Netgear Nighthawk AX4 RAX40 Review | 77 Data compared

Avg. price in UK:~£220Avg. price in US:~$200Wi-Fi version:Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)Wi-Fi speed:3000 MbpsLAN port speeds:1 GbpsMesh Wi-Fi:no

Netgear Nighthawk AX4 RAX40 Review: Compare 77 technical specifications and user reviews to see how this product ranks in the Routers category and whether it is worth buying.

7.7

Overall score

Score
7.7/ 10
✕
What it is
An overall evaluation of the router's quality, based on technical analyses and user reviews.
When it matters
When you need a quick reference to identify the best routers on the market.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components

90%

7.6

Technical Score

10%

7.9

User score

â–²Better than 73% of routers
7.6

Technical Score

Technical score
7.6/ 10
✕
What it is
An assessment of the router's technical performance, covering key areas such as Wi-Fi performance, wired connectivity, security, software features, coverage, and design.
When it matters
When you want to compare routers based on technical performance and available features.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components

26%

6.8

Wireless

20%

5.8

Ports

18%

8.9

Networking

14%

10

Security

12%

7.8

Hardware

10%

7.6

Management

â–²Better than 75% of routers
7.9

User score

User score
7.9/ 10
✕
What it is
A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the router.
When it matters
When you want to know how a router performs in daily use and how reliable it is for speed, coverage, and stability according to user feedback.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components

70%

7.6

User reviews

30%

8.7

Popularity

User score:
United Kingdom
amazon
3.7
(178)
amazon
3.2
(98)
amazon
1.0
(1)
United States
Amazon_logo.png
3.8
(1843)
Amazon_logo.png
3.9
(300)
Amazon_logo.png
3.7
(178)

(Reviews last updated: May 2026)

â–¼Worse than 72% of routers
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Best rankings

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Verdict

The Netgear Nighthawk AX4 (RAX40) is a dual-band Wi-Fi 6 router offering AX3000 speeds with up to 600 Mbps on the 2.4GHz band and 2400 Mbps on the 5GHz band. It features a dual-core processor, 4-stream connectivity, 160MHz channel support for gigabit wireless performance, and specialized OFDMA technology to increase network capacity for up to 16 simultaneous devices. The unit is equipped with five Gigabit Ethernet ports (1 WAN, 4 LAN), a USB 3.0 port for shared storage, and two high-powered external antennas that provide reliable coverage for small-to-medium homes. Main pros include its relatively affordable entry point into Wi-Fi 6 technology, strong 5GHz performance for 4K streaming and gaming, and compatibility with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. However, noted cons include a lack of multi-gigabit ports, non-removable antennas, and reports of slow firmware update or reboot times that can exceed five minutes.

Technical Specifications of router Netgear Nighthawk AX4 RAX40

Technical Score
Technical score
7.6/ 10
✕
What it is
An assessment of the router's technical performance, covering key areas such as Wi-Fi performance, wired connectivity, security, software features, coverage, and design.
When it matters
When you want to compare routers based on technical performance and available features.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components:

26%

6.8

Wireless

20%

5.8

Ports

18%

8.9

Networking

14%

10

Security

12%

7.8

Hardware

10%

7.6

Management

7.6
Netgear Nighthawk AX4 RAX40 has a technical score of 7.6 points, which is higher than that of 75.3% of products in this category.
User score
User score
7.9/ 10
✕
What it is
A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the router.
When it matters
When you want to know how a router performs in daily use and how reliable it is for speed, coverage, and stability according to user feedback.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components

70%

7.6

User reviews

30%

8.7

Popularity

User score:
United Kingdom
amazon
3.7
(178)
amazon
3.2
(98)
amazon
1.0
(1)
United States
Amazon_logo.png
3.8
(1843)
Amazon_logo.png
3.9
(300)
Amazon_logo.png
3.7
(178)

(Reviews last updated: May 2026)

7.9
Netgear Nighthawk AX4 RAX40 has a user score of 7.89 points, which is lower than that of 72.3% of products in this category.
Popularity
Popularity
8.7/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator based on the number of reviews received by the router.
When it matters
When you prefer to choose a router reviewed and selected by many other buyers.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Popularity:
Netgear Nighthawk AX4 RAX40 has a popularity score of 8.7 points, which is higher than that of 78.2% of products in this category.
8.7
Netgear Nighthawk AX4 RAX40 has a popularity score of 8.7 points, which is higher than that of 78.2% of products in this category.
Ratio quality/price
Value for money
8.2/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the router's overall rating with its cost.
When it matters
When you are looking for a router with a good balance between network performance, features, and price.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components:

