9 Best Compatible Routers For Comcast Xfinity in 2023

This is a review of the best compatible routers for Comcast Xfinity. 

Having reviewed many routers over the past few months, I’m confident I’ve found the best ones for Xfinity customers looking to upgrade. 

The top of the list right now has to be the TP-Link Archer AX73. It’s fast, packed with features and general good value. 

There are faster routers, cheaper routers and routers with more range though. That’s why I’ve picked seven great options.

Check them out!

Top 9 Routers For Comcast Xfinity

9 Best Routers For Comcast Xfinity

Now it’s time for a review of each of those seven.

#1 Best Overall Router – TP-Link Archer AX73

Xfinity customers looking for great speeds, wide range and tons of great features (the whole package!) without having to spend a fortune are going to like the sound of the TP-Link Archer AX73.

We ran a speed test on this router from 5 ft away with a Wi-Fi 6 device. The result was a very impressive 827.85 Mbps. That’s going to be enough speed for a large household or even a medium-sized business.

This speed also makes it a suitable option for those on any of the Xfinity plans up to Superfast (800 Mbps). It would also be a reasonable option for Ultrafast (1000 Mbps) customers as well.

The AX73 won’t be the most appropriate router for the likes of the Gigabit Extra (1200 Mbps) plan onwards due to the fact that it doesn’t have a multigig port. But this is just about the only real downside of what is overall an excellent router.

This router also has a very good range. Our testing revealed that it would hold onto a connection as far as 100-110 ft away. In terms of organic range, that’s about as good as it gets. It’s enough for a medium or even large home.

If you want to go further, you can add Mesh satellites to the network thanks to OneMesh, TP-Link’s Mesh compatibility function.

The Archer AX73 is also packed with some of the best features on the router market in other ways. It has strong parental controls, good QoS (allowing you to set priority devices on the network for extra speed) and a great app to control everything on.

The price? A little high, as you might expect for something of this quality. But you more than get what you pay for. It’ll be a perfect choice for anyone with plans up to Xfinity Ultrafast.

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#2 Best For Budgets – TP-Link Archer A8

You can save a lot of money on the Xfinity Connect (75 Mbps), Connect More (200 Mbps) and Fast (400 MBps) plans by opting for the TP-Link Archer A8.

This is a Wi-Fi 5 router. As a result, it’s not as quick as some routers but it is a lot more affordable.

And for a Wi-Fi 5 router, it’s actually really quick. We still managed to record a speed of 492.69 Mbps, a speed that beats a lot of the competition in terms of its price bracket.

That range isn’t bad either. We’ve judged it to be around 80-90 ft which will still be enough speed for a medium-size home. 

As is the case with most budget routers, the features of the A8 are quite limited. It still has QoS and parental controls, but they’re limited to their most basic functions. 

However, there is one standout feature which surprised us. The A8 is primed with OneMesh, which means you can add Mesh satellites to your network should you decide you need a little more range. 

So there isn’t really much to complain about with the A8. It’s super cheap and offers more than enough speed for three of the Xfinity plans.

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#3 Best For the Fastest Plans – Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500

Have you got yourself a faster Xfinity plan? If that’s the case and budget isn’t much of an issue for you then avert your attention to the Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500. It’s one of the fastest Wi-Fi routers on the market right now.

It’s so fast, in fact, that it’s the only router we tested with a speed faster than the Xfinity Gigabit Extra speed cap (1200 Mbps). The exact top speed we managed to achieve with it was 1203.59 Mbps, which is pretty immense.

The reason for this next level of speed is a new Wi-Fi protocol called Wi-Fi 6e. It was only released in 2021, but the downside of that is that the device compatibility for it is still quite low. There are only a handful of smartphones, for example, e.g. Google Pixel 6. 

If you have an even faster Xfinity plan, such as Gigabit X2 (2000 Mbps), the Nighthawk could still work for you. This is because it has a multigig port, allowing for speeds of up to 2.5 Gbps over a wired connection.

RAXE500 is going to be a fitting option for those in large homes or offices too. Not only is its organic range very strong at around 100-110 ft, it offers Mesh support.

If you want advanced parental controls and antivirus, you’re going to need to pay for it after a year. The RAXE500 comes with Netgear Armor (a bundle of both tools) free for a year but after this it’s going to be a fairly pricey annual subscription.

And weirdly, there’s no QoS at all. You won’t be able to select any priority devices on the network with this router.

Other than the features and the high price, the RAXE500 is a fantastic option for those with very fast Xfinity plans.

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#4 Best Mesh System – ASUS ZenWiFi AX AX6600

Perhaps the ultimate option for Xfinity customers with plans up to Ultrafast living in homes of over 3000 sq ft in size is the ASUS ZenWiFi AX AX6600.

