9 Best Compatible Routers For Comcast Xfinity in 2023

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

As a Network Engineer, I have researched and tested to find the most suitable router compatible with Comcast Xfinity. 

And I have concluded that the TP-Link AX50 AX3000 is the best router for Comcast Xfinity.

But not everyone has equal needs and wants, with different internet plans, homes, and preferences.

Therefore, I have picked the 7 best routers for different circumstances. So you can choose the one that fits you the best. 

Keep reading to learn more. 

Top 9 Routers For Comcast Xfinity

Here are the best router and modem/router combos for Comcast. 

1. Best Overall – TP-Link AX50 AX3000 – Wi-Fi 6 Router – Needs a Separate Cable Modem
2. Best Performer – ASUS RT-AX88U – Wi-Fi 6 Router – Needs a Separate Cable Modem
3. Best Performer Netgear Orbi RBK852 – Mesh Wi-Fi 6 – Needs a Separate Cable Modem
4. Best Value – TP-Link Deco S4 – Mesh Wi-Fi 5 – Needs a Separate Cable Modem
5. Budget-Friendly – TP-Link Archer A7 – Wi-Fi 5 Router – Needs a Separate Cable Modem
6. Premium Option – Netgear RAXE500 – Wi-Fi 6E Router – Needs a Separate Cable Modem
7. Best Value – Motorola MG8702 – Modem/Router Combo
8. Premium Option Netgear CAX80 – Modem/Router Combo
9. Budget-Friendly – Motorola MG7540 – Modem/Router Combo

9 Best Routers For Comcast Xfinity

Below you can see overviews of the best routers for Xfinity. 

#1 TP-Link Archer AX50 – Editors Choice (Wi-Fi Router)

The TP-Link Archer AX50 AX3000 is the router I recommend for you with the Blast! Pro plan (600 Mbps) or below. 

During testing, the router reached a speed of 690.52 Mbps from 5 feet on the 5GHz network. 

Other speeds I measured were 371.87 Mbps from 25 feet and 155.54 Mbps from 50 feet. Both on the 5Ghz network.

These speeds are excellent for the price and make for a perfect router for the Blast! Pro plan or below. You could even use it for the Extreme Pro plan (900 Mbps) if you find the slight loss in speed okay.

Range-wise, the router performed quite average, reaching around 90-100 feet. This is enough for a normal-sized home. 

The router also has good parental controls, which allow you to restrict what your kids can do on the internet and when they can use it. 

It also comes with a guest network and advanced QoS. Which allows priorities activities on your internet. 

The biggest con with the TP-Link AX50 is that it tends to overheat in warm climates. So, if your house often gets hot during summer, then I recommend another router.

Read the full review of the TP-Link AX50. 

Note: Needs a separate cable modem for it to work.

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#2 ASUS RT-AX88U – Best Performer (Wi-Fi Router)

The ASUS RT-AX88U is a fast router with great coverage, and it will work well with any Xfinity internet plan.

During testing, it measured throughput of 927.17 Mbps from 5 feet, 571.36 Mbps from 25 feet, and 472.95 Mbps from 50 feet — all using the 5GHz band.

These results are very good, with special weight on how good the speed was kept even at a distance. 

This, combined with the range of around 100-110 feet, makes the router great for you with a larger home. 

The router can also create an Aimmesh network. 

This means that you can add another ASUS router to your network, increasing the Wi-Fi coverage in your home. 

The RT-AX88U also has great Parental Controls and QoS. This makes it possible for you to restrict your kid’s activities online and prioritize applications on your network. 

The drawback with the RT-AX88U is that it’s honestly a bit excessive for some. Thus, I recommend this one to you with a larger home and/or a fast internet plan.  

Read the full review of the RT-AX88U. 

Note: Needs a separate cable modem for it to work.

