Best Mesh Wi-Fi Routers for 2026: Our Top Picks After Testing Range and Speed


We test lots of routers at CNET HQ — mesh and otherwise — so we’re constantly updating our rundowns of the top systems on the market. I’ll note any new mesh systems we test here as we go, along with a quick summary of my takeaways. Please note that this list includes several systems that were tested at my home instead of our latest test setup.

Arris Surfboard Max AX6600: A high-powered Wi-Fi 6 system with an upright, cylindrical design, the Surfboard Max was able to deliver fast speeds to other Wi-Fi 6 devices in my tests, but the performance was inconsistent with earlier-gen Wi-Fi 5 devices. I also didn’t like the Ethernet jacks on the bottom of the device, which force you to bend your cables to the extreme in order to plug the router in.

Asus ZenWifi XD6: The middle child from the Asus family of Wi-Fi 6 mesh routers, the ZenWifi XD6 is a dual-band mesh system. It won’t give you the tri-band build of the ZenWifi XT8, nor will you get that system’s multi-gig Ethernet jack. Still, the system performed as well as any dual-band mesh router I had ever tested when I first reviewed it, so it isn’t a bad pick by any stretch. Available for around $140, it’s a reasonable price for a high-performance system.

Asus ZenWifi XT8: One of the most powerful ZenWifi systems, the tri-band XT8 performed well in our speed tests and was among the first mesh routers to include multi-gig Ethernet WAN ports on each device. Available in a two-pack for $330, the former CNET Innovation Award winner is a reasonable alternative, but it isn’t quite as good a value as the Netgear Orbi 870 or Eero 7.

Eero 6: Amazon’s first Wi-Fi 6 mesh router, the Eero 6 hit the market back in 2020, but it didn’t blow us away during our tests. Eero systems that followed it did a lot better in my speed tests and they offer the same smart home perks, such as built-in radios for Zigbee and Thread.

Mesh routers

The Eero Pro 6E is a great pick for gigabit networks, but most homes would be better off upgrading to the Eero 7.

Ry Crist/CNET

Eero Pro 6E: The Eero Pro 6E did an excellent job in our speed tests, finishing toward the top in just about every category while also delivering a noticeable speed bump to Wi-Fi 6E devices that can connect over the 6GHz band. The Eero 7 is the better value for most households, but if you’re a Wi-Fi 6E power user with gigabit speeds at home, then upgrading to the Eero Pro 6E merits strong consideration.

Eero Max 7: It’s Amazon’s newest, largest and priciest Eero mesh system, and it adds in support for Wi-Fi 7, the new Wi-Fi standard that promises to build upon Wi-Fi 6E’s foray into the 6GHz band. In our speed tests, the Max 7 was capable of hitting blazing-fast speeds, but at more than $1,000 for a two-pack, you’re better off spending less for the Orbi 870.

Linksys Velop MX2000: Available in a two-pack for $150, the Linksys Velop MX2000, also known as the Velop Atlas 6, is decent enough as baseline Wi-Fi 6 mesh routers go, but you’ll find better value and faster speeds if you shop around.

Nest Wifi Pro: The Nest Wifi Pro mesh router reworks the original Nest Wifi pitch by ditching the built-in Google Assistant smart speakers and adding in access to the 6GHz band via Wi-Fi 6E support. With a built-in Thread radio and robust smart home controls via the Google Home app, it’s a decent pick for smart home enthusiasts, and it was as stable a performer as I’ve seen in my speed tests. Still, those speeds were a bit lackluster, and the system also lacked backward compatibility with previous Nest Wifi and Google Wifi hardware. At $400 for a three-pack, it’s a bit expensive for such middle-of-the-road performance.

Netgear Orbi AX6000: Originally released as the Netgear Orbi 850 series, and recently updated to the 860 Series, both generations of Netgear’s flagship AX6000 mesh router offer strong performance, but I wasn’t as impressed with the system’s speeds on a gigabit network, where several systems that cost less have managed to outperform it in my tests. Even so, this is one of the most consistent mesh routers I’ve tested, with reliable speeds from test to test. If that type of steady performance is what you’re after, then it belongs high on your list.

TP-Link Deco X4300 Pro: The Deco X4300 Pro is an impressive system that features some of the best Wi-Fi 6 speeds we’ve seen, plus multi-gig Ethernet jacks on each device. The Deco W7200 still seems like the better value for most homes, but if you’re looking for a step up from that system, put the X4300 Pro on your radar.

