Netgear R7000 vs.Netgear R7500 – what is the best Netgear choice?
It is always important to search for a good router that can fulfill the needs you have, as a good router means you can connect to the internet easily and reliably.
However, the choice of a good router option is not the easiest decision to make, since there are so many brands all vying for your attention – and each brand has a whole variety of models, which are not all equal. One of these famous brands is Netgear, which you might be familiar with because of their high-quality router options.
This case becomes interesting when we compare two similar choices from the company; the R7000 and R7500. The Netgear R7500 is an AC2350 router, which means that its total theoretical speed is 2350 Mbps, while the R7000 is an AC1900 router, meaning that it has a total theoretical speed of 1900 Mbps. Now, before you rush to get the R7500 because it has a higher speed than the R7000, there are other considerations to keep in mind, as the theoretical speed each offers is different from the actual speed, as we will see in this article.
Table of Contents
What are the differences between the R7000 and R7500?
Netgear R7000 (Winner) |
Netgear R7500 |
|
Throughput speeds (average) |
174 Mbps |
433 Mbps |
Download speed |
90 Mbps |
70 Mbps |
Upload speed |
20 Mbps |
10 Mbps |
Wireless communication |
5GHz radio |
802.11n/g/b/a |
Dimensions (in inches) |
13.7 x 10.1 x 3.1 (the more portable choice) |
13.8 x 10.2 x 3.2 (slightly larger and more bulky) |
Netgear R7000 vs. R7500 – how they compare
Design
Compared to its predecessors, the Netgear R7500 looks like them, with the only difference being that it has an additional antenna. It still uses the same angled design in a black casing, but with a few subtle differences. The positioning off the antennas is now around the unit itself, which promotes improved performance, making the router look similar to a robot.
Because of this design approach, it stands out very easily– which tends to use the conventional box design. The unit also has 13 LEDs that will convey information regarding the status of the router, and the good news is that you can switch them off if they are becoming an overkill.
On the other hand, the design of the R7000 will allow you to mount it on a wall or place it on a shelf – the unfortunate part is that its in-wall AC adapter is quitter big, measuring 3.5 x 2.8 x 1.1 inches. At the front part of the router, you have a dozen LEDs, all showing the status of the router at different times, but there is no physical switch to handle them specifically; only to switch on the router itself.
Features and software
The interface that Netgear uses is rather sparse and boring, but this does not mean the R7500 lacks in features at all. A great addition it contains is the improved QoS (Quality of Service) setting that can run a bandwidth check directly and retrieve device information to make a more informed choice on where to allocate more bandwidth.
The software that you use when setting up the R7500 is tailored much more towards a mobile user and also the user that prefers a desktop setup by creating specific apps, as it is much easier to control the router through this method than using a browser and logging into the system.
Things are slightly different in the R7000, as the setup process is thankfully easy to follow. It comes ready with a startup manual, AC adapter, and network cable, then you can log into the web portal through your browser and let the Genie software handle the rest. You will notice that the router is quite versatile, as you can operate it as a wireless bridge, access point, or router. It is also useful as a Mac or PC backup source, an iTunes media server, or an FTP site that handles remote access.
Performance
The R7000 is powerful enough to operate with three data traffic lanes, and has a maximum actual bandwidth of 444.8 Mbps. While this is lower than what you would get in the R7500, it is still quite strong – especially in terms of its budget. The bandwidth is good for a small house or an apartment – but if you want something to cover an entire mansion, you are better off searching for another router.
On the other hand, looking at the performance of the Netgear R7500 shows encouraging results, as it has a clear advantage over the usual 3×3 speeds that most routers offer. This aspect is most noticeable at medium distances, as numerous 802.11ac routers will slow down from the speeds that they offer at shorter ranges.
In fact, the average speeds to expect from here are: 603 Mbps at 5 meters, with an average throughput of 433 Mbps. The results we get reveal that it gives a performance boost compared to a triple-stream 802.11ac router, and this could probably be because of the faster processing power. Because it supports a quad-stream setup, there is better wireless speed than what you would typically get.
However, the overall gain is not that big. The most gains are in the mid and short ranges, as the Netgear R7500 shows, unless you are using two Netgear R7500 routers.
Netgear R7000 vs. R7500 – A comparison review
Netgear R7000 – Overview
- Compatible with Amazon Echo/Alexa/Google Assistant – Control your home network using voice commands
- AC1900 WiFi—600+1300 Mbps speeds
The R7000 will combine the great attribute of 5GHz speed alongside the useful Netgear Genie software. However, the router does not have the best range, although it does come at an affordable price and will allow you to save a few bucks while delivering reasonable performance.
On the other hand, the R7000 has three antennas that look like fins, all attached at the rear, and they optimize the signal through the use of beam forming. You can adjust them to improve the reception of the signal, or replace them with a third-party choice if you need to do so. The good news is that during our testing, the R7000 never gave in to poor speeds, even while doing heavy-duty tasks online. It has a very reliable performance, as long as the space you use it in is not too big.
Pros
- The combined throughput is excellent
- Antennas are all removable
- Uses Genie software, which is easy to install
- Quite affordable
Cons
- Its in-wall AC adapter is quite large
- The range is disappointing
Netgear R7500 – Overview
- Quad-Stream AC2350 WiFi - up to 2.33Gbps (600 + 1733 Mbps)
- Next generation Wave 2 WiFi.Denial-of-service (DoS) attack prevention
While the Netgear R7500 is a powerful router in its own right, especially when you set it up with clients that support a quad-stream 802.11ac setup, it is not the cheapest router you will find in the market. Within the R7500, its 1.4GHz processor is an improvement compared to its predecessor that used a 1GHz processor.
In order to run additional functions, you will need an added ‘offload’ processor, which runs at 500MHz. The router will work just fine if your USB wireless adaptor or laptop will only support the 802.11n standard, a few streams or earlier standards. In addition to the QoS, its ReadyShare section is great at the management of clients and shares on all connected USB devices, even though it does not achieve the level of a fully-dedicated NAS.
Pros
- It has very high speeds
- Includes USB3.0 ports
- Very attractive design
- Future-proof connectivity setup
Cons
- Quite expensive
- Struggles to get client support for a faster 802.11ac 4×4 speeds
- The software is bland-looking
Verdict: So which is better? The Netgear R7000 or R7500?
Considering the performance of both routers, they come up fairly similar in their outcome – but we choose the R7000 as our clear winner due to its reliability of connection, even though it comes at a budget price and struggles with large range coverage.
FAQs
How many devices or computers can I connect to my Netgear router simultaneously?
The maximum wireless connections the router can handle are 32, and this increases to 64 if the router is a dual-band type.
Do all Netgear routers support SNMP?
Yes – all Netgear routers, including the R7500 and R7000, support SNMP.