Gone are the days when online gaming went into the ‘waste of time’ basket; it is now a professional career taking up most of the gamer’s life like all other traditional careers. The only difference, online gaming is cool, demanding and commands worldwide respect; ask Jonathan “Fatal1ty” Wendell.

Respected gamers invest in time; hours of experience in the game of choice, and furnished gaming throne.

You are looking at the best gaming chair, desk, headphones, console, and laptop or complete gaming PC.

But all this is useless without the best gaming router to take you to the outer world to wreak havoc in the enemy’s camp! Such a router must prioritize gaming traffic, connect you to the closest servers and fellow gamers and allow you to play from any room at home without compromising the other network users.

The list below classifies the best gaming routers according to price. For newcomers and those on a low budget, the first nine understand the situation.

The rest is for old-timers, diehards, and game culprits; respect comes from aggressive, dangerous, yet enticing machinery. And that is pricey!

While many routers treat gaming as a, by the way, D-Link AC3150 Dual Band Wi-Fi router understands sees it as life.

The simultaneous dual-band router ensures four data streams of blazing-fast Wi-Fi on each band up to 3.1Gbps. It is powered by a 1.4GHz processor.

Since different devices on your network run different applications, D-Link AC3150 uses Smart Connect to ensure each communicates through the most suitable band of the two.

It further tracks each device and delivers focused high bandwidth Wi-Fi signal all at the same time instead of having them queue up and wait for its attention. That boosts the game’s loading and response time.

It allows you to play your game from any part of your home by extending a strong Wi-Fi signal to every desired corner courtesy of its four high power external antennas backed by amplifiers.

Have up to ten devices join the internet party without compromising performance. The router can operate as is or as a Wi-Fi range extender.

It comes with four gigabit LAN, one WAN and a USB 3.0 port for your wired devices. 

Linksys AC3200 Dual-Band Wi-Fi Gaming Router (WRT32X)

Powered by 1.8GHz dual-core processor, Linksys AC3200 Dual-Band Wi-Fi Gaming router guarantees strong Wi-Fi signal of up to 3.2Gbps on and extensive coverage directed by four detachable external antennas.

The router dominates its competition through its ability to fast track gaming traffic courtesy of Killer Prioritization Engine!

The simultaneous dual-band router supports three data streams of 160MHz each, of fast Wi-Fi signal serving all devices at the same time courtesy of MU-MIMO technology.

To protect your throne against jealous opponents, it provides advanced wireless security through WPA2 encryption and places your entire network behind an SPI firewall.

Wired devices have the liberty of connecting over four gigabit LAN ports or two USB ports; 3.0 or ESATA. 

D-Link AC1750 MU-MIMO Wi-Fi Gigabit Router (DIR-867)

To keep lags and buffering out of your game, DIR-867 delivers a combined Wi-Fi speed of up to 1.75Gbps through three data streams on each band; 2.4GHz and 5GHz.

It is powered by 880MHz dual-core processor, 128MB RAM, and 16MB Flash.

D-Link AC1750 MU-MIMO Wi-Fi Gigabit router uses four powerful antennas to drive traffic to designated devices in the farthest corners of your home.

With MU-MIMO and Advanced AC Smart beam, whether users on your network are up on Netflix or demolishing towers on Fortnite Battle Royale’s unnamed island, each device is tracked and fed with its desired traffic without waiting.

Even those downloading huge chunks of office files won’t sense slowdowns. Every device gets the fastest connection possible to meet its traffic demands courtesy of the Smart Connect Intelligence.

With parental controls, DIR-867 enables you to whitelist or blacklist specific web content so your network carries traffic that meets your kind of standards and safeguards the users.

Consider setting a separate and secure network for guests, away from your gaming life.

This router does not have USB ports, but it comes with four gigabit LAN and a WAN port. 

Zyxel Armor Z2 AC2600 MU-MIMO Wireless Router [NBG6817]

Most car racing games today come with the desire to show gamers what that world looks like in reality.

That hogs a lot of memory, processor power and tends to heat the router. Zyxel Armor Z2 AC2600 MU-MIMO Wireless router comes to the rescue!

Armed with a metallic look, this router is powered by 1.7GHz dual-core processor, 512MB RAM, and 4GB eMMC Flash storage to enable long hours of gaming at speeds up to 2.6Gbps.

It keeps you focused on dominating in Project Cars 2 through good air circulation to prevent heating.

The lower vents on the router sucking in the fresh air and the upper eye-like slots release the hot used-up air.

