Customer Ratings & Reviews

This does not work properly with FIOS and has severely reduces upload speeds as a result. Do not buy if you have FIOS. Netgear has been working on a fix for more than a year which is ridiculous.

Worked for 15 minutes, then Died completely. But before that, the signal strength was phenomenal.

A little disclaimer: It’s a Wi-Fi 7 router (a.k.a. 802.11be) but I don’t have any Wi-Fi 7 devices to test the RS700 with. You’ll want to pay attention to reviews with the Google Pixel 8 and 8 Pro for insight regarding the routers Wi-Fi 7 performance as that appears to be the only mainstream device available in the US with Wi-Fi 7 support. ***Connections*** 1 x 10Gbps WAN (internet) port 4 x 1Gbps LAN ports 1 x 10Gbps LAN port 1 x USB 3.0 port Most people can’t even afford gigabit internet but the RS700 will cover you up to 10Gbps internet, which will eventually become affordable with time. With the one 10Gbps LAN port it ensures you have at least one wired device able to get 10Gbps speed, either over internet (thanks to the 10Gbps WAN port) or Wi-Fi 7 devices on your local network. Everyone loves to associate routers with the internet, but forget that they affect your local network just the same. Imagine this: You’re trying to transfer that 12GB 4K video file on your phone to your PC. With Wi-Fi 7, the max speed you can get for a single transfer is 362MB/s. That’s roughly the max speed of a SATA II SSD. 12,000 / 362 = about 33. That’s 33 seconds to transfer a 12GB file *wirelessly*. And with the recent release of Google’s Nearby Share for Windows, it has never been easier to do Wi-Fi transfers between Android devices and Windows PCs. People will find it disappointing that the 4 other LAN ports are gigabit ports and not multigig, but I think doing so would either bring the price up or offer less LAN ports to even out the cost. Assess your equipment that you would have wired. Not many devices out there support multigig. So for the immediate future, your gigabit LAN devices like a PS5, Xbox Series X or a smart TV will be fine. But with the 10Gbps LAN port it does future proof the RS700, should and when you do have multigig devices. You’ll have to connect a multigig switch to the 10Gbps port, which is an additional expense, but at least you’re spending that money when you actually need it instead of up front when you don’t, and at a time when multigig ports sell at premium prices (Google prices for a 2.5Gbps and 10Gbps switch to see what I mean). Also, be mindful that you’ll need Cat6a ethernet cables or better to get a stable 10Gbps connection. The USB 3.0 port is capped at 2Gbps. I discovered this by transferring a 5.65GB file from an external SSD from the RS700’s USB 3.0 port with nothing in between (no USB hub, no adapters) to my desktop PC’s 10Gbps port connected to the RS700’s 10Gbps port using a Cat8a cable. Then I repeated the transfer with the same file on my desktop PC’s USB 3.0 port. Keep in mind, USB 3.0’s max theoretical speed is 5Gbps, which translates to a transfer speed of 625 MB/s. RS700 USB 3.0 port: 260 MB/s ProArt X570-CREATOR WIFI’s USB 3.0 port: 425 MB/s 2Gbps is still good enough to accommodate my needs as I use mechanical drives for larger storage capacity at a reasonable cost, and they don’t have read/write speeds that quick. However, if you plan to use external SSDs, depending on their max speed, this could be an issue for you. You can use a USB 3.0 hub to add more network drives but keep in mind that the router can only supply power to one device from its port. If you’re using a hub, it will need to be powered or the external hard drives themselves be powered to make up for what the port isn’t able to accommodate. Hard drives must be in the following formats to be recognized by the router: FAT16, FAT32 NTFS NTFS with compression format enabled Ext2, Ext3, Ext4 XFS HFS HFS+ The RS700 allows you to run a DLNA media server with the attached USB storage. The real selling point for me was the fact that I experienced NO issues with my remote clients (Nvidia SHIELD Pro, Meta Quest Pro, Plex Media Server) seeing my hard drives that were connected to the RS700. With my previous router from Linksys I experienced constant loss of connection with my Nvidia SHIELD, which required me to restart the router, which is incredibly intrusive. ***Wi-Fi*** I live in a 700 sq ft apartment, and in all corners of it I’m able to get a 100% 6GHz band signal, the band that 6e and 7 use. Running a speed test with my 200MBps down/30MBps up Optimum Online cable internet connection I was able to achieve the max speeds with no drops, although my internet connection tier is the bottleneck in the test here. Kitchen: 33ft away, 4 obstructions (drywall) -68dBm Entrance: 26ft away, 6 obstructions (4 drywall, 2 porcelain) -76dBm Bedroom (router’s location): 6 ft away, no obstruction, -35dBm Bedroom (right next to router): Less than 1 foot away, no obstruction, -16 dBm Living room: 7 ft away, 1 obstruction (drywall) -49 dBm However, I have a steel front door and metal is a signal killer. On the 2.4GHz band it averages