A high-speed wireless router can make all the difference when it comes to getting the most out of your connected devices. However, you don't have to pay full price; routers like Netgear's high-end Nighthawk AX5400 (RAX50) often go on sale.
It's not cheap by any means, but it's $60 less than list price, which is the price it sells for at every other store I checked (Best Buy, Walmart, Netgear's web store, etc.).
This is a Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) model, meaning it is based on the latest wireless standards. If you already have the faster Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) model and it has served you well, we do not necessarily recommend upgrading. However, if you are purchasing a new router, I would definitely recommend the Wi-Fi 6 unit.
Wi-Fi 6 is specifically designed to handle multiple connections and performs better than the previous Wi-Fi standard. It is important to note that to get the most out of your Wi-Fi 6 router, your device must also support the latest standard. Many new laptops have Wi-Fi 6 adapters, and so do smartphones.
Even if your device does not support Wi-Fi 6, this router will work just like a Wi-Fi 5 model and will not lose performance in the short term (but may improve performance in the long term).
Note that Amazon incorrectly lists this as a tri-band model (perhaps someone was misled by the built-in processor, which is a 1.5GHz tri-core chip). It is in fact a dual-band model, with a theoretical maximum speed of up to 4,800 Mbps on the 5 GHz band and 600 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band. It also has four Gigabit LAN ports and a USB 3.0 port for connecting and sharing external storage devices and printers on the network.
I have not tested this particular unit, but spent some hands-on time with the next step up, the RAX80 ($394.18 on Amazon). In my testing, the RAX80 offered outstanding performance and range, and I imagine the RAX50 will not be far behind.
For other options, check out our roundup of the best gaming routers.
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