Best Wifi Router For Two-Story House

Are you somebody who’s experiencing problems with having full coverage wifi or are you hunting for a router that will work best for your two-story home?

Finding and choosing the perfect router can be as strenuous as getting blood out of a stone. Not only does it depend highly upon your usage, needs, hardware, and software requirements, but it also depends upon many other things.

However, it comes down to one major factor in the end; the coverage it provides and the money it demands. So, if you are looking for the perfect router, do know that we are here to help you.

Here, we are listing the top 7 best routers for a two-story home that will help you find just the ideal router that provides full coverage with no dead zones:

Top 7 Best Wifi Router For Two-Story House

1. Netgear Nighthawk X6 AC3200 (R8000)
2. TP-Link Archer AX50
3. Asus RT-AX3000
4. Netgear Orbi RBK50 AC3000
5. Gryphon Smart WiFi Mesh System
6. Google Nest mesh Wifi system
7. Netgear Nighthawk AX8 (RAX80)

Netgear Nighthawk X6 AC3200 (R8000)

One of the best routers for a two-story home that is at the top of its game at this very moment is the X6. The Netgear Nighthawk X6 AC3200 has a very sharp design which makes it look no less than a spaceship.

The X6 has six antennas which makes it more efficient than any other router having three or four antennas. The X6 is indeed costly but it is most definitely worth it if you want internet everywhere in your two-story home. The X6 has a length, breadth, and height of 11.5 inches x 8.8 inches x 2.2 inches respectively.

It should be placed horizontally or should be screwed up on a wall. The X6 can be turned on or off easily. It has 13 LED lights in the middle that demonstrate whether it is turned on, has an internet connection, and which bands and ports are active.

It can handle three lanes of WiFi data traffic individually, a single 2.4GHz, and even a pair of 5GHz channels across a two-story home. Out of these two, one can be reserved for high-speed traffic. All six antennas are adjustable.

They can be extended up to 3.3 inches and at a 140-degree angle which shoots out signals in every direction in a two-story home. In addition, the X6 has two USB ports; USB 2.0 and USB 3.0.

Overall, the Netgear Nighthawk X6 AC3200 (R8000) is a powerful and reliable router that offers maximum speed, extended range, and excellent security. It is perfect for home users and businesses alike, who need a reliable WiFi router to maximize their Internet connection. So if you’re looking for a router that can do it all, the Nighthawk X6 is a perfect choice.

How to use

The X6 uses Netgear’s Genie software to configure the router in approximately 5 minutes.

To set up, plug it into your broadband modem and turn it on.

Open a browser window “routerlogin.net”.

The connection is then automatically set up. Each router has a different name, password, and code programmed specifically for it but it can be changed for safety purposes.

Netgear’s Genie software has versions for both desktops and phones (androids and mac). It shows different adjustment settings.

The app also shows an interface that demonstrates the number of devices connected, the firmware version, and the network currently in use. The Genie also provides parental controls. The upload and download speeds are demonstrated by a traffic meter in the Genie software.

Your connections and your neighbor’s connection are differentiated. Moreover, an email is sent by the Genie software once a new device connects to the X6.

After the setup, you can easily enjoy fast-speed internet on multiple devices at a single time without disruption. There will also be no dead zones in your two-story home since X6 provides full coverage.

What makes it different from others?

1. The X6 has a tri-band router which means that you can manually set the bandwidth among its channels as a result of which newer devices will not slow the older ones.
2. The router never gets more than warm therefore, it does not need space or ventilation.
3. It offers one year warranty.

Benefits and Drawbacks

Graphically Represented Features That Can Help You Make Decision

TP-Link Archer AX50

The Archer AX50 is a wifi 6 router that is mid-range i.e., is in between high-end and moderate-budget models which makes it perfect for a moderate two-story home.

It provides speedy outputs along with other major features that usually come with expensive routers such as lifetime parental controls, link aggregation, USB connectivity, and malware protection. The Archer AX50 has a two-tone design with a matt finish.

It has six LED lights and four antennas. It has a height, width, and depth of 1.5 inches x 10.2 inches x 5.3 inches respectively. At the back, the Archer AX50 has a wifi button, a reset button, a power button and jack, a USB 3.0 port, four gigabit LAN ports, and a WAN port. It supports the latest wifi 6 technology, MU-MIMO data streaming, and Smart Connect (band steering).

