In this article, we’re going to look at the best router for smart home devices.
The best router for smart home devices depends a lot on the size of the home. For example, if you have a 1,200-square-foot home, you may be able to get away with an individual device. However, if you have a 4,000-square-foot house, you at a minimum need a mesh WiFi system. The preferred approach for a large house is a PoE Switch connected to access points around a house, though admittedly, that’s not always possible. The devices below are also exceptional when combined with a product like Home Assistant!
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Best Router for Smart Home
Before we look at the best router for smart home devices, I want to point out a few important points:
- The first question that needs to be answered is the total size of the home and the types of devices that you want to connect.
- For example, if you’ll have outdoor Wi-Fi cameras, total coverage is extremely important.
- The second point is the total number of devices that will be connecting. If you have a ton of devices connecting, it’s best to get a dedicated firewall (my favorite being pfSense) so that you can create VLANs and separate traffic. It will also benefit you to consider using dedicated PoE Switches and Access Points as opposed to an all-in-one Wi-Fi system.
- For most people, a mesh Wi-Fi system is the best option, so we’ll be looking at mesh WiFi systems below. With that said, if you have a house where the router is in a central location and just need a solid router, the TP-Link AXE5400 is a great option.
TP-Link Deco X20
The TP-Link Deco X20 is a Wi-Fi 6 mesh system that will cover 5,800 square feet of space. Each device has two 1GbE ports which can be used to hardwire devices if needed. The biggest benefit of this device is that you’ll almost certainly be able to cover your entire home and have a strong WiFi connection throughout. There are parental controls and support for up to 150 devices.
The majority of people won’t need this amount of square footage coverage, however, it won’t hurt to have it.
Click here to purchase the TP-Link Deco X20 on Amazon
PROS
- WiFi 6 Support
- Mesh network with coverage for 5,800 square feet
CONS
- Doesn’t provide as much coverage as the TP-Link Deco AX3000
Amazon eero
The Amazon eero is a mesh Wi-Fi system that supports WiFi 6 and allows you to use devices (mesh) that can be placed around your house to extend Wi-Fi coverage. My absolute favorite feature of this device is that it’s expandable, meaning that if you purchase two hubs, you can purchase an extender at a later time to extend Wi-Fi coverage.
This is a great overall system and the Amazon eero is potentially the best overall product on this list for most people.
Click here to purchase a Amazon eero on Amazon
PROS
- WiFi 6 Support
- Expandable
- 4,500 square feet of total coverage
CONS
- Not a budget-friendly option
TP-Link Deco AX3000
The TP-Link Deco AX3000 is a Wi-Fi 6 mesh system that covers up to 6,500 square feet. The important thing I want to point out here is that you do not need to have a house that’s 6,500 square feet to benefit from a system like this. The overall goal is to provide strong Wi-Fi coverage to all devices, and the TP-Link Deco AX3000 does just that.
With that said, either of the devices above will provide extremely similar results, though this technically covers the most square footage (meaning it should provide the strongest WiFi coverage).
Click here to purchase the TP-Link Deco AX3000 on Amazon
PROS
- WiFi 6 Support
- 6,500 square feet of total coverage
- Strongest overall coverage
CONS
- Might be overkill depending on house size/device total
Conclusion: Best Router for Smart Home
This tutorial looked at the best router for smart home devices. In my opinion, the TP-Link Deco AX3000 is the best overall router for smart homes, but the other two options are great as well. In general, there are a lot of factors that determine which router is best for smart homes as the total number of devices, square footage, and total coverage (indoor, outdoor, or both) all must be taken into consideration.
As mentioned above, if you want the best total Wi-Fi coverage, go with PoE Switches and Access Points. However, this will cover the majority of people very well.
Thanks for checking out the article on the best router for smart home devices. If you have any questions on the best router for smart home devices, please leave them in the comments!
