RS100 Nighthawk WiFi 7 Router 3.6Gbps Netgear Review

DISCLOSURE -THIS ITEM WAS GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW. ALL THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS ARE THE REVIEWER’S OWN.

Reviewed by Helen O

I was looking to replace my home router with a new Wi-Fi 7 model so jumped at the opportunity to test out and review the RS100 Nighthawk Wi-Fi 7 Dual-Band Router (up to 3.6Gbps) from Netgear.

It arrived in a sturdy cardboard box and was wrapped in cellophane. First impressions were that it looked like a premium product and I couldn’t wait to get it open to see what was inside. I loved the fact that there was so much information on the box, detailing the key features of the product, including that:

– it operates up to 3.6Gbps
– it has up to 135m2 (1,500 sq. ft) coverage
– it can support up to 50 devices
– it is backward compatible (meaning it can work with older Wi-Fi devices)
– it has 1 x 2.5Gbps internet port and 4 x Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports

This is the dual band model capable of 3.6Gbps on Wi-Fi 7 5Ghz it has 1x 2.5Gbps WAN port and 4x 1Gbps LAN Ports. This means you would need to be connected via the Wi-Fi to achieve the top speeds from your WAN connection.

When I opened the box, I found:
– 1 x Wi-Fi 7 Dual-Band Router (RS100)
– 1 x 2m Ethernet cable
– 1 x Power adapter (with European and UK plug options)
– 1 x Quick start guide

The router comes in a matt black finish and is compact in size, blending in well with most TVs/ entertainment systems, which is a bonus in my opinion, as you don’t necessarily want it taking centre stage. It also has built-in antennas, which adds to the sleek design.

In terms of set-up, it was fairly straightforward; once I had connected it up, I had the option of scanning the QR code on the setup guide to aid effortless set-up by downloading the app or you have the option to connect to the Wi-Fi on the device and browse to the default IP of http://192.168.1.1 and run through the setup via a browser.

There are various functionalities of the Nighthawk app, which makes it easy to manage the router, see who’s connected, review Netgear Armor Alerts, test and review the Wi-Fi performance and track data usage. Not to mention, changing your password and creating a guest network, if you so wish.

I had no issues connecting to the Wi-Fi but ran into issues connecting the router to my WAN connection. My Fibre Provider Uses DHCP and requires that a VLAN is configured on the WAN interface which this Netgear device doesn’t support. This seems like a big oversight as many of the UK fibre providers use this method. Instead I was able to test the device by connecting the WAN port to my existing router and used the router like an access point which still gave me all the benefits of the Wi-Fi 7.

We have a well sized 4 bedroomed house and it was important to me to be able to connect to the Wi-Fi from anywhere in the house and I was able to see the SSID and still browse websites from all parts of the house, however, the speed difference was significant (about a 10th of the speed) when I was in a different room from where the router was located.

The Router is designed for gaming, smooth streaming, video conferencing and entertainment. I really enjoy 1st person shooters and low latency is key to this kind of gaming. Even though the RS100 is the lowest priced Wi-Fi 7 router that Netgear currently manufacture, in this respect it didn’t disappoint. I didn’t get any drops in performance and the small router handled the traffic reasonably well.

We stream all our TV and again had no issues with any buffering even when streaming 4K even though the speed on the Wi-Fi is 3.6Gbp. We also have a very Wi-Fi active house with CCTV, multiple computers, smart phones and other smart devices so the fact the router supported 50 devices was a good fit with plenty of capacity for the future.

In today’s world privacy and security are becoming evermore important and Netgear boasts that this router has advanced security features enabled out of the box. The router comes with Netgear Armor enabled with a 30 day trial. The product scours your network security, scans your devices for vulnerabilities and blocks malicious URL’s to name a few of the features. This was all enabled whilst not blocking services and or content that I did want to access.

The RRP of the RS100 Dual-Band Router is £129.99, however, there are some deals out there from retailers other than direct from Netgear. Although, if you sign up to receive Netgear emails, you can unlock 10% off your first order. I think the RRP is pretty reasonable for a piece of kit, such as this.

The router comes with a 2-year limited warranty and 90-day complimentary technical support (if purchased from an authorised Netgear reseller), which is worth having, should you encounter any problems covered by the warranty or have any teething problems.

All in all the router is great value for money its features are limited but it does everything the majority of households require at great speeds while keeping your connection secure. Depending on compatibility with your internet service provider (ISP), I’d recommend the product for gamers, as it’s good value for money and a decent piece of kit for compatible services.

Rating: 4/5

RRP: £129.99 although there are some cheaper deals out there.

For more infromation or to buy direct, visit www.netgear.com