SOLDATOOFF/Shutterstock We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. A good gaming router, especially flagship models from companies like Asus and MSI, will cost you several hundred dollars more than a standard router. But you also need to be aware of the features of a real gaming router so as not to fall for marketing gimmicks. Many companies give their routers a flashy design, equip them with multiple antennas and RGB lights, and brand them “gaming” to increase the price. If you buy these routers, you will be disappointed because they are no better than your standard router. Don’t be fooled by flashing lights. Real gaming routers solve a wide range of frustrating problems that gamers encounter on a daily basis, especially when playing online. These include high latency, long buffering, and unstable internet connection, especially when multiple devices are connected to the network. If you think these problems would drive even the average person crazy, then you’re right. While gamers will get the most out of these devices, the issues are universal and might be worth it if they’re a sticking point for you. As new models become available, older gaming routers often go on sale. You can get them for the price of a standard router through sales and enjoy all the benefits that come with them. Don’t buy one that is too old and no longer supported, because a router is something that should never be without updates. Better quality of service arafath0952323/Shutterstock Quality of Service (QoS) is likely a feature that will make the biggest difference for many users. This is a set of tools that help the router prioritize certain Internet activities over others. One of the main causes of delay in networks is buffer bloat. Certain activities such as streaming video or downloading a large file may cause the router to keep excess data packets as a buffer. It’s like a queue, where packets in the back take longer to be sent, resulting in lag. When the tampon becomes too large, you get tampon bulge. Because of their higher quality of service, gaming routers are designed to prioritize certain data packets over others, allowing them to cut the line and go all the way to the front so they can be sent faster, reducing lag. For a gamer, the router can be configured to prioritize packets from online games like “Call of Duty: Warzone” or “Fortnite” and voice chat. For non-gamers, this could include video conferencing, real-time voice calls, remote desktop management, and live streaming. Quality of Service ensures that activities such as streaming a YouTube or Netflix video in 4K, downloading a game to a console, or downloading an update to a phone do not cause significant lag. However, it is worth mentioning that QoS will not be able to help if the lag is due to proximity issues with the server. Optimized to handle multiple devices tinhkhuong/Shutterstock If you connect too many devices to the network, it can create congestion that will slow down the Internet connection. QoS is just one way gaming routers manage traffic when too many devices are connected. Another reason lies in their superior hardware. Take the Rog Rapture GT-AXE11000, for example. This is a $395 gaming router with a 1.8GHz quad-core processor and 1GB of RAM. It can handle multiple connections that would hamper a standard ISP-provided router. Gaming routers also use something called beamforming. Without beamforming, the router broadcasts its signal in all directions. Since the signal is present everywhere at once, it is often of poorer quality: less effective, noisier and weaker. With beamforming, the router directs the signal to the devices that actually need it. This improves signal performance, range and resilience against interference. Another technology used by a gaming router is MU-MIMO (Multi-User, Multiple-Input, Multiple-Output). Traditionally, single-user MIMO routers communicate with one device at a time in a channel, but they cycle through them so quickly that it gives the illusion that the router is communicating with them simultaneously. The delay between switching devices causes lag. With MU-MIMO, simultaneous communication is not an illusion, since the router divides the antenna array into spatial streams so that every device on the channel receives it at the same time. Not only does this reduce lag, but it also allows multiple devices to be connected without slowing down the network. 6GHz Internet tinhkhuong/Shutterstock Modern gaming routers also support Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7. These come with an additional frequency band: 6 GHz. One of the main causes of slow internet speed is interference from other gadgets in your home. This is why it is often recommended to change the frequency band from 2.4 GHz to 5 GHz, since the latter offers more speed and is not as prone to congestion because few devices use it. But if your home is full of bandwidth-hogging devices, even on 5GHz, upgrading your gaming router to 6GHz can improve your speeds without paying your Internet service provider for more bandwidth. Keep in mind that not all devices support Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7. So, before upgrading to 6 GHz, be sure to check. For example, Apple devices like the iPhone 15 Pro and newer, MacBook Neo, and MacBook Pros from 2023 all support Wi-Fi 6E. A console like the PlayStation 5 Pro supports Wi-Fi 7, as do many high-end PCs and laptops. One caveat is that the 6GHz frequency band has a shorter range than