10 Best Wired Routers (2022) – Top Gigabit Wired Routers

Using a wired router can be integral if you are operating a business or if you want to have an interrupted connection that you would really need for your gaming system.

If you are in the market for a wired router, you will want to be sure that you are using the best wired router possible.

Looking a wired router, you will need to look at the security features, the speed, as well as your connection reliability to know that you are getting the right wired router for your needs.

Advantages Of Using A Wired Router 

Security

When you have the best wired router, you will get more security than you would get with a wireless router.

Theoretically, a wireless signal could be intercepted in between the router and the server, putting your information at risk. A wired connection will be more secure, taking away any unneeded risk.

Speed

Wired connections are without a doubt faster than their wireless counterparts. They have a lower latency, so you do not have as much of a gap in receiving the signal as you would with a wireless router.

Having anything hardwired in is going to give it a direct link to the connection, so it will automatically be faster. This is especially important if you have a network that has a lot of simultaneous streaming activity.

Connection Reliability

Imagine that you are in the middle of an online battle, at a crucial point in the game, and suddenly someone else on your network hops onto your wireless router and starts streaming a video.

The router will be impacted over the sudden diversion of capacity. You will not experience that with a wired router, because your game console will already be wired in. You will not have to worry about getting booted off when you have a solid connection.

Lower Latency

The response time between a wired connection and the server that you are reaching out to is going to be faster than if you had a wireless router.

It will shorten the distance between the two, strengthening the connection and ultimately giving you a much faster response time, giving you results nearly in real-time.

This is important especially for gamers who do not need to suffer from any unneeded delays and would like their play to be instantaneous.

10 Best Wired Routers For (2022)

Where Are Wired Routers Usually Used?

Businesses

Many businesses will opt to use wired routers instead of wireless routers, because they are much more powerful. You can connect many different workstations and devices to a wired router, giving everyone throughout the business a high-speed connection.

Depending on the size of the business, traffic can also be more easily directed or diverted, keeping channels running smoothly without congestion. They are also safer since they do not have the risk of interception that wireless routers do.

Gaming

If anyone in your home network is serious about gaming, you will need a wired router. This is for similar reasons as businesses, but there are other factors as well.

To begin with, a wired router means that you will have less lag time, practically real-time connectivity, keeping you active in the game. It also allows you to have more than one device streaming at the same time without experiencing any severe lag or slow down.

1. Ubiquiti EdgeRouter 4 Wired Router

Best Wired Router (Editor's Choice)

Our choice for the best wired router is the Ubiquiti EdgeRouter 4. This is a powerful router that will ensure that you can stream effortlessly on multiple devices. This is the next generation of router for the EdgeMax platform.

Design

This router has a slim design, making it easy to place where you need it. As an added perk, it also has a desk, wall, and rack mount options so you can put it wherever you want to. It has an internal PSU and is fanless as well.

This is really designed to be a compact and affordable unit. Actually, looking at it, it is doubtful that you would identify it as a router, unless you knew already what you were looking at.

You will also get 3 Gigabit Ethernet ports as well as an SFP port and an RJ45 Serial so that you can wire in everything you need. The ports are 10/100/1000 as well, which is what you should need.

Performance

Performance-wise, you will not be disappointed with the ER-4. This router has a line rate of 4 Gbps and is capable of routing up to 3.4 million packets per second. You will not have to worry about bufferbloat or being kicked out of a game if another device starts streaming at the same time. This is a great choice for networks that have a lot of active online gaming as well as 4K HD streaming.

This does not offer Wi-Fi, however, so you will need a Wi-Fi access point if you need wireless connectivity. Otherwise, this should be able to handle whatever traffic that you need to throw at it. Its max power consumption is 13 Watts. This is a Duplex Gigabit with hardware offloading as well as traffic monitoring and has other great features that will keep you up and running.

2. Mikrotik RB3011 RouterBOARD

High Performance

For a higher performance wired router, we suggest the Mikrotik RB3011UIAS-RM. This is a beast of a router and you will not be disappointed.

Design

The RB3011 boasts a slim design, which will make it easy to conceal or place just about anywhere you need it to. It comes with a rackmount enclosure as well as a touchscreen LCD panel for easy adjustments.

