The 3 Best Routers for Streaming in 2024

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By

Evan Shephard Avatar

Reviewed By

Evan Shephard
Updated Jun 16, 2024 12:34 PM
best routers streaming guide that shows the top best router model

A whopping 75% of electronic and appliance reviews are untrustworthy. That’s why every reviewer gets a Trust Rating so our True Score System filters out the fake reviews. See how we do it.

When you’re streaming, the last thing you want is buffering or dropped connections. To avoid these issues, prioritize routers with high 5 GHz band performance, low latency, and robust QoS (Quality of Service) settings. These features ensure smooth streaming, even with multiple devices connected. Out of 37 routers evaluated, only 3 earned a spot in our guide.

We analyzed 193,479 reviews and found that many experts weren’t trustworthy. Our unique approach involves certifying products as tested and using our AI-powered True Score to filter out fake and low-quality reviews. The winning routers excelled in verified testing, ensuring reliable and high-speed performance for all your streaming needs. By choosing a great router, you can enjoy seamless streaming, gaming, and browsing without interruption.

How Did We Rank the Best Routers for Streaming?

Our buying guide for the best routers for streaming leverages an in-depth analysis of over 200 websites. By examining a variety of testing methods and customer reviews, we distill the most critical criteria for streaming routers. Our true score system factors in 2 required test results, 2 nice-to-have test results, and 1 must-have specification, ensuring that you get a reliable, high-performance router. We’ve focused on understanding the key pain points, like buffering and speed drops, to recommend only the top performers.

Our commitment to unbiased reviews is powered by our ‘True Score’ system, targeting low quality and fake reviews. When you shop through our links, you’re backing our mission. Dive deeper to see how.

?️ Minimum Specifications

  • Must have quality of service prioritization

? Test Criteria

  • 2.4 GHz Download Speed: A download speed on the 2.4 GHz band of at least 50 Mbits
  • 5 GHz Download Speed: A download speed on the 5 GHz band of at least 200 Mbits.

? “Nice To Haves”

  • Router Range: A range of at least 50 feet before the signal from the router begins to become noticeably weaker.
  • Latency: A latency of 30 ms or less.

Latest Updates

  • 06/16/2024: Republished the list to include the best routers for streaming based on our True Score system.

Top Routers for Streaming For 2024

Prices accurate at the time of publishing

See how we test the testers

  • Runner Up

    Best Value

    Best Budget

    gr recommended award

    Best Mid-Range

    TP-Link Archer GX-90

    For seamless streaming on platforms like Twitch or YouTube, the TP-Link Archer GX-90 delivers fast speeds and prioritized bandwidth.

    TP-Link Archer GX-90 Review →

    True Score

    85
    84
    7

    Experts

    90
    8k

    Customers

    SAVE $20
    $249.99
    $229.99
  • Runner Up

    Best Value

    Best Budget

    gr recommended award

    Best Mid-Range

    Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500

    • Best For Long Range

    For top streaming performance on Twitch or YouTube, the Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 has unmatched speeds to ensure seamless HD streams.

    Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 Review →

    True Score

    85
    84
    7

    Experts

    90
    3k

    Customers

    SAVE $97
    $599.99
    $503.04

    Category Snapshot

    Routers

    • Total Brands/Products Tested

      12 Brands, 37 Products

    • Top 2 Brands

      Netgear, Asus

    • Price Range (Budget-Premium)

      $45-$600

    • Average True Score

      79.42

    • Important Test Criteria

      Download & Upload Speed (bits/second)

      Range (feet/meters)

    • Most Trusted Testers

      router top trusted testers

    • Top Router Experts

      James Morris, Matt Spencer

    • Typical Warranty

      1 year

    • Covered by Insurance

      Yes – AKKO

  • Runner Up

    Best Value

    Best Budget

    gr recommended award

    Best Mid-Range

    Asus ROG GT6 Mesh

    • Best For Vpn

    The Asus ROG GT6 Mesh router excels for streamers thanks to its blazing 5 GHz upload speed and reliable performance, ensuring flawless live content delivery.

