Slow network is a pain in the neck, especially when we plan to watch a movie after a long day or are in the middle of a meeting. Ugh, again?! While these issues may seem minor, they can be troublesome, especially when they happen often.
Finding a wifi router is essential for making your streaming experience better and more efficient by providing excellent speed and quality to your network.
Of course, you can choose an expensive and high-end product if you want to, but if you are on a budget and don’t want to break your bank while shopping for a quality wifi router, then you are at the right place.
Here we have compiled a list of the 7 Best wifi routers under $100, which are aesthetically pleasing and functional. Besides, we have also given a few tips that could help you in this process.
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So let’s get into it!
Things to Consider when Buying A Wifi Router
When buying a wifi router, there are a few important things that you should keep in check. Read through these certain features carefully to get the best-suited product for yourself.
Numerous factors come into play, from wifi connectivity to product quality when deciding on your purchase.
- First off, to get yourself a perfect router that does it all, you must know your needs, i.e., what you would be using the device for. For instance, if you seek one that is fit for long gaming sessions, then you should go for a higher-speed router.
On the other hand, security is your supreme priority if you want it for your office or your fintech firm.
- Even if you are tight on your budget, you don’t have to sacrifice the quality of your router. It is better to go for multiple band routers, as this allows you to use various devices simultaneously. Although you won’t have access to a tri-band router for $100, you can still get a dual-band router that would work just fine.
- Beamforming and MU-MIMO technologies upgrade your wireless router’s overall experience and performance. Make sure you get the latest products as finding these technologies in old versions is difficult, especially on a budget.
- The most crucial feature to look for in a router is its speed. The router must have a fantastic speed to handle network load without lagging, no matter the shape or size. It is ideal to purchase a router with up to 10 Gbps speed. And to support the fast data exchange, ensure that you get wifi 6, which will top this thing off.
- A top-of-the-line security solution is required to keep your network and the devices connected to it safe from any potential threat. QoS, parental controls, guest network, anti-virus, and wireless encryptions WPA/WPA2 are some of the most important systems to have. With this, if you use the router in a mesh network (i.e., office), then the firewall and VPN server is reliable for safeguarding your data and more.
- Always double-check the number of LAN ports in the router you intend to purchase. This can make a world of difference to the number of devices you can connect to it at a time.
To put it more simply, the number of connected devices increases with the number of LAN ports. And all of these are connected through Ethernet. Nonetheless, you must remember that most routers only have 4-16 LAN ports.
- Make sure you know the mechanics of the device. This will help you set up the router easily and have the basic knowledge of the fundamentals of the device. With this, follow instructions and precautions available online before purchasing anything.
The 7 Best Wifi Router Under $100
Before we get into the comprehensive review of the best wifi routers, let’s get an overview of their key features.
| Products | Dimensions | Rating | Weight | Frequency Bands supported | Data Transfer Rate | Check it out here |
| TP-Link AC1900 | 9.5 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches | 4.5/5 | 0.9 lbs | Dual-band | 1900 Mbps | Link |
| Speedefy AC2100 | 9.4 x 5.6 x 1.5 inches | 4.2/5 | 1.1 lbs | Dual-band | 2100 Mbps | Link |
| Motorola AC 2600 | 7 x 12 x 7.1 inches | 4.4/5 | 1.1 lbs | Dual-band | 2600 Mbps | Link |
| Google AC1200 | 4.1 x 4.1 x 2.7 inches | 4.6/5 | 0.75 lbs | Dual-band | 1200 Mbps | Link |
| TP-Link AX1800 | 10.2 x 5.3 x 1.6 inches | 4.6/5 | 1.10 lbs | Dual-band | 1800 Mbps | Link |
| Netgear Stream-4 | 10.7 x 8 x 4.4 inches | 4.3/5 | 0.6 lbs | Wifi-6 tech | 1800 Mbps | Link |
| Netgear Nighthawk A2300 | 11.2 x 7.2 x 1.9 inch | 3.5/5 | 1.65 lbs | Dual-band | 1625 Mbps | Link |
Now that you have a general idea of the essential features, we can move on to the detailed review of these 7 Best wifi routers under $100.
