Recommended Routers
Contents
Important Notes
NOTE: XMission has tested and verified that the following equipment are supported on the XMission and UTOPIA networks. While any standard router should work, we recommend that our customers use the products listed below for any new purchases.
NOTE: The model number may change depending on the most recent revision from the manufacturer, and may have different firmware versions. While it is unlikely, any changes in models and firmware may differ enough from the equipment we have tested to cause issues.
NOTE: If you are ever in need of support from XMission, please be sure you know your manufacturer, model, and software version for the best support experience.
NOTE: XMission strongly recommends the use of Ethernet when available, as wireless may result in poor performance, and often will not reflect the speed of the XMission network.
What We Use
While we recommend all of the listed equipment below, the following networking equipment is used by XMission staff at home.
AmpliFi MeshPoint HD  Standalone Wireless Router. Requires additional MeshPoints or antennas for more coverage. Used by XMission's president and founder, Pete Ashdown. |
AmpliFi HD Mesh Router  Antenna Only. Requires AmpliFi MeshPoint Wireless Router. Used by XMission's president and founder, Pete Ashdown. |
UniFi Lite Access Point  Access Point ONLY. Requires a router for use. |
Netgear Nighthawk  The Nighthawk series is a common router we see and use. Which Nighthawk model you select will depend on the size of your home. |
Small (1-2 Room) Homes
1,500 square feet or less. This would include most apartment complexes and single-bedroom homes that have one or two rooms.
TP-Link Archer C7(v5) 
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Asus RT-AC68U 
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Netgear R7000P
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| "The Archer C7 is a fast 802.11ac router with incredible range. It's better than many routers that are twice as expensive. This advanced WiFi is designed for high-traffic online activities and can help to run applications at triple the speed of the previous 802.11n standard." Router Interface: |
"The AC1900 (RT-AC68U) is a Dual Band Gigabit router that comes with AiProtection, Network Security, Mobile App, and supports the AiMesh system to allow for whole-home WiFi coverage." Router Interface: |
"The R7000P is the first of Netgear's SmartWiFi Dual Band Gigabit routers. The R7000 supports the NETGEAR Nighthawk Mobile App, ReadyCLOUD®, OpenVPN, have access to a secure personal cloud, access home network remotely, and share photos stored on the storage from anywhere." Router Interface: Nighthawk Mobile App |
Medium (3-4 Room) Homes
Between 1,500 and 3,000 square feet. Most medium homes will have three or four rooms.
TP-Link Archer C3150 
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Asus RT-AC87U 
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Netgear R7800 
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| "The Archer C3150 V2 uses a Broadcom NitroQAM technology that provides a 25% increase in Wireless stability and speed. This provides smooth performance for 4K Streaming, Online Gaming and much more." Router Interface: TP-Link Tether App |
"With Broadcom® TurboQAM™ technology stability and speeds increase 33% faster older models. This means RT-AC87U gives you lag-free online gaming, silky-smooth 4K/UHD video streaming, and effortlessly copes with even the most bandwidth-demanding tasks." Router Interface: |
"With Netgear's next generation Wave2 WiFi—160MHz, MU-MIMO, Quad-stream technology. The R7800 should be able to produce a combined total of 2Gpbs in speed and performance allowing you to work anywhere within your house." Router Interface: Nighthawk Mobile App |
Large (4-6 Room) Homes
Between 3,000 and 4,500 square feet. Most large homes will have four to six rooms.
TP-Link Archer C4000 
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Linksys EA7500 
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Netgear R8000P 
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| "TP-Link has crammed a-lot into a small box. This means you are able to have 1.8Ghz, 64bit quad core CPU with 512MB of ram processing your home network. Using the MU-MIMO technology, this C4000 lets you stream 4k and game will simultaneously playing music or photo sharing at a combined support of 2Gbps+." Router Interface: TP-Link Tether App |
"Linksys has a 3x3 AC dual-core CPU built into this router giving you optimal coverage for your home. This means the whole family can play, stream and work online with minimal to no lag or buffering." Router Interface: Linksys SmartWiFi App |
"With breakthrough Tri-band WiFi and multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO) is ideal for simultaneous streaming to many WiFi devices in your home. The Nighthawk X6S works with Amazon Alexa™ & the Google® Assistant allowing you to control your home network using voice commands." Router Interface: Nighthawk Mobile App |
Extra Large (8+ Rooms) Homes
Homes over 4,500 square feet. Most extra large homes will have more than eight rooms. For homes this large we recommend using one of the options below.
NOTE: XMission strongly recommends the use of Ethernet when available, as wireless may result in poor performance and often will not reflect the speed of the XMission network.
