This top-5 best collection includes regularly updated lists of the best networking and storage devices that have been thoroughly tested or trialed in real-world scenarios for an extended period. You likely won’t go wrong with any of them. Follow the ➤ links to read more on options and alternatives.
If you’re overwhelmed by the number of categories, the Table of Contents below will help.
Hint: After a jump, use the browser’s Back function to return or note the sticky ToC to the left of the page.
Disclosure: Dong Knows Tech may earn a commission from shopping links within this page.
I. The ultimate top-5-best collection: Networking hardware by port grades and use cases
These devices are grouped by use case, performance grade, or bandwidth requirements.
1. Types of Wi-Fi systems (two lists): Purpose-built vs. Do-it-yourself (DIY)
When building a network for a large home, you can opt for the do-it-yourself approach, which is generally more challenging to get started but offers better performance, management, and features. Alternatively, there are many purpose-built (or “canned”) options that make things much easier at the expense of one or all of the above.
Top 5 best DIY Wi-Fi systems (for a wired home)
 |  |  |  |  | |
| Name | Ubiquiti UniFi Network Wi-Fi System's Rating | ASUS AiMesh's Rating | TP-Link Omada-based DIY PoE Mesh's Rating | TP-Link EasyMesh's Rating | EnGenius FIT DIY PoE Mesh's Rating |
| Price | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rating | |||||
| Description | |||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Buy this product |
Top 5 most popular purpose-built mesh Wi-Fi brands
|  |  |  |  | |
| Name | ASUS AiMesh's Rating | Linksys Velop Smart Wi-Fi's Rating | TP-Link Deco's Rating | NETGEAR Orbi's Rating | Amazon eero's Rating |
| Price | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rating | |||||
| Description | |||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Buy this product |
2. Add-ons and accessories (six lists): Switches, access points, extenders, Wi-Fi adapters, 5G NR, and cable modems
Switches are a quick way to add more wired devices to a network.
Top 5 best Multi-Gig network switches
 |  |  |  |  | |
| Name | Ubiquiti Switch Pro XG 8 PoE's Rating | TP-Link Omada SG2210XMP-M2 Smart Switch's Rating | Ubiquiti UDB Switch's Rating | Zyxel XS1930-12HP's Rating | TRENDnet TEG-S750's Rating |
| Price | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rating | |||||
| Description | |||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Buy this product |
Wi-Fi access points allow multiple Wi-Fi clients (devices) to connect to the network without using network cables. They are hardware that adds Wi-Fi to a non-Wi-Fi router.
Top 5 best Wi-Fi access points
 |  |  |  |  | |
| Name | Ubiquiti U7 Pro XGS' Rating | Ubiquiti UniFi U7 Mesh's Rating | TP-Link Omada EAP787's Rating | Zyxel WBE660S Wi-Fi 7 Access Point's Rating | ASUS ZenWiFi BD5 Outdoor's Rating |
| Price | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rating | |||||
| Description | |||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Buy this product |
As the name suggests, Wi-Fi extenders quickly extend Wi-Fi coverage to a far corner.
Top 5 best Wi-Fi range extenders
 | |  |  |  | |
| Name | TP-Link RE653BE's Rating | Ubiquiti UniFi U7 Mesh's Rating | ASUS RP-BE58's Rating | TP-Link RE715X's Rating | ASUS RP-AX58's Rating |
| Price | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rating | |||||
| Description | |||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Buy this product |
Wi-Fi adapters are devices that add Wi-Fi capability to a client device, such as a computer.
Top 5 best Wi-Fi 7 adapters
 |  |  |  |  | |
| Name | Intel BE200 Wi-Fi 7 Adapter's Rating | Qualcomm NCM865 Wi-Fi 7 Adapter's Rating | ASUS ROG USB-BE92 Wi-Fi 7 USB Adapter's Rating | NETGEAR A9000 Wi-Fi 7 USB Adapter's Rating | Ubiquiti AirWire (U-AirWire) Wi-Fi 7 USB Adapter's Rating |
| Price | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rating | |||||
| Description | |||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Buy this product |
5G NR is the latest cellular standard as the alternative to land-based broadband options.
