What to Buy > Networking 48 48 people found this article helpful The Best Netgear Routers of 2024 Get a stable Wi-Fi connection and a good range By Jesse Hollington Jesse Hollington Writer Jesse Hollington is a tech writer with 10+ years' experience. He has written for iLounge, Forbes, Yahoo, The Independent, and iDropNews, among others. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on January 29, 2024 Fact checked by Stephen Slaybaugh Fact checked by Stephen Slaybaugh New York University London Metropolitan University Stephen Slaybaugh is a fact checker and music writer with with more than 20 years experience writing about internet retail and consumer tech. He has been featured in Digital Trends, DealNews, and TechRadar. He is a content designer at Bose Corporation and is completing his Master of Arts in Digital Media. lifewire's fact checking process We independently evaluate all of our recommendations. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. In This Article View All In This Article Reviews What to Look for in a Netgear Router Frequently Asked Questions The best Netgear routers give you a stable Wi-Fi connection and good range and can help you connect multiple devices. The company offers standard dual-band routers, gaming-oriented tri-band routers, and whole-home mesh networks. The Best Long-Range Routers of 2024 Best Overall Netgear Orbi Home Wi-Fi System PHOTO: Amazon $209 at Walmart Pros Speedy performance Full home coverage Beautiful aesthetics Cons Very expensive Older devices complicate things Netgear's Orbi Mesh Wi-Fi is the company's first specifically-made mesh router system, with a pair of units acting as a base station and a "satellite" unit to provide corner-to-corner coverage at a 5,000-square-foot home. The system is simple to set up via Netgear's Orbi smartphone app, so you can get online within minutes of plugging it in. Lifewire / Bill Thomas The tri-band coverage offers lightning-fast performance, thanks to technologies like MU-MIMO and six internal antennas, reaching speeds of up to 1,733Mbps on the 5GHz band and 833Mbps on the 2.4GHz side. The Orbi also works with Amazon Alexa voice commands, and the smartphone application allows for parental controls powered by Circle. There's even the ability to set up guest Wi-Fi networks and connect new devices. Wireless Spec: 802.11ac | Security: NETGEAR Armor, WPA2 | Standard/Speed: AC3000 | Bands: Tri-band | MU-MIMO: Yes | Beamforming: Yes | Wired Ports: 4 Best Speed Netgear Nighthawk RAX80 Wi-Fi 6 Router PHOTO: Amazon $419 at Walmart $400 at Adorama.com Pros Easy setup Fast file transfer Future-proof Wi-Fi 6 support Cons Only dual-band Expensive Even if your PCs and gaming consoles aren't ready for Wi-Fi 6 yet, the RAX80 still provides up to 2,500 square feet of coverage for your 5GHz 802.11ac and older 2.4GHz devices with a throughput of up to 4.8Gbps and 1.2Gbps on each of its bands, respectively, thanks to the four antennas encased in its hawk-like wings. Lifewire / Jeremy Laukkonen With support for MU-MIMO and eight simultaneous 160MHz channels, plus a 64-bit 1.8GHz quad-core CPU, more devices can use maximum Wi-Fi speeds simultaneously, so you don't need to worry about your family members or roommates slowing down your connection. It's also more than capable of handling even the more tricked-out smart homes, and thanks to WAN port aggregation, it can even manage Multi-Gig internet plans up to 2Gbps. Wireless Spec: 802.11ax | Security: Netgear Armor, WPA2, 802.1x | Standard/Speed: AX6000 | Bands: Tri-band | MU-MIMO: Yes | Beamforming: Yes | Wired Ports: 5 Best for Gaming Netgear Nighthawk XR500 PHOTO: Amazon $185 at Walmart $250 at Adorama.com Pros Very configurable for gamers Good 2.4GHz performance Easy setup Cons Poor longer range performance Pricey One of the best-reviewed gaming routers on the market, Netgear's Nighthawk XR500 is built with gamers in mind. The hardware includes gaming-specific features such as QoS for prioritizing gaming devices on the network for the best possible signal and allocating any extra bandwidth to eliminate lag. A gaming dashboard helps to show real-time bandwidth use, so users can help minimize ping times, while a gaming VPN allows instant connection to any VPN client to maintain security and privacy. Monitoring