Best Dual Band Router That You Can Buy Today

• Should I choose an AC750, an AC1200, or an AC1350?
• Which router should I purchase?
• Which router is best for Jio/Airtel fibre connections?
• What’s the difference between tp-link A6 and C6?
• Which is the best router I should look into?

Do any of the following questions come to your mind? Then read the rest of this blog.
I guarantee that all of your doubts will be cleared. We’ll go over all of the Dual-Band Routers available on Amazon/Flipkart in this blog. It’s difficult to choose a Dual-Band Router in the Indian market because there are so many categories, models, and Gigabit or non-Gigabit options. Many consumers make mistakes while choosing a router. Then they say that even after purchasing a Dual-Band Router, they are not obtaining full speed.

Best Dual-Band Router for Airtel/Jio Wi-Fi?

If you’re thinking about getting a Jio/Airtel fibre connection, you might be questioning which router is best for you.
Then my response would be, “There’s no need.” Both Jio and Airtel provide full-fledged Dual-Band Routers that support speeds of up to 1Gbps. There’s no need until and unless you require a router to extend your range only. Because these FTTH routers are so limited, it does not make sense if you use an other router. These routers aren’t available from every good brand. So, whichever router you get from the company, I would advise you to take it. Continue reading the blog if you need a router to enhance your range.

Must Read | Jio vs Airtel Fiber Broadband – Every Detail You Need To Know

AC Numbers Naming Explained

Whenever you buy any Dual-Band Router, there’s a number mentioned on their boxes, such as AC 750, AC 1200. AC here refers to dual band 802.11 ac. Now, what does 750, 1200, 1900 symbolizes? For this you need to go through specifications of your router. For instance, if you check AC 750, it mentions 5 GHz – 433 Mbps and 2.4 GHz – 300 Mbps. Adding up 433 and 300, you get 750 Mbps(Round off). Thus, named AC 750. Likewise, for AC 1200, you’ll see 5 GHz – 867 Mbps and 2.4 GHz – 300 Mbps. Adding up gives you 1200.

Which Dual-Band Router To Go For?

There are basically four brands that make Dual-Band Routers for consumers, which are readily available online:

1. tp-link
2. D-Link
3. MERCUSYS
4. Tenda

tp-link Recommendations

The router that I personally recommend of this brand is C6 model.

You can definitely trust this particular model blindly. No issues so far. Version 3 have also been launched. It comes with MU-MIMO, Gigabit Ports and dual-band networking with AC1200.

Buy tp-link AC1200 Archer C6: (Rs. 2,599)

tp-link Archer – C6 or A6?

There’s no difference in the two at all. It’s just that they are made for different sales channel. Except for the sticker, the routers are identical. You can buy any of the model in which you are able to crack a better deal.

Buy tp-link AC1200 Archer C6: (Rs. 2,599)

Buy tp-link AC1200 Archer A6: (Rs. 2,399)

Why Not AC750?

Many people asks me that AC750 costs Rs. 1500(1000 rupees less than AC1200) and it supports 467 Mbps speed on 5 GHz band. If we are using 200 Mbps plan, then AC750 should serve our purpose? And the answer lies in the ports of the router. If you take any AC750 router, no Gigabit ports are available. The companies hide it in the name of Fast-Ethernet port or 10/100 Mbps LAN ports. That is to say, there’s a speed cap of 100 Mbps. Whether the router supports 467 Mbps speed on 5 GHz band but the speed is capped to 100 Mbps for LAN ports. This means that you won’t be able to get more than 100 Mbps over a wired connection, regardless of whether you have a 200 Mbps plan, or using the 5 GHz Band, or have a Dual-Band Router.

This is totally marketting gimmick not by one, but by all the companies. So what’s the point of mentioning 5 GHz band if there’s a speed cap of 100 Mbps. Only Marketing Gimmick Or you can say they are supporting hi-speed over wireless. But not through your LAN Ports. What does this mean? You can use AC 750 as a repeater along with a 5GHz band router, then you’ll be able to extract the full speed over wireless network only. But if you’ll be using this as a primary router, then whatever speed your ISP may provide. The input port has a capability of not more than 100 Mbps.

