Friday, November 13, 2020
Netgear has long been a name associated with quality internet, and indeed some of the best Netgear routers also make up the list of the overall best Wi-Fi routers. If you find yourself stuck at home working or trying to binge a TV show, but spotty internet is holding you back, one of these should improve your situation.
Great For Most Homes
Netgear Nighthawk R6700
Editor's choice
This AC1750 Wi-Fi 5 router has 2.4GHz and 5GHz radios to serve all your devices, and it has the performance to handle a standard household and family. Four LAN ports are available for your wired devices, and a USB-A 3.0 port can be used to connect external storage for easy sharing.
Upgrade Pick
Netgear Nighthawk R7000P
Staff pick
The R7000P Wi-Fi 5 router offers AC2300 speeds across the two radios, ideal for large homes with plenty of users. It's equipped with four LAN ports for wired devices, and two USB-A ports can connect external storage and printers. If you need a bit more speed, this is also a great option.
Best Budget
Netgear R6080
This Wi-Fi 5 router offers theoretical speeds up to 300Mbps and 700Mbps on 2.4GHz and 5GHz radios, ideal for smaller spaces and few users with light work. It includes four 100Mbps Ethernet ports on the back for wired devices, and two antennas will reach up to about 1,000 square feet.
Best for Gaming
Netgear Nighthawk Pro XR500
This Wi-Fi 5 gaming router hits blistering AC2600 speeds across 2.4GHz and 5GHz radios, with tailored QoS to ensure your gaming PC or console receives the best speed. Four Gigabit LAN ports are included for wired devices, and four external antennas help boost range and reliability.
Wi-Fi 6 Gaming
Netgear Nighthawk Pro XR1000
This AX5400 Wi-Fi 6 router is an absolutely killer option for gaming thanks to a 1.5GHz CPU, six streams, beamforming, MU-MIMO, and four LAN ports. DumaOS 3.0 is included for total control over your network, and four external antennas help boost range. If you're upgrading your gaming PC with Wi-Fi 6, be sure to get a router to match.
Best Mesh Network
Netgear Orbi RBK50
Upgrading to mesh is excellent for large homes with many users. The Orbi and its satellite can cover up to 5,000 square feet and offers combined tri-band speeds up to AC3000. Dedicated backhaul and LAN ports offer to mesh flexibility so you can get the exact setup you're looking for.
Best Wi-Fi 6 Mesh
Netgear Nighthawk MK62
Want Wi-Fi 6 performance AND a mesh network? This pack includes an AX1800 router and satellite, good for 3,000 square feet, and a lot of users. Ethernet ports on the main router and satellite allow for wired backhaul if you want the best performance possible, and you can also connect wired devices.
Next-Gen Wi-Fi 6
Netgear Nighthawk RAX80
Thanks to Wi-Fi 6, this router offers four times the data capacity of 802.11ac tech. It has both 2.4GHz and 5GHz radios with combined speeds up to AX6000, ideal for large households with plenty of users. Connect all your devices (including wired devices thanks to five LAN ports) and see consistent speed, no matter the task.
If we're making a suggestion
All of the above routers should make a good fit for someone out there, but if you're still wondering exactly where to start, we suggest going with either the Nighthawk R6700 or the Nighthawk R7000P.
These are both great routers for the average household, though the latter is likely going to be better for many users thanks to higher theoretical AC2300 speeds across 2.4GHz and 5GHz radios. As long as your house isn't packed with people all vying for streaming and gaming bandwidth, these routers should be sufficient and won't break the bank.
If you're interested in upgrading to Wi-Fi 6, something like Netgear's Nighthawk RAX80 makes a lot of sense. It's expensive, but it'll set you up for the future as more and more devices move to the latest standard.
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