In today’s hyper-connected world, having a reliable and efficient router is essential for keeping all your devices connected to the internet. But what if you have a large household or business with up to 50 devices?
In that case, you need a router that can handle the load without compromising on speed or connectivity. Choosing the best router for 50 devices can be a daunting task, but fear not!
Whether you’re running a small business or managing a large household, read on to find out which router will best fit your needs, while providing seamless internet connectivity.
Here is a summary of the top-rated routers:
- NETGEAR Nighthawk X4S–Editor’s Pick
- Linksys Tri-Band Wi-Fi Router–Long range router
- TP-LINK AC2600–Best Budget
Best Router for 50 Devices (Multiple Devices): Top Picks
1. NETGEAR Nighthawk X4S Smart WiFi Router
The NETGEAR Nighthawk X4S Smart WiFi Router is a high-performance router that offers fast speeds, strong coverage, and versatile connectivity options.
The router features a dual-core 1.7 GHz processor, which ensures smooth and stable performance, even when multiple devices are connected. Additionally, it supports MU-MIMO technology that provides faster connectivity to multiple devices simultaneously.
Another great feature of the Nighthawk X4S is its Smart Connect, which automatically selects the best radio band for your device for optimal performance. The router also has four Gigabit Ethernet ports for wired connections, two USB ports for external storage, and a built-in VPN server for secure remote access.
The Nighthawk X4S’s sleek and stylish design, with its powerful hardware and advanced software, makes it an excellent choice for those looking for a high-performance router that offers a wide range of features and advanced settings.
This router also comes with a mobile application that allows you to control it from the comfort of your phone.
Overall, the NETGEAR Nighthawk X4S is a great investment for anyone looking for a fast and reliable router.
Pros
- The router is easy to setup
- It has painless firmware upgrades
- The router has good wireless signal strength which ranges across all bands
- It comes with a mobile app for easy adjustments
Cons
- The device only has free customer service for 90 days
- The device does not support interface monitoring which allows you to know the device that is using the most bandwidth.
2. Linksys Tri-Band WiFi Router for Home
The Linksys EA8300 Max-Stream router offers fast speeds and versatile connectivity options. The router features advanced Wi-Fi technology, including MU-MIMO and beamforming technology, that provides fast and stable connections to multiple devices.
One of the features of the EA8300 that stand out is its four internal antennas that help to extend coverage throughout the home, up to 1500 sq ft coverage. The router also has four Gigabit Ethernet ports for wired connections and two USB ports for external storage. It also supports advanced parental controls, which allow you to restrict access to inappropriate content and limit screen time for your kids.
The Linksys EA8300 has a sleek and modern design that looks great on any shelf or desk. The router’s setup and management are straightforward, thanks to its easy-to-use web interface. Additionally, it supports Alexa and Google Assistant, allowing you to control your network using voice commands.
In conclusion, the Linksys EA8300 Max-Stream is a powerful and feature-packed router that is well-suited for homes with multiple devices. Whether you’re looking for fast Wi-Fi speeds, strong coverage, or easy setup and management, the EA8300 is an excellent choice.
Pros
- The router is easy to setup
- The app is compatible with both Android and iOS phones
- It has set up alerts with Linksys Smart WiFi
Cons
- The guest network is not secured by WPA and uses a captive portal instead
- Some people have had challenges with parental controls.
3.TP-LINK AC2600 Smart WiFi Router
The TP-LINK AC2600 Smart WiFi Router features a dual-core 1.4 GHz processor and support for MU-MIMO technology, which provides fast and stable connections to multiple devices simultaneously.
One of the standout features of the AC2600 is its advanced QoS (Quality of Service) controls, which allow you to prioritize bandwidth for specific applications and devices. Additionally, it supports the TP-LINK Tether app, which allows you to manage your network from your mobile device.
With speeds of up to 2600Mbps, it is ideal for high-bandwidth activities such as online gaming and 4K video streaming. The router is easy to set up and manage, thanks to its user-friendly interface and app-based management system.
