PC World India's Five Best Home Wireless Routers

Networks at the home are well and truly the in-thing today. The growing acquisition of computing devices by various members of the family is driving the interest in networking devices together, preferably wireless. Homes increasingly own various combinations of desktop PCs, laptops, and mobile phones – devices that benefit from wired or wireless (Wi-Fi) connections with one another. Having a wireless router at the centre of it all then makes sharing files over the LAN, and sharing the Internet connection an easy task. For those who’d like to extract every bit of mileage out of their computing devices, networking them opens new avenues such as running a mini “server farm” or convenience of using one to solve issues on a different computer.

We in India have always been price-sensitive. So, much of the router segment does consist of cheap products using older technology. However, the discerning buyer does see beyond price and looks for functionality. This includes long-term benefits of support for newer standards, allowing users to retain a router for many years instead of having to upgrade too soon.

Being at the cutting-edge does mean you are constantly seeing newer and better products, so anything you buy today will have to be purchased with an eye on the future. Our current list of the Top 5 home wireless routers helps you towards this end. All of them support the next-generation Wireless-N standard (802.11n) in addition to being compatible with the older ones, have 4 four Ethernet ports for a Gigabit LAN, and a USB port for connecting external storage right into the router itself to serve a NAS box role too.

Currently this list of the five best wireless routers to buy in India includes the Asus RT-N16 with support for printer sharing and 3 detachable antennae; the Buffalo WZR-HP-G300NH with its 2 external antennae, great coverage area and price; the D-Link DIR-685 with a 3.2-inch LCD for photo viewing and an internal 2.5-inch HDD drive bay; the Linksys WRT 610N sporting simultaneous dual-band 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz radio operation support; and the Netgear WNDR3700 which supports dual-band operation as well. Each one tries to out-do the other’s features and give you the best possible experience. All of these can be seen compared head-to-head on our Top 5 Home Wireless Routers page.

1) Asus RT-N16

Rating: 88 Very Good
Price: Rs. 6,700

Asus has a winner with this router's sheer range of features, and its very acceptable performance. Wide coverage area, USB ports that can make the device a file/print server, and plenty of memory onboard make the RT-N16 a good choice for an enthusiast who wants to make his home network wireless.

You could even connect a standard USB printer and use it over the network from all connected PCs (we tested this feature with a HP PhotoSmart C4348, Windows 7 just detected it, installed drivers and managed to print). The 3 detachable antennae allow for increasing... (read more)

2) Buffalo WZR-HP-G300NH

Rating: 87 Very Good
Price: Rs. 4,900

The Buffalo NFINITI Gigabit HighPower Broadband Router and Access Point is a Wireless-N router that is particularly good for homes, with its affordable pricing. Enthusiasts will be happy with the wired Gigabit-speed LAN, 300Mbps support, and the potential to make a NAS (Network Access Storage) box out of it.

The now mandatory Wireless-N draft 2.0, WPS button, WPA2 security, and switch with four Ethernet ports all make an appearance. But the support for Gigabit LAN, 300 Mbps WiFi-N, USB storage, and two adjustable antennae are extras that command attention)... (read more)

3) D-Link DIR-685 Xtreme N

Rating: 85 Very Good
Price: Rs. 13,000

The D-Link DIR-685 Xtreme N Storage Router is quite the multi-functional device. It is only as small as other wireless routers, but it packs in a lot more than just Wi-Fi and wired Ethernet ports. In addition to the basic functionality of a networking device, you can also use it as a networked storage device (NAS or file server), print server (by sharing it out via USB), streaming media server, digital photo frame, RSS reader and as a digital weather-man.

This glossy black colored Wireless-N router with internal antenna looks stylish whether it is wall-mounted or stood on its stand. It is a high-end product and does not skimp on the feature-set, with 5 Ethernet ports, 2 USB ports, a SATA 2.5-inch HDD internal drive bay, built-in LCD screen and touch-buttons to control the LCD. When an internal HDD is plugged in and gets warm the router’s internal fan... (read more)

4) Linksys WRT 610N

Rating: 82 Very Good
Price: Rs. 10,999

In a world of routers with rectangular design, the WRT610N is quite different looking. With its blue and black glossy design it is not hard to see why some called it a “UFO” shaped device. The 3 antennae are concealed. Dual-band capability is bound to be a major reason for anyone to pick this router. It has radio antennae to send and receive Wi-Fi signals simultaneously over the usual 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band (this band helps avoid excess interference from other consumer equipment).

Multiple internal antennae mean that you can expect better performance. The combination of multiple antennae and dual-band radio capability would help when multiple wireless devices are connected and all are active. We did see very good file transfer speeds over the wireless network at close range on both, Wireless-N and G devices... (read more)

5) Netgear WNDR3700

Rating: 81 Very Good
Price: Rs. 9,900

The Netgear WNDR3700 supports Gigabit wired connections, USB storage, Wireless-N at 300Mbps, and operation in the 5 GHz radio band. Other features that would be expected in a home/SOHO router are all present too. Antennae are built-in, the router can be wall-mounted.

Unlike many others, this router thankfully has a power button at the back. Ports at the back include one USB port, one Ethernet uplink port, and four Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports. Any storage device you connect over USB can be accessed over the network. For security, you can set it to allow accessing only USB devices pre-approved by you... (read more)


Opening splash screen image by Amrita C. Roy.