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If you’re looking for the best routers for your small business, then you’ve found yourself in the right place. Now, a Wifi router for small businesses would ideally be Wifi 6, provide you with coverage throughout the office, and deliver uninterrupted speedy internet for your customers and clients. Plus, for easier management, you should look for a router that offers a companion app so you can change passwords, prioritize networks, set up guest networks, and do more.
At the moment, if you browse through the available options, you will find that most routers are Wifi 6, so you don’t have to hunt a lot for some of the speediest tech. Plus, you get an average speed of 4Gbps to 5Gbps, which should be sufficient for small teams. Further, depending on the area of your office, you can get coverage for areas as large as 6,600 square feet or more. And if you opt for a mesh system, you can always expand the area by adding a router. Sound good to you?
With that being said, there are a lot of routers that are suitable for a business that’s just starting or small teams in general. To help you narrow down your search, we have rounded up what we think are the best routers for a small business.
Products at a glance
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BEST ROUTER FOR SMALL BUSINESSNetgear Nighthawk Wifi 6 Router (RAX120)
- Standard: WiFi 6
- Frequency band: 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz
- Max speed: 6 Gbps
- LAN ports: 4 x 1 Gbps
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BEST BUDGET ROUTER FOR SMALL BUSINESSLinksys Hydra Pro 6 Mesh WiFi 6 Router (MR5500-AMZ)
- Standard: WiFi 6
- Frequency band: 2.4 GHz, 6 GHz
- Max speed: 5.4 Gbps
- LAN ports: 4 x 1 Gbps
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BEST MESH ROUTER FOR SMALL BUSINESSTP-Link Deco WiFi 6 Mesh System
- Standard: WiFi 6
- Frequency band: 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz
- Max speed: 3 Gbps
- LAN ports: 3 x 1 Gbps per unit
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Google Nest WiFi Pro (6E)
- Standard: WiFi 6E
- Frequency band: 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz
- Max speed: 5.4 Gbps
- LAN ports: 2 x 1 Gbps per unit
How we picked the best routers for small businesses
Picking the best routers for small businesses required us to draw on our expertise of knowing not only what makes an efficient router, but what makes routers good for business use in particular. Of course, we looked at products across various reliable brands, also weighing in on factors such as data transfer speeds, network management capabilities, and compatibility with different devices that are important to small companies and their office spaces.
On the security side of things, features including firewall protection, VPN support, and intrusion prevention, were paramount considerations for safeguarding sensitive business data. More importantly, we only wanted to choose products that had a good rep on Amazon, and we deep-dived into market sentiment and user reviews so you can rest assured in your investment. Furthermore, we are always looking to add new products to our lists and keep them as updated as possible – so keep checking for new updates.
Best routers for small business in 2024 – our top picks
- Standard: WiFi 6
- Frequency band: 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz
- Max speed: 6 Gbps
- LAN ports: 4 x 1 Gbps
- Up to 6 Gbps speed
- Coverage of up to 3,500 sq. ft.
- Comes with a companion app for monitoring your usage
- Have to pay for security features
- Some users complain of the unit overheating
- Only one year warranty
If you want a router for small business with up to 30 connections, then you should check out the Netgear Nighthawk Wifi 6 router, which we think deserves to be on the best routers for multiple devices list.
To start with, the Wifi 6 router promises to deliver a coverage of up to 3,500 sq. ft., which should cover your entire office. Plus, you get to connect up to 30 devices, so if you have a small team, you should be able to accommodate everyone.
As mentioned earlier, the router has Wifi 6, which is one of the latest Wifi generations that is used today. This is a dual-band model that promises to give you speed up to 6 Gbps, which should be fast enough for most small teams. The router also offers QoS, so you can configure and prioritize a few connections.
As far as wired connectivity is concerned, you get four 1G Ethernet ports along with one 2.5G and one 5G port, which should let you plug in PCs, consoles, and other wired devices.
