A developer has created a proof-of-concept data transfer system that shuns any dedicated app requirement and neatly sidesteps mandatory networking, pairing, or giving permissions beyond camera access. Instead, the method transmits information between devices by streaming data via rapidly updating QR codes at up to 60 FPS via the browser your smartphone already has. The test info shared by developer bashalarmistalt on GitHub backs claims that these transfers can run at up to 190 KB/s. This low-friction two-device screen-to-camera data transmission technique is dubbed Decimen Optical Transfer: fountain-coded QR file transfer.

Had an idea for air gapped file transfer, able to get 120 KB/s from r/vibecoding

The GitHub project is linked to by Redditor Alstroph, who seems to be the same person. We’ve chosen to embed the Reddit post about the Decimen Optical Transfer solution above, as it includes an illustrative video of a QR code-driven data transfer.

Bashalarmistalt/Alstroph says they used Claude Code to build this cached web app, which simply runs on both smartphones within the browser, with camera permissions given. They explain that they came up with the idea behind Decimen Optical Transfer to create “a phone-to-phone file transfer option without requiring the phones to be on the same network.” After a modicum of chin stroking, they settled upon the possibility of using “rapidly flashing QR codes” to brew up this proof-of-concept.

Far more detailed information about the project is available in the GitHub repository, linked above. There we also read that the use of ‘fountain codes’ was instrumental to the technique, ensuring missed frames and retransmission quirks don’t hinder the data transfer process. Also, it is explained that every streamed QR code frame is self-describing, as a “20-byte header carries the session ID, sequence number, block count/size, file length, and a hash.”

Hints are provided for tuning Decimen Optical Transfer performance with the PoC solution. The dev used an iPhone and the Apple ProMotion camera with stacked codes; they achieved ~128 KB/s handheld data transfers. The data rate could climb to ~186 KB/s speeds if both the sender and receiver devices were positioned absolutely stationary.

The Decimen Optical Transfer software is distributed under the generous MIT license. Bashalarmistalt is aware that there have been several prior projects but asserts the concept behind their Claude Code-aided solution was arrived at independently. We’ve also covered QR code-based data storage tech numerous times. For example, Cerabyte famously uses microscopic QR codes for its ultra-long-life ceramic storage.

How cheap can you build a hardware-based ad-blocking DNS filter? "Free," if you're willing to salvage some used hardware that's being thrown away. What if you aren't so lucky? In the era of the RAMageddon, even a Raspberry Pi will cost you a couple hundred bucks. But you know, you don't even need something that powerful. In fact, you can use a $5 microcontroller to build a fully functional ad-blocking filter with over 500,000 domains blocked and around 10ms latency.

We know that's possible because Egyptian full-stack developer ZedAxis (@M-Abozaid on GitHub) has already built one. Using an ESP32-C3 "SuperMini" board, he's created a backup DNS for his home network that still provides ad blocking. His primary router is a Pi-hole, which is a Raspberry Pi running specialized software to manage DHCP addressing and DNS resolution with integrated ad-blocking. The SuperMini serves as a backup when the Pi-Hole is rebooting or otherwise unavailable.

Strictly speaking, we haven't seen ZedAxis' creation in action, but there's no reason to believe it doesn't work. The ESP32 family of embedded Wi-Fi-enabled microcontrollers is a well-known quantity, and this functionality is by no means outside the realm of its capabilities. In fact, this specific trick allows the use of the ESP32-C3, which is a cost-reduced version of the chip that doesn't have the 8MB of PSRAM found on some higher-end models. (There are MANY variants of the ESP32.)

Instead, the ESP32-C3 used by ZedAxis has just 400KB of RAM, and 4MB of flash memory. With these limited specifications, he wasn't able to store a plaintext blocklist of any real size; it's simply too much data. So, he did what any enterprising hacker would do: he started hashing the data to reduce its size. Using 40-bit FNV-1a hashes, because 32-bit would give too many collisions and 64-bit wastes too much space, he can store some 537,000 domains in the flash memory of the device.