Top 5 best 5G routers and add-ons
 |  |  |  |  | |
| Name | Ubiquiti UniFi Dream Router 5G Max (UDR-5G-Max)'s Rating | Ubiquiti UniFi 5G Max (U5G-Max)'s Rating | NETGEAR Nighthawk 5G M7's Rating | Ubiquiti UniFi 5G Backup (U5G)'s Rating | D-Link G530's Rating |
| Price | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rating | |||||
| Description | |||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Buy this product |
Cable modems are popular broadband terminal devices that connect a local network to the Internet via the coaxial service line.
Top 5 best cable modems
 |  |  |  |  | |
| Name | NETGEAR CM2000's Rating | NETGEAR CM1000's Rating | Motorola MB8600 DOCSIS 3.1 Cable Modem's Rating | ARRIS S33/S34 Cable Modem's Rating | NETGEAR CM600's Rating |
| Price | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rating | |||||
| Description | |||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Buy this product |
3. Multi-Gig grades (four lists): 10Gbps vs. 2.5Gbps
Multi-Gig equipment can deliver two or more gigabits per second in real-world connections, with speeds ranging from 2.5Gbps to 10Gbps. This type of hardware is a must for those with Gigabit or faster bandwidth needs.
Top 5 best routers with 10Gbps Multi-Gig ports
 |  |  |  |  | |
| Name | Ubiquiti UniFi Dream Machine Beast (UDM-Beast)'s Rating | Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Fiber (UCG-Fiber)'s Rating | ASUS ROG GT-BE19000AI's Rating | TP-Link Archer GE800's Rating | NETGEAR Nighthawk RS700S' Rating |
| Price | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rating | |||||
| Description | |||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Buy this product |
Top 5 best Wi-Fi systems with 10Gbps Multi-Gig ports
|  |  | |  | |
| Name | Ubiquiti UniFi Network Wi-Fi System's Rating | ASUS ZenWiFi BQ16 Pro's Rating | ASUS ZenWiFi BT10's Rating | TP-Link Deco 7 Elite BE85's Rating | NETGEAR Orbi 970 Series (RBE973S)'s Rating |
| Price | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rating | |||||
| Description | |||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Buy this product |
Top 5 best routers with 2.5Gbps Multi-Gig ports
 |  |  |  |  | |
| Name | Ubiquiti UniFi Cloud Gateway Max (UCG-Max)'s Rating | Ubiquiti UniFi Dream Router 7 (UDR7)'s Rating | ASUS RT-BE92U's Rating | ASUS ROG Strix GS-BE18000's Rating | TP-Link Archer GE650's Rating |
| Price | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rating | |||||
| Description | |||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Buy this product |
Top 5 best Wi-Fi systems with 2.5Gbps Multi-Gig ports
 |  | |  |  | |
| Name | MSI Roamii BE Pro's Rating | ASUS ZenWiFi BT8's Rating | NETGEAR Orbi 770 Series (RBE773)'s Rating | ASUS ZenWiFi BD5's Rating | TP-Link Deco BE25 (Deco BE5000)'s Rating |
| Price | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rating | |||||
| Description | |||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Buy this product |
4. Special applications (six lists): Non-Wi-Fi, mini NAS servers, gaming, VR, and travel
While all routers work with all devices, some offer features that others don’t, such as exceptional gaming support, network storage, or the option to remove the built-in Wi-Fi access point for greater flexibility.