around -74 dBm but the connection is unstable and dips to -83 dBm every now and then. I wouldn’t feel confident using this router alone if I installed a wi-fi doorbell. So be mindful of obstructive material because they will shorten your signal distances *dramatically*, especially brick and metal. ***Design*** The RS700 is very table top friendly looks very sleek with its black tower design, but not very wall mount friendly. Although officially listed as 5.59”x4.88”, because the base is angled on its edges, the actual footprint that makes contact with the surface is smaller, which was important for me because I had little desk space with a 3 monitor setup, and the router it was replacing was placed in the corner and was slimmer than the RS700. The surface contact footprint of the RS700 is 5”x 4.5”, which made it safe to place in that same corner with the entire base surface atop my desk. The height of the tower-design RS700 is 11”. There are grills on the top and base edges of the router for ventilation. I’m not sure how it cools itself but I don’t hear any fans running. It’s dead silent during operation. At the same time, I’ve never felt it hot either. In the front are a bunch of status LEDs which show Power, Internet, all the LAN ports, the USB port, and each band- 2.4, 5, and 6. There is also a WPS button to allow WPS-enabled devices to connect to the router without a password. And there is an LED on/off button, which allows you to turn off all LEDS except for the Power LED. The LEDs are white but not overpowering since they don’t project a shine. I have it practically at my bedside, and it never bothers me when I go to sleep. Nevertheless, you still have the option of turning off the LEDs, save for the one Power LED, using the LED on/off button OR by software within the router’s management page. In the back are the Ethernet ports, USB 3.0 port, a reset button, a power button, and the power cable port. ***Setup/Software*** Setup is extremely simple with the app as it walks you through each step with useful suggestions along the way, such as changing the SSID and Wi-Fi password to make it the same as your previous router to keep your wifi devices connected. Like most modern routers, it has the option to automatically select the band while connected to a single SSID (called Smart connect), which is by default. However, I prefer to split the bands to have their own SSID so I have control over which band my devices connect to. With a Netgear account, the RS700 can be managed from anywhere using the app or an internet browser. Likewise, it can still be managed by connecting directly to the router using its local IP. The app is missing many of the router’s administrator settings and just covers basic monitoring such as: Router information and Internet Port: which shows useful information for troubleshooting with support, such as your serial number, MAC address, External IP, Gateway, etc Device Manager- to see what devices are connected, but it won’t tell you what band wifi it’s on, unlike the browser version Internet Speed- to run a speed test WiFi Analytics- To monitor the router’s WiFi signal strength as well as other WiFi signals in your area and channel interference to identify congestion Parental Controls-which requires a subscription; When managed from the browser, you can block sites and ports without a subscription WiFi Settings, including Guest WiFi- allows you to change the SSID, change the password, share wifi connection by displaying a scannable QR code, or by using the Share option, which sends the SSID and password by text Traffic Meter- monitors your downstream and upstream traffic and set a monthly limit, which is useful if you’re on a metered internet connection. You can also reboot the router and check for firmware updates from the app. When the router is managed via the browser you have control over nearly everything the app does (except Netgear Armor). You can even access the router’s browser management using a mobile browser. Unlike other brands, it will allow you straight access to router management without deterring you to download the app instead. From the browser, under Advanced Setup, you can set up port forwarding/port triggering; set your router to AP mode (access point) and easily turn it into a wireless access point/switch with one switch of an option; set up VPN so you can access your local network from the outside. The browser is also the only place where you can manage the USB port. By default, Samba and HTTP (port 80) connections are enabled for access to the router’s USB drive(s). You also have the option enabling HTTPS and FTP as well. The RS700 comes with a free 1 year trial of Netgear Armor security (powered by Bitdefender), which is basically a firewall. It scans all your devices for potential vulnerabilities and brings them to your attention via Netgear’s Nighthawk app. I personally found Armor way too aggressive and intrusive to my browser experience, without being particularly effective at blocking out some threats that otherwise would’ve been blocked with the software I already use.

