Are you looking for a reputable high-speed router and will drop the extra cash to get your hands on it?
You might want to check out what the Netgear R7000 has to offer. Some of our initial reaction to the Netgear R7000 is relatively good but with some crucial issues that we would like to point out in this review.
So, how does the R7000 router fare in the grand scheme of things? Does it justify its price tag or should you look elsewhere? It’s time to find out.
Table of Contents
Features
1: Can Support up to 30 Devices
2: 1 Gigahertz Dual-Core Processor
3: AC1900 Dual-Band Speeds (600Mbps + 1,300Mbps)
4: 1,800 square feet Wi-Fi range
5: Circle App Parental Control
6: Netgear Armor Anti-Virus Ready
Design
The R7000 will take up quite a space on your desk due to its bulky and horizontal layout. This ensures that it will get absolute stability.
It also means a more significant footprint so make sure your counter has enough free space to accommodate this beast.
It features three detachable external antennas that will further expand on its overall size. However, it counters this larger frame by giving users the ability to install it onto a wall.
You will need to screw the mount to a wall, but if you don’t have enough space on your shelf or desk, then this is the next best step.
While the R7000 router uses plastic casing, it has that heft that makes it feel quite sturdy and give that premium router feel.
Since the case does not have a glossy finish, you won’t need to worry about fingerprints all over the unit.
Setup:
The Netgear R7000 is easy to set up, similar to the previous Netgear R model series.
The R7000 comes with a preset Wi-Fi network username and password that is printed under the router. Since it already comes with a preset username and password, you can plug the unit, turn it on, and connect to start accessing the internet.
You also won’t need to worry if you accidentally lose the username and password label on the router.
During the initial startup, the R7000 will automatically direct you to the Netgear Genie browser interface.
Here, you can find the necessary detail regarding your particular unit’s sign-in information. You can then decide to write it down or print it for future reference.
Changing the configuration can be done using the Netgear Genie application or through the router’s default IP address (typically, 192.168.1.1).
I do like to point out that the Netgear Genie app has a basic design and options.
If you wish to get more in-depth customization, always go for the browser interface.
Specs
- Wi-Fi Speed: AC1900 (up to 1,900Mbps) 802.11ac
- Wi-Fi Range: 1,800 sq. ft.
- Ports: 4 x 1G
- Additional Features: Beamforming+ and Smart Connect
Functionalities and Features
The R7000 comes with several features in tow for improved overall performance. For starters, it uses the AC1900 code, which means it incorporates the Broadcom BCM4708A chipset.
This chipset helps improve total throughput between 450Mbps and 600Mbps max. This is achieved via Netgear’s patented Turbo QAM technology.
You can also further boost this speed to 1,900Mbps in conjunction with a 1,300Mbps max throughput that an 802.11ac standard can deliver.
While there are other routers out there that utilize state of the art technology such as the quad-core, the Netgear R7000 features the dual-core processors.
However, the R7000 has fully optimized the attributes and potential of the dual-core processor.
The R7000’s 800MHz ARM Cortex A9 can deliver 1GHz, one of the few dual-core routers to reach this achievement.
The Wi-Fi range of the R7000 benefits greatly from Beamforming technology.
This feature allows the router to boost the signal by focusing on the connected device’s direction rather than spreading the signal on a radius.
Some of the additional features that the R7000 offers are a VPN and guest network support.
Users can also set up their personalized free URL for use with a personal FTP server. The R7000 comes with 256MB of RAM and 128 flash memory storage.
Nothing groundbreaking here, but it will provide a stable and reliable performance nonetheless.
While the R7000 sounds like a well-oiled machine, it does come with some shortcomings.
One such example of its weakness is with its single USB 2.0 port. This prevents the R7000 to be used as a bridge and will not be able to offer Cloud access support.
This is a considerable drawback as most of the current router models have these features built-in.
Overall, the Netgear R7000 comes with all the necessary features with some extra functionalities thrown in for good measure.
It is important to note that this is a dated model so don’t expect it to be on par with some of the current-gen routers today. This is still a pretty good and reliable all things considered.
Pros
Cons
Conclusion
While the Netgear R7000 is a bit dated now, it is still quite a robust router and can keep up with some of the current-gen routers.
For its current price, I would always recommend the Netgear R7000 to this day.
While it won’t come with some of the newer router features, it will be able to handle itself well if you are looking for an excellent 802.11ac router.
While the R7000 might have been dropped as Netgear’s flagship model, it is easy to see why it was chosen in the first place.
This is one old lion that can still deliver a thunderous roar and will still deliver solid performance to this day.