Top 5 best non-Wi-Fi Routers
| | |  |  | |
| Name | Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Fiber (UCG-Fiber)'s Rating | Ubiquiti UniFi Dream Machine Beast (UDM-Beast)'s Rating | Ubiquiti UniFi Cloud Gateway Max (UCG-Max)'s Rating | TP-Link Fusion 2.5G Gateway's Rating | EnGenius ESG510's Rating |
| Price | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rating | |||||
| Description | |||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Buy this product |
Top 5 best routers as mini NAS servers
|  | | | | |
| Name | ASUS ROG GT-BE19000AI's Rating | ASUS RT-BE86U's Rating | TP-Link Archer GE650's Rating | NETGEAR Nighthawk RS700S' Rating | TP-Link Archer GE800's Rating |
| Price | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rating | |||||
| Description | |||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Buy this product |
Top 5 best gaming routers
| | | |  | |
| Name | ASUS ROG GT-BE19000AI's Rating | TP-Link Archer GE800's Rating | ASUS ROG Strix GS-BE18000's Rating | TP-Link Archer GE650's Rating | ASUS ROG Rapture GT6's Rating |
| Price | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rating | |||||
| Description | |||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Buy this product |
Top 5 best Wi-Fi 7 routers for virtual reality (VR)
 |  | |  | | |
| Name | ASUS GT-BE98 Pro's Rating | ASUS RT-BE96U's Rating | TP-Link Archer GE800's Rating | TP-Link Archer BE800's Rating | NETGEAR Nighthawk RS700S' Rating |
| Price | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rating | |||||
| Description | |||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Buy this product |
Top 5 best Wi-Fi 6 and 6E routers for virtual reality (VR)
 |  |  |  |  | |
| Name | ASUS ROG GT-AX11000 Pro's Rating | TP-Link Archer AXE300's Rating | ASUS GT-AXE16000's Rating | Synology RT6600ax's Rating | Ubiquiti AmpliFi Alien's Rating |
| Price | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rating | |||||
| Description | |||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Buy this product |
Top 5 best travel routers
 |  |  | |  | |
| Name | ASUS RT-BE58 Go's Rating | TP-Link Roam 7 BE3600 (TL-WR3602BE)'s Rating | GL.iNet GL-BE3600 Slate 7's Rating | NETGEAR Nighthawk 5G M7's Rating | Ubiquiti UniFi Travel Router (UTR)'s Rating |
| Price | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rating | |||||
| Description | |||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Buy this product |
5. Specific features (two lists): Wi-Fi 7’s AFC and Wi-Fi 6’s UNII-4 (5.9GHz)
Wi-Fi 7’s Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC) enables extended range in the 6GHz band.
Top 5 best AFC-enabled Wi-Fi 7 access points/routers
 | |  | | | |
| Name | Ubiquiti Enterprise7 (UniFi E7)'s Rating | ASUS ROG GT-BE19000AI's Rating | Ubiquiti U7 Pro Outdoor's Rating | ASUS ROG Strix GS-BE18000's Rating | TP-Link Omada EAP787's Rating |
| Price | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rating | |||||
| Description | |||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Buy this product |
The UNII-4 (or 5.9GHz) portion of Wi-Fi 6 is the edge of the spectrum that allows for a full 160MHz channel width without DFS — it’s perfect for use as a wireless link between mesh units.
Top 5 best UNII-4-enabled Wi-Fi 6 routers
| | |  |  | |
| Name | ASUS ROG GT-AX11000 Pro's Rating | ASUS ROG Rapture GT6's Rating | Synology RT6600ax's Rating | ASUS ZenWiFi XT8's Rating | ASUS ExpertWiFi EBM68's Rating |
| Price | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rating | |||||
| Description | |||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Buy this product |
II. The ultimate top-5-best collection: Networking hardware by Wi-Fi standards
These are devices grouped by Wi-Fi standard, including Wi-Fi 7, Wi-Fi 6, Wi-Fi 6E, and Wi-Fi 5.
1. Wi-Fi 7 (four lists): Routers vs. mesh systems
Wi-Fi 7 is the latest wireless standard for computer networks.
Top 5 best full-band Wi-Fi 7 routers
| |  | | | |
| Name | Ubiquiti UniFi Dream Router 7 (UDR7)'s Rating | ASUS ROG GT-BE19000AI's Rating | Ubiquiti UniFi Express 7 (UX7)'s Rating | TP-Link Archer GE650's Rating | NETGEAR Nighthawk RS700S' Rating |
| Price | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rating | |||||
| Description | |||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Buy this product |
Top 5 best dual-band Wi-Fi 7 routers
 |  |  |  |  | |
| Name | Ubiquiti UniFi Cloud Gateway Industrial (UCG-Industrial)'s Rating | ASUS RT-BE88U's Rating | TP-Link Archer BE230's Rating | ASUS TUF-BE6500 Dual-Band Wi-Fi 7 Router's Rating | NETGEAR Nighthawk RS200's Rating |
| Price | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rating | |||||
| Description | |||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Buy this product |
Top 5 best full-band Wi-Fi 7 mesh systems
| | |  |  | |
| Name | Ubiquiti UniFi Network Wi-Fi System's Rating | ASUS ZenWiFi BT10's Rating | MSI Roamii BE Pro's Rating | TP-Link Deco 7 Pro BE14000 (Deco BE67/68)'s Rating | NETGEAR Orbi 870 Series' Rating |
| Price | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rating | |||||
| Description | |||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Buy this product |
Top 5 best dual-band Wi-Fi 7 mesh systems
 | |  | |  | |
| Name | Dual-Band UniFi Wi-Fi 7 System's Rating | ASUS ZenWiFi BD5's Rating | ASUS ZenWiFi BD4's Rating | TP-Link Deco BE25 (Deco BE5000)'s Rating | NETGEAR Orbi 370 Series' Rating |
| Price | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rating | |||||
| Description | |||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Buy this product |
2. Wi-Fi 6E (two lists): Routers vs. mesh systems
Wi-Fi 6E is an extension of Wi-Fi 6 and the first standard to use the 6 6GHz band.
