5 Best 802.11g Routers in 2020 – Make a Well-Informed, Smart & Future-Proof Purchase!

The 802.11g standard precedes the 802.11n and the latest 802.11ac standards. While the latest wireless standards are backward compatible, you might want to still look at a few 802.11g offerings, especially if your needs are low or you don't have a fast enough ISP connection. There aren't many devices with 802.11g available today, but if you are still using a wireless card from about 5 or 6 years ago, this article should help you get an idea of the best 802.11g routers you can buy.

Devices that support 802.11g can connect over the 2.4GHz wireless frequency band. This frequency allows for a much higher range but also has a lower bandwidth than what is possible with the 5GHz frequency. While 802.11n can work over both 2.4 and 5GHz, 802.11g can work only over the 2.4 GHz band. That is why many of the 802.11g routers are single-band routers (and therefore, they can be quite affordable). 802.11g routers are backward-compatible with the older 802.11a and 802.11b standards.

For this article, several factors were considered for narrowing down the best 802.11g routers available in 2020. While most of the routers support only the 802.11g standard, we included a few more powerful offers for future-proofing. 802.11n routers are fully backward-compatible with 802.11a/b/g devices, so our suggestion would be to go for the more recent standard whenever possible.

So, here are the 5 best 802.11g routers that you can find in 2020.

1. TP-Link N450

Despite lacking a few features such as USB file sharing, the TP-Link N450 is one of the best wireless routers you can get under $50. The N450 can support up to 802.11n, and the existing 802.11g devices will work with this router without any issues. The router is easy to set up, and the included software can automatically detect the most common network settings, thus, minimizing the hassle of dialing your ISP for additional instructions. There are three antennas provided, but they are powerful enough to provide enough coverage for a small- to medium-sized apartment.

The TP-Link N450 offers an easy wizard-based software setup. It is recommended that you follow this method for setting up the router as manually configuring the settings can get a bit cumbersome. This router can also be used as a range extender by simply copying over the SSID and the password of the network you want to extend.

• Pros: Easy setup; Affordable; Can be used as a range extender.
• Cons: No USB sharing available; Manual configuration can get a bit tedious.

2. Linksys WRT54GL

For those looking at a basic wireless setup, the Linksys WRT54GL is hard to beat. This is one of the best 802.11g routers you can find, and it offers a maximum throughput of 54 Mbps. It does not offer USB connectivity, but you still get four 10/100 Ethernet ports for wired connectivity. In this day and age, the overall speed might seem low, but this router does the job if you are already handicapped by your ISP's plans, and you are only looking at a simple wireless option.

Like other interesting Linksys routers, the WRT54GL is custom-firmware-compatible thanks to its support for Linux-based open-source firmware. However, we must say that the 802.11g is now succeeded by higher standards such as 802.11n and 802.11ac, so unless you're really strapped for cash, we'd suggest you look for a router that at least offers the 802.11n standard at a minimum.

• Pros: Very economical; Open-source ready.
• Cons: Only supports 802.11g.

3. ASUS RT-N12

The ASUS Wireless RT-N12 is one of the best routers under $50, and it offers a great bang for the buck. It supports all wireless standards up to 802.11n and is backward-compatible with 802.11g devices as well. Since it supports only a single band, you get theoretical peak speed of about 300 Mbps. If your ISP speeds are close to this mark, then you should not be facing any issues for VoIP calls, streaming 4K video to a single client, or just for surfing the internet. A good aspect of the ASUS Wireless RT-N12 is that it can also function as a router, access point, or a range extender.

The RT-N12's performance and reliability are excellent, and setting it up is very easy. Those interested can also flash custom DD-WRT firmware for unlocking additional functionality. However, the stock firmware should be more than adequate for most purposes. If you are experiencing slower speeds than expected, try increasing the bandwidth of a particular channel to see if that helps.

• Pros: Good range and speeds; Built-in firmware is feature-rich.
• Cons: Single-band unit.

4. D-Link DIR-605L

The D-Link DIR-605L makes for a cheap and affordable option for those who don't want to indulge too much in a wireless router but still would like to get a bit more speed than conventional 802.11g routers. The DIR-605L also supports 802.11n and is, therefore, fully backward compatible with existing 802.11g devices. The router offers speeds up to 300 Mbps, and its two external antennas can offer a good range. The Mydlink service makes administering the router easy from a smartphone.

The performance of this router is very good, and there have no major issues reported so far. Just make sure to update the firmware as soon as you install it to resolve any minor issues. Also, make sure to disable all filter settings and auto-bandwidth allocation settings to maximize the speed.

• Pros: Supports 802.11n; Good range; Feature-rich Mydlink app.
• Cons: Needs some tweaking to get the maximum advertised speeds.

5. D-Link DIR-842

We also wanted to include a more capable option for those who aren't on a strict budget. If you have a fast Web connection, you need to make sure that you're getting the right kind of router. Well, D-Link's DIR-842 supports Web connections of up to 1,200Mbps, in theory. In practice, it supports up to 300Mbps on 2.4Ghz and 867Mbps on 5GHz - which is still more than what an average user will need in the foreseeable future. Even though you won't be able to take full advantage of those speeds on an '802.11g' networking card, this is a nice way to future-proof your purchase.

This router comes with 4 high-powered antennas that provide reliable Wi-Fi coverage in medium to large homes. This goes hand-in-hand with the router's intelligence QoS feature, which automatically prioritizes certain Web activities over others. This means that you can connect multiple devices at once, and then browse the Web, download large files, or even stream in 4K on all those devices - without any interruption in your Web connectivity. The only thing that's missing here is USB ports. This means that despite its interesting specs and numerous features, you won't be able to use the DIR-842 as a media hub for your household.

• Pros: Nicely designed router; Dual-band support; High-gain antennas; Gigabit Ether is included; Comes with an intuitive Web interface.
• Cons: Missing USB ports.

FAQ

While you're here and while you're deciding on which are the best 802.11g routers, why not get more information? We've prepared a series of helpful answers to frequently asked questions, so make sure to read them.

Dear readers, that was our comparison of the best 802.11g routers to consider buying in 2020. Let us know if you have additional questions in the comments below. We will do our best to provide a timely response.