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#3 Netgear Orbi RBK852 – Best Performer (Mesh Wi-Fi)

The Netgear Orbi RBK852 is a premium mesh system that I recommend for you with a large home that needs good coverage. 

During testing, the router reached 851.86 Mbps from 5 feet and 540.76 Mbps from 25 feet. 

These are two impressive results that are more than enough to watch multiple 4k movies.

What differentiates the Netgear Orbi RBR852 from most other mesh networks is its satellite. Which is nearly as fast as the router.

With them reaching 85-90% of the main router from each distance. This makes it enough for any Xfinity plan.

Overall the biggest drawback with the Netgear Orbi RBK852 is that it doesn’t support parental control or any QoS. 

So you can’t restrict your kid’s internet activities or priorities actives on the internet. 

Other than that, it’s by far the best for you looking for coverage and speed.

Read the full review of the Netgear Orbi RBK852. 

Note: Needs a separate cable modem for it to work.

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#4 TP-Link Deco S4 – Best Value (Mesh Wi-Fi)

If you need coverage and don’t want to pay a fortune, then the TP-Link Deco S4 is the perfect option for you. 

During testing, it managed to reach 317.27 Mbps on the 5GHz network from 5 feet. And 169.59 Mbps from 25 feet. 

This makes the router perfect to use with the Performance Pro plan.

The Deco S4 also supports both parental controls and advanced QoS. Making it possible for you to restrict your children’s actives on the internet and priorities data.

Its biggest drawback is how much speed the satellites lose, with a fallout of around 60-70% of the router’s speed. This makes the mesh network a bit slower than other alternatives. 

But as long as you don’t have a too-fast internet plan, the TP-Link Deco S4 offers excellent coverage for a fair price.

Read the full review of the S4. 

Note: Needs a separate cable modem for it to work.

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#5 TP-Link Archer A7 – Budget-Friendly (Wi-Fi Router)

The TP-Link Archer A7 is the router I recommend for the Performance Pro plan (300 Mbps) or below.

In the testing, the router reached 438.39 Mbps from 5 feet, 123.53 Mbps from 25 feet, and 57.31 Mbps from 50 feet on the 5GHz network.

And from 75 feet, using the 2.4GHz network, it reached 14.90 Mbps. 

These are some good results that should be enough for a family of around 2-4 people to use the internet without any issues. 

From a range perspective, the Archer A7 signal also reached around 80-90 feet. This makes it enough for good coverage in a normal-sized home.

The router also has parental controls, guest network, and QoS. Even though I found the QoS very underwhelming. As it only allowed to restrict bandwidth for particular devices and not for network actives. 

Overall, the TP-Link Archer A7 is one of the best budget routers I have tested. 

Read the full review of the Archer A7. 

Note: Needs a separate cable modem for it to work.

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#6 Netgear RAXE500 – Premium Option (Wi-Fi Router)

If you want the best of the best – then consider the RAXE500, which is a router equipped with the newest wireless standard – Wi-Fi 6E. 

In testing, the RAXE500 reach an unbelievable 1203.59 Mbps from 5 feet and 959.71 Mbps from 25 feet on the new 6GHz band. 

These results are incredible, enough to watch more than 20 4K movies simultaneously. 

Just note that you will most likely not have these performances. Because very few devices are compatible with the 6GHz band. 

The router range was also very good, reaching about 110 feet. This should be enough for any but the largest homes. 

One con with the RAXE500 is that it doesn’t support Parental Controls or QoS, and considering its price, I think it should do. There is, however, a chance Netgear will add this in later updates. 

Altogether, the Netgear RAXE500 is honestly excessive for most people reading this. Consider it if you have the 3000 Mpbs Xfinity internet plan or want the best of the best.

Note: Needs a separate cable modem for it to work.

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#7 Motorola MG8702 – Best Value (Modem/Router Combo)

The Motorola MG8702 a the best modem/router combo for the Xfinity Blast! Pro plan (600 Mbps).

