Asus RT-AXE7800 vs Netgear RAXE300: One Is a Solid Winner

Asus RT-AXE7800 vs Netgear RAXE300: One Is a Solid Winner

This is the Asus RT-AXE7800 vs Netgear RAXE300 matchup I promised in the review of the former.

Asus’s latest Wi-Fi 6E router is the answer to the Netgear’s counterpart, whether or not anyone wants to admit it. Sharing the exact same Wi-Fi specs and processing power, the two seem to be cut from the same cloth. Or are they?

There are a lot of similarities between the two, but yet, they can’t be any more different. Let’s drive in!

Asus RT-AXE7800 vs Netgear RAXE300: Though smaller in physical size, the firmware has everything the latter has and much more.
Asus RT-AXE7800 vs Netgear RAXE300: The former is small enough to fit on top of the latter, with room to spare.

Asus RT-AXE7800 vs Netgear RAXE300: One gives the other a good run for its money

The RT-AXE7800 and the RAXE300 are two eye-catching Wi-Fi routers. One looks like a spaceship, and the other, well, a dead spider, but in a cool way.

While I love the RAXE300 for its excellent appearance, the RT-AXE7800 is much more practical. It’s more compact, lighter, and wall-mount-ready right out of the box.

In many ways, the two represent Asus and Netgear, respectively, in designs and Wi-Fi approaches. And in that sense, the RT-AXE7800 shares the good and the bad of the RAXE300. And then, it has a bit more. Actually, a whole lot more.

Asus RT AXE7800 Router Top FrontNetgear RAXE300 Nighthawk Wi Fi 6E router 1 6
Asus RT-AXE7800 vs Netgear RAXE300: The Netgear is larger and more sleek-looking than the Asus.

With that, let’s pitch them against each other in the hardware specs.

Asus RT-AXE7800 vs Netgear RAXE300: Hardware specifications

Asus RT AXE7800 Router Antennas Up Netgear RAXE300 Nighthawk Wi Fi 6E router 1 5
Asus AXE7800 Tri-band Wi-Fi 6E Router Netgear Nighthawk
8-Stream AXE7800
Tri-Band Wi-Fi 6E Router
Model Asus RT-AXE7800 Netgear RAXE300
Wi-Fi Technology Tri-Band AXE7800 Tri-Band AXE7800
First Band 2.4GHz 2×2 Wi-Fi 6 
Up to 574Mbps
(20/40MHz)
2.4GHz 2×2 Wi-Fi 6 
Up to 574Mbps
(20/40MHz)
Second Band 5GHz 4×4 Wi-Fi 6
Up to 4804Mbps
(20/40/80/160MHz)
5GHz 4×4 Wi-Fi 6
Up to 4804Mbps
(20/40/80/160MHz)
Third Band 6GHz 2×2 Wi-Fi 6E
Up to 2402Mbps
(20/40/80/160MHz)
6GHz 2×2 Wi-Fi 6E
Up to 2402Mbps
(20/40/80/160MHz)
Backward Compatibility 802.11a/b/g/n/ac 802.11a/b/g/n/ac
AP Mode Yes Yes
Mesh-ready Yes
(AiMesh)
No
Gigabit Network Port 1 x WAN/LAN
3 x LAN
1x WAN/WAN
4x LAN
Multi-Gig Network Port 1x 2.5Gbps LAN/WAN 1x 2.5Gbps LAN/WAN
LAN Link Aggregation Yes Yes 
WAN Link Aggregation Yes No
Dual-WAN Yes No
USB 1 x USB 3.0
(USB-A)
1x USB 3.0
(USB-C)
Mobile App Asus Router Netgear Nighthawk
Processing Power 1.7GHz quad-core CPU, 
256MB Flash, 512MB RAM
1.7GHz quad-core CPU, 
256MB Flash, 512MB RAM
Dimensions  9.57 x 8.78 x 6.1 in
(24.3 x 22.3 x 15.5 cm)
11.86 x 8.16 x 3.23 in
(30.13 x 20.79 x 8.2 cm)
Weight 2.28 lbs (1.33 kg) 2.23 lb (1.01kg)
Firmware Version
(at review)
3.0.0.4.388_21593 1.0.4.52_1
Power Input 100-240V 100-120V
Power Consumption
(per 24 hours)
≈ 185 Wh 200Wh
Release Date September 2022 January 2022
Price
(at publication)
$329.99 $399.99
Netgear Wi-Fi 6E routers’ hardware specifications: RAXE300 vs RAXE500
Asus RT AXE7800 Router PortsNetgear RAXE300 Nighthawk Wi Fi 6E router 1 2
Asus RT-AXE7800 vs Netgear RAXE300: The latter has one more Gigabit LAN port than the former. Whether or not that’s enough to justify its much bulkier physical size depends on your taste and usage.

