Compare gaming router speeds and prices

What should you look for in a router for Xfinity?

Best overall—TP-Link Archer AX11000

Best for multigig—TP-Link Archer AX6000

Best for budgets—TP-Link Archer AX20

Best for gamers—NETGEAR Nighthawk RAX200

Best for mesh—TP-Link Deco X55

Xfinity router specs and features

You don’t need a router with specific features for it to work with Xfinity’s cable internet. The only roadblock you might see is with Xfinity’s Gigabit plan and the type of modem or gateway you have.

Wi-Fi 6

We’ll always tell you to choose Wi-Fi 6 over Wi-Fi 5. The newer standard offers better battery longevity, better data management, and faster speeds on compatible devices.

Wi-Fi 6 supports more devices simultaneously too, providing up to eight or more streams one way, so your devices do less bandwidth sharing. Beamforming directs those beams to your device, so you’re not waving it around like a flag for better reception.

Multiple wired ports

The more wired ports you have, the better, and here’s why.

Imagine a smart TV, four gaming consoles, an Apple TV media streamer, Chromecast Ultra, Echo Dot, Google Home Mini, a couple of smartphones, a laptop, and maybe a tablet. That’s a lot of devices, right? I just described my TV room, and every device wants access to the 5 GHz Wi-Fi band.

Now let’s add all the other devices in the home: smartphones, smart appliances, media streamers—they all pile onto the 5 GHz band like a mob of zombies. Speed decreases, and latency increases for each wireless device. We already know you don’t need a lot of speed for gaming, streaming video and music, but all those devices and their bandwidth needs over Wi-Fi add up.

By offsetting devices like consoles, media streamers, and smart TVs to wired connections, you clear the airwaves for devices that don’t support wired, like smartphones and tablets. Everything still munches on your overall internet bandwidth, but your Wi-Fi connections won’t have to share streams when you binge-watch TikTok, Stranger Things season 4, and Obi-Wan Kenobi (guilty).

Multigig ports

For Xfinity’s Gigabit cable internet plan, you’ll need a router with one of the following:

1. A single 2.5 Gbps internet port (WAN) or
2. A router that links a standard 1 Gbps WAN port with a 1 Gbps LAN port.

For example, NETGEAR’s Nighthawk RAX200 supports both configurations. If you have a modem that supports 2 Gbps using link aggregation, you pair the WAN port with LAN 1 on the router. If the modem has a 2.5 Gbps port, use the router’s dedicated 2.5 Gbps port (LAN 5)—just make sure it’s set to that speed and purpose in the interface.

Three Wi-Fi bands

The typical router provides one 2.4 GHz connection and one 5 GHz connection, each with a 2×2 stream configuration at the very least. Every device you add to the 5 GHz connection increases the load on the radio used to transmit and receive on that band.

A third band adds more Wi-Fi bandwidth, reducing the congestion and load caused on dual-band routers. By default, some routers have one 5 GHz band configured for lower channels (20 Mhz, 40 MHz) and a second 5 GHz band with higher channels (80 MHz, 160 MHz).

On Wi-Fi 6E routers, the third connection uses the 6 GHz band instead of 5 GHz, enabling faster speeds but at even shorter distances. But you need a compatible Wi-Fi 6E client device to access this band—Wi-Fi 6 devices can’t see it.

Our verdict

We love the TP-Link Archer AX11000 for various categories, so it shouldn’t be surprising that we list it here as our top pick. It packs three bands, 12 streams, eight LAN ports, a 2.5 Gbps internet port, and the free HomeCare security suite. It’s not exactly cheap, we get it, and it’s not the fastest router we’ve tested to date, but there’s a lot here to love for the money. The AX6000 model is slightly faster for less money, but you lose that third band offered on the AX11000. Decisions decisions.

Related content

• Best Long-Range Routers for Extended Wi-Fi
• Best Gigabit Routers for Superfast Wi-Fi
• Best Routers for Streaming
• Best Routers for Gaming
• Best Wi-Fi 6 Routers

Methodology

We test router speed by setting up each router in an office and connecting it to a local test server. Then, we transmit test data between our wireless devices and the server, taking numerous measurements to account for fluctuations in Wi-Fi speeds.

The first tests occur close to the router, without obstructions—so the Wi-Fi is as strong and fast as it’s gonna get. We repeat the process straight out at 10, 20, and 30 feet, with only a glass door obstructing our view of the router. The same glass door and an exterior door blocks our path when we test outside at 40 and 50 feet.

We also run tests in a hallway to the left of the TV room and office—where there’s a glass door, three walls, and an air handler unit blocking our view of the router. The dining room, another testing point, sits to the right of the kitchen, TV room, and office—two walls and a glass door block the path in this test.

To test video streaming, we connect a fast storage device to the router and stream a 4K video to six wireless devices simultaneously—two phones, three tablets, and a laptop—connected to the same wireless band.

TP-Link Archer AX11000

TP-Link Archer AX6000

TP-Link Archer AX20

NETGEAR Nighthawk RAX200

TP-Link Deco X55