Best Mesh Wi-Fi Routers for 2026

Mesh Wi-Fi systems are ideal for larger homes with multiple stories. A single router will struggle to travel through walls and floors, so the further you get from the router, the more it will struggle to do basic tasks like streaming video.

With multiple devices spread throughout your home, a mesh router is like a team of routers that can relay your wireless traffic back to the modem better than a traditional router. They're particularly good fits for large or multistory homes where your Wi-Fi network has a lot of ground that it needs to cover -- and walls to travel through -- but they can also help boost speeds at range in small- or medium-size homes. And in 2025-2026, there are lots of new, next-gen options on the market, so it's a good time to make the switch.

Some of the most consistent mesh router performance we've seen in our tests comes from systems from Netgear and Eero, which popularized mesh networking before being bought by Amazon in 2019. Mesh systems regularly sold for as much as $500 a few years ago, but now these manufacturers offer Wi-Fi 7 mesh router systems -- including the main router and the additional satellite extenders -- for closer to $300. Though we'd recommend aiming a bit higher, you can even find basic, entry-level mesh systems for as little as $40 per device that can provide a strong Wi-Fi signal throughout your entire home.

Router manufacturers make big claims about top speeds, many of which can be misleading or at least confusing when you're shopping for a new one. That's why we put every router we review through our own, independent speed tests in our test lab, where we can do more to control for variables in the environment.

CNET uses custom-made scripts to carry out our testing and data analysis. We focus on three main measurements when testing all Wi-Fi routers, including mesh systems: speed, reliability and distance. We want to know how well a router will translate the internet coming in from your provider to a wireless connection, and we want to know how far it can do it -- even with obstacles like walls and floors in the way. To capture all three of these, we conduct two types of tests: data throughput and signal strength measurements. 

CNET’s testing is unique because we remove the internet provider from the equation entirely. Even the most reliable internet connections are fairly erratic: factors like time of day, network congestion and even the condition of your neighborhood’s broadband infrastructure can all affect your internet speed. To make sure these variables didn’t skew our analysis of each router, we set up a separate server to measure the raw throughput of data from the router to a device, bypassing the need for an internet connection entirely.  

Learn more: How We Test Wi-Fi Routers

Data throughput tests

Here I am running a throughput test at close distance from the router.

Adam Breeden/CNET

To see how fast a router will perform in real-world conditions, we measure its throughput, or the volume of data that a router actually transmits during a period of time. All Wi-Fi signals travel through 2.5GHz and 5GHz radio frequencies -- that’s why most routers you’ll see are referred to as “dual-band.” (Tri-band routers use an extra set of channels in the 6GHz band.) 

To start, we conduct a wired measurement on the 2.5GHz, 5GHz and, when available, 6GHz bands to establish a baseline. This is as fast as throughput can get for the router over each band, so it’s a good point of comparison for our wireless tests. From there, we take five different wireless throughput measurements, 60 seconds each, mimicking a household with five devices connected to the router with different throughput needs. These wireless measurements are taken from three different distances from the router: 7 feet, 25 feet and 50 feet. 

As any online gamer or remote worker can tell you, speed isn’t the only factor in evaluating routers. Just as important is jitter, which measures the variations in latency, or the time it takes for data to arrive at its destination. When you’re in a video meeting and there’s a delay in audio or someone’s video freezes, jitter is the culprit. We felt jitter was a better measure than latency when evaluating a router, as average latency can show up in testing as low, even when an internet connection is glitchy.  

These tests also captured packet loss, which tells us whether any data failed to reach its destination during the test. You’ll often see packet loss as a frozen video screen or a garbled voice during a video call. With both packet loss and jitter, a lower score is better.

Signal strength

CNET Labs technician Samantha De Leon makes her way around the facility's 61 marked locations to test each router's signal strength.

Adam Breeden/CNET

The second step in our testing is to measure each router’s wireless signal strength and broadcasting capability. To capture this, we used NetSpot, a wireless site survey and analysis tool. This test also shows how well a router handles interference from other objects and networks you’d find in your home, like TVs or your neighbor’s Wi-Fi. CNET’s labs have many electronics being tested around the facility, and it shares walls with other businesses, so there’s plenty of interference for a router to work through. 

We taped targets in 61 locations around CNET’s 12,500-square-foot testing facility to see how well each router transmitted data through obstacles like walls and electronics. As expected, the 2.4GHz band had better range than the 5GHz band, which sends a stronger signal at a closer range. 

The Netgear Orbi 970 mesh router had excellent signal strength on the 2.4GHz band, pictured above.

