I thought I might help other consumers decide on their next router so here are some of the observations I have had with the NETGEAR Nighthawk RAXE300. These pros and cons are, of course, based on the same setup I've had with my past router. The only change to my whole setup is the router.
Pros:
1. The installation process was simple as there was a guide within the Netgear Nighthawk app that helped a lot.
2. I've reached speeds, both bandwidth and ping, that I did not use to have when using my past router of a different brand even with the similar specs and features displayed on both of their boxes.
3. I have no random drops in wifi connection compared to the past router I've had.
4. I am able to maximize my gigabit connection as observed from my speedtest results. I used to have a bandwidth of ~700mbps max. Now, I can reach around ~950mbps max.
5. My ping values are very important to the quality of gameplay with the genres of games that I play. This router gave me a better ping across the board. The lowest values I have ever seen on any connection ever, the most minimal jitter I have had, no packet losses, and most importantly, the stability at which I experience these.
6. The Nighthawk app has a feature that shows which channel you are connected to and shows which channels are best to connect to. It is very simple to understand and it gives you more peace of mind that you are really getting the best connection available. I needed to download another sketchy app with my past router just to see these readings.
Cons:
1. There are some advanced settings that are only available inside the browser setup option and are not available to the Nighthawk app.
2. A bit on the pricier side if bought on a regular price. I got lucky and managed to buy at a discount.
3. It seems that the Nighthawk app has some trouble remembering your devices even with the same MAC addresses. This results in the notifications spamming you if you allowed notifications. I still need to observe this further.
4. There was an firmware update on the website but the "Check for Updates" function inside the Nighthawk app does not reflect this and I had to manually download the update. This might be a problem in the future especially to those who are not really tech savvy and is at the mercy of auto-updates.
I know there might be some updates or upgrades from the ISPs end throughout the period of my observation. Also, another detail I have to add is that I have had the RAXE300 for only a week at the time of writing. I would advise anyone who is considering to take my inputs with a pinch of salt.
Overall, I will say that I am happy that RAXE300 and I found each other!
A little long winded but I hope this helps!
