5 Best Dual-Band Routers in 2023: Enjoy Faster Speeds For Your Home
With today’s technology, everyone wants a faster internet speed. Whether you want to stream 8k videos or play games, dual-band routers let you do all these flawlessly. But among the wireless routers today, which best suits you?
Dual-band routers are some of the earliest WiFi routers made. So, in the search for the best dual-band routers in 2023, we’ll be looking at performance, speed, coverage, and security features.
If you’re sick of dealing with slow speeds, it might be a good time for an upgrade. Whether you’re on a budget or not, we’ve got you covered.
Table of Contents
- What’s a dual-band router?
- Best Dual-Band Routers in 2023
- Best Overall: TP-Link AX5400 (Archer AX73)
- Best Value: Asus RT-AX1800 (RT-AX55)
- Best Gaming Router: Asus AX6000 (RT-AX88U)
- Best High-End: Netgear Nighthawk AX5400 (RAX50)
- Best Budget: TP-Link AX1800 (Archer AX20)
- Is a dual-band router worth it?
- The Bottomline
What’s a dual-band router?
A dual-band router has 2 frequency channels: 2.4 GHz and 5GHz. These 2 channels are used to transmit data to your mobile devices, so you can enjoy a faster and smoother wi-fi experience.
Most routers available in the market are dual-band routers. Before dual-band routers came in, there were only single-band routers. There was only one 2.4GHz band for all devices.
But, as time and technology went by, the 2.4GHz channel eventually became congested. So in 2009, the 5GHz band came in and dual-band routers are born.
Best Dual-Band Routers in 2023
If you want to enjoy the blazing speeds of Wi-Fi 6, then your router should be ‘future-proof’. But aside from that, the best wireless router should have the following:
- Excellent performance
- Fast speeds
- Wide wireless connection range
- Strong signal strength
- Robust security features
Now that we’ve laid out what we’re looking for, let’s go!
Best Overall: TP-Link AX5400 (Archer AX73)
| Wireless Standards | Wi-Fi 6 |
| Wireless Speed | 2.4 GHz: 574 Mbps 5 GHz: 4804 Mbps |
| Wireless Coverage | Big house with 4 bedrooms |
| Security Features | Protected by TP-Link HomeShield Up-to-date IoT protection system Malicious Content Checker and Filter Intrusion Prevention Program DDos Attack Prevention System Network Scanning System Parental control |
| Hardware Features | Processor: 1.5 GHz Triple-Core Ports: 1 WAN port 4 LAN ports Antennas: 6 high-powered antennas |
The TP-Link AX5400 is a Wi-Fi 6 dual-band router that supports advanced technological features. With 6 data streams, 4×4 MU-MIMO, OFDMA, and 4T4R structure, you can enjoy fast and uninterrupted speeds.
The MU-MIMO and OFDMA technology allow the router to manage up to 200 wireless devices. This is perfect for video streaming, playing online games, and working remotely.
Another great thing about this is, with ‘warp speed’, the 5GHz band can support up to 5.4Gbps of speeds. Additionally, you can enjoy that speed all for yourself With TP-Link’s band steering and device prioritization.
The Archer AX73 is also OneMesh-ready. If you’re looking forward to building a wi-fi ecosystem with mesh routers, this is one great option!
If you want more information, read our full TP-Link AX5400 (AX73) review.
Best Value: Asus RT-AX1800 (RT-AX55)
| Wireless Standards | Wi-Fi 4 Wi-Fi 5 Wi-Fi 6 |
| Wireless Speed | 2.4 GHz: 574 Mbps 5 GHz: 1201 Mbps |
| Wireless Coverage | Big house with 4 bedrooms |
| Security Features | Protected by AiProtection Pro Network protection URL Filter Parental controls Firewall Guest network Kid-safe preset |
| Hardware Features | Processor: 1.5 GHz Quad-Core Ports: 1 WAN Port 4 LAN Ports1 WAN port 4 LAN portsz Quad-Core Ports: 1 WAN Port 4 LAN Ports Antennas: 4 high-powered antennas |
Read: LAN vs WAN Port in Your Router: What’s the Difference?
The Asus AX1800 is a Wi-Fi 6 router that supports MU-MIMO and OFDMA. Thanks to these features, you can enjoy 4x data capacity and you won’t have to worry about band shortage.
The router comes with a lifetime subscription to AiProtection Classic. You can have the assurance that your family is safe from viruses, cyber-attacks, and internet of things (IoT) attacks.
Additionally, parents can also monitor their kids’ online activities and online time consumption. This is very convenient if you want to protect your children from online addiction or seeing content related to drugs, violence, or sex.
The RT-AX55 is a win-win for those who are looking for an affordable Wi-Fi 6 router that can be extended as a mesh wi-fi.
