January 2025
Routers: MetaRanking
This page highlights the aggregate summary of routers rankings posted by key online experts, as of January 2025.
Summary
On 3 Jan 2025, ReviewFinder team examined a total of 70 router endorsements from 10 reputable publishers.
59 routers were endorsed in total, only 10 made it into this month's ranking. (ReviewFinder requires a minimum of 2 endorsements to be included)
As of 3 Jan 2025, Netgear Orbi 970 takes the cake as the most critically-acclaimed router with 2 expert endorsements. 1 expert out of 2 recommended it as the '#1 router' this month.
Brand breakdown
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TP-Link: 20 routers
(#1 is TP-Link Archer AX50)
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Asus: 12 routers
(#1 is Asus ZenWiFi AX XT8)
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Netgear: 9 routers
(#1 is Netgear Orbi 970)
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Google: 2 routers
(#1 is Google Nest WiFi)
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Amazon: 2 routers
(#1 is Amazon Eero 6)
Price breakdown
At a glance - January Ranking
| Rank | Change | Price | Router |
Laptop Mag
|
Tom's Guide
|
Wirecutter
|
How To Geek
|
T3
|
PCMag
|
Digital Trends
|
TechRadar
|
Business Insider
|
Lifewire
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
- | $1500 |
Netgear Orbi 970
|
-
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3
|
-
|
-
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-
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-
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-
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-
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-
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1
|
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2
|
- | $330 |
Asus ZenWiFi AX XT8
The Asus ZenWiFi AX XT8 router is a high-performance Wi-Fi 6 mesh system with excellent speed and range, advanced features such as parental controls and QoS settings, and easy setup and management through a mobile app.
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-
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-
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-
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4
|
-
|
-
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-
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1
|
-
|
-
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|
3
|
- | $300 |
Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500
The Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 router is a high-performance router that supports the latest Wi-Fi 6 and 6E standards, offering top speeds of up to 11,000 Mbps, and is ideal for users who require high-speed internet for activities such as streaming and gaming.
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-
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6
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-
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-
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8
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-
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-
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-
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3
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-
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4
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- | $96 |
TP-Link Archer AX50
The TP-Link Archer AX50 router is a highly recommended Wi-Fi 6 router that offers fast and reliable speeds, supports over 40 connected devices, and has advanced features such as parental controls and antivirus protection.
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3
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-
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-
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-
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-
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-
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-
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-
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2
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-
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5
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- | $44 |
Google Nest WiFi
The Google Nest WiFi router is a reliable and efficient solution for families of four who frequently use multiple devices simultaneously and want fast and reliable internet speeds, with parental controls, QoS capabilities, and easy setup and management using the Google Home app.
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2
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-
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-
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-
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-
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-
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-
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-
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5
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-
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6
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- | $160 |
Netgear Nighthawk Pro XR1000
The Netgear Nighthawk Pro XR1000 router is a high-performance Wi-Fi 6 router with a maximum speed of 5.4Gbps, suitable for large households or small offices with multiple devices, and comes with Netgear Armor for all-encompassing anti-virus, anti-malware, and data protection.
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-
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2
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5
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-
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-
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-
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7
|
- | Check price |
TP-Link Archer AX6600 AX90
The TP-Link Archer AX6600 AX90 router is a high-speed, Wi-Fi 6 router with Tri-Band Wi-Fi, Ultra Connectivity, Maximized Coverage, and TP-Link HomeShield security features, making it a reliable and versatile choice for any home or office.
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-
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-
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5
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2
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-
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-
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-
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8
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- | $200 |
Google Nest WiFi Pro
The Google Nest WiFi Pro router is highly praised for its speed, performance, range, features, security, ease of use, and compatibility with smart home devices, making it a top choice for streaming, gaming, and providing reliable Wi-Fi coverage in both homes and office spaces.
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-
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3
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4
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-
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17
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- | $59 |
TP-Link Archer AX10
The TP-Link Archer AX10 router is a dual-band AX1500 router that offers good speed and performance for streaming and gaming, with improved wireless connection and increased transfer speeds for reduced lag and latency, making it suitable for large homes or office spaces with many users and devices.
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-
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-
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-
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-
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-
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4
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4
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-
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-
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-
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18
|
- | $110 |
TP-Link Deco X20
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-
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4
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5
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-
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-
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-
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-
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-
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-
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We ranked Netgear Orbi 970 #1 in January 2025 because:
- 2 independent experts mentioned it in their “best routers” rankings.
- Out of those, 1 expert ranked Netgear Orbi 970 as #1.
Tom's Guide
Blazing fast Wi-Fi 7 performance at a premium
|
Extra layer of security
Top mesh LAN performance
320MHz ultra-wide data channels
Two 10Gbps and four 2.5Gbps networking ports
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Extremely expensive
Performance falls off at long distances
One-year warranty and 90-days of support included
|
Lifewire
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Supports Wi-Fi 7
Massive 10,000 square foot coverage
Expandable with additional nodes
Attractive and understated design
Supports 10 Gigabit Ethernet wired connectivity
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Very expensive
Limited number of Wi-Fi 7 devices
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We ranked Asus ZenWiFi AX XT8 #2 in January 2025 because:
- 2 independent experts mentioned it in their “best routers” rankings.
- Out of those, 1 expert ranked Asus ZenWiFi AX XT8 as #1.
