NETGEAR
NETGEAR Nighthawk RS700S
Wi-Fi 7 BE19000 · 10 GbE WAN
89
/ 100
From $699
VS
NETGEAR Nighthawk RS700S wins by 1
ASUS
ASUS RT-BE86U
Wi-Fi 7 · 9.4 Gbps · Dual 2.5G WAN
88
/ 100
From $299
Specdex verdict
NETGEAR Nighthawk RS700S takes it — here’s why.
In our weighted Specdex score, NETGEAR Nighthawk RS700S lands at 89 and ASUS RT-BE86U at 88. That puts NETGEAR Nighthawk RS700S ahead by 1 points — a narrow margin driven mostly by its strengths in the categories below.
Pick NETGEAR Nighthawk RS700S if…
- ✓True Wi-Fi 7 BE19000
- ✓10 GbE WAN + 10 GbE LAN
- ✓Great range
Pick ASUS RT-BE86U if…
- ✓Sub-$300 Wi-Fi 7 router
- ✓Dual 2.5 GbE WAN with link aggregation
- ✓AiMesh + AiProtection Pro
NETGEAR Nighthawk RS700S 89
vs 88 ASUS RT-BE86U
Score breakdown
NETGEAR Nighthawk RS700S
89 throughput 92
range 94
features 86
value 80
ease 0
ASUS RT-BE86U
88 throughput 88
range 88
features 90
value 0
ease 88
Specs side-by-side
| Spec | NETGEAR Nighthawk RS700S | ASUS RT-BE86U |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | Wi-Fi 7 (BE19000) | Wi-Fi 7 tri-band 4x4 |
| Bands | Tri-band | — |
| Ports | 1× 10 GbE WAN + 1× 10 GbE LAN + 4× 2.5 GbE | — |
| Total bandwidth | — | 9400 Mbps |
| WAN | — | 2× 2.5 GbE |
| LAN | — | 4× 1 GbE |
| USB | — | 1× USB 3.2 |
| Coverage | — | ~3000 sq ft |
NETGEAR Nighthawk RS700S
Pros
- +True Wi-Fi 7 BE19000
- +10 GbE WAN + 10 GbE LAN
- +Great range
Cons
- −Armor subscription for advanced features
- −Bulky
- −Pricey vs ASUS/eero
ASUS RT-BE86U
Pros
- +Sub-$300 Wi-Fi 7 router
- +Dual 2.5 GbE WAN with link aggregation
- +AiMesh + AiProtection Pro
Cons
- −Tri-band only (no 6 GHz dedicated)
- −No 10G WAN
- −Plastic chassis
FAQ: NETGEAR Nighthawk RS700S vs ASUS RT-BE86U
Which is better, NETGEAR Nighthawk RS700S or ASUS RT-BE86U? +
NETGEAR Nighthawk RS700S scores 89 on our weighted rubric — ahead by 1. Your best pick depends on the sub-scores above.
Is NETGEAR Nighthawk RS700S worth the price? +
At $699, NETGEAR Nighthawk RS700S delivers a Specdex score of 89 — strongest in range.
Is ASUS RT-BE86U worth the price? +
At $299, ASUS RT-BE86U delivers a Specdex score of 88 — strongest in features.
Does NETGEAR Nighthawk RS700S or ASUS RT-BE86U last longer? +
Based on our long-term update and support ratings, both ship with multi-year support. Battery and reliability scores are visible in the breakdown above.