Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

See update at the bottom of the review The Asus AC66u b1 and Netgear R6700 V3 are the two best under $100 routers you can buy. I own both and will review them against one another (go to the bottom of the review for quick recap). Quick history on both Hardware Netgear R6700 v1 was basically the R7000 minus one USB port and the inability to connect at 600mbps in the 2.4ghz radio channel (pointless unless you have an AC 1900 client). Netgear then switched factories and used a Mediatek CPU chip instead of the broadcom found in the v1 version, this version was labeled the 6700 v2 (also has a sticker on the package stating "dual core CU" rather than "1GHZ dual core" on the V1 & 3) and is often sold in Amazon Warehouse so be careful about purchasing a used R6700 router. The Mediatek chip is subpar in performance compared to Broadcom. Netgear switched factories again and the current new V3 version uses a BCM4708C0 CPU chip along with Broadcom radio chips BCM4360 & 4331. The Asus AC66U (no B1) was originally a draft AC router using the same CPU chip and plastic housing as the Asus RT-N66U just with an additional AC radio. Asus then upgraded the router by using the exact same hardware as in the Asus AC68U 1900 AC router and placed it in the new AC66U B1 router while still using the old plastic housing. So yes, the AC66U B1 is a 1900ac router, not a 1750 router. I know this as I have a 1900AC wifi card in my PC and it will in fact connect at 600mbps on the 2.4 wifi signal. If you don't have a 1900 client then the point is moot and remember most clients are 2x1 or 2x2, even modern cell phones and laptops. The Asus AC66u B1 uses the same BCM4708C0 CPU as the Netgear R6700 v3 with the broadcom BCM4360 radio chip. Both routers also use 128mb and 256mb of memory and offer beam forming (you also need a client to support beam forming for it to work) Optional firmware (if interested) both will run ddwrt & tomato, the Asus also gets Merlin's version of Asus Firmware. Review Pros - Netgear R6700 Fantastic range on the 2.4ghz and 5ghz signal & Fantastic throughput on the 5ghz signal. My router is on the main floor; standing in a far corner bedroom upstairs from the router (about 30ft from the router plus floor/walls) I receive 80-85mbps down on 5ghz while standing next to the router I would get 110mbps down on 5ghz. Signal strength comes in "good" as per my 2x2 AC client laptop. Upload speeds were also excellent on the 5ghz signal. Stable router and firmware, once i set the SSID I've had no issue with the router with no need to reset it. Setting up the router was about a 4 out of 5. The software is OK and firmware took a while to update. Setting up network names and passwords was fairly easy through the web page. Router runs cool thanks to its large plastic housing. Cons- Netgear R6700 Mediocre throughput on the 2.4ghz signal. While the signal is strong I received 65-70mbps down regardless if I stood next to the router or in a far of bedroom. Upload speeds were also mediocre. The router is large compared to the Asus. Netgear seems to have several phone apps and all seem ok or useless. I would not recommend the Genia app for setup, use your PC web browser. Just one USB port (if you are wondering what the point of a USB port is, this is a none issue for you) Pros Asus AC66u B1 Very good range and throughput on the 2.4ghz and 5ghz signal. Where the Netgear router was giving me 80-85 mbps down in far corners of the house on 5ghz, the Asus was giving me 70-75 mbps down on the 5ghz and 2.4ghz with my latop stating connection as good to fair. Standing next to the router i received 100-110mbps down on both radio signals. The range on the Asus is slightly shorter than the netgear but the router does offer better 2.4ghz throughput than Netgear. The firmware offers far more features than netgear and is easier to "play around with". The Asus app is fantastic and can easily be used to set up the router. Offers 600mbps on the 2.4ghz signal if you have a 1900ac client. Smaller housing than the R6700 v3. Two USB ports on the Aus vs just one on the Netgear. Cons Asus AC66u B1 small housing means the Asus will get warm to the touch (not hot) but it needs solid ventilation After 18 months of no issues I had to start resetting the router, I think to help cool it off as we don't have cable and stream constantly (from 7a to 11p non stop) with up to eight different client connections between, phones, PCs, laptops, tablets, and smart TVs. Recap Get the Netgear router if you just want to set up your router and forget while having most of your clients on the 5ghz signal. While the range of the 2.4ghz signal is excellent the throughput is mediocre. Get the Asus if you use the 2.4gh signal more than the 5ghz or have and plan to use a AC1900 client. Range on the Asus is a small step back from the netgear as is throughput on the 5ghz. The Asus also offers one more USB port (USB 2.0) as well as a better app, user software, and the ability to run Merlin. The Asus is also smaller than the Nighthawk housing but will also run warmer. Update; I posted this review two years ago and it has gained a lot of traction especially with the current covid 19 lock down and I appreciate all the votes. I still recommend both routers but for the money there are better options out there especially for the Netgear 6700 as it was down to $65 two holiday seasons ago and is now at an all time high price. The asus ac66u has remained steady in price since two years ago. Investing your money in dated tech that has not dropped in price (or increased in price) is not a wise investment. So what are the best routers for under $100? Note- Avoid AX routers (AKA Wi-fi 6) for now, they are all draft AX routers meaning the AX standard is not finalized. While AX routers are the future, these current routers offer A) features that may not be active yet (OFDMA a key AX feature) and may never be active if new firmware is not released and/or updated by the user. B) many have issues with older 2.4ghz N clients C) are rather expensive for real world use, currently the main benefit of an AX router is for 2x more throughput in 2.4Ghz for AX clients (if you don't know if your mobile device is an AX client than most likely it's not). D) Forthcoming 6Ghz will require new hardware in another year or two's time making the current AX routers nothing more then expensive beta testing. For your money I recommend Wave 2 Qualcomm based routers. The modern Qualcomm SoC perform as well or better than the broadcom equivalent from a few years ago, run cool, and are offer stability with most mobile clients. The negative side I find broadcom plays better with older wi-fi clients so something to take note of and stay with Netgaer/Asus if that is the situation. 1 - TP-Link A9 1900 ('Ive recently tested this router and was impressed enough to swap it out with my home netgear router) Pros - Uses a Qualcomm QCN5502 SoC (modified IPQ4018) a few bucks less than the netgear 6700 or Asus AC66U easy to use mobile app and desktop UI (see youtube video for set up) that is better than any netgear offering slightly faster 5ghz performance than the netgear 6700 almost as fast 2.4ghz performance as the Asus AC66U smaller housing than the netgear router (equal to the Asus but runs cooler) you can combine the 2.4 & 5ghz radio signals into one SSID name allowing the clients to choose the best signal (AKA smart connect) or have two separate names can be controlled by Alexa (you can turn this on or off in the UI) guest network for both 2.4 and 5ghz has four antenna (one internal and three external) cons does not support third party firmware UI is limited in options can be controlled by Alexa (you can turn this on or off in the UI) some older clients may stick to the slower 2.4ghz signal in smart connect rather than the faster 5ghz one USB port and it's 2.0 (this will be a non-factor for most people) 2 - ASUS RT-ACRH17 AC1700 (the update to the ACRH13) Pros - Qualcomm Atheros IPQ4019 SoC Asus AC66U B1 performance for around $20 less Great Asus UI firmware and mobile client USB 3.0 port four antenna uses same small housing as the AC66U but runs cooler cons four antenna can be ugly one USB port (if you need more than one) does not support Asus Airmesh does not support merlin firmware