Choosing the best router under 200 can be difficult. If you’re looking for the best routers that are available for purchase, then this post is perfect for you! This post includes nine best routers under 200 and their specifications so that it will be easy to find the best one for your needs.
Here’s The Shortlist To Save Your Time:
9 Best Routers Under $200 Reviewed
The ARRIS SURFboard SBG10 is a DOCSIS 3 0 Cable Modem, AC1600 dual-band Wi-Fi Router, and 2 Port Gigabit Ethernet Router (cable digital voice service not supported). The SBG10 combines the speed of a cable modem with the latest 802.11ac Wi-Fi technology to deliver ultra-fast and reliable internet access. It also features two gigabit Ethernet ports for wired connections to your computer or networked devices.
The ARRIS Surfboard SB8200 DOCSIS 3.1 Cable Modem is the first 8×4 modem on the market and is ideal for cable internet speed plans up to 1 Gbps. The SB8200 supports a wide range of current and future broadband technologies, including IPv6, 256 QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation), Vectored VDSL2, and more.
The ARRIS SURFboard DOCSIS 3.1 Cable Modem is the only modem certified by Comcast Xfinity, Spectrum (Formerly Time Warner Cable), Cox, and more to deliver speeds up to 1.4Gbps download and 343Mbps upload on channels including those currently delivering gigabit services. It’s also compatible with all cable internet providers such as XFINITY from Comcast, Spectrum (Formerly Time Warner Cable), Cox, Cablevision/Optimum, Mediacom, and more.
TP-Link’s Archer MR2200 is a high-speed, next-generation Wi-Fi router that delivers gigabit speeds. Boasting the latest Wi-Fi 6 technology, it offers up to 2X faster speeds than traditional wireless AC routers and 4X faster than wireless N technology. The Archer MR2200 combines this speed with four external antennas for improved coverage and stability. With its easy setup process, you can enjoy smooth streaming of your favorite movies or shows online in minutes!
The AX6000 WiFi 6 Router is the most advanced router in its class. It comes with an innovative design that has been carefully thought out for your home, with a focus on performance and stability. The AX6000 WiFi 6 Router is the best choice for streaming 4K videos, online gaming, and downloading large files at max speed.
TP-Link’s AX6100 WiFi 6 Router is the industry’s first certified Wi-Fi 6 router, and it delivers next-generation wireless speeds of up to 1.8 Gbps on both bands. This means that you can enjoy smooth and reliable streaming, gaming, and downloading even with more devices connected to your network at the same time.
TP-Link AC1900 Smart WiFi Router – TL-WR841N is a combined wired/wireless network connection device designed specifically for small business and home office networking requirements. This router features 3 high-performance antennas, which enhances wireless range and coverage by up to 300% compared to standard routers. The TL-WR841N provides simultaneous dual-band connections with IEEE 802.11n technology that can reach data rates of up to 600Mbps on the 2.4GHz band or 1300Mbps on the 5GHz band.
TP-Link Archer AX3000 is the latest wireless router with cutting-edge Wi-Fi 6 (802. 11ax) technology that reaches speeds up to 3x faster than the previous generation Wi-Fi 5 (802. 11ac). This means you can enjoy 4K/HD videos, online gaming, and other bandwidth-demanding applications without buffering or lag time. The next generation of Wi-Fi has arrived!
The TP-Link AC750 Wireless Portable Nano Travel Router is a powerful and convenient Wi-Fi router that allows you to enjoy high-speed wireless internet on the go. Whether you are traveling for business or pleasure, this travel router will keep you connected with a fast and reliable Wi-Fi connection. The TP-Link AC750 Wireless Portable Nano Travel Router supports 802.11ac/n/g standards, providing multi-user multiple input multiple output (MU-MIMO) technology for simultaneous streaming and gaming on multiple devices without any lag time or buffering issues.