The clever part isn't really the hashing, though. Rather than storing the domains themselves, the build process downloads one or more public blocklists, strips out duplicate entries and comments, hashes each remaining domain into a 40-bit value, sorts the resulting list, and writes the finished database into the ESP32's flash memory. When a DNS query arrives, the device hashes the requested hostname the same way and performs a binary search against the sorted hash table. If it finds a match, the request is blocked. Otherwise, the query is forwarded to an upstream resolver. According to ZedAxis, the finished firmware uses only around 50KB of RAM while answering blocked lookups in roughly 10 milliseconds.

There's another neat compromise hiding in the design, too. The ESP32 normally reserves enough flash memory to hold two complete copies of its firmware, allowing over-the-air (OTA) updates without risking a failed flash leaving the device unbootable. If you don't care about wireless firmware updates, you can reclaim that second firmware partition for the blocklist database instead. With OTA support enabled, the project tops out at around 250,000 blocked domains. Give up OTA, and that jumps to roughly 537,000 domains on a microcontroller that you can usually buy for the price of a fast-food lunch. ZedAxis describes the price as $2; I wasn't able to find SuperMini boards any cheaper than about $5 US, but at that price there's not much need to quibble about the difference.

Of course, this isn't meant to replace a proper Pi-hole or AdGuard Home installation. The ESP32 project has a rudimentary dashboard, but it doesn't provide detailed per-client statistics, historical query logs, or all the knobs and dials that make those platforms attractive. Instead, it's designed as a tiny insurance policy. It sits quietly on the network, sips only a few dozen milliamps of power, and if the primary DNS server disappears for a reboot or a power outage, clients still get filtered DNS responses instead of falling back to whatever resolver the router happens to have configured.

My favorite detail is that ZedAxis powers the whole thing from the USB port on the back of his ISP-provided fiber gateway, a Huawei OptiXstar home fiber gateway. The USB connection isn't carrying any data; the totality of the integration is the router saying "here's 5 volts" and the ESP32 replying "thanks." It's just that the port is a convenient power source for a device so small it practically disappears behind the router. All communications are carried out through the ESP32's integrated Wi-Fi adapter.

I have no idea whether projects like this will ever become common. Probably not, because most people who want network-wide ad blocking will still buy a Raspberry Pi, a used mini PC, or run AdGuard Home in a virtual machine. Still, it's refreshing to see somebody look at a $5 microcontroller with 400KB of RAM and decide, "Sure, that'll do."

The SpaceX satellite internet service Starlink has just introduced its latest residential kit, letting users connect to the satellite network using a smaller and lighter terminal. The company announced the Starlink V5 on X, saying that it could hit up to 375+ Mbps for “streaming, video calling, gaming, and more.” It’s currently available in select areas only, though, with wider availability expected later as the company ramps up production.

The new unit is significantly smaller and lighter than the Standard 4 used in most home deployments, and brings it close to the Starlink Mini, which is designed for both fixed and portable use. However, the Starlink V5 still requires a router (included), whereas the Mini can work without one, providing a wireless connection using its built-in Wi-Fi antenna. Still, the former is faster, offering speeds of up to 375+ Mbps. Although this is 25 Mbps slower than the 400+ Mbps that the Standard 4 is rated for, it’s still higher than the up to 300+ Mbps that SpaceX has set for the Mini.

The changes that SpaceX made to the Starlink V5 would make it much easier to set up, which is especially helpful for users who prefer to DIY their Starlink setup. Another interesting update to the new terminal is that it can handle faster wind speeds while mounted despite being lighter than the Standard 4. This should help it withstand tougher meteorological conditions, especially in areas frequently battered by storms and tornadoes.

The much lower average power consumption, which is just about half of what the previous-generation Starlink terminals consumed, would also help power stations last longer, making it ideal for keeping communications alive, especially during emergencies. This is exactly what Japan is experimenting with, as Tokyo has started putting up Starlink antennas on fire hydrant signs to provide emergency Wi-Fi.

Although SpaceX and its owner, Elon Musk, are no strangers to controversy, Starlink has proven useful in various situations. Aside from being useful for first responders in disaster zones, it also helped Ukraine stay connected during the height of Russia’s invasion of the country in 2024. It has even gotten to the point that China simulated a Starlink blockade over Taiwan because of how useful the service is in keeping a government online and communicating with its allies during times of distress.

