Netgear Nighthawk RS700

Excels where other Wi-Fi 7 routers fall short

- BRIAN NADEL

WITH THE PERFORMANCE goodies like 6GHz transmissions and 320MHz data channels that Wi-Fi 7 has to offer, Netgear’s Nighthawk RS700S has the power to speed up just about any network. Easy to set up and modify, the tri-band RS700’s real worth is its throughput at mid-range distances, meaning that it’s a great upgrade for a modest-sized home (around 3,500 square feet).

It can be expensive to join the cutting edge, however. At $700, it’s $100 more than the TP-Link Archer BE800, and is the same price as the Archer BE900, but lacks either’s physical info screens. Netgear’s Armor security is excellent and a free year is included, but it adds over $100 a year to ownership costs after that.

The RS700S is unique when it comes to looks, with a black vertical tower design that has chrome accents at its vents. Its six-sided profile looks like a triangular prism with its corners blunted. At 11.1 x 5.6 x 4.9 inches, it’s large, but actually quite a bit smaller than other Wi-Fi 7 routers, like the TP-Link Archer BE800.