Wireless connectivity in our home has already become one of our most basic needs. However, as we have more complex devices and technologies, our needs change as well.
Up until now, just about every router did the trick for most of us. We didn’t mind limiting the range of features we expected from a router as long as we had a quality internet connection. But now we have a lot of opportunities to make upgrades, especially with DD-WRT routers.
These devices feature the open-source Linux operating system and offer a wide variety of useful features. DD-WRT routers allow us to increase the quality of our internet service, prioritize certain connections and more importantly, make constant use of VPN possible through OpenVPN. OpenVPN allows you to create VPN connections quickly and easily. Furthermore, you can connect multiple devices through said connection and enjoy numerous benefits.
Our pick for the best DD-WRT router is Asus AC5300. It is expensive but it has many great features. Read more about the other routers further below.
With the right DD-WRT router, you can take your home or office network to the next level. However, you’ll have to know what improvements you need and what features can allow you to make them. So, we’re going to help you do just that. In this article, we’re going to review the best DD-WRT routers in terms of price and functionality.
1. Best DD-WRT Router Under $50: GL.iNet GL-MT300N
The GL.iNet GL-MT300N is a noteworthy DD-WRT router, particularly for those on a tight budget, offering several features that make it appealing for under $50:
Portability: One of the most significant advantages of the GL-MT300N is its compact size, making it highly portable. Its small, lightweight design allows it to fit easily in a purse or pocket, ideal for travelers or mobile professionals who need a reliable Wi-Fi connection on the go.
Integrated Storage: The inclusion of 16GB of storage space is a unique feature for a router in this price range. This allows users to store content directly on the device, which can be beneficial for various applications, including media sharing or as a temporary file hub.
Advanced Networking Features: Offering access to TOR, OpenVPN, and DD-WRT technology opens up a range of advanced networking capabilities. These features are particularly valuable for users who prioritize security and privacy or need versatile network customization.
Ethernet to Wi-Fi Conversion: Its ability to convert an Ethernet connection into Wi-Fi instantly is highly beneficial. This feature is particularly useful in scenarios where only a wired connection is available, like in some hotels or conference centers.
Versatile Power Options: The router’s ability to be powered via USB from power banks, laptops, or other USB sources adds to its flexibility. This means it can be used in various situations, even where traditional power sources are not available.
Ease of Setup: The GL-MT300N is known for being user-friendly and easy to set up, which is a significant advantage for those who might not be technically inclined.
Connectivity Options: It offers numerous connectivity options, which enhances its utility as a travel router.
However, there are some limitations:
Lack of Battery: The absence of a built-in battery means it always needs an external power source, which can be a limitation in situations where USB power isn’t readily available.
Not Designed for Wall Mounting: The device isn’t designed to be wall-mounted, which might be a minor inconvenience for some users who prefer such mounting for space management or signal optimization.
Overall, the GL.iNet GL-MT300N stands out as an excellent choice for a DD-WRT router under $50, especially for those who need a portable, versatile, and easy-to-use solution for wireless connectivity on the go. Its combination of portability, advanced features, and flexibility make it a strong contender in its price category.
2. Best DD-WRT Router Under $100: Asus RT-AC56U AC1200
The Asus RT-AC56U AC1200 is a solid DD-WRT router choice, especially for those seeking a balance between cost and performance under $100. Here’s an evaluation of its strengths and potential drawbacks:
Powerful Processor: Equipped with an 800 MHz Broadcom processor, the RT-AC56U AC1200 offers robust performance. A powerful processor is crucial for handling multiple devices and ensuring smooth network operations, especially in busy home or small office environments.
DD-WRT Compatibility: The compatibility with DD-WRT firmware is a significant advantage. DD-WRT is known for its versatility and advanced customization options, allowing users to tailor their network settings for optimal performance and security.
Device Handling Capabilities: Being able to manage up to five devices simultaneously without a drop in performance makes it a good choice for households or small offices with multiple users and devices.
