🛒
This post aims to help you make a quick decision between these two similarly-specs tri-band Wi-Fi 6 routers: The Asus GT-AX1100 vs. Netgear RAX200.
Asus GT-AX11000 vs. Netgear RAX200: Similarities
These two are the top-notch tri-band routers on the market. Both massive Wi-Fi 6 machines capable of delivering 4×4 Wi-Fi 6 speeds on 160MHz channels (up to 4.8Gbps) in a single Wi-Fi connection.
Since there are only 2×2 clients on the market, for now, they have speeds up to 2.4Gbps, which is still crazy fast.
Both also have a 2.5Gbps network port and support Link Aggregation to deliver faster-than-Gigabit wired speeds. They also share the same number of Gigabit network ports, including one WAN and four LANs. The two delivered similar Wi-Fi coverage in my testing.
Finally, both routers have a full web user interface and a useful mobile app.
Asus GT-AX11000 vs. Netgear RAX200: Hardware specifications
| Name | Asus ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 | Netgear Nighthawk RAX200 |
| Wi-Fi Technology | Tri-Band Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) AX11000 | Tri-Band Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) AX11000 |
| 2.4GHz Wi-Fi Specs | 802.11ax (2.4GHz): up to 1148 Mbps | 802.11ax (2.4GHz): up to 1148 Mbps |
| 5GHz Wi-Fi Specs | 2 x 802.11ax (5GHz): up to 4804 Mbps | 2 x 802.11ax (5GHz): up to 4804 Mbps |
| Backward Compatibility | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac |
| AP Mode | Yes | Yes |
| Mesh-ready | Yes (AiMesh) | No |
| 160MHz Channel Support | Yes | Yes |
| Gigabit Network Port | 4x LAN, 1x WAN | 4x LAN, 1x WAN |
| Multi-Gig Network Port | 1x 2.5Gbps LAN/WAN | 1x 2.5Gbps LAN/WAN |
| Link Aggregation | Yes (LAN ports 1 and 2) | Yes (LAN ports 3 and 4) |
| Dual-WAN | Yes | No |
| USB | 2x USB 3.0 | 2x USB 3.0 |
| Mobile App | Asus Router | Netgear Nighthawk |
| Processing Power | 1.8 GHz quad-core CPU, 256MB Flash, 1GB RAM | 1.8GHz quad-core CPU, 512MB of flash, 1GB of RAM |
| Dimensions | 9.5 x 9.5 x 2.4 in (241 x 241 x61 mm) | 11.63 x 8.92 x 2.14 in (295 x 227 x 54 mm) |
| Weight | 3.8 lbs (1.73 kg) | 2.43 lbs (1.1 kg) |
Asus GT-AX11000 vs. Netgear RAX200: Differences
The RAX200 is one of the coolest routers you can get. It looks like hardware coming out from the Star Wars universe. The Asus GT-AX11000, on the other hand, is quite ugly, being a square box with loose detachable antennas.
But the GT-AX11000 has a ton of extras, including AiMesh, AiProtection, and game-specific features. It also includes in-depth Wi-Fi settings and useful networking tools, like Wake-on-LAN.
The RAX200, on the other hand, has a standard feature set with modest Wi-Fi settings. Netgear later added the Armor protection to it via a firmware update, but this feature requires a $70 yearly subscription.
The RAX200 works well right out of the box. Wi-Fi 6 clients consistently connect to it at full speeds. The GT-AX11000 requires a bit of tweaking before it works well, likely due to (initial) buggy firmware. But Asus pushes out new firmware updates regularly.
Asus GT-AX1100 vs. Netgear RAX200: Performance and ratings
The two routers delivered a very similar performance in my testing, with the Netgear edging out the Asus by a small margin. That’s true for both Wi-Fi and NAS performance when they hosted a storage device (as shown here.)
Asus GT-AX11000's Rating
Pros
Fast and reliable Wi-Fi performance with an excellent range
Lots of useful features for home users
Unique and effective settings for online gaming
Multi-Gig network port, Dual-WAN, Link Aggregation
Mesh ready
Cons
Expensive
Bulky design, loose antennas, non-wall-mount-ready
Fewer LAN ports than the previous model
Long boot-up time, buggy (at launch), fluctuating Wi-Fi throughputs
Netgear Nighthawk RAX200's Rating
Pros
Reliable and fast performance
Eye-catching design
Helpful mobile app, robust web UI
Multi-Gig support (2.5Gbps)
Cons
Comparatively super-expensive with nothing extra
Shallow Wi-Fi customization, spartan feature set
Comparatively low CPU clock speed
No 5Gbps or 10Gbps LAN port, not wall-mount-ready
Asus GT-AX11000 vs. Netgear RAX200: Which to get
Get the Asus GT-AX11000 if you’re a gamer or an advanced user who enjoys tinkering with the settings. Even though it can be buggy at times, this router has a lot more to offer. Generally, Asus routers require a bit of know-how to make them work well and this one is no exception.
The Asus has been my personal choice. I’ve been using it since I first posted the review.
On the other hand, if you want something fast and reliable with minimum effort, and don’t care about gaming or online protection features, the Netgear RAX200 is a better fit. Generally, Netgear routers tend to be expensive, but most of the time, that’s because you pay for what you’ll get in terms of quality.
Looking to compare other Wi-Fi solutions? Check them all out here.
A bit biased by your own preference for Asus.
The design difference is not by any means only marginal as your score difference suggests. Nor is the feature gap 2 points worth as very few care about dual Wan and (usually weak) out-of-the box protection solution.
Try both for an extended period, and you’ll see, Sabin. The Asus’s feature set is vastly superior to the Netgear in the support for AiMesh alone.
In any case, all ratings are subjective to an extent.
Hello, please can you confirm there is an error in the rax200 specs. It seems it is not able to perform dual-wan while the asus is able to…
https://community.netgear.com/t5/Nighthawk-Routers-with-WiFi-6-AX/RAX200-DUAL-WAN/td-p/2017269
Currently I am testing the dual-wan on a RT-ax92U and I was looking for an ax11000 model
The Netgear only has Link Aggregation, no dual-wan, Alex.
Hi Dong,
When I was doing research on the Asus AX11000 couple months ago, I think I came across your recommended settings for this router. Can you share the link to this article if it’s available?
Thanks
I don’t think I’ve written anything about the GT-AX11000’s setting specifically, but here’s the link to its review, Robert. I also used it as an example in this post about AiMesh.
Hi Dong Ngo,
I’ve read most of your reviews related to Wifi 6 routers and found them very useful. I would like to seek your advice.
My flat floor area is about 160 sqm. There are many walls (4 bed rooms). Currently I have a 1GBps internet connection to Asus RT-AC87U. I have an Asus RT-N66U connected to the Asus RT-AC87U in bridge mode to extend Wifi coverage. Connection speed is not very good, especially where the Asus RT-N66U is supposed to help.
I was thinking of the Asus AX11000 as my main router, set 1st 5GHz band and 2.4GHz band for Wifi 5 and older devices and 2nd 5GHz band for Wifi 6 devices. If need be, I can connect the Asus RT-AC87U in bridge mode to extend coverage.
Because Asus AX11000 is a very expensive router, I was also considering the Asus AX88U and AX86U but both are dual band routers, so I can’t allocate a 5GHz band for Wifi 6 devices.
I prefer not to use mesh at this point as with 2 or 3 mesh routers, the cost will be even more expensive than the Asus AX11000.
Thanking you in advance.
Check out this post, Tan. Also, I think by “bridge mode”, you meant access point or AiMesh node mode.