The 10 Best Netgear Routers Of 2024, Tested By Our Experts
The Rundown
1. Best Of The Best: NETGEAR Nighthawk Smart Wi-Fi Router, R6700 - AC1750 Wireless Speed Up
Netgear Nighthawk Smart WiFi Router, R6700 - AC1750 Wireless Speed Up is the go-to router for medium to large homes and small offices. With a powerful 1,500 sq. ft. WiFi coverage, Built for Serious Streaming and Seamless WiFi for up to 25 Devices, you'll enjoy a worry-free connection. This router also houses four high-speed 1G wired connections allowing for fast Internet speeds and uninterrupted connectivity. Read Review
2. Best Bang For The Buck: NETGEAR Nighthawk Smart WiFi Router (R7000P) - AC2300 Wireless Speed
NETGEAR Nighthawk Smart WiFi Router (R7000P) - AC2300 Wireless Speed. This high-speed WiFi router is designed for serious streaming, and features seamless WiFi for up to 35 devices, essential internet security and smart parental controls. It provides four high-speed 1G wired connections to manage multiple users on your network, stream HD video and even save energy by turning off unused devices. Read Review
3. Best Connectivity: NETGEAR Nighthawk Cable Modem WiFi Router Combo C7000
Get the fastest speeds and best WiFi coverage with NETGEAR's Nighthawk Cable Modem WiFi Router Combo C7000. This high-speed modem router combo provides up to 1800 sq. ft. of cable modem speed, built-in WiFi for up to 30 devices, and streaming at speeds you won't want to miss a thing with no buffering or lag. Read Review
4. Best Easy To Use: NETGEAR WiFi Router (R6230) - AC1200 Dual Band Wireless Speed
WiFi connections are a lot more reliable and secure with the NETGEAR WiFi Router. With up to 20 devices, you can stream movies, listen to music and download files much faster than a standard WiFi router. The R6230 is easy to setup due to its app-based ease of use, which means you can get connected in just 5 minutes. Read Review
When it comes to home networking, there are a lot of things you need to keep an eye on. Whether you’re connected via Wi-Fi or Ethernet, the devices in your network should be able to communicate with one another and access different resources. A good Netgear router can make sure that happens, while also helping you get the most out of your setup – whether that means offering gigabit speeds for your gaming PC or connecting your smart thermostat with built-in monitoring capabilities.
Even if you don’t have a ton of devices in your home right now, it’s always a good idea to invest in a reliable router before things start getting more crowded. With that in mind, we’ve rounded up what we believe are the best Netgear routers available today.
Following extensive study and analysis, we've come up with the NETGEAR Nighthawk Smart Wi-Fi Router, R6700 - AC1750 Wireless Speed Up, which we hope will meet your demands. However, it is not the only thing on our list. We also show a full buyer's guide and several different options are available to help you find the most suitable.
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Our Top Picks
- Safe & secure: Supports WPA2 wireless security protocols. Includes Guest Wi-Fi access, DOS, Firewall, VPN, and more. System requirements: Microsoft Windows 7, 8, 10, Vista, XP, 2000, Mac OS, UNIX, or Linux. Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0, Firefox 2.0, Safari 1.4, or Google Chrome 11.0 browsers or higher
- Loaded with advanced technology: Designed with a 1GHz dual core processor, 3 amplified antennas, Beamforming plus, Dynamic QoS, Smart Connect, and more
- NETGEAR Armor protects your family's WiFi with an automatic shield of security across all your connected devices with a 30-day free trial
- Safe & secure: Supports WPA2 wireless security protocols. Includes Guest Wi-Fi access, DOS, Firewall, VPN, and more
- USB connections: Share a storage drive or printer with any connected device or create a personal cloud storage to access from anywhere, using the 1 x 3.0 USB port
- NETGEAR Smart Parental Controls promotes healthy Internet habits, fosters responsibility and builds trust with your kids (30-day free trial included)
- Wired Ethernet ports: Plug in computers, game consoles, streaming players, and other nearby wired devices with 4 x 1 gigabit Ethernet ports
- Recommended for up to 25 devices: Reliably stream videos, play games, surf the internet, and connect smart home devices
Best Bang For The Buck
NETGEAR Nighthawk Smart WiFi Router (R7000P) - AC2300 Wireless Speed
- Recommended for up to 35 devices: Reliably stream videos, play games, surf the internet, and connect smart home devices.
- Wired ethernet ports: plug in computers, game consoles, streaming players, and other nearby wired devices with 4 x 1 gigabit ethernet ports.