It is built for heavy uninterrupted 4K and 8K UHD streaming videos and hardcore gaming hence supports simultaneous dual-band Wi-Fi in quad streams.

Gaming, video streaming, and massive file transfer traffic are handled by the 5GHz band under 802.11ac/n/standards.

All other is less demanding applications use the 2.4GHz band running on 802.11b/g/n for smooth internet use.

The router has four beamforming-optimized high-performance external antennas to deliver focused traffic to each client device instead of broadcasting the signal and wasting most of it.

That guarantees a strong Wi-Fi signal covering up to 5,300 square feet of your home for the ultimate experience.

Use One Connect mobile app to manage your devices and create a guest network.

Zyxel Armor Z2 AC2600 MU-MIMO Wireless router comes with four gigabits LAN, WAN, USB 3,0 and USB 2.0 for your wired devices. 

D-Link Exo AC2600 MU-MIMO Gaming 4×4 Dual Band Wireless Router (DIR-882

The time between the gamer’s action and the corresponding reaction on the client device then to the game server determines the ultimate odds in a game; the reason why choosing a gaming router is a sensitive decision.

With D-Link Exo AC2600 Wireless router, such is reduced to the bare minimum courtesy of its ultra-powerful dual-core processor.

Regardless of the number of devices on the network, the dual-band router supports four data streams per band and MU-MIMO technology hence supplying multiple devices with desired traffic at the same time.

Expect a Wi-Fi speed of up to 2.6Gbps.
The router tracks client devices’ location to better stream traffic and deliver strong, focused signal through advanced Smart Beam with the help of four high power antennas and aiding amplifiers.

Quality of Service helps to provide seamless performance for each running application on the devices. All users can expect intense Wi-Fi signals, reduced buffering and lagging even when you are deep in the game and others streaming.

To serve wired devices, D-Link Exo AC2600 Wireless router has two USB ports; 3.0 at the front and 2.0 behind for media sharing, four gigabit LAN and a gigabit WAN port. 

NETGEAR Nighthawk AC2400 Pro Gaming Wi-Fi Router, XR450

A gamer’s ability to monitor network usage and game ping in real-time reveals devices and applications that hog the bandwidth. Power is the ability to shift the odds to the gamer’s favor.

Nighthawk AC2400 Pro Gaming Wi-Fi router places this power in your hands.

The simultaneous dual-band router is powered by 1.7GHz dual-core processor, 256MB RAM, and 128MB Flash to deliver ultra-fast Wi-Fi up to 2.4Gbps necessary for 4K streaming and heavy gaming.

With MU-MIMO technology, Beamforming, and advanced QoS, all heavy-traffic users get simultaneous Wi-Fi attention to remove wait-time, device-focused signal, and increased network speed. The router also hides your true identity online by connecting you to a secure gaming VPN.

Nighthawk AC2400 Pro Gaming Wi-Fi router comes with one USB 3.0 port, four LAN, one WAN for your wired devices and three detachable high power antennas to spread the strong Wi-Fi signal wherever it is needed.

Linksys AC3200 MU-MIMO Gigabit Wi-Fi Router (WRT3200ACM)

To survive and conquer in the online gaming world requires a router that delivers high-speed Wi-Fi over a secure network. That’s where Linksys AC3200 MU-MIMO Gigabit Wi-Fi router comes in.

This router is built upon an enterprise-grade 1.8GHz dual-core processor to enable it to maneuver your games’ intense traffic with utmost efficiency.

While that sounds complete, if the router wasn’t able to detect possible network intrusion, a jealous hacker on the other side of the world would bring down your network and dominate in the game.

That’s why using its open-source firmware, you can customize it to allow anonymous browsing and analyze network traffic for poisonous packets.

Linksys AC3200 MU-MIMO Gigabit Wi-Fi router employs a simultaneous dual-band to keep your gaming life from slowing down light traffic users.

It also comes with TRI-Stream 160 capabilities doubling your bandwidth from 80MHz to 160MHz for each one of the three streams on your 5GHz band.

That explains the ultra-fast Wi-Fi speed of up to 2.6Gbps dedicated to your gaming. The combined speed goes up to 3.2Gbps.

Add to that MU-MIMO technology built upon beamforming and all other heavy users in your network will never have to complain about your resource-hogging habit.

From these technologies, this router promises you no lagging and increased network speed for all users even when you are deep in the city of Los Santo spying on Trevor Philips.

