Best gaming routers for xbox live 2012

We start with the design. We test its build, physical features, and look — although a whole lot of them are going to have that gamer aesthetic.

We make sure that it has enough ports for that all-important wired connection, is effortless to set up, has support for such technologies as QoS, and has features like parental controls in case you have young ones at home.

Naturally, we test its performance as well, seeing how it measures up against our file download test as well as the Ookla speed test — especially in comparison to its rivals.

And, because you need to know how exactly it performs in real world scenarios, we take it for a spin by playing a few of the most demanding and popular online titles out there. At the end of the day, what matters is that the gaming router delivers robust performance, an excellent feature set, and a solid build that is worthy of its price — even if that means paying a little more.

If you're encountering a problem or need some advice with your PC or Mac, drop him a line on Twitter. North America. Included in this guide: 1. Without the best gaming router, your online gaming experience is never going to the smoothest and most immersive. Features: 4.

Reasons to avoid - Slightly fiddly set-up. Specifications Speed: Reasons to avoid - Pricey - Feature overkill for most. Reasons to avoid - Very expensive. Reasons to avoid - No broadband modem. Asus RT-AC It has eight antennas and looks like something that came out of a sci-fi film. The AX has eight Ethernet ports to easily accommodate your other devices that need a wired connection. It also supports up to 2. This gaming router also has powerful processing power.

Equipped with a 1. This router uses industry-leading technology in both the hardware and software departments. Design-wise, the GT-AX is gamer-centric and a bit over the top. It is boxy and has an edgy profile that is common on gaming peripherals. Like most gaming routers, the GT-AX is fast and reliable. It is powered by Wi-Fi 6 technology, which, though not yet mainstream, is a good investment for the future.

This gaming router also uses a 2. It also has four additional Gigabit ports and eight antennas to ensure better spatial diversity. This gaming router has an integrated WTFast subscription, giving you instant access to an optimized gaming network.

It essentially segregates gaming traffic from VPN to ensure flawless throughput. This router also has a Dynamic QoS that enables you to prioritize gaming traffic. If you hate high pings, you will love the Game Radar tool. This diagnostic tool is designed to help you identify the connection quality of servers, so you can pick the one with the best ping status.

The Linksys EA Max-Stream is perfect if you have a medium-sized home and want to make sure that every inch of your house is covered. This router has reliable speeds and features that are impressive for its affordable price tag. It essentially ensures that the signals transmitted to numerous devices are deployed at once and at the same speed.

This way, no device will hog all the bandwidth, and everybody gets to enjoy a reliable connection. Unlike some routers on this list, the EA Max-Stream looks like a regular router. It is reasonably lightweight at just a pound and small enough to tuck in a little corner. It sports an all-black design and slim profile that is indistinguishable from most routers on the market. On the other hand, this router is very easy to set up with its plug-and-play functionality.

If you live in a relatively modest home and want a fuss-free router, you can never go wrong with the EA Max-Stream.

This router looks charming without being over the top and can be placed beside your Xbox Series X with pride. Measuring just 4. Aside from looking unconventional, the technical specifications of the Z2 AC are outstanding.

It is powered by a 1. Overall, the Z2 AC delivers a fast and reliable gaming experience. Though its 5 GHz performance is a bit lacking, its 2. The user interface is also easy to use. Another great feature of this router is its thermally-enhanced design that helps maintain airflow to prevent overheating. This router is medium-sized at It also has a high-traction rubber foot to ensure that it stays firm when placed on a surface.

If you want, you can also wall-mount this router to save space. It supports up to Mbps when using the 2. If you live in a big house, you will not have any problem with coverage since it has up to 1, square feet of wireless range.

This router also comes with a mobile app that you can use for tweaking its setting. It has excellent features like Beamforming, which is perfect for wireless connectivity. It also supports Dynamic QoS for bandwidth prioritization to ensure that you can game with no interruptions. Though this router is pricey, you can expect premium features and top-of-the-line software and hardware quality. This router also supports the next-gen Wi-Fi 6 technology.

Think that Wi-Fi 6 is only for the most expensive models? Well, think again as that barrier to entry to From a performance standpoint, this router can keep up with the routers costing considerably more when it comes to throughput on both the 2. It also delivers the goods when it comes to streaming media streams, and simultaneous gaming, showing the benefit of this latest wireless standard designed specifically for efficient data transfers in a congested wireless environment.

As long as you can get past this, the AX4 is an otherwise solid router that shows you can get great performance at a lower price point. Still subscribed to the notion that gaming routers have to cost you an arm and a leg? It certainly plays the part the best it can for its extremely low price tag, offering serviceable performance and fantastic 5GHz range. While there are no USB ports and you won't get the most formidable speeds out of this particular model, you've got to hand it to D-Link: this router is more than capable of putting you on the map if you're thinking of testing the online gaming and streaming waters.

It's a great way to dip your toes into the water without breaking the bank, and if you're no power user, could even potentially work as a reliable router for months to come. Expensive as it might be, it's built for a sort of timeless luxury you can't put a price on. Seeing as it supports the blisteringly fast 4,Mbps That said, don't let a lack of interoperability get in the way, as the XR is fully backward compatible with the present-day If you're in the UK, another decent upgrade to your home internet setup could be achieved by sorting out your broadband.

We've rounded up the best broadband deals in the UK this week. Get the best gaming deals, reviews, product advice, competitions, unmissable gaming news and more! Included in this guide: 1. Specifications Speed: AX Processor: Quad-core 1. Reasons to avoid - Larger size - Price - Polarizing style. Specifications Speed: AC Features: Network ping tracking, WTFast utilization, suite of gaming-focused enhancements. Reasons to avoid - Massive size. Reasons to avoid - No features to enhance speeds.

Processor: Dual-core 1. Reasons to avoid - Wi-Fi 5 - Fewer ports. Reasons to avoid - Fewer LAN ports for wired connections. Linksys WRT32X. Reasons to avoid - Somewhat simplistic interface.