Coverage and Features: The RT-AC56U AC1200 is praised for its good coverage, making it suitable for covering larger areas or homes with multiple rooms. Additionally, it comes with an impressive set of features, striking a balance between functionality and price.
Design: The sleek and stylish design of the router is an aesthetic bonus, especially for users who prefer their tech gadgets to blend in with their home or office decor.
Advanced Networking Features: It includes features like a PPTP VPN server, IPv6 support, USB 3.0 connection, 1167Mbps speed, 11ac compatibility, and 3G/4G wireless sharing. These features make it a well-rounded device capable of meeting various networking needs.
Cost-Effective: While it offers features comparable to more high-end models, the RT-AC56U AC1200 is available at a lower price point, making it an attractive option for those who want quality without spending too much.
However, the main drawback is:
Relative Price for Its Class: Despite its advantages, the RT-AC56U AC1200 is considered to have a higher price for an AC1200 class router. This might be a concern for budget-conscious consumers who are specifically looking for the most cost-effective options in this category.
In summary, the Asus RT-AC56U AC1200 stands out as a good DD-WRT router under $100 due to its powerful processor, DD-WRT compatibility, multiple device handling, good coverage, impressive features, stylish design, and advanced networking capabilities. However, its price, when compared to other routers in the AC1200 class, is a factor to consider.
3. Best DD-WRT Router for Online Gaming: Linksys AC1900 (WRT1900ACS)
The Linksys AC1900 (WRT1900ACS) stands out as an excellent DD-WRT router for online gaming, offering a range of features that make it particularly suitable for high-bandwidth activities like gaming and streaming. Here’s a detailed look at its strengths and potential limitations:
Powerful Dual-Band Performance: As a top-tier dual-band router, the Linksys AC1900 provides robust performance on both 2.4GHz and 5GHz channels. This is essential for gaming, as it ensures stable and fast connections, reducing lag and buffering issues.
DD-WRT Compatibility: The compatibility with DD-WRT firmware enhances its functionality. DD-WRT allows for extensive customization and optimization of the network, which can be particularly beneficial for gamers seeking to prioritize gaming traffic to avoid lag.
High Data Transfer Rates: With speeds up to 1900 Mbps, the router can easily handle multiple users engaged in bandwidth-intensive activities like streaming full HD videos and playing online games simultaneously without performance degradation.
Strong Hardware Specifications: Equipped with a 1.6 GHz dual-core processor, 512 MB RAM, and 256 MB flash memory, the Linksys AC1900 has the processing power and memory to manage high-speed gaming and streaming tasks efficiently.
Advanced Connectivity Options: The inclusion of USB 2.0, USB 3.0, and eSATA connections provides flexibility for additional network storage or other peripherals, which can be advantageous for gamers and power users.
Enhanced Range and Stability: The four antennas offer superior range and signal stability, ensuring a high-quality connection even at longer distances. This is crucial in maintaining a reliable connection during online gaming sessions.
User-Friendly Interface: The router is known for its ease of setup and the ability to control and identify devices through the network map, making network management more straightforward.
Despite these advantages, there are a couple of drawbacks to consider:
High Price: The Linksys AC1900 is on the pricier side, which might be a significant consideration for budget-conscious gamers.
Limited Setup Information for Mac: Users with Mac systems may find the setup information insufficient, which could be a hurdle for less tech-savvy individuals.
In summary, the Linksys AC1900 (WRT1900ACS) is a strong contender for online gaming due to its powerful dual-band performance, DD-WRT compatibility, high data transfer rates, robust hardware, advanced connectivity options, and user-friendly features. However, its higher price point and potential setup complexities for Mac users are factors to consider.
4. Best DD-WRT Router for Home Networks: NETGEAR Nighthawk AC1900 (R7000)
The NETGEAR Nighthawk AC1900 (R7000) is considered a good DD-WRT router for home networks due to its combination of performance features, technological advancements, and reasonable pricing. Here’s a breakdown of its advantages and potential issues:
Powerful Hardware: Equipped with a dual-core processor and three antennas coupled with signal amplifiers, the Nighthawk R7000 offers robust performance. This setup is crucial for ensuring stable and strong Wi-Fi coverage across the home.
