The Best Router and Mesh Wi-Fi Deals for June 2024

Even if you’re paying for the best speeds your ISP can offer, your home network hardware might be holding you back. If you’re still pushing your gaming and streaming through a last-generation router, you’re probably losing a bunch of speed. It’s trivial to swap out your old router for something new and fancy that takes advantage of the growing Wi-Fi 6 bandwidth. We’ve found some nice discounts on mesh networks and standalone routers from all of the most trusted manufacturers. Here are the best discounts we’ve found on routers, mesh systems, and extenders for the month of June.
Netgear Nighthawk 8-Stream Wi-Fi 6E Router for $241.00 (list price $399.99)
TP-Link Archer AX3000 Router for $69.00 (list price $130.00)
TP-Link Tri-Band BE9300 WiFi 7 Router for $249.99 (list price $299.99)
ASUS RT-AX1800S Dual-Band WiFi 6 Router for $66.28 (list price $99.99)
eero Mesh WiFi System for $169.99 (list price $214.96)
TP-Link Deco AX3000 WiFi 6 Mesh System for $169.98 (list price $279.99)
Google Wifi AC1200 Mesh WiFi System for $139.95 (list price $199.99)
TP-Link AX300 Wi-Fi Range Extender for $99.99 (list price $149.99)
Netgear Wi-Fi Range Extender EX6120 for $32 98 (list price $37.99)
This is a futuristic-looking router that eschews individual antennae for a pair of winglike protuberances. It’s definitely a solid performer, boasting 7.8Gbps Wi-Fi speed on a compatible Wi-Fi 6 network of up to 40 devices. It’s rated for coverage of up to 2,500 square feet, which is extremely solid, and the Nighthawk app makes setup and monitoring a breeze. It’s great for gaming, streaming video in high definition, or large file transfers. This is a juicy 36% discount that we don’t expect to last long.
Netgear Nighthawk 8-Stream Wi-Fi 6E Router for $241.00 (list price $399.99)
PCMag gave this budget router an Editors’ Choice award and an Excellent rating in its review, raving that the AX3000 “comes with a few features that are typically found on more expensive models, including link aggregation, lifetime parental controls and anti-malware software, and USB connectivity.” It delivers solid upload and download speed thanks to Wi-Fi 6 compatibility, and it’s simple to install and update.
TP-Link Archer AX3000 Router for $69.00 (list price $130.00)
Looking to surf the cutting edge of the Web? Wi-Fi 7 is the new hotness, and this monolithic router is one of the best ways to harness it on the market. Six optimally positioned antennas use Beamforming technology to make stable and speedy connections with all your devices, and with a peak bandwidth of 9,200Mbps, it’s fast enough to handle nearly anything you throw at it. If you need even more speed, consider a wired connection through the device’s one 2.5G WAN port and four 2.5G LAN ports. It also includes TP-Link’s HomeShield security technology to keep bad actors out of your machines.
TP-Link Tri-Band BE9300 WiFi 7 Router for $249.99 (list price $299.99)
This is the best budget deal we’ve seen on routers recently, with a very nice 33% discount making it even more worth your time. The RT-AX1800S delivers solid throughput, with Wi-Fi 6(802.11ax) through a quartet of antennas. It’s a breeze to set up, with very little documentation, and you can use either ASUS’s app or a web-based interface to get it running. It also includes access to Trend Micro’s AIProtection security software for free without a subscription. One Gigabit WAN port and four Gigabit LAN ports let you set up multiple wired connections as well.
ASUS RT-AX1800S Dual-Band WiFi 6 Router for $66.28 (list price $99.99)
If just one router isn’t doing the job for you, it might be time to upgrade to a mesh system. These stand-alone devices work together to provide Wi-Fi connections to numerous devices collaboratively, with the load being split between them with proprietary algorithms. They’re extremely effective for extending signal over a large area, and most are easy to build out with additional units.
Amazon’s eero was the first major explorer into the wireless mesh space, and today it makes solid units that are minimal in appearance but deliver good performance. This three-unit system promises coverage over 4,500 square feet, with easy installation that takes under ten minutes and simple connectivity. PCMag reviewed this iteration when it was released in 2019, saying that “it’s easy to eliminate Wi-Fi dead zones and control your network from your phone, and its low-profile router nodes are attractive and unobtrusive.” You can also use your Alexa devices to control it hands-free.
eero Mesh WiFi System for $169.99 (list price $214.96)
This three-unit system is a good pick for users concerned about security, as it comes with a lifetime subscription to TP-Link’s HomeCare parental controls and anti-malware tools. PCMag reviewed the setup and said that it was “very easy to install and manage and comes with some nice perks.” This configuration covers up to 6,500 square feet and handles as many as 150 simultaneous device connections. Each node also has three Gigabit Ethernet ports and supports supports Wired Ethernet Backhaul for better speeds on physical connections. This is a nice deep price drop that won’t last long.
