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The NETGEAR Nighthawk XR500 would be a fairly run-of-the-mill router according to its basic specification and performance, mean and moody physical appearance aside. However, it is the Netduma software which puts it in a league of its own.
Netduma's own R1 router is about £90 cheaper, but doesn't even offer 802.11ac WiFi. That means, if you want the DumaOS capabilities but in a more complete hardware form, the XR500 is currently unique, although NETGEAR is planning further models in the range.
As a first foray, the XR500 is a sensible choice. It's not so expensive that only the wealthiest gamers will consider it, and it has a full set of regular router features too. You're not really paying a significant premium over a regular router with these mainstream features, such as the Synology RT2600ac.
That means that if you want to use this as your everyday family router that also offers kick-ass gaming capabilities, it fits the bill nicely. For gamers looking to optimise their online experience, the NETGEAR Nighthawk XR500 comes highly recommended.
You can buy from Amazon for £239.99 HERE.
Pros:
- DumaOS is packed with features to smooth your online gaming performance.
- Combats gaming lag by prioritising traffic.
- Decent 802.11ac performance at close range.
- Good 802.11ac performance at long range.
- Great 802.11n performance and range.
- Regular router features including Ethernet switch and USB 3.0 ports.
- Full set of routing software options on top of DumaOS.
- Reasonably priced.
Cons:
- No exceptional hardware features.
- Mid-range routing specification.
KitGuru says: The NETGEAR Nighthawk XR500 brings the excellent DumaOS router software to a wider audience, with some great abilities to prevent online lag.
