NETGEAR unveils all-new tri-band Nighthawk RS700, the ‘first Wi-Fi 7 capable router’

While we’re starting to see more and more Wi-Fi 6E routers from all the usual brands, some others are looking forward to the next big thing. One such brand is NETGEAR, as it is now unveiling “the first Wi-Fi 7 router,” the Nighthawk RS700. While this new Wi-Fi standard is not officially finalized, NETGEAR is still ready to bring it to your home as soon as possible. Wi-Fi 7 brings 320MHz channel bandwidths which will greatly increase data throughput and allow for theoretical 40Gb/s wireless internet. If you like to be on the bleeding edge of technology, you can pre-order the Nighthawk RS700 today, and it will be shipping in the next few months. Keep reading below the fold to learn more about this router.

What is Wi-Fi 7?

Even though it seems like Wi-Fi 6E routers are still brand new, we’ve been seeing routers ship with support for the standard since 2020. Now, NETGEAR is showing off its latest creation with support for the next standard. But what even is Wi-Fi 7? Without getting too technical, Wi-Fi 7 opens up the digital floodgates with 320MHz channel bandwidths, double those available through Wi-Fi 6/6E. This, alongside the recently opened 6GHz spectrum, will lead to theoretical peak data rates of over 40Gb/s, a 4x increase over Wi-Fi 6E. Wi-Fi 7 also introduces multiple multi-link options, the most powerful of which is High-Band Simultaneous Multi-Link, which takes your 5GHz and 6GHz radios and forms a single, aggregated network so you receive optimal performance at all times. You can read up more on what’s new with Wi-Fi 7.

Now that we’ve discussed what’s up with WI-Fi 7, let’s get into the details of the NETGEAR Nighthawk RS700 router. This model will come with 2.4, 5, and 6GHz radios with full backwards compatibility from Wi-Fi 7. You can keep your low-data rate devices, such as smart home sensors, down on your 2.4GHz band and reserve the 5 and 6GHz spectrums for your phones, computers, consoles, and more. That High-Band Simultaneous Multi-Link mentioned previously will also be supported by the RS700 so your Wi-Fi 7 capable devices have the best wireless internet. The single unit can cover a home up to 3,500-square feet with wireless speeds of up to 19Gb/s across 200 concurrent devices. The WAN port on this router supports 10GbE connections from your ISP, and there is even a single 10GbE LAN port so you can achieve full speed on your desktop, assuming your PC is properly equipped. Outside of those incredible speeds, you’ll have four regular, gigabit Ethernet ports for connecting various other hardwired devices.

Availability

The all-new NETGEAR Nighthawk RS700 Wi-Fi 7 Tri-Band Router is now available for pre-order directly from NETGEAR at an MSRP of $699.99. It is expected to begin shipping in the US in Q2 2023. The NETGEAR page currently says the router will be shipped by May 26, with free shipping and returns. While it is not currently available through NETGEAR’s Amazon store, I’m willing to bet it will be once units begin shipping. So be sure to keep checking back if that’s where you would prefer to order the router.

Electronicsforward’ Take:

I had no idea Wi-Fi 7 was this close to being public. I just got used to Wi-Fi 6E being a thing, and now this new standard is looking to blow it out of the water in terms of throughput and raw speeds. While it’s always great to see companies jumping to new standards, it will be a while before your phone and computers start supporting Wi-Fi 7. Even flagship mobile handsets right now have only just started supporting Wi-Fi 6E.

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