TP-Link Deco AX3000 WiFi 6 Mesh System for $169.98 (list price $279.99)
If there’s any company that knows something about connecting to the Internet, it’s Google. Their venture into the mesh networking space delivers the same solid performance and minimal design as their other smart home products. PCMag reviewed the system when it released, saying that it was “easy to install and configure, looks great, and delivers solid throughput.” This set of three units covers 4500 square feet, with capacity to connect dozens of devices. The automatic load balancing is well-optimized and easy to use, and the system has numerous security and partitioning features. Each node also has a pair of Ethernet ports for wired connections.
Google Wifi AC1200 Mesh WiFi System for $139.95 (list price $199.99)
Not in the mood to set up an entirely new network? Don’t want to change your passwords? Adding in a Wi-Fi extender might be the solution. These devices are typically inexpensive, plug into a wall power socket, and provide a stepping stone from your existing router, building network coverage in a simpler (and dumber) way. They’re great for spreading signal to areas like a garage or back patio.
This is a pricier extender, but it delivers performance to match. Plug it into any outlet, ideally one with not many obstacles in between it and the devices, and it’ll push relayed signal up to 3Gbps with dual-band Wi-Fi speeds courtesy of a quartet of amplifiers. It also incorporates a gigabit Ethernet port for wired connections. Setup is simple, and it’s compatible with OneMesh systems to create a distributed load-balancing network. The TP-Link Tether app makes it easy to find the optimal location using the device’s built-in LEDs.
TP-Link AX300 Wi-Fi Range Extender for $99.99 (list price $149.99)
If your home network just needs a little boost to get signal in a hard-to-reach area, this extender will do the job at a nice low price. The simple plug-and-play installation lets you get the EX6120 set up in minutes, and the dual-band wireless coverage can accommodate 32 unique devices over a 1,500-square-foot range with a maximum data transfer speed of 1200 MB per second. It supports both WEP and WPA/WPA2 wireless security protocols to not leave your network vulnerable, and even includes a 10/100 Ethernet port in case you want to hook up a wired connection.
Netgear Wi-Fi Range Extender EX6120 for $32 98 (list price $37.99)
When you’re shopping for a wireless networking system, there are a few important features to keep in mind:
The Wi-Fi spectrum is continually increasing as new antennas can transmit along additional frequencies. The wider the range of your antenna, the more data you’ll be able to upload and download, and the more devices you’ll be able to connect simultaneously. But you’ll also spend more for that coverage, so balance out your needs with your budget.
Mesh networks are often sold in bundles, with the number of units corresponding to the square footage that needs coverage. In general, each node can cover 1,000 to 1,500 square feet. Measure your space, add a little allowance for walls and other things that create interference, and purchase the appropriate number of nodes.
Numerous networking options are available, including routers, extenders, mesh networks, and more. You can also always run Ethernet cable for dependably wired speeds to machines that need low ping, like your gaming PC. Explore your choices before you make a purchase.
Not necessarily. Some mesh Wi-Fi systems have built-in router functionality and just need to be plugged into a phone or Ethernet line. Others do not and require a separate router to be plugged into a node to create the network. If we had to choose, we’d opt for systems like Amazon’s Eero that include a router, just to eliminate concerns about cross-compatibility.
It’s a fact of life that whenever you jump from one device to another, you lose signal strength. For mesh Wi-Fi, the rule of thumb is that you lose about 50% effectiveness with each jump. That might sound like a lot, but because you can split the load between multiple nodes, it often doesn’t reflect in your actual speeds. A well-configured network with intelligently placed hardware will result in larger coverage areas with comparable speed.
There are a few ground rules for ensuring optimal mesh Wi-Fi coverage. In general, having them in line of sight is ideal. Placing a mesh node near the ground will result in dampened signal. Ideally, you want your main router to be in a central location and have additional nodes no more than two rooms away from it. If you need to extend the network further, that two-room rule stays in effect. Keep the nodes away from large appliances, as electrical interference can mess with the signal.
Netgear Nighthawk 8-Stream Wi-Fi 6E Router for $241.00 (list price $399.99)
TP-Link Archer AX3000 Router for $69.00 (list price $130.00)
TP-Link Tri-Band BE9300 WiFi 7 Router for $249.99 (list price $299.99)
ASUS RT-AX1800S Dual-Band WiFi 6 Router for $66.28 (list price $99.99)
eero Mesh WiFi System for $169.99 (list price $214.96)
TP-Link Deco AX3000 WiFi 6 Mesh System for $169.98 (list price $279.99)
Google Wifi AC1200 Mesh WiFi System for $139.95 (list price $199.99)
TP-Link AX300 Wi-Fi Range Extender for $99.99 (list price $149.99)
Netgear Wi-Fi Range Extender EX6120 for $32 98 (list price $37.99)
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