Hardware itself is solid and feels like good quality. It's larger than I thought and has some heft to it. I like that there is a power button on the back to kill the power rather than unplugging it and losing the plug behind the cabinet. The front has your typical indicator lights but you can simply turn them on and off with a button on the front, which is a nice touch, allowing me to hit the button to quickly to check the internet status, etc. Setup was simple. Just scan the QR code from the papers inside the box, download the app, and set up the router. The app walks you through the setup. You do have to create an account with Netgear, but that's standard now for routers. The app is very easy to use. You have access to standard settings inside the app, but it doesn't allow you to access all the features. If you need to change advanced features, like DHCP reservations, you need to log into the web interface to make those changes. The web interface is intuitive and easy to use. The router has a number of features. The Netgear Armor vulnerability scanning is a nice touch. It did not find any issues, not that I expected any, but it's good to get that piece of mind. You only get 1 year of the vulnerability scanning and then you have to pay for it. I'm also testing out the parental controls. I have a different device for that, but it's not working with this router, likely since it's so new. I have been testing out the parental controls and they work well. I mostly use it for bedtimes and that has worked well so far. You have the ability to set up bedtimes, content levels, time limits, basically everything you'd want. They even have an app you can install on the kid's devices to monitor them when they are off the network. Performance is significantly better than last two routers provided by two different service providers. I get at least 600 Mbsp every time I do a speed test on a 1 Gbps connection with my iPhone 13 using WIFI 6. I get the same speed right next to the router as I do one floor up with the door closed. Even the PlayStation 5, which has had WIFI issues since we got it, works flawlessly. I've read that the PS5 works much better with WIFI 6, and that's the truth. Previously we had it hard wired when downstairs, and then when it was moved upstairs, we had to plug it into the service provider's pod because the WIFI on the PS5 was worse than the WIFI on our PS4 in the same location. Now with the Nighthawk, we get better performance and lower latency over WIFI than the previous two routers. The only unexpected or disappointing thing was that when I set up the guest WIFI, it rebooted the router. It's not a huge deal because it's only done once, but it wasn't something that I was expecting and interrupted the internet for a few minutes. I am very happy with this router. The is the best router I have every had, which makes sense since the tech keeps getting better. The combination of the fast speeds, wide coverage, features and ease of use, make this an amazing router. I would definitely recommend this to anyone with a fast internet connection that wants to get the most out of their internet speeds.

After struggling with my old router constantly dropping connections-especially during important meetings-I finally upgraded to this new Netgear WiFi router, and I couldn't be happier. The difference is night and day. Since switching, I've had zero dropouts. The connection is rock-solid, incredibly fast, and handles everything I throw at it. Whether it's video calls, streaming, or working from home, it performs flawlessly. What really impressed me is how quickly my security cameras load and stream now-no lag, no buffering. It's clearly built for the future, and I feel confident knowing it can easily handle faster speeds as I upgrade my internet down the line. If you're dealing with unreliable WiFi or planning ahead for higher bandwidth needs, I highly recommend this router. It's worth every penny for the peace of mind and performance boost.

Bought this hoping it would access faster speeds from fiber connectivity, but it was actually slower and more clunky than old router.

Last purchase from BB ever. Was excited to try out this router but unfortunately the store shipped on open box item that clearly has been used. No thanks. Just a reflection of typical store employees just not caring. Ordered from another company that delivers the next day.

Constant connection drops. Plan on returning. Replaced with the TP Link wifi 7 mesh system.