Top 5 best Wi-Fi 6E routers
| |  |  |  | |
| Name | ASUS GT-AXE16000's Rating | TP-Link Archer AXE300's Rating | MSI Radix AXE6600's Rating | NETGEAR Nighthawk RAXE300's Rating | Linksys MR7500 AXE6600 Hydra Pro's Rating |
| Price | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rating | |||||
| Description | |||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Buy this product |
Top 5 best Wi-Fi 6E mesh systems
 |  |  |  |  | |
| Name | ASUS ZenWiFi Pro ET12's Rating | TP-Link Deco XE200's Rating | ASUS ZenWiFi ET8's Rating | NETGEAR Orbi RBKE960 Series' Rating | Linksys AXE8400 Atlas Max's Rating |
| Price | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rating | |||||
| Description | |||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Buy this product |
3. Wi-Fi 6 (six lists): Routers vs. mesh systems
Wi-Fi 6 is the first Wi-Fi standard that can deliver Gig+ real-world speeds. With Wi-Fi 7 certified in early 2024, some might worry that Wi-Fi 6 is now “dated”. If so, this post proves otherwise. It’s an excellent time to adopt this popular, mature wireless standard.
Top 5 best high-end tri-band Wi-Fi 6 routers
|  |  |  |  | |
| Name | ASUS ROG GT-AX11000 Pro's Rating | TP-Link Archer GX90's Rating | ASUS GT-AX11000's Rating | NETGEAR Nighthawk RAX200's Rating | MSI Radix AX6600's Rating |
| Price | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rating | |||||
| Description | |||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Buy this product |
Top 5 best high-end dual-band Wi-Fi 6 routers
 |  |  | |  | |
| Name | ASUS RT-AX89X's Rating | ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX6000's Rating | ASUS RT-AX88U Pro's Rating | Synology RT6600ax's Rating | NETGEAR Nighthawk RAX120's Rating |
| Price | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rating | |||||
| Description | |||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Buy this product |
Top 5 best mid-tier dual-band Wi-Fi 6 routers
|  |  |  |  | |
| Name | Synology RT6600ax's Rating | ASUS TUF-AX5400's Rating | ASUS RT-AX82U's Rating | NETGEAR Nighthawk RAX50's Rating | Synology WRX560's Rating |
| Price | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rating | |||||
| Description | |||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Buy this product |
Top 5 best entry-level dual-band Wi-Fi 6 routers
 |  |  |  |  | |
| Name | Ubiquiti UniFi Dream Router (UDR)'s Rating | ASUS RT-AX68U's Rating | ASUS ExpertWiFi EBR63's Rating | ASUS GS-AX3000's Rating | NETGEAR WAX204 Access Point's Rating |
| Price | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rating | |||||
| Description | |||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Buy this product |
Top 5 best tri-band Wi-Fi 6 mesh systems
 |  |  |  |  | |
| Name | ASUS ZenWiFi Pro XT12's Rating | AmpliFi Alien Mesh Kit's Rating | NETGEAR Orbi RBK750 Series' Rating | Linksys Velop MX12600's Rating | TP-Link Deco X5700's Rating |
| Price | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rating | |||||
| Description | |||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Buy this product |
Top 5 best dual-band Wi-Fi 6 mesh systems
 |  |  | |  | |
| Name | ASUS ZenWiFi XD6's Rating | TP-Link Deco X55 Pro's Rating | TP-Link Deco X4300 Pro's Rating | Linksys Velop Micro 6's Rating | NETGEAR SXK30 Orbi Pro Mini's Rating |
| Price | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rating | |||||
| Description | |||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Buy this product |
4. Wi-Fi 5 (two lists): Routers vs. mesh systems
Wi-Fi 5 is on the way out, but it is still popular in many existing devices. This standard will be supported for the foreseeable future.
