Best Access Point Router – The best WAP or Wireless Access Point can take your home or office network to the next level. That way, you can have easy internet access for all your devices. As good as some of the best wireless routers are, they can still have trouble bringing a strong Wi-Fi signal to every corner of your area of coverage and can get overwhelmed by too many devices trying to connect.
These days, the amount of devices needing Wi-Fi access are growing. Laptops and tablets fight with smartphones, printers, and smart home devices for bandwidth. To help lighten the load and improve your network performance, consider adding a WAP to your network.
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1.NETGEAR Nighthawk R6700 – AC1750
Pros & Cons
- Maximum Range : 1500 Sq Ft
- Recommended for up to 25 devices: Reliably stream videos, play games, surf the internet, and connect smart home devices
- Wired Ethernet ports: Plug in computers, game consoles, streaming players, and other nearby wired devices with 4 x 1 gigabit Ethernet ports
- Loaded with advanced technology: Designed with a 1GHz dual core processor, 3 amplified antennas, Beamforming plus, Dynamic QoS, Smart Connect, and more
- USB connections: Share a storage drive or printer with any connected device or create a personal cloud storage to access from anywhere, using the 1 x 3.0 USB port
- Safe & secure: Supports WPA2 wireless security protocols. Includes Guest Wi-Fi access, DOS, Firewall, VPN, and more
- NETGEAR Armor protects your family's WiFi with an automatic shield of security across all your connected devices with a 30-day free trial
- NETGEAR Smart Parental Controls promotes healthy Internet habits, fosters responsibility and builds trust with your kids (30-day free trial included)
- Safe & secure: Supports WPA2 wireless security protocols. Includes Guest Wi-Fi access, DOS, Firewall, VPN, and more. System requirements: Microsoft Windows 7, 8, 10, Vista, XP, 2000, Mac OS, UNIX, or Linux. Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0, Firefox 2.0, Safari 1.4, or Google Chrome 11.0 browsers or higher
If you suffer random connectivity problems with specific devices the chances are you have an unidentified interference issue. These issues can be frustrating because they’re transient which makes them hard to pinpoint. I love the dual band approach these guys have taken because it allows you to separate your devices out. By running a few of my electronic devices on different frequencies, I suddenly noticed that my interference issues disappeared. That was very interesting, so I highly recommend investing in a dual channel access point.
If you’re into your online gaming, then you’ll know the problems lag can cause. It can disrupt a good day’s gaming and makes it impossible to have fun. By helping you to increase the speed of your extended network, the R6700 allows you to reduce or eliminate lag. I found it easy to get to grips with and saw no delay even when I was right on the limits of the range.
2.ASUS AC1200
Pros & Cons
- Easy mobile setup as AiMesh node with existing ASUS router app
- WiFi Range Extender boost your existing 802. 11AC Dual-Band Wi-Fi network with speeds up to 1167 Mbps
- Two external antennas enhance Wi-Fi signal coverage for whole home coverage
- Quick and secure setup with just a press of the WPS button
- Smart LED signal Indicators help you find the best location for optimum Wi-Fi performance
- Small form Factor for easy placement anywhere in your home. OS Support-Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows 7, Mac OS X 10.7, Mac OS X 10.8, Mac OS X 9, Mac OS X 10, Mac OS X 11, Mac OS X 12 or higher
This claim may sound like a bold one until you look at the tech that sits inside the compact pocket-sized case. I found that it could easily double my range and that this didn’t have to be in line of sight either. This caveat is super important because in your home nothing will ever really be true line of sight. Stuff gets in the way which is what attenuates your signal and reduces your range.
The fact that it supports both bands is really encouraging. Personally, I like having the option to switch between both frequencies as it reduces the chances of interference. That’s why for me dual band is a no-brainer. Job well done in that respect.
3.ASUS Modem Router
Pros & Cons
- Ditch the monthly cable modem rental fees save upto $120 per year
- Certified by comcast xfinity, spectrum (legacy time warner cable and charter) and cox
- All in one docsis 3.0 32x8 cable modem + ac2600 wifi router (4x4) provides full bandwidth internet access and expansive wireless coverage
- Stay connected with 4x gigabit ethernet and 2x USB 2.0 ports for your non wifi devices like external storage and printers including support for Apple time machine
- Perfect for streaming and gaming in hd, dual bands (2.4ghz / 5ghz) featuring the latest 802.11ac 32x8 channel bonding technology deliver upto 1.3 gbps download speeds; Ac input : 110v to 240v(50 to 60hz); Dc output : 19 v with max; 3.42 a current
The antennas that this unit ships with are extremely handy for when you come to fine tune your setup. No setup wizard will ever finish the job completely; there’s always a little room to tinker by hand. By being able to pivot them in any direction you want you’ll be able to make the small adjustments that can lead to significant differences. I enjoyed playing with how far I could push things as I learned a lot about how the system worked.