4 Things To Consider Before Buying The Best Routers Under $200
1. Customer support and reliability are critical!
A lot of times these cheaper routers have a lot of firmware bugs when they are first released, especially the manufacturers that sell the routers at retail stores like Wal-Mart or Best Buy. In order for them to compete with other companies, they need to lower their prices on all their models, even if it means releasing buggier products. So it can be very difficult getting help from the manufacturer if anything goes wrong with the router. Now, this doesn’t mean you should avoid all routers in this price range until better customer support comes along, but it is something to keep in mind when making your purchase. Typically most of these cheap routers are made with less expensive hardware which means they will have a lot more problems long-term compared with most brand-name routers you can get for around $200 although there are some high-end expensive routers that have poor support too. The best thing you can do is to buy from a company that has a good customer support and buy their warranty with the router! This way if anything goes wrong or stops working properly with the router after 6 months or so you’ll be able to get it replaced without any hassles! If you don’t buy their warranty plan, most of these companies make it very difficult for you to actually RMA the router by itself and require most customers to also go through their ISP provider (the ones that provided you your internet bill). This can be a good time to put on my Salesman hat. People often ask me when they’re looking for new routers if they should get DD-WRT firmware installed on the router instead of the stock built-in software from the manufacturer. For home use, I always recommend getting an original version of the router’s software/firmware because it is more likely to have full support from the company that made it which means it will be easier to get help or even RMA the router if it breaks. I know there are other third-party firmware like DD-WRT that offer more features, but for home use, you really don’t need them and they can cause more problems than they fix sometimes!
2. The best wireless speeds will be achieved on AC1750 or AC1900 wifi routers.
When looking at routers under $200 I always recommend getting an AC1750 or AC1900 class router because not only do you typically get faster internet speed ( 1750 Mbps / 1900 Mbps ), but also better range thanks to having 3 dual-band antennas compared with 2 antennas on most N600 & N300 routers which is why these models are commonly called tri-band routers. Now, this doesn’t mean that you won’t get good internet speeds on the new AC1200 class routers that have been released in 2014, they will give you a lot better range with their 2 antennas since they use a different wireless technology called MIMO. However, even though most customers don’t replace their router every 6 months like I do, these newer wifi standards are going to be pretty common by 2015 which means your older N600 or N300 model might not be able to keep up with the faster internet speeds offered from some of these new routers. The best way to pick out the right router for your specific needs is to think about all the devices in your house that connect wirelessly and compare them with each other. If everyone in your household has a newer smartphone or tablet that can connect to your wifi network at N speeds, then you should get a router with an AC1750 or AC1900 class. However, if people in your household have older wireless devices that can only connect at N speeds or not as fast as you would like, then it might be best to go for an AC1200 class wireless router.
3. Don’t forget about the security features offered by routers under $200!
These days every single one of these new cheap routers on the market comes with some type of built-in firewalls/virus protection software which is great because it means things like spam and viruses will be filtered out before they reach your computer/device! Some even offer parental controls that give you more control over what your kids are doing online! Just make sure to enable these built-in security features especially if you have friends, family members, or co-workers that use the wifi connections at the same time as you. If not, they can be a huge waste of resources and slow down your internet speed so turn them off unless you really need them.
4. Wireless N Vs AC Routers Under $200 – Which Type Of Wifi Router Should You Get?
Okay so now we know some important factors to help us choose which router under $200 will work the best for our specific setup at home, but there is one last question I want to talk about before jumping into my recommended routers list. This question is all about the difference between Wireless-N routers and AC1200 class wireless routers. The biggest thing that sets N600 & N300 vs AC1750 & AC1900 apart is how fast they transfer large files, but there are a few other minor differences too. For example, if you have an older wireless device that only connects at N speeds then getting a router with Wireless-N technology will be best for you since it has a much better range than the new AC models. But as I mentioned earlier, if most people in your household have newer devices like smartphones and tablets that can connect wirelessly to wifi networks at speeds of 600 Mbps / 1300 Mbps or higher, then buying an AC1750 or AC1900 router will be best for you since they have much better speeds. As of 2014, these new AC routers are probably the best ones to get because not only do they have higher wifi speed potential, but also better range due to being dual-band.
3 Advantages Of Routers Under $200
1. Price Range
Routers under $200 often have a much better price range than other types of routers. This means if your budget does not allow for a more expensive router but you still want a fast, reliable connection, a router under 200 might be perfect for you. You still receive the same reliability from these types of routers as any other type without having to take out a 2nd mortgage on your home.
2. Connectivity
While many routers under $200 will not be able to connect to as many devices as those that are more expensive, they can still provide you with the same connectivity you would need to use them for your home or office. There are several different types of connections that you might want or need on your router so do not assume just because it is less expensive than other types it won’t work for what you need.
3. Durability
Many consumers choose routers under $200 because of their durability and reliability. These routers may seem like they cost less but they actually offer a much longer lifespan than some of the higher-priced routers on the market today. This means that if you purchase one of these highly affordable devices, you can use it for several different purposes without having to buy a replacement.
The Bottom Line
We hope this list has helped you find the best router for your needs. But, if it hasn’t or you still don’t know what to do, feel free to reach out and we’ll be happy to help! There’s no need to suffer from a sub-par router when there are so many great options available now. Which Routers Under $200 do you like most?