High-Speed Performance: With a speed of 1900 Mbps, it’s well-suited for demanding tasks, including high-definition streaming, online gaming, and large file transfers, making it ideal for a modern, connected home.
Advanced Technologies: The inclusion of beamforming technology improves the router’s signal strength and range, focusing the Wi-Fi signal directly to connected devices, enhancing connectivity and performance.
Versatile Connectivity Options: The router comes with USB 2.0 and 3.0 ports and a high number of Ethernet ports. This variety in connectivity options is beneficial for connecting multiple wired devices or for setting up network-attached storage.
Support for Voice Commands and Smart Integration: Compatibility with Amazon Alexa and voice command support adds a layer of convenience and modern control, appealing to users who have smart home ecosystems.
Internal Hard Drive: Having an internal hard drive provides additional storage options for network users, which can be convenient for shared media or backup purposes.
Cost-Effectiveness: It offers a high value for its price, making it an attractive option for users seeking a balance between cost and high-end router features.
Despite these benefits, there are some drawbacks:
Reliability Issues: Some users have reported receiving defective units with faulty firmware. While these instances may be limited, they do raise concerns about quality control and reliability.
Potential for Faulty Models: The occurrence of faulty models, although not widespread, can be a concern for potential buyers, especially considering the importance of consistent and reliable home networking.
In summary, the NETGEAR Nighthawk AC1900 (R7000) is a solid choice for home networks due to its powerful hardware, high-speed capabilities, advanced features like beamforming and smart integration, along with a reasonable price. However, potential buyers should be aware of the reported reliability issues in some units.
The Asus AC5300 is a high-end DD-WRT router that stands out for its exceptional performance and features, making it a suitable choice for users with larger budgets seeking top-tier networking capabilities. Here’s an analysis of its strengths and potential drawbacks:
Extensive Coverage and High Speed: With a maximum throughput of 5.3 Gbps and coverage of up to 5000 square feet, the Asus AC5300 is ideal for large homes and offices. This level of performance ensures that users can enjoy fast internet speeds across a broad area.
Multiple Antennas for Enhanced Signal Quality: The inclusion of eight external dual-band detachable antennas significantly boosts signal strength and quality, reducing dead zones and ensuring stable connectivity throughout the covered area.
MU-MIMO Feature: MU-MIMO (Multi-User, Multiple-Input, Multiple-Output) technology enhances the efficiency of Wi-Fi networks by allowing the router to communicate with multiple devices simultaneously. This feature is particularly beneficial in environments with many devices, ensuring smoother and faster connections for each device.
Gaming Support with WTFast Gamers Private Network: The router’s support for the WTFast Gamers Private Network is a big plus for online gamers, providing optimized routing to reduce game latency and improve connection stability during gaming sessions.
Robust Security Features: The partnership with Trend Micro to integrate network security features adds an extra layer of protection against external threats and hackers, safeguarding connected devices and data.
Advanced Networking Capabilities: The AC5300 offers a range of advanced features like Automatic IP, Static IP, PPPoE, high-power mode, Download Master application, and more, catering to a wide range of user needs and preferences.
Impressive Hardware Specifications: With 256 GB DDR3 RAM and a dual 2.4GHz and 5GHz operating frequency, the router boasts robust hardware specifications that contribute to its overall performance and reliability.
However, there are some downsides:
High Price Point: The Asus AC5300 is one of the more expensive routers on the market, which might be prohibitive for users with limited budgets.
Complex Setup Process: Some users might find the setup process challenging, especially those who are not technically savvy or familiar with advanced router configurations.
In summary, the Asus AC5300 is an excellent choice for those seeking a top-of-the-line DD-WRT router with extensive coverage, high-speed capabilities, advanced features, and robust security. However, its high price and potentially complex setup are factors to consider.
