It’s important that you have a fast internet connection for a smooth streaming experience, but you need a powerful router that can handle the speeds. There is nothing worse than choosing a high-speed internet plan only to pair it with a budget router that does not even feature a multi-gig port. So, we’ve cherry-picked this lineup of the best routers for streaming.
These days, you can find routers that feature WiFi 6 and WiFi 6E and support speeds of around 10 Gbps or more. These routers are great for 4K and 8K streaming, and some of them even come with the latest 6GHz band. On top of that, for those who don’t want to spend a fortune, there are even some budget options that may not come with fancy features but still deliver decent performance in gaming.
To help you kick off the search in the best possible way, we’ve compiled a list of what we think are the best ones available in the market today. So, without wasting another second, let’s dive in!
Products at a glance
- BEST ROUTER FOR STREAMING
Netgear Nighthawk RS700S WiFi 7 (BE19000)
- Standard: WiFi 7
- Frequency Bands: 2.4GHz, 5GHz, 6GHz
- Max Speed: 19Gbps
- LAN Ports: 1x 10Gbps, 4x 1Gbps
- BEST BUDGET ROUTER FOR STREAMING
GL.iNet GL-AXT1800 (Slate AX)
- Standard: WiFI 6
- Frequency Bnads: 2.4GHz, 5GHz
- Max Speed: 1800Mbps
- LAN Ports: 2x Gigabit
- BEST PORTABLE ROUTER FOR STREAMING
Netgear Nighthawk M6 Pro (MR6450)
- Standard: WiFi 6E
- Frequency Bands: 2.4GHz, 5/6GHz
- Max Speed: 2.9Gbps
- LAN Ports: 1x 2.5Gbps
How we picked
We’ve used our expertise to find and select the best routers for you, weighing in not just on our in-depth knowledge of what makes a router good, but more specifically what makes a router good for streaming. So, we’ve made sure to choose routers that are dual-band, as a 5 GHz frequency band tends to offer the higher speeds. Coverage was another important factor, as you don’t want your streaming to be limited to just one room – you want to be able to watch from anywhere in your house!
What’s more, streaming 4K or 8K UHD resolution videos requires a consistent high-speed connection, and in those households with multiple users, doing this is going to put an even greater load on your network. Hence, we’ve chosen a lineup of routers with the latest WiFi standards, and we’ve made sure to pick ones across different brands and budgets so every buyer has an option available to them. Instead of only relying on reviews shared by users, we conduct in-house testing to find out if the product is actually good or not. You can learn more about this through our How We Test Routers guide.
Our top picks
- Standard: WiFi 7
- Frequency Bands: 2.4GHz, 5GHz, 6GHz
- Max Speed: 19Gbps
- LAN Ports: 1x 10Gbps, 4x 1Gbps
- WAN: 10Gbps
- CPU: Quad-core 2.6GHz
- Memory: 512MB NAND Flash and 2GB RAM
- USB: 1x USB 3.0 Type-A
- Dimensions: 281.7 x 124.0 x 142mm (11.1 x 4.9 x 5.6in)
- Weight: 1.635kg (3.61lb)
- Tri-band, and can reach the new 6GHz band
- Supports speeds of up to 19 Gbps
- Specifically designed for 8K/4K streaming
- Premium performance comes set with premium pricing
- Even at its high price, you have to pay extra for advanced security features
- Not many devices out there that fully utilize WiFi 7
If you’re looking for the best router that can be paired with high-speed internet connections to enjoy buffer-free, high-resolution streaming, then you’d want to get the Netgear Nighthawk RS700S. In our review, we found that this router offers excellent performance across the board and is future-proof.
To begin with, the RS700S can support speeds of up to 19 Gbps and is tri-band. Along with a 2.4GHz and 5GHz band, it comes with the new 6GHz band, which reduces load from the other two bands to improve the WiFi speed. This should help provide a great streaming experience, and you won’t have to worry about the video buffering after every few minutes.
On top of that, it also comes with WiFi 7, which is the latest standard. It offers significantly better performance than the previous standards and can handle more devices efficiently. However, it’s not for everyone as there aren’t many devices available that can fully utilize WiFi 7.
