Netgear XR500 Gaming Router Review & Comments

[Greg Hook]

We take a look at Netgear's top end £240 XR500 Gaming Router featuring their fully customisable DumaOS gaming dashboard.
Read the review.

Write your own review for Netgear XR500 Gaming Router

 

[GreyMutton]

So other than the room directly above the router, it really wasn't much better than the homehub. Doesn't look like it's worth the money to me.

Also, I think these tests should be run with things like smart TVs running, phones on, laptops etc to more accurately reflect real world usage.

Good review though

 

[Mister_Tad]

From what I can make out all of the capabilities of this netgear are pretty standard fare for any router worth it's salt, and Netgear just put's a "gaming" marketing spin on it... Any other router has a VPN client, this one has a gaming VPN client...

I think more relevant competition at this (frankly batpoo crazy) price range is SOHO "real" networking separates - you could pick up a Unifi USG or Draytek Vigor, Unifi AP (Nano-HD, AC Pro, AC LR etc) and a 5-8 port gigabit switch for around the same £250. Although in all likelihood just the AP would resolve the vast majority of typical complaints with the "router", being the wireless range/speed alone.

Granted the setup pages may look a bit scarier (and nowhere near as l33t), but for home use figuring it out is a trivial google search away.

 

[Greg Hook]

So other than the room directly above the router, it really wasn't much better than the homehub. Doesn't look like it's worth the money to me.

Also, I think these tests should be run with things like smart TVs running, phones on, laptops etc to more accurately reflect real world usage.

Good review though

Thanks. Yes, it really wasn't much better than my Homehub.
I also did do the tests with everything else on in the house and didn't notice much of a difference.

 

[bogart99]

Seems odd to me that it is give a score of 7 as it scores 50 over the 6 categories so should it not be given a 8?

 

[Greg Hook]

Seems odd to me that it is give a score of 7 as it scores 50 over the 6 categories so should it not be given a 8?

Just my personal opinion. If you feel it deserves an 8 that's all good.
It depends how much weight you place on each category.

 

[stevelup]

This has been asked many many times. The final score is subjective not mathematical.

 

[stevelup]

Crossed post, but I think we sort of said the same thing!

 

[Abacus]

The latest Home Hub always comes out good in tests; however your results are a disaster for a Netgear product (Although they have produced 1 or 2 stinkers in the past) and unless it was faulty it should be avoided like the plague.

Bill

 

[hd3d]

Hmmm... I think most people have a Problem with their: Location/Room: 3 and 4

 

[psychopomp1]

Or people could save their pennies and go for the Netgear R7800 (around £130 from Amazon) which is a superb router for the money (rated the #1 router on SNB forum for wifi range). The XR500 is basically the R7800 + Duma 'gaming' OS bolted on.

 

[Zigourney]

might as well stick with the BT supplied home hub lol

 

[LX200GPS]

Any chance of a review of BT's Whole Home in the foreseeable?

 

[Graphicalman]

5G will render all these products obsolete within the next few years!

 

[Greg Hook]

Any chance of a review of BT's Whole Home in the foreseeable?

If we can find a review sample, then hopefully yes!

 

[V6CMG]

I got this for gaming on xbox one x ( started on xbox one) to stop the lagging on call of duty...for me its works well not all the time if servers full...i was getting that much lag i could not play call of duty 90% of the time...

 

[mickevh]

I suspect that's the "point" of so called "gaming" routers - I'd think they probably have some traffic shaping/prioritisation mechanism to give priority to the "gaming" traffic - though don't ask me how they discern one type of traffic from another - that's the "hard" part.

 

[V6CMG]

If you go on the netduma site Netduma R1 - the Ultimate Gaming Router - Home
it will show how it works...