The Choice of Wi-Fi Router from 802.11ac (5 GHZ). Inexpensive Models

I have already written several articles about choosing routers for different tasks and from different price categories. As I write this article, I will provide links to them. I decided to write a topical article about choosing a router that supports the new 802.11ac standard. They are dual-band routers, which can work simultaneously on two frequencies. Including the new 5 GHz frequency. Many people are looking for exactly the cheapest models of routers with support for 5 GHz network and ac standard.

It is about such budget routers, I will try to tell in this article. Consider the most affordable routers with support for the new standard, one model from each manufacturer. I think it will be fair. In any case, we will have a list of the cheapest router models that support the wireless network standard we need.

First of all, let’s find out what 802.11ac and 5 GHz Wi-Fi are. If you’re not already in the know.

Router with support for ac and wi-fi 5 GHz. What is it, and what are the pros?

The routers we’re talking about today are also called dual-band. They are Dual-Band. I wrote more about it in a separate article: /about-wireless-technology/what-is-a-two-band-wi-fi-fi router-dual-band-wi-fi/.

These are conventional routers, with support for the new, modern 802.11ac standard. They are relatively new on the market and are already being actively sold. Their prices were very high at first, but as more and more models started to appear, competition appeared, and prices of course fell.

Now to the main thing. I’ve already written what 802.11ac is. This is a new, modern standard wi-fi. It works only at a frequency of 5 GHz. Therefore, all routers that have support for the ac standard support the 5 GHz frequency. This is actually why they are dual-band. Because they can simultaneously distribute two Wi-Fi networks on different frequencies: 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz.

You may ask why I need the old 2.4 GHz frequency. The fact is that not all devices (laptops, smartphones, tablets, Wi-Fi adapters, etc.) can work at 5 GHz and support the 802.11ac standard. Devices (Wi-Fi network clients) that don’t support the new standard will connect to the network at 2.4 GHz and operate in 802.11n (or lower) mode. I wrote about it in the article: Why laptop, smartphone, or tablet does not see Wi-Fi network 5 GHz.

If we talk about the pluses of the new ac standard, it is first of all the speed of the wireless Wi-Fi network. It is higher than on the previous standard 802.11n. The speeds range from 430 Mbps to an impressive 6.77 Gbps. In this day and age when you need more bandwidth to watch high quality videos (especially on TVs), play online games, download large files, etc., the new Wi-Fi network standard is like a breath of fresh air. Since the 802.11n standard is already a bit outdated, and its technical capabilities are not always enough.

Another plus is that the frequency of the Wi-Fi network 5 GHz is less loaded. And this is the absence of all kinds of interference. And the absence of interference, it is more speed and stability. However, according to my observations, the signal strength of the Wi-Fi network from one router at 5 GHz is slightly lower than at 2.4 GHz. And there are also rumors that the new frequency doesn’t penetrate walls well. But this probably depends on the specific model of the router.

Well, and the fact that this is a new wireless standard, of course, is a plus. Since in the near future just have to choose a router with support for the new standard. In the article with tips on choosing a Wi-Fi router for home, I advised not to buy routers without support for the ac standard.

The cheapest routers with 802.11ac (wi-fi at 5 GHz).

We will consider only the most affordable, budget versions of routers, but which necessarily have support for IEEE 802.11ac. Well, and accordingly they will be dual-band. Low price and the presence of a new standard Wi-Fi network – these are the main conditions.

In principle, you can do it without my advice. Just in some popular online store set the filter for “IEEE 802.11ac” and sort by price “from cheap to expensive”. But I’m already familiar with many router models, which I’ll write about below, and I have something to say about each of them. I will give links to pages with their reviews, testimonials and setup instructions. If there are such on our site.

The list is just for familiarization. And so that you understand what you can focus on when choosing a router with ac.

Xiaomi Mini wi-fi

And strangely enough, the most affordable is the router from the Chinese company Xiaomi. Xiaomi Mi wi-fi model. In addition, this router has a USB port. Although, there try to figure out how to use it for different tasks. All through some applications. Very stupid decision.

The router is good, but I certainly won’t buy it 🙂 No, just kidding, I already have it. I bought it not for personal use, but to see what kind of device it is. With such features and at such a good price. Well, and to write a couple instructions for the site.

