Have you recently moved into a 2 story house and you need a router that can give you the best internet experience?
Or maybe you already have a router and you want to upgrade it to an option that guarantees excellent coverage all round?
This guide is for you.
We’ve included three of the best yet inexpensive routers that you can use in large homes, plus a buyer’s guide to help you know what to look for before buying a router for a 2-story building.
If you are in a hurry, here is a quick look at our top picks for Best Router for 2 Story House.
ETGEAR N750 Dual Band Gigabit Wi-fi Router- Most Popular
TP-Link L300 Multi Mode Wireless Router- Best Value
Asus Gigabit N900 Wireless Router- Best Budget
Best Router for 2 Story House Analysis
NETGEAR N750 Dual Band Gigabit Wi-fi Router
NETGEAR designs some of the best networking products you can ever find. And this is true for its N750 Dual Band Gigabit Wifi Router.
The N750 Dual Band router delivers advanced Wi-Fi technology and packs many impressive features at half the price of what high-end products offer. With its ability to cover up to 3000 feet in range, the N70 is one of the top picks to consider if you live in a 2-story building.
This router has simultaneous dual band technology, which allows for maximum use of 750 Mbps while at the same time eliminates the instance of interference. As such, you can expect your connections and Wi-Fi speeds to remain stable and fast enough, even when you connect several devices at ago.
The N750 is also ideal for homeowners that want a reliable Wifi range so that people can connect to the network without sitting in the corner of their room. Thanks to Gigabit technology, you can play any game online irrespective of where you are in the building.
Also included in the N750 router is Quality of Service. The importance of this is to ensure that your favorite devices can get the requisite bandwidth to work at optimum performance.
It also includes sharing features like DLNA support, Readyshare Printer support, Readyshare USB access through two USB 2.0 ports and Time Machine. There are also great security features such as guest networking, parental control, VPN support and WPA/WPA2 security.
Another thing that makes the N750 reasonably suitable for the price point is the genie app. It not only makes installation easy but also allows you to monitor your connections. All you have to do is to download the app and use it to control your network.
Pros
- Multi-OS support
- Effortless setup
- Features USB port that allows for NAS functionality
- Very fast throughput at 5GHz band
Cons
- USB functionality is limited to storage devices
- This router doesn’t have robust NAS capabilities
Related: Netgear AC1750 vs Linksy AC1750 Wireless Routers
2. TP-Link L300 Multi Mode Wireless Router
TP-Link L300 is the cheapest router that we’ve ever tried. And it works fairly well in a 2-story building for such a price point.
With lightning speeds of up to 300 Mbps, the router allows you to stream video and audio, make zoom video chats, and even upload large files within a reasonable amount of time.
While it doesn’t match the range and speed of the best routers on the market, it is nearly 10 times cheaper than many models that you’ll come across.
TP-Link L300 allows you to set the amount of bandwidth that each application will use. And as such, you can be sure that your online gaming or Netflix streaming session won’t be affected if another user on a different device tries to do something that requires lots of bandwidth.
We recommend this cheap router because it’s easy to set up. In fact, you can get it up and running within 5 minutes. In the bundle is a utility CD, which helps you setup the network and configure security options.
For its price, you don’t expect it to have compelling features. If you are looking for features such as guest networking, USB ports or Gigabit ports, you should go for NETGEAR N75 wireless router instead.
Also, you may also need to contend with the fact that it doesn’t offer excellent online gaming experience like the more expensive routers.
The bottom line is that while TP-Link L300 isn’t the most sophisticated router that you’ll find in the market, it’s still a decent pick for what it provides, not to mention that it’s the cheapest deal out there.
Pros
- Enables you to watch HD video and play online games without buffering
- Great range with double antenna
- Cheapest router in the market, ideal for you if you’re on a budget
- You can even use it as range extender on an already existing network
Cons
- Not an ideal option for heavy gamers
Read also: Laptop for binge watching movies
3. Asus Gigabit N900 Wireless Router
Asus Gigabit N900 is one of the most robust wireless routers, but it’s available at a price that almost feels like a steal.
Built to work with dual networks, Asus N900 gigabit router can connect to both 3G and 4G network and perform just fine.
In fact, you can allow other people connect to your 3 G network and have access, and this will not mess up your bandwidth. You will still be able to browse at the same cracking speeds.
It has three external antennae that make its looks rather in obtrusive. The checkered pattern on the top of the router makes it attractive. You may choose to lay it flat or even have it propped upright with its stand.
Featuring a 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz concurrent dual band transmissions, Asus Gigabit N900 router avails the signal strength that you need for a speed and stable connection. With this model, the connection rate can go as high as 900Mbps.
Don’t mistake the detachable antennas for design extras. Far from making the router stand out from the competition, these external antennas make it easy for you to expand your coverage, which is why this is a good router to use in a 2-stor y house. Also ensure that you set up the router strategically to get the best internet.
Asus Gigabit N900 also includes a Download Master, which allows you to access USB and wireless storage devices.
Overall, Asus Gigabit N900 is one of the best wireless routers that you can use in a 2-storied house. As one of the most current flagship routers to come from ASUS, and it features 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz concurrent dual band transmissions.
Not only does it support four Gigabit LAN ports but also a Gigabyte WAN port, three adjustable antennas and two built-in USB ports. Finally, setting it up, monitoring signal and network application control is easy thanks to the ASUSWRT Dashboard.
Pros
- Cheap yet robust route with stable wireless signals
- You can use it as a standalone virtual private network server
- Support easy file sharing
- Features multiple SSIDs
Cons
- The USB ports of the router do not support USB 3.0 standards
Related: Tips to fix slow internet speed
Buyers’ Guide: How to Choose the Best Router for 2-Story House
Here are things to consider when looking for a router for your 2-story building:
Speed
Speed is obviously an important factor when buying a router. However, speed itself depends on several sub-factors. The first of these is the maximum speed your ISP provides. For instance, if your ISP provides a maximum speed of 5Mbps, there is no point of investing in a router with 1.75Gbps speed.
Band
Regarding bands, there are two kinds of routers in the market today: single band and dual bands.
Single band routers communicate in 2.4 GHz. Dual band routers, on the other hand, can support 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz communications.
It is imperative to note that most have shifted to 5 GHz, and this is because it offers better performance, speed, not to mention that it’s less prone to interference.
Therefore, if you have several devices in your home and you want to connect them to the same internet network, go for a dual band wireless router.
Range
Range is a very important factor to consider when choosing a router for a 2-story building.
Although there isn’t specific mention to the coverable range, it is possible to get estimates. Other factors that will affect the range are the location of the router and the thickness of your walls. The routers we have analyzed above can transmit signals to more than four walls, so they should be fine for your needs.
Connected Devices
How many devices do you wish to connect to the router at ago? The answer to this question is what determines the kind of router you should buy.
Some manufacturers of these wireless networks claim that their routers can connect even 100 devices. The important thing here is whether the system can support this number of devices at the same time. The best way to ascertain this is to ask your friends or relatives who have used wireless routers before.
Parental Control
Parental control feature enables you to control how your kids use the internet. Rather than control individual devices used by children, you will be making changes at the network level.
If possible, go for a router that allows you have full control over features like Remote Access, Guest Network Access, and Wired Connection support and device management among other things.
Related: Wireless Routers with Parental Controls and Time Restriction
Quality of Service
Quality of service has to do with the ability to optimize and adjust your router’s performance. Make sure you choose a router that gives you the options for allocating speed to particular devices or apps or amount of bandwidth. This way, you will ensure that you get sufficient speed on devices that matter the most.
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