How To Geek
Best Mesh Router
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Wi-Fi 6
5500 square feet of coverage
QoS for traffic prioritization
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More expensive than mesh systems without Wi-Fi 6
Not as simple to configure as Google Nest Wifi
|
TechRadar
The best Wi-Fi router overall
|
Great Wi-Fi performance
Good security features
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Expensive
Limited to two routers
|
Methodology: combine opinions of key experts
Identify Experts
We identify key publishers and experts that consistently review and recommend routers.
Capture Rankings
For each publisher we find a currently recommended "top 10" list of routers, it must be updated in the last 9 months.
Aggregate Rankings
We put all those lists together and aggregate them. The more frequently a product is recommended, the higher it is in our ranking
Experts chosen for January 2025 ranking
Laptop Mag
Tom's Guide
Wirecutter
How To Geek
T3
PCMag
Digital Trends
TechRadar
Business Insider
Lifewire
We ranked Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 #3 in January 2025 because:
- 3 independent experts mentioned it in their “best routers” rankings.
Tom's Guide
The best Wi-Fi 6E router
|
Top speeds with 6GHz band
Very customizable
Security software built-in
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Throughput declines quickly with distance
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T3
The best Wi-Fi router if you have a big budget
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Absolutely packed with features
High-end Wi-Fi 6E support
Lots of customisation options
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It's going to cost you
|
Business Insider
Best Wi-Fi 6E
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Supports Wi-Fi 6E, excellent Wi-Fi performance, performance holds up at range, as a 2.5 Gigabit LAN port
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Large, could use more Gigabit LAN ports for its size
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We ranked TP-Link Archer AX50 #4 in January 2025 because:
- 2 independent experts mentioned it in their “best routers” rankings.
Laptop Mag
Best Wi-Fi 6 router for most people
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Affordable for performance
Solid coverage for single unit
Advanced security options
Reduces battery drain on connected devices
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Limited USB ports
Max data transfer not as high as some
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Business Insider
Best budget
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Good performance at long range, simple setup process, attractive design, compact size
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Maximum Wi-Fi speeds could be higher
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We ranked Google Nest WiFi #5 in January 2025 because:
- 2 independent experts mentioned it in their “best routers” rankings.
Laptop Mag
Best mesh Wi-Fi router system for most people
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Excellent, reliable coverage
Easy to set up
Built-in Google Home speaker
Smart home functionality
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Limited ports
Lacks advanced configuration options
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Business Insider
Best budget mesh
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Easy to set up and manage, router and points are small and attractive, access points double as smart speakers. reliable performance at range, attractive pricing
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Wi-Fi 6 upgrade is sorely needed
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We ranked Netgear Nighthawk Pro XR1000 #6 in January 2025 because:
- 2 independent experts mentioned it in their “best routers” rankings.
T3
The best premium wireless router
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High speed, low ping
Handles congestion well
Automatic optimisation
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On the expensive side
|
Digital Trends
The best gaming router
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Solid Wi-Fi 6 performance
Options catered towards gamers and streamers
Malware protection included
Excellent coverage
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No multi-gig port or port aggregation
Relatively pricey
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We ranked TP-Link Archer AX6600 AX90 #7 in January 2025 because:
- 2 independent experts mentioned it in their “best routers” rankings.
T3
A mid-range wireless router with loads of smart features
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Improves Wi-Fi speed and capacity
Easy to use and manage through the app
HomeShield is free and protects your devices
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The 2.4GHz channel could be faster
You have to create an account
There’s a subscription fee for the advanced security features
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Digital Trends
The best high-performance router
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Wi-Fi 6 support
Multi-gig Ethernet ports
Solid performance
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Relatively expensive
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We ranked Google Nest WiFi Pro #8 in January 2025 because:
- 2 independent experts mentioned it in their “best routers” rankings.
Digital Trends
The easiest wireless router to use
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Easy to set up
Fairly well priced
Wi-Fi 6E
Google Home, Matter support
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Ethernet port limited to 1Gbps
Requires Nest Cloud services
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TechRadar
The best mesh router that's more affordable and offers wide coverage
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Easy to setup
Appealing design and looks
Good Wi-Fi performance and coverage
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Smart speaker functionality has been ditched
Not backwards compatible with old Nest WiFi devices
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We ranked TP-Link Archer AX10 #9 in January 2025 because:
- 2 independent experts mentioned it in their “best routers” rankings.
PCMag
Best Budget Wi-Fi 6 Router
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Affordable
Good 5GHz throughput and signal range in testing
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Doesn't support 160MHz channel width
No anti-malware tools
Lacks USB and multi-gig LAN ports
So-so 2.4GHz performance in testing
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Digital Trends
The best budget wireless router
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Affordable price
Four Gigabit LAN ports
Alexa support
Great performance
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Limited design for coverage
No USB ports
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We ranked TP-Link Deco X20 #10 in January 2025 because:
- 2 independent experts mentioned it in their “best routers” rankings.
Tom's Guide
The best budget mesh Wi-Fi system
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Inexpensive
Excellent range
Extra security
Small router and satellites
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Lack of customization options
No dedicated backchannel for data
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How To Geek
Best Budget Mesh Router
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Low-budget Mesh networking
Supports Wi-Fi 6 and earlier devices
Easy to set up and configure
Provides good network coverage
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Lacks a dedicated backhaul channel (for the 2-pack)
Network speed could be better
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