Review: Can Netgear's cheapest Wi-Fi 7 router fix your internet woes?

News.com.au

28-07-2025

Does a router really make a difference in speeding up your internet within your home?
It's a question I've often asked, especially while watching the wheel of death as YouTube videos were loading or Netflix streams died.
Our internet connection at home is normally pretty good.
But in recent times, it seems to have got worse, particularly after the rain or other weather events.
And of course with so many devices connected in homes these days, everyone is trying to get a little bit of the bandwidth love.
So when I got the opportunity to review Netgear's most affordable Wi-Fi 7 router, the Nighthawk RS100, I thought why not.
At $259 it's definitely one of the more affordable solutions for people wanting faster connections of devices across the home, especially for those who have deadspots.
It promises speeds of up to 3.6 GPS for gaming, smoother streaming and video conferencing.
Did I notice a huge increase in speed?
Yes and no.
In my weeks of testing, I generally found my internet more stable and yes there was less buffering.
But truth be told, the biggest increase came when I saw I could get a better internet speed from my provider for about $10 a month.
That difference was surprisingly better than I thought it would be given I had pretty decent internet, most of the time.
So what are the benefits of getting a router?
In general, while a router won't increase your internet speed from your provider, it can optimise its performance in the home.
That's especially the case when you have multiple devices connected at the same time.
And with more powerful antennas, or mesh networking capabilities with better, more expensive systems, they can extend Wi-Fi range, eliminating dead spots in larger homes.
Dual-band and tri-band routers also offer more channels and frequencies to avoid interference.
Importantly, they can also offer better protection against hacking attempts.
The Nighthawk RS100 is good for up to 185m2 of 360-degree WI-FI coverage.
Netgear says its Armor software provides an automatic shield of security for your Wi-Fi and connected devices for real-time protection against hackers and added privacy with VPN.
It was pleasantly reassuring to see on the Netgear app that there had been no threats on our connections during testing.
You get a 30 day trial with the router and if you think there's value in it, you can subscribe for about $99 a year, which includes a VPN service.
A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, creates a secure, encrypted connection between your device and the internet, masking your IP address.
It allows you to bypass geographic restrictions and access content as if you were in another location, which is a particularly popular use to get around streaming restrictions.
How easy is it to set up a router?
Out of the box, the Netgear router is easy to set up.
You simply download the Nighthawk app, scan the QR code on the router and it will take you through the set up process which includes plugging it into your existing modem with the cords provided.
I made a mistake with the cords I connected and it quickly identified that, advising me to check I had plugged them into the right spots.
The whole process took about 30 minutes, which included rebooting and updating the router.
Then of course you have to go around to the various devices you use and make sure you switch over to the Netgear connection to ensure the benefits.
I was hoping I might be able to give some devices greater preference in terms of bandwidth – for example my work computer vs. my son's gaming needs, but that option wasn't available. There also no parental controls via the app that I could see.
The router supports just the 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz frequency bands, omitting the higher-speed 6.0GHz band, so if you are right into gaming, you might want to go for the next models up.
But if you have an older modem, you certainly should see some decent improvements.
If space is an issue, one of the benefits of the RS100 model is it is smaller than others in the range, standing at 184mm high, 66mm wide and 122mm deep. It's certainly a lot smaller than my existing modem.
The RS100 has a 2.5Gb Ethernet port for your broadband connection (WAN), along with four Gigabit Ethernet ports to provide wired (LAN) connections for a PC or games console if required.
The app is easy to use and will show you things like your internet speed and the history of your speed.
So is it worth it? At $259, it could be a reasonable costing solution to improving your connections throughout the house.
But if you are looking for more advanced features like parental controls, you will need to look at other routers, or do it via your owns phones.