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Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 Review

Nikshep Myle Avatar
Updated Feb 7, 2024 5:38 PM

True Score

85
84
7

Experts

89
3,393

Consumers

Product Awards

Top 10

GR Certified

Customer Favorite

Expert Rankings

Although quite expensive, the Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 offers unparalleled speed, reliability, and versatility with its triband and WiFi 6e capabilities that are ideal for close-range use. But cyber security solutions are locked behind a subscription.

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Table of Contents

Product Snapshot

Overview

The Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 is a premium tri-band WiFi 6e router released in 2021. Like the best routers, it supports 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz network channels and has four Gigabit Ethernet and two USB-A 3 ports. It offers combined speeds of 10.8Gbps, supports up to 60 devices (MU-MIMO), and sustains 12 data streams simultaneously with eight antennas.

The Nighthawk app aids in router setup and offers smart parental controls to manage internet accessibility for children (subscription-based). The router has VPN and WPA3 security and supports mesh networking, but isn’t a standalone mesh system. Other smart features include voice assistants, parental controls, and a smartphone app.

Best For

  • Gaming

  • Long Range

  • Netgear

  • Streaming

  • Voip

Consensus

our Verdict

The Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 is a Wi-Fi 6e router offering incredibly fast throughput of 149Mbps over 2.4GHz, 924Mbps over 5GHz, and 951Mbps over 6GHz, perfect for data-hungry homes with many devices. Its 416.64Mbps (2.4GHz) download speeds and 844.365Mbps (5GHz) rank in the top 10% of our certified, tested roster and are ideal for intensive 4K, VR, and AR streaming and competitive gaming. It has a range of 105 feet, but for maximum speed, you’ll have to remain close to the router and in the same room, preferably (15 to 20 feet). The 6GHz channel faces a severe drop in throughput with increased distance.

The router delivers reliable connectivity with 12 simultaneous data streams and low latency. The setup can be done over iOS, Android, or a web browser and takes 20 minutes, thanks to the clear illustrations and instructions. You also get parental controls (subscription-based).

ReasonS to Buy

  • Incredibly fast Wi-Fi speeds
    • The Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 is excellent for data-hungry homes that need speed and reliability across multiple data streams. The router offers blazing fast throughput of 149Mbps over 2.4GHz, 924Mbps over 5GHz, and 951Mbps over 6GHz.

    • With 12 simultaneous data streams and download speeds of 416.64Mbps over 2.4GHz and 844.365Mbps over 5GHz, this WiFi 6e router is in the top 10% of our certified, tested routers.

  • Reliable range
    • Its reliable range of 105 feet puts it in the mid-third of all our verified tested routers.

  • Simple setup
    • You can complete the setup over Android, iOS, or a web browser, and it takes 15 to 20 minutes. Irrespective of the platform you choose, clear illustrations and instructions are provided.

Reason to Avoid

  • Limited 6GHz range
    • The 6GHz band’s speed drops drastically as you move further away from the router.

  • Subscription-based parental controls
    • You’ll have to pay an annual subscription for smart parental controls and additional cyber security protection.

Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 Specs

# of LAN Ports# of LAN Ports4
# of Phone Ports# of Phone Portsn/a
# of WAN Ports# of WAN Ports1
App CompatibleApp CompatibleYes
Available StorageAvailable Storage512MB
Band TechnologyBand TechnologyTri
Data Encryption TypeData Encryption TypeWPA3
Energy Star CertifiedEnergy Star CertifiedNo
Frequency BandsFrequency Bands2.4 GHz, 5.0 GHz, 6.0 GHz
Integrated ModemIntegrated ModemNo
LAN PortsLAN Ports4 Gb Ethernet
MU-MIMO SupportMU-MIMO SupportYes
Mesh SystemMesh SystemNo
Number of AntennasNumber of Antennas8
Parental ControlsParental Controlsn/a
Processor CoresProcessor CoresQuad
Processor SpeedProcessor Speed1.8GHz
Quality of Service PrioritizationQuality of Service PrioritizationYes
WiFi RangeWiFi Range3500 sq.ft
WiFi SpeedWiFi Speed10.8 Gb
Wired SpeedWired Speed1000 Mb
Wireless StandardWireless StandardAC, AX, N

All Specs

Test Results

2.4 GHz Download speed (Mbits/s)416.64
2.4 GHz Upload speed (Mbits/s)143.75
5 GHz Download speed (Mbits/s)844.3657
5 GHz Upload speed (Mbits/s)316.685
Router Range (ft)105
Latency (ms)19
6 Ghz Download speed (Mbits/s)1,004.1271
6 Ghz Upload speed (Mbits/s)557.0525

All Tests

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Product Comparison

Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 Review

True Score

85
87
80
75

Ranking

#

8

/

37

#

4

/

37

#

22

/

37

#

35

/

37

Market Context

The Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 is a premium tri-band WiFi 6e router released in 2021. Like the best routers, it supports 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz network…

The Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 is a premium tri-band WiFi 6e router released in 2021. Like the best routers, it supports 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz network channels and has four Gigabit Ethernet and two USB-A 3 ports. It offers combined speeds of 10.8Gbps, supports up to 60 devices (MU-MIMO), and sustains 12 data streams simultaneously with eight antennas.