Samantha De Leon/CNET

In the signal strength maps, the numbers refer to decibels relative to a milliwatt (dBm), and they indicate how strong the Wi-Fi signal is at a given location. A value like -55 dBm is considered strong enough and typically correlates with high throughput. Here’s how to interpret the numbers on signal strength maps:

• -15 dBm – Extremely strong (almost on top of the router)
• -30 dBm – Excellent signal
• -45 dBm – Very good signal
• -60 dBm – Good, supports most tasks
• -75 dBm – Weak, may see drops in speed/stability
• < -80 dBm – Very poor, likely unstable or unusable

In the example above, the Netgear Orbi 970 never dipped below -57dBm -- even when it was on the other side of the 15,000 square-foot lab. That’s incredible range for a mesh Wi-Fi router. 

We test lots of routers at CNET HQ -- mesh and otherwise -- so we're constantly updating our rundowns of the top systems on the market. I'll note any new mesh systems we test here as we go, along with a quick summary of my takeaways. Please note that this list includes several systems that were tested at my home instead of our latest test setup.

Arris Surfboard Max AX6600: A high-powered Wi-Fi 6 system with an upright, cylindrical design, the Surfboard Max Pro was able to deliver fast speeds to other Wi-Fi 6 devices in my tests, but the performance was inconsistent with earlier-gen Wi-Fi 5 devices. I also didn't like the Ethernet jacks on the bottom of the device, which force you to bend your cables to the extreme in order to plug the router in.

Asus ZenWifi XD6: The middle child from the Asus family of Wi-Fi 6 mesh routers, the ZenWifi XD6 is a dual-band mesh system. It won't give you the tri-band build of the ZenWifi XT8, nor will you get that system's multi-gig Ethernet jack. Still, the system performed as well as any dual-band mesh router I had ever tested when I first reviewed it, so it isn't a bad pick by any stretch. Available for around $150, it's a reasonable price for a high-performance system.

Asus ZenWifi XT8: One of the most powerful ZenWifi systems, the tri-band XT8 performed well in our speed tests, and was among the first mesh routers to include multi-gig Ethernet WAN ports on each device. Available in a two-pack for $260, the former CNET Innovation Award winner is a reasonable alternative, but it isn't quite as good a value as the Netgear Orbi 870 or Eero 7.

Eero 6: Amazon's first Wi-Fi 6 mesh router, the Eero 6 hit the market back in 2020, but it didn't blow us away during our tests. Eero systems that followed it did a lot better in my speed tests and they offer the same smart home perks, such as built-in radios for Zigbee and Thread.

The Eero Pro 6E is a great pick for gigabit networks, but most homes would be better off upgrading to the Eero 7.

Ry Crist/CNET

Eero Pro 6E: The Eero Pro 6E did an excellent job in our speed tests, finishing toward the top in just about every category while also delivering a noticeable speed bump to Wi-Fi 6E devices that can connect over the 6GHz band. The Eero 7 is the better value for most households, but if you're a Wi-Fi 6E power user with gigabit speeds at home, then upgrading to the Eero Pro 6E merits strong consideration.

Eero Max 7: It's Amazon's newest, largest and priciest Eero mesh system, and it adds in support for Wi-Fi 7, the new Wi-Fi standard that promises to build upon Wi-Fi 6E's foray into the 6GHz band. In our speed tests, the Max 7 was capable of hitting blazing-fast speeds, but at more than $1,000 for a two-pack, you're better off spending less for the Orbi 870.

Linksys Velop MX2000: Available in a two-pack for $150, the Linksys Velop MX2000, also known as the Velop Atlas 6, is decent enough as baseline Wi-Fi 6 mesh routers go, but you'll find better value and faster speeds if you shop around.

Nest Wifi Pro: The Nest Wifi Pro mesh router reworks the original Nest Wifi pitch by ditching the built-in Google Assistant smart speakers and adding in access to the 6GHz band via Wi-Fi 6E support. With a built-in Thread radio and robust smart home controls via the Google Home app, it's a decent pick for smart home enthusiasts, and it was as stable a performer as I've seen in my speed tests. Still, those speeds were a bit lackluster, and the system also lacked backward compatibility with previous Nest Wifi and Google Wifi hardware. At $400 for a three-pack, it's a bit expensive for such middle-of-the-road performance.

Netgear Orbi AX6000: Originally released as the Netgear Orbi 850 series, and recently updated to the 860 Series, both generations of Netgear's flagship AX6000 mesh router offer strong performance, but I wasn't as impressed with the system's speeds on a gigabit network, where several systems that cost less have managed to outperform it in my tests. Even so, this is one of the most consistent mesh routers I've tested, with reliable speeds from test to test. If that type of steady performance is what you're after, then it belongs high on your list.

TP-Link Deco X4300 Pro: The Deco X4300 Pro is an impressive system that features some of the best Wi-Fi 6 speeds we've seen, plus multi-gig Ethernet jacks on each device. The Deco W7200 still seems like the better value for most homes, but if you're looking for a step up from that system, put the X4300 Pro on your radar.

