Asus ROG Rapture GT-BE98: One-minute review

Most of the Wi-Fi 7 routers that we’ve seen in recent months are general-purpose models, designed for home and office use. However, the new ROG Rapture GT-BE98 from Asus is very much a specialist router aimed at hardcore gamers who want the very best performance for their online action.

Asus has pretty much thrown in the kitchen sink with the GT-BE98 – and then given the sink a bit of a polish and some go-faster stripes to ensure that every aspect of its performance is fine-tuned to perfection. 

With quad-band Wi-Fi 7 and a top speed of 24.4Gbps – which Asus slightly exaggerates by rounding it up to 25Gbps on its web site – the GT-BE98 is one of the fastest Wi-Fi 7 routers we’ve seen so far.

It also boasts top-of-the-range wired connectivity, along with a high-performance quad-core processor, and no less than eight chunky antennae that are designed to push the Wi-Fi signal into every corner of your home. Needless to say, it’s serious overkill for most of us – and, in fact, there can’t be many non-professional gamers who have access to the sort of high-speed broadband that could really do justice to a router like the GT-BE98.

However, it’s a great demonstration of the kind of performance provided by Wi-Fi 7, and how promising more affordable Wi-Fi 7 kit should be when it arrives for the rest of us. And, of course, Wi-Fi 7 is still backwards-compatible with older PCs and devices as well.

Asus ROG Rapture GT-BE98: Price & Availability

• How much does it cost? $749.99 / £699.99 / AU$1,499
• When is it available? It's on sale now
• Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, Australia

Pricing for the GT-BE98 is a little erratic, depending on the region where you live. You can’t currently buy the GT-BE98 directly from Asus in the US or Australia at the moment, so you’ll need to shop around online, with prices in the region of $749.99 or AU$1,499 (and Asus’ US website doesn’t even bother to point you in the direction of any retailers, which isn’t very helpful). 

Customers in the UK can buy direct from Asus, with both Asus and Amazon listing the router at £699.99. And, believe it or not, that’s not a bad price for a state-of-the-art Wi-Fi 7 router such as this, since rivals such as Netgear’s Nighthawk RS700S are just as expensive – around $699.99 / £799.99 / AU$1,499 at the moment – while only providing tri-band support and a top speed of 19Gbps.

• Value: 4 / 5

Asus ROG Rapture GT-BE98: Specs

Asus ROG Rapture GT-BE98: Design

• Weighs a hefty 2kg 
• 10Gb Ethernet WAN/LAN port
• 4x 2.5Gb Ethernet LAN ports

Even by the standards of most gaming routers, the GT-BE98 is a seriously over-the-top piece of kit.

It’s built like a tank and, at 2kg, weighs more than many laptops. Even its array of eight external antennae seems unusually threatening, with a chunky ‘dual-feed’ design that helps to isolate the transmission and reception circuitry for optimum performance.

The router is powered by a quad-core processor running at 2.6GHz, and there are separate amplifiers for each of the four frequency bands. That sort of power requires good cooling and ventilation, so there’s a large heating vent on the top of the router, while the top panel consists of an aluminum heat plate coated with a nano-carbon layer to help dissipate the heat. 

And, of course, like any good gaming router, the GT-BE98 has a glowing logo on top, with completely gratuitous RGB lighting effects that can be controlled via the Asus app.

• Design: 5 / 5

Asus ROG Rapture GT-BE98: Features

• Free parental controls
• Option to prioritize gaming performance
• Supports additional ‘virtual’ networks

Most Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 routers support tri-band Wi-Fi, using the 2.4GHz, 5.0GHz and 6.0GHz frequency bands, but the GT-BE98 adds a second 5.0GHz band to provide quad-band Wi-Fi 7 with a top speed of 24.4Gbps. 

That’s backed up by state-of-the-art wired connectivity as well, with the GT-BE98 boasting 10Gb and 2.5Gb Ethernet ports that can be used for either high-speed broadband connections (WAN) or wired connections to a laptop or other devices (LAN).

