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Best Wifi 6 Routers (802.11ax)

Derek Hales

Written By: Derek Hales

Updated on:

What’s the best wifi 6 router for you? We compare the best and most popular 802.11ax routers on the market below. Let’s go!

Best Wifi 6 Router

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Netgear Nighthawk RAX200

The Netgear Nighthawk RAX200 is our pick for the best wifi 6 router on the market. It checks all of the right boxes, offering a maximum speed of 10.8 gbps across 3 bands (two 5 ghz and one 2.4 ghz). RAX200 has a sizable 2,500 coverage area. Lastly, the 12 stream configuration comfortably supports 40+ devices, which was critical given the number of smart devices we have connected. There is no question, it’s expensive, but the future-proof (or at least future-resilient) feature set should serve your home or office for many years to come.Check Price

Best Wifi 6 Router for Gaming

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ASUS GT-AX11000

Our runner up for the best wifi 6 router and the best router for gaming is the ASUS ROG Rapture AX11000. It shares many similarities with Netgear’s RAX200, including an 11 gbps speed, 12 stream, and tri band. While it does lack in terms of clarity regarding total connected device and coverage levels, it lacks nothing for gamers. With packet prioritization, DFS, easy port forwarding, AIMesh, and optimized VPN integration, the AX11000 checks all the right boxes. It’s easily the best wifi 6 router on the market for gaming currently. Check Price

Table of Contents

The 802.11ax standard has been available for several years, however, it has only recently become more widely integrated into wireless devices, phones, routers, and more.

2019 saw the launch of a number of new wifi 6 routers, with even more hitting the market in 2020. In early 2020, Modern Castle’s office needed a new router…so we researched every wifi 6 router on the market and bought what we think is best wifi 6 router.

We’ve compiled our researched below to help you find the right 802.11ax router for your home or office.

Wifi 6 Router Comparison Chart

Below, we have our high-level wifi 6 router comparisons chart.

PRODUCT DETAILS

BEST WIFI 6 ROUTER

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Netgear Nighthawk RAX200
  • Speed: 10.8 gbps
  • Stream: 12
  • Bands: Tri
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BEST GAMING WIFI 6 ROUTER

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ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX11000
  • Speed: 11 gbps
  • Stream: 12
  • Bands: Tri
Check Price

BEST VALUE WIFI 6 ROUTER

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Netgear Nighthawk RAX80
  • Speed: 6.0 gbps
  • Stream: 8
  • Bands: Dual
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moderncastle-table-__imageNetgear Nighthawk RAX120
  • Speed: 6.0 gbps
  • Stream: 12
  • Bands: Tri
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moderncastle-table-__imageASUS RT-AX88U
  • Speed: 6.0 gbps
  • Stream: 8
  • Bands: Dual
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moderncastle-table-__imageLinksys Velop MX5
  • Speed: 5.3 gbps
  • Stream: 12
  • Bands: Tri
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Need even more spec comparisons? We have listed our complete comparison table below with as many specs as we could find for each of the models covered here.

Netgear Nighthawk RAX200ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX11000Netgear Nighthawk RAX80Netgear Nighthawk RAX120ASUS RT-AX88ULinksys Velop MX5
Speed (gbps)10.8116665.3
Streams1212812812
BandsTriTriDualTriDualTri
Coverage (sq. ft.)2,500Very large homes2,5003,500Very large homes3,000
Devices40+Not Stated30+30+Not Stated50+
LAN Ports (gigabit)455585
USB Ports222211
CPU1.8 GHz, 64 bit quad core1.8 GHz, 64 bit quad core1.8 GHz, 64 bit quad core2.5 GHz, 64 bit quad coreNot StatedNot Stated

Netgear Nighthawk AX12

The Netgear Nighthawk AX12 series is Netgear’s flagship wifi 6 router. As mentioned above, it’s our pick for the best wifi 6 router overall and also the one we ended up purchasing for our office.