1. TP-Link AC1900 Wifi Router (Archer A9)
- Airtime Fairness makes your network ultra-smooth
- Easy to set up and manage
- Robust wifi coverage with Beamforming and 3 high gain antennas
- Simple to connect with multiple devices
- WPS and WPA2-PSK for security
- Compatible with Alexa
First on this list is the TP-Link AC1900, known for its powerful dual-core processor, which gives it a smooth performance. This pocket-friendly router can connect with multiple devices without slowing you down. It provides an incredible speed of 1900 Mbps so that you can stream, game, download, and browse through the internet with ease.
Archer A9 is integrated with three high-gain antennas for a better coverage range, ensuring that you connect to your selected device without any nuisance. Moreover, the AC1900 is pre-installed with beamforming technology, which aids in the signal’s focus on your device.
There is nothing worse than ‘loading’ showing up on your screen while playing your favorite game or having an important meeting to attend. It’s pre-installed with MU-MIMO technology that helps prevent this. The innovative connecting technology allows you to use your device without any bandwidth issues.
You can rest assured knowing that Archer A9 takes it a step further and gives you a secure network!
2. Speedefy AC2100
- This smart wireless router supports 210 Speedy Band Gigabit.
- Its dual cores CPU provides high speed.
- Easy gaming and 4k streaming
- 4*4 MU-MIMO Technology-enabled
- 2500 sq ft coverage area
- Pre-installed with 7*6d Omni-directional antennas
Speedefy AC2100 blends high functionality and design in a wifi router that is simple to manage and offers supreme technology as well as connectivity.
It is enabled with 7 powerful 6-dBi antennas, which makes it stand out from other products available on the market. This gives you an extremely high-speed data transmission and efficient connection that can easily connect to almost 25 devices simultaneously without lagging!
Along with this, the AC2100 dual-band wifi router delivers terrific speed, and the antennas help transmit signals efficiently to improve your streaming experience and more.
Making this device more reliable is the WPA2 protocol used to secure your network. This checks up on your system to detect any risks, viruses, or anything that can be a substantial threat to your device and safeguards your privacy.
3. Motorola Wifi Router MR2600
- Comes with a parental control setting
- Beamforming technology helps with 253 client device support.
- WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK encryption for better safety
- 4 Gigabit LAN connections
- 1 Gigabit WLAN port
- Integrated with a convenient USB 3.0 port
- Delivers wide network range
If you’re looking for a high-speed wifi router within an economical range to take your network quality to another level for a world-class internet experience, the Motorola MR2600 is the perfect choice for you!
This router allows you to connect with over 4 devices for seamless browsing without any hindrance. It provides you with a speed of over 2600 Mbps to amplify the performance of your device for an incredible uninterrupted internet experience.
Moreover, the device is equipped with several features like Port Forwarding and MU-MIMO, which support high-speed data exchange among the connected devices. Making this product a win-win is the awesome security system, which includes features like Firewalls, SmartQoS, Guest Network Functionality to ensure that the network is secure.
Besides being fully packed with incredible features, this router is available with a 2-year warranty. Moreover, the latest edition of Motorola MR2600 includes pretty much everything a wifi router can have at an affordable price!
4. Google Wifi AC1200 Mesh Router
- One Pack covers up to 1500 square feet
- Uses the Google Home app for a simple set up in a few steps
- Easy to control home wifi system
- Streams 4K video at ease
- Mesh wifi System
If you’re looking for a dynamically designed router that can handle all of your streaming and other online activities, then Google wifi AC1200 is a great alternative.
This is arguably the most advanced device available on the market. Moreover, this wifi router by Google is suitable to meet all your needs, whether you’re a working professional or regular streaming enthusiast.
Google’s AC1200 is an out-of-the-box product perfect for all environments, no matter if you require a private home network or a vast network system with impregnable firewalls for your company. This router is capable of handling the high demand of enormous data transfer and so much more.
