With extreme speed and coverage, the Netgear Nighthawk RS700 gives us an early look at the future of wireless connectivity. It’s among the first routers to feature Wi-Fi 7 technology, and it launches this spring for $700. Pre-orders open today.

The Wi-Fi 7 standard (802.11be) delivers theoretical speeds of at least 30GBps—about three times faster than Wi-Fi 6 or 6E (9.6GBps) and nearly ten times faster than Wi-Fi 5 (3.5GBps). It’s the future of wireless technology, especially in multi-device households that demand a high bandwidth with minimal interference. (These are just theoretical speeds. Real-world speeds are often much slower.)

Netgear’s first Wi-Fi 7 router, the Nighthawk RS700, is rated for a 19Gbps combined throughput, which is fantastic. It features a tri-band design (for 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz connectivity) and has four gigabit LAN jacks with link aggregation. Plus, there’s a multi-gig WAN port and a super-fast 10Gbps LAN jack (which may be overkill, as ISPs don’t offer 10Gbps internet yet).

This router also offers Multi-Link Operation—compatible devices can utilize multiple Wi-Fi bands (5GHz and 6GHz, for example) to improve speed and reliability. Multi-Link Operation is exclusive to Wi-Fi 7 and is designed for next-gen technology like VR, remote work, and cloud desktops.

Of course, I can’t ignore the Nighthawk RS700’s design. While previous Nighthawk routers look like big plastic spiders, the RS700 is just a black cylinder. It looks a bit like a Bluetooth speaker. Presumably, this is the ideal design for the RS700’s upgraded 360-degree antenna system, even if it’s a bit bland.

The Netgear Nighthawk RS700 launches this spring for $700. You can pre-order the router today at Netgear’s website—that said, I suggest waiting for prices to fall. Once there’s a bit of competition in the Wi-Fi 7 market, these next-gen routers should be a lot more affordable.

Netgear Nighthawk RS700

Netgear’s first Wi-Fi 7 router features speeds up to 19Gbps and a maximum range of 3,500 square feet. It’s a significant upgrade over existing routers.

Source: Netgear