The screen can be turned off, however, if it is becoming too much of a nuisance. One of the perks include being able to watch real-time logs of what is happening within the network traffic.

This router comes with 10 Gigabit ports, divided up into 2 switch groups. You will also find that it has an SFP cage as well as a SuperSpeed USB 3.0 port, which is ideal for adding on storage. The Gigabit Ethernet ports as well are 10/100/1000. The last Ethernet port has PoE output functionality as well.

Performance

When it comes to performance, the RB3011 is the best wired gigabit router that you can get for your money if you have a small to medium sized business, or if you are seriously gaming at your home.

This device also does not run hot at all, so you do not need to worry about having your devices wired into each port. It is built to handle everything that you want to throw at it.

With this router, you will get 6 Gbps of WAN>LAN potential. The ports are limited to 1 Gigabit, but it still has great processing power, considering it has a CPU nominal frequency of 1.4 GHz and a RAM of 1 GB, ensuring you are getting all of the power that you really need.

This router runs with an ARM architecture CPU, specifically made to give you a better performance than you have ever had before.

3. Ubiquiti EdgeRouter Lite 3 Wired Router

Budget Friendly

If you are looking for a budget friendly wired router, we recommend the Ubiquiti EdgeRouter Lite 3. This is a great, basic wired option that delivers great routing, security, and management features to help you efficiently run your network.

Design

This is a slim, black compact design, which makes it easy to conceal if you want to. The metal casing is compact and durable, so it is not going to randomly break on you. It is also entirely silent and operates without a fan, so you will not need to listen to a loud humming sound coming from the router.

Port-wise, this router only has 3 1-Gigabit wired ports, which is not as many as other wired routers. It is probably a better home option wired router than for a business that might need more devices hardwired in.

Performance

The Ubiquiti EdgeRouter Lite 3 is not the highest performing wired router out there, but it still works well. The data transfer rate is 1 MB per second. The wireless compatibility on this router is 802.11n, which is what you would need basically to get a wireless connection after adding on a wireless access point.

Each of the Gigabit ports functions as an independent interface. You will also be able to configure static routes and dynamic routing protocols with the Lite 3. This will effectively manage the routes that are used by the router itself. Additionally, it has a .5 GHz processor and 512 MB in RAM.

This is not a great choice if you are not tech savvy, because the GUI only has limited functionality, so you will need to be familiar with their CLI. However, it does have PPTP as well as an IPSEC VPN server and there are tutorials out there that will help you to work through how to use them. You can configure the VLAN interfaces to meet your network segmentation requirements.

4. Zyxel Next Generation USG20-WPN

Best Wired Router For Small Business

If you have a small business, you need a router that will really be able to help you operate as efficiently as possible.

For that reason, we recommend the Zyxel Next Generation wired router. This router is really made to support business operations, giving you the level of support that you need.

Design

The design of this wired Zyxel router is compact and slim. Its casing is silver, unlike the majority of wired routers, which are black. The design is also silent and fanless, giving you a quiet, 0 dB operation.

This Zyxel wired router comes with high performance Gigabit ports, including 1 WAN, 4 LAN ports, an SFP Gigabit Fiber port for uplink to fiber internet services. You will also get optional website content filter blocking and an anti-spam email blocking. It is a paid addition, but it is helpful if you need it.

Performance

This Zyxel router is really for offices that have less than 10 users, so when we say it is for small businesses, we really mean small businesses. It allows for 20,000 Max TCP concurrent sessions, which is why it is ideal for smaller offices. It also offers up to 90 Mbps Encrypted VPN throughout, which also for secure remote access, either office to office or device to office.

This router also has an easy to install browser-based configuration and management interface. The setup is made to be quick and easy, getting rid of the risk of headache that might normally come with such a setup. Zyxel also provides regular updates in response to the latest security threats and advisories, as well as a service portal that gives you free network security resources, giving you an extra peace of mind.

Finally, you will also get a VPN firewall for any mobile devices that might be connected, giving you a Layer-2 Tunnelling Protocol VPN. IT will relieve you from the stress of managing a complicated network, doing the work for you.

5. Fortinet FortiGate 30E Wired Router

Advanced Security

Some networks need a higher level of security than what is offered with the average wired router. For that, we suggest the Fortinet FortiGate 30E.

