Orbi WiFi 7 RBE973
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R7000 or EX7000 for AP use

chkarta
Aspirant

R7000 or EX7000 for AP use

Hello all.

 

It is my first time/post here since i want to buy a good AP.

 

In all the reviews i read that R7000 has great wifi performance. Same applies to EX7000 as well.

 

I want to use it only for AP use but it would be nice to have a capable backup router just in case...

 

The thing is that i read a lot of bad things regarding R7000's wifi stability and perfomance. Are these issues gone with ther latest fw's ?

Do the same (issues) apply to EX7000 as well or the lack of routing options/capabilities provide a "cleaner" and more stable task (for the EX7000) 

 

They both cost the same where i live (Greece).

 

Thanks in advance.

Model: R7000|Nighthawk AC1900 Dual Band WiFi Router
Message 1 of 13

Accepted Solutions
chkarta
Aspirant

Re: R7000 or EX7000 for AP use

Thanks for your input.

 

I finally ordered the EX7000. Routing options were not needed and i considered that a clean option could be better.

I intend to install the .32 firmware that is supposed to be issue free regarding basic functions.

 

Can you tell me the fw version you are using?

 

I read somewhere that for better signal/performance i should choose Japan as a country setiing. Is that correct?

 

Thanks again.

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Message 11 of 13

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netwrks
Master

Re: R7000 or EX7000 for AP use

if you want a device that could be a back up router, then the choice would be the R7000, as the EX7000 is an extender / AP, if configured that way..

Message 2 of 13
chkarta
Aspirant

Re: R7000 or EX7000 for AP use

Thanks for the reply.

 

First thing i want is stable wifi performance.

 

Only if both perform equally good(and stable) i will choose the R7000 for the extra routing option.

I want to know which one is more stable in AP mode.

Message 3 of 13
netwrks
Master

Re: R7000 or EX7000 for AP use

I have used both in AP mode. WIFI is based on your local environment. What works well for me / other, may not work well for you..

Message 4 of 13
Retired_Member
Not applicable

Re: R7000 or EX7000 for AP use

The r7000 is a reliable stable router In my opinion, yes FW has caused loads of problems in the past year. The good news in my opinion is  they are working to undo the colossal screw up and older FW versions work quite well.

Message 5 of 13
chkarta
Aspirant

Re: R7000 or EX7000 for AP use

Can you tell me the FW version you are using ?

Message 6 of 13
Retired_Member
Not applicable

Re: R7000 or EX7000 for AP use

V1.0.4.28 or V1.0.4.30  the latter worked great and if they never came out with another they'd be better off. read the releas notes after .30 they introduced smart connect which to me was the beginning of the end.

Message 7 of 13
TheEther
Guru

Re: R7000 or EX7000 for AP use

+1

My R7000 is over 2 years old (approaching ancient in Internet years). It was rock solid with 1.0.4 firmware. Netgear stumbled with 1.0.5 and 1.0.6, but appeared to have mostly recovered with 1.0.7. These days I run third party firmware, which has great support for the R7000.

IMO, it's still one of the best bang for the buck routers on the market. Sure, you can get bigger, more expensive routers with more radios and faster CPUs but in many cases it's wasted money.

Between the R7000 and the EX7000, go for the R7000. Netgear tends to pay more attention to its routers.
Message 8 of 13
Retired_Member
Not applicable

Re: R7000 or EX7000 for AP use

+ 2

 

I now have 2 Triband as their called and both are all hype.

Message 9 of 13
cdysthe
Virtuoso

Re: R7000 or EX7000 for AP use

I've got the R7000 and the EX7000 used as extender on the second floor of my house. Both preform very well now with the latest firmware and Wi-Fi coverage is great. I have one issue with the EX7000, it goes down under very heavy load. I download a lot of Linux distro disk images using BitTorrent and if I do not reduce the amount of connections, half open connections and connections per second Wi-Fi cuts off randomly and is not coming back until I pause the downloads. Other devices connected to the EX7000 are dropped as well. This does not happen with the R7000. I'm not sure whether this is because I run it as an extender out if it is a general weakness of the EX7000 itself since I have never run it as an AP.
Message 10 of 13
chkarta
Aspirant

Re: R7000 or EX7000 for AP use

Thanks for your input.

 

I finally ordered the EX7000. Routing options were not needed and i considered that a clean option could be better.

I intend to install the .32 firmware that is supposed to be issue free regarding basic functions.

 

Can you tell me the fw version you are using?

 

I read somewhere that for better signal/performance i should choose Japan as a country setiing. Is that correct?

 

Thanks again.

Message 11 of 13
mondenath
Prodigy

Re: R7000 or EX7000 for AP use

if you download via deskpc or lap which support lan cables. Wireless Bridge would be the best option. If it is also used by other smart devices client then it may not be right option. Range extender is only option.


try to set the security simple if possible and do try as AP if you can wire it and if the extender can reach then 2nd floor. As AP will be best option being extender are capble of close to 700mw of antenna power when compared to r7k may not even be close enough.

Message 12 of 13
netwrks
Master

Re: R7000 or EX7000 for AP use


@chkarta wrote:

Thanks for your input.

 

I finally ordered the EX7000. Routing options were not needed and i considered that a clean option could be better.

I intend to install the .32 firmware that is supposed to be issue free regarding basic functions.

 

Can you tell me the fw version you are using?

 

I read somewhere that for better signal/performance i should choose Japan as a country setiing. Is that correct?

 

Thanks again.


 

 

No idea on the best firmware. Don't expect to see any other wireless region than your own. New FCC regulations. Yes, ultimately, everyone is affected..

Message 13 of 13
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