Netgear Nighthawk Tri-Band WIFI 6E Router(RAXE500) Review

The RAXE500 from Netgear is the first router we’ve tried that can use the 6GHz radio band. It has the latest Wi-Fi 6 E technology and a CPU that has been tuned. Multi-gigabit LAN and WAN capability, connection aggregation, and cyber threat protection are among the features. Despite its hefty cost, Netgear charges an additional fee for ongoing security support.

Design:

It comes with four Gigabit LAN ports, a WAN Gigabit Ethernet port, and a 2.5G Multi-Gig port. There are also two USB 3.0 connections for additional network-accessible storage. It’s not unduly bulky, measuring 11.7 x 3.07 x 8.3 in (298 x 78 x 211 mm) and weighing 3.2 lb (1.45 kg).

Specification:

The RAXE500, Netgear’s latest router, offers Wi-Fi 6E and three distinct frequencies. It has a 1.8 GHz quad-core processor, 512MB of NAND flash memory, and 1GB of DDR3 SDRAM. Compatibility for 1024-QAM, additional DFS channels to prevent interference, WPA3 support, and 4X4 MU-MIMO are among the other features.

Setup:

We have tested the Netgear RAXE500 Tri-Band WiFi Router, and we decided to put it to the test in our review. Installing and using a smartphone app is a possibility, but the setup process might have gone far more smoothly. A typical entry-level router should provide substantially better performance for a router in this price range.

Security:

Although the RAXE500 has security, we were unhappy to see that it is an extra cost, despite claims that it is “baked in” to the router. The program may check all traffic and keep it secure at the network level via the router. However, other rivals, particularly on higher-end devices, provide security without charging extra. Users that pay up get not only Bitdefender Security but also Bitdefender VPN, so the pricing is reasonable if you were going to pay for a VPN anyway.

Installation and Performance:

We’ve only tested the Netgear RAXE500 as a Wi-Fi 6E router. In our tests, setting up the router was simple and quick. Its 149Mbps 2.4GHz speed is among the fastest we’ve seen. We were unable to see the 6GHz band on a laptop with an Intel AX210 6E processor. This is a problem with Windows 10, not with the router.

On the close-proximity test, the Netgear RAXE500 achieved 924Mbps, about 100Mbps faster than its nearest competitor. It achieved 301Mbps at a distance of 30 feet, outperforming the Linksys MR9600 AX6000 and lagging the TP-Link Archer AX11000 by a hair. Keep in mind that 6E technology is still in its early stages and will most likely develop with time. With only a tiny loss in the 5GHz range in the distant corners, the Netgear RAXE500 router provided excellent Wi-Fi signals throughout our test home. The heat maps below demonstrate

Pros:

• High throughput and file transfer speeds.
• The 6GHz radio band is used.
• Aggregation of multi-gigabit LAN/WAN links.
• Supports a channel bandwidth of 160 MHz.

Cons:

• Netgear Armor protection is expensive and requires a subscription.
• Parental controls are limited.
• There are no QoS settings.

Conclusion:

With outstanding throughput numbers, the Netgear RAXE500 gives a glimpse into the promise of Wi-Fi 6E wireless. However, when we put the promise to the test in a packed situation, it fell flat. It lacks features that we would consider standard in a high-end router, such as QoS for improved traffic control and security.