Articles by Samuel Contreras

The best Wi-Fi 6 routers get us closer to 5G speeds at home. Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) has arrived and promises to push Wi-Fi speeds over 10Gbps by combining 2.4GHz and wider 5GHz bands to provide a better experience and much wider coverage in the home. The new Wi-Fi standard is becoming increasingly common in phones and laptops and now is the right time to invest in one of the best Wi-Fi 6 routers on the market.

What are the best Wi-Fi 6 routers?

The TP-Link Archer AX6000 is the best Wi-Fi 6 router for most people, with fast speeds and plenty of features to keep your network fast for a long time, including the robust HomeCare software package.

The second best option is the Linksys MAX-STREAM Mesh Router, which is for people who don’t necessarily need a mesh solution right now but may want to expand their network in the future. Mesh router solutions pair multiple “nodes” together to increase signal quality and speeds throughout larger homes.

And if you’re looking for something with the ha…

Unlimited

T-Mobile

From $60/mo. at T-Mobile

Pros

Unlimited 3G hotspot
Data in Canada and Mexico
50GB until data is slowed
5G on all plans
Netflix included with two or more lines on Magenta

Cons

Plans are expensive
Video quality is lowered on some plans

T-Mobile has moved to an all unlimited structure for its service with variations in the speed and extras to differentiate each plan. This is the better value plan for most smartphone users, as long as they live in an area with T-Mobile coverage.

Pay for what you use

Google Fi

From $20/mo. at Google Fi

Pros

Flexible or Unlimited plans
Large combined network
International data at the same rate
No media slowdown
Wi-Fi assistant

Cons

Unlimited plan is slowed at 22GB
Hotspot uses data
Need “Designed by Fi” phones to get all features

Google Fi keeps things simple by treating usage equally and making it easy to track that usage. If you’re a world traveler, this is one of the best plans you can get to stay conn…

Multi-line savings

Boost Mobile

From $35/month at Boost Mobile

Pros

T-Mobile or Sprint network
Unlimited data
Hotspot on all plans
Wide Range of plans

Cons

Unlimited plans slowed at 35GB

Boost Mobile has plans on both the Sprint and T-Mobile network with plenty of data available on either. Boost stands out with its international add-ons that can enable calling or even roaming in Mexico. A Shrink-It plan is available to reduce your cost with consecutive payments.

Any Network

Straight Talk

From $30/month at Straight Talk

Pros

Works AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, or Verizon network
Extended plans save money
Additional data only $5 per GB
International calling available

Cons

Fewer multi-line options
Hotspot is not available on all plans

Straight Talk is a more traditional MVNO with fewer plans but the ability to use any of the Big Four’s networks, making bringing your phone a breeze. You can start with a basic plan or move all the way up to an unlimited plan…

What you need to know

DISH and Qualcomm are working together to test open and virtualized RAN 5G solutions.
DISH is building a virtual 5G network to bring standalone 5G and Vo5G to its spectrum bands.
DISH will utilize the Qualcomm RAN Platforms through its network and device partners.

DISH Network and Qualcomm announced today that they are collaborating to test open and virtualized RAN 5G solutions containing new Qualcomm 5G RAN Platforms. This will help with DISH’s rollout of the nation’s first cloud-native, Open RAN-compliant 5G network.

DISH has been working to build its own 5G network and its collaboration with Qualcomm is a big step towards that goal. A RAN, or radio access network, is the first piece of equipment your mobile device connects through in order to get mobile data service.

Marc Rouanne, executive vice president and chief network officer of DISH said,

By further expanding its portfolio of 5G infrastructure solutions to include O-RAN specifications that are…

AT&T has one of the most developed 5G networks out right now with millimeter-wave coverage alongside low-band coverage. Both networks are available to customers with phones capable of connecting to both networks. AT&T has been aggressively expanding its 5G network and now approximates coverage for 120 million people with 190 markets. 80 Million are covered by the more accessible low-band network. Here’s what you need to know if you are considering switching to, or upgrading your phone on AT&T.

Jump to:

When will my area get 5G?
Cities covered
Which phones work with 5G?
Which plan do I need?
What tech is AT&T using?
What is 5Ge?
Is 5G worth it for most people?

When will my area get 5G?

As far as 5G goes, AT&T is building two networks. One network is a low-band sub-6 5G deployment at 850MHz. The majority of customers will see 5G on this network. The other network is called 5G+ and is a high-band mmWave network that is capable of very fast speeds but has a …

What you need to know

Before the T-Mobile merger, Sprint was claiming subsidies for approximately 885,000 Lifeline subscribers even though they were not using the service.
Sprint sold Lifeline service under the Assurance Wireless brand to low-income households and received a $9.25 subsidy for most subscribers.
Sprint was required to remove customers that weren’t using the service after 30 days of inactivity due to the non-usage rule.