There’s a second 10Gb LAN port as well, which is set as a dedicated ‘gaming port’ that takes priority over all the other ports to ensure that your gaming rig gets the best possible performance. There are three additional 2.5Gb ports for LAN connections, and a single Gigabit Ethernet LAN port that dawdles along behind for doing boring stuff like email and work. You even get two USB-A ports for connecting a hard drive or other storage device to your network.

The Asus app could use a little fine-tuning, though. The app didn’t seem to recognize the GT-BE98 even when my laptop was already connected to it and was happily streaming the BBC News channel while I worked. 

Eventually I had to do things the old-fashioned way, using an Ethernet cable to connect the laptop to the router, and then configuring the router via its web browser interface.

Once that was done the Asus app was then able to connect to the GT-BE98 and worked without any further problems. However, Asus still needs to update the app so that less experienced users can get started without having to muck around with Ethernet cables and the not-very-friendly browser interface.

The app does provide some useful features, though – most notably free parental controls that include scheduling features and content filters to block various categories of unsuitable material.

And, unlike some of its rivals, Asus doesn’t charge an extra subscription for these features (Netgear, we’re looking at you). Gamers have the option to prioritize gaming to provide maximum performance, or other tasks such as video streaming or file transfers.

You can also use Asus AiMesh technology to run the GT-BE98 as part of a mesh Wi-Fi system. And, unusually, the Asus app lets you set aside some bandwidth to create ‘virtual’ networks for specific uses, such as having a kids’ network, or an IoT network (Internet of Things) for smart devices such as lights that you may have in your home.

Once again, though, the app feels a little cumbersome here, and assumes a fair amount of technical knowledge from the user, so ease of use remains an area that needs improvement.

• Features: 5 / 5

Asus ROG Rapture GT-BE98: Performance

• Quad-band Wi-Fi 7
• 24.4Gbps speed
• High-speed wired connections

The initial setup process could be a little smoother, but we certainly don’t have any complaints about the performance of the GT-BE98. Our ageing office router only transmits on the 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz bands, and even then it struggles with our office broadband connection, which runs at 150Mbps. 

Even at close range, when transmitting to devices in the same room, our office router can only manage 80Mbps for the Ookla Speed Test on the 2.4GHz band, and 120Mbps on the 5.0GHz band. Steam downloads tell a similar story, at just 40Mbps for 2.4GHz and 100Mbps for 5.0GHz. 

However, we also have an office located at the back of the building that the Wi-Fi signal from our old router can barely reach, forcing us to rely on Powerline connectors to provide a more reliable wired connection. 

Unsurprisingly, the GT-BE98 coped with both office locations easily. Even on the slowest 2.4GHz band, it boosted the Ookla test to 145Mbps for devices in the same room, and even managed to provide a steady 80Mbps in the back office that normally can’t get Wi-Fi at all.

Steam downloads on 2.4GHz almost doubled to 75Mbps for devices in the same room, and the GT-BE98 maintained that speed even in our back office as well. There are many smart devices, such as lights and security cameras, that still rely on the 2.4GHz band, so it’s worth having that speed improvement on 2.4GHz if you want the option of creating an IoT network using the Asus app.

But, of course, the 2.4GHz band is the slowest of the four frequency bands supported by the GT-BE98, and we weren’t at all surprised to find that the GT-BE98 effortlessly hit our maximum 150Mbps in both of our test locations when using its additional 5.0GHz and 6.0GHz bands. 

Like most Wi-Fi 7 routers, the GT-BE98 is overkill for most home users, but it’s competitively priced when compared to rival models, and will be a great option for gamers who need every advantage when they’re fighting it out online.

• Performance: 5 / 5

Should you buy the Asus ROG Rapture GT-BE98?

Buy the Asus ROG Rapture GT-BE98 if...

Don't buy it if...

Asus ROG Rapture GT-BE98: Also consider

If my Asus ROG Rapture GT-BE98 review has you looking for other options, here are two more routers to consider...

How I tested the Asus ROG Rapture GT-BE98

We pride ourselves on our independence and our rigorous review-testing process, offering up long-term attention to the products we review and making sure our reviews are updated and maintained - regardless of when a device was released, if you can still buy it, it's on our radar.

