Are you tired of losing fights because of your high ping issues? Do you become frustrated when you’re winning but the game logs you out because of latency and packet loss? Yes, we have all been there. A stable internet connection is essential for gaming, and routers are even more important to boost the connection and keep the network stable and smooth.
Not all gamers will have a huge budget allocated for routers. But, it IS possible to get very good routers at a reasonable price. It takes a lot of research and it can be difficult to choose the best gaming router for yourself. But, you don’t have to worry! We have come up with the best gaming routers under $100 considering all the features they provide and their performance and help you choose the most economical one.
Our List Of Top Gaming Routers under $100
Comparison Table For Top Gaming Routers under $100
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PRODUCT
Tenda AC23 Smart Wi-Fi Router
- Frequency Bands: Dual-band
- Number of antennae: 7
- Data transfer rate: 2033 mbps
Bosi AC1200 Smart Wi-Fi Router
- Frequency Bands: Dual-band
- Number of antennae: 4
- Data transfer rate: 1200mbps
D-Link AC1300 Wi-Fi Router
- Frequency Bands: Dual-band
- Number of antennae: 4
- Data transfer rate: 1300mbps
NexusLink Gaming Router Extender
- Frequency Bands: Dual-band
- Number of antennae: No antennae (it’s an extender)
- Data transfer rate: 1750mbps
TP-Link AC1900
- Frequency Bands: Dual-band
- Number of antennae: 3
- Data transfer rate: 1900mbps
TP-Link AC1750 Wi-Fi Extender
- Frequency Bands: Dual-band
- Number of antennae: 3
- Data transfer rate: 1750mbps
TP-Link AC1200 Wi-Fi Extender
- Frequency Bands: Dual-band
- Number of antennae: No antennae
- Data transfer rate: 1200mbps
WAVLINK AC1200 Wi-Fi Long Range Extender
- Frequency Bands: Dual-band
- Number of antennae: 4
- Data transfer rate: 1200mbps
Mercku M2 Wireless Router
- Frequency Bands: Dual-band
- Number of antennae: 2 WHEMS antennae (internal)
- Data transfer rate: 1200mbps
Verizon FiOS Quantum Gateway G1100 Router
- Frequency Bands: Dual-band
- Number of antennae: No antennae
- Data transfer rate: 1750mbps
Best Gaming Routers under $100 Reviews
1. Tenda AC23 Smart Wi-Fi Router | Best Budget Gaming Router
Tenda has come up with an awesome router for gaming! It has the wireless standards of IEEE 802.11ac technology and is a dual-band router. It provides an impressive total bandwidth of 2033 Mbps, with 1733 Mbps on 5 GHz frequency bands.
The AC23 has advanced MU-MIMO technology for a 5 GHz frequency. It is the 4×4 variation and is the best of all the variations of MU-MIMO out there. This means it has four separate bandwidth streams which the router can work on and provide high speeds to several users simultaneously.
This Tenda router consists of seven large external antennas, which can amplify the outgoing signals by 7 times. It also has an internal amplifier coupled with the Beamforming technology to boost the signal before it’s sent out. The signals can thus go past obstacles with ease and travel longer distances. It’s very suitable for gaming since the devices can receive strong wireless signals,
Since it’s made up of high-end technology, the AC23 Smart router can handle 25-35 devices with ease. It can offer satisfying levels of bandwidth to all devices. The router also consists of three powerful Gigabit LAN Ports and a dual-core processor. Advanced security protocols are featured in this router as well, starting from IPV6 support and easy parental control operations. The router is compatible with Alexa.
Highlighted Features
- It has the latest 4×4 variation of MU-MIMO technology.
- It has 7 external antenna that multiply signals by 6 times.
- It can handle 25-35 devices simultaneously.
- It uses the Beamforming technology which focuses signals on devices.
- It has 3 Gigabit Lan ports.
2. Bosi AC1200 Smart Wi-Fi Router | Best $100 Gaming Router
The Bosi AC1200 router comes with a good total speed of 1200 Mbps. It is also a dual-band router and provides great Wi-Fi coverage over a huge area. The router has various versions of wireless standards and also provides a bandwidth of 867 Mbps at 5 GHz band frequencies.