Best Gaming Router: Asus AX6000 (RT-AX88U)
| Wireless Standards | Wi-Fi 6 |
| Wireless Speed | 2.4 GHz: 1148 Mbps 5 GHz: 4804 Mbps |
| Wireless Coverage | Big house with 4 bedrooms |
| Security Features | Protected by AiProtection Pro Network protection URL Filter Parental controls Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) Website and app content filter Kid-safe preset Internet activity dashboard |
| Hardware Features | Processor: 1.8 GHz Quad-Corez Quad-Core CPU Ports: 1 WAN port 8 LAN ports Antennas: 4 high-powered antennas |
If it’s a strong gaming router you want, it’s strong gaming router you’ll get. The Asus AX6000 (RT-AX88U) provides ultrafast speeds of up to 6Gbps. It’s smart-home ready and you can easily link it to Alexa!
It’s built for households with high demands. With 4 antennas, MU-MIMO, and beamforming, it guarantees a wide wireless coverage with optimum strength. Additionally, you can create a powerful wi-fi ecosystem, as the RT-AX88U is also AiMesh Wi-Fi ready.
Unlike other routers, the RT-AX88U has 8 LAN ports which make it ideal for creating multiple wired connections. Whether it’s connecting NAS systems or PCs, you’re good to go.
Lastly, thanks to the router’s Adaptive QoS, you can enjoy a fast and smooth gaming experience. The Adaptive Quality of Service (QoS) and built-in wtfast look for the shortest line between your device and the game server. The game ping goes 45-75% lower, giving your online gaming a double boost!
Best High-End: Netgear Nighthawk AX5400 (RAX50)
| Wireless Standards | Wi-Fi 6 |
| Wireless Speed | 2.4 GHz: 1148 Mbps 5 GHz: 4804 Mbps |
| Wireless Coverage | Big house with 4 bedrooms |
| Security Features | Protected by Netgear Armor Anomaly protection Brute force protection Exploit prevention Sensitive data protection Netgear Smart Parental Controls |
| Hardware Features | Processor: 1.5 GHz Quad-Core Ports: 1 WAN port 4 LAN ports Antennas: 4 high-powered antennas |
The Netgear Nighthawk AX5400 (RAX50) is a Wi-Fi 6 dual-band router with 6 data streams. Combined with up to a maximum speed of 5.4 Gbps, OFDMA, and beamforming, you can have a better wi-fi experience at home.
The 6 data streams and OFDMA ensure better capacity, strong signal strength, and less congestion. Whether you’re gaming, streaming, or video calling, you can enjoy optimum speeds without interruption.
Netgear Armor protects the RAX50 from cyber threats and attacks. Additionally, with Netgear Smart Parental Controls, parents can have full control over their kids’ online activities.
Lastly, it works well Alexa and Google Home, so creating a smart home will be a breeze.
Best Budget: TP-Link AX1800 (Archer AX20)
| Wireless Standards | Wi-Fi 6 |
| Wireless Speed | 2.4 GHz: 574 Mbps 5 GHz: 1201 Mbps |
| Wireless Coverage | Big house with 4 bedrooms |
| Security Features | URL Filter Time management control |
| Hardware Features | Processor: 1.5 GHz Quad-Core Ports: 1 WAN port 4 LAN ports Antennas: 4 high-powered antennas |
Are you on a tight budget but still want to have a router with competitive speeds and is mesh router-ready? Then the TP-Link AX1800 (Archer AX20) is what you need.
The 4 antennas, OFDMA, and high-power FEM ensure a strong wireless signal throughout the home. Additionally, multiple connected devices can simultaneously enjoy fast browsing speeds.
Unlike other TP-Link routers, the AX1800 doesn’t come with a HomeShield or HomeCare subscription. But, security-wise, you can still filter out keywords and URLs, and monitor online time. So, you can still be sure that your devices are safe.
Don’t fret because, for a budget-friendly router, the TP-Link Archer AX20 is OneMesh-ready! You can now easily expand your mesh network and get rid of dead spots with a TP-Link mesh system.
Read more info in our full TP-Link AX1800 Review.
Is a dual-band router worth it?
The quick answer is, yes! They are market-standard, so even old models of wireless devices are highly compatible with them. So, you don’t really need to upgrade your devices every now and then.
Compared to a single-band router, a dual-band router provides faster internet speeds and a smoother browsing experience.
Dual-band routers give users the opportunity to switch between 2.4GHz to 5GHz to avoid network congestion. Most wireless devices would normally use the 2.4GHz frequency, so you can enjoy the faster speed of the 5GHz band for yourself.
Additionally, dual-band routers are compatible with most smart home devices. Whether Wi-Fi 4 or Wi-Fi 6 devices, dual-band routers can manage them smoothly.
The Bottomline
Dual-band routers are the market standard for routers. In fact, your router today might be a dual-band! But, as technology progress over time, choosing the right wireless router for your home and office needs will affect your wi-fi experiences.
But here’s something to remember before buying new routers. Your internet service provider should provide the same internet capacity. Otherwise, even with the fastest routers, you won’t be able to enjoy such great features and internet speeds.
We hope that we have helped you make an informed decision in getting a wi-fi router to upgrade. If you’re interested in getting a tri-band router, check our list of best tri-band routers here!
