Netgear Announces Three New WiFi 7 Routers to Join the Industry-leading Nighthawk Lineup

[TheLostSwede]

NETGEAR, Inc., a leading provider of innovative and secure solutions for people to connect and manage their digital lives, today expanded its Nighthawk WiFi 7 standalone router line to include the new RS600, RS500, and RS200. The lineup of Nighthawk routers is built on the company's promise to deliver the latest WiFi 7 technology combined with powerful WiFi performance and secure connectivity for homes of any size.

Powerful, Secure WiFi 7 for Everyone
Since the launch of NETGEAR's first WiFi 7 offering - Nighthawk RS700S - multi-gig internet speeds have become more accessible and affordable, and IoT devices that require extreme low latency and higher throughput continue to be adopted at high rates. WiFi 7, which is 2.4x faster than WiFi 6, offers enhanced performance to address the ever-growing demands of modern connectivity. This next-generation technology supports increased capacity across multiple connected smart home devices, providing faster speeds, near-zero latency and the ability to handle the demands of high-quality video streaming as well as advanced computing, including AI-driven applications and AR/VR experiences.




"WiFi 7 represents a monumental leap forward in wireless technology, and adoption has quickly picked up momentum with more and more WiFi 7 devices coming to market, including the recently announced iPhone 16," said David Henry, president and GM of Connected Home Products and Services at NETGEAR. "NETGEAR's latest Nighthawk RS600, RS500, and RS200 routers give more households access to the connectivity benefits of WiFi 7 while also delivering robust network security to protect their homes and digital lives."

Expanded Nighthawk WiFi 7 Portfolio
The new standalone WiFi 7 routers join the Nighthawk RS700S and RS300 to deliver blazing speed, low latency, and high capacity, backed by robust router security.

Each router sports a sleek, slender chassis with patented omni-directional internal antennas to push signals to the farthest range, providing 360 degrees of coverage in and around the home. Each household can select a Nighthawk router that best fits its unique needs and budget to unlock the latest multi-gig internet speeds with the 2.5 Gig or 10 Gig internet port.

The Nighthawk App is an easy way to configure WiFi for peak performance on priority devices, easily manage the network from anywhere, including pausing the internet, running internet speed tests, tracking internet data usage, setting up separate guest networks, and more.

State-of-the-Art Network and Device Protection
While advanced technologies and applications offer significant benefits, they also expose households to potential cyber threats that could be leveraged to compromise privacy and security, which could lead to several consequences such as a loss of service or a breach of your personal information. In fact, home networks see an average of 10 attacks every 24 hours. In 2023, the highest number of IoT device vulnerabilities were mostly found in TV sets (34%), smart plugs (18%), digital video recorders (13%), and routers (12%). What's at risk is vital and NETGEAR helps to make protection easy.

Powered by state-of-the-art encryption protocols and advanced threat detection mechanisms, NETGEAR routers stand as the first line of defense against evolving cyber threats by including security features such as automatic firmware updates, VPN support, cutting-edge WPA3 security, access control, and guest WiFi network options.

For added protection, the RS600, RS500, and RS200 include a 30-day trial of NETGEAR Armor Powered by Bitdefender, a service that provides an additional layer of security for connected devices and added privacy with VPN. Unlike traditional endpoint antivirus products, Armor is built into the router as a security solution that protects devices connected to the network, virtually eliminating the need for multiple security subscriptions or software. Backed by cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence, Armor provides real-time alerts when threats are detected and blocked, and offers customized recommendations to strengthen customers' security and privacy at home and on-the-go.

Each router also comes with NETGEAR Smart Parental Controls to easily manage kids' time online across their connected devices and promote good online habits for the family. Basic features are available free of charge. A subscription fee applies for a Premium Plan after a 30-day trial.

Availability
The NETGEAR Nighthawk RS600, Nighthawk RS500, and Nighthawk RS200 are available now on NETGEAR.com and at other major retailers subsequently.

• RS600: Router - $499 MSRP
• RS500: Router - $399 MSRP
• RS200: Router - $229 MSRP

View at TechPowerUp Main Site | Source

 

[Chaitanya]

Nice to see 10Gbps ports coupled with Wifi 7 and price isnt too outrageous. Hopefully Netgear hasnt dropped common sense security features in the firmware.

 

[bug]

They look kinda meh. Not sure how that bandwidth is split (ok, that's on the product page), coverage doesn't look to great (looks rather limited on the cheaper models, especially considering it's "up to"). Cheaper models also come w/o 10GbE...
The chipset is also undisclosed. And I've been burned with MediaTek before.

 

[TheLostSwede]

They look kinda meh. Not sure how that bandwidth is split (ok, that's on the product page), coverage doesn't look to great (looks rather limited on the cheaper models, especially considering it's "up to"). Cheaper models also come w/o 10GbE...
The chipset is also undisclosed. And I've been burned with MediaTek before.

