The 8 Best Long Range Routers

If you live in a large home or work in a large office space, chances are your Wi-Fi signal isn’t quite as strong as you’d like it to be. This can be frustrating, and lead to frequent signal drops, slow-loading websites, and puts your phone in a state of “constantly-connecting”, killing its battery life.

Not all routers give you fast connections at long range, but the best long-range routers are more than capable. They have several built-in tools that extend the Wi-Fi range, provide a thicker blanket of Wi-Fi signal, and ultimately process the signal faster.

Ready to see which routers truly function at long range? Let’s dive in. 📡 🤔

8 Best Long Distance Routers for Gaming

Long-range routers work by using several features that help extend the range of the Wi-Fi signal. Many of these routers have more antennas to provide more signal, and sometimes those antennas can be amplified to send out a stronger signal that will reach farther into your home.

They often use modern technologies such as Beamforming, which is software that helps the router lock on to a device and send the Wi-Fi signal directly to that device instead of broadcasting it in every direction.

Long Range Routers also make use of other technologies like a faster CPU, or a technology called Quality of Service which allows you to prioritize your devices. These features help your router work more efficiently, which will free it up to work on distant signals.

These routers also send out multiple bands of Wi-Fi signal at two different frequencies, one frequency is meant for speed, and one is meant for range. The router will automatically assign each device in your network to the best band depending on its needs.

View At Amazon

Pros & Cons

• The small size, and ergonomic design
• 4000 feet of Wi-Fi coverage out of the box

• No USB ports

Specifications

• Wi-Fi Speed –  5,300  Mb per second
• CPU – Quad-core ARM CPU
• Ethernet Ports – 2
• Frequency Bands – 3

NETGEAR Orbi AC2200 Review

The Netgear Orbi Whole Home Mesh Wireless Router offers a unique solution to long-range routing. This router uses a satellite station to help increase your Wi-Fi range up to 4000 square feet (3.72a), and you can add more satellites as you need them for larger environments.

Three bands of Wi-Fi reduce network congestion and increase speeds across all of your devices. You can assign your high definition streaming or gaming to its own band, leaving two bands free for normal home use.

The Orbi is equipped with MU-MIMO technology which allows the router to work with multiple devices at once, and it makes use of Beamforming technology as well. The router and each of the satellites is equipped with four internal antennas to push out plenty of signal into your home.

Three Ethernet ports on the router and four on each of the satellites provide ample hard-wiring capability and give all of your devices access to the highest speeds from more locations.

The Orbi also features Guest Capability to allow guests to connect to your network without sacrificing your security or privacy. It also features advanced parental controls and it even works with Alexa voice commands.

Tip: If you’re concerned about your online privacy, getting a top-rated VPN for gaming is a great idea.

View At Amazon

Pros & Cons

• High speed processor and tri-band technology.
• A thick blanket of Wi-Fi via the eight external antennas

• Very expensive

Specifications

• Wi-Fi Speed – 5,332 Mb per second
• CPU – 1.4GHz
• Ethernet Ports – 9
• USB Ports – 1x USB 3.0 + 1x USB 2.0
• Antennas – 8x External
• Frequency Bands Supported – 3

Linksys AC5400 Review

The Linksys AC 5400 is a great router for streaming 4K TV from anywhere in your home. It features 3 bands of Wi-Fi signal for the least amount of network congestion, and it allows you to assign your most important device to its own band. It also delivers four simultaneous streams on each of the three Wi-Fi bands for a stronger, faster performance.

The Linksys AC 5400 is powered by a Dual Core 1.4 gigahertz processor that will help boost speeds up to 5.3 gigabytes per second by handling multiple high-speed data streams at once while still delivering Wi-Fi to more devices.

Next Generation MU-MIMO technology allows you to send and receive Wi-Fi from several devices at once, and Beamforming allows the router to lock on to your device to deliver a stronger and more consistent signal.

