Wireless Routers Are Hot Again. Here Are WIRED's Favorites

Luma does mesh too, but the marquee features of this Alexa-enabled system are its security and parental controls. Cloud-based security software detects malware on any connected device, be it a laptop, smart lightbulb, or a security cam. Then Luma quarantines the threat. In addition to pausing your kids' web access at bedtime, the Luma's curated lists of G-, PG-, and PG-13-rated websites keep them out of the darker corners of the internet. You get one for $150 and three for $300.

The most distinctive thing about the Roqos Core (besides the colors) is the subscription plan . The router costs just $19, and $17 a month provides frequent updates to its open-source platform. And this is more than a router. This unique router isn’t made for mesh networking, but it’s a quad-core computer in itself. The open-source platform provides enterprise-level security to prevent malware from infecting any networked hardware. It also provides parental controls. If you decide to cancel the subscription, the Core keeps working, but you don't get any updates.

The Portal router looks like a big worry stone, but you'll never worry about lousy Wi-Fi speeds. It uses dynamic frequency selection, a spectrum typically reserved for radar systems and military communication. There isn't a lot of traffic there, so forget about congested networks and molasses-slow speeds. Portal recently announced an update that makes its routers mesh-capable. They cost $200 apiece.

Most of these routers are designed to be showpieces, but Plume pods are wallflowers. They plug into electrical outlets like air fresheners. Each is a small Wi-Fi extender, and only one requires a jacked-in Ethernet connection. Simply plug others in around the house and they create a mesh network. Don’t expect the speed, features, or range of something like Eero or Google Wi-Fi, but Plume offers an inexpensive and easy way of boosting Wi-Fi in your back room or backyard. Seventy bucks buys you a single pod, and $180 gets three. Or drop $330 on a six-pack.

Just because Google released new routers doesn't mean you can't still get the $200 OnHub. You can choose from a few variations---and some fetching $30 covers for the TP-Link version---and all of these dead-simple routers work with Google Wi-Fi. You can build a mesh network with both OnHub and Google Wi-Fi units and control them all with the same Google Wi-Fi app.

The excellent Orbi is a bigger router, providing faster speeds and wider mesh range than similar products. At $250 for one and $400 for two, it's on the pricier side. Update: Netgear says the security vulnerability that affected several of its routers didn't affect Orbi, and the company has issued a patch for the rest of its devices.