AC1200 Dual-Band Routers

Now, not all AC1200 Dual-Band Routers have both input as well as output Gigabit ports. That is to say, input port supports speed of 1 Gbps but output ports have a cap of 100 Mbps. So, Make sure to look at the ports of the router before purchasing. Specially, if you wish to upgrade to higher speed plans in future. Because, 100 Mbps is becoming a common standard nowadays. You’ll be able to upgrade to double speed plan upto 300 Mbps in just Rs. 50-100 in the upcoming 7-8 months. Nowadays, the number of smart devices in our houses is also keep on increasing.

So, one should take all this factors into consideration for future-proofing. Althouh they say that they support for 300 Mbps in 2.4 GHz but deep down we all know that we cannot get speed over 40 Mbps in 2.4 GHz band. There are only some exceptional case where the ISP itself pushes the speed in which you’re able to get speed over 50 Mbps in 2.4 GHz band too.

Best tp-link Dual-Band Router

Here are few of my recoomendations:

1. Archer C6
2. Archer C1200

Both costs at a similar price. The only difference is that C1200 comes with a USB port which you can use to make a Printer Server or a Cloud Drive. If you don’t need a USB port then you can for Archer C6 comes with MU-MIMO technology. You can check out this video for more knowledge on MU-MIMO.

Buy tp-link AC1200 Archer C6: (Rs. 2,599)

Buy tp-link AC1200 Archer C1200: (Rs. 2,699)

Must Read | PRINTER | WHICH ONE TO BUY?| FIND PERFECT FOR YOU!

Best MERCUSYS Dual-Band Router

The one router that I can recommend of this brand is MERCUSYS AC 12G which has support for upto 60 devices, with MU-MIMO technology.

Overall, it’s a great choice if you’re looking for an affordable router without the need of an USB port.

Buy MERCUSYS AC12G: (Rs. 1,999)

Best D-Link Dual-Band Router

1. D-Link DIR-825

The D-Link DIR-825 comes with a USB port and comes with MU-MIMO technology. This also can support upto 20 devices along with the Gigabits Ports.

Buy D-Link DIR-825: (Rs. 2,349)

2. D-Link COVR

This option is also equally good. This is a different kind of router, in term of looks, that can be used as a display in your house. This router don’t even look like a router, looks like a pen stand.

The biggest con of this particular router is that you only get two ports – 1 input and 1 output. If show-off is your priority over the number of ports, then you can definitely check this out. Other notable features include MESH, QuickSync.

Buy D-Link COVR: (Rs. 2,599)

Best Tenda Dual-Band Router

Tenda AC10

The Tenda AC10 Dual-Band Router supports speeds upto 1 Gbps. It supports AC1200 dual-band connectivity, MU-MIMO with all the Gigaports. Version 3 is currently trending nowadays.

Buy Tenda AC10: (Rs. 2,599)

Dishonourable Mentions

1. D-Link DIR 841

It has all the specifications same with D-Link DIR 825. The only con is that it has no Gigabit ports. Its definitely cheaper than DIR 825, but it has ports with a speed cap of 100 Mbps. So, AVOID IT!!

2. Tenda AC5

The same story goes with the Tenda AC5 AC1200 Dual-Band Router. But what’s the point of AC1200 if you’re simply not giving Gigaports? So, AVOID IT TOO!!

New Connectivity Options

Easy Connection Modes is now available in all the routers. Basically, there are three modes coming in all newer routers:

1. Router Mode – The normal mode – ISP
2. Repeater Mode – To be used as a extender
3. Access Point Mode – To be used as a Access Point

With only a few clicks, you can switch between all three modes. In older routers, switching between different modes necessitated changing far too many settings. However, this is no longer the case.

Must Watch | How to Extend Range from Old Router

If you found even a lit bit of value in this post and are considering purchasing one of the models listed above,
Please purchase it through the affiliate links provided in this post, which will contribute to the smooth operation of this website.

Also, please let us know whether your Dual-Band Routers-related confusion has been cleared.
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I will see you in the next one. Till then, Stay Safe! Stay Sarcastic!