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As far as wired connectivity is concerned, you get four 1G Ethernet ports along with one 2.5G and one 5G port, which should let you plug in PCs, consoles, and other wired devices.
Further, the router is easy to set up. The device should connect to your existing modem, and you can then adjust the settings through the Nighthawk app. Plus, the router claims that it is compatible with all internet providers, including fiber, so you should be able to get it running without any difficulties.
What users say
One thing that users on Amazon like about the Netgear Nighthawk Wifi 6 in particular is how easy it is to set up. This reviewer comments that “the setup is very easy and quick and the menu’s interface is full of options”, and another sums up its capabilities nicely by saying that “this router really nails the connection, user-interface, and letting you tweak features that actually matter”.
- Standard: WiFi 6
- Frequency band: 2.4 GHz, 6 GHz
- Max speed: 5.4 Gbps
- LAN ports: 4 x 1 Gbps
- Coverage up to 2,700 sq. ft
- Support for 160MHz channels
- You can mix with other Linksys Intelligent Mesh products
- Only 1 Gbps Ethernet ports
- Some users have said the app is too basic
If you’re just starting out your business or if you want a router within your budget, then we suggest looking at the Linksys Hydra Pro 6 Mesh router.
As mentioned, this is a Wifi 6 router that comes with two bands – 5GHz and 2.4GHz, which is much more reliable than a single-band router, so you can expect reliable performance. Much like some of the best budget routers, this one also promises to deliver 574 + 4804 Mbps speed, so you should be able to get a speedy and stable internet connection throughout your office.
As mentioned, this is a Wifi 6 router that comes with two bands – 5GHz and 2.4GHz, which is much more reliable than a single-band router, so you can expect reliable performance.
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Coming to coverage, the Linksys router claims to cover an area of up to 2,700 sq. ft., which should be sufficient for small to medium-sized offices. Further, you can connect up to 30 devices to this wifi, which should be enough if you have a small team. Plus, as this is a mesh system, it connects to other routers with Linksys Intelligent Mesh. This means you should be able to extend your wifi coverage easily if the need arises.
To set up your wifi network, you can download the Linksys app. The companion app lets you adjust settings, grant access to devices, set device prioritization, use parental controls, 2-step verification, and much more.
What users say
With a whole lot of users rating the Linksys Hydra Pro 6 Mesh router 5 stars on Amazon, it’s fair to say it’s good at what it does. In particular, buyers have praised how fast the router is, as well as how good the range is. One reviewer says that “the coverage of this router is unbelievable”, and another comments that “this router has great range, it covers our whole 1800 sq ft house and all devices work rapidly” – so, you can expect good signal and coverage across your small office space, with the potential for you to invest in an extender.
- Standard: WiFi 6
- Frequency band: 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz
- Max speed: 3 Gbps
- LAN ports: 3 x 1 Gbps per unit
- Expandable mesh system
- TP-Link HomeShield app
- Voice control with Alexa
- No USB connections
- Router features are mainly accessible through the mobile app only
If you are looking for a wifi mesh system, then we recommend checking out the TP-Link Deco AX3000 mesh system, which deserves a spot in our best routers for large homes.
To start with, this is a mesh system, which means it uses multiple Deco units to get better coverage throughout the office or home and eliminate dead zones and buffering. Plus, as these Deco units can also be used as standalone devices, they are more convenient than range extenders. When you need to expand the area covered, you can simply add another Deco unit.
As far as wired connectivity is concerned, each Deco unit has three Gigabit Ethernet ports and Ethernet Backhaul, which should give you faster transmission speeds.
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For this guide, we have selected the variant that comes with three Deco units, which promise to cover up to 6,600 sq. ft. of area, which should be more than sufficient for a small business. Further, you can connect up to 150 devices, which is ideal for businesses with a big team. As far as wired connectivity is concerned, each Deco unit has three Gigabit Ethernet ports and Ethernet Backhaul, which should give you faster transmission speeds.