The Nighthawk app aids in router setup and offers smart parental controls to manage internet accessibility for children (subscription-based). The router has VPN and WPA3 security and supports mesh networking, but isn’t a standalone mesh system. Other smart features include voice assistants, parental controls, and a smartphone app.

Although considerably more expensive than the Netgear Nighthawk XR500, the Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 supports three Wi-Fi bands (2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz) for greater network bandwidth,…

Although considerably more expensive than the Netgear Nighthawk XR500, the Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 supports three Wi-Fi bands (2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz) for greater network bandwidth, while the XR500 is limited to two (2.4GHz and 5GHz). The RAXE500 also has greater max bandwidth across all its bands compared to the XR500. (The RAXE500 has a bandwidth of 1.2Gbps over 2.4GHz and 4.8Gbps each over 5GHz and 6GHz vs. the XR500 with a bandwidth of 800Mbps over the 2.4GHz band and 1.73Gbps over the 5GHz band). But the XR500 comes out on top with a wider 115-foot range (vs. the RAXE500’s 105-foot range) for better coverage. To learn more, read our Netgear Nighthawk XR500 review.

The Netgear Nighthawk XR700 and the Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 both support 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks. But the XR700 has an additional 60GHz channel (good for…

The Netgear Nighthawk XR700 and the Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 both support 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks. But the XR700 has an additional 60GHz channel (good for high speeds over a very short range), while the RAXE500 uses a 6GHz channel (good for general home and office use). The RAXE500 has five wired networking ports (four Gigabit Ethernet) and two USB-A 3 ports, but the XR700 tops it with six Gigabit Ethernet and two USB-A 3 ports for improved wired connectivity. For more information, read our Netgear Nighthawk XR700 review. And for another WiFi 6e router from the same brand, check out this Netgear Nighthawk RAXE300 review.

The Razer Sila AC3000 and Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 are both tri-band routers, but while the Sila has one 2.4GHz band and two 5GHz bands, the…

The Razer Sila AC3000 and Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 are both tri-band routers, but while the Sila has one 2.4GHz band and two 5GHz bands, the RAXE500 has 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz channels. The RAXE500 also has a lower latency of 19ms (vs Sila’s 30ms) and the option for enhanced security, albeit on a subscription basis. The Sila lacks malware protection and has fewer ports than the RAXE500, but it’s significantly cheaper, too

# of LAN Ports

4

4

6

3

# of Phone Ports

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

# of WAN Ports

1

1

1

1

App Compatible

Yes

n/a

Yes

Yes

Available Storage

512MB

256MB

512MB

4000MB

Band Technology

Tri

Dual

Tri

Tri

Data Encryption Type

WPA3

WPA, WPA2-PSK

WPA2-PSK

WPA, WPA-PSK

Energy Star Certified

No

No

No

No

Dig Deeper

Netgear Nighthawk XR500 Review →

Netgear Nighthawk XR700 Review →

Razer Sila AC3000 Review →

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Score Card

E

Expert Score

84

*.75

We place a 75% weighted value on Expert Test Scores

C

Customer Score

89

*.25

We place a 25% weighted value on Customer Scores

True Score

85

Expert Scores

  • PC Mag
    82

    Category Trust Rating

    80
    The Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 router uses the latest Wi-Fi 6E technology, allowing it to transmit… Read More

    By:

    John R. Delaney
  • Tom’s Guide
    84.25

    Category Trust Rating

    90
    By adding access to a slew of new data-delivering channels in the 6GHz spectrum, the… Read More

    By:

    Brian Nadel
  • Tweak Town
    75.55

    Category Trust Rating

    94
    The Nighthawk RAXE500 is a legit offering from NETGEAR, offering fantastic Wi-Fi performance alongside a… Read More

    By:

    Tyler Bernath
  • Small Net Builder
    63.65

    Category Trust Rating

    NR
    While the NETGEAR did very well on many tests, it ended up ranking #2 behind… Read More

    By:

    Tim Higgins
  • Expert Reviews UK
    67.7

    Category Trust Rating

    80
    A fine router for those who can’t wait to embrace the very latest Wi-Fi standard Read More

    By:

    Darien Graham-Smith
  • Gizmodo
    62.25

    Category Trust Rating

    NR
    But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have any issues with the Netgear… Read More

    By:

    Wes Davis