The Wi-Fi router market is facing headwinds as consumers pull back on spending. According to a new report from Counterpoint, we’re witnessing a softening in global consumer Wi-Fi router shipments, with a 6 percent YoY decline in Q1 2026. This decline follows an explosion of market growth during the COVID-19 pandemic, when consumers upgraded their Wi-Fi hardware to enhance their work-from-home capabilities.

Counterpoint notes that global Wi-Fi router shipments peaked in 2021, which was at the height of consumer hardware spending during the pandemic. There were some positive points in the report, with Asus and Google seeing global shipment increases of 3.8 percent and 1.2 percent, respectively, during Q1 2026. However, Xiaomi had a 1.3 percent shortfall, Netgear was down 3 percent, while TP-Link fell by 5.4 percent. Counterpoint also notes that “Others,” which includes dozens of other hardware vendors whose sales aren’t significant enough to be broken out individually, fell by 10.4 percent.

Since 2021, global shipments have declined by almost 34 percent, and a couple of factors explain this turn of events. For starters, many people who upgraded their Wi-Fi hardware in 2021 or 2022 simply see no reason to shift to newer technology. Even though the best Wi-Fi routers use the Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) standard, offering multi-gig speeds across the 6 GHz and 5 GHz bands, those performance benefits are not enticing consumers on the sidelines because of rising costs for more essential goods.

Another reason global shipments of consumer routers have seen a steady decline is that ISPs have become more adept at bundling higher-end networking hardware with their services. Whether you’re signing up for new fiber, cable, or 5G home internet service, ISPs are including routers with integrated Wi-Fi 6, 6E, or 7 wireless connectivity. For customers with non-demanding network needs, this ISP-provided hardware is sufficient. For example, T-Mobile provides a Wi-Fi 7 gateway with its $60/month 5G home internet plan and a Wi-Fi 7 gateway plus a mesh extender with its $70/month plan.

Speaking of mesh systems, this is one of the few bright points for hardware vendors. Counterpoint notes that mesh Wi-Fi systems have seen significant growth as consumers seek to blanket every area of their homes with wireless coverage to support a substantial number of connected devices. Amazon’s Eero and Google’s Nest mesh Wi-Fi router systems were called out specifically for their strong performance (driven in part by high brand recognition and heavy sales promotions). The gaming router segment also bucked the decline in the broader Wi-Fi router market, as online gaming enthusiasts seek a competitive edge with lower latency and higher available network bandwidth.

There’s a possibility we could see a rebound in sales in the second half of 2026 and into early 2027 as the first Wi-Fi 8 hardware enters the market. However, Wi-Fi 8 is seen as more of a quality-of-life upgrade than another leap in performance over previous Wi-Fi generations.

A Power-over-Ethernet switch is a must-have addition for a home network if you're thinking about seriously kitting it out with cameras, WiFi extenders, and other smart home tech. Luckily, a budget-friendly Ugreen 10-port PoE+ switch is on sale for just $37.97 on Amazon right now. That's a new record low for this model, giving you eight extra PoE+ ports (and 10 total) for your network at a lower cost than many of its rivals.

● Check out this deal on Amazon

Ugreen is a brand that feels ubiquitous on Amazon these days, with decently priced and well-designed hardware on sale, from wall chargers to peripherals, including network switches like this one. This 10-port switch offers the PoE+ standard (IEEE 802.3at) that offers up to 30W of power per port.

That means faster, newer devices can connect to this switch, delivering both power and data over a single Ethernet cable. The switch supports 60W in total, but it works in a cascade system. If power draw exceeds 60W, it'll shut down ports to prevent overload, from port 8 down to port 1. It auto-detects PoE devices, too, so it won't inadvertently short out a normal network device like your PC or laptop. It also supports an extended power delivery mode that lets you connect devices up to 820 feet away.

