2013 saw the release of two of the fastest and most sophisticated home routers to date – the Asus RT-AC68U and the Netgear Nighthawk R7000. We have already focused on each router in separate reviews, but this is a comparison between both of these groundbreaking routers. A comparison between each router’s features, as well as answering one very important question in the Netgear Nighthawk R7000 vs Asus RT-AC68U debate – Which router is fastest ?
Asus RT-AC68U AC1900 Router
Asus’s flagship router, with up to 1.9Gbps theoretical data rates. This is the follow-up to the popular RT-AC66U release of 2012.
>>>Full Asus RT-AC68U Review<<<
Netgear Nighthawk R7000 Router
The Netgear Nighthawk also has theoretical data rates of 1.9Gbps. Netgear’s flagship router promised the best results for online gamers and video streamers alike.
>>>Full Netgear Nighthawk Router Review<<<
Both routers are priced in the same range – around $200. For this kind of money, it’s only natural that potential buyers are going to research long and hard before they make the all important decision of choosing the right router. It’s not like we’re talking sub $50 Wireless N budget routers. You want to get the best value for your money – that’s perfectly normal, and we will do our best to flesh out the important bits for you to chew over before making the decision.
Key Features That Both Routers Share
Ultra-Fast WiFi
Both the RT-AC68U and the Nighthawk have the latest Broadcom chipsets.
Better Coverage
Beamforming technology used.
Dual Core CPU’s
The Nighthawk has a 1GHz CPU, whereas the Asus RT-AC68U has an 800MHz CPU – both CPU’s are dual core.
USB 3.0 Ports
USB 3.0 is a must on an AC router. Both routers have one USB 3.0 port, with a second USB 2.0 slot. We advise using the USB 2.0 for printing as 2.0 doesn’t really have what it takes in the era of Wireless AC networking.
Quality of Service
QoS is now becoming pretty much the ‘norm’. Of course, both the Asus & Netgear flagship routers ship with Quality of Service.
Adjustable External Antennas
By moving the omni-directional antennas to an angle best suited to the dynamics of your home and position of your wireless network devices, you can increase the speed and stability of your Wi-Fi flows. Both the RT-AC68U and the Nighthawk have 3 external antennas, that can all be adjusted. Make sure they are directed at different angles, so that more of your home is covered by Wi-Fi correctly.
Multiple Wireless Networks
Although both routers have multiple SSID’s (Wi-Fi networks), the Asus has up to 6 networks, whereas the Netgear just has the one extra ‘Guest’ network. Having only one extra SSID will probably be enough for most people. In fact most people just need one network, but at least with the Asus you have the option to have many multiple networks.
Netgear Nighthawk R7000 vs Asus RT-AC68U – Overall Conclusion
You know what? It’s impossible to say which one is better. Each router has certain features that will suit some people more than others, and as you can see above, both routers share a multitude of features with each other which do much the same as each other.
On the AC speedtests though, the Nighthawk R7000 just gets pipped by the RT-AC68U, but by very little.
You can’t really go wrong with either router. But hey, maybe your decision will come down to looks? If it does, then as far as we’re concerned, the Netgear “B2 Stealth Bomber” Nighthawk is the clear winner!
Alternative Wireless AC Routers
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