Can you really tell the difference between expensive and cheap routers?

When shopping for routers, it can be hard to believe the wide price range. The latest and, supposedly, best might have a whopping $600 price tag, while a best-selling and still relatively new router on the market costs no more than $60. So what’s the problem? I’ve relied on a cheap travel router, dealt with routers provided by average ISPs, and also looked at high-end routers that one could purchase with a small loan. So I have hands-on experience with routers at different price points.

From what I’ve learned, you can tell the difference between expensive and cheap routers, mainly when one thing happens: multiple people connect and use the Wi-Fi network at the same time. Just like your computer needs extra RAM to run multiple applications at once, your router also needs RAM (and other components, like a processor) to handle feeds from multiple devices at once. Expensive routers usually come with the hardware needed for the job, while cheap routers skimp to save you money while still technically offering many of the same features.

You may also see a problem when you live in a split-level home. The longer the distance and the more walls and floors there are between you and the router, the more strain you put on your router’s resources. Again, cheap routers tend not to be equipped for high-performance situations, so the more you ask of your router, the more difference you may see in purchasing a high-end router.

When comparing the specifications of a cheap router to its more expensive counterparts, the stat that usually stands out is bandwidth. For example, the TP-Link Archer AX10 offers combined speeds of 1,500 Mbps, while the Netgear Nighthawk RS600 WiFi 7 router hits 18,000 Mbps (18 Gbps). It may seem like you’re really missing out by going with a cheap router, but when I look at these routers, I think about what my bandwidth needs actually are.

For one thing, your Internet plan may limit how much of an expensive 18Gbps router you can actually take advantage of. Statistics from AllConnect show that the most common Internet plans in the United States don’t exceed 400 Mbps, which is well within the bandwidth of the Archer AX10. For my gigabit fiber internet plan, I prefer to treat myself to a higher ceiling with a more powerful router. I also keep in mind the bandwidth needs of individual users. Do people in my house regularly stream multiple 4K movies at once? Do they also play online multiplayer games and need ultra-low latency to compete? Unless the answer to one or both is yes, then a high-end router probably isn’t worth it.

Then, of course, there’s the house I’m installing the router in. I live in a 1,500 square foot split-level home, so the Archer AX10’s 1,000 square foot coverage doesn’t cut my mustard like it would if I still lived in my old 900 square foot apartment. In a different situation, I would seriously consider upgrading to a cheap router. Real-world requirements for bandwidth, coverage, and multiple device support are what make the expensive purchase of a router more cost-effective.