network strength is accessible via the downloadable Netgear smartphone application, and the dual-core 1.7Ghz processor helps to maintain the hardware performance and support the demands of online gaming traffic. With four external antennas for increased signal strength, the XR500 adds MU-MIMO and Quad-Stream technologies for more gaming boost. Add a total network speed of 2.6Gbps across the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, and you've found a gaming router worthy of its price tag. Wireless Spec: 802.11ac | Security: WPA2 | Standard/Speed: AC2600 | Bands: Dual-band | MU-MIMO: Yes | Beamforming: Yes | Wired Ports: 4 Best Budget Netgear Nighthawk R6700 PHOTO: Amazon $45 at Amazon $160 at Walmart Pros Solid 802.11ac performance Advanced features like QoS Inexpensive Cons Weaker 2.4GHz speeds Compatible with 802.11ac, the Netgear Nighthawk R6700 speeds up to 450Mbps on the 2.4Ghz band and up to 1,300Mbps on the 5GHz band. Capable of simultaneously supporting up to 12 devices at a time, the Nighthawk offers a straightforward setup with the company’s smartphone application. There, parents can find a slew of parental controls and options to create guest networks and update the router with the latest firmware for up-to-date security and performance. Compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant for voice command usage, the Nighthawk has a dual-core processor inside that powers the hardware to help maintain steady performance. The three external high-performance antennas can be directed toward device locations (i.e., a desktop or television) for improved signal strength and range. Wireless Spec: 802.11ac | Security: WPA2 | Standard/Speed: AC1750| Bands: Dual-band | MU-MIMO: No | Beamforming: Yes | Wired Ports: 5 What to Look for in a Netgear Router Ports There are a lot of cases where it’s better to plug a computer, game console, or another device into an Ethernet port. Count all the devices you want to connect via Ethernet and look for a Netgear router to accommodate your setup. Most routers have four LAN ports, but if you have many devices to connect, the alternative is to invest in an additional Ethernet switch later. These can expand your Ethernet port options to 16 or 20. A USB port on a router can also be handy for connecting a printer, external hard drive, or other devices to create sharable storage. Multiple antennas You’ll need a Netgear router with multiple antennas unless you live in a tiny studio apartment. Three is enough for most houses and small businesses, but you’ll need four or more if you have a big, multi-story home or a large office. Higher-end routers can have as many as six or eight. Generally speaking, the more antennas, the better your range and connectivity are, though that also depends on the type of router. Multiple bands You can get by with a single-band router for most basic usage, but look for a dual- or tri-band Netgear router if you want to connect many devices. Some dual-band routers can provide a solid connection to up to 20 devices simultaneously, and tri-band routers give you even more options. You'll also want to look at the Wi-Fi standard. Many options support Wi-Fi 6, though Wi-Fi 5 is still the standard. FAQ How long do Netgear routers last? Netgear is one of the biggest and most reputable manufacturers of networking products. All Netgear routers come with warranty support, and you should register your device online. The warranty support for default is one year and 90 days of complimentary technical support; extended warranty support is two years. Refurbished products come with 90 days of warranty and 90 days of free technical support. Where are Netgear routers made? Netgear routers are manufactured primarily in mainland China and Vietnam, though some lower-volume products are also manufactured in Taiwan. Netgear has product quality organizations based in both Hong Kong and mainland China. Are Netgear routers compatible with Xfinity? In most cases, Netgear routers are compatible with Xfinity modems, though you should check the compatibility list. If you can't find your modem on the list, call Xfinity customer support and have them verify support for your Netgear router. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! 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