The maximum speed it supports is 574 Mbps and 2402 Mbps on the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands respectively. The Archer AX50 has a dual-core processor and supports link aggregation which is quite a cherry on the top for a router for a two-story home having a moderate price.

How to use

The Archer AX50 is operated with the help of TP Link’s Tether mobile or console app. All you have to do is download the app, create a TP-Link ID and click on the plus icon in the upper right corner.

You can add a new device, select router, and follow the instructions it provides to power off your modem, connect the router to the modem, and then power everything up. You will have to use your wifi settings to connect to the router’s SSID.

Enter the password on the wifi info card and tap “I’m connected” on the app. The app finds the router immediately. You will have to select your connection type, name both radio bands and generate new passwords.

The installation is complete after a brief firmware update after which a strong connection is established across your two-story home.

Both the web and phone (android and iOS) versions of the app are easy to use but the web one has more advanced features.

The app’s interface has a client button that shows connected devices and their details.

The HomeCare button provides parental control and anti-virus options. The tool button provides different settings, runs network diagnostics, and helps create a guest network.

What makes it different from others?

1. The Archer AX50 has link aggregation which is rare for routers in this price range.
2. It has QoS settings with which specific bandwidth priority is assigned according to the gaming, chatting, and streaming presets.
3. The HomeCare parental controls offer advanced features such as child, teen, pre-teen, and adult presets which help in filtering content that is not appropriate for children.

Benefits and Drawbacks

Graphically Represented Features That Can Help You Make Decision

Asus RT-AX3000

The Asus RT-AX3000 is a great deal for money if you are looking for an affordable router that provides excellent signals across a two-story home. It is a dual-band Wifi 6-enabled wireless router. It provides full coverage to a two-story home.

It has a wide range of signal strength and can connect up to 30 devices at a single time. It has four LAN ports, one WAN port, and one USB 3.0 port. The model’s connectivity speed is 3000 Mbps.

The dual-band system featured by AX3000 provides a speed of 575 Mbps and 2402 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band and 5GHz band respectively. The coverage that AX3000 provides for a two-story home is pretty spectacular. The router has a simple but impressive design.

The golden ASUS logo is eye-catching. For anyone trying to get the most out of their internet connection, the AX3000 is a great router for a two-story home where the users want to connect multiple devices at a single time without having to worry about which floor, they are on.

It weighs 538 g and has dimensions of 224 mm x 129mm x 160 mm, length, width, and height respectively. The AX3000 has a WPS button, reset button, and power switch.

How to use

The Asus RT-AX3000 has both web and phone (for both android and iOS) interfaces. The router works pretty much like the others.

You need to connect the provided cord to the back of the router and turn it on. Use an ethernet cable to connect the modem to the WAN port at the back of the router.

The AX3000 works with both the ASUS Router app and the web interface.

Once you open the app, it asks about which device you want to set up. When the router is discovered, the interface allows you to set up the router manually or automatically.

After all the configurations are completed i.e., setting WAN type and assigning name and password, you get full access to the app. Inside the app, you can have full advantage of the AiMesh system.

The interface also displays the internet status icon, wifi settings, important info about the router and new firmware updates, etc.

Another main section is Devices where all the devices that are currently or have previously been connected along with their IP addresses are displayed. Parental control settings and security settings can also be optimized. Once the AX3000 is ready to work, it provides excellent coverage to your two-story home.

What makes it different from others?

1. It is a great router for gaming and 4K video streaming across a two-story home.
2. Being on different floors in a two-story home does not affect the connectivity in any way.
3. Asus has made sure that your connection remains safe with its AiProtect Pro technology in association with Trend Micro.

Benefits and Drawbacks

Graphically Represented Features That Can Help You Make Decision

Netgear Orbi RBK50 AC3000

The Netgear Orbi RBK50 is one of the few routers for a two-story home that has a performance simply out of this world. The exemplary channel for router-to-extension data traffic assists the system to give maximum coverage and internet speed to fulfill the user’s wants and needs for a two-story home.

The system has a two-pack kit, however, an extra satellite(node) can be included which provides full coverage across a two-story home. Moreover, Orbi Voice can be used as an extension that not only provides coverage but also adds Amazon Alexa features.

The RBK50 has dimensions of 8.9 inches x 6.7 inches x 3.1 inches. It has four 1Gbps LAN ports, a USB 2.0 port, and a power port at the back. The RBK50 has LED around the oval on the top.

The LED glows white when it’s starting up, blue when the connection is good, amber when the connection is weak and magenta when the connection is lost.

