Group test: what's the best wireless router?

5. AVM Fritz!box Fon Wireless Lan 7390

• Reviewed on: 20 September 11
• RRP: £210 inc. VAT
• Rating:

Admittedly, the AVM Fritz!box Fon Wireless Lan 7390 is a very expensive router, and the multitude of extras isn't necessary for basic home networking. However there's little else to fault AVM on in their design of the 7390, as it is clear plenty of thought has gone into every aspect of this router.

4. Asus RT-AC66U

• Reviewed on: 7 December 12
• RRP: £179
• Rating:

It's entirely possible that firmware updates will improve performance, and the adjustable, replaceable antennae should help too. If you want your router to double as a file server or NAS, it has just about all the features you'd need. Asus needs to work on its mobile app, but as an all-round 802.11ac package, the RT-AC66U is a fine choice.

3. Cisco Linksys EA6500 review

• Reviewed on: 7 December 12
• RRP: £200 inc VAT
• Rating:

Cisco has clearly spent a lot of time and effort on the EA6500's interface, and listened to customer feedback. It's full of excellent features and is great for setting QoS rules. Performance is outstanding on 5GHz in combination with both 802.11n- and 802.11ac clients, but on 2.4GHz a few other routers are faster. The EA6500 is an excellent 802.11ac router, but it isn't the cheapest. You can save money by buying a fast 802.11n router instead.

2. D-Link Cloud Gigabit Router N600

• Reviewed on: 10 October 12
• RRP: £70 inc VAT
• Rating:

The combination of features of the DIR-826L and its reasonable price mean that it could make a good match for families. Its dual-band 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks provide speed and separation of bandwidth while the cloud features provide useful access to media, as well as detailed remote control of the network.

1. Apple AirPort Express 802.11n (2nd Generation)

• Reviewed on: 27 July 12
• RRP: £79 inc VAT
• Rating:

The move to the new Apple TV case makes the 2012 AirPort Express cute as well as compact, while dual-band capability expands the usefulness of this most easy-to-use wireless routers.