The router is interesting, beautiful, seems to work without problems (no experience in long-term use). But the control panel in Chinese is a bit stressful. You can flash it with English firmware, or put some firmware from Padavan, or PandoraBox. But this is already unnecessary fiddling, which not everyone will want to do.

If you need a simple and clear router, which is easy to configure and understand the different functions, and you are not a fan of installing different firmware and other things, then I do not advise you routers from Xiaomi.

Xiaomi mini Wi-Fi router review: /reviews-and-information-about-routers/xiaomi-mini-wifi-router-review-and-reviews/

If you decide to buy this variant, you will most likely need instructions on how to set up the Xiaomi Mini wi-fi.

There is also a model from this manufacturer Xiaomi Wi-Fi MiRouter 3. But it will be a little more expensive.

The router in principle is good (especially for its money), and everyone will be able to configure it. But you will need to understand the settings. The models are popular, and there are a lot of reviews.

TP-Link Archer C20i and TP-Link Archer C20

These are almost identical routers, just in different cases. I am familiar with both models. The TP-Link Archer C20i is the one I have at the moment. These are the most affordable routers from TP-Link with ac support.

Both routers have a USB port. Good signal quality at 5 GHz. Even the TP-Link Archer C20i, despite the fact that it has internal antennas. I won’t go into detail about these routers, as I’ve already done detailed reviews.

You can read the TP-Link Archer C20i review and reviews, and a separate page about the TP-Link Archer C20: /reviews-and-information-about-routers/review-and-reviews-about-tp-link-archer-c20-wi-fi-5ghz-and-usb-port-roter/.

If you settle on these options, the TP-Link Archer C20i setup instructions will come in handy. And I also wrote about configuring the TP-Link Archer C20 model.

Let me remind you that these are the cheapest options. TP-Link has a lot of routers that support the new wireless standard. Closer to the budget models there are also TP-LINK Archer C50 and TP-LINK Archer C25.

Netis WF2710

Another budget option of a modern router from the company Netis. I’m not familiar with the Netis WF2710 model specifically. But I have used routers from this manufacturer. I reviewed even cheaper variants. True, they do not support ac.

I read the reviews, there are not very good. But it’s probably normal, with any router it’s like that. And there is no USB port.

Judging by other models from Netis, I can say that the routers have a simple and clear control panel. So there should be no problems with the configuration.

Tenda AC6

Another option for an inexpensive, modern router. For the price, it will be a little more expensive than models from TP-Link. And significantly more expensive for Xiaomi Mini wi-fi. The model as far as I understand is new, there are few reviews. It looks like this:

Of course there is support for the 802.11ac standard. Wireless speeds up to 867 Mbps.

I’m also not familiar with this router, so I can’t say anything specific about it. Look for information on the Internet, read owner reviews. This is just another affordable router model that suits our needs.

Inexpensive routers ASUS with ac support

At ASUS, the cheapest models will cost more than the options we reviewed above. The most affordable, these are the Asus RT-AC750 and Asus RT-AC51U models. The RT-AC51U model is especially popular.

In the nearest future I’ll try to test these models and tell you more about them.

RT-AC750 and RT-AC51U are a very good variant of a budget router with 5GHz support. The presence of USB-ports and support for 3G modems is very pleasant.

Other models

• D-Link has interesting models: D-Link DIR-825/AC, D-Link DIR-806A.
• The manufacturer Totolink has a good model Totolink A1004.
• And Zyxel, as far as I understand the cheapest model (I mean with support for 802.11ac) Keenetic Giga III. And it is not cheap. You can take a look.

Let me remind you that we considered the most affordable options.

If your main goal is to save money when buying a router and you are ready to give up the new technology, see my article with tips on choosing the cheapest router: /useful-and-interesting-articles/the-cheapest-wi-fi-fi router-choosing-a-budget-router-for-home/.

I hope my little tips will help you in choosing a router, and that you will enjoy the transition to the new 802.11ac communication standard and 5 GHz frequency.

You can always share your experience and add useful information to this article in the comments. You can also leave your questions there.

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Ramón

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