T-Mobile will need to pay $200 million to the U.S. treasury due to Lifeline rule violations by Sprint. An Enforcement Bureau investigation for the FCC found that Sprint was claiming subsidies for approximately 885,000 Lifeline subscribers even though they were not using the service. This move, prior to the merger with T-Mobile, was in violation of a non-usage rule which required Sprint to de-enroll subscribers that did not use their service in the past 30 days with a 15-day notice. This as well as other rules were put in place to prevent wasting taxp…

The best Wi-Fi routers you can buy can be lifesavers. The difference between good Wi-Fi in your house and poor connectivity can be the difference between a good day and a bad one. Whether you need something with a ton of speed and connections or just want to make sure you don’t drop connection when you move around your home there’s a router that’s right for you.

The best Wi-Fi routers at a glance

TP-Link Archer AX1800 — Best Wi-Fi Router Overall: Solid speeds, plenty of capacity, and a great price.
TP-Link Archer A7 — Best Value: Has enough speed for HD streaming and multiple devices simultaneously.
Asus RT-AC66U — Best Value for Families: Enough speed for a small family with included parental controls and security.
Netgear Nighthawk RAX50S — Best Router for Families: Plenty of speed for a lot of connections as well as internet security included for a year.
TP-Link Archer C5400X — Best Router for Gaming: Great speeds with a laser-focus on wired devices to keep ping times a…

T-Mobile is taking the lead in 5G

T-Mobile has one of the most ambitious 5G plans of any carrier out there and with its purchase of Sprint, T-Mobile has a ton of spectrum and a great platform to build a great 5G network. T-Mobile has already deployed a nationwide 5G network on its low-band 600MHz spectrum and is continuing to add capacity with its 2.5GHz spectrum. T-Mobile also has mmWave spectrum that has been deployed in a few cities. This combined network is poised to be one of the strongest in the nation.

The 5G Galaxy

Samsung Galaxy S20+ 5G

$999 at Amazon

Fast, smooth, and cutting edge

Samsung’s new flagship, the Galaxy S20+ supports all of T-Mobile’s 5G bands including Sprint’s 5G bands making it one of the best ways to get connected with 5G. It also has a great set of cameras, a beautiful display with a high refresh rate, and a massive battery.

Jump to:

Do I have 5G coverage?
Which phones work with 5G?
Do I need a special 5G l plan?
What tech is T-Mobile 5G us…

Verizon 5G is growing fast as with one of the largest mmWave networks paired with a growing nationwide network using spectrum sharing. The mmWave network is called Ultra Wideband and has been around for quite a while now but the coverage was very limited. On October 13, 2020, Verizon launched its nationwide 5G network and is looking to catch up to T-Mobile and AT&T, both of which launched nationwide 5G networks in late 2019. With coverage in most big cities, Verizon expects to cover 200 million people.

Understanding how each carrier will deploy 5G can be confusing but we’ve been keeping tabs on all of them. Here is everything you need to know about Verizon’s newest and fastest wireless network.

Jump to:

When will my area even get 5G?
What tech is Verizon using?
Which devices should I get to be 5G ready?
Which plan do I need for access?
Does it do home internet?
Is 5G worth it for most people?

Unlimited data

Verizon Play More Unlimited

From $80/mo. At Verizon

Plen…

The best Wi-Fi 6 routers get us closer to 5G speeds at home. Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) has arrived and promises to push Wi-Fi speeds over 10Gbps by combining 2.4GHz and wider 5GHz bands to provide a better experience and much wider coverage in the home. The new Wi-Fi standard is becoming increasingly common in phones and laptops and now is the right time to invest in one of the best Wi-Fi 6 routers on the market.

Best Wi-Fi 6 Routers:

1. TP-Link Archer AX6000
2. Linksys MAX-STREAM Mesh
3. ASUS RT-AX86U
4. ASUS RT-AX92U
5. TP-Link Archer AX1500
6. Linksys Velop MX5
7. Netgear Nighthawk MK62
8. Netgear Nighthawk AX5400
9. ASUS ROG Rapture AX11000
10. NETGEAR Orbi Mesh RBK752

What are the best Wi-Fi 6 routers?

The TP-Link Archer AX6000 is the best Wi-Fi 6 router for most people, with fast speeds and plenty of features to keep your network fast for a long time, including the robust HomeCare software package.

The second best option is the Linksys MAX-STREAM Mesh Router, which is for peo…