For wired connectivity, the RS700S comes with four 1G ports and one 10G multi-gig port, which should provide a seamless wired experience. Other than that, it provides coverage of up to 3,500 sqft and can connect with 200 devices simultaneously. There’s a quad-core 2.6Ghz processor powering the router, so it should perform smoothly even under load.
Even on its ports, it makes sure that you get the max out of it, with both a 10 Gig WAN and LAN port, you can make sure your router isn’t limiting the available speed at your house.
PC Guide
As far as the performance is concerned, you won’t be disappointed with it. During our LAN tests, the RS700S managed to achieve a download speed of 262 Mbps, while the upload speed topped at 254 Mbps.
During the wireless network tests, on the 2.4 GHz band, the router delivered 103, 78.4, and 5.6 Mbps speeds at 10, 30, and 60 ft, respectively. When we switched to the 5 GHz band, the speeds jumped to 273, 269, 117, and 25.5 Mbps.
We also managed to set up the router within a few minutes using the Nighthawk app. You can also subscribe to additional services, like Netgear Armor and Netgear Smart Parental Controls, to protect your devices from online threats and promote healthy internet habits in your home. Overall, the Netgear Nighthawk RS700S is one of the best routers for streaming that can provide a smooth experience.
What users say
On Amazon, the RS700S has a positive rating. One of the reviewers mentioned, “One of the standout features of this router is its impressive range. Unlike my previous setup, which required multiple WiFi extenders, the NIGHTHAWK WiFi 7 covers my entire home effortlessly. The range on all three channels is significantly better, providing strong and consistent connectivity throughout every room.”
- Standard: WiFI 6
- Frequency Bnads: 2.4GHz, 5GHz
- Max Speed: 1800Mbps
- LAN Ports: 2x Gigabit
- WAN: 1x Gigabit
- CPU: IPQ6000 1.2GHz Quad-core Processor
- Memory: DDR3L 512MB / NAND Flash 128MB
- USB: 1x USB 3.0
- Dimensions: 125 x 82 x 36mm
- Weight: 245g
- Great for 4K streaming
- Very small and light, easy to move around
- Provide greats value for money
- Not the fastest router out there
- Starts running hot after a while
If you’re tight on a budget and want something that can deliver decent performance in streaming, we’d recommend the GL.iNet GL-AXT1800. For the price it comes at, it delivers great results. And in our GL-AXT1800 review, we were satisfied with its performance and were surprised by how such a small router comes packed with so many features.
Unlike our top picks, this one isn’t meant for super fast internet plans, as it can support speeds up to 1,800 Mbps. But it still offers dual-band connectivity, with the 5GHz band providing faster speeds in a small area and the 2.4GHz band providing a better range. On top of that, the router also comes with WiFi 6 and features the OFDMA technology, which improves the speed and overall performance of the network.
If you prefer wired connections, you’ll benefit greatly from the three 1G ports that can be found on the back of the router. The router lacks a multi-gig port, but there is a USB 3.0 port for easy file sharing. On top of that, the GL-AXT1800 can connect with up to 120 devices simultaneously, and the 1.2 GHz quad-core processor makes sure it keeps operating smoothly.
The GL-AXT1800 is a rather simple design, with no towering features, taking up loads of screen space, or RGB lighting it up.
PC Guide
We tested the router for both physical network speed and wireless network speed. For the first one, the router delivered download speeds between 206 and 17 Mbps at 2.4 GHz. And when we switched it to 5 GHz, we got speeds between 960 and 288 Mbps.
The wireless network tests weren’t also disappointing, as the download speed at 2.4 GHz topped at 119 and dropped to 8.9 Mbps as the distance increased. The speed at 5 GHz, on the other hand, jumped to 271 but went down to 197 Mbps.
Overall, if you’re looking for the best budget router for streaming that supports decent speeds, has several Ethernet ports, is easy to carry around, and won’t put a dent in your bank account, we’d definitely recommend the GL-AXT1800.
What users say
Users on Amazon are happy with their purchase, with most of them praising the portability and performance of the router. One of them mentioned in their review, “This is not only good for traveling, it’s also amazing for providing a small local network. We have been using it for over a month now. It’s so powerful, and the performance is solid. Overall, we are very happy with the device and highly recommend it.”
