Reddit mentions of NETGEAR Nighthawk Pro Gaming XR500 WiFi Router with 4 Ethernet Ports and Wireless speeds up to 2.6 Gbps, AC2600, Optimized for Low ping

Hmm... I don’t see it, at least on mobile

https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-Nighthawk-Router-Wireless-Ethernet/dp/B078GWJ44Z

Also, all the features with this router seem pretty cool to me, regardless of bullshit advertising

There are many. I own this one:

NETGEAR xr500

If your are going to be using the VPN from home, then just use a reputable service like Private Internet Access (PIA) and pay however you normally would for a service - credit card, PayPal, etc..

You have any number of options on how to use the VPN service. Three possible options from easy to difficult may be...

Easy - use VPN service client software

The better VPN services like PIA have client software that you can download and install on PCs and mobile devices. You run the client when you want to connect to the VPN. This is easiest, but offers the least anonymity. You will need to be particularly careful to avoid IP Leaks.

Moderately difficult - use a virtual machine on your PC

If you:

1. have a consumer-grade firewall/router like a NETGEAR Nighthawk, or you use an ISP-provided router, at home, and
   
2. you have a reasonably good desktop/laptop PC with sufficient RAM (e.g. 8 GB to 16 GB)
   
   then you may be able to run a Type 2 hypervisor (virtualization software) on it such as VirtualBox or VMware Workstation (on Windows) or VMware Fusion (on a Mac). The hypervisor can be used to run a virtual machine (VM), a version of Linux for example, that you will use for your VPN client. The VM will aquire its own IP address on your network or on a public hot spot. You will have the most privacy if you:
   
   
3. use your host PC only for activity tied specifically to your identity (social networking, banking, shopping, etc),
   
4. use the guest VM running the VPN client only for activity that you wish to remain private, and
   
5. optionally (for more privacy and better anonymity) use Tor over your VPN connection.
   
   Isolating activities will not only offer the maximum privacy, it also will offer the best security. Additionally, good virtualization software like those listed above enables the creation of snapshots. For example, see Taking, Restoring, and Deleting Snapshots for how to use snapshots in VirtualBox.
   
   Difficult - use a VPN client on your firewall.
   
   If you have some knowledge of networking and a capable (possibly enterprise-class) firewall, such as pfSense, at home then you can implement an OpenVPN client on your firewall and route all traffic on a specified subnet to the VPN service. For example, firewall rules could be written so any computer on a subnet (say 192.168.3.0/24) will access the Internet through the VPN service without having the VPN client installed. This approach will offer more flexibility for using a VPN service on a home network, but is a bit more difficult to get working.

I use the Edgerouter X (56.50) and UAP-AC-Lite ([79.15]
(https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Lite-UAPACLITEUS/dp/B015PR20GY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1526999758&sr=8-1&keywords=uapaclite))

 

I get that $135 investment is a lot, but it is not as much as the "high end gaming routers" that manufacturers push out. But I guarantee that my setup will be rock solid for a very very long time. And for a fraction of the Netgear (298.94, 248.99, 188.99), Asus (258.90, 235.91, 229.00), or Linksys routers (237.68, 249.97, 206.99)

 
 

Now yes, I did cherry pick some of the more expensive routers that these guys offer, but I chose their "gaming" routers. The edgerouter x and uap AP will provide just as many options and coverage as all of those much more expensive routers, as long as you're willing to do the setup.

While it’s a “store exclusive”, I purchased a Nighthawk r7450 AC2600 router. Works great for my setup but i’m in a small apartment. Have had no issues or need to reboot the router since I’ve installed it almost a month ago.

However, if you’re looking for something that supports DD-WRT by chance, this is not the router for you as it’s a MediaTek chipset, DD-WRT supports mainly Broadcom afaik.

In the case that you’d want to stick with Netgear, I’d recommend a Nighthawk XR500 (it’s on sale on Amazon for $265 ($15 over your budget which isn’t bad) and has awesome features.

Here are your options for home wifi networking:

1. Buy a super strong wifi router and you're good to go even in a large home - as long as you don't live in a repurposed bomb shelter. An example of a "super strong" router: here
   
2. Buy a normal router or your current one and add access points. An example of a "normal" router: here . An access point (AP) is not a wifi extender. You must run a cable (CAT 5E/ CAT 6) from your router to the location where you need improved wifi signal, there you plug in the AP and attach the Ethernet cable from the router. The AP simply turns a wired connection into a wireless one and broadcasts the same network as that coming from your router. An example of an AP: here .
   
3. Buy a normal router or your current router and use a wifi extender(s). I wifi extender receives packets from your wireless router, ups the signal strength, and then forwards them to a nearby host. If you are having poor signal at point B and the router is at point A then put the extender directly in the middle of the 2; I have seen so many people make the mistake of putting the extender at point B, which defeats the whole purpose because it is just your host device's antenna vs the extender's.
   
4. An extender/AP all in one device. An example: here
   
5. A mesh wifi system. It can be difficult to distinguish a multi-AP/ multi-extender setup from a mesh system, but the main differences are that the mesh will be easier to setup and more "polished" in general. A mesh system will automatically detect the SSID (network name) from the wifi router and extend it. Want to add a signal booster? With mesh you can buy another matching unit and use WPS for a one button setup. The mesh is also smart in identifying when you move from one area to another ans switching to the closer device to server you your packets. Now, this is seen in some higher end APs and extenders such as here , but its not as seamless and usually more expensive in the long run. An example of a mesh system: here
   
   APs are generally more stable (UBIQUITI makes great ones) due to the wired connection. I like using APs because I can buy as I need more and set some up on different VLANs and hide SSIDs, but those are more advanced options. For most people who do not want to run cable or go with more of a permanent networking setup, the easiest and most effective solution is generally a mesh system. The TP-Link one is great as well as Google WiFi.
   
   EDITED: Because the bot thought I was using affiliate links...

Depends on how larger your place is. Consider going for a newer router better chances of them getting security fixes. Another option is checking out routers that support aftermarket firmware.


I've had good experiences with Netgear.
R7000p: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B075JMF84S (Have installed this at a friend's place; they're quite happy with it. Good reviews but kinda old)
R6350: https://www.amazon.in/gp/product/B07B1CLPXN (Should suffice, but depends on your house and the layout)
XR500: https://www.amazon.in/Netgear-Nighthawk-XR500-Gaming-Router/dp/B078GWJ44Z (Don't know if the gaming features make it worth so much though)


Prices should be lower during the upcoming Diwali sale.


Research other brands too and ask your friends/family too.

​

Regardless of company, I don't think you can get fiber without a landline. Your are gonna be using the landline box after all. Good luck anyways. I recommend you buy your own router though, like these two if you game:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078GWJ44Z/ref=twister_B07JHCQVR5?_encoding=UTF8&th=1

I would disagree! Why do you feel that it is not a good router for the price? We have a ton of 5 star reviews saying the opposite. Would love to get some feedback though if you made a purchase and are not happy with the XR500. If you haven't purchased, what is missing that you would like to see? https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-Nighthawk-wireless-Ethernet-PlayStation/dp/B078GWJ44Z

I need to get better network, I'm looking at the NETGEAR Nighthawk Pro Gaming XR500 it looks like it will cover everthing I am looking for in better networking.

My question: Is my current modem/router combo good enough to pair with the router, or should I look for a better modem? (budget for new router and possible new modem is $300-$500 USD)

Thank you,

/u/CelestialDiablo

https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-Nighthawk-Ethernet-Wireless-Optimized/dp/B078GWJ44Z