Routers are always going to be up to, as it depends on the shape of your property, the type of wall materials used and what not, so it's impossible to provide an exact figure.
Netgear tends to favour Qualcomm or Broadcom.
Also, no need to piss on MediaTek, they've upgraded all their router SoCs over the past few years and are just as good as Qualcomm and Broadcom these days, if you pick like for like hardware. On top of that, even their old MIPS based chips where really good for the price, even though their radios might not have been the best. Half of the problem was the the router makers didn't bother implementing their software properly.

 

[bug]

Routers are always going to be up to, as it depends on the shape of your property, the type of wall materials used and what not, so it's impossible to provide an exact figure.
Netgear tends to favour Qualcomm.

I know, but 2,500 sq ft means less than 240 sq m. No walls, no nothing. That leaves barely enough coverage for an apartment.

Also, no need to piss on MediaTek, they've upgraded all their router SoCs over the past few years and are just as good as Qualcomm and Broadcom these days, if you pick like for like hardware. On top of that, even their old MIPS based chips where really good for the price, even though their radios might not have been the best.

I'm more concerned about ongoing software support.

 

[Mindweaver]

It's crazy I'm looking to pay 350 for a new 6e mesh that's already outdated. I currently own a WIFI 6 mesh network. I find it crazy they are charging 400 for a consumer router. I also find it hard to believe people are paying 1000 to 2200 bucks for a WIFI 7 mesh system.

 

[bug]

It's crazy I'm looking to pay 350 for a new 6e mesh that's already outdated. I currently own a WIFI 6 mesh network. I find it crazy they are charging 400 for a consumer router. I also find it hard to believe people are paying 1000 to 2200 bucks for a WIFI 7 mesh system.

Not sure why you'd pay to move from WiFi 6 to WiFi 6e. I'm sitting on WiFi 5 and I'm not sure it's worth going WiFi 7 as long as the router is still alive and well.

 

[bonehead123]

to unlock the latest multi-gig internet speeds with the 2.5 Gig or 10 Gig internet port

Yep, now if only the majority of us had access to those speeds from our ISP's, all would be great in the world

I currently own & use several top of the line NetGear 6E routers and they work great for my uses, however, there aint no way in hades that I'm gonna spend anywhere near $400-500 for a new one, at least not until my ISP offers the above service speed options (been stuck at 1Gbs for years now), and knowing them like I do, that aint gonna happen any time soon

 

[bug]

Yep, now if only the majority of us had access to those speeds from our ISP's, all would be great in the world

I currently own & use several top of the line NetGear 6E routers and they work great for my uses, however, there aint no way in hades that I'm gonna spend anywhere near $400-500 for a new one, at least not until my ISP offers the above service speed options (been stuck at 1Gbs for years now), and knowing them like I do, that aint gonna happen any time soon

They could be useful if you want to circulate data inside your local network. But yeah, expensive.

 

[TheLostSwede]

I know, but 2,500 sq ft means less than 240 sq m. No walls, no nothing. That leaves barely enough coverage for an apartment.

Sorry, what? Our three bedroom flat is only 92 square meters and that's considered a pretty roomy place here.

I'm more concerned about ongoing software support.

And that's also improved greatly when it comes to MTK, they're in fact the favoured platform by Open-WRT these days, as Broadcom has locked down most of their stuff and Qualcomm is only so so when it comes to open sauce. MTK used to be terrible, but not so any more.

It's crazy I'm looking to pay 350 for a new 6e mesh that's already outdated. I currently own a WIFI 6 mesh network. I find it crazy they are charging 400 for a consumer router. I also find it hard to believe people are paying 1000 to 2200 bucks for a WIFI 7 mesh system.

How is it outdated? Does it do what you need it to do? Then fine.
That said, avoid mesh if possible, it doesn't deliver on the promised advantages most of the time, as it's a marketing thing in the consumer space.
Used wired backhaul when possible.

For 99% of consumers, WiFi 7 brings nothing useful to the table. MLO is buggy as hell right now and people can't seem to make half of the new features work as promised.
In fact, you can't even use WiFi 7 if your PC doesn't run Windows 11 or Linux.

Not sure why you'd pay to move from WiFi 6 to WiFi 6e. I'm sitting on WiFi 5 and I'm not sure it's worth going WiFi 7 as long as the router is still alive and well.

There are gains for you to go to WiFi 6, I wasn't really expecting it, but the radios in the routers have gotten a lot better, but WiFi 7 right now, is a beta tester nightmare for those getting it. Maybe Netgear is doing better, not really seen anyone using their WiFi 7 gear though.

 

[bonehead123]

For 99% of consumers, WiFi 7 brings nothing useful to the table. MLO is buggy as hell right now and people can't seem to make half of the new features work as promised.
In fact, you can't even use WiFi 7 if your PC doesn't run Windows 11 or Linux.

So true, and to add, you also can't use it unless your NIC(s)/phones/tablets etc are newer models that support it

 

[phints]

Personally I'd only buy a router that is well supported by OpenWrt, but this is a nice looking piece of hardware.