It comes with four gigabit LAN ports to plug your console, PC and relatives, one USB 3.0 port for your storage device and ESATA Port for any other mass storage device.

The four high power external antennas spread the Wi-Fi signal all-around your home.

Manage your network from your mobile phone using Smart Wi-Fi App, filter the content allowed into the network using parental controls, give certain client devices high traffic priorities and create a separate network for those you don’t want in the main one.

TP-Link AC5400 Wireless Tri-Band Router (Archer C5400)

TP-Link understands that every gamer feeds on network traffic to win. That’s why they have built Archer C5400 Tri-band router on the tri-band system, each 5GHz band delivering four data streams.

Your game gets one 5GHz band with up to 2.1Gbps dedicated to it while the overall speed of the router goes up to 5.4Gbps. Any client streaming stays on the other 5GHz band to give you space to demolish your enemy’s camp.

MU-MIMO technology in this router allows it to serve more clients; both heavy traffic users and the light, without delay.

Your device and those of the streamers are served simultaneously instead of having to wait in the queue.

That takes off lagging and gives you a winning edge against other gamers. Client devises surfing, shopping or chatting are served by the 2.4GHz band running at 1Gbps speed.

Regardless of the kind of entertainment chosen, every user on your network gets a stable and reliable Wi-Fi signal.

TP-Link AC5400 Wireless Tri-Band router is powered by a 1.4GHz Dual-core processor assisted by three co-processors to maintain the promised blazing-fast speed and high-class performance.

It has eight powerful external antennas with Beamforming technology to expand Wi-Fi coverage in your home to farthest corners, basement, upper floors, and yard.

They also help to identify where the client devices are to direct the stream of data to them with great accuracy increasing network performance.

Like other top-notch TP-Link wireless routers, Archer C5400 comes with five gigabit Ethernet ports – four LAN and a WAN and two USB ports – 2.0 and 3.0 to support your wired devices.

Manage your new network with Tether App; setting parental controls and security settings. 

NETGEAR Nighthawk AC1750 Pro Gaming Wi-Fi Router (XR300)

While Nighthawk AC1750 Pro Gaming Wi-Fi Router seems rather small for its competition, it is built to prioritize online gaming traffic.

That knocks off lagging and jittering common to routers running on similar processors; 1GHz dual-core.

Does that mean non-gaming client devices are ignored?

Running on the simultaneous dual-band, the 5GHz band serves devices seeking heavy traffic while all others depend on the 2.4GHz band.

Your gaming device only shares the band with the Netflix binge-watchers and other data-hogging devices each receiving its own data stream.

The router comes with a gaming dashboard that allows you to allocate internet speeds according to the client device’s needs. Take advantage and favor yourself; resetting the setup is a mouse click away.

Through geo-filtering, the router helps you connect with servers and players who are closer to you so you can retain kingpin-ship! Beamforming technology gives your gaming device focused Wi-Fi signal for better reception and reliable connection wherever you sit.

That keeps your game on even when other devices communicate with the router.

Set up and manage your entire network from your mobile phone using the Nighthawk App.

Use it to set parental controls, test internet speed, pause the Internet, monitor the traffic, share Wi-Fi with guests and update the router’s firmware.

While Nighthawk AC1750 Pro Gaming Wi-Fi Router runs on 802.11ac standard, it is compatible with devices that run on older standards.

It comes with four LAN ports for your wide range of gaming systems and WAN port for your modem. 

NETGEAR Nighthawk AC2600 Pro Gaming Router (XR500)

With a strong 1.7GHz dual-core processor, chances of seeing your game lagging are null and void. That’s what NETGEAR Nighthawk AC2600 Pro Gaming Wi-Fi Router brings onboard your gaming life.

It promises Wi-Fi speeds of up to 2.6Gbps and is keen to place your traffic on express lane bearing in mind it operates on the simultaneous dual-band.

That lowers congestion to bare nothingness even when other users watch HD movies online.

It is built on 802.11ac standard with MU-MIMO to ensure simultaneous streaming and gaming on multiple data-hogging devices like yours.

None of them has to wait to receive its share of data. Couple that with its four high power external antennas that increase Wi-Fi coverage at home while reducing interference from other devices in the hood.

Your gaming life just got pimped!

Nighthawk AC2600 Pro Gaming Wi-Fi Router uses DumaOS, state-of-the-art gaming software to give you control over your network.

Use it to boost your network’s security, monitor your connections and set up geo-filters for better use of your gaming traffic.

All wired connections, for your gaming systems, have four lag-free 1-gigabit LAN ports to choose from.