This is the ultimate device for supporting a smart home network. PoE switches are useful for network-attached cameras, additional WiFi extenders, and smart home hubs and sensors. This Ugreen switch is unmanaged, so a huge setup process isn't required here, and it should work immediately with your existing kit. That means it lacks the extra customization that a more expensive managed switch can offer, but for most users, that won't be a problem.

It'll work with almost any Ethernet-ready device you own, too, even those that don't take advantage of the power delivery provided by this switch. That includes laptops and PCs, NAS drives, game consoles, printers, and TVs.

Another important feature here, too, is speed. This switch offers gigabit speeds across your network, meaning you can banish lag and WiFi latency issues while you're gaming and streaming. An Ethernet connection using this switch will help you to max out the bandwidth provided by your internet provider, with the switch offering two uplink ports that you can use to connect to your existing network.

Fanless, with built-in lightning protection, and compressed into a compact chassis just 6.6 x 3.7 x 1.3 inches in size, this Ugreen PoE+ switch is the ultimate home network upgrade. The $37.97 sale price for this 10-port Ugreen switch is available for a limited time only, however, so if you're interested, you'll need to order it soon.

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Japan’s Fire Hydrant Sign Co., Ltd. has demonstrated an expansive Wi-Fi network that melds its established infrastructure of street signs with Starlink satellite broadband antennas. The big idea is that this network could provide important, if not essential, fallback connectivity in the event of a natural disaster knocking out fiber, mobile masts, and so on. Japan sits on the intersection of multiple tectonic plates and is prone to earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions – as well as some extreme weather.

On Thursday, the Fire Hydrant Sign Co. completed a technical demonstration of a Starlink-supported Wi-Fi network in the vicinity of its Kanagawa Branch. Each sign, a common item of street furniture in residential neighborhoods, can become a dual-purpose emergency water supply sign and ‘communication hub.’ In the top image, you can see two example installations with the Starlink antenna atop a pole beside the traditional circular fire hydrant signage.

One of the key strengths of this initiative is that where the Fire Hydrant Sign Co. has a sign, no extra land or structures are required to set up the pole to host a Starlink antenna. Japan has 120,000 fire hydrant signs nationwide, with the trial taking place near Kanagawa province, near Tokyo.

Somewhat surprisingly, fire hydrant signs are largely maintained by private companies in Japan. They make some money via the advertising space on a sign directly below the one indicating the emergency water source location. Adding Starlink to them could provide the aforementioned disaster relief, as well as other monetization opportunities.

The Fire Hydrant Sign Co. behind this trial says that it will consider collaboration with local governments, regional companies, and related organizations to roll out this initiative, now proven to be useful. It isn’t only going to be useful in the event of a disaster; the company foresees demand during power cuts, local large-scale events, and other opportunities where more Wi-Fi connectivity options are desirable.

In some press release ‘small print,’ the firm says that its successful trial doesn’t mean that a Wi-Fi service will eventually be launched. It was a technical demo, and it also states that Starlink wasn’t a partner or collaborator in any official capacity.

Chinese firm Yangtze Optical Fiber and Cable Joint Stock Limited Company (YOFC) announced on June 16 that it had successfully completed the world’s first field trial of hollow-core fiber (HCF) wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) capable of 1.2 Tb/s per wavelength over an ultra-long unrepeatered span. The trial — conducted in collaboration with state-owned China Telecom and optical equipment maker Dekoli — achieved an unprecedented aggregate transmission capacity of 51.3 Tb/s over roughly 128 miles (206.5 km) without signal regeneration.

These figures, which the collaborators describe as a new world record for unrepeatered WDM capacity-distance performance without remote-pumped amplifiers, were achieved using only erbium-doped fiber amplifier amplification. The demonstration was carried out under the framework of the National Key Laboratory for Advanced Manufacturing and Application Technologies of Optical Fibers and Cables.

The success of this trial marks a major leap forward in optical communications. What separates it from earlier HCF results is the combination of capacity, distance, and amplification approach in a live network rather than a lab. China Telecom had previously demonstrated 1.2 Tb/s over a single wavelength, back in July 2024, but only over a 20-kilometer span.

