If you take a look at the top-of-the-line home routers available and you might be surprised to find that you don’t have to pay a lot of money to purchase a top router, especially in the case of having to manage a handful of devices within a smaller space. This list of top routers under $50 provides excellent options for singles and families with small children living in condos, apartments or even medium-sized houses in which the best range and tri-band coverage aren’t essential.
The best routers that cost less than $50 will still deliver high-quality performance, with enough bandwidth to allow three or four devices to take advantage of modern online services such as four-channel Netflix streaming as well as Zoom call. So they’re a great choice for those on a tight budget, or anyone seeking a budget-friendly router for their home cottage. Check out our top routers under $50 that provide you with top features and coverage for a reasonable cost.
TP-Link Archer A6/C6 AC1200
TP-Link produces some of the cheapest routers available as well as their Archer A6 (also known as the C6) could be one of the least expensive dual-band routers that you can purchase from any brand. With AC1200 specifications, it delivers impressive performance for the price that can reach 867Mbps throughput in the 5GHz band, as well as 300Mpbs on low-end 2.4GHz 802.11n Wi-Fi 4 devices.
This results in a very affordable router that is able to handle streaming 4K on Netflix and keep connected with family and colleagues through FaceTime and Zoom as well as games online that are light. Naturally, as with all budget routers, you’re unlikely to have enough range to cover a large area and you’ll have be sure to have your gadgets near to ensure the highest performance. But, for this price you’ll be able to purchase an WiFi extender when you feel that you require an additional bit of range.
Archer A6 Archer A6 also sports four gigabit Ethernet ports in the back, which can be used to connect hardwires in devices that require speed. Due to the MU-MIMO support but you’ll only require it for older Wi-Fi clients or devices with no Wi-Fi. The budget router includes some amazing features for a device within its price bracket, such as the ability to use devices for QoS as well as the basic controls for parental supervision, WPA3 security, and the OpenVPN server.
TP-Link TL-WR940N N450 Wi-Fi Router
The TL-WR940N from TP-Link is among the cheapest routers that you can purchase. Although you’re cutting quite number of corners for these prices, its robust 2.4GHz 802.11n WI-Fi 4 performance is a fantastic option for anyone who doesn’t have to be concerned about supporting five-GHz devices.
While this restricts the TL-WR940N to speeds of just 500Mbps, it’s the same speed you can expect in the 2.4GHz band, which is higher-end dual-band routers. It’s also plenty of bandwidth to allow at least three to four connected devices to stream 4K video and also make the Zoom call. It also supports the simple Quality of Service features that allow you to control the amount of data each gadget is able to make use of, allowing you to make sure that your gaming consoles and smart TVs are running at their best.
The most significant issue here is that even though you have four Ethernet ports in the rear, these are fast Ethernet and, therefore, you’ll only get 100Mbps for wired connections. This is a rare situation that you can actually experience higher performance from your devices via Wi-Fi rather than connecting them directly to the router.
Netgear R6080 Dual-Band AC1000 WiFi Router
Although it is priced lower Netgear’s R6080 retains its reputation as a sturdy and reliable routers. They offer some of the highest value for your money. Although you shouldn’t think that this model will meet the demands of a huge household but it has enough power and flexibility for a smaller household to take advantage of all the benefits that modern web has to provide.
The dual band AC1000 router can provide up to 700Mbps of bandwidth in 5GHz and 2.4GHz bands. 5GHz band, and 300 Mbps of throughput for 2.4GHz devices that can be shared between as many as 15 different devices, and enough bandwidth to cover 1000 square feet of your living space. This is ideal for couples, singles or small families living who live in bungalows, apartments or condominium because it will provide the speed needed to stream video from streaming services like Netflix in 4K resolution and stay in touch with your family and friends on Facebook as well as Zoom–just in the event that you don’t attempt to put several devices at it.
TP-Link Archer C50 Dual Band Wi-Fi Router
The TP-Link Archer C50 is an affordable router that has greater range than the majority of routers in its price range, and comes with the top AC1200 Wi-Fi as well as enough range to provide 1.2Gbps speeds across the typical three-bedroom house.
Fixed antennas can feature beamforming and MU-MIMO to ensure you receive high-speed service throughout the home even having multiple devices connected, and with 867Mbps of performance in the 5GHz band and 300Mbps for the 2.4GHz side, it provides sufficient capacity for 4K streaming and video calling. A basic technology that is based on the device QoS feature allows you to prioritize certain devices such as smart TVs or games consoles, to ensure that they are getting the most efficient performance.
Although the specifications are like those of the Archer A6, which is undoubtedly the most budget-friendly router in general, if don’t require VPN features or capability to connect high-speed wired devices, then you can save some dollars by choosing the C50 model, which comes with only fast Ethernet ports. In addition however, it has the capability to be an extender of range, so it could be a fantastic addition for an Archer A6 as well.