    Asus ROG GT6 Mesh Review →

    True Score

    82
    82
    6

    Experts

    86
    4k

    Customers

    $479.99

Which Criteria Matters for Testing Best Routers for Streaming?

By focusing on these criteria (2 required, 2 nice to have), anyone can quickly and easily compare these routers and how they’ll perform. This helps you make an informed decision and purchase a routers that will meet your needs.

CRITERIARANGEREQUIREDDEFINITION
2.4 GHz Download Speed> 50 Mbits/sYesThe top speed the router reaches downloading on the 2.4 GHz band.
5 GHz Download Speed> 200 Mbits/sYesThe top speed the router reaches downloading on the 5 GHz band.
Router Range > 50 ftNo (Nice to have)How far a device can be from a router before the signal starts degrading. It is worth noting that 2.4 GHz reaches further than 5 GHz.
Latency< 30 msNo (Nice to have)The delay that is created by a signal being sent by the router and then received.

Our Trusted Data Sources

We looked at 120+ router reviewers and found that 46 are trustworthy (60%+ Trust Rating). The three we have listed below are our most trusted for routers.

  1. James Morris – Kit Guru, LinkedIn
  2. Matt Spencer – TechGearLab, LinkedIn
  3. Brian Nadel – Tom’s Guide, MuckRack

Interested in a comprehensive analysis of our data sources? We’ve got you covered. Below, you’ll find a detailed list of every router review website we’ve identified, organized by their respective Trust Ratings from highest to lowest. But we didn’t stop there. We’ve meticulously reviewed each publication and verified the data by checking whether the authors have bio links to MuckRack or LinkedIn. We’re committed to not only checking the facts but ensuring their veracity.

Router Test Data & Results

Disclaimer:

Evaluating router performance is more than hardware analysis. While hardware tests are straightforward, the challenge lies in contextualizing the results within the limits of real-world usage. Routers operate under conditions that testers cannot fully standardize, including variations in Internet Service Providers (ISPs), network traffic congestion, discrepancies between advertised and actual internet speeds, and the physical layout of homes. These factors introduce a degree of unpredictability, making it hard to draw universal conclusions. As such, our router recommendations aim to provide useful general guidance, accommodating a wide range of home environments and internet setups.

1. 2.4 GHz Download Speed (Mbits/s)

The oldest and slowest of the bands on a router is the 2.4 GHz band, but it sticks around for a reason. Generally speaking, while this band features the slowest available speeds and has the lowest bandwidth, but also reaches out the furthest. It’s not the best band to connect to connect if you need high speeds, but if you just need to be connected for light browsing or anything that’s low bandwidth, it works. Alternatively, if you own a lot of old devices, this band may be the only band they can “see” and therefore, use.

Given the age of the band, top speeds on 2.4 GHz cap out very quickly. We recommend a speed of at least 50 Mbits/s, but if you aren’t really going to be using this band for anything other than checking web pages, you can go lower. It’s worth noting, though, that this might lead to a more frustrating and laggier time on modern sites with lots of scripting and high-quality images.

2.4 GHz Download Speed (Mbits/s; higher is better; 0 = No Data)

2. 5 GHz Download Speed (Mbits/s)

The much faster 5 GHz band offers up much greater bandwidth and is much, much better at meeting high-speed demands. Streaming high-quality video, using streaming services, gaming, downloading large files and games – the 5 GHz band is what makes all of these activities quick and bearable. It reaches a lower range than the 2.4 GHz band, but it’s also much faster, so you’ll use it more, especially on newer devices that actually support the band.

Given how much you’ll be using this band, we recommend a speed of at least 200 Mbits/s to ensure you’re able to enjoy streaming and gaming on at least a few devices simultaneously. Any lower and you start to run into real bottleneck concerns, such as endless buffering, lagging, or drops in connection.