Read more about how we test

• First reviewed April 2024

Linksys Velop Pro 7: One-Minute Review

Linksys originally announced the new Wi-Fi 7 version of its Velop Pro mesh system back in October 2023, but the final technical details of the Wi-Fi 7 standard weren’t actually ironed out until the official announcement at CES earlier this year.

So, like several other Wi-Fi 7 products, it’s taken a little while for the Velop Pro 7 router to actually go on sale. It’s a welcome arrival, though, as while the Velop Pro 7 isn’t exactly cheap, it’s considerably less expensive than some of the other Wi-Fi 7 mesh systems and routers that we’ve seen so far - ushering in some hope that Wi-Fi 7 is starting to become a little more affordable for ordinary home users.

It’s not a top-of-the-range Wi-Fi 7 system, mind, offering tri-band Wi-Fi with a top speed of just over 10Gbps. That’s actually fairly mid-range for the blazing fast Wi-Fi 7 standard, but it’s still more than fast enough to cope with most domestic broadband services and tasks such as online gaming or streaming 4K video.

Wi-Fi 7 is also backward-compatible with older PCs and mobile devices that use Wi-Fi 5 or 6, so you don’t have to worry about compatibility problems if you decide to upgrade with a Wi-Fi 7 system such as the Velop Pro 7.  And, as we’ve seen with previous Velop systems, you can buy either one, two or three Velop mesh routers to suit the size of your home.

Linksys Velop Pro 7: Price And Availability

• How much does it cost? $699.99 / £749.99 (around AU$1,060)
• When is it available? Now
• Where can you get it? Available in the US and UK

Each Velop router unit can cover an area of around 3,000 square feet, so people in smaller homes will probably find that a single router meets their needs perfectly well for a price of £399.99 / $349.99 (around AU$530).

However, the two-piece system that we tested costs £749.99 / $699.99 (around AU$1060), and there’s a three-device option also available for £999.99 / $899.9 (around AU$1,365). The Velop Pro 7 is currently available in the US and UK, although – as we’ve seen with other Wi-Fi 7 products – poor old Australia seems to be a bit of a Wi-Fi deadspot, having only recently caught up with last-gen Wi-Fi 6E.

That’s still fairly expensive, of course, but the Velop Pro 7 is only around half the price of rival Wi-Fi 7 mesh systems such as Netgear’s extravagantly expensive Orbi 970, which costs a hefty £1,499.99 / $1,699.99 (around AU$2,600) for a similar two-piece system - and a whopping £2,199.99 / $2,299.99 (around AU$3,475) for a three-piece system. 

• Value: 4 / 5

Linksys Velop Pro 7: Design

• Slim, compact design
• Lots of Ethernet ports
• Available with one, two or three routers

The design of the Velop Pro 7 will be familiar from previous Velop models, with each router consisting of a slim white tower, topped off with the Velop’s trademark tapered ‘teardrop’ shape on the top panel.

The router devices are slim and light enough to fit easily onto a shelf or table – although the height of each unit, at 221mm, means they’ll need a bit of headroom if you want to place them on a bookshelf or something similar.

The Velop routers are identical, so you can connect one of them to your existing router to use your broadband connection, and then place the other router(s) further away to extend the mesh network right across your home or office.

But while the Velop Pro 7 routers look very similar to previous models there are some significant differences. The Velop Pro 6E that we reviewed recently only included two Gigabit Ethernet ports on each router, with one required for the connection to your existing router and only the second port available to provide a wired connection.

In contrast, the Velop Pro 7 routers all have five Ethernet ports – a 2.5G port for a high-speed Internet connection (WAN) and four Gigabit Ethernet ports to provide wired connections for devices such as a games console or laptop.

There are no USB ports, though, which would allow you to connect a hard drive or other storage device to your network, but that’s not likely to be a deal-breaker for most users.

It’s a little odd, though, that Linksys avoids any mention of the Velop’s speed on its website, preferring to simply state that Wi-Fi 7 is a lot faster than Wi-Fi 6 (gosh, really?). After a little digging, we found a reference to a speed of ‘over 10Gbps’ before eventually locating a datasheet that specified a speed of 10,680Mbps (or 10.68Gbps).

