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.
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).
Reason 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
4
# of Phone Ports
n/a
# of WAN Ports
1
App Compatible
Yes
Available Storage
512MB
Band Technology
Tri
Data Encryption Type
WPA3
Energy Star Certified
No
Frequency Bands
2.4 GHz, 5.0 GHz, 6.0 GHz
Integrated Modem
No
LAN Ports
4 Gb Ethernet
MU-MIMO Support
Yes
Mesh System
No
Number of Antennas
8
Parental Controls
n/a
Processor Cores
Quad
Processor Speed
1.8GHz
Quality of Service Prioritization
Yes
WiFi Range
3500 sq.ft
WiFi Speed
10.8 Gb
Wired Speed
1000 Mb
Wireless Standard
AC, AX, N
All Specs
Test Results
We are all about transparency. Click here to view our trusted dataset of product test results. *0 = no data
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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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.
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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.
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