The D-Link AC3200 is a well-regarded DD-WRT AC router, offering a blend of high-performance features suitable for demanding users such as hardcore gamers and those with heavy multimedia usage. Here’s an overview of its strengths and limitations:
Tri-Band Technology: The AC3200 is a tri-band router, which means it offers one 2.4GHz band and two 5GHz bands. This configuration allows for better device management and bandwidth allocation, resulting in less congestion and improved performance, especially in households with multiple devices.
High Speed and Performance: With a maximum speed of 1300Mbps on its 5GHz bands, it’s well-suited for high-bandwidth activities like lag-free 4K media streaming and intensive online gaming.
DD-WRT Compatibility: The router’s compatibility with DD-WRT firmware enhances its functionality. DD-WRT offers increased speed, range, and network security, along with advanced customization options, which is beneficial for users looking for more control over their network settings.
Intelligent Traffic Prioritization: This feature is key for a seamless online experience, as it ensures that high-priority traffic like gaming and streaming is given precedence over other types of traffic, reducing lag and buffering.
Extensive Coverage: With six antennas, the AC3200 boosts Wi-Fi coverage and connectivity, making it an excellent choice for large homes where maintaining a strong signal in every room can be challenging.
Advanced Connectivity Options: The inclusion of USB 3.0 connectivity and a 1GHz dual-core processor means the router can handle multiple high-speed connections efficiently, further supporting its suitability for bandwidth-intensive tasks.
User-Friendly Setup: Despite its advanced features, the AC3200 is known for being relatively easy to set up, which is a plus for users who may not be tech-savvy.
However, there are some cons to consider:
Size: The router is quite large, which might be a concern in terms of space and aesthetics, especially in smaller rooms or areas where a compact router is preferable.
Lack of Dedicated Parental Controls: For users who need robust parental controls to manage internet access for children, the absence of dedicated parental control features might be a drawback.
In summary, the D-Link AC3200 excels as a DD-WRT AC router due to its tri-band technology, high speed, DD-WRT compatibility, intelligent traffic prioritization, extensive coverage, and ease of setup. However, its size and lack of dedicated parental controls are factors that potential buyers should consider.
We are often asked this question. What constitutes a good DD-WRT router? Well, that completely depends on your individual needs. However, there are a few core factors that make a huge difference.
Range and Connection Stability. We always think about how large our area of use will be. Will we use your DD-WRT router in a large office or at home? It’s easy to guess a router’s range of coverage by looking at how many antennas it has. The more antennas, the better range and more stable connectivity it offers.
Features. Not all routers make use of the full range of benefits that DD-WRT technology offers. Some offer advanced security features and intelligent traffic prioritization, while others have support for voice commands and Amazon Alexa. We should always look through the list of additional features each router has because they make a great difference. They played an important role as we chose which of these routers performed best in which category.
Processor Speed and Memory. It takes a dedicated processor and more RAM to make use of the possibilities DD-WRT technology offers. These specifications also play a large role if we’re looking to further tweak our router or we know that there’s going to be a lot of traffic for it to process.
Connectivity. Almost every DD-WRT router has a different number of Ethernet, USB, and additional antenna ports. We should consider the number of available ports if we have multiple devices we want to connect directly. It’s surprising how easy it is to run out of spare slots. We had three devices to connect to our router, so a single USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 port just wasn’t enough. Still, that’s all that you get on numerous models.
Conclusion
If we’re looking to use the internet more safely than before, we need to make some serious changes. DD-WRT routers allow us to make them and thus raise our network’s performance. Whatever change we want to make within our home or office network, the routers above make it possible. We can browse faster, connect more devices and make the most of what an internet connection can offer. I hope you enjoyed our list of the Best DD-WRT Routers and found one suiting your needs.
Marcus is a cybersecurity analyst with a focus on VPN and proxy services. As the founder and driving force behind a prominent VPN and proxy website, Private Proxy Guide, Marcus has emerged as a trusted authority in the digital realm. With a passion for staying ahead of evolving cyber threats, he has played a pivotal role in educating and empowering individuals and businesses to safeguard their online presence.
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