Home > Reviews > Best Routers for Fiber Internet

Best Routers for Fiber Internet

Last Updated on February 27, 2023

The best routers for fiber internet are devices that are designed to provide the highest degree of speed, bandwidth, coverage and security to fiber optic internet systems. When looking for the best routers for fiber internet, you can expect to find the most advanced Wifi 6 capabilities in less affordable price ranges.

Products at a Glance

How we picked the best routers for fiber internet.

When writing this shortlist, we paid attention to three important key factors. A router’s coverage, speed and network security features were highly important when we were considering the best routers for fiber internet. After taking these factors into consideration, here is our pick of the best routers for fiber internet.

Our Recommended

Best Routers for Fiber Internet

1
PROS
  • Wifi 6E capabilities
  • Sleek design
  • Netgear Armor
CONS
  • Expensive

The Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 takes first place in our pick of best routers for fiber internet. With its stealthy design and breakneck wireless speed, the Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 is very expensive yet very high performing. This model supports 6E (as well as 6) Wifi, which enables incredibly fast connections. This router is also ahead of the curve as it supports 2.5 Gigabit/sec ethernet speeds – a feature that will be increasingly popular in the most modern routers for fiber internet.

Whilst the Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 may be a very serious bit of kit, its interface is user-friendly nonetheless, and setup is fairly straightforward. The RAXE500 can be set up through your mobile device using the Nighthawk app, whilst further network settings can be tweaked on the web interface. The RAXE500 does not offer any form of parental control, however it does feature a robust security system – Netgear Armor, which automatically blocks suspicious connections, scans devices for vulnerabilities and provides very solid malware protection. The Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 is incredibly high performing and tops our list of the best routers for fiber internet.

2
PROS
  • Impressive mesh system
  • Expansive parental control
CONS
  • Expensive

The ASUS ZenWiFi AX (XT8) is a top-tier router that can guarantee great coverage through its impressive mesh system, and incredibly friendly interface with great ease of use, and some very solid security features. ASUS provides the option of levelling up to the two-piece mesh system which can cover a very impressive 4400 square feet of space. This router supports tri-band Wifi 6 capabilities at both 2.4GHz and 5.0 GHz. The router also features a 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet port for devices with wired connections.

In terms of interface and set up, the ASUS ZenWiFi AX uses Bluetooth on your mobile device to help set up the mesh network. The ASUS app features a straightforward interface with good features such as strong parental controls. Parents can create profiles for individual family members, which are linked to the devices they use – restricting unsuitable content. A particularly useful feature is the option for QoS (quality of service) which allows users to prioritize bandwidth for specific uses such as streaming/gaming/browsing. ASUS provides a free malware protection service too – which is particularly useful as most routers in this range charge for additional security services. The ASUS ZenWiFi AX is a very strong contender for our pick of best routers for fiber internet lately due to its impressive mesh system, therefore coming in strong at second place.

3
PROS
  • Powerful processor
  • ODFMA system
CONS
  • Clunky design

The Archer AX6000 is a powerful TP-Link router with Wifi 6 capabilities, a solid user interface, and fast throughput speeds. TP-Link’s ODFMA system provides high capacity throughput in environments in which multiple devices are in use, by assigning channels that boost efficiency.  Wifi coverage is also particularly impressive due to 8 external antennas that deliver a particularly strong signal. This is partly due to TP-Link’s BSS Color technology that eliminates signal interference – ensuring Wifi reaches far and wide without obstruction.

The Archer AX6000 has particularly impressive processing capabilities. Featuring a very powerful 1.8 GHz 64 bit quad-core processor that has two distinct co-processors, as well as 8GB of RAM. This high level of processing power ensures the router can support multiple applications at the same time.

In regard to network security – the Archer AX6000 provides us with the TP-Link HomeCare TM service that provides the whole network with advanced anti-malware protection. This includes parental controls, QoS an antivirus protection. The Archer AX6000 is clearly a very capable, high-performance router, therefore making it onto our list of the best routers for fiber internet.

4
PROS
  • Cheapest
  • Wifi 6 capabilites
CONS
  • Lesser performance than other routers on this list

The TP-Link Archer AX75 boasts serious performance for its price. For under $200, you’ll find 1.7GHz quad-core CPU, 512MB of memory, and 802.11ax circuitry, which supports the latest Wifi 6 technologies (OFDMA) and straight-to-client beam forming. With six external antennas at the back of the router, the TP-Link Archer AX75 features strong coverage with 160 MHz per band ensuring coverage in large spaces.

The TP-Link Archer AX75 scores highly in terms of usability and can be controlled seamlessly with the TP-Link Tether app as well as the web console, for more detailed adjustments. The interface allows users to control network security settings, notably HomeShield QoS and parental security settings all through a very user-friendly interface. Straight forward set up and a clear interface make this router score very highly in terms of its functionality. The Archer AX 75 is arguably one the best routers for fiber internet out there if you’re on a slightly stricter budget, but still want to reap the benefits of a powerful Wifi 6 router.

Things to consider when buying a router for Fibre optic internet.

Bandwidth

Bandwidth is the maximum volume of data transmitted over an internet connection in a given amount of time. This is calculated in Mbps – megabits per second.

Compatibility

Compatibility with fiber optic technology is essential when looking to buy a router for fiber internet. Most fiber ISPs use GPON (Gigabit Passive Optical Network) or EPON (Ethernet Passive Optical Network) technology.

Speed

Network speed is important as it dictates the rate at which data is transferred from a source to its destination. In other words the faster the speed of fiber internet is, the faster you can download/upload data.

Coverage

Good internet coverage will mean that your devices will receive good reception throughout your home/office. The further a device is from the source of Wifi, the lesser the signal. However, good coverage can ensure that the signal remains strong even if you’re far from the source.

Security

Good fiber optic internet systems often come with robust security systems. This can protect from malware, as well as provide customers with security options such as parental control and internet time limits.

What is fiber optic internet?

Fibre broadband is high-speed broadband that uses fiber optic cables in order to transfer data at incredibly high speeds. Fibre optic cables provide internet speeds that are 20 times faster than regular copper cables.

How much are routers for Fibre optic internet?

Prices can vary significantly from entry-level models to more advanced options. In this article, we cover the higher range of fiber optic routers, designed for some of the highest performance on the current market.

Our Verdict

The Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 takes first place out of our 4 best routers for fiber internet. With Wifi 6e capabilities, a sleek design, and a powerful security system, the RAXE500 is simply a formidable router.