If you have Optimum cable internet, you will want to make sure that you have the best router for Optimum possible.
While Optimum might encourage you to rent a router directly from them, who wants to pay $9.95 a month for a router that is not even yours? It is much better to buy your own Optimum router.
Looking at Optimum compatible routers can be daunting, however. How can you know the type of wireless router that you really need to get?
You will need to consider your network’s needs before committing to one router or another.
Benefits Of Having Your Own Optimum Compatible Router
Better Performance & Faster Wi-Fi
Buying the best router for Optimum rather than going with the router that they offer will allow you to choose a router with better speed and performance.
Keep in mind that Optimum packages really only have download speeds up to 400 Mbps, but, their routers do not even reach that speed. It is better to buy a router that has the top speed possible as well as all of the features that you want, whether it is QoS or MU-MIMO.
Save Money On Rental Fees
Optimum will rent you a router for $9.95 a month. That might not seem so bad when considering the price of coffee, but $9.95 a month turns into $119.40 a year, which is exactly what you could have spent on a better router that works well for your network.
If you think about it, you will spend nearly $120 a year on a router that is not even yours. You still have to give it back to Optimum if you move or want to change your coverage.
Extended Coverage
Optimum has no idea what kind of coverage that you need for your network. Their router is designed to be limited and really work for apartments rather than larger houses. They do come in dual band, but what if you need a tri band router?
With your own router, you can get coverage reach 3,000 square feet if you need to, or even further with a mesh system. You are limited in bands and range with a rental unit.
Separate Units vs. Modem Router Combo For Optimum
Separate Modem/Router Pros:
- A router that is dedicated to wireless coverage has quicker Wi-Fi.
- You can also choose more customized features with separate devices instead of getting a generic package. Here you can check out the best modem for Optimum Internet.
- Separate devices also give you more control over how they operate and their specific features.
Combo Modem/Router Pros:
- They are easier to set up, since you only have one device to set up instead of two.
- Updating a combined unit is simpler since it can update at the same time.
- It is also cheaper to buy only one device rather than spend money on two separate units.
7 Best Routers For Optimum (2022)
Device | Speed | Ports | Rating | Check Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1. Linksys MR7350 Editor's Choice | 1800 Mbps | 4 Ports | 100% | |
2. Netgear X6S High Performance | 4000 Mbps | 4 Ports | 99% | |
3. TP-Link Archer A7 Budget Friendly | 1750 Mbps | 4 Ports | 95% | |
4. Motorola MG7550 Modem Router | 1900 Mbps | 4 Ports | 97% | |
5. Gryphon AC3000 Extended Coverage | 3000 Mbps | 4 Ports | 98% | |
6. Asus GT-AC5300 For Gaming | 5300 Mbps | 8 Ports | 96% | |
7. Google Nest Mesh System | 2200 Mbps | 2 Ports | 98% |
1. Linksys MR7350 Wireless Router
Best Router For Optimum (Editor's Choice)
While there are a lot of great routers on the market that will work with Optimum, the best router for Optimum is the Linksys MR7350. This router uses the latest wireless technology out on the market, which means that it should be able to keep up with whatever you would like to throw at it.
Design
The design of the MR7350 is a little bit on the bulky side. It is a square, but it is large in both height and width, so you can expect it to take up quite a bit of room wherever you have it placed.
Thankfully, even though it is large, the vents for the router are located at the top, bringing in cool air and keeping your router from overheating.
Looking at its ports, the MR7350 comes with four 1-Gigabit Ethernet ports. These ports will allow you to plug in any device that will need a reliable level of connectivity.
This is ideal for HDTVs, gaming consoles, and home computers. There is also a USB port that will allow you to share either a printer or use a storage device that can be accessed throughout the network. This is really nice if you would like to keep digital movies in a central location.
Performance
What makes the MR7350 great is the performance of the router. To start with, it can easily support over 20 connected devices at a time.
This means that most, if not all, of your home devices can be online simultaneously without any kind of slowdown or lag. It will work with the Linksys Mesh system as well, so you can expand the range of the router to meet the size needs of your network.
The router is also a Wi-Fi 6 standard router, which is the latest standard out on the market. Using the Wi-Fi 6, the MR7350 can reach speeds up to 1.5 Gbps, allowing you to have 4K streaming, gaming, video conferencing, or anything else that you would like to do online.
This is naturally limited by the speed package that you are getting with Optimum, but you definitely will get all of the speed that you can when you use this router.