Elsewhere, researchers have pushed unrepeatered HCF spans past 300 kilometers, but at far lower capacities. Pulling 1.2 Tb/s per channel over more than 200 kilometers on a commercial cable, using only conventional erbium-doped fiber amplifiers (EDFAs) rather than the remote-pumped boosters typically needed to extend unrepeatered reach, is the remarkable new achievement YOFC claims.

Hollow-core fiber is a next-generation optical data transmission medium that is rapidly emerging as a leading candidate for high-capacity, low-latency networking. Unlike conventional optical fiber, which guides light through a solid glass (silica) core, HCF guides light through an air-filled channel. This structural difference offers several advantages. Light travels roughly 1.5 times faster through air than through glass, cutting latency. Furthermore, the air core sidesteps some of the nonlinear distortion and dispersion baked into silica. YOFC has previously claimed that its hollow-core fiber technology can deliver 31% lower latency, 47% faster transmission speeds, and near-zero optical nonlinearity compared with conventional solid-core fiber.

In theory, HCF's air core would enable it to carry far more data over far greater distances with fewer amplification points. The trade-off has always been loss. Commercial hollow-core fiber has historically run at higher attenuation than mature silica fiber, limiting how far a signal can travel before it needs a boost. This limitation has been narrowing, with the trial's 200 km-plus unrepeatered span being the latest milestone.

The collaborators achieved this through two main innovations: one at the system level and the other in the amplifier hardware. At the system level, they used a self-developed optimization scheme for per-wavelength rate and channel power allocation. Rather than pushing every wavelength at the same data rate and power, the system adapted each channel to the link conditions, enabling hybrid transmission across multiple data rates, channel spacings, and power levels. The companies say this helped reduce capacity losses caused by gas-absorption peaks inside the hollow core, a quirk specific to guiding light through air rather than glass.

On the hardware side, the researchers built a high-power amplifier using a cascaded dual-gain-unit architecture and a multi-element doping design, achieving a maximum output of 33.5 dBm (roughly 2.24 W) while maintaining flat gain across the operating band. That higher-power, flatter amplification helped stretch an unrepeatered span without resorting to the remote-pumped amplifiers the team was trying to avoid. Because pushing that much power over a live optical link carries a real risk of failure, the system was wrapped in safeguards, including optical-path power anomaly detection, automatic interlock shutdown, and alarm-linked response mechanisms to catch faults before they damage equipment.

The stakes in this trial, and in HCF more broadly, tie directly to the AI buildout. As hyperscalers race to stand up ever-larger GPU clusters, the network linking those clusters, inside data centers and across the long-haul links between facilities, is fast becoming the bottleneck. HCF's lower latency lets operators site facilities farther from expensive, power-constrained hubs without a speed penalty, while its capacity headroom helps move the enormous traffic AI training and inference generate. The same properties make it attractive for latency-sensitive workloads like financial trading.

That promise is already pulling in serious money, mostly from the West. Microsoft, which moved early via its 2022 Lumenisity acquisition, struck manufacturing deals with Corning and Heraeus in September 2025 to scale production across Azure. AWS has developed its own HCF, claiming a 30% latency improvement over standard fiber, and says it wants more than it can currently get. Corning also has fiber deals with Microsoft, Meta, and Lumen, and is expanding in North Carolina with Nvidia's backing. Trials like YOFC’s are closing existing gaps toward full, widespread HCF deployment, though China's progress largely sits outside the Western supply chain now forming.

The TP-Link TL-SG108S-M2 is an unmanaged 8-port 2.5 GbE switch, which would make an excellent addition for your home network or small office. The TL-SG108S-M2 carries an MSRP of $79.99, but there’s a Prime Day sale at Amazon that drops the price to just $49.99.

The sub-$50 price tag is definitely eye-catching, and it caught my attention. I bought a UGREEN 6-port 2.5 GbE unmanaged switch back in October for $59.97, and here we have an 8-port unmanaged switch for $10 less.

The TL-SG108S-M2 offers 40 Gbps of switching capacity and supports devices at 100 Mbps, 1 Gbps, or 2.5 Gbps speeds. In other words, it’ll be well-suited to handle just about any of your networking needs, from plugging in a wired desktop PC to connecting a NAS, to wiring up a workgroup printer, to even extending your network wirelessly with an access point. And you can do all of this using Cat5e cabling.

