Netgear Nighthawk R7000 AC1900 Review

1. Introduction2. Packaging and Accessories3. Netgear Nighthawk R7000 AC19004. Set Up5. Software6. Testing7. Testing with Mac Pro 20138. Closing Thoughts9. View All Pages

The real world tests used in this review deliver results that fall short of the manufacturer's claims, however the bandwidth with a Mac Pro 2013 was very good. On our PC, the Netgear A6100 USB adapter undoubtedly plays its part with the slightly disappointing performance results. We would suggest a laptop with Intel Wireless-AC 7260 or a Mac with AirPort Extreme if you want to take full advantage of 802.11ac performance.

On the other hand, even with a crippled mini USB adapter, we were still able to transfer a 2GB file over Wi-Fi at short range in 30 seconds. That's neat but the more impressive test was downloading the same file in two minutes 20 seconds and uploading in three minutes at a range of ten metres through two solid walls. That is impressively fast under conditions where it seemed fortunate to merely have a Wi-Fi connection, let alone one so speedy.

The Netgear Genie set-up screen/firmware is fully featured and works very well. The only downside is that it takes a few seconds to save any changes that you make. The QoS is impressive and offers distinct benefits for gamers and the poor, long-suffering adults who pay for
Netflix and want their movie to start streaming NOW.

The option of adding storage through the USB 3.0 port and a printer over USB 2.0 are welcome. The need to use Netgear utilities is a small price to pay for these features.

It is a small thing however Netgear has arranged the lights and buttons on the Nighthawk R7000 in such a manner that the router is a pleasure to use.

Putting all that to one side, the way the Nighthawk R7000 simply blasts its 802.11ac Wi-Fi through solid walls makes this router well worth the asking price.

Buy from Amazon for £149.99 inc vat.

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Pros

• High 802.11ac transfer speeds.
• Simultaneous 5GHz+2.4GHz.
• Easy set-up.
• USB 3.0 port for add-in storage.
• USB 2.0 printer support.
• Impressive QoS options for consumer market.
• Decent set-up software with heaps of options.
• Weird and wonderful styling (if you like that sort of thing).

Cons

• Expensive.
• Poor 2.4GHz 802.11n performance, mainly because of the tiny A6100 USB adapter.
• Takes a while to save changes in set-up.
• Limited appeal for professional market.
• Weird and wonderful styling (if you have conventional tastes).

KitGuru says: Once you look past the peculiar styling you'll find an impressive piece of hardware

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