2. Netgear Nighthawk X6S WiFi Router
High Performance
When it comes to a high performance router, look no further than the Nighthawk R8000P. Nighthawk routers have a certain reputation for being extremely reliable, fast and on the ball with speed and performance. You can’t go wrong with this router.
Design
The design of the R8000P is unique, without a doubt. It does sit horizontally, like most routers. But there are six external antennas that are coming out of it. You can point the antennas in the directions that you prefer. It looks a little more like a drone than a router.
The design also includes Smart Connect and Circle App parental controls that will allow you to pause internet access by device, view site history, and filter websites for free. You can also set time limits and schedules. The app is great, but the settings cannot all be configured through the app and will need to be done on a computer instead.
Performance
If you were looking for performance, look no further than the R8000P. This router supports up to 55 devices, which is perfect for the modern smart home. The coverage works over three bands to give you a combined total of 4,000 Mbps, which is outstanding, as long as your ISP allows it.
The router also has MU-MIMO, so on top of allowing the 55 devices to work on the router, it will ensure that you do not suffer any lag when streaming or gaming due to another device hopping on to do the same. It will allow you to stream without interruptions, delays, or getting kicked off.
3. TP-Link Archer A7 Wireless Router
Budget Friendly
Perfect Optimum compatible router on a budget is the TP-Link Archer A7. This router has fewer features than other routers, but it should still do the job well.
Design
The design of the Archer A7 is black and horizontal with three high performance antennas to give your signal an added boost. The power lights are easy to see since they are right on the front of the router. The LEDs will indicate connectivity as well.
The Archer A7 has 4 1-Gigabit ports that allow other devices to be plugged in and accessed wirelessly within your network, which is especially nice when you are working with a printer. Any other add-ons can also be plugged in and accessed throughout the entire network.
Performance
Even at a low price, the Archer A7 has good performance. It can reach up to 2500 square feet and its speeds can reach up to 1750 Mbps, providing 3X faster Wi-Fi than other traditional routers do. It is dual band and 2.4 GHz band boasts 450 Mbps while the 5 GHz has 1,300 Mbps.
The A7 offers 4K HD streaming capabilities, which you would hope to get from any modern router on the market. The Archer A7 also comes with QoS including bandwidth prioritization, ensuring the devices that you want connected with all of the bandwidth they need.
4. Motorola MG7550 Modem Router
Best Modem Router Combo For Optimum (Editor's Choice)
If you are looking for more than just a router, but a modem router combo for Optimum, we suggest you look at the Motorola MG7550.
Design
The MG7550 features an upright tower design, which can keep your modem as cool as possible. The design also helps to save you space and it is easier to conceal.
The MG7550 comes with four Gigabit Ethernet ports so that you can plug in any device that cannot risk being kicked off your Wi-Fi as well as any device that you would like to be accessed from any device within the network, including printers. The MG7550 has a stable signal, but interruptions can interfere with anything that you might be streaming.
Performance
The MG7550 has a dual band router with both the 2.4 GHz and the 5 GHz bands. Since the 5 GHz band is not as commonly used as the 2.4 GHz, you are more likely to have better luck streaming on the 5 GHz without interference.
The MG7550 has the Motorola Power Boost feature with the MG7550, which increases the overall coverage of the network and with speeds up to 650 Mbps, you should have enough power to effortlessly maintain signal throughout your network. The only downside that we found for this modem/router comb is that it is not intuitive with its setup.
5. Gryphon AC3000 Mesh WiFi Router
Extended Coverage
Some networks are larger than others. If you need extended coverage with your Optimum router, we suggest the Gryphon AC3000 router.
Design
The Gryphon has a more unique design than the average router. It is white and vertical, which will help keep the router cool while making it easier to blend in with your décor. The antennas on this high performance router are all internal, so there are no external pieces to get in the way.
The set up for this router is simple and straightforward, so you should be up and running in no time at all.
Performance
The Gryphon is a powerful router. It covers up to 3,000 square feet, supplying signal as far as you need it. It also works as an expandable mesh system, so the more Gryphons you add, the further your signal will be able to go. It does not need more than one device to get to that 3,000 square feet in coverage.
It comes with tri-band radio, including a 2.4 GHz band and 2 5 GHz bands, which will keep traffic flowing steadily on your network, without interruptions. It is nice to be able to set some devices on one band and some on another, giving you a lot of flexibility to how your network works. It also has the MU-MIMO, which makes it easier for more than one user to stream at the same time.