- Standard: WiFi 6E
- Frequency Bands: 2.4GHz, 5/6GHz
- Max Speed: 2.9Gbps
- LAN Ports: 1x 2.5Gbps
- WAN: Same as LAN
- CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon X65 5G
- USB: 1x Type-C
- Dimensions: 21.5 x 105 x 105mm (0.85 x 4.14 x 4.14in)
- Weight: 256g (0.56lbs) w/ battery
- Battery: Removable 5,040mAh Li-ion
- Screen: 7.1cm (2.8″) touch
- Comes with the WiFi 6E standard
- Can connect to a 5G mobile network
- Features a 2.5G port for wired connections
- Quick and easy to set up
- Comes with a premium price tag
- Battery life is only good if lowest power settings are enabled
- Overkill if you won’t be using it frequently
If you’re looking for a portable router for streaming that comes packed with features, you’d want to check out the Netgear Nighthawk M6 Pro. We reviewed this router and can safely say that it is an incredible piece of hardware.
The Nighthawk M6 Pro is a quad-band router and supports mobile data plans up to 4 Gbps. Thanks to this, you can expect to get a smooth experience without any buffering. On top of that, it boasts WiFi 6, which is an extension of WiFi 6 and is significantly faster.
As far as range is concerned, the M6 Pro offers coverage of up to 1,000 sq ft. While this may seem low, it is completely normal for a portable router. The router can also connect with up to 32 devices simultaneously. If you’re pairing it with a high-speed plan, you can enjoy downloading, uploading, and streaming – all at the same time.
For wired connectivity, it comes with a single 2.5G port, which you can use to connect your devices directly to the router using an Ethernet cable. There’s also a 5 Gbps USB Type-C port for more connectivity. Netgear claims that the battery inside this router can last around 13 hours, but that only happens if you put it on the lowest power settings.
Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon X65 5G processor, it is a strong mobile unit that the touchscreen works well with and so does the network speed.
PC Guide
During our tests, when connected to a PC, the router delivered 67 Mbps download and 9.7 Mbps upload speeds via the mobile network. When we used an Ethernet cable, the download speed jumped to 265.6 Mbps, while the upload speed also topped at 283.9 Mbps.
Overall, the Netgear Nighthawk M6 Pro is definitely the best portable router for streaming. It offers great speeds, can connect with multiple devices, and is easy to carry around. The only downside is its high price tag, but this is what you’d already expect from a premium portable router.
What users say
On Amazon, the M6 Pro has thousands of reviews, and most of the reviewers are satisfied with their purchase. One of them mentioned, “This thing stays connected everywhere I go in my car. It’s paired with my Android AI box so I can stream any app at all times while on the road. If you need WiFi and your carrier supports fast speed where you need it, buy this product.”
How to pick the best router for streaming
With so many options to choose from, finding the best router for streaming can be tricky. To help you out, we’ve listed some features to consider before choosing a router.
WiFi standard
This is one of the most important factors to consider. Make sure to go with a WiFi 6 and WiFi 6E router. These routers come with the latest WiFi standards and are around 40% faster than the previous ones. Some of the best WiFi 6 routers and the best WiFi 6E routers are capable of handling high speeds, come with several Gigabit borts, and provide great coverage.
Speed and performance
If you are using a high-speed internet plan, you’d want to go with a router that can support it. For instance, you can find routers that can handle speeds of up to 10.8 Gbps, like the Nighthawk RAXE500. But if you are going for a mid-range option, make sure to aim for a router that can handle speeds of around 5,000 Mbps.
Connectivity
If you are planning to connect your PC, laptop, or streaming device directly to the router using an ethernet cable, make sure the router you’re getting has enough ports to host all of them. On top of that, having a multi-gig port would benefit you greatly if you have a high-speed plan, but a regular Gigabit port will also do the job just fine.
Additional features
Some routers also come with additional features like security scans, weekly/monthly reports, and parental controls. These can help you protect your devices from online threats and also restrict the access of certain websites. In addition, look for routers with QoS, as this can help you prioritize the bandwidth to a certain connection, something that can improve the streaming experience.