5 GHz Download Speed (Mbits/s; higher is better; 0 = No Data)

3. Router Range (ft)

Router range is exactly what the name suggests: how far can you get from the router before you start experiencing issues with your connection? The complicating factor is the simple fact that range depends on the band you’re using. 2.4 GHz is a band that offers greater range, so it gives tests results that show a greater range than tests that use the 5 GHz band. In general, our research found most publications used the 5 GHz band, so our recommendations are based on that.

As such, we recommend your router have a range of at least 50 ft. This gives you a good “bubble” around the router that you can connect to, but it’s important to know that things like the walls in your home can cause issues. Thicker walls block more signal, thinner walls block less. Some materials will also do a better job than others will at stopping signal, so if you see a router with a range of 65 ft, know that it might not reach that far in your home. It could reach further – or not nearly as far. This is also why you get dead zones in your home – it’s a matter of geometry and materials.

Router Range (ft; higher is better; 0 = No Data)

4. Latency (ms)

On a router, latency refers to how long it takes for the router to send out and receive a signal. The longer it takes, the more delay there is between you sending and receiving data, which can introduce lag in video games and also makes video conferencing harder since the person you’re speaking with now has to contend with your delay and vice versa. If you’ve ever spent a call talking over someone because you don’t know they started talking a second ago, that’s latency.

For that reason, we recommend a latency below 40 ms. As low as you can get it is obviously preferable, but latency is another aspect of your internet connection that is hard to manage. Latency differs to every single place you connect to, and every ISP has its own latency they “add” because you have to connect to their service too. Latency creeps in from your ISP, from the site you’re requesting data from, from your router, and from your own onboard Wi-Fi antenna – and that’s just to name a few sources. If you’re gaming, you also have a delay introduced by your connection to game servers and the delay that exists on a hardware level when you input commands.

Latency (ms; lower is better; 0 = No Data)

Best Routers for Streaming: Mistakes To Avoid

  1. Ignoring Wi-Fi Standards: Make sure to choose a router that supports the latest Wi-Fi standards like 802.11ac or 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6). These standards offer faster speeds and better performance, especially in crowded environments.

  2. Neglecting Bandwidth Needs: Consider the number of devices that will be streaming simultaneously and the bandwidth requirements of each. Choose a router with sufficient bandwidth to handle all the streaming without buffering or lag.

  3. Overlooking Range and Coverage: If you have a large house or multiple floors, make sure to select a router with good range and coverage to ensure a strong Wi-Fi signal in every corner. Mesh Wi-Fi systems can be a good option for large homes.

  4. Ignoring Quality of Service (QoS) Features: QoS features prioritize certain types of internet traffic, such as streaming, gaming, or video calls, to ensure a smooth and uninterrupted experience. Look for routers with robust QoS settings to optimize your streaming performance.

The Best Routers for Streaming Tests Compared

Product
True Score
2.4 GHz D/L Speed
5 Ghz D/L Speed
6 GHz D/L Speed
Range
Latency

TP-Link Archer GX-90

  • Best for Tp Link

85
  • 75.39 Mbits/s

  • 279.62 Mbits/s

  • 0

  • 40 ft

  • 20 ms

$229.99
$250
$20

Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500

  • Best for Long Range

85
  • 416.64 Mbits/s

  • 844.37 Mbits/s

  • 1,004.13 Mbits/s

  • 105 ft

  • 19 ms

$503.04
$600
$97

Asus ROG GT6 Mesh

  • Best for Vpn

82
  • 139.35 Mbits/s

  • 701.28 Mbits/s

  • 0

  • 95 ft

  • 21.89 ms

$479.99

Routers for Streaming Questions (FAQ)

What features should I look for in a router for streaming?

When selecting a router for streaming, prioritize features such as high 5 GHz band performance, low latency, robust Quality of Service (QoS) settings, and multiple antennas for better coverage. Dual-band or tri-band capabilities can also help manage multiple devices, ensuring smooth and uninterrupted streaming.

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