6. Asus ROG Rapture AX11000 WiFi Router
For Gaming
The perfect gaming router for Optimum is the ASUS ROG AX110000. This gaming router has everything that you need in order to game as efficiently as you could hope to.
Design
Starting with its design, theAX11000 is large in size with and more unique look to it. It will take up a lot of room, so be aware of that. It has 8 high gain antennas that come out of its back, which makes it even harder to hide if you wanted to try.
The router takes up a lot of room and you would not be able to conceal it, even if you tried. The range is great, however.
Looking at a gaming design feature, the AX1100 comes with a 2.5 G gaming port. This will give you the most impressive connection possible, leaving you with amazing gaming performance.
The fact that this is a gaming router is well reflected in its ROG design as well, since all of its features are really meant to make gaming easier than ever.
Performance
To put it simply, the AX11000 is a high performance router that is going to do its job right. It is made for gamers, but even non-gamers can appreciate its speeds.
The router is named the AX11000, because it can reach Wi-Fi speeds up to 11000 Mbps. Your speed will depend on the speed tier that you have with Optimum, however.
Furthermore, the AX11000offers triple-level game acceleration with game package and game server prioritization. This boosts game traffic while lowering the ping rate and reducing the game latency. Overall, you are going to have an incredible gaming experience with this router.
7. Google Nest WiFi System
Mesh System
Mesh systems are becoming more common for home networks that have a lot of obstacles to get through or a long range to cover. You will be blown away by all of the device’s features.
Design
The appearance of the Google Nest is simple, but it is also very classy. All of the points have a white casing easily blend into any décor with a green LED. It is not eye-catching, but if you do look at it, you will see that it has a nice look to it.
Perhaps one of the nicest design elements to the Google Nest is that each point comes with two Gigabit Ethernet ports that are compatible with Google Wi-Fi.
That way, you can plug in wired devices into any of the points and get a stronger kind of connectivity. Also, it works with a home management app, so you can control all of your connected devices without any trouble.
Performance
Prepare to be blown away. The Google Nest mesh system allows up to 200 connected devices simultaneously, which is almost unthinkable in most networks. With more and more homes becoming smart homes, this feature may have a better purpose or a more obvious use in the future.
Using only the two points that the Nest comes with, you get up to 4,400 square feet in coverage, easily covering most networks. It is still a mesh system, however, so you will get about 1,600 square feet with each added point.
What Routers Are Compatible With Optimum Internet
If you have Optimum cable internet, you will wonder what router would work best to boost your wireless signal. If you are getting a stand-alone router, just about any router Is going to be compatible with Optimum as long as they support your speed tier.
You will need a cable modem to use Optimum, so if you are looking for a modem router combo, you need to be sure it is a cable modem.
Otherwise, if you already have a modem, you will be better off just getting a solo router to handle all of your wireless needs.
Factors To Consider When Choosing A Router For Optimum Internet
Internet Speed Package
One of the most important things to remember when looking at routers is that the speed it offers is entirely limited by the speed package you get from Optimum.
If you have a slow package and a high speed router, it cannot go any faster than the speed that you are paying for. Also, think of it the other way. If you can get higher speeds with Optimum, get a router that is capable of more.
House Square Footage
Another consideration that you need to think about when shopping for an Optimum router is what size your house is as well as its shape. If you have a house with a lot of walls and corners, you will need a router than accommodate that kind of space.
You will want to make sure that you do not have any dead spots within your house that could interfere with your connectivity. Check the coverage before buying.
Number Of Connected Devices
The number of devices that you have connected also makes a difference when it comes to the type of router that you get. If you live alone with only a couple of devices, you will not need a router than can accommodate 55 devices.
Take into account how many devices that you have and what those devices will be doing online. So if you have heavy streaming, make sure the router can accommodate all of those devices.
Final Words
At the end of the day, when you are looking for the best router for Optimum, you will want to make sure that you have the perfect router for your network’s needs. Generally, the best router is the Linksys MR7350.
This is a router with great coverage and performance that should be able to work well for the average home network.
But, it will not work perfectly for everyone. Everyone has a different network situation and will have different expectations from their router, such as speed, range, and even features.
If you have a network with a high amount of connected devices, you will be happier with the Nighthawk R8000P, which can support up to 55 devices.
Likewise, if you need extended coverage, check out the Gryphon router.
Hey, it’s James here. I’m the founder and editor here at RiverstoneNet.com. I’m a network engineer during the day and a blogger at night. Let me know if I can help you with choosing a new modem/router or troubleshooting your Internet connection.