Each Orbi device has six powerful amplified antennas. The router can handle up to three nodes but the nodes can directly communicate with the router in a hub-and-spoke manner.

Each Orbi has four-gigabit ethernet ports, a power input, and a power button. The yellow port on the router connects to a broadband modem whereas other LAN ports can be used for storage devices. 

How to use

The Orbi RBK50 has a very simple setup that requires no knowledge of IP addresses or ethernet. The devices are already paired.

The complete setup can be achieved through a smartphone connected with wifi or through a PC connected to the Orbi router via ethernet.

You can use the web interface by typing “orbilogin.com” or use the Netgear Genie app or use the Orbi app (available for both android and iOS). The router sets up after a network check via the app. Turn the Orbi node on, move it closer to the router and let the router scan for it. Then you can change the names and passwords for security purposes and then restart the devices again.

This will complete the setup and provide full connectivity across a two-story home. Netgear offers one year warranty and three-month tech support.

Netgear’s website has plenty of manuals and videos that assist in the process. Moreover, the Netgear technicians are always there to help. It should be kept in mind that the mobile app does not offer some features that the browser interface does.

What makes it different from others?

1. Netgear has a second channel that keeps backhaul into account, the data transferred from router to node and back to the router. As a result of this, the connection between the units and devices stays firm.
2. It has the easiest setup than any of its competitors.

Benefits and Drawbacks

Graphically Represented Features That Can Help You Make Decision

Gryphon Smart WiFi Mesh System

The Gryphon Smart Wifi Mesh System is a mesh wifi system that has been built like no other. It has a very unique design with extraordinary speed, performance, and security controls. The system can consist of a single node pack or a two-node pack.

The nodes look alike; they have a dimension of 4.5 inches x 4.5 inches x 9.5 inches and possess a very unique twisted structure. At the back of the node, there is a reset button, a power jack, a WAN port, and three gigabit LAN ports. It supports a maximum speed of 1.7Gbps and 400Mbps on the 5GHz band and 2.4GHz band respectively.

The router also supports automatic band steering, beamforming, and MU-MIMO technology. Each node has a LED light that blinks white when trying to establish a connection and solid white when a connection has been established. One of the most advanced features it provides is secure browsing for the whole family living in a two-story home.

How to use

Unlike other mesh systems, Gryphon’s nodes are identical and during the setup procedure, it is up to the user to decide which one should be the router and which one should be the node. Gryphon can be managed using a mobile app.

Download the app and create an account. Once your email account has been verified, scan the QR code at the base of the router. Click the setup New Gryphon option and follow the instructions about connecting the router to the modem.

After the LED starts blinking white, tap Next, and then after a few seconds, the router will pair. You can create a new account or use the existing SSID and password. A guest network can also be created at this point. When the settings are all complete, you can install the second node by scanning the QR code.

After the LED starts blinking, you will have to wait for 30 seconds for it to pair with the main router. If that fails, move the node closer to the router. This will allow it to connect easily and provide good coverage to your two-story home.

What makes it different from others?

1. Both the nodes look exactly alike and the user gets to decide which node they want to turn into the router and node.
2. Gryphon has a very unique twisted design which is pretty much an advantage since it compliments your two-story home.

Benefits and Drawbacks

Graphically Represented Features That Can Help You Make Decision

Google Nest

The google nest has very powerful software, usable options, and a design that fits your place perfectly. It supports Wifi 5 technology. It possesses two parts; the router and the point (Google’s node is called a point).

The nodes can be selected according to your requirement; there are different options such as opting for a single router, a router and a node, a router, two nodes, and so on.

It highly depends upon the needs of your two-story home. The router has a dimension of 3.56 x 4.33 inches whereas the node has a dimension of 3.43 x 4.02 inches.

The google nest has a built-in google assistant and a smart speaker that not only helps in answering queries but also in playing music, answering phone calls, telling news and the latest scores for a match, etc. The router has a gigabit LAN port, a WAN port, and a power jack at the base.

It can reach a maximum speed of 400Mbps and 1733Mbps on a 2.4GHz and 5GHz band respectively providing maximum coverage to your two-story home. It comes in three colors sand, snow, and mist.

How to use

Google nest is operated using a google home mobile app. You have to create an account after downloading the app. The given options are then followed in their respective order: get started, create a home screen, set up new devices, and lastly create a home.

The app immediately finds the router. The QR code at the base of the node is scanned for connecting the node. After you agree to join the Google Home network, the connection is established.

