Networking & NAS

Networking gear is chosen by role first — router, add-in adapter, switch, or NAS — then by wireless standard and wired speed. The WiFi 7 routers (ASUS RT-BE88U and RT-BE96U, Netgear Nighthawk RS700S, TP-Link Archer GE800, Ubiquiti UniFi Dream Router 7) are the backbone choice if you want the newest band efficiency and multi-gig wired ports; the client-side PCIe cards (ASUS PCE-BE92BT WiFi 7, TP-Link Archer TXE75E WiFi 6E, TX20E WiFi 6) only deliver what your router and devices already support, so match the standard to your network. Wired upgrades come via 2.5GbE/10GbE switches (MokerLink 2.5GbE, QNAP 2x10GbE) and NICs (TP-Link TX201 2.5GbE).

The NAS here (UGREEN NASync DXP2800) is a different decision again — bay count, drive support, and throughput for backups or media serving — and pairs naturally with multi-gig switching to be useful.

Figure out which problem you're solving first: better whole-home WiFi (router), faster connection for one PC (adapter), wired throughput between machines (switch/NIC), or central storage (NAS). Then confirm the standard and port speed match both ends of the link, since the slowest component caps the result. Scores reflect sourced specs and positioning, not hands-on testing.