I tested the RAX200 for over a week, the same way I did other Wi-Fi 6 routers, and it blew me away when used with Wi-Fi 6 clients. Keep in mind that I tested the router using 2×2 Wi-Fi 6 clients. Since the RAX200 is a 4×4 router, you’ll get even speedier Wi-Fi speeds out of it when faster clients are available. Stellar 5GHz Wi-Fi speeds

Both routers sport similar aesthetically pleasing, futuristic designs, looking like hardware conjured by George Lucas. They are both massive with collapsible antennas. (The RAX200 is a tart smaller and lighter.) Both feature a Multi-Gig network port, which can work as a WAN or a LAN port, plus four Gigabit LAN ports, one Gigabit WAN port, and two USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports. Indeed, this top-of-the-line home networking device has an extra 5GHz band but less raw power and a slower wired connection. Also, you’ll only see its real benefits if most (or all) of your clients — and you need to have many of them — support Wi-Fi 6. So, the RAX200 is ahead of its time by a year or two.

Since Wi-Fi 6E is so new, being a later comer has some advantages. For this review, I was able to sort of test the 6GHz band using the Samsung S21 Ultra, which is the first and, so far, only official Wi-Fi 6E-enabled device. I'm happy to report that the Netgear RAXE500's 6GHz band did excellently. The router topped the chart of the current three Wi-Fi 6E routers on the market. The Nighthawk RAXE500 sure is expensive. In fact, it's the most expensive home router on the market. And that's partly because of the support for Wi-Fi 6E with its all-new 6GHz band. As the second Wi-Fi 6E broadcaster on the market, the much anticipated Netgear RAXE500 Nighthawk 12-Stream AXE11000 Tri-Band Wi-Fi 6E Router is the presumed rival of the Asus GT-AXE11000 that arrived earlier this year.

With its ability to handle multiple devices without slowdowns, it's perfect for households with smart devices, gaming consoles, and 4K streaming. We’ve compiled our researched below to help you find the right 802.11ax router for your home or office. Wifi 6 Router Comparison Chart Not happy getting this, I like to configure stuff, but if it is fast and works well that’s what matter. My 2x2 clients consistently connected at 2.4Gbps negotiated speed and averaged almost 1600Mbps at a close range of 10 feet (3m) and almost 1400Mbps at 40 feet (12m) away. The figures above are impressive. They show an outstanding router antenna design that holds the signal out to the limits of the 5MHz band.The 802.11ax standard has been available for several years, however, it has only recently become more widely integrated into wireless devices, phones, routers, and more. After using the Armor web portal, I found that this was because the system was pulling data from my old Orbi RBK50 system, which was a little confusing!

The two Netgear routers share the same futuristic and awesome-looking design. By the way, the Nighthawk RAXE500 also comes with an internal fan, which is never a good thing -- moving parts will eventually break. However, this fan rarely ran in my weeks-long testing. Mostly, it turned on for a short while during boot, then remained off.) The Netgear RAX200’s web user interface is self-explanatory, but it doesn’t allow deep Wi-Fi customization. 2.5G vs. 5G network ports WiFi Capacity : OFDMA gives you more WiFi for more devices by allowing efficient data transmission at the same time§. 8-stream MU-MIMO ‡ enables up to four (4) 2x2 devices to stream content at the same time I tested the RAX200’s network-attached storage feature by connecting a Samsung T5 to one of its USB 3.0 ports. This confirms what I was thinking. Great signal, as good as the 5ghz channel, probaly so slightly worse, but you can’t really tell, at least when you are inside your home. Then again do not take your smartphone around the house because that’s not reliable, you’ll always get different speeds, no matter which band you use.

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I used two Samsung S21 Ultra phones connected to the 6GHz and 5GHz bands of the router. As I walked around, the phone clearly showed the difference in the bands' ranges. These two Samsung S21 Ultras are connected to the Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500's 5Ghz and 6GHz band at 45 feet (14 m) away within the line of sight. Note the difference in negotiated speeds.