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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
7.2
Apartment/Condo
7.2
Multi-Level House
7.7
Speed
7.0
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

7.2 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.
7.2 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.
7.7 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.
7.0 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.
  • 7.2 Apartment/Condo
  • 7.2 Multi-Level House

Performance Usages

  • 7.7 Speed
  • 7.0 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
7.2
Design
Dimensions
Height
6.18" (15.7 cm)
Width
9.29" (23.6 cm)
Depth
8.03" (20.4 cm)
Depth With Cables
9.45" (24.0 cm)
7.1
Design
Network Ports
WAN Port Speed
1.0 Gbps
LAN Port Count
4
10 Gbps Ports
0
2.5 Gbps Ports
0
1 Gbps Ports
5
10 Gbps Ports (SFP+)
0
Design
USB Ports
USB-A 3.0 Ports
1
USB-A 2.0 Ports
0
USB-C Ports
0
USB-C Speed
N/A
Design
In The Box

  • Ethernet cable
  • Power adapter
  • User documentation

8.0
Design
Wall/Ceiling Mount
Mount Type
Screw Head Slot

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
7.0
Wi-Fi
Interior Long Range
Lowest Speed
111 Mbps
Average 5GHz Speed
252 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.

7.8
Wi-Fi
Interior Short Range
Highest Speed
672 Mbps
Average 5GHz Speed
524 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.

6.3
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi Specifications
Wi-Fi Version
Wi-Fi 6 (ax)
6GHz Band
No
Multi Band
Dual Band (2.4 / 5)
DFS Channels
No
Wi-Fi Coverage
Wi-Fi Coverage
Indoor Coverage - Same Story
Wi-Fi Coverage
Indoor Coverage - 1 Story Above
Wi-Fi Coverage
Broad Coverage