Design

The FortiGate 30E is a sleek, white router that might be easier to conceal than the standard black routers. It is a little lighter than other wired routers as well, coming in at only 2 pounds. Port-wise, you will get 4 GE RJ45 switch ports, a GE RJ45 WAN port, and a USB port with the RJ45 console. The internal storage on this router is 16 GB.

As an added bonus, it comes with an 8x5 trial support, so you can test out the added security that you would otherwise need to pay for. You can also choose to cancel it if it turns out that it is not something that you would like to take advantage of.

Performance

This type of router is great if you have to worry about sensitive information, including PCI and HIPAA, giving you an added layer of protection. This is important for health care businesses and anyone who deals with financial information of any kind as well.

It is made to deliver extensive routing, switching, wireless controlling, and high performance capabilities in order to consolidate networking and security functionality as well.

The FortiGate 30E delivers the best threat protection performance and ultra-low latency. This happens due to the purpose-built security processor technology that is in place. You will get protection for SSL encrypted traffic as well.

The firewall throughput is 950 Mbps with a 75 Mbps VPN throughput. It allows for 80 concurrent VPN users, but not more than that, so make sure that your business is securely covered based on the amount of users you really need to have connected at a time.

Lastly, you will get flexible deployment, such as UTM and Secure SD-WAN. Combined with the single pane of glass with the NOC, you will get 360 visibility to identify any security concerns as they arise.

6. Cisco System RV325K9NA Wired Router

For Large Businesses

Another great wired router choice is the Cisco System RV325K9NA. This router is made to handle large files for busy businesses and handle multiple devices working concurrently without suffering any kind of delay or loss in productivity.

Design

The design of this router is a little beefier than some of the other routers that we have reviewed already. It does weigh a lot more than other routers at 2.87 pounds, but this is mostly because it has more ports to work with and needs the extra space.

It comes with 2 USB 2.0 points, but it has an incredible 16 Ethernet ports, 14 of which are LAN ports. The dual Gigabit Ethernet WAN ports are ideal for load balancing and business continuity.

The device manager is intuitive, as is the setup wizard, which is probably good since Cisco’s customer service is not great, unless you have paid for an additional service package.

If you are not tech savvy, you will need to have someone on hand to help you set this system up; or pay Cisco for their services, or you might even need to consider another router that has an easier set up process.

Performance

Looking at the router’s performance, you will see that it is made for a larger business, especially since it has 14 LAN ports. It is made to handle multiple users using the same data concurrently without any slowdown, keeping business productivity up and going.

The router is high capacity and has a high-performance SSL and IP security VPN capabilities, ensuring that your network will be secure across all of the connected devices, eliminating any need for worry. VPN for all users is essential for business security.

The wireless type for this router is 802.11a/b/g/n, which is just what you would need if you wanted to go the route of Wi-Fi for your business, though it is not necessary to reap the benefits of this powerful router.

7. TP-Link TL-R470T Wired Router

Great Value

The last wired router that we will take a look at is the TP-Link TL-R470T. This is a load balance broadband router and a great, inexpensive router option from TP-Link.

Design

This is a slick, black router that will be easy to conceal if you needed to. It is incredibly lightweight, coming it at only 3.84 ounces, which is much lighter than the average wired router out there. This router will give you a total number of 5 Ethernet ports, 4 of which are LAN ports.

It does not come with any wireless compatibility, if that is a factor that you need to be concerned with. The WAN ports are equipped with advanced load balance to guarantee maximum bandwidth and backup capabilities.

Performance

While this TP-Link might not have all of the functionality that you can get with other wired routers, for the price point, you are going to get a rock solid performance for what it does. This router provides extensive client account and network management, with a supported PPPoE server.

It also is made to marshal the bandwidth resource to specific clients, based on the unique application environments of each client, helping you to prioritize clients within the network. You will also get cooperating IP-based bandwidth control to better configure your bandwidth.

The data transfer rate on this router is 100 Mb per second, which is naturally a little slower than the other routers, but this is a basic type of wired router. Having a wired speed of 100 Mb is still going to give you better performance than a wireless router at the same transfer rate.