Top 5 best Wi-Fi 5 routers
 |  |  |  |  | |
| Name | Ubiquiti UniFi Dream Machine's Rating | ASUS RT-AC86U's Rating | Synology RT2600ac's Rating | TP-Link Archer C5400X's Rating | NETGEAR Nighthawk XR500's Rating |
| Price | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rating | |||||
| Description | |||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Buy this product |
Top 5 best Wi-Fi 5 mesh systems
 |  |  |  |  | |
| Name | Ubiquiti AmpliFi HD's Rating | ASUS RT-AX92U's Rating | ASUS ZenWiFi AC CT8's Rating | NETGEAR Orbi CBK40's Rating | Linksys Velop Dual-Band's Rating |
| Price | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rating | |||||
| Description | |||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Buy this product |
III. The ultimate top-5-best collection: Digital storage
These are digital storage devices that hold your information at home or when you’re out and about.
1. External storage devices (two lists): Everyday portable SSDs vs. special external drives
These are storage devices that are plugged externally into a host device, such as your computer or a game console, via a peripheral connection, namely USB or Thunderbolt.
Top 5 best portable SSDs
 |  |  |  |  | |
| Name | SanDisk Extreme PRO with USB4's Rating | Crucial X10 Portable SSD's Rating | Synology BeeDrive's Rating | Samsung T9's Rating | Sandisk Extreme Fit USB-C Flash Drive's Rating |
| Price | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rating | |||||
| Description | |||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Buy this product |
Top 5 best “special” external drives
 |  |  |  |  | |
| Name | SanDisk Desk Drive's Rating | Samsung Portable SSD X5's Rating | iStorage datAshur PRO2's Rating | iStorage diskAshur M2's Rating | SanDisk Professional G-Drive's Rating |
| Price | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rating | |||||
| Description | |||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Buy this product |
2. Internal storage devices (two lists): NVMe vs. SATA
These are devices to be used inside your devices, such as a computer or a game console.
Top 5 best NVMe SSDs
 |  |  |  |  | |
| Name | Micron Crucial P510's Rating | Samsung SSD 990 EVO Plus' Rating | Micron Crucial T710's Rating | SANDISK Optimus GX Pro 8100 (formerly WD Black SN8100)'s Rating | SANDISK Optimus GX 7100/M's Rating |
| Price | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rating | |||||
| Description | |||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Buy this product |
Top 5 best SATA SSDs
 |  |  |  |  | |
| Name | Samsung 870 EVO's Rating | WD Red SA500's Rating | WD Blue's Rating | Crucial BX500's Rating | SanDisk SSD Plus' Rating |
| Price | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rating | |||||
| Description | |||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Buy this product |
3. Network-attached storage (NAS) servers
At their core, NAS servers provide a large amount of protected storage space to an entire network. In reality, most servers can do much more than that; they can act as media streaming, VPN, and game servers, among others, simultaneously.
Top 5 best NAS servers
 |  |  |  |  | |
| Name | Synology DiskStation DS1525+'s Rating | UGREEN NASync DXP4800 GT's Rating | ASUS AS6702T v2 Lockerstor 2 Gen2+'s Rating | Synology DiskStation DS925+'s Rating | Ubiquiti UNAS 2's Rating |
| Price | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rating | |||||
| Description | |||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Buy this product |
IV. The ultimate top-5-best collection by hardware vendors
These are the top-five lists of products by brand or hardware vendor.