You won’t have to worry about the switch taking up a lot of space, as it only measures 6.22 x 3.98 x 1 inches. So you should easily be able to tuck it away behind your monitor on a desk, or banish it to a corner under your desk. Or, if you prefer, it has mounting points on the bottom for attaching it to the wall. The casing is all-metal and passively cooled, so you don’t have to worry about introducing any additional noise into your tranquil home office.

Amazon’s $49.99 sale price on the TL-SG108S-M2 likely won’t last long, so get it w

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The Amazon Eero Max 7 was one of the very first Wi-Fi 7 routers that arrived on our test bench way back in November 2023. At the time, Wi-Fi 7 was still a relatively new standard, and chipset production hadn’t kicked into full gear. As a result, those early systems were incredibly expensive, with the MSRP of the Eero Max 7 3-pack we reviewed at a staggering $1,699. What a difference two and a half years makes — Amazon is now selling the Eero Max 7 4-pack for just $1,149.99, representing a dramatic 50 percent price cut.

It’s not often that we see a 50 percent reduction on a current-generation wireless router, let alone the flagship model. With that said, you do get a lot for your outlay, which we admit is still quite high despite the price cut. The Eero Max 7 is a tri-band Wi-Fi 7 mesh router with a 2x2 2.4 GHz band (688 Mbps), a 4x4 5 GHz band (8,647 Mbps), and a 4x4 6 GHz band (11,530 Mbps). The four satellites communicate via a wireless backhaul, though you can use a wired one for improved performance.

Each node is decently equipped with respect to ports, with two 2.5 GbE ports and two 10 GbE ports, any of which can be used for WAN. However, do note that you won’t find a USB port on either node for adding storage.

To make things as simple as possible for consumers, the Eero family of routers (including the Eero Max 7) features an app-only approach for setup and management. That means you can’t manage the network from a desktop computer and must rely on your smartphone for tinkering with settings. Perhaps that’s for the best, because you also don’t have nearly as many settings to manage as with other wireless routers. For example, the Eero Max 7 only supports Smart Connect and doesn’t let you create custom SSIDs or separate the bands. You also have limited control over Guest accounts.

But for someone who wants to get a network up and running in a few minutes and not have to worry about it again for the next three or four years, the Eero Max 7 is about as “hands off” as you can get with a modern wireless router.

The Eero Max 7 is currently available as an Amazon Prime-exclusive Lightning Deal with 16% units claimed as of this writing.

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During this week’s Amazon Prime Day 2026 festivities, several router manufacturers have offered deep discounts on their products, including Netgear and TP-Link. Not to be left out, Asus is getting in on the action with its ZenWiFi BT and BQ family of Wi-Fi 7 mesh routers. For example, the ZenWiFi BT6 2-pack is priced at $297, which is a 20% discount off its MSRP. You can also look at our Best Amazon Prime Day Wi-Fi router deals 2026 for more deals on Wi-Fi 7, Wi-Fi 6E, Wi-Fi 6, and mesh routers.

• Check out all the deals in Amazon's Prime Day Sale

The ZenWiFi BT6 is the entry point for Asus’ tri-band Wi-Fi 7 routers, with the 2-pack covering up to 5,800 square feet. The mesh system supports up to 9.4 Gbps (688 Mbps at 2.4 GHz, 2,882 Mbps at 5 GHz, and 5,762 Mbps at 6 GHz). Each wireless node includes a single 2.5 GbE WAN port, three GbE LAN ports, and a single USB 3.0 port.

The next step up is the ZenWiFi BT8, with the 2-pack currently on sale for $374 (36% off). This home mesh system increases cumulative speed from 9.4 Gbps to 14 Gbps and gives you an extra 100 square feet of coverage. The boost in speed comes from a 3x3 5 GHz radio (4,323 Mbps) and a 3x3 6 GHz radio (8,643 Mbps). You also get enhancements to the onboard ports: while the 2.5 GbE WAN remains, you also get a 2.5 GbE LAN alongside two GbE LAN ports and a USB 3.0 port.