other bands, which means you need to stay closer to the router. It also can’t pass through walls, so you probably won’t be able to use it if you’re in the bedroom and the router is in the living room. Better security features Kazakova Yana/Shutterstock If you’re someone who values router security, gaming routers usually have features that can put your mind at ease. For example, they may have a built-in firewall that protects your network from harmful incoming data packets from the Internet. This is different from your computer’s firewall, which only protects itself. This protects all devices on the network with intelligent packet filtering. Since devices on the network can still communicate with each other, they can still send harmful packets to each other, so don’t disable their individual firewalls. Another advanced security feature the router might have is a VPN. You usually need to set up a VPN profile from a reputable VPN provider. But once operational, the router does all the encryption and decryption of incoming and outgoing data, as well as establishing a secure tunnel to the VPN server. Again, this level of protection does not apply to a single device, but to all devices on the network, eliminating the need to install a separate VPN on each device. Gaming routers may also have malware protection, which prevents malicious code, files, and websites from infecting devices on your network and turning them into spies. This is important to protect devices that cannot install anti-malware programs (for example, smart TVs, cameras, and other IoT technologies). Advanced parental controls Alpien Ahmad Nurdin/Shutterstock Many gaming routers have an advanced set of parental controls that provide additional safeguards for the home. Any controls you set will apply to all devices on the network. Additionally, because the rules work at the network level, no one can change them unless they have access to the dashboard or parental app, giving you full control over certain aspects of the Internet connection. A common parental control is content filtering. This allows you to block certain web content, such as social networks, gambling and adult websites. This comes in handy in scenarios where you don’t want others to access known or potentially harmful websites, especially those that can infect devices with malware or expose children to adult content. You can also view usage statistics that allow you to adjust the rules based on the information provided. Are children spending too much time on YouTube or Facebook? You can block them instantly. Don’t want other devices clogging up the network during intense gaming sessions or a Monday meeting? Then block them out during those specific times. Post navigation 5 mini gaming PCs that don’t compromise on performance
SOLDATOOFF/Shutterstock We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. A good gaming router, especially flagship models from companies like Asus and MSI, will cost you several hundred dollars more than a standard router. But you also need to be aware of the features of a real gaming router so as not to fall for marketing gimmicks. Many companies give their routers a flashy design, equip them with multiple antennas and RGB lights, and brand them “gaming” to increase the price. If you buy these routers, you will be disappointed because they are no better than your standard router. Don’t be fooled by flashing lights. Real gaming routers solve a wide range of frustrating problems that gamers encounter on a daily basis, especially when playing online. These include high latency, long buffering, and unstable internet connection, especially when multiple devices are connected to the network. If you think these problems would drive even the average person crazy, then you’re right. While gamers will get the most out of these devices, the issues are universal and might be worth it if they’re a sticking point for you. As new models become available, older gaming routers often go on sale. You can get them for the price of a standard router through sales and enjoy all the benefits that come with them. Don’t buy one that is too old and no longer supported, because a router is something that should never be without updates. Better quality of service arafath0952323/Shutterstock Quality of Service (QoS) is likely a feature that will make the biggest difference for many users. This is a set of tools that help the router prioritize certain Internet activities over others. One of the main causes of delay in networks is buffer bloat. Certain activities such as streaming video or downloading a large file may cause the router to keep excess data packets as a buffer. It’s like a queue, where packets in the back take longer to be sent, resulting in lag. When the tampon becomes too large, you get tampon bulge. Because of their higher quality of service, gaming routers are designed to prioritize certain data packets over others, allowing them to cut the line and go all the way to the front so they can be sent faster, reducing lag. For a gamer, the router can be configured to prioritize packets from online games like “Call of Duty: Warzone” or “Fortnite” and voice chat. For non-gamers, this could include video conferencing, real-time voice calls, remote desktop management, and live streaming. Quality of Service ensures that activities such as streaming a YouTube or Netflix video in 4K, downloading a game to a console, or downloading an update to a phone do not cause significant lag. However, it is