Best devices for Gaming: Tech Awards 2020 Editor's Choice Results (Part 4)

Best Wi-Fi 6 Router

Best Wi-Fi 6 Router

Wi-Fi 6 or 802.11ax, as it is also known, is the next big thing in networking. It improves overall networking performance in two ways. The first is by increasing data transfer rates by increasing the maximum amount of data that can be carried by each stream. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, it enables routers and compatible devices to communicate with each other simultaneously – something that cannot be done using Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) technology.

To make the cut for this year's awards, the router must have been released in 2019 and it must be a tri-band AX-11000 class router.

Nominees:

• ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX11000
• Netgear Nighthawk AX12 (RAX200)
• TP-Link Archer AX11000

And the winner is...

The ASUS ROG GT-AX11000 is the winner of this category for its blend of performance, features, and price. As you can see from the snapshot of results compiled below, it may not be the outright performance champion, but its data transfer speeds, both download and upload, were still very decent across all ranges. To better understand the test results, the test routers are planted in the living room, while the compatible Wi-Fi 6 capable notebook was used as the client device to test the file transfer throughput at different locations within a typical apartment.

What's most impressive about the ROG GT-11AX11000 router is its suite of features. Gamers can look forward to features like Game Radar and data prioritization, whereas other features like DFS (dynamic frequency selection), real-time traffic monitor, and remote management via the ASUS Router app, makes it easy for users to manage and optimise their connection. Parents will also be happy to know that the ROG GT-AX11000 has robust parental control settings.

And while the ROG GT-AX11000 is a pricey router, we feel that it's reasonably-priced when compared to its rivals. All in all, it's comfortably the best tri-band AX11000-class Wi-Fi 6 router you can buy today.

For more details on how we selected our winners, check out the full reviews and articles listed in the References section below.

References

• Wi-Fi 6 AX11000-class router shootout