1. ASUS (two lists)
Top 5 best ASUS Wi-Fi routers
| | | | | |
| Name | ASUS ROG GT-BE19000AI's Rating | ASUS ROG Strix GS-BE18000's Rating | ASUS GT-BE98 Pro's Rating | ASUS RT-BE86U's Rating | ASUS RT-BE88U's Rating |
| Price | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rating | |||||
| Description | |||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Buy this product |
Top 5 best ASUS Wi-Fi systems
| | | | | |
| Name | ASUS ZenWiFi BT10's Rating | ASUS ZenWiFi BQ16 Pro's Rating | ASUS ROG Rapture GT6's Rating | ASUS ZenWiFi BT8's Rating | ASUS ZenWiFi BD5's Rating |
| Price | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rating | |||||
| Description | |||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Buy this product |
2. Micron (two lists)
Top 5 best Micron Crucial NVMe SSDs
| |  |  |  | |
| Name | Micron Crucial P510's Rating | Micron Crucial T710's Rating | Micron Crucial P310's Rating | Micron Crucial T500's Rating | Micron Crucial T705's Rating |
| Price | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rating | |||||
| Description | |||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Buy this product |
Top 5 best Micron Crucial Portable SSDs
|  |  |  |  | |
| Name | Crucial X10 Portable SSD's Rating | Crucial X9 Pro Portable SSD's Rating | Crucial X10 Pro Portable SSD's Rating | Crucial X6 Portable SSD's Rating | Crucial X8 Portable SSD's Rating |
| Price | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rating | |||||
| Description | |||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Buy this product |
3. NETGEAR
Top 5 best in the NETGEAR Orbi ecosystem
| | | | | |
| Name | NETGEAR Orbi RBK750 Series' Rating | NETGEAR Orbi 870 Series' Rating | NETGEAR Orbi 770 Series (RBE773)'s Rating | NETGEAR Orbi 370 Series' Rating | NETGEAR Orbi 970 Series (RBE973S)'s Rating |
| Price | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rating | |||||
| Description | |||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Buy this product |
4. Samsung
Top 5 best Samsung NVMe SSDs
 | |  |  |  | |
| Name | Samsung SSD 9100 PRO's Rating | Samsung SSD 990 EVO Plus' Rating | Samsung SSD 990 PRO's Rating | Samsung SSD 980 PRO's Rating | Samsung SSD 970 PRO's Rating |
| Price | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rating | |||||
| Description | |||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Buy this product |
5. Synology
Top 5 best Synology NAS servers
|  |  | |  | |
| Name | Synology DiskStation DS1525+'s Rating | Synology DiskStation DS923+'s Rating | Synology DiskStation DS1019+'s Rating | Synology DiskStation DS925+'s Rating | Synology DiskStation DS225+'s Rating |
| Price | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rating | |||||
| Description | |||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Buy this product |
6. TP-Link (two lists)
Top 5 best TP-Link Wi-Fi 7 (mesh) routers
| | | | | |
| Name | TP-Link Archer GE650's Rating | TP-Link Deco 7 Elite BE85's Rating | TP-Link Archer GE800's Rating | TP-Link Archer BE230's Rating | TP-Link Deco BE25 (Deco BE5000)'s Rating |
| Price | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rating | |||||
| Description | |||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Buy this product |
Top 5 best Omada Wi-Fi access points
|  |  |  |  | |
| Name | TP-Link Omada EAP787's Rating | TP-Link Omada EAP783's Rating | TP-Link Omada EAP773's Rating | TP-Link Omada EAP670/EAP610's Rating | TP-Link Omada EAP610GP-Desktop's PRELIMINARY Assessment |
| Price | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rating | |||||
| Description | |||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Buy this product |
7. Ubiquiti (four lists)
Top 5 Best non-Wi-Fi UniFi Cloud Gateways (UniFi routers)
Best non-Wi-Fi UniFi Cloud Gateways at Ubiquiti Store or on Amazon!
Top 5 Best Wi-Fi UniFi Cloud Gateways (Wi-Fi UniFi routers)
| | | | | |
| Name | Ubiquiti UniFi Dream Router 7 (UDR7)'s Rating | Ubiquiti UniFi Cloud Gateway Industrial (UCG-Industrial)'s Rating | Ubiquiti UniFi Dream Router 5G Max (UDR-5G-Max)'s Rating | Ubiquiti UniFi Express 7 (UX7)'s Rating | Ubiquiti UniFi Dream Router (UDR)'s Rating |
| Price | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rating | |||||
| Description | |||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Buy this product |
Check current prices at Ubiquiti Store or on Amazon!
Top 5 best UniFi Wi-Fi access points
| |  |  | | |
| Name | Ubiquiti U7 Pro XGS' Rating | Ubiquiti UniFi U7 Mesh's Rating | Ubiquiti UniFi U7 In-Wall (U7-IW)'s Rating | Ubiquiti UniFi U7 Pro XG Wall's Rating | Ubiquiti U7 Pro Outdoor's Rating |
| Price | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rating | |||||
| Description | |||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Buy this product |
UniFi Protect Network Video Recorders: Ubiquiti’s Top 5 Best
IV. The ultimate top-5-best collection: Happy shopping!
If you didn’t find what you’re looking for in the lists above, check back later. As mentioned, this top 5 best collection is regularly updated as more devices are released and tested.
Hi Dong …
I have an ASUS AX86U with a RPAX56 setup as AiMesh. It has been working well in the past but now I am seeing frequent, temporary loss of WiFi connectivity. I suspect because I now have 94 devices connected (vast majority 2..4 cameras and smart switches, etc) and 78 to the main AX86U and 14 to the RPAX56, but this can vary between the two if a device decides to switch to the other unit.