Mesh
Beginner-level full-home coverage
For most users, a whole-home mesh WiFi system will suffice, usually with the compromise of trading WiFi coverage for wireless speed. A mesh WiFi system typically has a main router module that connects directly to your UTOPIA equipment. Satellite nodes or access points that connect to the main module, can then be placed around your house for full WiFi coverage. Together, these create a single and seamless wireless network and share the same wireless name (SSID) and password.
Please note: While Mesh can help cover more floor space, it often trades coverage for speed. You may see lower speeds than expected going with a mesh option. The following recommendations have performed the best for us, with little to no compromise.
| AmpliFi MeshPoint HD Standalone Wireless Router. Requires additional Meshpoints or Antennas for more coverage. Used by XMission's president and founder, Pete Ashdown. |
AmpliFi HD Mesh Router Antenna Only. Requires AmpliFi MeshPoint Wireless Router. Used by XMission's president and founder,, Pete Ashdown. |
TP-Link Archer Deco M9Plus 
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Netgear Orbi 
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| "The AmpliFi™ HD Mesh Router can be used as a stand-alone router or with other AmpliFi™ Mesh Routers for multi-hop, self-healing wireless coverage and enhanced range. For a typical home, the router alone delivers maximum throughput to meet your streaming and gaming demands with lag-free performance." Router Interface: AmpliFi Mobile App |
"Pair the MeshPoint with the AmpliFi™ Router to expand the coverage of an AmpliFi™ network or turn an existing router into a powerful mesh network. Add MeshPoints around your house as needed to eliminate dead spots in your home." Router Interface: AmpliFi Mobile App |
"The TP-Link Deco can guarantee a strong WiFi that will cover every corner of your home up to 6,500 square feet. These devices are a Tri-Band WiFi that creates a fast and secure connection to every devices you have. The Deco M9 Plus also will connect to and allow you to control your TP-Link smart home devices with out the need of an additional hub." Router Interface: TP-Link Deco Mobile App |
"The Netgear Orbi creates a in-home network covering 5,000+ square feet. Orbi helps create a single stream less network allowing you to move room to room with out losing your connection. You are also able to work with Amazon Alexa and the Google Assistant to control your smart home devices." Router Interface: Netgear Orbi Mobile App |
Ubiquiti
No-compromise performance
For intermediate users, or those who would like to take advantage of the full capabilities of the XMission Network, we recommend Ubiquiti's UniFi wireless line: a proprietary Mesh-like network environment, commonly used in enterprise-level deployments. XMission's office and some staffers use Ubiquiti for wireless access points, and strongly recommend them for all living situations.
NOTE: This does require the purchase of a traditional "router" or "gateway switch" (not a "wireless router"), as well as "access points" to provide your home with WiFi.
EdgeRouter X  Router ONLY. May require additional switching gear for more ethernet ports and access point(s) for wireless use. |
EdgeRouter 10X  Router ONLY. Requires access point(s) for wireless use. |
UniFi Lite Access Point Access Point ONLY. Requires a router for use. |
UniFi AP Beacon HD Wi-Fi MeshPoint  Wireless Repeater ONLY. Requires a router and access point for use. |
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| "Ubiquiti Networks introduces the EdgeRouter™ X, part of the EdgeMAX® platform. The EdgeRouter X combines carrier‑class reliability with excellent price‑to‑performance value in an ultra‑compact form factor. The ER-X, can be powered by an external power adapter or 24V passive PoE input. A passive PoE passthrough option* is available to support a single airMAX® device*" Router Interface: |
"Featuring top price/performance value, the EdgeRouter™ 10X is an advanced Gigabit Router with PoE flexibility. Ten Gigabit RJ45 ports offer copper connectivity with PoE input on port 1 and PoE passthrough on port 10. The EdgeRouter 10X supports Layer-2 switching with one internal switch. For scalable configuration, use EdgeOS® or the Ubiquiti® Network Management System (UNMS™)." Router Interface: |
"Build your Wi-Fi network with the UniFi® ac Lite Access Point, part of the Ubiquiti Networks® UniFi Enterprise WiFi System. The UniFi ac Lite Access Point is an indoor, high-performance 802.11ac dual-radio access point, capable of speeds up to 1167 Mbps with a range of up to 122 meters." Router Interface: UniFi Network Mobile App |
"The UniFi AP BeaconHD is the fastest way to extend Wi-Fi coverage and increase throughput in your home and office. The sleek design integrates easily into any environment and plugs in to a standard US wall outlet. Compared to a standard Wi-Fi device, the powerful BeaconHD uplink results in more than 4x larger Wi-Fi coverage range in an open space." Router Interface: UniFi Network Mobile App |
