Netgear r6250 vs r6300 – Which one has the fastest speeds?
Nowadays we have become dependent on digital devices that require access to the internet to work and routers are the first things that come to mind. Netgear r6250 and r6300 routers are high performing devices with excellent wifi speeds, coverage, and security features to keep your network safe.
Over the years I have purchased 4 Netgear routers and I have never had any problems with them. The only reason I want a new router is to improve on the current one’s speed, so I found Netgear r6250 and r6300 for my comparison.
Table of Contents
What are the differences between Netgear r6250 and r6300?
Netgear router model |
R6250 (Winner) |
R6300 |
USB ports |
USB 3.0 port |
Two USB 2.0 ports |
Speeds |
2.4 GHz – 300 Mbps
5 GHz – 1300 Mbps |
2.4 GHz – 450 Mbps
5 GHz – 1300 Mbps |
Parental control |
Access after opening an OpenDNS account |
Access after opening an OpenDNS account |
Netgear r6250 vs r6300. How do they compare?
Design
The Netgear r6250 and r6300 have the same upright design that gives them a narrow profile and saves on shelf space when you have limited space. They both have four illuminated icons at the front that show the status of your network and internet connection and also the USB. On the side are buttons for WPS and wifi and at the back are 4 gigabit Ethernet ports, a WAN port, and a power button. The only difference is the r6250 comes with one USB 3.0 port that provides 10x faster transfer speeds while the r6300 has 2 USB 2.0 ports that you can use with your printer and hard drive.
Both routers have internal antennas so unlike other routers with external antennas you can’t adjust their positions in different directions. Manually adjusting the antennas can help to improve the wireless coverage especially if you have dead zones at certain places around your home.
Both routers have the same design, but r6250 uses a USB 3.0 port for faster transfer speeds.
Speeds
The r6250 router is a dual-band router that can deliver speeds of up to 300 Mbps on its 2.4 GHz band and 1300 Mbps on its 5 GHz band. This will provide excellent coverage if you have a large home and fast wifi speeds to more than 10 devices. The r6300is also a dual-band router that can deliver 3×3 streams on its 2.4 GHz band with throughput speeds of up to 450 Mbps and 3×3 streams throughput speeds of up to 1.3 Gbps on its 5 GHz band.
R6300 is a better performer with 3×3 stream throughput speeds and better coverage.
Netgear r6250 vs r6300 – A comparison review
Netgear r6250
- Provides an extensible design that enables service prioritization for data
- Design that delivers high availability, scalability, and for maximum flexibility and price/performance
This is a dual-band wifi router that is perfect for you if you’re looking for a router with advanced networking technology but you don’t have to do too much configuring on its settings. The r6250 is a simple upright slab with no aesthetic appeal but is solidly built with very good ventilation on the sides and comes with physical wifi on/off button. It’s located on the right side next to the WPS button. At the back are 5 gigabit Ethernet ports, a USB 3.0 port that provides faster access speeds, a power button, and a reset switch. This router uses beamforming that helps to locate the connected devices and focus the signal in their direction instead of throwing it in all directions which improve the wifi connectivity and speeds to your devices. The internal antennas are also able to provide wider coverage for the wifi signal throughout your home. With the help of the genie software app, you can quickly and easily set up the r6250 router from the web interface.
The interface has all the common features from parental control through OpenDNS, DNLA media support, SMB, FTP, and HTTP sharing, however for more advanced features like firewall support and IPv6 port forwarding you’ll need to look elsewhere. The WPA/WPA2 is also included but the ReadyShare feature that allows you to remotely access content on your connected USB drive isn’t present. Apart from beamforming, the r6250 router uses advanced QoS that prioritizes media streaming apps for smoother and lag-free video streaming and online gaming. The appearance and interface pale in comparison to its impressive performance. On the 2.4 GHz band at a distance of 2 m behind 2 standing walls, it can deliver speeds of up to 96.8 Mbps and 35.9 Mbps at 15 m while on the 5 GHz band at close-range the router scored speeds of up to 224 Mbps and 102.5 Mbps at 15 m.
Pros
- Comes with a USB 3.0 port that has faster transfer speeds
- Provides great range
- Excellent wireless speeds
- Easy to install and use
Cons
- Doesn’t have a ReadyShare feature
Netgear r6300
- Supports Windows 8
- Industry's first and fastest 802.11ac wireless router with speeds up to 1750 Mbps
A huge dual-band router that will need extra floor space to occupy. The r6300 router has the same design as the r6250 with internal antennas, 5 gigabit ports, 2 push side buttons for wifi, and WPS, but instead of having one USB port, it has two USB 2.0 ports. You can use these 2 USB ports for your printer and hard drive. It has a Netgear genie control dashboard that is attractive and intuitive and you can use it on your phone and PC. However, it lacks cloud connectivity, so you can only manage the router when you’re on the same subnet, but it still delivers fast performance and decent range. It comes with all the usual features you would find in other routers, but the guest network is lacking. You can record the amount of traffic coming through the router and disconnect the internet once it reaches the limit.
This router doesn’t have many features, but it has a DNLA-certified media server and FTP server, but it lacks a VPN pass-through. The n6300 can send and receive three simultaneous 150 Mbps spatial streams that add to a total of 450 Mbps while most adapters can only handle two. Over a distance of 2m and two solid walls in-between, this router can deliver speeds of up to 32.8 Mbps and 26.2 Mbps at 10m. When on the 802.11n 5 GHz mode, it scored speeds of 13.3 Mbps at 2m and 10.8 Mbps at 10m. On the 2.4 GHz at 2m, the router was 50% slower than the 5 GHz band.
Pros
- Impressive speeds on the 5 GHz band
- Comes with 2 USB 2.0 ports
- Reliable and fast internet for streaming
- Easy to use
Cons
- Has no Netgear cloud platform
- It’s bulky
Conclusion
Netgear r6250 uses a USB 3.0 port for faster connectivity and excellent wireless speeds while r6300 has 2 USB 2.0 ports that you can use to connect to your printer and hard drives.
So, which one is better Netgear r6250 or r6300?
Netgear r6250 is better because it comes with a USB 3.0 port that provides faster wifi transfer speeds and it uses beamforming to direct the signal to the connected devices in your network for a more reliable and stable signal.
FAQ
Can you use r6250 as a repeater?
No, r6250 doesn’t have repeater mode options, however you can use it as a wired access point by connecting Ethernet powerline between it and your main router.
How many devices can Netgear r6250 handle?
Netgear r6250 provides excellent wireless coverage for large homes which makes it perfect for homes with more than 10 wifi devices.