I received this router thinking it would be future proof as it has Wi-Fi 7 support. Obviously, I don't have any devices that use Wi-Fi 7 yet, so I'll be ready to go when those come around. I've installed it in a place where we rarely update or change technology, so having future updates is ideal. But what's even better is the coverage - previously, we needed 3 different hot spots spread across a ranch house to cover it end to end. This Nighthawk covers the entire house (including the basement, which has a lot of interference with pipes and aluminum) without an issue. Sure, the far fringes of the house relative to the router run slower (I think the phone I was testing with switched to 2.4GHz wifi), but the connection was solid and I still got about 15MB/s. This router is also able to cover part of the yard outside of the house, which the original one couldn't do. Finally, I really appreciate the feature of being able to attach a USB drive as a home drive share. Previously, I had to set up a computer for this purpose - but now the data can be shared across Mac & Windows without a dedicated server. I might also look into leveraging OpenVPN (which this supports) to help the family troubleshoot the home PCs when I'm away on business. The only downside I can think of is this is a pretty large device, so it might not fit where older ones did (it's quite tall).

Please stay away. So bad netgear refunded my money after trying two. End up trying two with horrible results. As a result, got the orbi system and its best thing ever so far.

I have had many many routers over the years, and to be honest some have been netgear, some have been the other brands.... But, I have never owned a Nighthawk from Netgear, though alot of my coworkers in my i.t. dept have, and highly recommend them. So when I had a chance to replace my current router with this newest Nighthawk I was expecting nothing but the best; before I even plugged it in (i have alot of faith in my coworkers opinions)... Let me just say this is honestly the fastest, and so far most reliable router I have ever used. The wifi is super fast (hitting 1gb on my phone [the max my modem can handle]), and everything appears to be rock steady up to this point..., I am not seeing any drops (i have approximately 27 devices hooked up via wifi everything from cameras to streaming boxes to laptops etc etc, handles them all without issue!) not to mention the desktop computers and xbox i have plugged directly into the router. I can't say it enough this is honestly one of the fastest routers I have ever used in a home. Pros: Super simple to setup, plug in download app setup Really good range and speed of wifi App is super helpful, can be used on the road to check on your device WiFi 7, 10gig wan & lan port, WPA3 encryption, WiFi can handle up to 200 devices WPS quick connect button, Vpn, Readyshare ([network storage usb 3]) cons: none that i have personally ran into at this time I would highly recommend this router to anyone looking to upgrade, I sincerely don't think you will be disappointed at all!

After 90 days, when the netgear armor security finish start to make big problems with connected devices! Don,t buy!

Routers are items that need to be periodically reviewed for replacement in the computer world, especially if one is a gamer. I have had my current router for a couple of years but the coverage in our five bedroom house has not always been the best. I have not had much interest in a mesh system, due to the fact that it sometimes can introduce latency to gaming (or at least the last I read anyways) and so I was really looking for a big, ol beast of a router and I found that in the Nighthawk BE19000. When you open the box up you expect this router to be large, but it's going to likely be larger than you may even expect. Don't mistake it's colossal size for it being slow though. This is the faster router that you've ever held in your hands, or at least for me it was. I was shocked at how this one is almost like a mini-tower PC, with no external antenna, so you won't get that "spider look" for better or worse. As technology improves in specs, we all would like to see it also improve in ease of use and thankfully this is a router that you can set up in about 10 minutes. It's probably the easiest router I've ever set up since I've been setting up routers from back in the late 1980's. You simply use the app on your phone, answer a few questions, wait while it connects and sets it all up and then that's it, you're online. Now I will tell you that all of your smarter devices, such as your phone, will be completely automatic to re-connect to the new router, so long as you use the same name for your network and the same password to connect. But we all won't get off that easy as some of the other, less intelligent items, such as the Nest Camera Doorbell, are going to require that you re-establish them manually. That's not really a ding against the Nighthawk at all, just how some of the less intelligent devices work and so upgrading to this router will require a LITTLE work on your part. One thing of note: do follow the instructions, including restarting your home modem. I tend to think I can skip this or that and ended up having to restart the modem anyways, to get this one going ;) Now, with it installed, how does it perform? Well this is the part where it's a Cheetah. I have 1Gb down and 50 up with my provider. On my old router, which was only about three years old, I was getting about 850 down and 40 up. With this router I'm getting about 925 down and 45 up. So yes there's an improvement and it's actually a fairly, surprisingly larger one than one might think. I'm very happy with this result. This is a huge router, but you can turn the lights off once you get it going, if you don't want to further draw attention to it. Make sure you have space for it and you will really be happy with this, especially us gamers. I noticed perfect performance by this router, even in the new Call of Duty MW3 beta. This router is not cheap but it will be a solid router for years to come. Now, when are those wifi 7 products coming down the road? That's my last point, realize that right now this router is far ahead of the curve and there really are not many wifi 7 products to use with this. But that will change next summer I believe. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, ESP TO GAMERS!

