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-AX1100 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 the 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-AX1100 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 | Yes |
| 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-AX1100 vs. Netgear RAX200: Differences
The RAX200 is one of the coolest routers you can get. It looks like hardware coming out from the StarWars 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
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-AX1100 vs. Netgear RAX200: Ratings
ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 Gaming Router
Pros
- Fast and reliable Wi-Fi performance with 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-mountable
- Fewer LAN ports than previous model
- Long boot-up time, buggy (at launch), fluctuating Wi-Fi throughputs
Netgear Nighthawk AX12 12-Stream AX11000 Tri-Band WiFi 6 Router (RAX200)
$499.99
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-mountable
Which to get
Get the Asus GT-AX11000 if you’re a gamer or an advanced user who enjoys tinkering with the settings. That’s also my personal choice.
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.
Looking to compare other Wi-Fi solutions? Check them all out here.
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.