How to choose the best Wi-Fi router for you: what to check before you buy

Why the adverts and the box are not enough

Router adverts show the best result a router can reach. The detailed specifications often say something different. For example:

• The speed on the box is a total across several radio bands added together. No single device gets that speed, and your internet connection is often much slower anyway.
• A router may not work directly with your type of internet connection, or your internet provider may need its own box to stay connected, or to keep phone or TV services working.
• Some routers stop getting security updates after a few years, which leaves your home network less safe.

So check the same things for every router, using the maker's own specifications and support pages, and check the exact model number you would buy.

Before you look at any router

Write down your answers to these five points. They decide which checks in the list matter most to you.

• What you have now. Your provider's router may already be enough. Check it with the same checklist before buying; some providers also charge a monthly rental for theirs.
• Your internet connection. The type (for example fibre, cable, phone line, or mobile), its speed, and whether your internet provider supplied a box you must keep.
• Your home. Its size, number of floors, thick walls, and the rooms where Wi-Fi is weak today.
• Your devices. How many phones, computers, TVs, consoles and smart-home devices, and which need a cable instead of Wi-Fi.
• Who uses it. Children who need limits, people working from home, or guests who need their own Wi-Fi.

The checklist

The checks are in three groups. Must have means a problem here can make it hard to use or costly to fix. Nice to have means it makes a real difference for many people. Optional means it only matters to some people. When you open the checklist in NeutralPick, you can move any check to a different group to match your answers above.

• Must have
• Works with your internet connectionDoes it work with my type of internet connection and my provider, or do I need to keep the provider's box as well?Most connections need a modem or fibre box (it links your home to the provider). Some providers only allow their own, or need it for phone or TV. Check their support pages.
• Reaches every room you useWill it cover my home's size and floors, and does it support adding extra units (mesh) if one isn't enough?Walls, floors and distance weaken Wi-Fi. In larger homes, extra units (a mesh system, or access points linked by cable) often work better than one router.
• Security updates for yearsHow long will this model get security updates, and does it install them automatically?Routers that no longer get updates are a common target for attackers. Look for an end date on the maker's support page; in the UK, makers must publish one.
• Fast enough for your connection and devicesIn independent tests, how fast is it over Wi-Fi at a distance like the room I use most, and is that faster than my internet speed?The speed on the box is a total of several bands. Independent tests measure real speed at different distances.
• A warranty that applies where you liveHow long is the warranty in my country, and does it cover a router bought from another country or a foreign seller?Routers bought abroad may use radio settings meant for another country, and may not be covered locally.
• Nice to have
• Enough wired portsHow many wired network ports (sockets for network cables) does it have, and are they fast enough for my computer, TV or console?A cable is usually faster and steadier than Wi-Fi for devices that don't move. Some mesh units have few or no spare ports.
• Parental controls, if you need themCan I set time limits and block some websites for children's devices, without paying a subscription?Only matters with children at home. Some routers charge a monthly fee for these controls.
• A separate network for guestsCan I set up a separate Wi-Fi network for guests or smart-home devices?A guest network can keep visitors and less secure devices away from your computers, if it isolates them. Some smart-home devices need your main network.
• Easy to set up and manageCan I set it up and change settings from a web page as well as an app, and does it need an account?Some routers can only be managed through an app with an account. Check what works without it.
• No subscription needed for features you wantDo any of the features I want, such as security scanning or parental controls, need a paid subscription?Add any subscription to the price for the years you'll keep the router.
• Modern security settingsDoes it support WPA3 encryption, and can I change the admin password and turn off WPS and remote access?WPA3 is the newest Wi-Fi encryption. Weak default passwords, WPS (push-button pairing) and remote access are common ways in.
• Optional
• Newer Wi-Fi standard, if your devices use itWhich Wi-Fi standard does it support (for example Wi-Fi 6 or 7), and do my devices support the same?A newer standard only helps devices that support it. Wi-Fi 6E and 7 use a 6 GHz band that is limited or not allowed in some countries.
• Power use and sizeHow much power does it use, and will it fit where I want to put it, out in the open?A router runs all day. Placing it in the open, not in a cupboard, usually gives better Wi-Fi.

Claims to look at carefully

Adverts and product pages often describe the points below in vague terms. When you see one, look for the specific information shown here. If you cannot find it, assume the answer is "no" or "only partly".

• A large speed number, such as "up to 10,000 Mbps" (megabits per second, the unit for internet speed). This is several bands added together, and each is a theoretical maximum. Look for independent tests of real speed at a distance.
• "Covers up to" a number of square metres or square feet. Look for tests in homes like yours; walls and floors make a big difference.
• "Advanced security". Look for how long security updates are promised, and whether the security features need a subscription.
• The price. Add extra units you need to cover your home, and any subscription over the years you will keep it.

What to do with what you found

1. Put all the routers side by side.
2. Look at the Must have checks first. If a router gets a No on one of your must-haves, remove it, however good the rest looks. Look closely at any Partial.
3. If two routers are close, read reviews from owners with homes like yours, especially about coverage and updates.
4. Before you buy, check your internet provider's rules on using your own router, and the shop's return policy.

Why use NeutralPick to compare Wi-Fi routers

• The same checks for every router. You fill in the same checklist for each router you are considering, so you compare them in the same way.
• Everything in one table. You see every router side by side, check by check, instead of switching between shop pages and notes.
• Nobody can pay to influence it. There are no adverts, no paid placements and no "featured" products. No maker or shop can pay to be shown to you or placed higher.
• Free, with no account. You don't need to sign up or pay anything.

Start with this checklist See an example comparison