- Loaded with advanced technology: Designed with a dual core 1GHz processor, 3 amplified antennas, Beamforming+, MU-MIMO, Dynamic QoS, Smart Connect, Amazon Alexa Voice Controls, and more.
- USB connections: Share a storage drive and printer with any connected device, and create a personal cloud storage to access from anywhere, using the 1x3.0 and 1x2.0 USB ports.
- Fast wifi performance: Get up to 2000 square feet wireless coverage with AC2300 speed (Dual band up to 600 + 1625 Mbps).
- NETGEAR Armor protects your family's WiFi with an automatic shield of security across all your connected devices with a 30-day free trial.
- NETGEAR Smart Parental Controls promotes healthy Internet habits, fosters responsibility and builds trust with your kids (30-day free trial included).
- Coverage up to 1,800 sq. ft. for up to 30 devices with AC1900 speed (up to 1900Mbps)
- Speeds by carrier: Xfinity (up to 600Mbps), Cox (up to 500Mbps), Spectrum (up to 400Mbps)
- Replaces your cable modem and Wi-Fi router, saving you up to Dollar 168/year in equipment rental fees
- Share a storage drive with any connected device using the 2.0 USB port
- Plug in computers, game consoles, streaming players, and more with 4 x 1G Ethernet ports
- WIRED ETHERNET PORTS: Plug in computers, game consoles, streaming players, and other nearby wired devices with 4 x 1 Gigabit Ethernet ports.
- USB Connections; Share a storage drive or printer with any network connected device using the 1 x 2.0 USB port
- Fast WIFI Performance: Get up to 1200 square feet wireless coverage with AC1200 speed (Dual band up to 300 plus 900 Mbps)
- Recommended for Up to 20 Devices; Reliably stream videos, play games, surf the internet, and connect smart home devices
- LOADED WITH ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY: Designed with an 880MHz processor, 2 amplified antennas, and advanced QoS.
- Save monthly rental fees: Model C7800 replaces your cable modem and Wi-Fi router saving you up to Dollar 168/year in equipment rental fees
- Modem technology: Engineered with 32x8 channel bonding and DOCSIS 3.1
- Four (4) Gigabit Ethernet ports and 2 hi-speed USB 3.0 ports give you fast wired connections to your computer, printer, game box, storage drive, and other devices
- Get up to 3000 square feet wireless coverage and 45 devices connected with AC3200 speed (up to 3200 Mbps)
- Compatible with all major cable internet providers with internet speed up to 1Gbp. Currently certified with Spectrum and Cox (up to 1Gbps) and Xfinity (up to 800Mbps). Future speeds with these service providers may change over time. Not compatible with Verizon, AT&T, CenturyLink, DSL providers, DirecTV, DISH and any bundled voice service
- UNLEASH FASTER SPEED, EVEN MORE POWER: Optimal for devices built to support WiFi 6: Playstation 5, iPhone 11 & 12, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro 13 & Mac Mini, Ultra Notebooks, Samsung S10 & S20.
- WIFI 6 – STREAM EVERYTHING AT FASTER SPEED: Simultaneously stream uninterrupted movies, games, video calls or download/transfer files at 6 Gbps WiFi speed.
- WIRED ETHERNET PORTS: Plug in computers, game consoles, streaming players and other nearby wired devices with 4 x 1G and 1 x 1/2.5/5G Ethernet ports.
- WORKS WITH ALL INTERNET PROVIDERS: Replace your existing WiFi Router (separate modem or gateway required). Compatible with any Internet Service Provider up to 2Gbps including cable, satellite, fiber, DSL and more.
- NETGEAR ARMOR protects your family's WiFi with an automatic shield of security across all your connected devices with a 30-day free trial.
- LOADED WITH ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY: Designed with a 2.2GHz quad-core processor, OFDMA, MU-MIMO, Dynamic QoS, 1024-QAM, Smart Connect for one WiFi name, Beamforming technologies and Amazon Alexa Voice Control. Supports WPA2/WPA3 wireless security protocols. Includes Guest WiFi access, DoS, Firewall, VPN and more.
- EASY TO SET-UP AND MANAGE: Connects to your existing cable modem and sets up and customizes in minutes with the Nighthawk app – easily manage your WiFi settings at the device and network level, test your Internet speed, view speed history and monitor data usage.
- USB CONNECTIONS: Share a storage drive with any connected device and create a personal cloud storage to access from anywhere using the 2 x 3.0 USB ports.
- USB CONNECTIONS: Share a storage drive with any connected device and create a personal cloud storage to access from anywhere using the 1 x 3.0 USB port.
- NETGEAR Armor protects your family's WiFi with an automatic shield of security across all your connected devices with a 30-day free trial.