TP-Link Deco X55 Pro: The X55 Pro earned CNET's lab award for the fastest Wi-Fi 6 router, and it's worth considering as a mesh system, too. It shares a lot of similarities with the Eero 6 Plus -- support for Wi-Fi 6, far-reaching range, gigabit Ethernet jacks -- and at $175, the X55 Pro is a solid value for a three-piece mesh system.

TP-Link XE75: TP-Link's first Wi-Fi 6E mesh router, the XE75 did a decent job in our initial tests, though the system's average upload speeds were lower than I'd expected. It's a clear value pick and currently available in a two-pack for $173, so give it a look if you're curious about Wi-Fi 6E but fearful about overspending. I'll update this page once we've retested it in our lab, so stay tuned for that.

TP-Link Deco X90: With a multi-gig WAN port and a faster speed rating, the Deco X90 is a midrange upgrade pick over the Deco W7200, and it costs $259 for a two-pack. It performed well in my tests, but not enough that I'd recommend it over the Eero 7

Wi-Fi 7 is the clear focus for router manufacturers in 2025 and 2026. While two-piece mesh systems equipped with the latest Wi-Fi standard consistently cost over $500 last year, we’re starting to see them come down in price.

But I have noticed some blurred lines when it comes to promoting Wi-Fi 7 routers. The most important feature of Wi-Fi 7 is that it provides access to the ultrawide 6GHz band. However, many routers are being marketed as Wi-Fi 7 even though they’re “dual-band.” That means they only have access to the 2.4 and 5GHz bands -- the same ones that Wi-Fi 6 uses. These routers still have Wi-Fi 7 improvements like Multi-Link Operation and 4K QAM, but without 6GHz, their performance will be more like Wi-Fi 6 routers than tri-band Wi-Fi 7 models. 

Still, not everyone needs Wi-Fi 7 just yet. Only the newest devices are even capable of taking advantage of Wi-Fi 7 routers, and very few people have the kind of bandwidth-hungry homes that require the elevated speeds that come with the most expensive mesh systems. 

One sweet spot I’ve noticed lately: As Wi-Fi 7 routers have become more widely available, Wi-Fi 6E routers have come down significantly in price. These still give you access to the 6GHz band -- the key feature of Wi-Fi 7 -- but they don’t have all the bells and whistles. Still, if you want access to 6GHz at a discount, you can score some incredible deals on 6E mesh systems right now. 

Performance and value are probably the first things you'll look for as you shop for a mesh router, but there are other factors worth taking into consideration as well. Take features, for instance. Mesh routers typically don't come with many unique bells and whistles, but there are some standouts. The Amplifi Alien mesh router from Ubiquiti is a good example. Apart from a unique-looking build, it has touchscreen controls on the front of each device, along with a feature called Teleport that lets you establish a VPN-style connection to your home network when you're traveling. That's a useful trick that lets you make use of your home network's security capabilities when you're connecting to a public Wi-Fi network.

Speaking of security, if you're buying a new router, then it's worth looking for one that supports the latest encryption standards. Most of the new models released in the last year or two support WPA3 for a stronger defense against things like brute-force hacking attempts; I'd want a model like that if it were me making the upgrade.

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Most mesh routers are a cinch to set up, with companion apps that walk you through the process in a matter of minutes. Just plug everything in and follow the instructions.

Screenshots by Ry Crist/CNET

As for setup, don't worry too much about it, if at all. Just about every new router, mesh or otherwise, will come with a convenient companion app that'll walk you through the setup process in a matter of minutes. From there, you'll have simplified network controls just a few taps away, allowing you to turn a guest network on and off, manage parental controls or change your network password. Just keep in mind that router apps like these will often glean lots of data from your networking habits for marketing and ad-targeting purposes. If you're privacy-minded, it might be worth checking the app's privacy policy to see if you can opt out of data collection altogether.

Something else to think about as you shop is data security and privacy. WPA3 is the newest encryption standard for web traffic, and most of the newest mesh routers on the market offer it. If you're buying a new router of any kind at this point, that's a standard worth prioritizing.

While both aim to spread your Wi-Fi connection around your home more completely than a basic router, a mesh Wi-Fi system is more effective at doing it. Mesh systems are complete replacements for your Wi-Fi router, while an extender simply re-broadcasts your existing Wi-Fi signal in another part of the home. Your devices won't automatically switch between the two Wi-Fi broadcasts, so you'll have to manually switch every time you want to use the Wi-Fi upstairs. With a mesh system, your devices will automatically connect to the closest node.

Just like with a regular router, your mesh Wi-Fi speeds will dip as you move farther away from whichever device in the setup is wired to your modem. That said, the satellite extenders will help boost speeds at range by providing a more reliable connection back to the modem-connected router. The end effect is that your speeds should be more consistent throughout your home, with fewer (if any) dead zones where coverage drops out altogether.

Yes, you can typically set up a VPN directly on your router, which ensures every device connected to your home Wi-Fi is secured. The lone exception on our best routers list is Eero, which does not offer network-wide VPN support.