I had been considering upgrading from our previous NETGEAR Nighthawk Wi-Fi 5 Tri-Band router for a while and had considered a mesh system but our home is not large enough to justify the expense. After a lot of reading and consideration of alternatives I decided to go with the NETGEAR RS700, and I'm very happy with my decision. Even without the Wi-Fi 7 firmware update (to be released within the next couple of months) this new router is providing a significant improvement in connectivity and speed. We use to use a NETGEAR AX6 Extender to supplement the older Nighthawk but don’t need it with the new Nighthawk. We increased our throughput from under 100 Mbs to over 1 Gbs throughout our home and now we consistently receive the Internet download speed that we pay our ISP for, also throughout our home. Setup was easy and relatively quick. I'm anxious to get the Wi-Fi 7 firmware update and see what further performance improvements we will receive. Completely satisfied.

Bestbuy posted delivery date and time is ALWAYS WRONG. They use AmEx who is always late...

If you’re looking for the cutting edge of home networking technology, the NETGEAR Nighthawk RS700S WiFi 7 Router is a powerhouse that won’t disappoint. With its WiFi 7 capabilities, it’s designed for users who need the absolute best in performance, whether you’re streaming 4K/8K content, gaming online, or managing a smart home filled with connected devices. Performance: This router’s performance is impressive. The tri-band WiFi 7 delivers blazing fast speeds, and I’ve noticed a significant boost in network responsiveness even during peak usage times. I have multiple devices connected at once—smart TVs, gaming consoles, phones, tablets—and everything runs smoothly with no noticeable lag. The improved range is another standout feature, easily covering my entire home, including those tricky dead spots where previous routers struggled. Design: The design is sleek and modern, fitting well into any tech-centric environment. Though it’s on the larger side, its angular, futuristic look blends nicely with my other devices. The array of antennas is somewhat intimidating, but that’s where all the magic happens. Features: The router is packed with useful features, including advanced security options, parental controls, and robust device management through the Nighthawk app. Setup was straightforward, and the app makes it easy to monitor and control network settings remotely. I appreciate the added security layer of NETGEAR Armor, which gives me peace of mind when it comes to protecting my devices from cyber threats. Price: It’s definitely an investment, but if you have a demanding network setup, this router is worth every penny. For those upgrading from an older model or trying to future-proof their network, the price is justified by the superior performance and features. Verdict: Overall, the NETGEAR Nighthawk RS700S WiFi 7 Router is a fantastic choice for power users who need top-tier speed, reliability, and range. While the price may be steep for some, the benefits in performance and future-proofing make it a worthwhile investment for those serious about their home network.