The final thing to say is that the management software is indeed worth taking a closer look at. There are a whole host of more advanced options that should allow you to tweak your setup so that it’s perfect. It may take a little getting used to, but if you want a robust and all-pervading home network then this is the way to get it my friends!
4.TP-Link Wireless N300
Pros & Cons
- 300Mbps wireless transmission rate, brings smooth wireless N experience
- Supports multiple operating modes: Access Point, Client, Universal/ WDS Repeater, Wireless Bridge
- Easily setup a WPA encrypted secure connection at a push of the QSS button
- Up to 30 meter (100 feet) Power over Ethernet capability for flexible deployment
Working with 300 Mbps of data is something that used to be incredible but is now becoming increasingly more common. That’s why I was delighted to see that this access point didn’t slow my connection down at all.
The bandwidth management tools are powerful and straightforward to implement. By moving things around between different channels, you can speed things up no end. I was impressed by this, and within five minutes I was up and running, moving things around and tweaking away. Even if you’re not a fan of this kind of tweaking, the automatic options will do a great job. My advice is, give it a try; you won’t be disappointed!
5.Zyxel Wireless N300
Pros & Cons
- Detachable high-gain antennas for enhanced Wi-Fi coverage or self upgrade
- Equipped 5 fast Ethernet ports, bridge your digital entertainment devices
- ZyXEL green design for power saving capability
- Clear LED lights to check functionality quickly
- Compact and wall-mount design for flexible placement
There’s ever-increasing pressure for technology to ‘go green’ and use less power when on standby. Personally, I’m a big fan of this, and I think it pushes tech companies to innovate which is good for us all. The power saving functionality deployed here is high tech but not invasive. This means that while it will save you and me you power, there are no issues with it sacrificing performance to do so.
The wall mounting facility is something that you may not hear a lot about from other reviewers, but for me, it’s a lifesaver. I hate cluttering up my surfaces with more and more boxes so to have the option to hang it out of the way was awesome. If you want to save precious desk space in the already full home office, then this could be a great option.
6.TRENDnet Wireless N300
Pros & Cons
- The versatile 300Mbps wireless n access point is designed to create a scalable high speed wireless N network or to connect a wired Device to an existing wireless network
- Design that delivers high availability, scalability, and for maximum flexibility and price/performance
- Compact high performance wireless N access point
- Wireless Bridge mode for Ethernet-to-wireless bridging function
- Works as an access point and a wireless adapter
- Compliant with IEEE 802.11n (draft 2.0), IEEE 802.11g and 802.11b standards
- Compatible with 802.11b/g/n networks
- 3 YEAR WARRANTY & TOLL-FREE TECH SUPPORT- TRENDnet backs this product with a 3 year manufacturer warranty as well as toll-free tech support.
The antennas look the part like a gadget should, and they also do the job that you want them to do. They make it nice and easy for you to make those fine adjustments that will make all the difference. The pivots were nice and stiff which meant they were easy to move back to a previous position.
The tech support was absolutely first class in my experience. What I liked the most, was the phone support was free of charge. Speaking to a person is always better than a chatbot, but it can be frustrating when you have to pay for the pleasure. These guys won’t take a dollar off you because they want to solve your issues, not profit from them. I was very impressed to say the least.
7.Ubiquiti Unifi Ap-AC
Pros & Cons
- Ubiquit Unifi AP AC Long range
- The installer needs networking knowledge to get it to work properly so for people that can’t get it to work.
With a robust enterprise wireless software processor, the device is perfect for broad client deployments that demand low latency and high uptime. The UniFi virtual control plane provides infinite scalability all under a central controller thanks to its software-based features. While being in the field, you can remotely monitor the UniFi Controller to update installed UniFi APs.
Compared to other standard enterprise Wi-Fi systems that utilize hardware controllers, UniFi comes with an indifferent software controller that may be implemented on a Linux machine, Macbook, PC, private cloud or even a public cloud service. I mean, do you really have to buy more gear if you have all these provided?
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Best Access Point Router – To help you find the best Wireless Access Point for your needs and solve your network woes, we’ve gathered our top choices below.
You may find even better prices now that the holiday shopping season of Black Friday and Cyber Monday are on the horizon. So, if you’re in the market for a new WAP, keep your eyes on potential deals from now until the end of the month.
Amazon.com