• Design: 4 / 5

Linksys Velop Pro 7: Features

• Tri-band Wi-Fi 7
• App feels a little unfinished
• Parental controls are still in beta

As mentioned, the Velop Pro 7 provides tri-band Wi-Fi 7, using the 2.4GHz, 5.0GHz and 6.0GHz frequency bands, which will be more than fast enough to cope with most home and office broadband connections.

Getting started is fairly straightforward, although the process is a little cumbersome at times. There’s a QR code printed on the base of each router, but this didn’t allow us to automatically connect to the Velop network, as is the case with many rival mesh systems.

Instead, we had to write down the network name and password that were printed on the base of the router and enter these by hand, before subsequently changing the network details and creating a new name and password of our choosing.

You also have to start the setup process with the two Velop routers placed close to each other while you create your new network, and then move the second router – referred to as a ‘node’ - to another location once that’s done. And, oddly, the app told us several times that we had no internet connection - even though we were already streaming the BBC News channel on an iPad using the Velop network.

The app continues to be something of a mixed bag later on, as well. It creates a single network that combines the three frequency bands, which does keep things simple for new users - but more advanced users might prefer to have greater control over the network settings.

The app does include features such as a guest network, and the option to create a schedule to control your children’s internet access. However, the parental controls are a work in progress, with the app’s ‘Safe Browsing’ mode still being labeled as ‘beta’. This provides content filters that can block unsuitable material, although this feature isn’t clearly explained in the app. Furthermore, at present it seems to block content for all devices on your network, rather than allowing you to create different profiles and settings for children of different ages. 

• Features: 3.5 / 5

Linksys Velop Pro 7: Performance

• Top speed of 10.68Gbps
• Good performance and range
• Zaps through walls and other barriers

The Linksys app may be a little rough around the edges, but we didn’t have any complaints about the performance of the Velop Pro 7.

Our aging office router can’t even handle the full 150Mbps provided by our broadband connection, and even devices that are in the same room rarely get more than 100Mbps for either Steam downloads or the Ookla speed test. We also have a room at the back of the building that our office router can barely reach at all, forcing us to rely on Powerline adaptors to provide a wired connection for our office computers in that room. 

Therefore, we set up the Velop Pro 7 with the first Velop unit connected to our normal office router, and the second Velop ‘node’ placed in a hallway just adjacent to that tricky Wi-Fi deadspot in the back office.

Unsurprisingly, the Velop easily hit 150Mbps for both Steam downloads and the Ookla speed test when connecting to devices in the same room. And, more importantly, the Velop’s far-reaching network didn’t bat an eyelid as we picked up our laptop and wandered along the corridor to that back office, continuing to maintain a speed of 150Mbps the whole time.  

• Performance: 5 / 5

Should You Buy The Velop Pro 7?

Buy the Linksys Velop Pro 7 if...

You’re An Early Adopter
It’s still early days for this new technology, but PCs, laptops and mobile devices that support Wi-Fi 7 are already starting to appear, so upgrading to a Wi-Fi 7 router or mesh system is a good way of future-proofing your home or office network.

You Have A Large Home
You can buy a single Velop Pro 7 router on its own, but it’s really intended as a mesh system that uses two or more routers to cover a wider area, up to 6,000 square feet or more.

Don’t buy it if...

You’re On A Budget
The Velop Pro 7 is one of the most affordable Wi-Fi 7 systems we’ve seen, but it’s still pretty expensive. Most domestic broadband services just don’t need the sheer speed of Wi-Fi 7, so most of us can stick with more affordable routers that use Wi-Fi 6 or 6E.

You Only Have A Couple Of Bedrooms
Mesh systems like this are very much designed for larger homes and offices. If you only have a small family home, or share an apartment with friends, then a single, conventional router will be all you really need.

Velop Pro 7: Scorecard

Velop Pro 7: Also Consider

• First reviewed: May 2024

Linksys Velop Pro 6E: One-minute review

It’s taken a while, but Wi-Fi 6E is finally becoming a mainstream technology that is now available in many new computers and mobile devices. Along with improved wi-fi speeds, the key advantage of Wi-Fi 6E is that it introduces a new 6.0GHz frequency band that works alongside the 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz bands used by previous generations, such as Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 5.