During testing, it reached 518.51 Mbps from 5 feet and 272.03 Mbps from 25 feet, both using the 5GHz network. 

You could even use it with the Extreme Pro plan. But then, you will not get a Wi-Fi speed of the 800 Mbps you pay for. 

The MG8702 also had a pretty good range, reaching about 80-90 feet. This should be enough for a normal-sized home as long as you place the device somewhere closer to the middle of the house. 

The cable modem is also DOCSIS 3.1, which is good since it will be compatible with Comcast Xfinity for a longer time.

Because Comcast will change out their DOCSIS 3.0 internet in the future. 

The biggest con with the device is its features. Both parental controls and QoS are somewhat lacking. 

With parental control, you can only block devices at certain times and not specific content online. 

And the QoS lacks the advanced controls which allow you to pick an activity to prioritize.

Other than that, it’s a solid option. 

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#8 Netgear CAX80 – Premium Option (Modem/Router Combo)

The Netgear CAX80 is a suitable modem/router combo for any Comcast Xfinity Cable internet plan. 

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find its max speed. Since the house, I test the cable modems only have an 800 Mbps plan. 

But the router did max it out and managed to reach 800 Mbps from 5 feet. It also measured 583.15 Mbps from 25 feet and 298.47 Mbps from 50 feet. 

More than any other modem/router combo I have ever tried. Enough for a family of 5-7 people to use the internet without any issues.  

The cable modem is also DOCSIS 3.1, and as already mentioned, this makes it future-proof.

The biggest drawback with the CAX80 is its lack of parental controls and advanced QoS. 

This makes it very hard to restrict your kid’s activities on the internet and prioritize data on your network. 

Read the full review of the CAX80. 

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#9 Motorola MG7540 – Budget-Friendly (Modem/Router Combo)

The Motorola MG7540 is the best modem/router combo for the Performance Pro (300 Mbps) plan or below.

In the testing, it reached 301.85 Mbps from 5 feet and 102.38 Mbps from 25 feet. Both from the 5GHz network. 

Like many others, you can use it with a better plan than I recommended. But you will lose some speed and not get all you pay for.

The cable modem is DOCSIS 3.0 with 16×4 channels. This means that the modem will work for now, but when Comcast Xfinity changes to DOCSIS 3.1 (we don’t know when), it will stop working. 

A drawback with this MG7540 is its limited range. During testing, it only had a range of about 70 feet.

Thus, I would avoid this device if you have a larger home with more than two floors. It fits best for average apartments. 

Another con is that the router, like the MG8702, lacks parental controls and QoS. 

This is a common thing on modem/router combos and is one of the reasons I recommend having separate devices. 

Read the full review of the MG7540.

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Things to Consider When Buying a Router for Comcast Xfinity

Here are some things you should specifically consider before buying a router for Comcast Xfinity. 

Router Performance

When you buy a router for Comcast Xfinity, one of the most important things is that the router’s real-world speed is on par with your internet plan. 

Otherwise, the router will bottleneck your internet speed, and you won’t get the internet speed you are paying for. 

There are a couple of things that decide the device’s speed. Below you can learn more about them. 

Wi-Fi 5 vs. Wi-Fi 6

As for now, there are two Wi-Fi standards in use. These are the Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) and Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax).

Your router’s performance will not only be based on them, as things like CPU and Ram will also have an impact. 

But generally, you will find that Wi-Fi 6 is faster, better at handling more devices, and is more secure. While Wi-Fi 5 is cheaper.

Wi-Fi 6 Benefits

• Faster than Wi-Fi 5
• Can handle more devices
• Increased security

Wi-Fi 5 Benefits

• Cheaper than Wi-Fi 6
• The default for most devices

For Comcast Xfinity, I recommend Wi-Fi 6 for you with the Blast! plan or above (600 Mbps), while Wi-Fi 5 will likely be enough for a slower plan. 

