After testing 34 routers, CNET Labs found Wi-Fi 7 models deliver the highest throughput at 3,169Mbps across bands, far surpassing Wi-Fi 6E's 1,309Mbps. The author, once skeptical, now recommends tri-band Wi-Fi 7 routers for future-proofing amid rising data use. Prices have dropped, with good options under $200.
CNET Labs evaluated over 30 Wi-Fi routers in a 15,000-square-foot facility, measuring throughput, jitter, packet loss, and signal strength at distances up to 50 feet. Wi-Fi 7 routers achieved top total throughput of 3,169Mbps combined across bands, compared to 1,309Mbps for Wi-Fi 6E. At 50 feet, they averaged 515Mbps, exceeding Wi-Fi 6's 383Mbps. Key upgrades include 320MHz channels—double Wi-Fi 6E's widest—Multi-Link Operation for simultaneous band use, and 4K-QAM for up to 20% better efficiency, as explained by David Coleman of Extreme Networks: “Wi-Fi 7 supports 320MHz-wide channels -- double the size of the widest channels in Wi-Fi 6E -- meaning it can deliver much higher data rates.” Gianmarco Chumbe, CNET's lab engineer, described the router as “the heart of your home network.” A CNET survey noted 86% of Americans face Wi-Fi drops. Lab awards went to Netgear Nighthawk RS700S as fastest Wi-Fi 7 router, TP-Link Archer AXE75 for Wi-Fi 6E, and TP-Link Deco X55 Pro for Wi-Fi 6. Dual-band Wi-Fi 7 routers underperformed, lacking 6GHz access and resembling Wi-Fi 6 in tests. Tri-band models like TP-Link Archer BE550 ($200, 3,269Mbps) topped price-per-Mbps value. Average prices: Wi-Fi 7 at $293, Wi-Fi 6E $124. OpenVault reported U.S. households averaged 767GB monthly data in late 2025, up 69GB yearly. Jitter stayed under 1ms for most, but packet loss exceeded 1% on 5GHz across standards.
