This affordable and humble router doesn’t revolutionize home networking but gets all the basics right, not least a dual-band setup that pushes 1900 Mbps, 600 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band, and 1300 Mbps on the 5 GHz band. Our money is on the TP-Link Archer A9 for Xfinity users seeking the best-value router out there. That said, for most Xfinity customers, this is a workhorse modem/router combo that’s both reliable, fast, and has the looks and footprint to meld seamlessly into most homes. The absence of Wi-Fi 6 is certainly worth keeping in mind, especially as Netgear Nighthawk C7000 commands an asking price of just under $200. On the unit itself, there are four Gigabit Ethernet ports and a single USB 2.0 port. Throw in Beamforming+ tech, healthy 1800 square foot Wi-Fi coverage, a powerful 1.6 GHz processor, three amplified three dual-band internal antennas, and the Netgear Nighthawk C7000 offers a focused, reliable Wi-Fi signal throughout the home. The modem side of things is well equipped with DOCSIS 3.0 24×8 channel bonding to ensure a reliable and steady relay with Xfinity for nippy speeds even at peak congestion. While these speeds trump most broadband package speeds, the Netgear Nighthawk C7000 is only compatible with Xfinity plans up to 800 Mbps, so those on the super-fast 1200 Mbps Gigabit Speed Internet plan may want to consider a different model to get the most out of their internet connection. The Netgear Nighthawk C7000 can achieve theoretical speeds of up to 1900 Mbps, broken down over two bands: 600 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band and 1300 Mbps per second on the Wi-Fi 5 standard. So not only do you save on rental fees, but also significantly reduce the initial investment by buying a 2-in-1 device. The Netgear Nighthawk C7000 makes our list as our runner-up for offering more modest specifications that align with the requirements of most average Xfinity users compared to the souped-up feature set and speeds of the TP-Link Archer A20.Īdditionally, the C7000 is a top pick because it’s also a modem, saving you the hassle of buying a separate device if you go down the router-only road. One that certainly feels justified but possibly a little high given the router caps out at 802.11ac Wi-Fi 5 with no Wi-Fi 6 support. A little out there compared to the more conservative aesthetics of your standard router, but coherent enough to sit quite happily in most living rooms without standing out too much.Īt just under $200, the TP-Link Archer A20 comes at a price. The TP-Link Archer A20’s looks appear plucked from a sci-fi flick with a solid angular design and four prominent antennas, all bathed in a pleasing black finish. The TP-Link Archer A20 is powered by a 1.8 GHz 64-bit CPU, three co-processors, and 512 MB of RAM to handle even the busiest home networks.Īs for wired connections, the TP-Link Archer A20 has four LAN Gigabit ports (two can be used for Link Aggregation for a 2 Gbps wired connection), one WAN Gigabit port, one USB 3.0 port, and USB 2.0, which should cover the usual spread of home equipment including desktops, consoles, printers, and shared media drives. MU-MIMO, Airtime Fairness, Smart Connect, Quality of Service, RangeBoost, and Beamforming technologies ensure you can connect a gaggle of devices simultaneously without any detrimental impact on Wi-Fi signal strength and speeds even in large areas. If anything, the speeds on offer here are a little excessive for most packages and home network requirements. Real-world speeds are likely much lower, but such a high ceiling gives you plenty of headroom even for the fastest Xfinity package available and future speed upgrades to the US broadband network.
The router pushes top specifications, not least with a beastly theoretical speed of 4000 Mbps assured by a tri-band setup – 1625 Mbps on two 5 GHz bands and 750 Mbps on one 2.4 GHz band. If money is no object, the TP-Link Archer A20 is arguably not just one of the best Xfinity-compatible routers to buy but one of the best routers out there.
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