Wi-Fi answers
Best router for a smart home
What is the best router for a house full of smart devices?
The short answer
The best router for a smart home is the one that keeps everything on a single network, lets devices see each other, and does not hide the settings you need. Band choice and discovery traffic matter more than headline speed.
Compatibility scores for 40+ smart-home devices.
| Kit | Tier | Boxes | Takes a network cable | Rough price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TP-Link Deco X50 (3 pack) | DIY | 3 | Yes | around £180–£220 |
| Amazon eero 6+ (3 pack) | DIY | 3 | Yes | around £170–£230 |
| Netgear Orbi RBK763 (3 pack) | DIY | 3 | Yes | around £400–£550 |
| TP-Link Omada ceiling access points | BEST | 3 | Yes | around £90–£140 per point, plus cabling |
| Ubiquiti UniFi U6 access points | BEST | 3 | Yes | around £110–£180 per point, plus cabling |
| TP-Link or Devolo A pair of powerline adapters | DIY | 1 | No | around £50–£90 |
| TP-Link, Ubiquiti or Netgear An outdoor Wi-Fi point | BEST | 1 | Yes | around £90–£200, plus cabling |
The short answer
- The best router for a smart home is the one that keeps everything on a single network, lets devices see each other, and does not hide the settings you need. Band choice and discovery traffic matter more than headline speed.
Try these free fixes first
- Move the router out into the open
- Use one Wi-Fi name for both bands
- Test wired next to the router, then in the difficult room
If you do need kit
- Deco X50 (3 pack) (DIY) — The most forgiving mesh for a normal brick house. One Wi-Fi name, and it takes a network cable if you can run one.
- eero 6+ (3 pack) (DIY) — Easiest set-up of the lot and very stable, but you manage it entirely through the phone app.
- Orbi RBK763 (3 pack) (DIY) — Keeps a private radio link between the boxes, so it holds up better than most when you can't run a cable.
- Omada ceiling access points (BEST) — Proper ceiling-mounted Wi-Fi points fed by network cable — what offices and hotels use, at a home price.
- UniFi U6 access points (BEST) — Very strong, very stable, and shows you exactly what every device is doing — but it needs someone who enjoys settings.
- A pair of powerline adapters (DIY) — Sends the network over your electrics. Not as good as a cable, far better than a plug-in extender.
- An outdoor Wi-Fi point (BEST) — A weatherproof Wi-Fi point on the back wall or in the outbuilding, fed by a single cable.
How we choose
- No shop or manufacturer pays to be listed
- A paid link, if we ever add one, will be labelled and kept away from the scores
People also ask
- Do I need to buy anything at all?
- How many boxes will I need?
- Is a wired link really that important?
If you do end up spending money
Only after the free fixes. Nobody pays to appear here, and no shop link changes anything we say.
- TP-Link Deco X50 (3 pack) — around £180–£220 (unsponsored shop link)
- Amazon eero 6+ (3 pack) — around £170–£230 (unsponsored shop link)
- Netgear Orbi RBK763 (3 pack) — around £400–£550 (unsponsored shop link)
- TP-Link Omada ceiling access points — around £90–£140 per point, plus cabling (unsponsored shop link)
- Ubiquiti UniFi U6 access points — around £110–£180 per point, plus cabling (unsponsored shop link)
- TP-Link or Devolo A pair of powerline adapters — around £50–£90 (unsponsored shop link)
- TP-Link, Ubiquiti or Netgear An outdoor Wi-Fi point — around £90–£200, plus cabling (unsponsored shop link)
Where this comes from
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