Nighthawk AC1750 vs AC1900 (2021): Which Netgear Router Should You Get?

WiFi routers have become an essential for homes around the world. Naturally, you’d want to get the router that’s best fit for you: one that can handle high speeds, and has a ton of additional useful features included with it.

NETGEAR has some of the best routers available in the market. In this specific comparison, we’ll take a look at two of their Nighthawk models: the R6700 and its slightly pricier counterpart, the R6900P. Is it worth paying extra for the R6900P, or should you stick with the R6700? Read on to find out the differences between the two, and which router is the best choice for you.

NETGEAR Nighthawk R6700 vs R6900P Comparison Chart

Design & Set-up

The two routers look almost physically identical.

Before going into comparisons, it’s a good idea what all the letters and numbers mean in the model names. The ones that start with R are the Nighthawk model names. These are unique to the Nighthawk brand by NETGEAR, unlike AC1750 and AC1900. When looking at other routers, you’ll probably still see these pop up. The AC in the “ACxxxx” name means that this router model supports the 802.11ac Networking standard, which is highly common in modern routers. The numbers 1750 and 1900 tell you about the speed capability in Mbps of the router (which is split between its bands, in this case the 5GHz and 2.4GHz bands). For this article, we’ll use the more specific model names that NETGEAR provides.

When looking at them and taking the two routers at face value, it’s quite easy to get confused between the R6700 AC1750 and the R6900P AC1900. Both routers have three detachable antennas, indicator lights, and a USB 3.0 port in front. In fact, the only visual difference might be the different kinds of vents at the sides (the R6900P has a long, continuous row of openings). In terms of size, the two still have striking similarities: they are of the same height and width, and only have a small difference in thickness.

This means that the process of setting up won’t differ much regardless of the router you choose. The ports at the back of both routers are identical, and so are the antennas. The two models are relatively compact, though it is still a good idea to put it in an accessible place for easy fixes. Regardless of which one you end up purchasing, you’ll be able to use the NETGEAR Nighthawk app on iOS and Android. This app helps you set up your router quickly, run speed tests, pause internet connection on certain devices, and other features.

Connectivity and Performance

As expected, the R6900P supports more devices and has a wider range.

The most important qualities you’re probably looking for in a router are how well it can support high internet speeds and how far its WiFi coverage is. The former is important because you’d want to make sure that you’re getting the most out of your internet subscription, while the latter determines just how many WiFi range extenders you’ll have to buy for your house. As you would expect, the R6900P beats the R6700 in both categories. The R6700 has a coverage of up to 1500 square feet (around 139.4 square meters) while the R6900P covers significantly more ground at 1800 square feet (or 167.2 square meters). The R6900P can also support more devices than the R6700 (30 versus 25).

Perhaps the most important difference is the R6900P’s MU-MIMO (multi-user, multi-input & multi-output) capabilities. This feature makes its bandwidth use more efficient by using separate streams to communicate with multiple devices at the same time, instead of the old single-user method. Lastly, the most obvious difference is its speed: the R6900P can support higher speeds at 1900Mbps, while the R6700 lags behind just a little bit at 1750Mbps maximum. It’s worth emphasizing, though, that this “speed limit” is split between the router’s two bands. The R6900P, being an AC1900 router, can support 600Mbps on its 5GHz band, but not a lot of products use this frequency as of now.

Security and Additional Features

Both come with NETGEAR’s Circle and NETGEAR Armor.

Picking a NETGEAR-made router gets you more than just high speeds and relatively affordable prices. Both routers come with access to Circle and NETGEAR Armor, which help make your family’s internet experience safer. Circle lets you control what your family members can access online based on the devices that they own, or even set time windows for certain apps. This ensures that your children’s online activities won’t be fully unsupervised and unsafe.

NETGEAR Armor, on the other hand, is an extra layer of cybersecurity. It helps you deal with threats like malware, stolen passwords, identity theft, and smart home appliance hacking. It should be noted, though, that the both router packages only include a one month trial for these two features. Afterwards, Circle costs 4.99 USD monthly while Armor is priced at 69.99 USD per year.

Verdict

The R6900P is future-proofed, but the R7000 is still a good choice.

The R6700 is an excellent choice for those with smaller homes and lighter needs. It supports high speeds at 1750Mbps maximum, and comes with all the basics you’ll need from a router and more. It’s also one of the more affordable choices you’ll find on the market, while still being a durable router with useful additional features.

However, if you want to future-proof your home wireless internet experience, go for the R6900P. It supports higher speeds on its 5GHz band, and it already supports MU-MIMO (which will most likely be invaluable in the coming years). If you want to make sure you’re making the most out of your internet subscription (which, depending on where you live, can be quite expensive), get this model.

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