This thing is fast. It managed to get a speed of 836.45 Mbps in our test, putting it up there with the Mesh systems.

It manages to stay fast even when a lot of satellites are connected to it as well, and that’s partially down to a second 5 GHz band. This is used as a ‘backhaul’ band with the sole purpose of relieving bandwidth to get better speeds from satellite to satellite. 

And the range of each of them is pretty good. You’ll be able to get a connection when around 100 ft away from the router. 

The backhaul band can also be used to connect up smart devices. It effectively makes the 5 GHz band twice as wide in terms of its bandwidth, improving speeds with multiple devices connected./

The AX6600 impressed us with its features as well, which is often the case with ASUS devices. Firstly, there’s AiProtection Pro which is the awesome ASUS bundle of parental controls and antivirus.

There’s also Adaptive QoS which lets you assign profiles to your devices to maximize their performance for gaming etc. 

It’s not the cheapest hardware in the world but I do feel that you get what you pay for from it. Plus, it is actually cheaper than some other Mesh systems with similar levels of performance. 

I love the AX6600 for those larger homes and faster plans!

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#5 Best Budget Mesh System – TP-Link Deco S4

Those with large homes and Xfinity plans up to Fast (400 Mbps) should definitely take a look at the TP-Link Deco S4.

This is one of the most affordable Mesh systems out there which makes it a great option for those on a budget as well.

This is a Wi-Fi 5 Mesh system, which helps the price but means you won’t get as fast speeds. The top speed we managed to record with it was 317.27 Mbps. 

That’d still be enough for a family, but you might want something faster if you have an Xfinity plan faster than Fast (400 Mbps).

The range of each satellite is pretty good at around 80 ft. This is enough for a medium home in itself, and means that you won’t need to buy too many satellites if you want to cover a larger space.

Deco S4 has parental controls which is good to see. It also has QoS, which means you can set priority devices for more speed. It achieves this by throttling the bandwidth of other connected devices. 

The QoS isn’t the best in the world but it’s still good to see a budget piece of kit that has it. Plus, it’s easy to set up.

Being able to get a Mesh system this affordable is pretty awesome. It makes the Deco S4 a worthy contender if your Xfinity plan isn’t so fast.

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#6 Best For Gaming – ASUS RT-AX3000

Another great value for money router I recommend is the ASUS RT-AX3000.

It’s really fast. We managed to achieve a speed of 889.41 Mbps in our test. This makes it suitable for anything up to the Xfinity Ultrafast (1000 Mbps) plan. 

And it’s packed with great features. AiProtection Pro comes free for life, so you’ll get some of the best parental controls and antivirus out there for no extra cost.

It also comes with Adaptive QoS. You can select priority devices and even assign profiles to them, such as gaming, meaning the network sets them up particularly for the function. 

We do have one criticism of the RT-AX3000 and that is that the range isn’t so good. It tops out at around 80-85 ft, meaning it’s beaten in this area by a lot of cheaper routers. It’s about enough for a medium-sized home, but think twice if you have a large house.

That being said, you can get around this by using AiMesh, ASUS’s Mesh function. 

So, this is a brilliant alternative to the TP-Link Archer AX73 and for a similar price. 

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#7 Best Modem/Router Combo – Netgear C7800

Note, only get a modem/router combo if you have cable internet. 

If you want to save the hassle of having to pick up a modem and router separately, you can combine the two with a combination device, otherwise known as a gateway. And our top pick for those is the Netgear C7800.

For a modem/router combo, it’s pretty quick with a max recorded speed of 513.64 Mbps. That makes it a suitable option for anyone with the Xfinity plans up to Fast (400 Mbps).

And that’s even with this gateway using Wi-Fi 5 instead of Wi-Fi 6. This gateway isn’t using the latest Wi-Fi technology which helps keep the price down.

Plus, it features the latest gateway technology of DOCSIS 3.1 instead of DOCSIS 3.0. This is the newest standard for modems, and means the modem will be faster and more future-proof.

Its range is around 80-90 ft which again, which is enough for a medium or slightly larger home. You won’t be able to add any Mesh hardware to it though. 

Unfortunately, there’s no QoS either but this is often the case with gateway devices. This means you won’t be able to set priority devices in order to get better speed from them. 

On the bright side, there are parental controls available even if their scope is quite limited.

So, this is definitely our favorite gateway overall and is a good option for Xfinity customers.

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#8 Best Budget Modem/Router – Motorola MG7700

Note, only get a modem/router combo if you have cable internet. 

Save a little money and keep your life easier on the Xfinity Fast (400 Mbps) plan or anything slower by using the Motorola MG7700.