Nighthawk RAX200

The Netgear Nighthawk RAX200 model is the most high end version.

Netgear Nighthawk RAX200

It is packed with the right specs, hardware, and software.

  • Speed: 10.8 gbps
  • Stream: 12
  • Bands: Tri
  • Coverage: 2,500 sq. ft.
  • Devices: 40+
  • Processor: 1.8 GHz, 64 bit quad core
  • Internet: Speeds up to 2 gbps

For our needs, the RAX200 was everything we needed and more. The biggest problem with our previous router was that it was simply overloaded with too many devices.

We test a lot of smart home enabled stuff for the home and over time, we had accumulated several dozen connected devices, bringing our previous wifi 5 router to a grinding halt.

Netgear Nighthawk RAX200 input outputs
Netgear Nighthawk RAX200 input outputs

Having 12 streams across 3 bands allows the Netgear Nighthawk to manage a larger number of devices, which was critical for us.

When you combine the max throughput of 10.8 gbps and handling of multi-gig internet, it was a no-brainer. While the whole idea of “future proof” is a bit of a misnomer in our view, it’s certain future resilient. I don’t expect we’ll need an upgrade for many years.

Netear Nighthawk router settings
Netear Nighthawk router settings

Setup on the Netgear Nighthawk AX12 was easy. Plug it in and follow the prompts. The settings panel has a ton of options of configurability. You can customize just about everything or leave it more or less factory default and still get great performance.

Nighthawk RAX120

The Netgear Nighthawk RAX120 is one step below the RAX200, but still part of the AX12 family.

Netgear Nighthawk RAX120

Here’s the specs:

  • Speed: 6 gbps
  • Stream: 8
  • Bands: Tri
  • Coverage: 3,500 sq. ft.
  • Devices: 30+
  • Processor: 2.2 GHz, 64 bit quad core
  • Internet: Speeds up to 2 gbps

There are pros and cons to going with the RAX120 over the RAX200.

Netgear Nighthawk RAX120

The biggest pro is it’s notably less expensive. It also has a faster CPU and covers 1,000 more square feet, making it less likely you’ll need another access point or extender. That said, if you do need an extender Netgear makes the EAX80.

On the negative side it’s about 5 gbps slower, has 8 streams instead of 12, and doesn’t handle as many devices well (30 instead of 40).

Netgear Nighthawk app settings
Netgear Nighthawk app settings

If you have fewer wireless devices and/or need a wider coverage area, I think that’s the biggest reason to go with the RAX120. If not, you’re probably better off spending the extra to get the RAX200.

Netgear Nighthawk AX8 RAX80

One step below the AX12 line is the AX8 (the names come from their respective stream count).

Netgear Nighthawk AX8 RAX80

The Nighthawk RAX80 has many of the same features as the RAX120, but misses a few things:

  • Speed: 6 gbps
  • Stream: 8
  • Bands: Dual
  • Coverage: 2,500 sq. ft.
  • Devices: 30+
  • Processor: 1.8 GHz, 64 bit quad core
  • Internet: Speeds up to 2 gbps

The RAX80 is the same speed as the RAX120 at 6 gbps. But it drops to 8 stream (instead of 12), dual band (instead of tri), and has a coverage area of around 2,500 square feet.

It still is capable of supporting up to 30 wireless devices well.

Netgear Nighthawk AX8 RAX80 input outputs
Netgear Nighthawk AX8 RAX80 input outputs

The biggest thing going for the RAX80 is simply the price. It’s nearly half the price compared to the RAX200 and still notably less expensive vs. the RAX120.

The Netgear Nighthax RAX80 is arguably the best value wifi 6 router on the market. It checks so many of the boxes we looked for, but keeps the price in check. A good price pick for most any home and office.

ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX11000

After our research earlier this year, our decesion on what router to purchase came down to two choices…the Netgear Nighthawk RAX200 or this model, the ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX11000.

