The best routers with PoE support

For deploying networks with not very high requirements for data transfer speed, the small Totolink N300RH router is perfect. And that's why.

The model is assembled in a compact white case with dimensions 180x106x25 mm. What stands out in its design are the long removable antennas with a high gain of 11 dBi, thanks to which the wireless signal confidently reaches the most remote corners of the home. If desired, the antennas can be replaced with non-standard ones, but such a need rarely arises.

The router is equipped with one 100-megabit WAN port and four LAN connectors with the same bandwidth. The device operates only in the 2.4 GHz band with a maximum data transfer rate of up to 300 Mbit/s (on a local network). At the same time, the model can be used as a Wi-Fi signal repeater or in bridge mode.

Access to the wireless router settings is available from a browser at 192.168.1.1. The device control interface is intuitive and has a clear structure. Among the useful things, the model provides a QoS function to limit the bandwidth of an Internet connection and supports encryption standards up to WPA2. Finally, it is important to note the possibility of PoE power supply of the router, which allows you to get rid of a separate unit for the socket and reliably reserve power supply during power outages.

“Letts” MikroTik hAP ac² is part of a small cohort of brand routers for home use. Having settled in the apartment, the device distributes the Internet to the “client” both via a wireless network and via twisted pair, providing a consistently high flow rate and a large coverage radius.

The model is assembled in an unremarkable “body” without protruding elements - the antennas are hidden inside the body of the wireless router. The device uses dual-band combined antennas. At the rear end of the router there are four Gigabit LAN ports and one WAN with PoE support. In wireless networks, hAP ac² delivers a decent maximum speed of 300 Mbps (at 2.4 GHz) and 867 Mbps (at 5 GHz).

The device runs on a powerful quad-core Qualcomm IPQ4018 with a clock frequency of 716 MHz and 128 MB of RAM. The conductor of the model's technological orchestra is the Router OS system with flexible configuration options. One has only to take into account that for the average user the system menu interface may seem overly complex and confusing.

The router can be parked vertically or in a lying position. Standing on a transparent plastic stand, on the top end of the device you can see a USB 2.0 port for connecting a 3G/LTE modem or deploying it using an FTP server router. The model can also operate in bridge and repeater modes. MikroTik hAP ac² is rightfully considered the favorite in the segment of affordable budget wireless routers for home use or “registration” in a small office.

The Keenetic Voyager Pro KN-3510 gigabit Internet center works in a wide variety of roles: it can be a wireless router, a Wi-Fi signal repeater, a head unit, or one of the links in seamless MESH networks.

“Voyagers” are presented on store shelves either one at a time or in a set of four pieces at once (for operation in MESH mode). The flat design of the device makes it easy to mount on a wall or ceiling, and support for PoE power eliminates the hassle of fiddling with wires from an outlet - the model can be supplied with energy directly via twisted pair cable(for this use the blue WAN/LAN port with a throughput of up to 1 Gbit/s).

The device claims to support Wi-Fi in two bands: 2.4 GHz with data transfer speeds up to 574 Mbit/s and 5 GHz - 1201 Mbit/s. The spectrum analyzer on board the model allows you to monitor Wi-Fi noise on a 5 GHz carrier frequency and select the “cleanest” channel. At the same time, the router has acquired support for multi-stream MU-MIMO data transmission and Beamforming “directional beam” technology. The only disappointment is the router's weak internal antennas, but the above-mentioned functions are designed to ensure high-quality signal transmission to connected client devices.

Voyager’s operation is controlled by a web interface, a mobile application for a smartphone, or the Keenetic RMM system. The last option is redundant for the average user - it will come in handy for small and medium-sized businesses. An alternative to the model is a related solution from Kinetic - almost the same Internet center Orbiter Pro KN-2810, which differs from the option under consideration in slower Wi-Fi 5.

MikroTik hAP ax3 is a dual-band AX1800 class router with support for the Wi-Fi 6 standard. In total, the model provides data transmission capacity of up to 1774 Mbit/s.

When connecting client devices at a frequency of 2.4 GHz, the theoretical maximum speed reaches 574 Mbit/s, and at a carrier frequency of 5 GHz - 1200 Mbit/s. The Internet connection to the router can be made via a 2.5 Gigabit WAN connector. By the way, it is possible to supply PoE power to the device directly via twisted pair cable (with a voltage of 18 to 28 V). This allows you to do without a separate power supply or reserve power supply during power outages (both from the provider’s equipment and from a UPS with PoE power support).

The model is assembled in a perforated elongated case and is equipped with two external antennas with gains of 3.3 dBi for the 2.4 GHz band and 5.5 dBi for the 5 GHz band. The router's coverage area easily covers a three-room apartment or a small country house. The device runs on the proprietary RouterOS operating system - its menu interface may seem complicated for an untrained user, but in general it provides the most flexible configurations for setting up a wireless router.

The router has a USB 3.2 gen1 port, which will be used for deploying an FTP server or connecting an external LTE modem. The device can be placed both in a standard horizontal orientation and in a standing position, for which a corresponding stand is included in the package. And for the wall mounting option of the router, a couple of dowels from the standard delivery kit will be useful.

The ZTE MF258K router has Wi-Fi support and a built-in LTE modem - with the addition of a SIM card, it can be used in mobile networks with data exchange speeds of up to 800 Mbit/s.

Gigabit cable Internet is supposed to be connected through the physical WAN port on board the device. Moreover, through this connector it is possible to supply PoE power to power the router. In general, the model provides up to 300 Mbit/s throughput when operating at a carrier frequency of 2.4 GHz and up to 867 Mbit/s in the 5 GHz band.

The model is equipped with internal antennas for receiving signals from mobile operator towers and distributing wireless Internet. The router design does not provide connectors for connecting external antennas. Nevertheless, the device supports multi-stream data transmission MU-MIMO 2x2, which achieves an impressive wireless coverage area.

The device looks as simple and prosaic as possible. But you will have to pay a tidy sum for it - the ZTE MF258K costs an order of magnitude more than traditional models without support for working in LTE networks. The benefit of the investment will be truly high-quality Internet coverage for a country house, large apartment or SOHO class office.