Asus ac1900 vs. Netgear nighthawk – which is the best for home use
Routers today come with modems, gateways and switches. This means you do not have to spend much to acquire these devices separately. Having a home router means you can connect all your devices into one network
There was a time when you needed to access the internet you needed a dial connection that worked through a telephone line and modem. Internet speeds were so slow that it took one several minutes to access the internet. Today, this have changed and you have routers capable of hitting speeds of up to 5.3Gbps. In this review, we check out these mid-prized routers and tell you which is the best for a home network.
Table of Contents
What are the key differences between the Asus ac1900 and Netgear nighthawk?
Model |
Asus ac1900 |
Netgear Nighthawk ac1900 (r7000) (Winner) |
Dimensions(inches) |
8.0 x 6.3 x 6.0 |
11.22 x 7.26 x 1.96 |
Processor |
I GHz dual band processor |
|
Wireless standard |
802.11ac |
802.11a/b/g/n/ac |
Weight (pounds) |
1.4 |
1.65 |
Speed |
TurboQAM enables it hit 600MHz for 2.4GHz and 1.3Gbps at 5GHz |
600MHz at 2.4GHz and 1300GHz for 5GHz band.Coverage over 1800 sq.ft. |
Availability |
Asus ac1900 vs. Netgear nighthawk ac1900– How do they differ?
Design
The design for the Nighthawk ac1900 is the best of the two. The router is trapezoid shaped and this makes the router resemble a spaceship from outer space. The Asus ac1900 design is very basic and besides the gold colored Asus logo it is very similar to most routers in the market. The Nighthawk is larger measuring 11.22 x 7.26 x 1.97 inches against the Asus ac1900 8.0 x 6.3 x 6.0.
The Nighthawk can either be placed horizontally or mounted on a wall, its wide rubber feet and base means you do not have to worry about the router toppling over. Large air vents to the side mean the router does not overheat easily. Both routers come four Gigabit Ethernet ports, a WAN port and 2.0 & 3.0 USB port. They also operate with three external antennas.
Hardware and performance
The performance for the Nighthawk is great courtesy of a 1GHz dual core processor that also comes with 256MB of RAM and 128MB of flash memory. This enables the router to hit speeds of up to 600Mbps for the 2.4GHz band and 1,300MHz for the 5GHz band. The Asus ac1900 comes with TurboQAM technology that enables it to hit speeds like those in the Nighthawk.
Installation and technologies
Setting up the ac1900 is easy and can be done through the its Quick Internet Setup Wizard (QIS) which takes you step by step on the process. The router comes with innovative technologies like firewall, QoS and parental control. You can also download the AiCloud app for your USB file sharing.
The Nighthawk ac1900 can be configured through its web browser while management of the router can also be done through its genie app for both desktop and mobile. The Nighthawk comes with an decent Quality of Service (QoS) feature that enables it to prioritize streaming for your videos and games. It also has the WMM feature that enables the router to choose for you one of the two bands depending on your bandwidth demands.
Asus ac1900 vs. Netgear nighthawk ac1900 – A Comparison Overview
Asus ac1900 – Overview
- Dual band with the latest 802; 11 AC 3x3 technology for combined speeds of up to 1900 Mbps
- 1 GigaHertz dual core CPU enables smart multitasking by dedicating separate lanes for Wi Fi and USB data;...
The Asus ac1900 (RT ac68u) is a mid-sized dual band router that runs on the 802.11ac technology and this enables it to offer great speeds and range. The design for the ac1900 is very basic with the only cool feature been the gold design Asus logo. It measures a decent 8 x 6.3 x 6 inches. During purchase the router comes with a non-removable stand that is quite a nuisance when you want to operate the router in a vertical position.
At the rear you have your four Gigabit Ethernet ports, WAN port, one 3.0 & 2.0 USB ports and ten tiny connection LED lights. When your ports are active the lights will shine a nice blue color. The router is run by TurboQAM technology and this enables it to hit speeds of up to 600MHz on its 2.4GHz band and 1,300Mbps on its 5GHz band.
Setup for the ac1900 is pretty much straightforward and can be done on using the Quick start guide. A quick internet setup wizard will guide you through the process. Once you have connected the router it will automatically detect your WAN connections.
Pros
- Simple design
- Great speeds on the 802.11ac circuitry
- Easy to setup and install
- Features parental control, firewall, and QoS
Cons
- Not notification to update firmware
Netgear nighthawk ac1900– Overview
- Fast wifi performance: Get up to 1800 square feet wireless coverage with AC1900 speed (Dual band up to...
- Recommended for up to 30 devices: Reliably stream videos, play games, surf the internet, and connect...
The r7000 is an excellent router by Netgear that offers excellent throughput speeds for its 5GHz band and even comes with full VPN. The Nighthawk comes in a trapezoid design with flared sides and measures 11.22 x 7.26 x 1.97 inches. It is a dual band router operating on the 802.11ac circuitry. Another great feature is that it runs on open source firmware so you can flash it for more features.
The space shaped nighthawk has a sleek design with rubber feet for extra stability. It has large air vents on its sides that prevent the router from overheating. On the front part of the router is a 3.0 USB port and a 2.0 USB port at the back. The Nighthawk also comes with three external antennas, four Gigabit Ethernet ports, a WAN port, connectivity LED lights. A powerful dual core 1GHz processor that enables it deliver 600MHz on its 2.4GHz band and 1,300GHz on its 5GHz band runs the router. This is supported by 256MB of flash memory and 128MB of RAM.
Like most of other Netgear routers, installation of the Nighthawk is simple and through the genie app. Once you launch the web browser all you have to do is follow the instructions on the installation guide that comes with the router. The Nighthawk comes with an enhanced QoS that gives priority to your video streaming devices and also comes with the Wi-Fi Multi-Media (WMM) feature that allows the router to choose from one of the two bands.
Pros
- Optimizes devices for video streaming
- Great throughput speeds for its 5GHz band
- Full VPN support
- Sleek design with rubber feet for stability
- Enhanced QoS
Cons
The 2.4GHz band does not perform as expected
Conclusion: So, which is better – Asus ac1900 or Netgear Nighthawk ac1900?
For this review, our winner is the Netgear Nighthawk ac1900.This dual band router offers exceptional speeds of up to 600MHz for its 2.4GHz band and 1,300MHz for its 5GHz band. A powerful 1GHz dual core processor runs the router. The Nighthawk is also loaded with some cool technologies meant to help boost Wi-Fi connectivity for your video and gaming devices like the enhanced QoS and WMM. For advanced network geeks they have the capacity to set up their own custom QoS.
FAQ
What is the coverage for the Nighthawk ac1900?
The ac1900 is capable of hitting speeds of up to 600MHz for the 2.4GHz band while the 5GHz band reaches 1300MHz. The router also has a maximum coverage of 1,800 sq.ft. It also can support up to 25 devices.
Can I access my Asus ac1900 settings from my mobile phone?
Most of the routers in the market can either be accessed through a web interface, cloud or through a mobile app and Asus has not been left behind when it comes to this. The app offers a robust set of router management settings.