Fi 2.4GHz. Therefore, consider buying a Wi-Fi router with dual-band for connectivity options and faster internet speeds for particular smart home devices like your computer or gaming console.

The Wireless Network Protocol

When picking a Wi-Fi router for the connected devices, you want to ensure it supports new wireless protocols. Besides, today’s smart home devices are more sophisticated than before. As such, you need a Wi-Fi router that can provide internet to them efficiently.

Today’s newest wireless protocols are Wi-Fi 4, Wi-Fi 5, and Wi-Fi 6. As you might already know, Wi-Fi 6 is the latest, with the fastest internet speed (up to 10Gbps).

Wi-Fi 6 is the other name of the protocol standard 802.11ax. But some smart home devices don’t support Wi-Fi 6.

Wi-Fi 5 with a protocol standard of 802.11ac comes in second with speeds reaching up to 3.5Gbps. This Wi-Fi standard is ideal for fast video-loading and video calls.

It is also ideal for large file-sharing and online gaming. If you want to control the connected devices efficiently, this could be the wireless network protocol to select.

Wi-Fi 4 standard 802.11n comes in last with speeds reaching only 600 Mbps. Not all smart home devices need faster internet speeds. Your smart door locks or smart plugs could connect to this Wi-Fi network standard.

But all in all, you want to ensure that the devices you are looking to control remotely support the Wi-Fi router’s wireless standard.

Ports and Connectivity

You also want to ensure you can connect other devices that might not support wireless networks to your Wi-Fi router. If you have such devices, be sure to check Wi-Fi routers with Gigabit LAN ports at their backs.

You will be sure to connect a TV set with no built-in Wi-Fi via a LAN cable.

Also, be sure to pick a Wi-Fi router with at least one USB port. You will connect a USB drive to such a Wi-Fi router and have your little USB media server for sharing files and media on the USB drive.

Although not a necessity, a USB port could improve the functionality of a Wi-Fi router.

The Number of The Connected Devices

Wi-Fi routers also allow you to connect multiple devices simultaneously. But you can expect this number to vary from one Wi-Fi router model to another model. Some Wi-Fi routers could support up to 64 devices at any given time.

But only a few surpass this impressive simultaneous device connectivity. You know how many devices you are looking to connect to your Wi-Fi router. After figuring this one out, be sure to pick a Wi-Fi router that supports all your smart home devices.

FAQs

How far out can a Wi-Fi router broadcast signals reach?

It depends on the network coverage design of the Wi-Fi router. These routers cover different areas. While some cover as much as 2,500 square feet of an area, some only cover 1,200 sq. ft. as such, the Wi-Fi network coverage ranges from one model to another.

Can I control my Wi-Fi router by voice?

Your Wi-Fi router could work with Alexa. And this allows you to control it by the sound of your voice. Alexa lets you control the speed or restrict internet access by some smart home devices. As such, you can control your Wi-Fi router through voice commands.

Where should I place my router for the best performance?

The first thing you want to do is to place the router in a central location. And ensure the router is away from your electronics such as TV sets. Also, point the antennas at rooms with the devices you want to connect to the Wi-Fi router for remote control.

How many smart locks can I connect to my Wi-Fi router?

It depends on the number of devices your preferred Wi-Fi router supports. If your router supports 32 devices, you could connect all your smart locks and other smart home devices.

But if the router only supports 12 devices and you have 15 smart locks, you might consider adding another router to accommodate the remaining smart locks.

How much electricity do Wi-Fi routers consume?

Wi-Fi routers are like other electronics since they also use electricity to function. But they use way less electricity than most electronics. On average, these smart home devices only use 6 watts of electric power to function. As such, they don’t consume more electricity.

Wrap Up

When looking to control smart home devices remotely, you will need the best Wi-Fi router on the market. Not any router will give you an incredible performance.

You want a Wi-Fi router with sufficient speed for efficient smart home device control. Also, you require a Wi-Fi router that accommodates all your smart home devices.

But with many Wi-Fi router models on the market, finding the best ones might prove to be a challenge. That is why we have presented you with a few models that might work best for you.

We haven’t stopped there since we have also included tips to help you find other best Wi-Fi routers on the market. Therefore, source the best Wi-Fi router for your smart home and control every smart device from anywhere with convenience.