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If you're devoted to playing the latest newest games online, you'll know the pain of network issues. We're talking the kind of frustrating lag that comes from having a sluggish WiFi connection. That's a fast track to dropping out of your game.  

Unless you're playing with a wired LAN connection, these issues are almost inevitable. Online game sessions will drop out. You will experience lag. It's going to affect your gaming. It can be maddening. But there's a solution: A high-powered gaming router.

But buying a gaming-friendly router comes with the same problems as any other high-end device. Unless your deeply embedded in the tech, it's almost impossible to decipher all the jargon and know exactly what you're buying. Does that sound confusingly familiar? Well, we're here to help. Here's some useful information on gaming-specific routers and a selection of the best models available right now.

Today's gaming-centric routers offer power, convenience, and quality in relatively inexpensive packages. You can get something very good for around £200, which is far cheaper than all the other hardware needed to run your games. A router can make all the difference when it comes to an impressive Call of Duty kill/death ratio, for instance, and keep you competing for longer in your favourite online tournament. 

Before you go out and buy anything, look at what’s connected to your router. Every single device in your home — be that a phone, tablet, TV, or smart-home devices like Alexa — takes bandwidth from your router. If all you're doing at home is browsing the web and streaming the odd film, you probably won't need an upgrade. But if you're planning on doing some heavy-duty gaming without a decent router — on top of having lots of connected devices — you’re going to run into annoying lag issues.

There are various features designed for gamers. Look for a gaming router that offers prioritisation for your gaming systems and applications. If you live in a home with multiple gamers, you might also want to get a router that allows you to control how much bandwidth everyone in your household gets. Some also have a modified management console to adjust bandwidth priorities depending on your needs. Also consider looking for routers that have a Geo-Filter because that can limit the distance to the host server you play on, which will reduce lag. 

Other features you might want to consider include Multi-User Multiple Input Multiple Output (MU-MIMO) technology for faster data streaming, beamforming, and wider channel bandwidths up to 160Hz. You’ll also want at least four gigabit LAN ports, at least one USB port, and a router that offers robust cyber security.

A dual-band router offers two frequency bands — 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. Compared to the older single band routers, dual-band routers relieve congestion and give you a faster connection. Tri-band routers are even more impressive, offering one 2.4 GHz band and two 5 GHz bands. Tri-band routers tend to be better for high-demand gaming because you can reserve one of the 5 GHz bands specifically for your gaming. It depends on how much bandwidth your gaming will eat up. If you're more of a casual gamer, a dual-band will almost certainly be enough.

It really depends on how much you're willing to spend, or how serious you want to get with the tech. The routers on the list below begin at theoretical speeds of just over 1Gbps and go from there. But it also depends on the WiFi technology you have. Routers and devices that use WiFi 5 — which is the more standard version — can go up to 3.5 Gbps. WiFi 6, which most people are yet to upgrade to, can go up to 9.6Gbps. The faster the better when it comes to gaming that puts heavy demands on your internet, such as AR or VR gaming, but the theoretical speeds are likely faster than you'll ever need. WiFi 6E and WiFi 7 — the latest WiFi technology — go even faster. Recommended speeds for PS5 gaming range between 3Mbps and 100Mbps. In other words, you'll be fine with any of the routers listed below.

To make things simple, we've selected the best gaming routers on the market. No matter your budget, whether you don't want to miss a second of the action in Fortnite or simply want a stronger wireless signal all around the house, these gaming routers are sure to boost your gaming experience. Just connect and lock and load.

These are the best gaming routers in 2025.

There's nothing like a good trip to the barbers. You always money well spent. But there's nothing to stop you getting the tools yourself i.e. a set of hair clippers.

Perhaps you like to touch up the edges or you have a cropped style that you can cut yourself in the mirror. Maybe you're a dab hand at cutting hair yourself and need clippers for styling your partner or housemate's hair. It's just sensible to have a set of clippers in the house. And when t comes to cutting the hair on your head, electric shavers and beard trimmers just won't cut it. (See what we did there?)

But take it from us: Whatever you do, don't attempt to cut your own hair with anything other than a set of good quality, well-researched hair clippers. If you're buying a set, you might as well buy the best. To help you choose, we've put together this quick guide and researched some of the best hair clippers available right now.

It comes down to just two choices — corded and cordless. Corded clippers pack more power and are usually sturdier, but they’re not as portable or convenient. You have to take the time to plug them in and you need the mains to be near a mirror. Cordless clippers can be used anywhere and will suit someone who’s always on the go or short of time. The drawback, of course, is that they run our of juice after a few cuts so you need to ensure they're always charged up and ready to cut.

Different models have different levels of power. Specialist or professional grade models, such as the Remington Quick Cut, may have significantly lower runtimes. But as a general rule, a good runtime for cordless clippers is about 60 minutes or more.