ASUS Rog Rapture AX11000

We ended up going with the Nighthawk, but it was an incredibly hard decision. The GT-AX11000 has many of the top tier features and is extremely similar to Netgear’s Nighthawk.

  • Speed: 11 gbps
  • Stream: 12
  • Bands: Tri
  • Coverage: Very large
  • Processor: 1.8 GHz, 64 bit quad core

The ASUS Rog Rapture wifi 6 router has a similar spec and feature package compared to the Nighthawk RAX200. The RAX200 and ASUS rog have the same:

  • 11 gbps speed
  • 12 stream setup
  • 3 band spectrum
  • 1.8 GHz Clock speed
  • 4 CPU cores

So where does the GT-AX11000 differ?

The biggest difference is certainly price. This wifi 6 ASUS router is notably less expensive (it’s dropped considerably in the last few months).

On the not so great differences, I wasn’t thrilled with the coverage area. Instead of giving a square foot measurement ASUS simply goes with “very large homes”. That sort of vagueness makes me uneasy.

ASUS AX1100 coverage area

In additition, ASUS didn’t provide an exact number of supported devices. For our needs, we absolutely had to have support for a large number of wifi devices. As a result, we couldn’t pull the trigger on the ROG Rapture due to a lack of manufacturer information.

Best Wifi 6 for Gamers

Last but not least, the ASUS AX11000’s biggest pro is simply support for gamers. The ROG Rapture uses port forwarding, dedicated 5 ghz band, and VPN routing to reduce latency and improve performance.

ASUS Rog Rapture AX11000

If you play games on wifi and need the absolute pest performing router on the market, this is it.

ASUS RT-AX88U AX6000

The ASUS RT-AX88U is a more reasonably priced wifi 6 router from ASUS.

ASUS RT AX88U AX6000

Its specs are a little more modest, but if you’re just looking for a solid upgrade and less expensive entry point into wifi 6 it’s got a lot going for it.

  • Speed: 6 gbps
  • Stream: 8
  • Bands: Tri
  • Coverage: Very large

Like the ROG Rapture, it uses a combination of hardware and software to add performance improvements, especially for gamers. The AX6000 uses adaptive QoS to prioritize gaming packets. In addition, it uses WTFast to find the fastest path between users and game servers, reducing latency.

ASUS RT AX88U AX6000 range

There is no question, it’s not as strong of a performer as the GT-AX11000, but for the price point it’s got a lot going for it in terms of performance.

Linksys Velop MX5300

The Linksys Velop MX5300 has many of the capacity and coverage specs of more the more expensive Nighthawk RAX200, but at a lower price point.

Linksys Velop MX5300

The only area where it doesn’t compare as favorably is with respect to total speed.

  • Speed: 5.3 gbps
  • Stream: 12
  • Bands: Tri
  • Coverage: 3,000 sq. ft.
  • Devices: 50+

At 50+ devices, the Velop has the highest number of supported devices (according to manufacturer’s specs). 12 stream, tri band, and 3,000 square feet means it can handle plenty of devices across a wide physical area.

Linksys Velop MX5300 input outputs
Linksys Velop MX5300 input outputs

At 5.3 gbps it’s on the lower end, but still well within “high end” range. This is especially true compared to the previous high-end range for wifi 5 routers.

Linksys Velop MX10600

If you have even more square footage you should consider going with the MX10600. It provides a second router / access point that creates a seamless wifi mesh across up to 6,000 square feet.

Linksys Velop MX10600

The 2nd access point has all the same specs as the MX5300.

50 more devices, another 3,000 square feet, and 5.3 gbps throughput for that access point.

The Final World

Still not sure what wifi 6 router is best for your home? Ask us your questions in the comments down below. We’d be happy to help!

About Derek Hales

Derek HalesDerek Hales is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of ModernCastle.com. He has been featured in Fast Company, Reader's Digest, Business Insider, Realtor.com, She Knows, and other major publications. Derek has a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from Kansas State University. Hales has been testing and reviewing products for the home since 2014.