Going even further up the Asus Wi-Fi 7 mesh ladder brings you to the ZenWiFi BT10, priced at $579.99 (16% off) for the 2-pack, which steps up cumulative speeds to 18 Gbps and brings total coverage to 6,000 feet . This time around, the 5 GHz and 6 GHz radios jump to a 4x4 arrangement, delivering up to 5,764 Mbps and 11,529 Mbps, respectively. The number of onboard ports has declined, though you do get a 10 GbE WAN, 10 GbE LAN, a single GbE LAN, and a USB 3.0 port.

Finally, for those needing the ultimate in speed and flexibility, there’s the ZenWiFi BQ16 Pro. It’s available with a 16% discount, bringing the 2-pack down to $928.99 instead of $1,099. This mesh system has all the bells and whistles, including enough power to cover up to 8,000 square feet. It’s also a quad-band system (it has two 6 GHz bands), with all radios operating at 4x4, supporting up to 30 Gbps. This means that the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz-1, and 6 GHz-2 max out at 1,376 Mbps, 5,764 Mbps, 11,529 Mbps, and 11,529 Mbps, respectively.

Asus also didn’t skimp on the ports, as you’ll find a 10 GbE WAN/LAN, 10 GbE LAN, GbE WAN/LAN, two GbE LAN, and a USB 3.0 port.

All of the ZenWiFi routers run Asus’ excellent AsusWRT software, which is highly configurable and includes built-in malware protection and device management (something that Netgear and TP-Link charge you extra for). The routers can also use their USB ports for storage or to connect to a cellular internet connection via a USB 4G/5G dongle or a smartphone.

These deals aren’t likely to last long, so strike while the iron is hot.

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Yesterday, we brought you some poppin' deals on TP-Link Wi-Fi networking gear, and today, we're back in action with the latest sales from Netgear. Netgear has a wide assortment of Wi-Fi 7 hardware, ranging from entry-level dual-band Wi-Fi 7 routers to premium tri- and quad-band Orbi mesh routers.

Today, you’ll find deals on everything from EXS25 plug-in range extender to the Orbi 770 tri-band mesh system.

• Orbi 770 Series Tri-Band WiFi 7 Mesh 2-Pack
• Nighthawk Dual-Band WiFi 7 Router
• Nighthawk Dual-Band WiFi 7 Router
• Nighthawk Dual-Band WiFi 7 Router
• Netgear WiFi 7 Range Extender

The Netgear Orbi 770, currently on sale, is a mid-range Wi-Fi 7 mesh system that includes two wireless nodes. The system carries a regular asking price of $549.99, but is currently available with a $125 discount, taking the price to $424.99.

The main node (router) features three 2.5 GbE LAN ports and a dedicated 2.5 GbE WAN. The second node (satellite) only features two 2.5 GbE ports. Interestingly, neither node includes a USB 3.x port, which is increasingly common at this price point.

Regarding wireless connectivity, the Orbi 770 supports 2.4 GHz at up to 688 Mbps, 5 GHz at up to 4,320 Mbps, and 6 GHz at up to 5,760 Mbps. It also covers up to 5,550 square feet, which should be more than adequate for the average American home (around 2,220 square feet). Managing the Orbi 770 can be done using Netgear's web GUI or the Orbi smartphone app.

We reviewed the three-node variant of the Orbi 770 and praise its easy of use and plentiful ports, but knocked it for the high price. This Amazon Prime Day sale addresses our primary concern.

The Nighthawk RS90, RS140, and RS180 are all dual-band Wi-Fi 7 routers, meaning that they don't include the higher-performance 6 GHz radio. While that means that short-range performance suffers compared to a tri-band router (when using a compatible Wi-Fi 7 or Wi-Fi 6E client), it allows them to be offered at much lower prices. The RS90 is priced at just $87.89 (33% off). The RS90 includes four GbE ports, one 2.5 GbE WAN port, and supports up to 2,000 square feet.

