Netgear's first WiFi 7 router offers extra-low latency for gaming

The WiFi 7 standard still isn't final, but that isn't stopping Netgear from making the technology available to the public. The company has launched its first WiFi 7 router, the Nighthawk RS700S, and it's clear the speed isn't the only draw. While the 320MHz channels promise up to 5Gbps on WiFi 7, the main allure may be the very low lag — Netgear claims "100x lower" latency that should help with gaming, VR and other timing-sensitive apps. You may not be in a rush to plug your PC into an Ethernet jack, then.

The tri-band router offers coverage up to 3,500sq. ft thanks in part to a new antenna design, and can handle up to 200 simultaneously connected devices. You can create a mesh network if you need to cover a large home. A 10Gbps WAN Ethernet port and a matching LAN port make sure the RS700S can support the fastest home fiber connections, although Netgear curiously limits the four additional local Ethernet ports to 1Gbps. You may have to use WiFi if you want to make the most of this hardware.