Netgear r7000 vs Asus rt-ac68u – Which one has the best speed and range?
Some people are often confused between modems and routers. A router’s main function is to send data to its correct destination. If you don’t have a good quality router, your data may get lost on the way or reach its destination slower. The Netgear r7000 vs. Asus rt-ac68u are both good quality home ro uters that will provide you with speed, range, and reliability you need.
Buying a router can be confusing and intimidating because of the many technical details that are indicated on the labels, especially if you’re a first-time buyer and you don’t have the insight of these details. This is the kind of confusion I felt when I went to buy my first router and I had very little information on what to look for. All I wanted was a good quality router that I would use for online gaming, streaming and downloading files on my laptop and home computer. Then I decided to do some research and discovered the Netgear r7000 and Asus rt-ac68u routers that are both quality routers with interesting designs, great speed, and performance. If you love gaming, streaming your favorite movies, or downloading files, then you will need a reliable router that will provide constant connectivity throughout.
Table of Contents
What are the differences between Netgear r7000 and Asus rt-ac68u?
Router model |
Netgear r7000 (Winner) |
Asus rt-ac68u |
Positioning |
Positioned upright |
Positioned horizontally |
Speed: 15 feet on 802.11n |
2.4 GHz – 110 Mbps
5 GHz – 190 Mbps |
2.4 GHz – 205 Mbps
5 GHz – 181 Mbps |
Wireless security |
WPA, WPA2 |
WPA2-PSK, WPA-PSK, WPA, WPE64, WPE 128 |
Weight |
1.8 pounds |
1.4 pounds |
Netgear r7000 and Asus rt-ac68u: How do they differ?
Setup
The nighthawk r7000 has a simplified interface that will allow you to set up your username and password and allows you to correct wanting configurations. When it comes to features, it has a built-in VPN server, enhanced QoS, parental control, openDNS, and ReadyShare vault. On the other hand, the rt-ac68u has a clean, stylish, and easy to use interface where you can find different stats and you can also further configure the router. Some of the features you will find include basic parental controls, QoS, VPN, AiCloud, and AiProtection (which is great for smart TVs that are known for security vulnerabilities). The Asus router has a very easy interface to explore and it takes very little time to set up, while the nighthawk has enhanced settings although people don’t dwell too much on settings.
Design
The nighthawk has a very unique design that features a sturdy plastic case with sharp angular lines and a matte finish that doesn’t attract fingerprints and 3 detachable antennas that enhance its jet-like design. The Asus router has a matte diamond-patterned design with a rubbery non-slip base. You can position this router upright while the nighthawk can only be positioned horizontally so it occupies less space than the nighthawk. The Asus is also lighter with a weight of 1.4 pounds with the nighthawk being a bit heavier at 1.8 pounds.
Speed, performance, and connectivity
When the nighthawk is operating on both the 802.11ac and 802.11n modes, it has different results on the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. On the 5 GHz band with the 802.11ac at 15 feet, the router clocked 430 Mbps and at 10 feet it dropped to 300 Mbps, while on the 802.11n mode at 15 feet the router clocked 190 Mbps, but at 100 feet it dropped slightly to 180 Mbps. The 2.4 GHz band clocks 110 Mbps at 15 feet but drops to 60 Mbps at 100 feet when on the 802.11n mode.
When it comes to the Asus on the 5 GHz band for 802.11ac, the router clocked 518 Mbps at 15 feet but dropped to 330 Mbps at 100 feet. When on the 802.11n mode at 15 feet, the 5 GHz band clocks 181 Mbps but drops to 168 Mbps at 100 feet. The 2.4 GHz band scores 205 Mbps at 15 feet and 170 Mbps at 100 feet. So when it comes to speed, the Asus router is faster and covers a larger area, but the nighthawk has a much more stable signal.
Streaming capabilities
Routers mostly run on two frequencies, the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bandwidths. The 5 GHz band is faster and has less interference. Dual-band routers are specifically designed to provide faster streaming for better user experience. This means they can use two frequencies at the same time.This allows you to connect multiple devices on the router at a time without noticing any lagging. These two routers operate with dual-bands and dual-processors, but the Asus router operates with a 256 MB RAM while the r7000 has an extra 128MB flash memory. The r7000 also has a gigabit wired that has been specifically designed for video streaming and online gaming.
Netgear r7000 vs. Asus rt-ac68u: A comparison overview
Netgear r7000
- 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 Netgear Nighthawk AC1900 smart wifi router R7000 has a very cool design just like its name. This is a router designed for home users. It has a sleek trapezoid design with flared sides and a matt black finish, a shape that reminds you of the famous jet fighter with the same name, Nighthawk. The R7000 is a large router that operates horizontally although you can mount it on your wall and a wide base that is very sturdy with rubber feet so that it won’t slip or slide. It also has 3 thick antennas, an excellent set of features, and excellent speeds on the 5 GHz bandwidth and enhanced quality of service which shortens the time to buffer and stream your favorite videos. This makes nighthawk AC1900 one of the fastest 802.11ac routers in the market that can handle heavy-duty throughput tasks. It offers a few unique features that you won’t find in other Netgear home routers like support for a third-party firmware like DD-WRT, a built-in OpenVPN server, and support for BroadcamTurboQAM to give you a faster wifi cap with speeds of up to 600 Mbps. It has a powerful dual-core 1GHz processor and it supports maximum speeds of 600 Mbps in the 2.4 GHz bandwidth and 1300 Mbps in the 5 GHz bandwidth.