Needless to say, routers and mesh systems that support Wi-Fi 6E are still quite expensive, but the new Velop Pro 6E from Linksys is competitively priced and provides a number of options that allow you to tailor your new mesh system to suit your own particular home or office. But is it one of the best routers you can buy?

We tested the top-of-the-range mesh system, which includes three identical Velop routers, but you can also buy just one or two routers depending on the area that you need to cover. This also allows you to upgrade and extend your system by purchasing additional routers in the future if you need to.

And, as the ‘Pro’ name suggests, the new Velop provides high-end Wi-Fi 6E performance, with a top speed of 5.4Gbps that should be able to handle demanding tasks such as video-conferencing, streaming 4K video, and even the latest virtual-reality headsets.

Linksys Velop Pro 6E: Price & availability

• How much does it cost? Starts at $199.99 / £199.99 / around AU$310
• When is it available? Available now
• Where can you get it? Available in the US and UK

The Velop Pro 6E is competitively priced when compared to many Wi-Fi 6E systems and, as mentioned, you do have the option of buying one, two, or three routers depending on the size of your home or office.

Each router covers an area of approximately 3,000 square feet, and is capable of handling up to 200 devices connected to your network all at once. A single Velop router should therefore be perfectly adequate for many small and medium-sized homes, and costs $199.99/£199.99. Larger buildings may require a pack with two routers for $349.99/£379.99, while the three-pack system that we test here costs $449.99/£499.99.

The Velop Pro 6E is now on sale in the US and UK, but isn’t currently available in Australia (which seems oddly bereft of Wi-Fi 6E routers in general, for some reason).  

•  Value: 4 / 5 

Linksys Velop Pro 6E: Specs

Linksys Velop Pro 6E: Design

• Fairly large, but not heavy
• Only one Ethernet port per unit
• Decent companion app with simple single-band option

Linksys seems quite proud of the ‘droplet’ design that gives the top panel of the Velop routers a slightly tapered shape, rather than sticking with a boring old rectangle. It’s a very subtle detail though, and if you look across the room at the Velop routers they do still look like a large, upright rectangular lump of white plastic. Each router stands 194mm high and close to 100mm on each side, so you’ll need a shelf or table with a fair amount of space to set each one up.

The power and reset buttons are tucked away on the base of each router, and the only other visible features are the two Gigabit Ethernet ports on the back panel. However, one of these ports is reserved for connecting the Velop to your existing broadband router or modem, which means that there’s only one Ethernet port available to provide wired connections for devices such as a laptop or games console. That’s a little disappointing for an expensive, high-performance mesh system such as this - two or three Ethernet ports are more common on some of the Velop’s rivals - but it may not be a deal-breaker if you’re primarily interested in using the Velop simply to boost your wi-fi performance.

The Linksys app takes an equally minimalist approach. It includes basic features such as the ability to create a guest network or prioritize devices such as a games console for maximum performance. You can also set a schedule for Internet access for your children, but it’s disappointing that there are no content filters that can automatically block websites that contain unsuitable material, and the app simply leaves it up to you to manually type in the addresses of any web sites that you want to block.

The app also sets up a single network that merges the 2.4GHz, 5.0GHz, and 6.0GHz frequency bands. That keeps things simple for less experienced users who may not know very much about networking technology, but more advanced users might prefer it if the app provided more detailed control over the network settings during the initial set-up process.

• Design: 4 / 5 

Linksys Velop Pro 6E: Performance

• Stellar connection quality
• Good penetration inside buildings
• Satellites allow for wide-range use

Getting started with the Velop Pro 6E is fairly straightforward, although you do need to follow the instructions in the Linksys app very closely. The app is available for iOS and Android, and uses Bluetooth to initially connect to the Velop routers and set up your new network.

