Nowadays, we are so dependent on the internet, and we use it for almost everything. Without it, we find ourselves in situations that we don't know how to address. Probably you will say that people managed without the internet for centuries, so it shouldn't be that hard. But would you go back to the time you needed to rent DVDs or buy CDs? Aren't you annoyed every time your internet is slow, and it takes ages to load something?
We all want our internet, especially WiFi, to be stable and fast. This is why we are ready to pay more for a subscription that offers higher speed. No matter if it is for working, studying, or streaming, we want us to be able to do what we want whenever we want, without internet issues. However, your internet subscription is not the only thing that matters. The router you are using is also of importance. In this article, you will find why and also some of the best budget routers for under US$200.
Why is a router important?
Perhaps you wonder if a router can really improve your connection, and the answer is yes. Of course, the better ones are also more expensive, so we understand why you might be wondering if the investment is worth it. The purpose of a router is to allow you to connect to the same internet network with different devices simultaneously. It is possible because the router acts as a splicer.
One of the common issues with routers is that they cannot support as many devices as you would want. This will lead to overloading the connection, and it will become slower. To avoid this from a subscription point of view, you will have to calculate how much internet you will need per month and take the appropriate package. Having a router from a higher class will also help you maintain a good internet speed even with many devices connected at the same time.
When you choose a router going with a better option even though it will be more expensive is always better. There are many benefits of getting a higher-quality router. Here are the main four benefits:
- Better connection – You will be able to connect more devices without causing any connectivity issues. With the advancement of the Internet of Things, we all have more than a couple of devices at our home that we need to connect to our home network – computers, phones, tablets, smart TVs, etc. Knowing that you have a router that can handle this will bring you peace of mind.
- Higher speed of your internet – A higher quality router will do better its primary job – increase your internet connection speed. The better the router, the higher the speed. Sometimes even if you have a subscription that supports higher speed, but your router cannot handle it, you won't be able to take advantage of it.
- Better security – The higher quality routers are also offering more security functionalities. Choosing a hard-to-crack password is just the start of protecting your network. But there are additional functionalities like encryption or installing VPN on your router that only the better ones can support.
- Higher reliability – We hate the moments when we don't have internet or a slower connection. When it is something related to our ISP, we have nothing to do, but sometimes it can be our router that is just not as reliable as we would like it to be. Better routers will guarantee you better performance.
The best routers for under US$200
Here are a couple of great choices for more budget routers that you can try in 2022:
- NETGEAR Nighthawk AX5400 WiFi Router (RAX50) – This router is perfect for people working from home and passionate gamers. The speed that can support is up to 5.4 Gbps, and the coverage is up to 2,500 sq. ft. It supports as well a number of security features like VPN connection, WiFi Smart, Firewall and DOS setup, WPS, and much more. And even with all those security features activated, you will get more than excellent performance. The router has a huge amount of Ethernet ports and also supports a 5G connection.
- ASUS WiFi 6 Router (RT-AX3000) – Another Dual Band Gigabit wireless internet router that is great for gamers. It supports the latest WiFi technologies like the newest WiFi 6 standard, MU-MIMO, and OFDMA. The max connection speed it supports is 2402 Mbps on the 5GHZ band or 575 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band. It has 6 Ethernet ports, and the security functionalities are excellent. AiProtection Pro is one of those features. It is a perfect choice for a part of a mesh WiFi system because of the AiMesh feature.
- NETGEAR Nighthawk XR500 – This is another gaming router that can be perfect for your home network. It comes with 4 Ethernet ports and a max speed of 2.6 Gbps. It supports WiFi5 standard and great QoS and network prioritization options. You can control all the settings through a mobile application, making it very easy to set up and use.
- NETGEAR Nighthawk Smart Wi-Fi Router (R7000) – This is one of the best budget routers you will find for under $200. It can cover a lot of ground, and the highest speed it supports is 1900Mbps. It has 4 Ethernet ports, and it is effortless to set up with a mobile app. It offers Double firewall protection and much more when it comes to security features. Smart Connect will also assure that each connected device will receive the fastest WiFi band available.
- Synology RT2600ac – With this router, you will guarantee yourself a great internet connection. It has a lot of functionalities when it comes to security and control. It has 5 Ethernet ports and a speed of up to 800 Mbps and 1733 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. This router supports MU-MIMO technology as well, and it makes it great if you need to broadcast multiple streams at the same time. It also comes with a VPN server.
- Linksys AC1900 Smart Wi-Fi Router – One of the routers with the best performance in its price range group. It works with AC1900 and also MU-MIMO. You will be able to enjoy 4K streaming and Miracast using a special adapter that is included in the package. You can take advantage also of parental control and guest network setup. The max speed is 1.9Gbps and up to 1,500 square feet as coverage.
In conclusion
We all enjoy browsing different sites or streaming movies and TV shows daily. Or perhaps you are right now working from home or enjoy playing games with friends. Then you know how important it is to have a good internet connection. A significant factor in this is having a router that can support stable and fast connection even when multiple devices are connected.