ASUS ROG AC2900 Dual-Band  Gaming Router (GT-AC2900)

Imagine getting a strong, stable and steady Wi-Fi signal on your mobile gaming device as if using a wired connection. That’s the power of the ASUS ROG GT-AC2900 router.

It takes you through the shortest route between your router and game server to ensure low ping times and high security using built-in Gamers Private Network.

While your opponents struggle through the Internet’s maze of servers, your game doesn’t have to.

The router is powered by 1.8GHz 64-bit dual-core processor, 512MB RAM, and 16MB Flash to deliver triple-level game acceleration of up to 2.9Gbps Wi-Fi speed.

It secures your entire network against attacks and threats through Trend Micro’s AiProtection Pro so you can focus on dominating in every game.

Set the Aura Lighting in a way to help you monitor your network traffic; colors can change to show the level of network activity.

ASUS ROG GT-AC2900 router can operate in four different modes; wireless router, range extender, access point, and media bridge mode.

It integrates well with ASUS AiMesh-compatible routers to form the mesh Wi-Fi system and extend the signal to every corner of your home.

It has one internal 5GHz and three high power detachable external antennas to increase signal range for very large homes.

With 802.11ac standard, three data streams MIMO on 2.4GHz band and four data streams MIMO on 5GHz band at work, expect low latency gaming no matter where you sit.

Use the four gigabit LAN and USB ports for your wired devices. 

ASUS RT-AC5300 Tri-Band Gigabit Wi-Fi Router

Looking for a router that inspires your gaming from after-work habit to diehard?

ASUS RT-AC5300 Tri-Band Gigabit Wi-Fi Gaming router has both the looks and brain.

With three bands; 2.4GHz and two-5GHz, each delivering four streams of data and based on NitroQAM technology, expect unbeatable throughput of up to 5.4Gbps.

That explains the ultra-fast loading and response on every online game you choose regardless of what all other client devices do with the Wi-Fi signal.

It guarantees low, stable ping times during gaming courtesy of its ability to access WTFast Gamers Private Network of route-optimized serves.

MU-MIMO technology ensures simultaneous high bandwidth signal for each device while with Smart Connect they are switched to the fastest connection possible depending on load and signal strength.

To secure your network from possible threats, the router uses AiProtection by Trend Micro. Use it to control the kind of web content acceptable in your network.

The ASUS router app enables you to manage your network from anywhere.

The outstanding advantage of this router is the ability to operate under gamer solo mode by allocating full special bandwidth for gaming only.

Adaptive QoS enables you to high-rank gaming traffic for a thrilling experience. RT-AC5300 is armed with eight powerful external antennas to deliver wide Wi-Fi coverage and strong reception for client devices from the AiRadar beamforming technology. Four antennas transmit and four receive the Wi-Fi signal.

All non-wireless systems; network storage, set-top boxes, game consoles, and Smart TVs have four gigabit LAN ports to join the internet party.

It also has two USB 2.0 ports for media sharing. The router is powered by a 1.4GHZ dual-core processor, 512MB RAM, and 128MB Flash. 

NETGEAR Nighthawk AD7200 Pro Gaming Wi-Fi Router (XR700 )

Nighthawk AD7200 Pro Gaming Wi-Fi Router was built to give you the power to win.

The router runs on DumaOS, a cutting edge gaming software that delivers total control of your home network back into your hands.

It enables you to geo filter data packets, revoke unwanted client devices and monitor what each device is up to on the network.

That way, the router’s resources are reserved for their true purpose, gaming!

The XR700 router is powered by a 1.7GHz quad-core processor backed by advanced Quality of Service aimed at eliminating lags by creating an express lane for your gaming traffic.

Using simultaneous dual-band, your gaming traffic is handled by the quad-stream 5GHz band giving it up to 7.2Gbps speed overall.

The router runs on 802.11ac standard hence lag-free and exceptional reception.

Gaming systems in need of wired connections have six 1-Gigabit LAN ports and the Internet modem, WAN.

It also has one 10-Gigabit LAN SPF+ port for a gaming switch to accommodate all your gaming devices. Use the two USB 3.0 ports for your storage devices.

For such high power, expect to pay up to $500 for this router.

Technology grows at exponential rates. While your current router was once the coolest kid in the block, days have passed and router manufacturers no longer produce cool stuff.

Data hogging is the name of the game and cool won’t cut it; get a big, bad-dog aggressive router if you must enjoy it. Take home the best gaming router in the industry today.