As far as security is concerned, you can download the TP-Link HomeShield app, which gives you basic security features like scans, IoT device identification, and more. Plus, the app also lets you set up parental controls as well as QoS, which should give you more control over how the Wifi is used. To adjust the Deco settings, you will have to download the Deco app.
What users say
On the whole, users on Amazon praise the value, coverage, and ease of installation of the TP-Link Deco AX3000, yet there are some mixed opinions on how well the app itself functions. If your priority lies in comprehensive coverage paired with an easy setup process, this router merits serious consideration. However, it’s also advisable to conduct your own research to gain a more comprehensive perspective that addresses all aspects.
- Standard: WiFi 6E
- Frequency band: 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz
- Max speed: 5.4 Gbps
- LAN ports: 2 x 1 Gbps per unit
- Wifi 6E support
- Speed up to 5.4Gbps
- Easy to configure
- Devices may not be compatible with Wifi 6E
- Some users say it’s a bit overpriced
If you want a Wifi 6E router for your workspace, then you need to check out the Google Nest Wifi Pro 6E, which we think deserves a place in our best Wifi 6E routers guide.
For this guide, we have selected the Google Nest Wifi Pro 6E pack with three routers, which promise to cover an area of up to 6,600 sq. ft., which should be more than sufficient for a small or medium-sized office with no dead zones. Plus, you can expand the coverage by adding another router. However, it should be noted that the 6E routers are not compatible with the older routers.
As mentioned earlier, this is a Wifi 6E router, so it has three bands – 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and the new 6GHz band. Combined, these three bands promise to give you a speed of 5.4Gbps, which should deliver fast and reliable internet speeds. As far as wired connections are concerned, each router unit has two Ethernet ports, which give you a combined speed of 1Gbps.
As mentioned earlier, this is a Wifi 6E router, so it has three bands – 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and the new 6GHz band. Combined, these three bands promise to give you a speed of 5.4Gbps, which should deliver fast and reliable internet speeds.
PC Guide
Another noteworthy feature of Nest Wifi Pro is that the router adjusts performance as per your activities. For instance, it loads websites quickly and prioritizes video calls, which should be useful for business professionals. Further, the Nest Wifi Pro runs scans on itself, detects network issues, and can even fix minor issues by itself.
Coming to security, the Nest Wifi Pro automatically updates its software to keep the network running on the latest version and avoid router hacks. Plus, you can get the Google Home app, which lets you keep track of connected devices, disconnect unknown devices, create guest networks, and more.
How to pick the best routers for small business
Here are a few pointers on how to pick the best router for you –
Wifi technology
As mentioned earlier, you should look for a router that has the latest generation of Wifi, which is Wifi 6, which will give you better speeds and reliability. Plus, Wifi 6 offers two bands – 5GHz and 2.4GHz, which means your device will automatically connect to the preferred band and deliver a better experience.
With that being said, there are Wifi 6E routers available, which is a newer generation than Wifi 6. However, not many devices are compatible with Wifi 6E, so it may not be suitable for small businesses, where not everyone has the latest device.
Coverage
The area that a wifi covers is usually specified in the product’s description, so all you have to do is pick the one that has sufficient coverage for your workspace. For instance, the Netgear Nighthawk Wifi 6 router claims to cover up to 3,500 sq. ft., which should be suitable for a small to medium-sized office. Further, if you think you will have to extend your wifi range in the future, you can consider getting a mesh system.
Security
Another important factor to consider is security. Ideally, you should look for routers that come with WPA2 or WPA3 encryption so your connection is safe. Further, most router brands offer a companion app that lets you configure settings like password, guest access, priority network, and more, which should let you customize settings.
Are mesh networks necessary for small businesses?
It all depends on the physical size of your business. Mesh networks may be desirable for owners of larger businesses that need greater WiFi coverage. However, mesh networks are not worth the money for smaller businesses that only require coverage in a single office for example. For regular homeowners choosing the best modem router combo is all that is needed for great internet connectivity.
