Our iPerf3 throughput tests are conducted at six-foot and 25-foot distances, with and without network traffic. In the congested traffic tests, we add six wireless clients streaming 4K YouTube videos across multiple wireless bands.
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware) (Image credit: Tom's Hardware) (Image credit: Tom's Hardware) (Image credit: Tom's Hardware) Among all routers, the Archer BE3600 had the best iPerf3 performance at close range (6 feet) without traffic. The router topped 1,100 Mbps, while the RG-E6 ranked second at 852 Mbps. The Cudy WR3600E came in third at 782 Mbps, while the RX-AX1800S wasn’t far behind at 777 Mbps.
When we moved the testing to 25 feet, the Archer BE3600 took a big tumble from its first-place perch, dropping to just 382 Mbps and falling to third place. The RG-E6 took top honors (582 Mbps), while the WR3600E came in a close second (564 Mbps).
The Archer BE3600 again flexed its muscle in the 2.4 GHz iPerf3 test without traffic at close range, nailing a heady 214 Mbps. The next closest competitor was the Nighthawk R6700AX at 135 Mbps. At 25 feet, the Archer BE3600 slipped into second place at 51 Mbps, while the Reyee RG-E6 just edged it out with 52 Mbps.
Not surprisingly, the rankings among the assembled Wi-Fi 7 and Wi-Fi 6 routers didn’t look much different with congested traffic in iPerf3. The Archer BE3600 again shot out to a commanding lead at close range (1,030 Mbps), but fell well back at long range (374 Mbps). The RG-E6 claimed second place at short range (848 Mbps) and first place at long range (566 Mbps).
On the 2.4 GHz band, the Archer BE3600 again took first place (205 Mbps) and second place at long range (45 Mbps).
There’s no clear-cut winner in every single performance situation here, but there’s no question that the TP-Link Archer BE3600 is the fastest at close range on the 5 GHz band and mid-pack at long range. On the 2.4 GHz band, the Archer BE3600 is far and away the fastest at close range, and among the top performers at long range.
With a street price of less than $80, it’s hard to argue against the Archer BE3600, as you not only get a 2.5 GbE WAN, but TP-Link also gives you a 2.5 GbE LAN port, which you won’t find on the other routers.
If you’re looking for balanced performance at an even more affordable price, both the Cury WR3600E and Asus RX-AX1800S offer similar performance profiles despite the former being Wi-Fi 7 and the latter being Wi-Fi 6. But for my money, I’d lean toward the RX-AX1800S for its stellar ASUSWRT software suite, which is among the best in the business.
Brandon Hill is a senior editor at Tom's Hardware. He has written about PC and Mac tech since the late 1990s with bylines at AnandTech, DailyTech, and Hot Hardware. When he is not consuming copious amounts of tech news, he can be found enjoying the NC mountains or the beach with his wife and two sons. ","collapsible":{"enabled":true,"maxHeight":250,"readMoreText":"Read more","readLessText":"Read less"}}), "https://slice.vanilla.futurecdn.net/13-4-11/js/authorBio.js"); } else { console.error('%c FTE ','background: #9306F9; color: #ffffff','no lazy slice hydration function available'); } Brandon Hill Social Links Navigation Brandon Hill is a senior editor at Tom's Hardware. He has written about PC and Mac tech since the late 1990s with bylines at AnandTech, DailyTech, and Hot Hardware. When he is not consuming copious amounts of tech news, he can be found enjoying the NC mountains or the beach with his wife and two sons.
Marlin1975 Only 2 things I need to know is long range and ability to stay connected. The whole "up to…" means nothing if I can't connect and stay connected. If a router company really wanted to sell more they put more into getting better range. Even the lower end of "up to…" speeds are plenty for most. Reply
Altagon Admin said: These are the best Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7 routers on the market for less than $100. Best Budget Wi-Fi Routers roundup: Wi-Fi 6 versus Wi-Fi 7 benchmarked across seven low-cost routers : Read more Fix your misprint in the comparison table: Max Channel Bandwidth is 160/320 Mhz!!! but not a HZ! Reply
Notton Marlin1975 said: Only 2 things I need to know is long range and ability to stay connected. The whole "up to…" means nothing if I can't connect and stay connected. If a router company really wanted to sell more they put more into getting better range. Even the lower end of "up to…" speeds are plenty for most. The range on wifi has a whole lot of "well it depends" Is it going through American cardboard walls, or 50cm thicc German brick walls? Is there thicc fireproofing material in the walls? It it going through a floor? Is there metal ducting in the wall or floor? What is the layout of the house? Is there any large furniture getting in the way? Is there any outside interference? Does your microwave leak? Are neighbors using the same channel? etc. As a general rule of thumb, you should get one AP per floor Reply
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- https://www.tomshardware.com/networking/routers/best-budget-wi-fi-routers-roundup-wi-fi-6-versus-wi-fi-7-benchmarked-across-seven-low-cost-routers#main
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