- EASY TO SET-UP AND MANAGE: Connects to your existing cable modem and sets up and customizes in minutes with the Nighthawk app – easily manage your WiFi settings at the device and network level, test your Internet speed, view speed history and monitor data usage.
- WIRED ETHERNET PORTS: Plug in computers, game consoles, streaming players and other nearby wired devices with 4 x 1G Ethernet ports.
- WORKS WITH ALL INTERNET PROVIDERS: Replace your existing WiFi Router (separate modem or gateway required). Compatible with any Internet Service Provider up to 1Gbps including cable, satellite, fiber, DSL and more.
- NETGEAR Smart Parental Controls promotes healthy Internet habits, fosters responsibility and builds trust with your kids (30-day free trial included).
- LOADED WITH ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY: Designed with a dual-core processor, OFDMA, 1024-QAM, Beamforming technologies and Amazon Alexa Voice Control. Supports WPA2/WPA3 wireless security protocols. Includes Guest WiFi access, DoS, Firewall, VPN and more.
- WIFI 6 – STREAM EVERYTHING AT FASTER SPEED: Simultaneously stream uninterrupted movies, games, video calls or download/transfer files at 3Gbps WiFi speed. Works with existing and new WiFi 6 devices like iPhone 11, Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy S10.
- Fast AX5400 Gigabit speed with WiFi 6 technology for uninterrupted streaming, HD video gaming, and web conferencing
- NETGEAR Smart Parental Controls promotes healthy Internet habits, fosters responsibility and builds trust with your kids (30-day free trial included)
- Plug in computers, game consoles, streaming players, and more with 4 x 1G Ethernet ports Share a storage drive with any connected device and create a personal cloud storage to access from anywhere using the 1 x 3.0 USB port
- Backed by a 1-year limited hardware warranty
- Connects to your existing cable modem and replaces your WiFi router. Compatible with any internet service provider up to 1Gbps including cable, satellite, fiber, and DSL
- Coverage up to 2,500 sq. ft. for up to 25 devices
- NETGEAR Armor protects your family's WiFi with an automatic shield of security across all your connected devices with a 30-day free trial
- NETGEAR Armor protects your family's WiFi with an automatic shield of security across all your connected devices with a 30-day free trial.
- WORKS WITH ALL INTERNET PROVIDERS: Replace your existing Wi-Fi Router (separate modem or gateway required). Compatible with any Internet provider, including cable, satellite, fiber, DSL, and more.
- WIRED ETHERNET PORT: Plug in computers, game consoles, streaming players, and other nearby wired devices with a 1 Gigabit Ethernet port.
- NETGEAR Smart Parental Controls promotes healthy Internet habits, fosters responsibility and builds trust with your kids (30-day free trial included).
- EASY SET UP AND MANAGE: Set up Wi-Fi in minutes with the Orbi app, manage Wi-Fi settings, test and monitor speed.
- FAST WIRELESS SPEED: AC1200 Wi-Fi powers up to 1.2 Gbps of streaming HD video, gaming, or Internet surfing and downloads.
- NO MORE DEAD ZONES: Whole home mesh Wi-Fi coverage of up to 4,500 square feet Mesh technology helps you stay connected as you roam around home using a single network name.
- Plug in computers, game consoles, streaming players, and other nearby wired devices with 4 x 1 Gigabit Ethernet ports.
- DumaOS 3.0 is built especially for gamers, reducing ping rates up to 93% while enjoying faster, lag-free online gaming and smoother streaming.
- Compatible with any wired Ethernet or wireless gaming device including PCs, Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch consoles.
- Brings unbelievable speed and lower latency to your PS5 by leveraging all the benefits of WiFi 6 so you can always beat the competition.
- Fast WiFi 6 AX5400 Dual-Band speed provides coverage up to 2500 sq.ft. and 25 devices simultaneously
Our buying guide to pick best netgear routers for you need
Maybe you feel overwhelmed by the variety of choices when it comes to purchasing best netgear routers? Visitors didn't even know if a better option was available. We have a few suggestions which will make things easier and thus save you time and effort.
Review them out below to see whether the item you're looking for is right for you!
Ports
If you are in an area with Gigabit internet, input is another problem. An older router could slow down your home and cause problems with your Gigabit internet connection. Some routers are capable of aggregating two inputs to provide faster connectivity.
Streams
Multistreams and antennas can send and receive data faster than one. Imagine two trucks driving down the same road. They can deliver packages quicker than two trucks travelling down the same route. Virtually all wireless devices support two outgoing and one incoming streams. To be able to connect multiple Wi-Fi networks, you need a router that supports more than two streams on each band.