This Google router works on a strong processor which holds dual-band frequency, making it steadfast for you to browse the internet and stream around movies or even work for extended hours without any network disruption.
Easy connectivity makes this device even more efficient; all you need to do is fire up its app and follow through with the simple process. The excellent speed and high-end performance make it popular among the customers.
5. TP-Link AX1800 Smart Router (Archer AX21)
- Easy set up with Amazon Alexa
- Dual-Band wifi 6 internet router
- OFDMA technology-enabled
- Beamforming technology
- 4 high-gain antennas
- An advanced front-end module (FEM) chipset preinstalled
- Powerful Quad-Core processing for minimal latency
Another one from the TP-Link is the Archer AX21. This router’s powerful 1.5GHz quad-core processor does a terrific job of assuring you get excellent connectivity without any buffering or hassle.
The Archer AX21 is integrated with next-gen technology to deliver 1.8 Gbps speed for an incredible performance. Furthermore, this router is enabled with OFDMA technology to provide a steady connection to multiple devices at the same time. The dual-band frequencies and wifi 6 (802.11ax) connectivity allow all the connected devices to work smoothly without any distortion.
This device transmits data at a high pace and can connect up to 40 devices at a time. Archer AX21 provides all of this without degrading network quality. This product is ranked at the top for the third year in a row on JD Power Ranks.
6. Netgear Stream – 4 Router (R6700AXS)
- Beamforming technology
- OFDMA, 1024-QAM, and VPN compatibility for higher speed
- WPA2/WPA3 support
- This router can create a special guest wifi network and a Firewall.
- Netgear Armor-TM
- Contains 4 Gigabit Ethernet ports
- Netgear smart parental controls
- Wifi 6 technology-enabled
If you are looking for a router that can provide you with solid network connectivity for long hours of gaming and surfing on the internet, then you might want to consider the Netgear R6700AXS.
The fourth iteration of the Netgear stream lineup guarantees a smooth data transmission with a speed of over 1.8 Gbps, which delivers extreme performance to all the connected devices. The best thing is that Stream 4 is equipped with wifi-6 dual-band technology, which allows it to manage multiple streams easily. Moreover, its excellent bandwidth allows buffer-free streaming.
Adding to all this is its aesthetic design that would easily fit your decor. It is sufficient to provide robust connectivity all over your house or office. It also supports Alexa and Google assistant for incredible automation.
One of the impressive features of this router is the “>Netgear ArmorTM, which is powered by Bitdefender, and it comes with a one-month free trial. Moreover, it has the ability to control and safeguard every device linked to it from malicious threats and other potent trojans.
7. Netgear Nighthawk Router (AC2300)
- Fast wifi performance with 2000 square feet wireless coverage
- Compatible with Wired Ethernet ports
- Dual-core 1 GHz processor
- 3 amplified antennas
- It is enabled with MU-MIMO and Beamforming plus technology.
- Dynamic QoS and Smart Connect
- It has a range of wifi connections for 2.4 and 5 GHz.
- These routers also have USB connections.
The Netgear Nighthawk AC2300 offers exceptional performance and coverage of up to 2000 square feet. Along with this, you can connect up to 35 devices to the router and get the finest experience.
The Beamforming+ antennas improve the router’s range and dependability by allowing all devices to connect with ease. Nighthawk provides an impressive speed of 2300 Mbps for you to surf the internet online with ease.
You might think that connecting numerous devices at once will cause network congestion, but the dual-bands on this router are cleverly engineered to boost performance while reducing data interference.
It is enabled with Netgear Armor, which is powered by BitDefender that provides cybersecurity for all of Netgear’s products. This helps you have a secure network and find quick solutions to any malicious software.
Summing Up
There you have it, an extensive list of exclusive products that can meet your needs, along with some essential tips that will help you shop for these!
All of the recommended products are great in functionality and include some basic features that an ideal Wifi router should have.
We hope this handy guide was helpful for you in selecting a wifi router under $100.