Asus RT-AXE7800 vs Netgear RAXE300: Better firmware for the win

The two are almost identical in hardware specs.

Both are Tri-band Wi-Fi 6 routers on the Wi-Fi front, of which only the 5GHz has the top-tier treatment. Their 2.4GHz and 6GHz bands are middling with the latter’s bandwidth caps at only 2400Mbps.

Both routers share the same processing power and the number of network ports. There’s only one 2.5GbE Multi-Gig port that can work either as a LAN or a WAN.

That said, what sets them apart is the firmware. The Netgear uses a proprietary firmware of which the local web interface has been slowly neutered over the years to coerce users into using the Nighthawk mobile app. You need this app — which requires a login account — and pay for a handful of subscriptions to get the most out of the router.

Netgear and the web interface: It’s a losing battle for the end-users

The Asus, on the other hand, run on an open-source Linux-based firmware that gives you a robust web user interface and an optional Asus Router mobile app. No matter which you use, there’s no need to sign up for a login account with the vendor. On top of that, it shares many features and settings with other Asus routers — all free for life.

Asus RT AXE7800 vs Netgear RAXE300
Asus RT-AXE7800 vs Netgear RAXE300: Both routers are unique in their own way but overall, the former has significantly more to offer at a noticeably lower cost.

Asus routers: Common features and settings

And last but not least, the Asus RT-AX7800 is mesh-ready. You can use it as the primary router or a satellite node of an AiMesh system. (Considering it has no additional 5GHz band, it’s best to use it with wired backhauling.)

Asus RT-AXE7800 vs Netgear RAXE300: Rating and performance

Pros

Excellent performance with tons of network settings with an excellent feature set, free online protection, and Parental Controls

AiMesh 2.0 support with Mult-Gig wired backhauling as a satellite

Super-flexible network ports for Dual-WAN and LAN/WAN Link Aggregations

Compact and practical design; relatively affordable

Asus RT AXE7800 vs Netgear RAXE300 Router Matchup Performance
Asus RT-AXE7800 vs Netgear RAXE300: The two routers share similar Wi-Fi performance, but the former is much faster when working as a mini NAS server with a portable SSD connected to its USB port.

Pros

Wi-Fi 6E-ready with excellent performance

Flexible 2.5Gbps LAN/WAN port, USB-C

Robust web interface, helpful (optional) mobile app

Cool fanless, wall-mountable design

Cons

Middling 6GHz specs, no standard Remote Management via Dynamic DNS

No 10Gbps port, only one 2.5Gbps port; not-well-thought-out Wi-Fi on/off button

Limited Wi-Fi settings and online protection/Parental Controls require a mobile app and subscription

Mediocre NAS performance when hosting a portable SSD; 100-120V power adapter

Asus RT-AXE7800 vs Netgear RAXE300: Which to get

At a friendly price, the Asus RT-AXE7800 is a much better deal than the Netgear RAXE300.

In fact, the only thing the Netgear has going for itself in this matchup is the unique spaceship-like design. Other than that, it’s overpriced and stacked against the Asus counterpart.

However, the Netgear hit the market much earlier, and if you already have gotten it, there’s no need to ditch it for the Asus. In the end, in terms of Wi-Fi experience, the two are very similar.