This is our budget gateway pick and it really is quite a bit more affordable. However, it’s still expensive compared to just buying a router on its own. You won’t have to buy a modem, of course…

The main reasons this device is cheaper are that it’s Wi-Fi 5 and DOCSIS 3.0 24×8 only. These are older technologies. Even though it performs okay with these, you won’t be as future proofed with this device.

DOCSIS 3.0 is the penultimate modem standard. It’s not quite as efficient as the new standard, DOCSIS 3.1. This means it won’t be quite as quick.

But the speed is still okay. We could still get a recorded speed of 441.28 Mbps from it. And, it has a range of 80-90 ft, around the same as our top gateway pick overall. That’ll be enough for a medium-sized home.

The features are lacking a lot as well. You won’t find QoS or anything like that on this router, another reason it comes in cheaper.

But if it’s pure ease of use and money-saving you’re looking for, this might be your best bet.

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#9 Best Premium Modem/Router – Motorola MG8725

Note, only get a modem/router combo if you have cable internet. 

If you’re willing to splash the cash in order to save hassle but still get good performance with a gateway, try the Motorola MG8725.

For a modem/router, this thing is fast. It clocked in at a top speed of over 800 Mbps for us, making it one of the fattest gateways out there.

That’s more than enough speed for a large family and it’s one of the only gateways that would be suitable for any Xfinity plan. That’s because it’s just about the fastest one out there!

This is partially down to the combined DOCSIS 3.1 and Wi-Fi 6 technologies. This gateway is very up to date in that respect. These are two of the latest Wi-Fi and modem standards and that means you’ll get some of the best speeds.

You’ll also get a better range from it with around 90-100 ft available. Again, this is very good for a modem and router combo device. This is enough range for a larger home.

You’re going to need to pay for it though. The MG8725 is far from cheap. But, you do get QoS and parental controls for the price as well even if they are a bit limited in their functionality.

The MG8725 is a very strong option for those with large homes and any Xfinity plans who don’t want to mess around buying a separate modem. But only if price is not a problem.

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Xfinity Router Buying Guide

To help you make the right call, I’ve put together this guide to selecting the right router for your Xfinity upgrade.

Is it fast enough for my plan?

Firstly, let’s take a quick look at the current plan lineup from Xfinity, using the central region prices as an example:

Internet Plan	Speed (D/U)	Required DOCSIS	Required Channels	Recommended Minimum Wi-Fi Standard
Connect	75 Mbps	3.0 or 3.1	16×4 or more	Wi-Fi 5 or 6
Connect More	200 Mbps	3.0 or 3.1	16×4 or more	Wi-Fi 5 or 6
Fast	400 Mbps	3.0 or 3.1	16×4 or more	Wi-Fi 5 or 6
Superfast	800 Mbps	3.0 or 3.1	24×8 or more	Wi-Fi 6
Ultrafast	1000 Mbps	3.1	N/A	Wi-Fi 6 or 6e
Gigabit Extra	1200 Mbps	3.1	N/A	Wi-Fi 6 or 6e
Gigabit X2	2000 Mbps	3.1	N/A	Wi-Fi 6e
Gigabit Pro	6000 Mbps	3.1	N/A	Wi-Fi 6e

Of course, it’s not going to be possible to max out the speed of Gigabit Pro on Wi-Fi. For that, you’re going to want a multi-gig port on your router to get high speed using a wired connection.  

But other than that, you’re probably going to want to buy a router that can handle the top speed of your Xfinity plan. And at the same time, it’s not worth buying a superfast router if you’re only on one of the slower plans. 

Wi-Fi 5 or Wi-Fi 6 or Wi-Fi 6e?

Wi-Fi 5 is a great option for those on plans of up to Xfinity Fast (400 Mbps). Wi-Fi 6 will be better for faster plans (like Ultrafast at 1000 Mbps) yet the latest technology, Wi-Fi 6e, goes even faster still (it can suit Gigabit Extra at 1200 Mbps with ease).

The oldest technology you’ll find in most routers these days is Wi-Fi 5. And, it’s the slowest. But it’s also the cheapest!

Wi-Fi 6 is more expensive but a lot faster whereas Wi-Fi 6e is very expensive and limited in the number of devices it’s compatible with. You won’t be able to use Wi-Fi 6e with your iPhone, for example. It’s only available on a handful of smartphones like the Google Pixel 6.

There’s more to it though, and you can find out in this article which compares Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6. 

Wi-Fi 5 Benefits

• Cheaper
• Full compatibility

Wi-Fi 6 Benefits

• Faster
• Full compatibility

Wi-Fi 6e Benefits

• Super fast 
• Futureproof

A word on Mesh

Large home? Check out Mesh. This is well worth considering if your home is at least 3000 sq ft or so in size.