TP-LINK AC2600 Smart WiFi Router is a feature-packed router that is well-suited for homes with multiple devices. Whether you’re looking for fast Wi-Fi speeds, strong coverage, or easy setup and management, the AC2600 is an excellent choice.
Pros
- It is easy to set up
- The range is excellent
- The router has strong and consistent signals
Cons
- The router tends to need a power cycle to work for an extended period.
4. D-Link Exo AC2600 MU-MIMO Wi-Fi Router
The D-Link Exo AC2600 MU-MIMO Wi-Fi Router has the best dual-core processor. The processor helps reduce latency when you are streaming movies or playing games.
It ensures you get a high-speed network when using your devices.
Other features that ensure your connection remains fast are band steering, intelligent QoS, and MU-MIMO. The MU-MIMO technology enables it to be used on multiple devices at the same time without slowing down your speed.
The Dual-core processor prevents congestion especially if you live in an apartment where there are many competing networks. The router has 4 by 4 data streams that reduce the wait time when getting connected.
Pros
- It has the best high-performance dual-core processor
- It has an AC Smart Beam technology that allows it to extend the range
Cons
- The router only allows reserved IP addresses for 24 devices
5. ASUS AC3100 Dual-Band Gigabit WiFi Gaming Router
If you own a gaming lounge or have multiple gaming computers in your house, ASUS Dual-Band Gigabit WiFi Gaming Router is a good pick. The router comes with a technology called NitroQAM technology. NitroQAM technology helps improve the latency for all the gadgets that are using the network.
The router has a 3167 Mbps WiFi speed that allows all the devices to operate smoothly without buffering.
It also has 8 Gigabit LAN ports, which is twice what most routers have; this means you use multiple devices smoothly on the network.
The router comes with ASUS AiProtection with parental control for security. It also comes with a mobile application that makes it easy to manage it from the comfort of your phone.
Pros
- The router has 8 Gigabit LAN ports which are twice what most routers have
- NitroQAM technology improves the latency for the multiple gaming devices on the network
- 3167 Mbps WiFi speed that allows all the devices to operate smoothly without buffering
Cons
- The only drawback is that this router has no manual included in the packaging
What to Consider When Buying the Best Router for 50 Devices
Dual-Band and Tri-Band
A router that allows more than one network to connect is called Dual-Band or Tri-Band. Dual-Band occurs when a 5GHz network is paired with one 2.4GHz network.
On the other hand, Tri-Band occurs when two 5GHz networks are paired with one 2.4GHz network.
Routers that have the Tri-Band type of network tend to reduce bandwidth congestion hence giving you a more consistent connection.
Multi-User-Multiple in Multiple Out
Multi-User-Multiple in Multiple Out also abbreviated as MU-MIMO allows you to connect more than one device to your router at any given time.
The technology reduces the negative effects of reflected WiFi signals between two antennas hence improving connections and speeding up data throughput
Quality of Service (QoS)
Also known as WMM (Wi-Fi Multimedia), Quality of Service is a function that prioritizes certain kinds of traffic to improve the user experience.
Quality of Service is important if you realize that your network has started becoming congested by multiple users.
It gives priority to services that need more consistent connection by giving them more bandwidth.
Services like gaming and voice calls are among those that need consistent connection as opposed to downloading.
Wireless AC
802.11ac is fast when compared to 802.11n WiFi.
Wireless AC is mostly found in gadgets with single-antennae such as smartphones. It ensures that data transfer is made efficiently thus extending the battery life of your gadget.
This type of network is appropriate if you have multiple users that are streaming HD video from the same router
CPU and RAM
The CPU and RAM of a router help reduce congestion and improve throughput which means the average number of successful messages delivered through a network is also improved.
A good RAM will give you a smooth and uninterrupted transfer of data.
How to Boost Your Wifi Signal (Video)
Tips for improving your WiFi
- Add a second router to your home that will help distribute the network load.
- Contact the Internet Service Provider to increase the bandwidth
- Use Meshnet, a local network topology where the infrastructure nodes connect directly to many other nodes to enable efficient data transfer in the house.
- Use WiFi extenders-WiFi extenders rebroadcast about half of the router’s signals. You can use a tri-band extender if you want to get the same performance as that of your router.