Gone are the days of N150 routers, if you want to get Wi-Fi in your home then N300 routers not only offer good throughput but are also capable of handling more devices simultaneously connected to the router. Moreover, these models don’t break the bank. It should be noted that these are all Wi-Fi routers which DO NOT have built-in MODEMs, so these should be used along with an existing MODEM. The RJ45 Ethernet output from the MODEM goes into the RJ45 WAN input port on these routers. Also, you should ideally get the latest hardware revision of the router that is available in the market since those tend to be the most competitive in terms of features as well as performance. In order to figure that out, simply check the support page of the manufacturer and you will know what the latest hardware revision is.
Netgear WNR614 N300 Wi-Fi Router
The Netgear WNR614 N300 Wi-Fi router comes with 4x100Mbps LAN ports and 1x100Mbps WAN port, which make it ideal for when you need Wi-Fi but don’t want to sacrifice on the number of ports that are available. It comes with a separate SSID for guests which can be enabled or disabled on the fly. The built-in antennae have a gain of 2dBi so it’s good for small spaces. Moreover, it’s also one of the few routers which can stand on its side. While this isn’t a feature per se, it does result in space-saving and makes the router a little discrete. Like most Netgear routers, you can also use the Netgear Genie app to remotely configure the device. Additionally, it comes with a two-year warranty coverage in India.
Tenda N301 Wireless N300 Router
A noteworthy aspect about the Tenda N301 Wireless N300 Router is that its two omnidirectional antennae have a gain of 5 dBi which is towards the higher end in the budget segment. This increases the signal strength of the Wi-Fi router, allowing you to get better reception. Aside from that, you get 1x100Mbps WAN port and 3x100Mbps LAN ports. While it does have fewer LAN port, it does also affirm to a smaller form-factor making it more appealing for folks who wish to save on space.
D-Link DIR-615 Wireless-N300 Router
The D-Link DIR-615 Wireless N300 has the standard set of features including 2x5dBi external antennas, 1x100Mbps WAN port and 4x100Mbps LAN ports. The UI is also quite simple to navigate and the feature set is comparable to most routers in this price range. It’s got enough weight to remain stable even after being plugged in. There are cooling vents on the underside and in the front with the top-side being plain with just the LED indicators visible. D-Link provides a three-year warranty with the DIR-615 in India.
TP-LINK TL-WR820N 300 Mbps Wireless N Router
The TP-LINK TL-WR820N 300 Mbps Wireless N Router is as feature-rich as routers come in the budget segment. The key differentiator here is that the TL-WR820N only has 2x100Mbps LAN ports whereas all the other routers mentioned here have three or four LAN ports. To compensate for this, the TL-WR820N enables WMM by default which prioritises Wireless Multimedia services giving you a better experience if you are using VoIP and VoLAN among other services. Lastly, TP-Link also provides three-year warranty coverage for the TL-WR820N.
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Mithun Mohandas
Mithun Mohandas is an Indian technology journalist with 10 years of experience covering consumer technology. He is currently employed at Digit in the capacity of a Managing Editor. Mithun has a background in Computer Engineering and was an active member of the IEEE during his college days. He has a penchant for digging deep into unravelling what makes a device tick. If there's a transistor in it, Mithun's probably going to rip it apart till he finds it. At Digit, he covers processors, graphics cards, storage media, displays and networking devices aside from anything developer related. As an avid PC gamer, he prefers RTS and FPS titles, and can be quite competitive in a race to the finish line. He only gets consoles for the exclusives. He can be seen playing Valorant, World of Tanks, HITMAN and the occasional Age of Empires or being the voice behind hundreds of Digit videos. View Full Profile