The RS140, on sale for $121.46, is a slight step up, offering faster cumulative speeds across the two bands (5 Gbps versus 3.6 Gbps) while increasing coverage to 2,250 square feet. It also comes with three GbE LAN ports and one 2.5 GbE WAN port.

The RS180 is faster still, offering up to 5.5 Gbps speeds while boosting coverage to 2,500 square feet. It also brings upgraded hardware with three GbE LAN ports, one 2.5 GbE LAN port, a 2.5 GbE WAN port, and a single USB 3.0 port for network storage. It’s currently priced at $142.99, representing a 28% discount.

The EXS25 is a slightly different beast, as it's a Wi-FI 7 range extender. It's on sale for $99, a 33% discount off its regular price. The EXS25 is a dual-band Wi-Fi 7 extender that plugs directly into a free wall outlet.

Once set up, it adds an additional 1,500 square feet of coverage to your wireless network while supporting up to 4.5 Gbps speeds. The EXS25 can work with any wireless router, not just Netgear-branded ones. In addition, thanks to its 2.5 GbE port, you can use it to add wireless functionality to a device that only supports a wired network connection.

According to Netgear, are only good through June 26, so you had better act fast if you want to want to upgrade or expand your home wireless network.

If you're looking for more savings, check out our Best PC Hardware deals for a range of products, or dive deeper into our specialized SSD and Storage Deals, Hard Drive Deals, Gaming Monitor Deals, Graphics Card Deals, Gaming Chair, Best Wi-Fi Routers, or CPU Deals pages.

Amazon Prime Day 2026 is here, and we're already seeing some tantalizing deals on Wi-Fi routers. If you're in the market for a new Wi-Fi 7 router, we've scoped out deals on standalone and mesh systems that could give your home (or office) network a much-needed performance boost.

If you have a smaller home that doesn't need the aid of wireless satellites to improve coverage, consider the TP-Link Archer BE230 Wi-Fi 7 router. It zeroes in on one of the company's hallmarks: value. The Archer BE230 has a retail price of $119.99, but is currently on sale for just $79.99.

• Check out all the deals in Amazon's Prime Big Deals Day Sale

That price gets you 2.5 GbE WAN, one 2.5 GbE LAN, three GbE LAN ports, and a USB 3.0 port for adding storage to your network. One thing to keep in mind is that if you plan to expand your network in the future, the Archer BE230 supports TP-Link's EasyMesh standard, which lets you combine multiple compatible routers into a mesh network.

Regarding performance, the Archer BE230 operates at speeds of up to 688 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band and up to 2,882Mbps on the 5 GHz band.

If you need the added coverage of a mesh system, the TP-Link Deco BE63 is a good mid-range solution. The Deco BE63 is available in a two-node system covering up to 5,800 square feet.

Each satellite has four 2.5 GbE ports (one of which can be used for WAN), which are excellent for connecting your wired-only network devices. However, there's another added benefit: the Deco BE63 supports wired backhaul, which can improve overall network performance compared to using the default wireless backhaul between satellites.

When it comes to overall performance, the mesh system offers up to 574 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band, 4,324 Mbps on the 5 GHz band, and 5,188 Mbps on the 6 GHz band.

The Deco BE63 is typically $349.99, but is currently $249.99 at Amazon.

Finally, the TP-Link Prime Day trifecta wouldn't be complete without the Deco BE23. This is the company's entry-level Wi-Fi 7 mesh router. Given its positioning in the lineup, this isn't a full-featured tri-band offering; instead, it's a dual-band Wi-Fi 7 solution. Although you miss out on the higher-performance 6 GHz band, you do gain support for Multi-Link Operation (MLO), a staple of Wi-Fi 7.

Each node features two 2.5 GbE ports, and you also get wired backhaul support. Maximum throughput reaches 688 Mbps for the 2.4 GHz band, while the 5 GHz band achieves 2,882 Mbps.

The Deco BE23 retails for $219.99 but is currently priced at $169.99 for a limited time.

There's another possible deal perk with these router deals if you have an Amazon Prime Rewards VISA credit card. Amazon is offering up to 15% cash back on the purchase of each router when you use the card.

Join the Tom's Hardware deals Discord for up-to-the-minute hardware deals.

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