The lightning protection technology that comes with this router is designed to prevent electrical surges from penetrating your connection conditions, which is incredibly important when you are using this router for business purposes. This feature ensures that networking infrastructure investments can remain as safe as possible.

8. Linksys LRT214 Gigabit VPN Wired Router

Great wired-only router that you can get is the Linksys LRT214. This is a Gigabit VPN router that has a high level of security paired with simple management.

Design

Let’s start by looking at the physical design of this router. It is relatively small and is a box. This will make it easy to place in an appropriate location. Since it does not have wireless capabilities, you will not have to navigate around antennas. It also has Gigabit Ethernet ports for fast connectivity.

This router is designed to work best for small businesses. Its features are in place to meet the requirements that businesses have for their security. Because it is a VPN router, it will encrypt data coming in and out, providing you with more peace of mind.

Performance

Looking at the router’s performance, you will find that it uses a VLAN tagging to router network traffic. VLAN tagging provides network admins with more flexibility while still being functional for companies and organizations that have several points of access.

The router has a 900 Mbps firewall as well as 110 Mbps IPsec throughputs, so you know that this will do its job well. It is not likely to overheat, since it can easily handle temperatures up to 104ºF.

9. D-Link DSR-250 Wired Router

The D-Link DSR-250 is a great wired router with a lot of connectivity and security. It is a good choice for a small office or a home office, ensuring that you will be able to hook up everything that you need to while keeping out unwanted visitors.

Design

When you look at the D-Link DSR-250, you will see that it is the standard block design with a black casing. Routers like this need to be kept as cool as possible as well, so make sure that it is not hidden away somewhere in a drawer where it can overheat. Instead, keep it in a well-ventilated location.

The D-Link DSR-250 comes with eight Gigabit LAN ports as well as one Gigabit WAN port, both of which can support more than 20,000 concurrent sessions.

It also uses Green Ethernet features that will help you do save power while cutting down your energy costs, something that we all look for when it comes to our home office. The device has a USB 2.0 port as well.

Performance

When we look at its performance, the D-Link DSR-250 supports up to 25 IPsec SPN tunnels as well as 25 additional PPTP-L2TP tunnels. It also will give you 5 SSL SPN tunnels and 10 Generic Routing Encapsulation tunnels.

This will keep everything moving as you would want it to be throughout your network. The tunnels really help to keep any unwelcome malware far away from your network. The firewall throughput that you will get with this router is 95Mbps and a VPN throughput of 40Mbps.

The dynamic web content filtering will also allow you to block access to certain websites. This can be used as a parental control, but it can also keep any employees that you have on task if they are looking through non-related work websites while on the job. The router does come with a limited lifetime warranty as well, in case something does happen to breakdown.

10. TP-Link Safestream TL-R600 VPN Router

This is a high speed router that comes with a lot of ports to work with and the level of protection that you should be able to expect from a wired router. 

This router’s intention is really all about security as well, so keep that in mind when you look through its features.

Design

The design of the TP-Link Safestream TL-R600VPN is pretty typical for a wired router. It is heavy duty, because it is mean to be able to handle a lot of activity and the demands that you put upon it.

It is not the easiest device to setup, however, so be prepared to be patient with it. It does have some venting on the side, but you will need to keep this in a well-ventilated location to prevent overheating.

The router comes with one Gigabit WAN port, one Gigabit LAN port, and three Gigabit WAN/LAN ports. That way, you will get the high-speed wired connectivity that you are really after. The professional 4KV lightning protection within the router will also help to keep your network as safe as possible.

Performance

The TP-Link Safestream TL-R600VPN router supports 20 IPsec VPN tunnels, 16 L2TP VPN tunnels, and 16 PPTP VPN tunnels, simultaneously. It will also allow DoS defence as well as IP/MAC/Domain name filtering to ensure that your network is as locked down and secure as you would really like it to be.

The router comes with a lot of built-in security features in general, include a firewall function. It will look for Ping of Death and other attacks that might be trying to get inside of your network.

It also has IP-MAC Binding to help protect your network against most of the known attack types. It is a good choice for small offices or home networks that require an extra bit of security.

