# Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500: specs and price

**Price (US):** $699.99 at smallnetbuilder.com (US MSRP at launch October 2021; widely available at reduced price later), as of 2026-06-27. A sourced, dated price of record — other retailers (incl. Amazon) may be lower. Among the 12 wi-fi routers we track it is #11 cheapest of 12; category median $285.
**Brand:** Netgear
**Released:** 2021-10
**Deskmark:** Bronze Deskmark — pay-blind category standing 33/100, #8 of 12 in class (independent, computed from sourced data, never for sale).
**Price tracked since:** June 2026

## Specifications

| Spec | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Price (US) | $699.99 |
| Brand | Netgear |
| Released | 2021-10 |
| Wi-Fi standard | Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) |
| Max speed (Mbps) | 10800 |
| Bands | Tri-band (2.4 GHz + 5 GHz + 6 GHz) |
| Coverage (sq ft) | 3500 |
| Ports | 1x 1 Gbps WAN, 4x 1 Gbps LAN, 1x 2.5 Gbps Multi-Gig (configurable WAN/LAN), 2x USB 3.0 |
| Mesh | No |
| Processor | Quad-core 1.8 GHz |

## Where it stands

At $700, the Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 is #11 cheapest of the 12 wi-fi routers we track, where the median is $290. On the spec sheet, its max speed of 10800 Mbps is above the median of the 12, and its coverage of 3500 sq ft is above the median of the 10.

## What reviewers say

Two whitelisted testers (Tom's Hardware, Tom's Guide) lab-benched this exact RAXE500. Both praise record-setting close-range throughput (Tom's Guide measured 2.396 Gbps at 15 feet, boosted by the 6GHz Wi-Fi 6E band) but flag steep falloff with distance and a very high ~$599 price. Tom's Hardware additionally found severe congestion/QoS problems and did not recommend the router; Tom's Guide did not run a congestion test and named it Editor's Choice. RTINGS not found. (Based on 2 reviews, 2 lab-tested, 2021-10-03–2024-02-16.)

Praised: Class-leading throughput at close range, boosted by the 6GHz Wi-Fi 6E band; Distinctive winged design.
Flagged: Throughput drops off sharply with distance; best used close up; Very expensive (~$599), roughly triple a high-end Wi-Fi 6 router; Bundled security/support becomes a paid subscription after the trial (~$70/yr); No QoS, causing major performance collapse on congested networks.
Disagreement: The two testers diverge sharply on congestion handling. Tom's Hardware ran a congestion test (ten 8K videos) and saw Overwatch frame rate collapse from 142.83 to 21.88 FPS, concluding 'We don't recommend purchasing this router.' Tom's Guide never ran a congestion test and instead awarded it Editor's Choice, calling it 'the fastest router on the planet.'
Sources: Tom's Hardware (2021-10-03, tomshardware.com), Tom's Guide (2024-02-16, tomsguide.com)

## Frequently asked questions

**What do reviewers say about the Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500?**

Two whitelisted testers (Tom's Hardware, Tom's Guide) lab-benched this exact RAXE500. Both praise record-setting close-range throughput (Tom's Guide measured 2.396 Gbps at 15 feet, boosted by the 6GHz Wi-Fi 6E band) but flag steep falloff with distance and a very high ~$599 price. Tom's Hardware additionally found severe congestion/QoS problems and did not recommend the router; Tom's Guide did not run a congestion test and named it Editor's Choice. RTINGS not found. Praised: Class-leading throughput at close range, boosted by the 6GHz Wi-Fi 6E band; Distinctive winged design. Flagged: Throughput drops off sharply with distance; best used close up; Very expensive (~$599), roughly triple a high-end Wi-Fi 6 router; Bundled security/support becomes a paid subscription after the trial (~$70/yr); No QoS, causing major performance collapse on congested networks. (From 2 tester reviews, 2 lab-tested.)

**How much does the Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 cost?**

The Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 has a US price of $699.99 (US MSRP at launch October 2021; widely available at reduced price later), as of 2026-06-15.

**How does the Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 compare on price?**

At $700, the Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 is #11 cheapest of the 12 wi-fi routers we track, where the median is $290.

**When was the Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 released?**

The Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 was released 2021-10.

**What are the Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500's key specs?**

Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 (Netgear): wifi standard Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax), max speed mbps 10800, bands Tri-band (2.4 GHz + 5 GHz + 6 GHz), coverage sqft 3500, ports 1x 1 Gbps WAN, 4x 1 Gbps LAN, 1x 2.5 Gbps Multi-Gig (configurable WAN/LAN), 2x USB 3.0. Full sourced spec sheet verified 2026-06-15.

Source: https://www.smallnetbuilder.com/2021/07/netgear-nighthawk-raxe500-product-guide-everything-you-need-to-know/ (smallnetbuilder.com, accessed 2026-06-15)
Corroboration: https://www.netgear.com/home/wifi/routers/raxe500/ (accessed 2026-06-15)
Canonical: https://frontdeskreview.com/product/wifi-routers/netgear-nighthawk-raxe500/
Cite: Per The Front Desk Review, the Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 price of record was $699.99 as of 2026-06-15 — https://frontdeskreview.com/product/wifi-routers/netgear-nighthawk-raxe500/
License: CC BY 4.0. Price history: https://frontdeskreview.com/data/price-history.jsonl