It has a flash memory of 128 MB and RAM of 256 MB with 2 USB ports that support printers and USB storage; the USB 3.0 front port and the USB 2.0 being the backport. The USB 3.0 port is placed at the front away from the 2.4 GHz radio to reduce signal interference. At the back of the router, you will find a power button, reset button, 4 gigabit LAN ports, gigabit WAN ports, LEDs that indicate internet, USB device connection, and other network activity status. Something you should note is that this router can get a tad bit warmer than room temperature, so it’s best to place it in a place where there is good ventilation. The R7000 router comes with an easy installation guide that has a few sets that are clear, concise, and easy to follow to set up the device.
QoS is a feature in the nighthawk r7000 that is very helpful at optimizing video streaming. You need to configure a few settings in the interface to enable this feature. QoS has pre-set rules in the interface like setting upstream traffic from widely used popular services like popular games, Xbox applications to high priority, and also set to high the downstream-intense data from sites like Netflix and YouTube. WMM (wifi multimedia), deals with multimedia data like video or audio streams, is also another feature that you can use to turn on the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands or both. This router delivers excellent wifi speed and signals even in large houses and buildings. When using the 802.11n mode on the 2.4 GHz band, it can sustain speeds of 170 Mbps, but drops to 140 Mbps when 10 feet away which is still good for 2.4 GHz N performance. When using the AC mode, the 2.4 GHz band can hit a speed of 600 Mbps while the 5 GHz band got to 450 Mbps. The 5GHz band has a decent range coverage thanks to the beamforming + which is an enhanced version of the technology.
Pros
- Easy to follow, concise, and clear installation setup
- Has 2 USB ports, the 3.0 and 2.0
- Has a built-in OpenVPN server
- It supports third-party firmware like DD-WRT
Cons
- 11ac is only available in the 5 GHz band
Asus rt-ac68u
- 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;...
This is a dual-band AC1900 wireless gigabit router that is designed with faster wifi technology, powerful hardware, and other useful features. This is an advanced home networking device with an 802.11ac that provides great throughput and range. It has a slim profile with an upright design with 3 detachable antennas to give it that aggressive look. This router has 10 tiny LEDs displaying status (that turn to a solid blue color when a connection is active and stable) at the front for the power, USB device connections, WAN and LAN ports, and wireless bands. At the back of the router, you will find a USB 2.0 port, a USB 3.0 port, a WAN port, and 4 gigabit LAN ports. The USB ports can support USB external drives, 3G/4G broadband devices, and printers. This router uses a Broadcom wireless controller which includes the TurboQAM technology and this gives the router the ability to support up to 600 Mbps in the 2.4 GHz band and 1300 Mbps in the 5GHz band.
Setting up this router is a breeze, all you have to do is follow the quick internet setup wizard that allows you to establish network names and set a password for your device and the other network passwords. You will find other advanced options in the router interface with other interesting features and tools. You can manage the connected USB devices from the interface and also download the AiCloud app which will help you to manage the connected USB devices from your android or iOS devices. Some of the advanced features found in this router make it a favorite if you love technology. It allows you to set up to 6 guest networks; 3 on the 2.4 GHz band and the other 3 on the 5 GHz band.
It comes with a fully built-in VPN server, advanced customization options like enabling jumbo frames for the LAN, setting the multicast rate, AP isolation, and more. When it comes to performance, this router is a fine performer. If it’s on the 802.11n mode, it has an average throughput speed of 90 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz which will give you a better wireless signal coverage. The 5 GHz band clocks 148.5 GHz on the 802.11n mode which is a bit slow. However, on the 802.1ac mode, this router clocks an impressive 290.5 Mbps.
Pros
- A very stylish router management interface
- A clean and easy to work with design
- Powerful firmware
- Impressive speed and performance on the 802.11ac mode
- Advanced features
Cons
- Non-removable stand
- Slower at 5 feet
Conclusion
Before you go to buy a router, it’s important that you first do your own research and check online reviews because the technical information on the package doesn’t give you much to work with. Both routers are great performers and both are dual-bands so they provide good range and reliability. Each router has features that will suit your specific needs. When it comes to the AC speed test, the Asus is a bit faster than the nighthawk.
Verdict. So, which is better? The Netgear r7000 or Asus rt-ac68u?
The Netgear r7000 outperforms the Asus router when it comes to range and reliability. The router is an ac1900 which means it has an overall speed of 1900 Mbps and uses a 1 GHz dual-core processor which has a better range. The 3 external antennas amplify your connection and give you a more stable mobile access so you enjoy good speeds on your wireless and wired connections. For better speed, reliability, and range this router uses the beamforming + plus the dual-bands so you can enjoy separate connection and speed. The OpenVPN makes it secure when internet surfing and helps with parental control.
FAQ
What is the range of the Netgear nighthawk r7000?
Similar to the Asus rt-ac68u, the nighthawk r7000 can go for 48 hours without any hiccups and still provide exceptionally long range even if you’re 200 feet away.
How many devices can the r700 handle?
The r7000 router can handle up to 64 devices, 32 on each bandwidth because this is a dual-band router.
