Which routers are worth buying?

Routers are one of those devices you probably don't think about very much. As long as it gets you online and gives you the content you need, there's no reason to. But with bandwidth demands increasing and new wireless standards emerging, the limits of your router start to become a little more apparent and a lot more frustrating. If it's time for a new one, there's a lot to consider beyond how fast it is -- though that's pretty important, too. Which routers can handle the traffic you throw at them, and which will support all your devices for years to come? While we don't review routers here at Engadget, we've taken a look at some sources we trust to find a few devices that might fit your needs.

1 / 4

Netgear Nighthawk X6 AC3200

At first glance, the Nighthawk X6 AC3200 looks rather odd, with six antennas making it resemble an insect flipped on its back. There's a good reason for that: It's a tri-band router that offers one 2.4GHz band and two 5GHz bands, an arrangement that TweakTown says allows you to use 5GHz 802.11 without "bottlenecking" the devices on the 802.11ac band. That flexibility results in speeds that have CNET's Dong Ngo calling the X6 "one of the fastest I've seen," while Gizmodo Australia concludes that "if you want to future-proof your home network," the Nighthawk X6 AC3200 is worth "a serious look and evaluation."

Price: $287 and up

Frank Spinillo contributed to this report.