NETGEAR 4-Stream WiFi 6 Router (R6700AX)

Curated from 146 real Reddit conversations

Refreshed on: January 14, 2025

NETGEAR 4-Stream WiFi 6 Router (R6700AX)

Brand: NETGEAR
Price: $64
Snoop Score:
3.5
Sentiment
1.0
Popularity
0.0
Technical
5.7

Snoop's Take

The NETGEAR 4-Stream WiFi 6 Router (R6700AX) is designed to replace your old router with a device that covers up to 1,500 sq. ft. and handles up to 20 devices, all while delivering AX1800 wireless speeds for streaming, gaming, and conferencing. In community discussions, opinions are sharply divided; one reviewer noted, 'I can't administer my own home network. I'm taking this router back and buying literally anything else,' while another appreciated its dual routing and switching capability for the price. Overall, despite its attractive specs and modern WiFi 6 technology, the overwhelming negative sentiment regarding forced online registration and unreliable firmware means this router is best suited for budget-conscious users who can tolerate its pitfalls.

Not for you? Check out our other rated Routers

They have the ability to do some routing as well as switching, all for the price of a switch.

Positive Feedback

I can't administer my own home network. I'm taking this router back and buying literally anything else.

Negative Feedback
Product
3.5
NETGEAR 4-Stream WiFi 6 Router (R6700AX)
Home Entertainment
6 / 10
Remote Work and Learning
8 / 10
Smart Home Integration
4 / 10
Large Household Coverage
6 / 10
See how this compares to all Routers

What it does well!

Key strengths users can’t stop talking about.
Offers combined routing and switching functionality at a low price
They have the ability to do some routing as well as switching, all for the price of a switch.

Where it needs some work!

Areas to watch—feedback on possible improvements.
Mandatory online account registration hinders local router administration
I can't administer my own home network. I'm taking this router back and buying literally anything else.
Netgear failed at so many points in my experience. It's really inexcusable.
Poor firmware quality and forced paid subscription model
Netgear's current consumer products are absolute garbage designed to funnel you into predatory paid support plans.
Their business model borders on a deliberate scam with how they to force anyone who buys their hardware into a paid subscription program they don't need.
Experiences of reliability issues and hardware failures
My nighthawk died would not route anymore.

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Buyer’s Cheat Sheet

What to check before you click ‘Add to Cart.’
Confusing model names and exclusive versions
Does anyone have insight for this router or know what the non Costco version of this is available online so I can do my due diligence?
Look like rs300 on netgear official web
Costco probably had Netgear make them the RS280s as a Costco exclusive so that Costco never has to make good on price-matching guarantees.
Availability of DD-WRT firmware upgrade for Netgear routers
That's an upgrade anyway.

Cautionary Callouts

Know the pitfalls before they catch you off guard.
Firmware and technical issues affecting gaming performance
I may need to buy a new router after work today.
A specific brand of router has issues with a single game? That’s so strange.
I suspect that they simply have some component of their stack that has a driver or firmware bug.
Seems silly not to.
Frustration with Netgear support and overall reliability
Better off avoiding the hassle and using any other brand.
I had troubles when i first started (~3 years ago) but haven’t in a long time.
I made my family switch from a Nighthawk to an ASUS years ago and never looked back.
I had issues with them with a better router about 4 years ago and haven’t ever heard an update.
Connection drop and reliability concerns in some Netgear models
I lose connection for about 30 seconds and the second light which is the internet connection light goes orange and I lose internet service but then it automatically connects like nothing ever happens.
Dropping connections isn’t a sign that the router is on its way out.
Seems like a common issue with that particular model.
a new router likely won't solve your issue....you have to do some more diagnosis.
Security vulnerabilities in certain Netgear routers
Netgear R7000 and R6400 routers are vulnerable to arbitrary command injection.
Looks like it is vulnerable as well.
This is quite clever: it uses the vulnerability to kill the router's web server.
Periodic router pings for connectivity checks
My guess is that the device pinging the site is its way to check if the internet is still available.
Annoying login redirection to Netgear website
which is really annoying.
Factory reset and admin page redirect issues causing device malfunctions
now it is a electricity wasting brick. hopeless crap.
Poor firmware reliability leading to configuration loss and device failure
Yeah, gave up on Netgear years ago because of terrible firmware.
The firmware has been broken for that unit for years and they never bothered to fix it.
Mesh networking limitations with Netgear routers
Netgear does have it's own proprietary mesh stuff like the MK63 set, so there's no way they're going to make meshing available on their older routers.
But mesh, not sure about that.. at least, not a true mesh network.
DNS and IPv6 configuration challenges in Netgear routers
after setting the router IPv6 path to the pihole all device traffic on my network is viewable and ads are BLOCKED!!!
it took me a couple of trial and errors to get everything the way I want it with around 50% block rates consistently.
They really hid them far away from the other DNS settings.
Wi‑Fi 6E advanced features come with quirks like missing high‑speed LAN/WAN options
Disappointing.
This. Finally.
No shortage of asterisks and moving part to this!
Confusing product specifications and advertising discrepancies (Wi‑Fi 6 vs 802.11ac)
Is this some sort of strange advertising issue?
If you're set on a Netgear router then this is a great option for the price.
Poor firmware and software performance, including forced paid support after trial
netgear just plain sucks now; shit firmware, shit software, after 90 days you have to PAY for SUPPORT, the list goes on and on
Garbage from start to finish. Terrible, buggy firmware that they stop updating, making your device useless.
Netgear never learned how not to fuck up firmware
Asus firmware is far far better and continues to get updates long after other vendors abandoned their models for dead.
Mandatory router app usage with poor user experience
Personally I just hate Netgears because of the app.
If I need an app just to set up a router, it's going back to the store that day.
You can’t get the WiFi working without the app.
Unreliable connectivity and overall router instability
it would drop connectivity often needing a reboot.
Netgear is worse though from my experience.
Netgear is definitely less reliable anecdotally in my experience.
Faulty hardware design and non‐functional components
**has a fan that was never programmed to be functional**. That should tell you how good Netgear products are.
DNS hijacking and problematic software configuration
But the software is garbage.
I just don't really like this feature on principle.
Overall negative brand sentiment with strong competitor preferences
I've had better experiences with Asus over Netgear.
Same here, I'd recommend avoiding Netgear.
I would definitely get Asus routers over Netgear.
Don't touch Netgear with a stick.

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