The first Velop router has to be connected to your existing router or modem using the included Ethernet cable in order to use your broadband connection. The other two routers - which are referred to as ‘nodes’ - have to be set up and powered on within 10ft of the first router. We initially placed the two node routers slightly further away - simply because that was the closest available power socket - and the app simply failed to detect the additional nodes. We had to go searching for an extension lead so that we could move the two nodes closer to the main Velop router in order to complete the set-up process.

Thankfully, though, the Velop system performed admirably once it was set up. We do have an office towards the back of our building where we have to use PowerLine adaptors to provide a wired network connection as the wi-fi signal from our normal router is so weak. We therefore placed one of the nodes halfway along a hallway that leads to that back office, while the second node was placed in the office itself. 

Using a laptop that supported Wi-Fi 6E, we were impressed to find that the Ookla Speed Test app reported a consistent 150Mbps download speed for our laptop, which is the maximum speed provided by our office broadband. That was confirmed when using Steam to download some games onto the laptop, which again ran smoothly at 150Mbps the whole time. It's comfortably fast enough to sit among the best mesh Wi-Fi systems.

You don’t have to buy a brand new PC with Wi-Fi 6E to get those speeds either, as we also tested an older MacBook Air that only has Wi-Fi 6, and the MacBook also recorded the same 150Mbps download speeds in that office as well. Of course, not everyone will need a state-of-the-art mesh system with Wi-Fi 6E right now, but if you do have any new PCs or mobile devices that support 6E then the Velop is a good way of upgrading your home or office network with the latest wi-fi tech.

• Performance: 5 / 5 

Should you buy the Linksys Velop Pro 6E?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Linksys Velop Pro 6E: Also consider

How I tested the Linksys Velop Pro 6E

• Tested it for 3-4 days
• Used it as our main office router
• Used the Ookla Speed Test app and tested game download speeds

We pride ourselves on our independence and our rigorous review-testing process, offering up long-term attention to the products we review and making sure our reviews are updated and maintained - regardless of when a device was released, if you can still buy it, it's on our radar.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed April 2024

Netgear Nighthawk RS700S: One-minute review

Netgear originally announced the Nighthawk RS700S as its first Wi-Fi 7 router back in March 2023, although it didn’t go on sale in the US until the end of the year. What's more, the Wi-Fi Alliance that oversees the development of Wi-Fi technology didn’t officially launch the new standard until CES 2024 – under the somewhat odd label ‘Wi-Fi Certified 7’ (also known as IEEE 802.11be, for the more technically inclined). 

So, what we have with the Netgear Nighthawk RS700S is some bleeding-edge tech that makes it a shoe-in for a spot on our best WiFi router page, though not without caveats.

Unsurprisingly, the state-of-the-art RS700S is seriously expensive, with a single unit costing $699.99 in the US, and a whopping £799.99 in the UK (not to mention the additional subscriptions that Netgear tries to sell you as well). 

To be fair, Wi-Fi 7 does blow away previous generations of Wi-Fi, with the tri-band RS700S boasting a top speed of 19Gbs using the 2.4GHz, 5.0GHz, and 6.0GHz bands. Netgear also claims that it has the ability to reliably connect to 200 devices all at once, though I don't have nearly that many devices to attempt to test such a claim. 

Of course, all of this is probably overkill for most of us – especially since there aren’t many computers or mobile devices that even support Wi-Fi 7 yet - but the RS700S certainly gives us a fascinating glimpse into a future where 8K video and VR headsets and gaming are the norm. 

And, of course, Wi-Fi 7 is still backwards-compatible with older computers and mobile devices, so it will still work with your existing devices as well, but if you don't have the kind of hardware that can take advantage of the new tech, you're better off waiting until you do.

Netgear Nighthawk RS700S: Price & availability

• How much does it cost? $699.99/£799.99/AU$1499.00
• When is it available? Available now
• Where is it available? Available in the US, UK and Australia
  

There are very few Wi-Fi 7 routers currently available, so the RS700S doesn’t have many comparable rivals at any price. However, top-of-the-range Wi-Fi 6E routers such as the Asus Rapture GT-AXE11000, which runs at a still impressive 11Gbps, come in at around $400/£450/$700, so you’re paying quite a premium for the extra performance of Wi-Fi 7. It’s early days, though, so hopefully prices will begin to fall as rival manufacturers start to release their own Wi-Fi 7 routers and mesh systems throughout 2024.

