Netgear Nighthawk XR1000 Review: Good, But Far From Great

Netgear makes things interesting for hardcore gamers by bringing the latest wireless standards and powerful hardware to the Nighthawk XR1000. The sophistication of ping map and geo-fencing is bound to give you a competitive edge in the gaming arena. And there is more reason for users to like the new outlook of DumaOS 3.0.

Does the lack of a 2.5 Gbps internet port and an additional 5 GHz band at about $260 justify it? Does it deliver reliable performance and turn out as a worthy investment? Let’s find out through this in-depth Netgear XR1000 review.

Netgear Nighthawk XR1000 Specs

XR500 vs XR700 vs XR1000: Key Differences

Wondering how Netgear Nighthawk pro gaming XR1000 differs from its predecessors, XR500 and XR700? Here you go!

Netgear XR1000 Review: 2 Weeks Later

Having Astound Broadband’s Gigabit connection along with Netgear CM1100 cable modem allowed me to put the XR1000 gaming router to the test. The setup ran for two weeks, taking care of the internet requirements of a medium-sized house with 3 gaming enthusiasts.

Let’s analyze its performance across different parameters in the Nighthawk XR1000 review below.

1. Wireless Speeds & Suitability

It was easy to witness the difference in performance and the advantages of the latest Wi-Fi 6 standards. An aggregated bandwidth of 5400 Mbps which boils down to dual-band frequency as follows:

A 1 Gigabit internet plan from cable ISPs like Xfinity, Optimum, Spectrum, and Cox will be ideal for getting the most out of the Netgear Nighthawk XR1000 WiFi 6 gaming router.

With Astound 1 Gbps service plan, the download speeds hit 896 Mbps, while uploads peaked at 42 Mbps within 10 feet of the router on the 5GHz band.

Moving further away to approximately 50 feet, with a wall separating the router, my MacBook Air M1 was clocking downloads and uploads at 672 Mbps and 33 Mbps, respectively. At 80 feet away, speeds only dropped by 30-35%.

On the 2.4GHz band, downloads peaked at 512 Mbps, and uploads peaked at 39 Mbps within 10 feet of the router. At 50 feet away from the speeds dropped by roughly 40%. These are great speeds any dual-band router can offer.

The freedom to switch servers while playing FIFA and Call of Duty substantially reduced the ping and improved the gaming experience. A drop in latency was apparent and would be the most desired feature among hardcore gamers. The router pulled through all the multiplayer gaming sessions and instances of binge-watching.

2. WiFi Coverage & Devices Capacity

With 4 adjustable beamforming antennas, XR1000 from Netgear claims to be a router best suited for a 2,500 Sq Ft house. But in a real-world scenario, it could blanket an area of over 2,200 Sq Ft at a stretch.

That said, streaming videos at the furthest end of the balcony is something I cherish, and the XR1000 had enough signal strength to pull through.

Networking technologies like OFDMA and MU-MIMO turned out to be handy, with three heavy streaming devices hogging the internet. The buffer-less streaming didn’t deny anyone the comfort of streaming in their rooms.

While testing and reviewing Netgear XR1000, I had over 26 devices connected to the network. With three smart TVs, a PS 5, and a slew of tablets, smartphones, and smart home gadgets, I didn’t notice any sign of hiccups or performance loss.

3. Design & Wired Connectivity

Sharing the design of its former gaming routers, the XR1000 doesn’t sport fancy lights. It comes in a red and black, angled body with huge ventilation on the back and underneath, a necessity for gaming routers. It leaves a large footprint at 11.61 x 7.87 x 2.51 inches but feels light at 1.32 pounds for its imposing demeanor.

One of the four-gigabit ethernet ports went to the PS5, and the download and upload speeds maxed out at 920 and 55 Mbps, respectively. A massive improvement over the wireless mode. There is a USB 3.0 port on the rear for sharing network storage devices and printers. The ethernet ports were easy to plug in and out without disturbing the whole setup.

4. Security Features

Moving further in the Netgear Nighthawk AX5400 review, the latest WPA 3 standards keep your connections encrypted.

The traffic controller Rapp is an effective alternative to parental controls. It allows you to control access based on applications and categories. The lack of website filters or time-based controls was a letdown, considering the sophisticated design of Duma OS.

A paid subscription to Netgear Armor will bring you additional features like vulnerability assessment, intrusion prevention, comprehensive parental features, and blocking malicious content powered by Bitdefender. An essential value addition if you run a bunch of smart home gadgets.

5. Netgear Nighthawk XR1000 Setup

Like other Netgear routers, the installation was a breeze with both the mobile and portal-based options. With a well-designed DumaOS 3.0, setting up Netgear Nighthawk XR1000 AX5400 was easy. In less than 10 minutes, it was up and running.

DumaOS brings a flexible QoS and network monitoring tool to take management to the next level, but the buggy interface has room for improvement. While DumaOS doesn’t have a mobile version, the Nighthawk App allows you to control the internet, even when you are away from home. A handy feature with kids at home.

Create guest networks, turn on/off the internet, access usage reports, and allow/block access to devices when you are on the go.

6. Hardware & Other Features

A heavy DumaOS 3.0 was a bit too demanding on the Broadcom BCM6750 tri-core processor, which can clock at 1.5 GHz. An additional core would have made the experience seamless, justifying the high price tag. The 512MB RAM and 256 MB storage seemed just adequate.

The hardware heated quickly with multiple instances of 4K streaming. In other usage scenarios, the XR1000 remained stable with no hassle.

What I Like & Dislike

Pros

• Wi-Fi 6 standard
• Gamers-friendly Duma OS
• Powerful hardware configuration
• Geo-Fencing & Ping heat map
• Lag-free gaming experience
• 160 MHz channel support

Cons

• No multi-gigabit port
• No tri-band support
• Paid advanced security

Frequently Asked Questions

Verdict

The advanced Ping heat map and geo-fencing features are top-of-the-tier. The higher price tag might keep the non-gamers away, but it has sufficient justification for the gaming experience it offers. A great value addition for hardcore gamers.

Netgear Nighthawk XR1000 (AX5400)

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