What's The Difference Between A Wired Router vs. Switch

A common question that you will have when building a small business is, “what equipment do I need?” The two most essential pieces of equipment are switches and routers, though their functionality is often confused.

A switch works by connecting all of your devices into a network. This includes your printers, computers, and servers. With a switch, the devices can all share information seamlessly, no matter how close they are together. This is incredibly important in the information age.

Meanwhile, a router is what will tie your network to the internet. A router can connect to multiple switches, directing traffic throughout the network. It will help to bring the world to your network, but will also provide the security that you need to keep malware away from your network.

In order for your business to run efficiently internally and externally, you will want both a switch and a router.

Features To Look For In A Wired Router

Ethernet Ports

One of the most important features to have with your wired router is Ethernet ports. The ports allow direct connection to your devices. The more ports that the router has, the more devices will be able to have that direct connection.

Wired routers typically come with a few, but depending on the amount of devices that you need to hardwire it, you may need more or fewer ports. Confirm what the router comes with before you commit.

Built-In VPN & Security Features

The next consideration that you should make for wired router is the amount of security features that your router comes with. You should have a VPN build-into your firewall into encrypt the data coming in and coming out.

You will also want a firewall to provide you with an extra layer of security. If you are using this in a business, you will want all of the security features possible to keep your network locked down.

Processor & RAM

The processor and the RAM are two other features that you will need to look at when it comes to your wired router. The processor will tell you how many operations the router will actually be able to handle at a time.

Likewise, having a large RAM will prevent congestion within your network. If you are using a wired router for work, you will need all of your employees to have equal, uninterrupted access, and RAM can help with that.

Speed

Finally, you should look at the speeds that a wired router can provide. At the very least, you need a router that is capable of 10/100/1000 speeds. Anything less than a Gigabit is not going to be nearly fast enough to meet your needs.

Just because the router is wired, does not mean that speed is not important. Wired connections are naturally faster than wireless, but speed still matters. They do not face the same speed interruptions as wireless routers, however.

Disadvantages Of Wired Routers

Flexibility

When it comes to a wired router, you are going to be limited where the signal can go. It can only go as far as the cable reaches between the router and the devices.

Where the router is set up is also where everything will have to be centrally located, making it impossible to move around the space. You might also be frustrated by have too many devices in close proximity to one another.

Lots Of Cables To Deal With

Working with a wireless router means that you do not have to be physically connected to the router to get the services. A wired router is just that: wired.

You will have as many wires to deal with and figure out as you have devices connected to it. It can make a mess of things and be confusing when trying to figure out which device needs which port on your router.

Connection Port Limitation

A wired router does not have infinite ports. You will eventually run out of room, limiting the amount of devices that are connected to the router. With a wireless connection, you can add on as many devices as you want, though, eventually, this will slow down the router.

If your wired router has 4 Gigabit Ethernet ports, for example, you will only be able to hardwire in 4 devices, leaving out any other device you might have.

How To Connect To A Wired Router

Ethernet

To set up a wired router, you will need to connect one end of the Ethernet cable to your modem or ONT box and the other end will need to be connected to a port on the router. It should be a WAN, WLAN, Uplink, or even an Internet port that is on the router.

Then, you will need to reboot your computer. Once it is up and running, your computer should be able to see that you are connected. You can access your router’s settings going to the web address included in the packaging and logging in.

Powerlines

Powerlines are a great way to give you a faster connection. To set up a powerline connection, you will need a router, Ethernet cables, and at least two powerline adapters, one for the router, and one for the device that you are connected.

First, plug in the adapter into the power outlet by your router and connect to your router with an Ethernet cable. Then, use another Ethernet cable to connect to another adapter in an outlet. The two adapters will use the electrical wiring to send network signals between one another, giving you a direct link and fast connection.

Final Words

If you are considering getting a wired router for your home network or business, you really cannot do much better than the Ubiquiti EdgeRouter 4.

The Ubiquiti ER-4 is made to give you the uninterrupted performance levels that you should be looking for in the best wired router, including preventing any kind of congestion along your network, even when someone else starts using your bandwidth while you are streaming or gaming.

You will only need a different router if you need higher security for your business, need something a little less expensive, or a router that can handle a large amount of devices. Otherwise, the ER-4 is the way to go.