A router that has two transmit streams (and two receive streams) may work well for a smaller home. An 8x8 configuration is recommended for busy homes with many wireless devices.
Antennas
Dual-band routers generally have at least two antennas. Some are dedicated to the 5GHz band, while others go to 2.4GHz. Omnidirectional means they transmit signals in all directions, regardless of the position of their antennas. There are many configurations that look like droid heads in Star Wars movies, or flipped Tarantulas pointed at the sky.
The indoor range for the 2.4GHz band is 150ft, and the 50ft of the 5GHz band. Antennas focus more on signal quality and speed rather than invading neighbor's homes with Wi-Fi signals. If you have to send a Wi Fi signal to an area, you can purchase a high-gain antenna.
Wi-Fi Bands
Although they are more affordable than dual-band routers, we recommend getting two 5GHz Wi-Fi band routers. If you own four computers that can support Wi-Fi 6, the NETGEAR Nighthawk RAX200 is ideal. Some models include a second 6GHz connection that offers even higher Wi-Fi speeds.
MU-MIMO
You want a router capable of MU-MIMO. However, you also want to have as many streams available as possible for your wireless devices to communicate with it.
Speeds And Standards
Wi-Fi 6 is the latest standard for routers. It's also known as 802.11ax. This is faster and better suited to households that have many smart home devices. While there are many WiFi 6 routers on the market today, Wi-Fi 6e is a newer standard that uses a portion of the radio frequency.
Coverage Range
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FAQs
What Makes Wi-Fi 6 Better Than Before?
Wi-Fi 6 supports new Wi-Fi technologies that make data transfer faster and more efficient. Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) is one of the most important upgrades. This trick allows your router to transmit radio waves other devices can interpret as a series or ones and zeroes. It's the binary code behind everything you read, see and experience online. Your router can send 10 bits of binary code per transmission with 1024-QAM, as opposed to the eight bits of binary sent by Wi-Fi 5 routers using 256-QAM. Wi-Fi 6 boasts top speeds up to 30% higher than the previous version.OFDMA (or orthogonal frequency division multiple access) is another feature to be noted. This allows your router to transmit data to multiple clients through one channel, increasing network efficiency. To save fuel, think of it as a delivery man dropping multiple pizzas off to several customers at once. Target Wake Time allows the router to schedule devices that must check in periodically so they don't interfere with each other. It isn’t tied specifically to Wi-Fi 6 but most next-gen routers support WPA3, which is the latest Wi-Fi security standard.
My Router Is Jammed- What Should I Do?
Because the router is electronic, such events can happen anytime. This doesn't mean you should panic. You can simply reboot or restart your router if you encounter such issues. Just behind the router is a reset button. Hold this button for at least 10 seconds to turn on all the LED lights.Your router will enter reset mode once it has done so. You must wait until all lights come on. You must also remember that any active settings changes will return to the default.
What Does A Wi-Fi Router Do?
To send or receive web data, you must be connected to the modem. Your router allows this without requiring a wire. This is a fancy antenna that connects to your modem wirelessly over Wi-Fi. To connect to other devices, such as printers and remote storage servers at home via Wi-Fi networks within your area of residence, you can use the Wi-Fi network.How Do I Set Up A Wi-Fi Router?
To set up the router, you can plug it in using an Ethernet cable. Next, type the IP address of the router into your browser's URL bar. You can also use the app of your router to set up, and it usually takes between 5-10 minutes. You can access your router's settings and change your Wi Fi password using either method after setup.Do I Need To Change The Router SSID And Password?
Your router's SSID (or Router Identification Number) is your unique identification number. Although every router has WPA2 security built in, you should always change the password and SSID of your router. Because every router may have the same default password, it could mean that you network is open to all.It is recommended that you change your SSID password and SSID to protect it. This will help you eliminate all types of malicious attempts.
Standard Routers Vs. Mesh Routers: Which Is Better?
The standard router is one device you will typically put near your internet connection. Additional access points can be added wirelessly to mesh routers. These will again be located near your internet router.Multiple access points can be used to bypass obstacles that could cause Wi-Fi dead zones, such as large appliances or concrete brick walls. Mesh routers improve reliability. Mesh routers aren't expected to deliver higher performance. In my testing, they didn't perform well relative to the price.
Conclusion
The website has a buying guide for best netgear routers for your needs. It will assist you in determining what to purchase and how much was to purchase! If the above options do not meet your needs, consider NETGEAR Nighthawk Pro Gaming WiFi 6 Router (XR1000) as an alternative.
Whether any of this makes it sound daunting or if you want more information, please give us a call, our members of the team are always happy to chat and brainstorm ideas with you!
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