worth mentioning that QoS will not be able to help if the lag is due to proximity issues with the server. Optimized to handle multiple devices tinhkhuong/Shutterstock If you connect too many devices to the network, it can create congestion that will slow down the Internet connection. QoS is just one way gaming routers manage traffic when too many devices are connected. Another reason lies in their superior hardware. Take the Rog Rapture GT-AXE11000, for example. This is a $395 gaming router with a 1.8GHz quad-core processor and 1GB of RAM. It can handle multiple connections that would hamper a standard ISP-provided router. Gaming routers also use something called beamforming. Without beamforming, the router broadcasts its signal in all directions. Since the signal is present everywhere at once, it is often of poorer quality: less effective, noisier and weaker. With beamforming, the router directs the signal to the devices that actually need it. This improves signal performance, range and resilience against interference. Another technology used by a gaming router is MU-MIMO (Multi-User, Multiple-Input, Multiple-Output). Traditionally, single-user MIMO routers communicate with one device at a time in a channel, but they cycle through them so quickly that it gives the illusion that the router is communicating with them simultaneously. The delay between switching devices causes lag. With MU-MIMO, simultaneous communication is not an illusion, since the router divides the antenna array into spatial streams so that every device on the channel receives it at the same time. Not only does this reduce lag, but it also allows multiple devices to be connected without slowing down the network. 6GHz Internet tinhkhuong/Shutterstock Modern gaming routers also support Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7. These come with an additional frequency band: 6 GHz. One of the main causes of slow internet speed is interference from other gadgets in your home. This is why it is often recommended to change the frequency band from 2.4 GHz to 5 GHz, since the latter offers more speed and is not as prone to congestion because few devices use it. But if your home is full of bandwidth-hogging devices, even on 5GHz, upgrading your gaming router to 6GHz can improve your speeds without paying your Internet service provider for more bandwidth. Keep in mind that not all devices support Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7. So, before upgrading to 6 GHz, be sure to check. For example, Apple devices like the iPhone 15 Pro and newer, MacBook Neo, and MacBook Pros from 2023 all support Wi-Fi 6E. A console like the PlayStation 5 Pro supports Wi-Fi 7, as do many high-end PCs and laptops. One caveat is that the 6GHz frequency band has a shorter range than other bands, which means you need to stay closer to the router. It also can’t pass through walls, so you probably won’t be able to use it if you’re in the bedroom and the router is in the living room. Better security features Kazakova Yana/Shutterstock If you’re someone who values router security, gaming routers usually have features that can put your mind at ease. For example, they may have a built-in firewall that protects your network from harmful incoming data packets from the Internet. This is different from your computer’s firewall, which only protects itself. This protects all devices on the network with intelligent packet filtering. Since devices on the network can still communicate with each other, they can still send harmful packets to each other, so don’t disable their individual firewalls. Another advanced security feature the router might have is a VPN. You usually need to set up a VPN profile from a reputable VPN provider. But once operational, the router does all the encryption and decryption of incoming and outgoing data, as well as establishing a secure tunnel to the VPN server. Again, this level of protection does not apply to a single device, but to all devices on the network, eliminating the need to install a separate VPN on each device. Gaming routers may also have malware protection, which prevents malicious code, files, and websites from infecting devices on your network and turning them into spies. This is important to protect devices that cannot install anti-malware programs (for example, smart TVs, cameras, and other IoT technologies). Advanced parental controls Alpien Ahmad Nurdin/Shutterstock Many gaming routers have an advanced set of parental controls that provide additional safeguards for the home. Any controls you set will apply to all devices on the network. Additionally, because the rules work at the network level, no one can change them unless they have access to the dashboard or parental app, giving you full control over certain aspects of the Internet connection. A common parental control is content filtering. This allows you to block certain web content, such as social networks, gambling and adult websites. This comes in handy in scenarios where you don’t want others to access known or potentially harmful websites, especially those that can infect devices with malware or expose children to adult content. You can also view usage statistics that allow you to adjust the rules based on the information provided. Are children spending too much time on YouTube or Facebook? You can block them instantly. Don’t want other devices clogging up the network during intense gaming sessions or a Monday meeting? Then block them out during those specific times.
