The Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Best Gaming Router

Whether you’re a gamer, streamer, or just someone who wants to use multiple devices in the same home simultaneously, having a gaming router is essential. These are essentially your home’s gateway to the internet. They process all of your internet traffic and direct it to the rest of your network, so everything runs smoothly.

In other words: they make sure your console or PC is communicating with websites properly at all times. So whether you have one device or multiple devices or you want to connect to the internet at the same time, a gaming router can help you achieve that goal. Check out our ultimate buying guide if you’re looking for more information on what it is and how it can benefit your home network.

Which Type of Router Is Right for Streaming and Gaming?

The first thing to ask yourself is whether you want to stream a video or game. If you’re looking for a video streaming solution, you’re best off with a capable fiber-optic modem, as those are the only cables that can support the high speeds required for direct-to-cable streaming.

A wireless router is an ideal choice for gaming, though, as it has the ability to amplify data signals and increase your gaming performance. You’ll have the best experience if you have an 802.11ac router, as that’s the latest standard and has the best performance. If you’re unsure which type of router you need, check out our guide on what type of router is right for you.

Tips for Finding the Best Gaming Router

• Find out what type of gaming the router is best suited for. Gaming routers come in both wired and wireless varieties, and choosing the wrong one can be a huge hassle. If you’re looking to stream video, a wireless router will likely be perfect. If you want to game, you’ll need a wired router.
• Prioritize ease of use when shopping. If you’re someone who enjoys troubleshooting their internet, having a router that’s hard to use will drive you crazy. There are plenty of fantastic routers that are easy to set up, use, and manage.
• Know what ports are required for your devices. Routers are the gateway through which your devices connect to the internet, so you’ll need to know what ports they’re using. It’s possible some ports aren’t being used if you aren’t aware of them.
• Check the coverage area. If you live in an apartment or condo, it’s important to know how much coverage you have. You should never connect your gaming router to a wall as that won’t help you reach the entire building. What you want to do is connect it to your wireless router, then connect the wireless router to the wireless signal your router is sending out. This way, you’ll get full signal strength everywhere in your home.
• Find out how reliable the router is. Look for a router that’s been around for a while and has great customer service. If something goes wrong, you want to know, and you can contact them and get help.
• Find out how easy it is to update the firmware. If you’re looking to stream content, you’ll want a router with open-source firmware. If you’re looking for the best gaming router, you’ll want a router that’s easy to update.
• Check the warranty and return policy. You don’t want to get stuck with a bad router. Make sure the company has a solid return policy and that you can return the router if it’s not right for you.

The Best Gaming Routers for Multiple Devices

There are several routers on the market today that can handle multiple devices at once. If you have a family that wants to stream content or you want to add multiple gaming devices to your network, a multi-port router is ideal. A Hyper-Streaming router, for example, is designed to handle multiple wireless devices and has eight Gigabit ports.

If you don’t want to go wireless, you can also get a multi-port router with a built-in modem. This is a good option if you have a single device you want to connect to the internet and don’t need the multiple-device support that a multi-port router offers.

Another feature to look for is VPN passthrough. This allows you to connect to your home network through the router and then connect to the internet through the VPN. This way, you have full network access through the VPN, and you can also use the router to manage your home network.

A great router for multiple devices is the Netgear Nighthawk XR500. It has three antennas and an Arista Networks processor and is a great buy.

How to choose the right gaming router

• What is your network speed? This will help you decide what type of router is right for you. If you don’t have a whole lot of data used on your network, you don’t need a top-of-the-line router. If you want the best gaming experience possible, you’ll need a router that’s capable of handling the data load.
• Which bandwidth should you prioritize? You should prioritize gaming devices, then devices that are streaming video or music. After that, decide what else you need. You may not need a full-featured router, for example, if you don’t use a lot of devices on your network or have a lot of bandwidth.
• How many devices do you want to connect to? If you only have a single computer or device, you don’t need a router at all. However, if you want to connect multiple devices, you’ll need a router.
• How far apart are your wireless devices? If they’re farther apart than the distance your router can reach, you may want to consider a wireless repeater. This device will extend the range of your wireless signal without raising your internet speed.
• How far away is the device you want to connect? If it’s too far away to reach with your current setup, you may want to consider a cable internet provider.

We’ve taken a close look at the best gaming routers on the market and compared them below. To help you decide which one is best for you, we’ve also included the key features to look for when shopping for a router.

Buying advice: Should you buy new or refurbished?

New routers are generally better than used ones. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean they’re better than a refurbished one. When it comes to buying a new router, you want to make sure it has the latest wireless technology and has been designed to work well with gaming devices. You can determine this by looking at the review scores of the router you’re interested in buying.

This can help you decide which router to buy and if it’s worth spending more money on one that’s going to last longer. When it comes to buying a used router, keep in mind that it may be from a previous generation. This means they may not have the latest wireless technology that’s included in newer routers. They may also have been sitting in someone’s house for a while and not used as much, so they may have some amount of lag.

Final Words: The bottom line

Setting up a gaming router can be a daunting task, especially if you’re not sure where to start. That’s why we created this buying guide. We’ll guide you through the process and make it as easy as possible to choose the best gaming router for your home. Before you buy a gaming router, you should also make sure your internet connection is fast. Make sure you have enough bandwidth to support the number of people you want to be on the internet at the same time. If you don’t, you’ll have a really hard time streaming or gaming.