Are you looking for a wireless router for work? In this guide, you will find the best devices for your office or business. Currently, there is a good selection of wireless routers that can support business needs. The best options in the market offer dual or triple band connectivity, along with other practical features that you usually can only expect to get from high-end, enterprise models that are far more expensive. Since the requirements of businesses have evolved over the years and running a wireless network can be demanding, small business routers now offer a more varied selection of features and a more complex hardware. The needs of a business user are not the same as those of a home user. Businesses require a higher standard of security, a wider range of connectivity options, flexibility to upgrade or downgrade, as well as additional features like support, remote access, business grade VPN and WAN redundancy. In order to select the best small routers for your business, we have taken into consideration these features. Here is the list of the top models available.
Asus BRT-AC828
This router from Asus is a comprehensive, high quality solution for businesses and it offers impressive specs. It features Dual WAN, RADIUS support and hardware security. The connectivity is 8 x Gigabit Ethernet, 2 x USB 3.0, 1 x M.2 SATA and in terms of speeds, it can give you 802.11ac: 1734Mbps, 802.11n: 800Mbps. It comes supported by Asus’well-known high quality in manufacturing and service. With this small router, you can have up to 10 connections at the same time. It offers powerful capacity and M.2 slot to plug in an SSD to transform it into a mini-NAS. You can even aggregate four 1Gb Ethernet ports into a virtual 4Gb one, thanks to the solid 8 GB Ethernet ports. There is also support for LTE as a backup connection to get enhanced resistance. Thanks to the partnership with Trend Micro, Asus also offers a built-in security package known as AIProtection. Although the BRT_AC828 comes with a high price tag, its expandable capabilities and advanced features make it a great choice to support business needs.
Netgear Orbi Pro
Netgear is another recognized manufacturer and it offers a device that is ideal for users who want a router with appealing design and that is easy to set up. The Orbi Pro comes with modular network coverage and it supports traffic separation. The speed supported is 802.11AC 3Gbps and you can get connectivity of 1 GB WAN, 4 GB LAN. With this router, you can upgrade your office’s network to the next level. The Orbi Pro from Netgear is a fantastic device that works as a modular WiFi mesh system, with a focus on business needs. While it is an expensive option, it will ensure that your WiFi runs fast and that alone makes it a solution that is worth considering for any business.
Netgear Nighthawk X10
Netgear makes it again to the list with a great router that will be very handy for business users, although it is not really designed for business purposes. The Nighthawk X10 features 7 Gigabit ports. It is possible to aggregate a pair of them to reach 2Gbps and you also get a 10G LAN SPF+ connector for NAS access, if you have a device that supports this option. The speed supported: 802.11ac: 1734Mbps, 802.11n: 800Mbps and when it comes to connectivity, you get the 7 Gigabit Ethernet ports we mentioned, as well as 2 USB 3.0. It also includes a 6-month subscription to Amazon Cloud Drive and a powerful quad-core ARM processor, which brings you 1.7GHz, 1GB RAM and 512MB storage. Thanks to the support for 802.11ad, a short range connectivity that offers high speeds and it can eventually help you to forget about wires completely.
Synology RT2600ac
Synology has become very popular in recent years and it continues impressing users with its high quality, practical functionality and affordability. It features a 1.7GHz dual-core processor, MU-MIMO, beam-forming, 512MB RAM, 4GB flash storage. In terms of speed, you get 802.11ac: 1733Mbps, 802.11n: 800Mbps and for connectivity, this device offers 4 Gigabit WAN, one USB 2.0, one USB 3.0 and one SD card reader. This Synology device is easy to use and it offers high quality hardware. Although this particular model is more expensive than other options of the same range, it is still conveniently priced. It combines a wireless router with a NAS device. It comes with a VPN and it gives you the possibility of adding two WAN ports. You can also connect external hard drives to expand the storage. While it is not a perfect solution, Synlogy is upgrading its technology and you can expect great things from this platform in the near future.
Linksys Max-Stream EA9500
Linksys brings us a router that includes great features for a convenient price. It has 8 antennas, tri-band and it uses the Linksys Smart WiFi app. In terms of connectivity, the Linksys Max-Stream EA9500 gives you 8 GB Ethernet, 1 USB 3.0, 1 USB 2.0. The speed is 802.11ac: 2166Mbps, 802.11n: 1000Mbps. This router stands out thanks to the fact that it is a tri-band router, using MU-MIMO technology. The fact that it can support three separate bands makes it a powerful solution. It uses a 1.4GHz processor and if you use it along with a Max-Stream AC1900 + MU-MIMO Range Extender, you will get fantastic roaming and enhanced coverage. Apart from two USB ports, this router features 8 LAN ports and a WAN port. The EA9500 is available for a lower price than other business routers, but apart from WPA2 enterprise wireless encryption, it doesn’t support features that are specifically designed for businesses. Still, the practical app will make things simple when you are managing a busy office.
Billion BiPAC 8900AX-2400
Although Billion is not a popular brand, it is a well-established manufacturer that has been in the industry for over a decade. This router will work well for small offices that need solid performance and simplicity. The speed supported is 802.11ac: 1750Mbps, 802.11n: 600Mbps and in terms of connectivity, you get 4 x Gigabit Ethernet, 1 x USB 2.0. The BiPAC 8900AX-2400 comes with 16 IPSec VPN tunnels, as well as Auto-failover. If you have an ADSL2+ internet connection, this router is a great solution since you can use it instead of your existing router, as long as you know how to set up a network. The truth is that this router is more suitable for users with more technical knowledge and who are not afraid of tweaking things a bit. While the design of the router and the interface are not exactly appealing, this is a good router for a small business and it is cheaper than other options in the list.