Eight-gigabit ethernet ports allow you to connect an array of wired devices for improved file transfer speeds and stability, while two USB connections are ideal for connecting shared storage devices or printers. You can print or access your files from any device on your network.

Plenty of Wi-Fi signal is delivered throughout your home by the eight external antennas, and you can also enable Seamless Roaming by pairing Max-Stream Routers with Max-Stream Range Extenders.

View At Amazon

Pros & Cons

• Very long range for a router in this price range
• High powered CPU

• Poor warranty

Specifications

• Wi-Fi Speed – 2225Mbps
• CPU – 1.8GHz Dual-Core
• Ethernet Ports – 5
• USB Ports – 1x USB 3.0 + 1x USB 2.0
• Antennas – 3x External
• Frequency Bands Supported – 2

TP-Link Archer C2300 Review

The TP-Link Archer C2300 is a long-distance, great dual-band router, that is quite powerful and is a great choice for the budget-minded consumer. It features a 64 bit 1.8 Gigahertz Dual Core processor with two co-processors for quickly processing multiple signals at once. This is one of the most powerful processors available in this price range.

The Archer C2300 also features MU-MIMO technology for connecting to multiple devices, and it also has on-board XStream processing architecture for a lag-free gaming experience.

Three external antennas use built-in Beamforming technology to lock on to your device, while RangeBoost software extends your signal further into your environment to help make sure your signal gets to where you need it.

Airtime Fairness equally divides attention between newer and older devices, improving overall Wi-Fi performance and Link Aggregation allows you to combine two of the four Gigabit LAN ports and use them for a single device for a faster wired connection. You can also set up and manage your Wi-Fi right from your phone using the TP-Link Tether app.

View At Amazon

Pros & Cons

• A strong signal that reaches far
• Very fast Wi-Fi that is great for gaming and streaming
• Additional DFS Channels

• Very high price tag

• Wi-Fi Speed – 7,200Mbps
• CPU – 1.7GHz Quad-Core
• Ethernet Ports – 7
• USB Ports –  2x USB 3.0
• Antennas – 4x External
• Frequency Bands Supported – 2

NETGEAR Nighthawk X10 – AD7200 Review

The NETGEAR Nighthawk X10 is a very fast router featuring speeds of up to 7.2Gbps. The quad-core CPU is one of the fastest, and most powerful processors available and has support for Plex, VR gaming, and 4K streaming. This router will have no trouble processing anything thrown at it, boasting speeds up to 4.6 Gbps.

This is a Dual Band Router that supports 160MHz Wi-Fi which doubles the width of the 5GHz channel for faster speeds. The NETGEAR Nighthawk X10 features Dynamic QoS to prioritize what is important to you and process that first, while MU-MIMO technology allows the router to work with several devices at once to provide faster downloads and smoother performance.

The Nighthawk also features four patent-pending external active antennas that amplify your Wi-Fi signals, and extend the range of your router while Beamforming technology helps your router lock on to your device and deliver a stronger signal.

Additional DFS Channels allow everyone to have their own interference-free 5GHz channel. The Nighthawk is equipped with the Plex Media Server. Use Plex to organize video, audio, and photos from your collections and from online services, then access and stream the contents from any device. It also features automatic backups to the Amazon Drive cloud-based storage service.

Set-up is easy with either the Netgear Genie web-based console or Genie mobile app. This is also where you will manage your router and view information about devices on your network, set up Guest Networks, configure a Plex Media Server, view Amazon Drive backup settings, enable ReadySHARE printer and storage-sharing options, and also enable Parental Controls.

