Best 802.11ac routers

The 802.11ac Wi-Fi standard (aka 5G Wi-Fi) is the latest on the market and offers up to 1.3Gbps of wireless connection speed. First introduced during CES 2012, the new standard can now be found in many routers. These routers, for backward compatibility, also come with Wireless-N (802.11n) and hence support all existing Wi-Fi clients. Hardware clients that are 802.11ac-capable, however, are still very scarce on the market. Following are the top routers that support the new 802.11ac standard on the market. Since there are not many of them, all of those on this list are the best of their kind.

Asus RT-AC68U Dual-band Wireless-AC1900 Gigabit Router

For advanced and professional users, the Asus RT-AC68U Dual-band Wireless-AC1900 Gigabit Router is worth every penny thanks to its stellar performance, solid build, and bounty of useful features.

Price: $219.99 (check prices)

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Asus RT-AC66U 802.11ac Dual-Band Wireless-AC1750 Gigabit Router

The Asus RT-AC66U is an excellent router and is currently one of the best options among those that support the latest 802.11ac Wi-Fi standard.

Price: $181.99 - $299.35 (check prices)

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Apple AirPort Extreme Base Station (802.11ac)

Home users, especially Apple fans who own 802.11ac-enabled devices, will love the new AirPort Extreme for its all-new elegant design, ease of use, and great performance; advanced users should look elsewhere for more features and customization.

Price: $194.00 - $346.02 (check prices)Read full review

D-Link DIR-868L Wireless AC1750 Dual Band Gigabit Cloud Router

The D-Link DIR-868L delivers as an advanced 802.11ac-enabled home router despite its underwhelming mobile apps and usage inflexibility.

Price: $159.99 - $300.53 (check prices)

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Netgear Nighthawk AC1900 Smart Wi-Fi Router (R7000)

The Netgear is expensive, but earns its $200 asking price with incredibly fast speeds and useful features.

Price: $199.00 - $199.99 (check prices)

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Netgear R6300 WiFi Router

The Netgear R6300 WiFi Router is for a high-standards, low-ego type of user: it's not something you can show off aesthetically, but it's a powerhouse for a robust, fast home network, both for now and tomorrow.

Price: $178.69 - $293.64 (check prices)

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Trendnet TEW-812DRU AC1750 Dual Band Wireless Router

The Trendnet TEW-812DRU is the most affordable 802.11ac-enabled router on the market, and it offers excellent performance.

Price: $136.99 - $147.21 (check prices)

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