That said, this is far from set in stone, and you can get Wi-Fi 6 with a slower internet plan as a way of future-proofing.

Or get Wi-Fi 5 with a faster internet plan if you have few Wi-Fi 6 compatible devices, for example. 

Because you can only get Wi-Fi 6 if you have a device that is compatible with it.

For more info on the topic, check out Wi-Fi 5 vs. Wi-Fi 6.

Wi-Fi 6E

Another wireless standard that recently got released is Wi-Fi 6E.

This is an extension of Wi-Fi 6 (hence the E) that adds a 6GHz band. This band is great for throughput and to avoid interferences. But it does have a shorter range. [1]

Wi-Fi 6E is a good option for you who wants the best of the best with a busy home network and a fast internet plan. 

But for most people, it will be excessive. As very few devices today are compatible with it. 

Dual- or Tri-Band

Nowadays, basically, all routers have at least two bands. These are the 2.4GHz band and the 5GHz band. 

The 5GHz band is faster, while the 2.4GHz is slower but has a longer range. 

Some routers, however, have a third band. 

This will often be another 5GHz band, which will improve the max bandwidth of the router, but not its max speed.

But if it’s a Wi-Fi 6E router, this will be in the form of a 6GHz band. Which, as previously mentioned, is faster than the 5GHz band.

Most people will only need two bands. But if you have a very busy network, a third band might be a good idea. 

Learn more about this in our article on Dual-band vs. Tri-band routers. 

DOCSIS & Channels

If you buy a modem/router combo, you also must consider what DOCSIS version you need. 

For DOCSIS, you have two options, either DOCSIS 3.0 or 3.1. The difference is that 3.1 is newer and faster but more expensive, while 3.0 is slower but cheaper. 

For Xfinity, I recommend getting DOCSIS 3.1. Because even though 3.0 is enough for some internet plans, it won’t be in the future. 

DOCSIS 3.1 Benefits

• Faster
• Lower Latency
• Future-proof

DOCSIS 3.0 Benefit

• Cheaper

If you want to save some money, you can get a DOCSIS 3.0 device. Just be ready that you might have to upgrade it in a couple of years. 

You can learn more about the pros and cons of DOCSIS 3.1 and 3.0 here.

You need to consider bonding channels if you decide to get a DOCSIS 3.0 modem. 

Channels look like Z×Y (16×4 as an example). And these determine the speed a DOCSIS 3.0 modem has. 

Below you can find a table with what channel bonding and DOCSIS version is compatible with what Xfinity internet Plan. [2]

Xfinity Internet Plan	Speed	Connection Type	Wi-Fi Standard	DOCSIS	Channel Bonding
Performance Starter Plus	50 Mbps	Cable	Wi-Fi 5 or Wi-Fi 6	3.0 or 3.1	8×4 or more
Performance Select	100 Mbps	Cable	Wi-Fi 5 or Wi-Fi 6	3.0 or 3.1	8×4 or more
Performance Pro	300 Mbps	Cable	Wi-Fi 5 or Wi-Fi 6	3.0 or 3.1	16×4 or more
Blast! Pro	600 Mbps	Cable	Wi-Fi 5 or Wi-Fi 6	3.0 or 3.1	16×4 or more
Extreme Pro	900 Mbps	Cable	Wi-Fi 6	3.0 or 3.1	32×8
Gigabit	1200 Mbps	Fiber/Cable	Wi-Fi 6	3.1	N/A
Gigabit Pro	3000 Mbps	Fiber	Wi-Fi 6E	N/A	N/A

Modem/Router Combo Vs. Separate Devices

If you have Xfinity cable internet, you can decide if you want a modem/router combo (gateway) or separate devices. 

With a gateway being a modem and a router as one device. While Separate has them as two.

Both options have their merits, but as a Network Engineer, I recommend separate devices. 

The reason for this is with separate devices, you can change one device if it breaks or needs an upgrade, rather than both. It also enables better performance and more customization. 

