Netgear has been producing network hardware for nearly three decades, and its Nighthawk RAXE500 router offers speed and a robust feature set to go along with its sleek, bat-like appearance. The RAXE500 sells for $437 at Amazon, and for that investment, you get speeds of up to 10.8Gbps thanks to a 1.8GHz quad-core processor. This router operates via the Wi-Fi 6E standard and can connect as many as 60 different devices over a 3,500-square-foot coverage area.
It has two USB 3.0 ports, four gigabit LAN ethernet ports, and a gigabit WAN port to connect it to your ISP’s modem. It also comes with a 30-day free trial of Netgear’s Armor home security software and a full suite of parental controls, which you can manage using the Nighthawk smartphone app. In addition, the Nighthawk has eight built-in antennas.
These features helped it win the 2021 Tom’s Guide award for best Wi-Fi router. In addition, PC Magazine praised this router’s speed, coverage, and advanced features, reserving its only words of criticism for the relatively steep price. “Wi-Fi 6E client devices are few and far between,” the review explained, “but if you’re an early adopter looking to future-proof your network, the RAXE500 won’t disappoint.”
