After testing more than 50 routers in a busy family home, WIRED鈥檚 gadget desk has named the Asus RT-BE58U as the best Wi-Fi router for most people, citing its affordable price and solid dual-band performance. The updated recommendations, published in August 2026, also include the Asus RT-BE96U as the top upgrade pick and the TP-Link Archer BE230 as the best budget option. The picks matter for US consumers because a federal ban on foreign-made routers, announced in March, may stop companies without an exemption from selling new routers in the country, though existing models like these can continue to be sold.

The Asus RT-BE58U handled multiple streams and gaming sessions without issue on a 1-Gbps connection in testing. Its mobile app is straightforward, and it supports VPN services, separate IoT or guest networks, and Asus鈥檚 AiMesh for building a larger mesh system. The router is recommended for average-size families with homes up to 2,000 square feet, though devices in a far back bedroom sometimes dropped to the slower 2.4-GHz band until the router鈥檚 position and antennas were adjusted.

For those with a larger budget, the Asus RT-BE96U is a tri-band Wi-Fi 7 router with eight antennas and two 10-Gbps ports, plus four gigabit LAN ports and two USB ports. It delivered fast, stable Wi-Fi across a home and garden, and it includes security, VPN, and parental controls without a subscription fee. The review notes that users need Wi-Fi 7 devices and a multi-gig connection to fully use it, and the router鈥檚 large size may be hard to mount.

The TP-Link Archer BE230 is the cheapest Wi-Fi 7 router the reviewer found worth considering, with a 2.5-Gbps WAN and LAN port and three gigabit LAN ports. It performed well at close range but its signal dropped off with distance, making it best for small homes or apartments. TP-Link鈥檚 Tether app supports EasyMesh for expanding coverage later, though advanced security and parental control features require paid subscriptions.

The review also notes that TP-Link was already under scrutiny before the federal ban, as US Commerce, Defense, and Justice departments were investigating the Chinese firm over reports that vulnerabilities in its routers were exploited in high-profile attacks linked to the Chinese government. No evidence of deliberate wrongdoing has emerged. The FCC鈥檚 ban allows existing routers to receive firmware updates until January 1, 2029, and so far only Netgear and Eero have secured Conditional Approval from the commission.

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