This is not to say that gateways are bad. They do often have a lower up-front cost and are generally easier to set up. 

Just don’t get a gateway if you have Xfinity fiber. Because fiber doesn’t use modems. It only needs a router. 

To learn more about the topic, check out modem/router combo vs. separate.

What about Mesh?

If you’re planning on getting a router, you have two options. Either a traditional router or what’s called a Mesh network. 

The difference is that a Mesh network is a group of devices that creates a single Wi-Fi network.

And because it uses multiple devices, the network has better coverage than a single router. 

Mesh Benefit

• Better coverage

Standard Router Benefits

• Generally cheaper
• Easier setup

In short, a Mesh system is suitable if you have a large home because of its good coverage. While a traditional router is enough for most other situations. 

check out Mesh Wi-Fi Vs. Traditional router if you want more information.

Compatible With Xfinity

For routers, compatibility with Xfinity is simple. Just make sure it’s a Wi-Fi router with a WAN port. 

For modem/router combos, it’s a bit harder. Because a modem needs to be Comcast Xfinity approved. To make sure the model works with your internet. 

Therefore, you can either pick any of the gateways recommended in this article. Or check out our article on Xfinity compatible modems. 

There you will find the best modem for Xfinity, a complete list of all Xfinity-approved modems, and what to consider before buying a cable modem for Comcast. 

Extra Features

Here are some extra features you might want to have. 

QoS

QoS allows you to prioritize bandwidth between applications. This, for example, makes it possible for you to download a file and watch movies at the same time.

Because if you prioritize the movie, you can make sure it won’t stutter. 

Even though the file download will take a bit longer. 

Just note that you want an advanced QoS. This means that it prioritizes by itself or makes it very easy for you to use it. 

Parental controls

Parental controls allow you to control how much time your kids do on the internet. Having the ability to block objectionable material and URLs with the router.

As well as placing time constraints on your kid’s use of the internet. 

Guest Network

Guest networks allow you to give visitors access to the internet without giving them access to all the other devices on your network. 

This increases your network’s security. Because your friends’ devices might have spyware or other viruses that otherwise can enter your network through their device unbeknownst to them.

Rent Vs. Buy Comcast Xfinity Router

Comcast’s equipment fee is $15 each month. This means that you need to pay $180 per year. [3]

If you do some math, you realize that buying your own devices will be much cheaper in the long run.

And it’s probably because of this you are reading this article. 

Many, however, still rent due to worrying about the setup and other problems. But you don’t have to worry. Modern network devices are generally easy to set up. 

And I have picked devices with extra simple setups that have good reputations for having few problems. 

Therefore, I advise everyone to stop renting equipment from Comcast and buy a third-party option. 

Even though I should note that I’m a bit biased. I do make a small commission if you buy a router.

For a more in-depth guide, I created on the subject, read this article.

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]

Xfinity Internet Plan	Recommended Router	Recommended Mesh Network	Recommended Gateway
Performance Starter Plus	Archer A7	Deco S4	MG7540
Performance Select	Archer A7	Deco S4	MG7540
Performance Pro	AX50	Deco S4	MG8702
Blast! Pro	AX50	Orbi RBK852	MG8702
Extreme Pro	AX-RT88U	Orbi RBK852	CAX80
Gigabit	AX-RT88U	Orbi RBK852	N/A
Gigabit Pro	RAXE500	Orbi RBK852	N/A

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

FAQ

Here are some common questions about Comcast Xfinity and its equipment. 

Our Verdict

After countless hours of testing and researching, I have concluded that the TP-Link AX50 AX3000 is the best compatible router for Xfinity. 

Because it provides fast Wi-Fi 6 internet for a fair price with many useful features. Such as parenting controls and advanced QoS. 

Unless you have the Extreme Pro plan or above (900 Mbps or more). Because then I recommend the ASUS RT-AX88U.