This means the Nighthawk can recognize network traffic such as a Netflix stream and assign it higher priority than other traffic, such as a BitTorrent upload. The Nighthawk matches the Asus RT-AC68U almost feature for feature, and it’s superior in two respects: First, Netgear’s router offers downstream Quality of Service( QoS), where most routers-including the Asus-support only upstream QoS. In some cases, this can be accomplished via a firmware update, if the manufacturer offers one. To enjoy the higher link rate, the client must also support 256-QAM. Unfortunately, not all old 2.4GHz, 802.11n devices will suddenly become faster. Broadcom markets this capability as TurboQAM. Most routers rely on 64-QAM, which provides a maximum link rate of 450 mbps with 2.4GHz 802.11n networks. The higher-than-usual 2.4GHz link rate is made possible by the device’s use of 256-QAM (quadrature amplitude modulation). That number stems from its ability to support physical link rates of 1300 mbps on its 5GHz radio (using the 802.1ac networking standard) and of 600 mbps on its 2.4GHz radio (using the 802.11n networking standard). Netgear describes the Nighthawk as an AC1900 Wi-Fi router.
The last two LEDs on the right side are also buttons: One turns the router’s wireless capability on and off, and the other enables WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) for connecting a client. Each LED is labeled, but the tiny gray symbols on the gray enclosure are nearly impossible to read. A dozen LEDs on top of the router inform you of the status of its wireless radios, USB ports, Internet connection, ethernet and USB ports, and other features. In any event, the Nighthawk’s sharply angular industrial design and huge antennas make it look very much like its namesake, the F117 Nighthawk stealth jet fighter. I think it’s even more amusing that Netgear is marketing its new router with the nickname “the Nighthawk.” Asus markets its router as “the Dark Knight.” Is this a case of imitation being the sincerest form of flattery, or has Netgear realized that people buying high-end routers care more about a router’s performance than about its ability to blend into a home’s decor? I hope it’s the latter. So I chuckled when I saw humongous external, removable antennas on the R7000, which-like the Asus RT-AC66U-has a rather slablike enclosure that you can lay flat or hang on a wall.
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