Whether you are an extreme gamer or just have a lot of devices that are connected (and probably do a lot of concurrent streaming), having a really good, and fairly fast Wi-Fi router is a must. With each new wireless standard that comes out, the faster the wireless connection speed gets. The NETGEAR Nighthawk BE19000 Tri-Band Wi-Fi Router (model RS700S) has brought in the newest upcoming standard: Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be), which with the implementation in this wireless router, can be up to 19 Gbps. And it's tower design with all internal antennas (8 of them) is decent looking, but it is pretty tall (11") so we can't put it where have our previous router is located. The Nighthawk BE19000 also has Wi-Fi support for all wireless devices back to Wireless N (802.11n), including n, ac, ax and now be. Comparing to our most recent router, the Nighthawk AC5300, the BE1900 already has two additional versions (the AC5300 went to dual-band ac, which has been fine for us the last 6 .5 years). Our new phones we got earlier this year support up to Wi-Fi 6e (ax), and then new BE1900 is already showing much improvement in wireless connection and throughput speeds. The older router was connecting at 235 Mbps on ac with similar internet transfer speeds, but with ax, It is connecting at 2.4 Gbps which an average download speed of 850Mbps and over 900Mbps upload. Of course, the actual speeds you get through the internet will depend on your provider. Honestly, it doesn't matter which Wi-Fi version you are using if your internet provider speed isn't the fastest. For us, we have fiber internet at 1Gbps down and up (with the option to go to 5Gbps which was recently installed in our neighborhood, but not exactly worth the price), so as mentioned above we finally can have the wireless speed that can match our internet speeds. One thing that is different with the BE19000 is that it has a setting for Smart Connect, which sets a single wireless network ID (SSID) and password and is supposed to automatically select the best Wi-Fi band to use based on what the device supports and the connection strength. I did try this out for a few days, but I felt there was some lag when it would switch connection types based on where I was in the house (for better connection indoors through many walls, 2.4GHz band is better even if it is a bit slower, with less coverage and slower speeds as you get into the 5GHz and 6GHz bands with more walls between you and the router). While it is a cool concept, that just wasn't working for me, so I reconfigured back to separate wireless network IDs for the different bands. That, to me, seems to be working better (I'm using the 6GHz band for my phone, which stays connecting with Wi-Fi 6e). In the data sheet, it mentions that Multi-Link Operation (using multiple bands at once) will be available sometime before the end of 2023, but that is a part of Wi-Fi 7 (which there probably aren't too many devices that support that yet, and supposedly our new phones will eventually get that turned on, but we'll see). For wired connections, the BE19000 provides 4 1Gbps ports, 1 10Gbps LAN port, and a 10Gbps Internet Provider port. So, if your internet provider starts providing 10Gbps connection, this will be able to handle that. And like almost every router that I've ever used over the past 15 or so years, it has a USB port that can be used to have a cloud-like shared USB drive or as a personal FTP server. I've never tried that feature out since we have had a personal cloud device and also use a couple of big-name cloud storage providers. So far, this is looking to be a pretty good upgrade from our other router (although that one will still be used due to its location and the proximity of some of the TVs and streaming stick we have) and should be on the list to consider when getting ready for the next Wi-Fi standard.

The Netgear BE19000 Tri-Band router is one of Netgear’s latest offerings boasting new Wi-Fi 7 technology and blazing fast speeds. In theory, this router should be “future proof” for the foreseeable future with the ability to support 4K/8K streaming, 10 Gig internet and LAN ports, and NETGEAR® Armor which provides an automatic shield of security for your connected devices via a VPN. With many devices currently being sold today unable to take advantage of the full potential of this router, is it worth it? Let’s find out! Setup: For the past several years, routers have been able to be (mostly) setup with smartphone’s only via an app and this one is no different. Within the app you can setup and change many settings, but certain advanced features must be accessed via the web or router itself. Personally, it is nice to be able to setup the router via the IP address straight away rather than having to create an account and start the setup through the app. The physical device itself is slightly larger than I was expecting and has some heft to it. This isn’t a bad thing though as it feels quality. On the back it has a power button, reset, one 10 gig LAN port, 4 1 gig LAN ports, one USB 3.0, one 10 gig internet port, and the DC power input. On the front you have a button which turns on and off the lights, which is great for keeping things dark if placed in an open area. Usage: When it comes to performance, this router seems impressive. It boasts a range that works for up to 3,500 sq. ft. which is larger than my home but over a traditional 1,800 sq. ft ranch (with router in corner of basement) it offers range that works in every spot. With zero Wi-Fi 7 enable devices currently in my home I can’t speak for true speeds but with several Wi-Fi 6 and a couple Wi-Fi 6E devices, the speeds are great. Of course, this router is backwards compatible with older devices also but running speed tests I was getting over 700 mbps down and 65 mbps upload over wireless devices. This should be a noticeable improvement over even 5 gHz networks. One unique aspect of this router is the Netgear Armor feature which offers more advanced security for your network. Essentially it is a VPN with real time protection for the network. This is included for 1-year from activation. Outside of this, it also supports WPA, WPA2, and WPA3 with 128-bit AES encryption and the latest 256-bit GCMP encryption. Automatic software updates are also available. Of course, with all devices these days there are parental controls with an app you can install on their device to monitor their activity. Pros: - Wi-Fi 7 (Backwards compatible also) - 10 gig Internet & Lan Ports - Netgear Armor, WPA, WPA2, and WPA3 with 128-bit AES Encryption - App Integration, Easy Access Controls - Solid Range, Multi Device Support Cons: - Setup Solely Through App (More for Advanced Users) Overall: I have been very impressed with the Netgear BE19000 so far and believe it could help future proof your household for many years to come with the inclusion of Wi-Fi 7. With the ability to support up to 200 devices and several 4K/8K video streams at once, this should be enough for just about any newer household. I would certainly recommend this router to anyone looking for the latest version to help future proof their household or who doesn’t need a mesh type system with more than one access point due to their house design or size.

