Best Wi-Fi Routers for 2026: TP-Link Dominated Our Latest Round of Lab Testing
The Federal Communications Commission has announced a ban on the sale of new foreign-made routers, impacting most Wi-Fi routers available in the US. Currently, only Netgear and Eero have received exemptions from this ban. Despite ongoing investigations into TP-Link routers, they remain recommended due to a lack of documented evidence against them.
- ▪The FCC's ban on foreign-made routers will affect nearly all Wi-Fi routers sold in the US.
- ▪Netgear and Eero are the only consumer routers exempt from the ban as of now.
- ▪TP-Link routers are under investigation for security concerns but are still recommended by CNET.
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Editor’s note, May 13, 2026: On March 25, the Federal Communications Commission issued a notice that the sale of new foreign-made routers will be banned going forward. Virtually every Wi-Fi router available for purchase in the US meets the FCC’s “foreign-made” criteria. As of May 13, Netgear and Eero are the only consumer routers that have received an exemption. All the other routers we recommend on our best list have previously received FCC approval, but there’s a risk that they won’t be able to receive software and firmware updates after Jan. 1, 2029. CNET is reporting on the ongoing router ban news, and, with the exception of Netgear and Eero, we recommend that you hold off on purchasing a router until we learn more about the software extension and which router brands get exemptions.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at CNET.
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