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
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.
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Fast speeds throughout average-sized homes.
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Wi-Fi 6 doesn't take full advantage of new Wi-Fi 6E or 7 devices.
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Lacks DFS support, so it can't avoid more congested channels.
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.
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Fast speeds throughout average-sized homes.
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Standalone router that may have deadzones if you have a very large home.
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Wi-Fi 6 doesn't take full advantage of new Wi-Fi 6E or 7 devices.
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Lacks DFS support, so it can't avoid more congested channels.
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.
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Fast speeds throughout average-sized homes.
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Lacks DFS support, so it can't avoid more congested channels.
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.
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Standalone router that may have deadzones if you have a very large home.
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.
For more recommendations, check out the best Wi-Fi 6 routers, the best Wi-Fi routers, or the best routers for streaming.
Test Results
This router has a pair of screw head slots on the bottom, so you can easily mount it to your wall or ceiling.
This is a standalone router without mesh capabilities, so the mesh satellite position line on this graph isn't applicable.
This is a standalone router without mesh capabilities, so the mesh satellite position line on this graph isn't applicable.
