NETGEAR

Nighthawk AC2600 Smart WiFi Router (R7450)

NETGEAR Nighthawk AC2600 Smart WiFi Router (R7450)

Running these analyses costs money. Buy through my links to help keep lights on! I may get a small commission.

Overall

#222 in

WiFi Routers

according to Reddit Icon Reddit

Sentiment score100% positive
2
0
0
Last updated: Jun 20, 2026

Reddit Reviews

Reddit Icongoofust
7 months ago

I suggest a Flint 2, or some other openwrt compatible unit. I have a Netgear R7450, that is my older gateway router, flashed with gargoyle (openwrt), that does access restrictions with no problems. Apparently, nowadays to get that kind of granular control, Netgear wants you to pay for their services application.

Reddit Icons71n6r4y
2 months ago

In terms of hardware, if that's the Walmart model aka Netgear R7450 (probably), then IMO it's probably still adequate in terms of hardware today. The main problem is the manufacturer's unfortunate decision to stop supplying firmware updates. You might consider flashing OpenWRT or DD-WRT on it and just continuing to use it (but now with more features). If you're in the US it's not an ideal time to buy an off the shelf router TBH. The looming foreign router ban is shaking things up. OTOH if you are buying one, Netgear is the first company AFAIK to get their exemption for the new law. As for RS200 vs RS300, the latter adds a third 6 GHz WiFi band. It's probably only worth it if you have devices with 6 GHz WiFi support (WiFi 6E / WiFi 7) and also you are concerned about congestion in the 5 GHz band.

End of reviews

Top WiFi Routers on Reddit

1
GL.iNet GL-MT6000 (Flint 2)

GL.iNet

GL-MT6000 (Flint 2)

91% positive of 200 users

OpenWrt enthusiast's choice; good value, but lacks 6GHz.

$139 Amazon
2
Ubiquiti Dream Router 7

Ubiquiti

Dream Router 7

84% positive of 231 users

Advanced management, but limited Wi-Fi 7 range, SFP+ issues.

$279 Amazon
3
Ubiquiti Dream Machine Series

Ubiquiti

Dream Machine Series

89% positive of 98 users

Comprehensive control, stable for large homes, but slow support.

$295 onwards Amazon
4
Ubiquiti UniFi Dream Router (UDR)

Ubiquiti

UniFi Dream Router (UDR)

92% positive of 79 users

Modular, user-friendly, but tricky advanced setup, poor penetration.

$349 Amazon
5
GL.iNet Beryl AX (GL-MT3000)

GL.iNet

Beryl AX (GL-MT3000)

90% positive of 73 users

Travel king, versatile, OpenWrt, but bulky power adapter.

$86 Amazon

Rankings by Use Case

Other Reddit Recommendations:

FAQs