TP-Link Deco X55 Pro: The X55 Pro earned CNET’s lab award for the fastest Wi-Fi 6 router, and it’s worth considering as a mesh system, too. It shares a lot of similarities with the Eero 6 Plus — support for Wi-Fi 6, far-reaching range, gigabit Ethernet jacks — and at $170, the X55 Pro is a solid value for a three-piece mesh system.

TP-Link XE75: TP-Link’s first Wi-Fi 6E mesh router, the XE75 did a decent job in our initial tests, though the system’s average upload speeds were lower than I’d expected. It’s a clear value pick and currently available in a two-pack for $150, so give it a look if you’re curious about Wi-Fi 6E but fearful about overspending. I’ll update this page once we’ve retested it in our lab, so stay tuned for that.

TP-Link Deco X90: With a multi-gig WAN port and a faster speed rating, the Deco X90 is a midrange upgrade pick over the Deco W7200, and it costs $259 for a two-pack. It performed well in my tests, but not enough that I’d recommend it over the Eero 7





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Google Gemini

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ZDNET’s key takeaways

  • Google is downloading a 4GB file to the PCs of many Chrome users.
  • The file is harmless and is used for the Gemini Nano on-device LLM.
  • You’ll see it if you’ve opted into the on-device AI setting in Chrome.

Google is silently saving a Chrome-related file to many computers. That’s nothing earth-shaking. But this file is a hefty 4GB in size, which has caught the attention of some Google watchers. What is the file, why is it being installed, and how can you check for it?

Also: I let Chrome’s AI agent shop, research, and email for me – here’s how it went

In a new blog post, computer scientist Alexander Hanff, aka the Privacy Guy, pulled back the curtain on this mysterious file. Named weights.bin, the file is being downloaded deep within the user data folder of many Chrome users. The file itself is related to Gemini Nano, which Google is using as the on-device AI model for Chrome users.

If you delete the file, it comes back

Though there’s nothing risky or dangerous about the file, Hanff and others have expressed concerns that it’s being downloaded without users’ knowledge or permission. And if you delete the file, it eventually comes back, Hanff said. That by itself is hardly alarming; that’s part of any software update. Rather, some of the criticism centers on the file’s size. If you have ample hard disk space, then 4GB is likely not a big deal. But if you’re running low, that big a file might chew up space you can’t spare.

Traditionally, AI models like Gemini use the cloud to interact with you. Submit a request, ask a question, or kick off a conversation, and the AI taps into its online data and resources to respond. But that method can be slow and naturally requires that you be connected. By traveling between your device and the cloud, your data can also be exposed.

A trend has emerged in which companies are experimenting with locally stored LLMs (large language models). That not only speeds up the process, but it also means you can use the AI offline and more securely. Gemini Nano has already been in play on Google’s own Pixel phones.

That explains why the file is so large; it has to pack in a lot of data. In this case, a weights file contains numbers that measure the level of importance an AI model assigns to your input. The AI uses these values to determine what should come next. For example, let’s say you start typing the phrase “Why did my new phone cost me an arm and a…” at the prompt. The AI assigns weights to your input to help it predict that the next word would be “leg.”

Also: This powerful Gemini setting made my AI results way more personal and accurate

How can you tell if the file has been downloaded to your PC? First, open Chrome, go to Settings, and select System. On the System screen, check whether the On-device AI option is turned on. If so, then you probably have the file or will soon get it.

To double-check, you’ll have to navigate to the user folder on your PC. That location varies based on your operating system. On my Windows 11 PC, I ran a search in File Explorer for weights.bin. The search took a long journey through the following path: C:\Users\lance\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\OptGuideOnDeviceModel\2025.8.8.1141. At that final location, the weights.bin file appeared, measuring 4GB.

Since the file is downloaded again if you simply delete it, you’ll have to take an extra step to get rid of it permanently. After you delete the file, go back to Settings in Chrome and select System. Then  turn off the switch for On-device AI.

But as long as you have enough disk space (and if you can’t spare 4GB, then it’s time to clean up your drive), the file is little cause for concern. Just forget about it, especially if you’re keen to try on-device AI, and we’ll see what the future holds for Gemini Nano.





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