View At Amazon

Pros & Cons

• RangeBoost strengthens reception
• MU-MIMO and Airtime Fairness
• Link Aggregation

• This router is very expensive

Specifications

• Wi-Fi Speed – 5,334Mbps
• CPU – 1.8GHz Quad-Core
• Ethernet Ports – 9
• USB Ports – 2x USB 3.0
• Antennas – 8x External
• Frequency Bands Supported – 3

TP-Link Archer C5400X Review

The TP-Link Archer C5400X router is capable of very fast processing due to its 64 bit Quad-Core 1.8 Gigahertz processor, three co-processors and 1 GB RAM. The three co-processors balance Wi-Fi demand while the quad-core CPU executes every service, thread, and application to accelerate loading.

It also makes use of MU-MIMO and Airtime Fairness technologies to maximize your Wi-Fi response rate. Tri-Band technology reduces network congestion and allows you to prioritize your traffic and assign your favorite device to its own channel while eight external antennas deliver a thick blanket of Wi-Fi signal wherever you need it.

Eight Ethernet ports allow plenty of room to hard-wire any devices directly to the router for an extra speed boost. You can combine two LAN ports for double the connection speeds or combine one LAN with one WAN for double the internet speed.

The Archer also features comprehensive threat protection with the TP-Link HomeCare system, powered by Trend MicroTM. This system protects every device on your network from the latest cyber threats with powerful security, built-in antivirus, and intrusion prevention software.

If you’re into video games, this is one of the best routers for gaming on the market right now.

View At Amazon

Pros & Cons

• Four powerful external antennae
• MU-MIMO Technology

• Requires additional setup steps

Specifications

• Wi-Fi Speed – 3,167 Mb per second
• CPU – 1.4GHz Dual-Core
• Ethernet Ports – 9
• USB Ports – 1x USB 2.0
• Antennas – 4x External
• Frequency Bands Supported – 2

Asus RT-AC88U Review

The Asus RT-AC88U router delivers Wi-Fi speeds up to 3.1 GB per second, and it also has built-in MU-MIMO technology for allowing multiple devices to connect at once. Boost your gaming bandwidth with Adaptive QoS, which allows you to easily prioritize gaming packets and activities.

This Dual Band router utilizes 1024-QAM technology for 80% faster 5 GHz speeds and 66% faster 2.4 GHz speeds, while Smart Connect automatically chooses the best band available for your device.

Each of the four antennas transmits and receive Wi-Fi signal and this action claims to produce a 33% greater 2.4 GHz coverage. The AC88U boasts Wi-Fi coverage up to 5000 square feet.

It is equipped with link aggregation for speeding up your hard-wire connections, and it features the Asus AiProtection powered by Trend Micro for surfing the internet safely. The advanced parental controls help you to prevent family members from visiting inappropriate websites.

If you’re a fan of what ASUS has to offer, make sure to check our review of the ASUS RT-ACRH13 which is another high-quality gaming router.

View At Amazon

Pros & Cons

• On/Off Wi-Fi switch
• Good performance from a low cost router
• Long Range

• It is not very fast

Specifications

• Wi-Fi Speed – 382.4 Mbps
• CPU – 880-MHz MediaTek processor
• Ethernet Ports – 5
• USB Ports – 1x USB 2.0
• Antennas – 2x External
• Frequency Bands Supported – 2

Netgear R6220 Review

The Netgear R6220 is a low-cost dual-band router that can also work as a long-range router. It is equipped with AC Wi-Fi technology which is designed to deliver speed, range, and reliability.

It is powered by an 880-MHz MediaTek processor and has an onboard ReadySHARE USB port for sharing your media files from a central location. The R6220 router features Advanced Quality of Service, which allows for device prioritization and lets you get the most out of your Wi-Fi signal.

It also comes equipped with four LAN ports to plug your devices directly into the router and it  also includes the NETGEAR genie home network manager, for easy installation and home network management.