You need to provide a new username and password for your mesh system after which the app directs you to place the node at a certain position from where it can provide full coverage to your two-story home.

Once the location of the node and the router have been specified, you can decide the optimization options according to your needs.

The google home app also has settings for google assistant which allows it to access your data, connect to your devices and synchronize data so that it can manage phone calls and other activities.

After your settings have been customized, you can enjoy a good connection across your two-story home.

What makes it different from others?

1. It has a built-in google assistant and smart speaker that plays music, answers call, tells the news, etc.
2. It comes with different options (for the number of nodes) so that you can customize your network according to the needs and requirements of your two-story home.

Benefits and Drawbacks

Graphically Represented Features That Can Help You Make Decision

Netgear Nighthawk AX8 (RAX80)

The Netgear Nighthawk AX8 is a great wifi 6 router that protects your devices from malware while providing excellent speed. It has a very unique design; it is shaped like a spaceship.

The AX8 has one WAN port, five LAN gigabit ports (two of which can be used for link aggregation), a reset button, a power button, a power jack, an LED on/off button, and two USB 3.0 ports. Its dimensions are 12.0 x 8.0 x 6.3 inches.

Both sides of the AX8 look like fold-open wings (which can be closed at times) and have four non-removable antennas inside. It has rubber at its base which protects your furniture. It has an eye-catching design.

The AX8 has individual LED lights that represent power, the internet, the five LAN ports, and the USB port. The lights can be turned off too. It supports maximum speeds of 1.2Mbps and 4.8Mbps on 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands respectively.

It also supports google assistant and Amazon Alexa. It can be inserted on a table or mounted on a wall. It does not get heated since it dissipated heat. Its latest technology provides full coverage to a two-story home.

How to use

The AX8 is set up using the Nighthawk app. The app has versions for both android and iOS. The network is created firstly by rebooting your modem and plugging in the router.

After creating an account, allow the software to connect the router by scanning the QR code. When the router restarts, you have to connect your device (phone or tablet) to the router using the information given at the base of the router.

The app then scans for the router and establishes a connection. You can customize the router and network’s administrative name and password. The app also provides an option for using a touch ID for extra security.

The router then updates the firmware and sets up the whole connection. The whole process requires 10 minutes after which you can enjoy connection across your two-story home.

The app does keep a track of individual users and can set a usage limit. The Guest Network allows outsiders to connect and even access other parts of the network.

The Nighthawk AX8 is extremely secure since it possesses Netgear’s Armor software. Additionally, the system has a Disney Circle app that allows you to block content that is inappropriate for children.

The Netgear product support site has a lot of content (manuals etc.) that helps get the most out of the gear.

What makes it different from others?

1. The AX8 has multiple high-end options such as the Netgear product support site and Netgear Armor software which assist in not only establishing a network but also in protecting and troubleshooting it.
2. The device has the dimensions of 10.8 x 8.0 x 2.8 inches when its wing-like antennas are closed or lowered but the dimensions become 12.0 x 8.0 x 6.3 inches once you fully open them. The place in between the antennas is so extensive that books, files, or mail can be stacked on it.

Benefits and Drawbacks

Graphically Represented Features That Can Help You Make Decision

Concluding Words By Joel Marlow

The credibility and performance of all the routers listed above are very high. Each of them has its advantages and each of them differentiates the others in terms of software, hardware, speed, performance, and price. It comes down to what the user expects from their router and in what manner they want it to perform.

All of the three i.e., Netgear Nighthawk X6 AC3200, TP-Link Archer AX50, and Asus RT-AX3000 have high performance in a two-story home. However, when it comes down to providing the best performance at the most affordable price, the Netgear Nighthawk X6 is the front-runner.

Its processing unit can support up to 50 devices at a single time and it provides full coverage with no dead zones in a two-story home.

It has a highly ventilated sleek body with high performance making it the best router for a two-story home on the market.

Questions On Your Mind

Which router is best for a two-story home?

The Netgear Nighthawk X6 AC3200 is the best router for a two-story home. It covers a large two-story home and has a very high performance at a low price.

Where should a router be placed in a two-story home to get the best coverage?

The router for a two-story home can work to its full extent when it is placed on the upper floor. Furthermore, the router can be mounted at the staircase with connects the two floors in order to get the best coverage.

Which router is best for handling a lot of devices in a two-story home?

Google nest wifi 2 pack can handle up to 200 devices at the same time. Hence, being the top pick for handling a lot of devices at a single time in a two-story home.

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