In December of last year, it was revealed that the US government is considering completely ban TP-Link routers. Like Huawei in 2019, the brand could soon disappear from the US market, but unlike Huawei, this could become a big problem, because TP-Link routers are very popular throughout the country.
The fate of these routers is still uncertain, but it’s a good idea to think ahead and potentially replace your current router. If you are buying a new one, it may be better to buy it from another brand. Below I will guide you through best routers currently available and will help you choose the brand that best suits you.
What is happening with TP-Link?
TP-Link is a Chinese company that specializes in manufacturing various networking products and smart home devices. It’s the brand behind millions of routers and mesh Wi-Fi systems used in the United States every day. One of their main advantages over many competitors is that their routers are very affordable; Even the latest Wi-Fi 7 models can be rated for as little as .
However, the company is on shaky ground. The U.S. Departments of Justice, Defense, and Commerce are actively investigating TP-Link, and the Department of Commerce is now subpoenaing the brand. It all stems from alleged links to Chinese-backed cyberattacks, some of which targeted key government organizations and their suppliers, as well as companies with no ties to the US government.
It’s unclear if TP-Link routers have any specific security flaws that make them more susceptible to cyberattacks than other brands. According CNETSome security researchers say the potential ban could be more related to the company’s ties to China than to flaws related to the hardware or software within its devices.
Thomas Pace, CEO of NetRise, a cybersecurity company, told CNET in December: “People expect there to be some smoking gun or something on these devices from Chinese manufacturers, and what you end up finding are exactly the same problems on all devices. It’s not that Chinese devices are notoriously insecure. That’s not the risk. The risk is in the corporate structure of each Chinese company.”
That said, the experts CNET spoke to agreed that TP-Link had some security flaws, but it wasn’t alone: Chances are, a router that’s completely immune to hackers simply doesn’t exist. Cybersecurity experts note that these attacks are not limited to a single brand of router and that devices around the world can be affected.
At this point, it is unknown if the ban will be implemented and what will happen if TP-Link routers are banned. However, according to The Wall Street JournalTP-Link accounts for up to 65% of router sales that took place in 2024 in the US, so many users could be affected by the ban.
Other router brands to try
Since it’s not yet clear what will happen to TP-Link, you don’t need to throw away your existing router if you already have one. But if the ban passes, many users will look for replacements, and those who don’t currently own a router may want to look at other brands to be safer.
The good news is that there are a few options to choose from, although there aren’t many that are as affordable as TP-Link usually is. Let’s take a look.
asus
In addition to being known for making routers that look like a cross between a Pokémon and a Transformer, Asus is responsible for some of the best routers on the market, aimed primarily at gamers. If you want to avoid lags or disconnections during gameplay, Asus routers tend to be very powerful, but also quite expensive.
The company offers a full range of routers and while they come with features that gamers appreciate, they can be used at home for any purpose. Some are incredibly expensive, like the Asus RT-BE96U BE19000, priced at but this is an overkill Wi-Fi 7 router for the most demanding users. It can offer speeds of up to 19 Gbps, two 10 Gb WAN/LAN ports, multi-link connection and 6 GHz support.
A cheaper option is the Asus RT-AX86U Pro, which is a dual-band Wi-Fi 6 gaming router with speeds up to 5,700 Mbps, access to 2 Gbps WAN connections, and a 2.5 Gbps wired port, and a more modest model. . Being a gaming router, it also offers some interesting features, such as Adaptive Quality of Service (QoS), which allows you to prioritize traffic towards specific games instead of other uses, such as smart home devices or browsers.
Asus has plenty of models in the sub-$100 price range, but of course, they’re not as impressive as the more expensive options. However, the company is widely known as one of the best alternatives to TP-Link due to the high quality of its products.
netgear
Netgear may not be as recognizable to gamers as Asus, but there are still plenty of options to choose from and like Asus, the company offers routers ranging from $60 to $600.
One of the most popular models is the Netgear Nighthawk RS300, which is a tri-band router with access to Wi-Fi 7, including the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz bands. Unfortunately, it cannot be used for a mesh network, but it still offers solid coverage. You will find it by .
Netgear’s Nighthawk Tri-Band RS700S is similar to the expensive Asus I talked about above, although a little cheaper in . This model also supports Wi-Fi 7, speeds up to 19 Gbps, and a 10 Gbps Ethernet port. It is certainly a premium product and, to be clear, most of us don’t need routers of that caliberbut it is an option.
On the other side of the spectrum are routers like the Netgear R6700AX, which is a Wi-Fi 6 router with speeds of up to 1.8Gbps. Netgear promises to provide coverage of up to 1,500 square feet and support for up to 20 devices at once with this one, and it will only set you back a much more reasonable price. .
Netgear also has some innovative options in play, such as the Netgear Orbi Voicewhich is a device that combines a Wi-Fi router with a smart speaker. Bonus: It looks pretty good too.
Eero
Eero is the last brand I’d like to recommend to you today, and it’s one that strikes a good balance between “affordable” and “solid.” Being an Amazon brand, it is widely available on the platform and there are many kits so you can set up your own mesh system to increase coverage in your home.
He Eero 6+ mesh system It was one that we especially liked. A pack of two Eero 6+ nodes is enough to cover a three-bedroom home, and while it’s not the latest Eero option (they can cost upwards of $600), it’s still a recent option with plenty of networking power to offer. It is a Wi-Fi 6 mesh system with speeds reaching up to 1 Gbps. Assuming you’re fine with a two-pack, it’ll cost you And at that price, Eero claims you can connect up to 75 devices. (My old router would break if I tried to do something like that.)
Amazon also has many better Eeros available, including the Eero Max 7, which supports plans up to 10Gbps. However, just one of these will set you back a whopping $600, at which point you could also get an enterprise-grade router. A three-pack of these will set you back $1,700; That’s enough to build a decent gaming PC.
If you don’t need a full mesh system or incredibly high speeds, a single Eero 6 and still supports speeds of up to 900 Mbps.
How to stay safe if you currently use TP-Link
As I mentioned earlier in this article, you don’t have to worry about your entire network just because you own a TP-Link router. However, Microsoft discovered that these routers were used in so-called password spraying attacks, which means using a common password on a variety of devices and hacking those that use that password.
We don’t know of any dangers unique to TP-Link routers, but there are a few things you can do to make sure you’re a little safer, regardless of who made your router.
First of all, if you are using the default router provided to you by your ISP, it is a good idea to replace it. Not only will the new router be better, it could also be more secure. However, be sure to check with your ISP first, as some ISPs do not allow third-party hardware.
Next, no matter if you have a third-party router or one that was rented to you, be sure to change your password to something highly secure and strictly yours. Default passwords still cause problems for people on a regular basis.
Lastly, keep your firmware updated and be sure to use some protection measures, such as a firewall and Wi-Fi encryption. Hackers are more likely to target businesses and government organizations than consumers, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.