Is it too much to ask to have lightning fast internet? I just want to be able to stream movies in 4K HDR with lossless audio with no buffering or lag. Just a pipe dream? Yeah, pretty much. But in my search to make my dream a reality or at least get as close as I can, I saw this router that on paper looked to be an absolute beast, and thought, "Could this finally be the one?" At $700 the BE19000 is certainly not a cheap solution and is probably out of reach of all but the most hardcore speed freaks. And let's be honest, there's nothing out there that can even take advantage of the Wi-Fi 7 spec that this thing boasts. But I figured this router would get me the best speeds possible and hopefully future-proof me so that I can be ready when Wi-Fi 7 does finally become a reality. My previous router was a Eero mesh system that got me the 500mb speeds that I was paying for with Spectrum internet. Unfortunately the coaxial hookup for internet in my house is up in one of the upstairs bedrooms but my home theater and gaming devices are downstairs in the living room. Hooking up the BE19000 upstairs and using Wi-Fi didn't get me speeds any better than I was getting with the Eero's so I decided to have Spectrum come out and install a cable hook up in the living room. Once that was done, I connected the devices I wanted the fastest speeds with, (Nvidia Shield TV and PS5), to the BE19000 via Cat8 ethernet cables. I also upgraded my internet service to 1gig. With my devices hard-wired to the router I saw speeds of about 940mb from the Nvidia Shield and about 830mb with the PS5. However the PS5 has always shown download speeds that seem slower than what it should be seeing so I think the speed test on the PS5 is inaccurate. So the BE19000 seems to be giving me about the best speeds I can get from my ISP. Set up was fairly easy. I just plugged the BE19000 in and connected it to my Spectrum modem and downloaded the Nighthawk app. I had to go through the installation process twice, (for some reason it didn't finish the first time) but it only took about 10-15 minutes total. Unfortunately the app is pretty much bare bones. If you want to fine tune the settings of the router, like changing the Wi-Fi channel settings, you have to do that via the internet. The router has something called "Smart connect" which will supposedly choose the best Wi-Fi channel for whatever device is connected to it, (2.4Ghz, 5Ghz or 6Ghz). I'm not sure how well this works as the devices I connect via Wi-Fi are fairly old like my Samsung S9+ phone and Galaxy Tab S6 Lite. So I'm not sure if these devices can even work on 5 or 6Ghz Wi-Fi. But this router seems to do exactly what it was designed to do and looks pretty cool doing it. It kinda looks like a device you would see in a Star Wars imperial installation. Is this router worth the $700 price tag? That depends on how important being on the bleeding edge of technology is. As previously noted, you can't take advantage of Wi-Fi 7 yet. But you could buy this router and be ready for it when it becomes available.

The Netgear Nighthawk BE19000 was super easy to setup. Plugged it in, followed the instructions and was back online in a few minutes. Overall, the WiFi speeds are blazing fast - way faster than my previous router. Plus now my devices with WiFi 6, 6E, and 7 can take advantage of faster connection speeds to the router itself. It also has a range of up to 3500 square feet and eliminated my need for a mesh network in my home. One router works for all three levels (basements plus two stories) and I've seen no issues with interference like I have with past routers. The Netgear Nighthawk app is also really easy to use both for setup and maintenance of the router and once I set it up with the same network name and password, all my devices connected seamlessly. I also like that it has a high speed 10 gigabit port plus 4 other LAN ports and built in switch functionality. I also plugged the high speed port into my Switch and now all my wired devices work even faster than before. I highly recommend this router to anyone looking to uplevel their WiFi speed and range.