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NETGEAR Nighthawk RAX30 Router Review

Tested using Methodology v0.8
Reviewed Jul 22, 2024 at 10:27 am
NETGEAR Nighthawk RAX30 Picture
N/A
Apartment/Condo
N/A
Multi-Level House
N/A
Speed
N/A
Range

The NETGEAR Nighthawk RAX30 is a simple dual-band Wi-Fi 6 router with 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. It's on the lower end of NETGEAR's Nighthawk lineup and has a fairly basic feature set. It has four 1 Gbps wired LAN ports and a USB 3.0 port for local file sharing. You can set it up and change its settings with the Nighthawk mobile app.

Our Verdict

N/A Apartment/Condo

The NETGEAR Nighthawk AX2400 is a decent router if you live in an apartment, condo, or single-story home. It provides fast speeds suitable for high-bandwidth activities like 4k video streaming throughout a single floor. However, it doesn't have Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) support, so you can't use the often less congested DFS-only channels. It has four 1 Gbps LAN ports and a USB 3.0 port for local file sharing.

Pros
  • Fast speeds throughout average-sized homes.
Cons
  • Wi-Fi 6 doesn't take full advantage of new Wi-Fi 6E or 7 devices.
  • Lacks DFS support, so it can't avoid more congested channels.
N/A Multi-Level House

The NETGEAR RAX30 is a decent router if you live in a multi-level home with a backyard. It provides speeds that are suitable for high-bandwidth uses like 4k video streaming throughout the whole home. Its speeds are just okay if you're far from the router or have a very large home. It has four 1 Gbps LAN ports and a USB 3.0 port for local file sharing.

Pros
  • Fast speeds throughout average-sized homes.
Cons
  • Standalone router that may have deadzones if you have a very large home.
  • Wi-Fi 6 doesn't take full advantage of new Wi-Fi 6E or 7 devices.
  • Lacks DFS support, so it can't avoid more congested channels.
N/A Speed

The NETGEAR Nighthawk AX2400 delivers good speeds suitable for an internet connection up to ~700 Mbps. Unfortunately, it lacks Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) support, so it can't use the often less congested DFS-only channels, which would help if you live in a congested wireless environment.

Pros
  • Fast speeds throughout average-sized homes.
Cons
  • Lacks DFS support, so it can't avoid more congested channels.
N/A Range

The NETGEAR RAX30 has decent range. It's a standalone router without mesh capabilities, so its speed drops linearly over distance. It's still fast enough for 4k video streaming at longer distances. If range is a priority for you, consider getting a mesh setup.

Pros
Cons
  • Standalone router that may have deadzones if you have a very large home.
  • N/A Apartment/Condo
  • N/A Multi-Level House

Performance Usages

  • N/A Speed
  • N/A Range
  1. Updated Jul 22, 2024: Review published.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

The NETGEAR Nighthawk AX2400 that we bought and tested has no variants. Here's a photo of our unit's label.

Compared To Other Routers

The NETGEAR Nighthawk AX2400 is a dual-band Wi-Fi 6 router with 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. It's a mid-range router with a fairly basic feature set without support for mesh networking, DFS, or other more advanced features. However, it does have a USB 3.0 port on its side for local file sharing.

Performance-wise, it's similar in speed to other routers in its price range. Its signal strength and speed aren't as good as those of the ASUS RT-AX3000, but it's faster overall than the TP-Link Archer AX21.

Test Results

perceptual testing image
Design
N/A
Design
Dimensions
Height
Lock" (Lock cm)
Width
Lock" (Lock cm)
Depth
Lock" (Lock cm)
Depth With Cables
Lock" (Lock cm)
N/A
Design
Network Ports
WAN Port Speed
Lock Gbps
LAN Port Count
Lock
10 Gbps Ports
Lock
2.5 Gbps Ports
Lock
1 Gbps Ports
Lock
10 Gbps Ports (SFP+)
Lock
Design
USB Ports
USB-A 3.0 Ports
Lock
USB-A 2.0 Ports
Lock
USB-C Ports
Lock
USB-C Speed
N/A
Design
In The Box

  • Ethernet cable
  • Power adapter
  • User documentation

N/A
Design
Wall/Ceiling Mount
Mount Type
Locked

This router has a pair of screw head slots on the bottom, so you can easily mount it to your wall or ceiling.

Wi-Fi
N/A
Wi-Fi
Interior Long Range
Lowest Speed
Lock Mbps
Average 5GHz Speed
Lock Mbps
Average 6GHz Speed
N/A

This is a standalone router without mesh capabilities, so the mesh satellite position line on this graph isn't applicable.

N/A
Wi-Fi
Interior Short Range
Highest Speed
Lock Mbps
Average 5GHz Speed
Lock Mbps
Average 6GHz Speed
N/A

This is a standalone router without mesh capabilities, so the mesh satellite position line on this graph isn't applicable.

N/A
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi Specifications
Wi-Fi Version
Locked
6GHz Band
Locked
Multi Band
Locked
DFS Channels
Locked
Wi-Fi Coverage
Wi-Fi Coverage
Indoor Coverage - Same Story
Wi-Fi Coverage
Indoor Coverage - 1 Story Above
Wi-Fi Coverage
Broad Coverage