Sometimes known as guide combs or guards, these are plastic attachments that clip onto the head of your clippers. They essentially adjust the length of the cutting action, allowing you to cut your hair to a specific length. Most clippers come with a selection of combs as standard. If you’re cutting for a whole family’s worth of different styles and lengths, look out for models that have a good selection of combs and length settings.

Hair clippers sometimes comes with barber’s scissors, combs, and brushes. We’re of the opinion that when it comes to grooming, you can never have too many accessories. Its always good to have a well-stocked hair styling toolkit.

Many hair clippers are made with completely washable blades. That means you can just run them under a tap for a thorough clean. Others come with special cleaning oils to use on the blades. Cleaning your clippers is really important to keep them in the best possible condition — and to ensure they’re giving you the best possible performance.

Fortunately, you have plenty of options when it comes to hair clippers. We've lined up a selection of the very best models for you to consider. There is something for every budget — not to mention every head — on this list. The only thing you need to do is pick a favourite. Trust us, these are a cut above.

These are the best hair clippers in 2025.

Happy Saturday and welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalogue.

Today's games are harder than they initially seem, but we have all the tips you need to navigate them.

Released in August 2025, the Pips puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit.

Currently, if you're stuck, the game only offers to reveal the entire puzzle, forcing you to move onto the next difficulty level and start over. However, we have you covered! Below are piecemeal answers that will serve as hints so that you can find your way through each difficulty level.

If you've ever played dominoes, you'll have a passing familiarity for how Pips is played. As we've shared in our previous hints stories for Pips, the tiles, like dominoes, are placed vertically or horizontally and connect with each other. The main difference between a traditional game of dominoes and Pips is the color-coded conditions you have to address. The touching tiles don't necessarily have to match.

The conditions you have to meet are specific to the color-coded spaces. For example, if it provides a single number, every side of a tile in that space must add up to the number provided. It is possible – and common – for only half a tile to be within a color-coded space.

Here are common examples you'll run into across the difficulty levels:

• Number: All the pips in this space must add up to the number.

• Equal: Every domino half in this space must be the same number of pips.

• Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips.

• Less than: Every domino half in this space must add up to less than the number.

• Greater than: Every domino half in this space must add up to more than the number.

If an area does not have any color coding, it means there are no conditions on the portions of dominoes within those spaces.

Number (8): Everything in this space must add to 8. The answer is 4-2, placed horizontally; 4-1, placed vertically.

Less Than (5): Everything in this space must be less than 5. The answer is 3-1, placed vertically.

Equal (1): Everything in this space must be equal to 1. The answer is 4-1, placed vertically; 5-1, placed vertically; 3-1, placed vertically.

Number (8): Everything in this space must add to 8. The answer is 5-3, placed horizontally; 3-1, placed vertically.

Number (13): Everything in this space must add to 13. The answer is 5-3, placed horizontally; 6-2, placed horizontally; 1-4, placed horizontally.

Number (7): Everything in this space must add to 7. The answer is 6-2, placed horizontally; 1-4, placed horizontally; 1-6, placed vertically.

Less Than (7): Everything in this space must be less than 7. The answer is 3-3, placed horizontally; 2-5, placed vertically.

Less Than (6): Everything in this space must be less than 6. The answer is 2-5, placed vertically.

Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 4-4, placed vertically; 4-5, placed horizontally; 4-3, horizontally.

Number (9): Everything in this space must add to 9. The answer is 4-5, placed horizontally; 4-0, placed vertically.

Greater Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 3-6, placed horizontally.

Number (8): Everything in this purple space must add to 8. The answer is 3-6, placed horizontally; 5-3, placed vertically.

Number (8): Everything in this purple space must add to 8. The answer is 2-3, placed; 5-3, placed vertically.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Today's Connections: Sports Edition will challenge your knowledge of a popular winter sport.

As we've shared in previous hints stories, this is a version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier — so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake — players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Position in the league

• Green: Dog teams

• Blue: Teams that love this orange-brown color

• Purple: Types of balls

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Ways to Show Standing in Different Sports

• Green: Teams Named After Dog Breeds

• Blue: Teams Whose Nicknames are Colors

• Purple: ___Ball

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections: Sports Edition #377 is...

• Ways to Show Standing in Different Sports - LEADERBOARD, RANKINGS, STANDINGS, TABLE

• Teams Named After Dog Breeds - CONNECTICUT, GEORGIA, GONZAGA, WASHINGTON

• Teams Whose Nicknames are Colors - CINCINNATI, ST. LOUIS, STANFORD, SYRACUSE

• ___Ball - BANANA, BREAKING, MEDICINE, PING-PONG

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new sports Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to the latest Connections.

If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.

A slice.

PIECE

A ring.

CHIME

An Indian king.

RAJAH

A location.

PLACE

A group.

BATCH

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.