ASUS RT-BE96U vs NETGEAR Nighthawk RS600
High official-class Wi-Fi 7 routers with official multi-gig Ethernet.
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Best for: Wi-Fi 7, official BE19000 class, tri-band, 6 official Ethernet ports, up to 10 Gbps
Check price at AmazonBest for: Wi-Fi 7, official BE18000 class, tri-band, 4 official Ethernet ports, up to 10 Gbps
Check price at AmazonSpec-by-spec comparison
Green marks the better published figure. "Not listed" means the manufacturer doesn't publish it.
| Spec | ASUS RT-BE96U | NETGEAR Nighthawk RS600 | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official combined PHY rateThe official BE class number, or the sum of official per-band PHY rates when the class token is missing (labelled computed). | 19000 Mbps | 18000 Mbps | 35% |
| Fastest official Ethernet portThe fastest official Ethernet port on the router, including 10 Gbps RJ45 or SFP+ when the official I/O table lists it. | 10 Gbps | 10 Gbps | 30% |
| Official Ethernet port countHow many official Ethernet ports the router has, from the maker's I/O or technical-spec table. | 6 ports | 4 ports | 20% |
| Official radio bandsDual-band, tri-band or quad-band as listed on the official specification table. | 3 bands | 3 bands | 15% |
| Official Wi-Fi class (spec table or official title) | BE19000 | BE18000 | info |
| Sum of official per-band PHY rates (computed) | 18669 Mbps | 1000 Mbps | info |
| Official radio bands | Tri-band | Tri-band | info |
| Official spatial streams | 12 | Not listed | info |
| Processor (official table) | 2.6GHz quad-core processor | Not listed | info |
| Memory (official table) | 256 MB Flash and 2 GB RAM | Not listed | info |
| Dimensions (official table) | 350.6*350.6*217.6 | Not listed | info |
| Security (official table) | AiProtection, VPN, WPA/WPA2/WPA3 Personal WPA/WPA2/WPA3 Enterprise Open System & OWE, WPS, Let's Encrypt, DNS-over-TLS, SSH, Security Scan, Firewall, • Maximum Firewall Keyword Filter : 64, • Maximum Firewall Network Service Filter : 32, • Maximum Firewall URL Filter : 64 | Not listed | info |
| Power (official table) | AC Input : 110V~240V(50~60Hz)DC Output : 19 V with max. 3.42 A current ； 19.5 V with max. 3.33 A current | Not listed | info |
| Official Ethernet wording | 1 x 10Gbps for WAN/LAN + 1 x RJ45 10/100/1000Mbps for WAN/LAN 3x RJ45 10/100/1000Mbps for LAN, 1 x 10Gbps for LAN | Ports: to 10 Gbps2. Compatible with any internet service - (1) 10 Gbps internet port • Access Control helps to prevent rogue devices provider. from connecting to your network - (1) 10 Gbps Ethernet LAN ports • 10 GbE Wired Port and More—Plug in wired - (3) 10/100/1000 Mbps Gig… | info |
| Source note | Not listed | Ethernet port count and speed taken from the official technical specification (PDF or support article) for this model. | info |
| MeshPick score | 7.4/10 | 6.8/10 | 100% |
Where each one comes out ahead
ASUS RT-BE96U
Better published figure on: Official combined PHY rate, Official Ethernet port count.
What we like
- Official table lists Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be)
- Official table lists a tri-band radio
- Official table lists a 10 Gbps Ethernet port
- Official table lists 6 Ethernet ports on the main unit
Watch out for
NETGEAR Nighthawk RS600
No scored spec where it is strictly ahead; its case rests on the strengths below.
What we like
- Official table lists Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be)
- Official table lists a tri-band radio
- Official table lists a 10 Gbps Ethernet port
- Official combined class or PHY rate is 18000 Mbps
Watch out for
Verdict
Both official tables list a high official BE class; compare official 10 Gbps port counts.
- ASUS RT-BE96U: ASUS official specifications: RT-BE96U
- ASUS RT-BE96U: ASUS official tech specs: RT-BE96U
- NETGEAR Nighthawk RS600: NETGEAR official technical specifications PDF: RS600_TS
- NETGEAR Nighthawk RS600: NETGEAR official technical specifications PDF
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