Netgear Nighthawk RS700S: Specs

Netgear Nighthawk RS700S: Design

The tall, upright design and blinking lights of the RS700S are certainly eye-catching, and a departure from the winged ‘Cylon battle-cruiser’ designs of previous Nighthawk routers. 

Standing a lofty 282mm high, the slimline black pillar looks more like the monolith from 2001: A Space Odyssey, with a series of LEDs on the front panel that provide information about both wired and wireless connections. 

Netgear also claims that this upright design helps the RS700S and its eight internal antennae to more effectively transmit a Wi-Fi signal through a full 360 degrees, giving it a reach of 3,500 sq. ft (quoted as 3,000 sq. ft in some countries due to differences in national regulations).

You also get some idea of the power of the RS700S when you spot the large cooling vents on both the top and bottom panels, and a glimpse at the spec sheet reveals that the router is driven by a powerful quad-core processor running at 2.6GHz, backed up by 2GB of memory and 512MB of internal storage. 

The size of the router also leaves plenty of room for additional connectivity features, including no less than six Ethernet ports on the back panel and a USB-A port for connecting a network hard drive.

Netgear Nighthawk RS700S: Features

The ample ports give you an indication of the performance offered by the RS700S, as they include one 10 Gigabit Ethernet port for your Internet connection (via your existing broadband router or modem), along with a second 10 Gigabit port to provide a high-speed wired connection for a laptop, gaming console or other device that requires the fastest possible connection. 

There are also four Gigabit Ethernet ports for wired connections as well, with the ability to combine two ports (known as ‘link aggregation’) to provide a 2 Gigabit wired connection. 

Just as important, though, are the features provided by the Nighthawk app. It gets the basics right, walking you through the initial set-up process quickly and easily. 

To keep things simple for first-time users, the app has a Smart Connect feature that automatically connects your computers and mobile devices to the frequency band that provides the best performance in that particular room or location. 

However, you can turn this off and create separate networks for each frequency if you prefer, and also set different passwords for each network. And, for more experienced users, there’s also a web browser interface that provides more in-depth control over your network settings.

It's worth mentioning that the RS700S also includes a 12-month subscription to Netgear’s Armor security service, which can protect your network and devices from online threats such as malware and phishing websites. But, after 12 months, you’ll need to pay $99.99 per year to continue with the service. 

The RS700S also seems to be something of a work in progress, as there’s one important new feature in Wi-Fi 7, called ‘multi-link operation’ that allows devices that support Wi-Fi 7 to connect to all three frequency bands at once (rather than a single band, as is the case with previous versions of Wi-Fi). 

Netgear says that this feature will require a software update that is due in Q1 of 2024, so if you’re keen to see the full potential of Wi-Fi 7 it might be worth watching the Netgear website for updates.

Netgear Nighthawk RS700S: Performance

Even so, the RS700S still provides more than enough speed for most home and office networks. 

Even on the slower 2.4GHz band it outperforms the sluggish 85Mbps of our office router, hitting 123Mbps on the Ookla speed test for devices that are in the same room as the router. 

And, as I switch to the 5.0GHz and 6.0GHz bands, I feel as though the router is giving me the side-eye as both bands breeze along to the full 150Mbps provided by our office broadband. 

Longer, sustained downloads on Steam give the router more time to ramp up to speed and all three bands hit 150Mbps with no effort at all. Moving further away, to a back office separated by some partition walls, the Ookla test slows a little to 78Mbps when using the 2.4GHz band, while Steam downloads dip to 70Mbps. 

Even so, that’s still almost twice as fast as the 40Mbps that our normal router provides for both tests. And, needless to say, the 5.0GHz and 6.0GHz bands don’t have any trouble as I wander along the corridor to that back office, with both the Ookla and Steam tests maintaining a smooth and steady 150Mbps throughout. 

Should You Buy The Netgear Nighthawk RS700S?

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• First reviewed February 2024