AC1200 comes with 4 external antennas and each has an amplifying power of 5dB. The amplification of the power through the antenna also helps the signals to go through obstacles and congested places easily.
The router can easily cover areas of 3500 square feet. It can support latency-free internet to as many as 50 devices simultaneously. This Bosi product has a unique way of heat reduction. It has multiple small vents for rapid reduction of heat.
Apart from this external security, it has WPA/WPA2 security protocols, and also supports PPTP VPN clients for internal network security. Guest network access and parental controls are also available.
Another important point is that it has four high-speed Gigabit LAN ports along with a WAN port. It can also support LAN gaming in a certain household or area for groups of people. The router comes with USB ports and SD Card slots; they just keep on adding to the functionality of this awesome router.
Highlighted Features
- The router can handles 50 devices at the same time.
- It can cover up-to 3500 square feet.
- Its external antenna amplifies signals by 5times.
- It has a unique and prompt heat reduction system.
- The router comes with 5 Ethernet ports and USB port.
3. D-Link AC1300 Wi-Fi Router | Best Router for Multiple Devices and Gaming
With a strong 880 MHz dual-core processor, the D-Link AC1300 has been very impressive for gaming purposes. It provides a total bandwidth of 1300 Mbps, and a great speed of 400 Mbps at 2.4 GHz.
The router works greatly for EXO Mesh systems and helps in achieving the maximum speeds attainable at a larger radius. The Mesh system is also boosted with MU-MIMO technology to provide a high-speed network for several devices at a time.
D-Link has given extra importance to the QoS features regarding the router. With QoS network policies you can configure and manage the data transmission in your network, essential for zero lag and latency-free gaming.
The router has four Gigabit LAN ports and a WAN port. The QoS and the wired connections can make gaming in computers smoother than ever. It also has four strong external antennas for supporting gaming in wireless devices as well.
This router provides extra network security with general security features. You can also configure the router and make sure that limited devices connect to it.
The router itself can block devices from entering harmful websites, and automatically updates its firmware. Last, but not least, the D-Link app available does a great job in helping to install the router.
Highlighted Features
- The router supports EXO Mesh wireless systems.
- It works with QoS policies, reducing lag and jitter.
- It provides advanced security and prevents entry into harmful websites.
- It has five high-performing Gigabit Ethernet ports.
- Installation is straightforward with the help of the D-Link app.
4. NexusLink Gaming Router Extender | Best Router for Casual Gaming
As the name suggests, this device is an extender for gaming routers. It does the job very well and solves all of the internet gaming issues. It provides a total bandwidth of 1750 Mbps. The wireless standard is the Wave 2 technology, with IEEE 802.11ac version. Both these features combined allow faster transmission of signals through any kind of obstacles.
The extender comes as a pack of two devices. One of them is connected to Wi-Fi and the other one to a computer. The wireless coverage in this router extender supports over a very large distance.
The extender features QoS policies focused on gaming. Along with more smart technology, the extender ensures rapid signal transfer and cuts off time-delay completely.
Even if there are other users, you’ll always be receiving strong network signals. You can even place them in locations filled with obstacles. This won’t hinder the functionality of the router extender at all. The extender comes with a WPS pairing button as well!
There are 2 Gigabit Ethernet ports available in the extender. These can be used to interconnect computers or used for a much stronger connection. Private networks can also be set-up using the NexusLink gaming router extender.
It is also very easy to set-up. It takes only 3 simple steps to inter-connect the extenders and you’re good to go!
Highlighted Features
- It provides a total bandwidth of 1750 Mbps.
- It uses Wave 2 technology of wireless standards versions.
- The router extender focuses on QoS policies based on gaming.
- It has WPS button for easy pairing.
- It can be easily set up in 3 steps.
5. TP-Link AC1900 Wi-Fi Router | Best Gaming Routers Under $150
TP-Link AC1900 is a dual-band router very adapted for gaming. Like all dual-band routers, it comes with two bands of frequencies, and it can support a maximum bandwidth of 1900 Mbps. This is a very high bandwidth for a dual-band router, and it boosts the internet connectivity during gaming when fast internet is required.