Mesh lets you extend your network range seamlessly. This means you can move from extender (usually known as satellite or node in the Mesh world) to extender without ever dropping a connection. 

Mesh is compatible with any of the Xfinity plans so it’s purely down to the size of your home and your budget as to whether to opt for it or not. 

Find out more about the benefits of Mesh compared to those of a standard Wi-Fi extender here.

Mesh benefits

• Seamless roaming
• Great range
• Better for many devices (30+)

Standard router benefits

• Cheaper
• Easier

The deal with DOCSIS 

If you’re considering a modem/router combo, you’ll need to choose between DOCSIS 3.0 and DOCSIS 3.1.

3.1 is a newer technology that offers faster speeds but it is more expensive. 

You’ll get away with 3.0 for plans up to Xfinity Fast but anything from Superfast (800 Mbps) onwards will require DOCSIS 3.1.

There’s also the matter of channels. Having more of these will help speed up your Wi-Fi, so take a look to see how many your router has to offer. 

Faster plans like Superfast (800 Mbps) onwards are going to need 24×8 or more. Whereas Fast (400 Mbps) or less can get away with 16×4.

You can compare DOCSIS 3.0 and DOCSIS 3.1 in more detail here.

Benefits of DOCSIS 3.0

• Cheaper
• More accessible

Benefits of DOCSIS 3.1

• Faster option
• Futureproof

Other features to look at

There are a couple of extra features that can help you get the best out of your home Xfinity network: QoS and parental controls.

The first, QoS, helps you get the best speeds for your devices. It lets you select devices as priorities for more speed. This is carried out by throttling the bandwidth to all other connected devices for a period of time. 

Parental controls, on the other hand, is more about blocking content for certain devices. You can set your kids’ devices to be protected from harmful and malicious content. You may be able to do this with profiles and time limits as well. 

Dual-band vs. tri-band

Dual-band routers are better if you don’t need to connect a lot of smart devices. But tri-band is perfect for those anticipating a busy network (35+ devices).

You’ll need to choose between a dual-band (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) or tri-band (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz and another 5 GHz).

The reason for the additional 5 GHz in most cases is for extra bandwidth. More devices will be able to achieve faster speeds when they’re able to connect to either 5 GHz band. 

Some tri-band routers are also used as a backhaul band to connect between satellites on a Mesh system. This is a good option for those with particularly large homes, who are looking to connect a lot of Mesh satellites. 

Find out more about the differences here.

What about warranty and security?

I also encourage Xfinity customers to consider the security of their router upgrade. It’s always good to opt for a router with good encryption and antivirus. This will keep your devices safe on the network and will also protect your sensitive data.

On the subject of encryption, most routers will have either WPA2 and WPA3 these days. WPA3 is the latest security protocol and does a better job at keeping your data safe. But WPA2 is still good and it tends to come on cheaper routers.

Finally, there’s the matter of warranty. The longer the warranty, the longer you’ll be protected in the case of a manufacturer defect with the router. Some manufacturers offer one year, some two and some even offer limited lifetime warranty on some of their models.

Comcast Xfinity Internet Plans

Here are all Comcast Xfinity internet plans and what router, mesh network, and gateway works well with each internet plan. [4]

Internet Plan	Router	Mesh Wi-Fi	Modem/Router Combo
Connect (75 Mbps)	Archer A8	Deco S4	MG7700
Connect More (200 Mbps)	Archer A8	Deco S4	MG7700
Fast (400 Mbps)	AX73	Deco S4	Netgear C7800
Superfast (800 Mbps)	AX73	ZenWiFi AX AX6600	MG8725
Ultrafast (1000 Mbps)	AX73	ZenWiFi AX AX6600	MG8725
Gigabit Extra (1200 Mbps)	RAXE500	ZenWiFi AX AX6600	MG8725
Gigabit X2 (2000 Mbps)	RAXE500	ZenWiFi AX AX6600	MG8725
Gigabit Pro (6000 Mbps)	RAXE500	ZenWiFi AX AX6600	MG8725

Note, Gigabit and Gigabit Pro are fiber connections and thus don’t need a modem. Therefore, there is no gateway for them. 

Xfinity Routers FAQ

Here are a few extra things people have been wanting to know about upgrading their router on an Xfinity plan.

Wrapping Up On Xfinity Router Upgrades

We’ve tested a lot of routers at Networks Hardware, and as a result, I’m confident that the TP-Link Archer AX73 is going to be the best router, and the Netgear C7800 the best gateway.

These are just a couple of ideas though. Those with faster plans or larger homes may well get more use out of one of my other top picks. Just use the buying guide to weigh up each decision for yourself.