Which is best router D-link or Netgear?

Connectivity is the keyword for any modern workspace and without proper connectivity, nothing can move ahead. With such a critical role of network connectivity, it would be no less a critical decision to pick a router which can fulfill your specific networking requirements to its best. There are several brands of networking gear available these days and Netgear and D-Link are among the most sought-after ones who manufacture quality networking devices for modern use. So, it is but natural to think of a comparison between Netgear and D-Link routers to see which one comes out on top in terms of performance and might make the best choice possible for any user.

The first problem which arises is which class of wireless routers we should choose for comparison, given the wide range of networking devices available in the market. For this article, we would consider AC1900 routers which are quite commonly used these days and offer a high level of performance and functionality for users. Some of the capabilities of AC1900 routers include a maximum data transfer rate of 1300 Mbps on the 5GHz band, which is good enough. They also offer optimal network performance for most smartphones, tablets, and notebooks available in the market. As some of the most popular choices of users, they have also become quite affordable and it would be ideal to consider them for comparison.

Here we would be comparing the performance, features, and functionalities of D-Link DIR-880L and Netgear Nighthawk R7000, both belonging to AC1900 category of routers.

D-Link DIR-880L:

It is powered by dual-core Broadcom BCM4708A SoC running at 800MHz and has 256MB of RAM and 128MB of flash. 2.4GHz and 5GHz radio duties are taken care of by the Broadcom BCM4360. This means maximum data transfer rate of 1.3 Gbps on the 5Ghz band and 600 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band. It has more of a traditional flat-piece design with external antennas and it weighs around 745g.

It comes with a row of LED status indicators on the front-panel but no indicators for the LAN ports. There are no LED indicators for Ethernet Ports as well, which can cause some issue with users. It has a standard single Gigabit Ethernet WAN port and four Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports located on the back of the router. It has a USB 2.0 port on the back and USB 3.0 port on the side to the left. On the right is an unmarked button for WPS setup.

Netgear Nighthawk R7000:

Nighthawk routers are among the fastest routers made available by Netgear. It bears some similarities with the hardware of D-Link DIR-880L. Netgear Nighthawk R700 is powered by dual-core Broadcom B4709A SoC that runs at 1GHz. DIR-880L also uses Broadcom B4708A SoCs which runs at a slower 800MHz. It has 256MB of RAM and 128GB of flash memory. The chipset for both 2.4GHz and 5GHz radios is the Broadcom BCM4360. It translates into the maximum data transfer rate of 1.3Gbps on the 5GHz band and 600Mbps on the 2.4GHz bands.

In terms of design, Netgear Nighthawk R7000 definitely has an edge, resembling closely its successor, Nighthawk X4. The only difference is that it comes with three external antennas instead of four. It has an angular structure, vents on the side, front-panel has a row of LED status indicators. On the right side of indicators are two buttons for WPS setup which also allows turning the Wi-Fi network off. It can be placed on horizontal surfaces mounted on a wall with great ease. It weighs around 750g, a tad bit more than its D-Link counterpart.

It also has four Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports and a single Gigabit Ethernet WAN port along with a USB 2.0 port to connect to printers or external storage devices for network sharing. The Nighthawk R7000 also has a USB 3.0 port located up front just below the row of LED status indicators.

We can easily see that both routers are similar on several counts but here is a snapshot of their features which might help you make a better choice.

Performance under load @2 meters:

D-Link DIR-880L: 70.18 Mbps

Netgear Nighthawk R7000: 64.00 Mbps

App-based router management:

D-Link DIR-880L: Yes

Netgear Nighthawk R7000: Yes

Cloud Storage:

D-Link DIR-880L: Yes

Netgear Nighthawk R7000: No

Easy QoS Management:

D-Link DIR-880L: Yes (Device-based)

Netgear Nighthawk R7000: Yes (Dynamic)

Network Mapping:

D-Link DIR-880L: Yes

Netgear Nighthawk R7000: Yes

Smart Network Prioritization:

D-Link DIR-880L: No

Netgear Nighthawk R7000: No

Parental Controls:

D-Link DIR-880L: Yes

Netgear Nighthawk R7000: Yes

VPN Support:

D-Link DIR-880L: Yes

Netgear Nighthawk R7000: Yes

Based on these factors, you would be able to make a smart choice of router which might be able to meet your needs better.