Am I correct in assuming I am “overloading” the two devices?
I was thinking of replacing the RPAX56 with a more powerful, full blown Router like the AX86U. I can only get a used/refurb AX86U. Would that help spread the load and improve performance?
Thoughts?
THANK YOU very much for all your wonderful reviews and advice!
Bruce
78 is way too many, Bruce, even 14 is aready too many. This post will help. Give it a *good* read!
Thanks Dong for the quick reply. Great article!
I was thinking of upgrading to WiFi7, looking at the ASUS RT-BE96U and then using my existing AX86U as an AP (once I figure out how to configure channels so they don’t interfere) and move most of the IoT cameras switches etc.
Reasonable? The BE96U is kinda pricey but the review sounds very good.
Thanks very much Dong for the quick reply … very useful, informative article (as usual!).
I don’t think my original reply was sent … maybe fat fingered by me 🙂
I am thinking of upgrading to the BE96U and using my existing AX86U just as an AP, not meshed, once I figure out the channels to avoid interference. Then I’ll move the cameras etc to the AX86U.
Sound reasonable. The BE96U is still very pricey, is there a model that can cover a big house (not necessarily WiFi7) to consider that is less expensive?
Thanks again! Superb reviews and advice!
Bruce
That will work, Bruce. You just need to pay a bit attention to what channel you use on the AP(s) compared to those used on the primary router or other mesh nodes. As for coverage, startign wiht Wi-Fi 5, there’s not much difference anymore if you’re picking the hardware of the same tier. Good luck! 🙂
Hi Dong
Really enjoying the site, and the top 5 section makes it easy to get your concise thoughts.
However, it would be really interesting to get your take on the best solutions (with a few price points) if you need a wireless backhaul. It feels like from a lot of your reviews, UNII4 solutions like the XT9 seem to rank highly, but it’d be good to get your singular take on the best solutions where it is either entirely wireless backhaul, or mixed wired and wireless.
My house probably requires 3 units to provide good coverage, and frustratingly, the router unit will have to be at one edge of the house rather the centre. It’s not economically viable to wired backhaul this to any other parts of the house.
It is feasible to wire the satellite that will sit in the centre of the house and the furthest satellite together though, and I presume wired between two satellites and then one wireless backhaul hop is still better than 2x satellites both wireless and one significantly further away?
I’m in the UK if that changes your answer based on what frequencies we’re allowed here etc!
Thank you
It’s impossible to name a particular hardware set as the “best” for wireless bakchauling, Tom. If you read that somewehre, it’s a lie. The reason is that the success of this setup depends on the layout of particular home and where the hardware units are placed — as described in thsi guide. After that you can use the satellite’s performance chart on each review to set your expectation. Generally, though if you have to go fully wireless:
– Tri-band Wi-Fi 6 with UNII-4. Or
– Tri-band Wi-Fi 7 with MLO backhaul.
In a mixed wireless/wired setup, the link between the router to the (first) satellite is the most imporant. Linking the stellites alone via a cable doesn’t hurt but doesn’t help much, either.
Any reason to spend an extra $630-700 on the GT-BE98 Pro vs the RT-BE96U at $450? I want to use it as a primary AI-Mesh Router with my AXE11000.
For the GT-AXE1100 as a satellite unit, David, you want the RT-BE96U as the primary router. Make sure you have wired backhauling, though. More here.
Good day, and thank you for your hard work providing this service to us!
I have a few questions:
– What does the gold color mean?
– How concerned are you with TP-Link security issues that are being raised in America?
Thank you again for your time!
Mike
1. What gold color, Mike? If you mean the star rating, the stars changes the hue toward red (away from green) as the rating gets lower. You can read the full reviews to see the ratings spelled out in numbers.
2. Here’s my observation on the matter.
Hi Dong
Any chance of a new category – 4/5g routers? Tethering is great, but obviously requires a phone. Some routers have a SIM slot
There are not many of them Steve, at least in the US. I’ve reviewed just the D-Link G530. Other than that, you have the mobile hotspot, like the Netgear M6 Pro.
Actually there is a number of 4/5G routers and there are lots more people living in remote areas who would appreciate a comparative review of such stationary routers, possibly even with external antennas connected.
That’s the best travel router list, Hans.