View At Amazon

Pros & Cons

• Can be purchased for less than $100
• Amplified antennae

• It often needs to be rebooted

Specifications

• Wi-Fi Speed – 1167Mb per second
• CPU – 1 GHz Dual-Core
• Ethernet Ports – 5
• USB Ports – 1x USB 3.0 + 1x USB 2.0
• Antennas – 3x External
• Frequency Bands Supported – 2

TP-Link Archer C1900 Review

The TP-Link AC1900 is a small but powerful router that delivers a powerful Wi-Fi signal with its three removable dual-band antennas. Each antenna is equipped with a 900mW high-powered amplifier to push the signal further into your home, they also feature beamforming technology which locks on to your device and strengthens the signal.

A 1GHz dual-core processor provides plenty of processing power that will keep all of your devices running smoothly. Two USB ports make file sharing easy. This dual-band router is also very easy to set up.

Overall, if you’re looking for a high-quality gaming router under $100, this is the optimal pick.

Long Range Routers: Buying Guide

Antenna

While not every router needs a lot of antennas to send out a good signal, a router with more antennas will provide more coverage throughout your home.

Multiband Capability

A dual, or a tri-band router, allows the router to send a Wi-Fi signal at two different frequencies. A 5 Gigahertz band provides the user with a high-speed signal that is great for games and streaming movies, but it only has a short Wi-Fi range. The 2.4 Gigahertz band provides the user with a slower Wi-Fi signal, but one that has a much greater range.

The benefit to us is reduced congestion on the slower band, allowing the router to more easily “hear” far away signals.

The Processor

An overworked CPU can spend all of its time processing signals that are stronger and closer to the router while leaving weaker signals that are further away completely unprocessed. This is effectively shortening the range of your router.

Using a router that contains a CPU strong enough to quickly process any signal will have the effect of extending the range of your router. This also explains how other technologies, like device prioritization, will also help extend the range of your router.

Ethernet ports

Ethernet ports don’t exactly extend the range of your router, but they do allow you to plug your device directly into the router for the fastest speed the router can provide wherever your cable will reach. Sometimes this is the best solution, and having a router with enough ports can be important especially if you are a gamer.

Frequently Asked Questions

What wireless router has the longest range?

The range of a router is influenced by many things, including how many antennas it has, what kind of processor it uses, and what kind of technologies it makes use of. The best router is going to be one with a lot of antennas, a fast dual or quad-core processor, and multiple bands. It will also make use of modern technologies like device prioritization to help speed up the router and reduce network congestion.

How far does a WiFi signal go?

This depends very much on the router in question, a lot of factors can affect the range of a router. Homes with a lot of furniture, closed doors, and lots of devices connecting to the internet, can make it very hard to get a good range out of a router. Generally speaking, even in ideal conditions, your Wi-Fi signal will start to degrade after about 30 ft.

What is the maximum range of a wireless router?

Similar to the last question, the range is very dependent on the specific router. Most stand-alone home routers are only designed to operate for about 30 ft from the router itself. Many of the routers that are listed in this article have special features like multiple and/or amplified antennas, and a strong processor to help boost the range of the router.

There is also a new technology emerging, called Mesh Routing. Mesh Routing uses satellite stations in conjunction with the main home router to send Wi-Fi signals up to thousands of feet. The main drawback of this type of router is that it’s still very expensive though there is one mesh router in our list. If you’re interested in buying such a router, check out our list of the best wireless routers for gaming.

How long do routers last on average?

Most of the time routers last a very long time. They are often considered to be often the most outdated piece of technology in our home.

It’s not uncommon for a consumer to update their cell phones, laptops, and other devices several times without ever updating the router until it fails. Like many other pieces of technology though, it is constantly improving and adding more features. Updating your router every few years is a very good idea that will keep your latest devices running as they should.

Final Words

When coverage is your main concern, getting the best long-range router for gaming is a priority. With our picks, you’ll be able to game from virtually anywhere in your house, even if you live in a castle. Well, not really… but you get the idea.

If internet speed is your concern because you’re planning on streaming or starting a YouTube channel, we recommend you browse some great capture cards and webcams designed for streaming.