Often overlooked for the tasks they perform, routers are much more than simple WiFi connection spots, and a great one can have a real impact on the speed and range of your available connection.
They're the backbone of your at-home internet experience, managing your devices, prioritizing traffic, and acting as hardware firewalls with their built-in security features.
At Laptop Mag, we don't overlook the humble router, and made hunting down the best and brightest in this category one of our many missions while attending CES 2025.
After scouring showroom floors, one impressive mobile option, complete with a retro off-white color, stood out: the Acer Connect M6E 5G Mobile WiFi.
Best router of CES 2025: Acer Connect M6E 5G Mobile WiFi
Innovative upgrades in routers aren’t exactly myriad these days, but every so often, a router can feel like a much-wanted solution to a very real problem — instead of a solution in search of a problem.
Enter the Acer Connect M6E 5G Mobile WiFi, which the company designed for small and medium-sized businesses but will undoubtedly make a difference for teams who need secure connectivity on the go.
It costs $249, plus the monthly subscription you’d pay to your wireless carrier, and can connect up to 32 (!!!!) devices at once. It will be available by March 31, 2025.
It uses a cellular 5G connection to create a WiFi 6E hotspot and offers a range of about 20 feet. When using WiFi in public, security is key, and this little white router — it's about the size of a cell phone but thicker — has WPA/WPA2 encryption and supports VPN use.
It charges via a USB-C cable, and given its portable nature, feels rugged in hand Acer says it's water resistant to up to 1.5 meters of water for 30 minutes.
According to Acer, the Connect M6E 5G Mobile WiFi hotspot will be available from Q2 2025, retailing with a starting price of $249.