Boasting a super-fast 1 GHz dual-core processor, the signal is transmitted very fluently. They are small, but they’re very powerful amplifiers and signals gain up-to 24 dB. The antennae are detachable as well and are easy to carry.
There is obviously the Beamforming technology programmed in the router, which makes sure it focuses maximum signals on the connected devices. AC1900 comes with four Gigabit Ethernet ports. This is very important for gaming, as high bandwidth can’t be received if the Ethernet ports aren’t good enough.
The USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports give huge scope for data sharing, external storage, and most importantly, wired internet connection for gaming in phones and tablets. The TP-Link Tether app is excellent in helping you to install and control the router with ease.
Lastly, TP-Link has already proven itself as a brand. They have won customer service awards and they’re always developing their products to stay at the top.
Highlighted Features
- The router supports a total of 1900 Mbps bandwidth.
- The router has relatively much faster 1 GHz dual-core processor.
- It has the advanced Beamforming technology.
- The router has four Gigabit Ethernet ports.
- The router has two USB ports, 3.0 and 2.0.
Top Gaming Routers under $100 Buyer’s Guide
What is the best router under 100 dollars? Having a clear conception of what you will be purchasing is always necessary. In that way, you will know what is important and what is not. You can also be assured that we have brought for you the best under $100 gaming routers out there, focusing on the most essential features mentioned below.
Bandwidth of the Router: Undoubtedly, bandwidth is the most basic thing to consider while looking for a gaming router. Even though the actual speed depends on your ISP connection, routers are there to boost and amplify the speed sent to all devices, making the gaming experience smooth.
There is a huge range of speeds on routers out there. Generally, routers with speeds of 12000 Mbps are just enough for the best performance.
Wireless Standards: It is really important for the router to consist of the latest version of the Wi-Fi standards available. The versions are upgrading in technology at an increasing rate, and so are the wireless settings on phones and computers.
The router must be compatible with all the previous wireless standards as well. It is very significant because if the devices aren’t compatible with the router’s Wi-Fi standards, it can’t connect to the internet.
Frequency Bands: For a gaming router, routers with dual-band or tri-band are very much preferred. Dual bands work under frequencies of 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, and tri-bands have an extra 5 GHz band. The router creates unique routes on each band of frequencies.
The devices receive and transmit signals on certain bands depending on their distance from the routers. If the number of users increases, the router divides them over the bands equally. This makes sure the internet coverage on all the devices is at a peak level.
Quality of Service (QoS): Which WiFi router is best for gaming? For a truly satisfying gaming experience, QoS makes a huge difference. The best under 100 gaming routers we’ve chosen have high-end Quality of Service policies.
QoS basically helps to handle the huge amounts of data flowing in and out of a network. The data transmission occurs in a matter of milliseconds, and the QoS policies make it easier to manage the signals better and prioritize. In this way, QoS prevents latency from increasing. It also helps in packet loss reduction and prevents jitter.
Ethernet ports: Unlike normal routers, Ethernet ports are a must-have for gaming routers. We all know, wired connections receive higher bandwidth than wireless connections, so the Internet is stronger.
What routers do pro gamers use? Gaming routers must have high-end Ethernet ports, especially LAN ports. The Ethernet ports must support high-speed data transfer rates, preferably in the Gigabit range. The more the number of ports, the more devices can be connected.
Some routers also have USB ports and console ports. If gaming wirelessly on phones or consoles isn’t working out for you, these routers will complete your missing piece of the puzzle by providing a wired connection to the Internet.
Final Word
For online gaming, high-performing routers are essential. A simple ping issue or a bit of packet loss can completely change the scenario of a competitive game. It’s necessary to have a stable and smooth internet connection at all times. It’s obviously not financially possible for everyone to buy very high-end routers.
But, we have done our research and searched for the most cost-efficient routers out there. We have provided you the best gaming routers under $100 so that you can easily choose the one which suits your purpose.