60%

7.7

Overall score

40%

9.4

Price

8.2
Netgear Nighthawk AX4 RAX40 has a value-for-money score of 8.2 points, which is higher than that of 70.1% of products in this category.
Brand name
Netgear
Wi-Fi version
Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
Wi-Fi version
Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
This router uses Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), which is more advanced than 65% of routers and equal to 26.7% of routers.
Wi-Fi bands
2.4 GHz + 5 GHz
Wi-Fi bands
2.4 GHz + 5 GHz
This router supports 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz Wi-Fi bands, which are more versatile than 24.8% of routers and equal to 68.1% of routers.
Wi-Fi speed
3,000 Mbps
Wi-Fi speed
3,000 Mbps
This router delivers 3,000 Mbps Wi-Fi speed, which is higher than 72.7% of routers and equal to 4.8% of routers.
Channel widths supported
20 MHz + 40 MHz + 80 MHz + 160 MHz
Channel widths supported
20 MHz + 40 MHz + 80 MHz + 160 MHz
This router supports 20 MHz + 40 MHz + 80 MHz + 160 MHz channel width options, which is more than 72.8% of routers and the same as 24.8% of routers.
Show more
Wi-Fi security protocols
WPA3, WPA2, WPA
Wi-Fi security protocols
WPA3, WPA2, WPA
This router supports WPA3, WPA2, WPA Wi-Fi security protocols, which are more advanced than 87% of routers and equal to 13.1% of routers.
DoS protection
yes
DoS protection
yes
This router includes DoS protection. 12.8% of routers include DoS protection.
SPI intrusion protection
yes
SPI intrusion protection
yes
This router includes SPI-based intrusion protection. 6.1% of routers include SPI-based intrusion protection.
MAC address filtering
yes
MAC address filtering
yes
This router supports MAC address filtering. 2.2% of routers include MAC address filtering.
URL filter
yes
URL filter
yes
This router supports URL filtering. 3.4% of routers include URL filtering.
Show more
IPv6 support
yes
IPv6 support
yes
This router supports IPv6. 11.5% of routers are IPv6-ready.
Dynamic routing
yes
Dynamic routing
yes
This router supports dynamic routing. 47.8% of routers support dynamic routing.
Inter-VLAN routing
no
Inter-VLAN routing
no
This router does not support inter-VLAN routing. 23.5% of routers support inter-VLAN routing.
VLAN tagging
yes
VLAN tagging
yes
This router supports VLAN tagging. 38.2% of routers include VLAN tagging.
QoS
yes
QoS
yes
This router includes QoS controls. 3.2% of routers include QoS controls.
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N. of LAN ports
4
N. of LAN ports
4
This router has 4 LAN ports, which is more than 23.7% of routers and the same as 69.2% of routers.
LAN port speeds
1 Gbps
LAN port speeds
1 Gbps
This router offers 1 Gbps on its LAN ports, which is faster than 27.1% of routers and on par with 59.9% of routers.
N. of WAN ports
1
N. of WAN ports
1
This router has 1 WAN ports, which is more than 1% of routers and the same as 90.1% of routers.
N. of USB ports
1
N. of USB ports
1
This router has 1 USB ports, which is more than 39.5% of routers and the same as 39.5% of routers.
Power over Ethernet (PoE)
no
Power over Ethernet (PoE)
no
This router does not support Power over Ethernet (PoE). 0.5% of routers can be powered over Ethernet.
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Management interface
Web UI, App
Management interface
Web UI, App
This router uses Web UI, App for management, which is more advanced than 33.4% of routers and equal to 57% of routers.
Nighthawk app
Firmware upgrade method
Web UI, App
Firmware upgrade method
Web UI, App
This router supports Web UI, App firmware update methods, which are more convenient than 73.5% of routers and equal to 3.9% of routers.
Traffic monitoring
yes
Traffic monitoring
yes
This router includes traffic monitoring. 18.1% of routers include traffic monitoring.
Guest Wi-Fi network
yes
Guest Wi-Fi network
yes
This router offers a guest Wi‑Fi network. 8.6% of routers offer a guest Wi‑Fi network.
Captive portal
no
Captive portal
no
This router does not offer captive portal features. 23.5% of routers offer captive portal features.
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CPU clock speed
0.8 GHz
CPU clock speed
0.8 GHz
This router runs at 0.8 GHz, which is slower than 57.6% of routers and on par with 2.3% of routers.
RAM capacity
512 MB
RAM capacity
512 MB
This router has 512 MB of RAM, which is more than 64.4% of routers and the same as 22.8% of routers.
Internal storage
0.25 GB
Internal storage
0.25 GB
This router has 0.25 GB of internal storage, which is more than 68.2% of routers and the same as 16.1% of routers.
Hardware acceleration
yes
Hardware acceleration
yes
This router offers hardware acceleration. 31.4% of routers offer hardware acceleration.
N. of external antennas
2
N. of external antennas
2
This router has 2 external antennas, which is more than 45.1% of routers and the same as 13.1% of routers.
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Netgear Nighthawk AX4 RAX40 vs the average router

246810TotalWirelessSecurityNetworkingPortsManagementHardware
  • Stronger Wi-Fi security
    Wi-Fi security protocols
    WPA3, WPA2, WPA
    This router supports the Wi-Fi security protocols WPA3, WPA2, WPA, while the average router supports WPA2, WPA, WEP, WPS.
    WPA3, WPA2, WPA vs WPA2, WPA, WEP, WPS
  • Supports OFDMA
    OFDMA support
    yes
    This router supports OFDMA, while the average router does not. 35% of routers support OFDMA.
  • Newer Wi-Fi version
    Wi-Fi version
    Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
    This router supports a newer Wi-Fi version than the average router (Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) vs Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)). The average router uses Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac).
    Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) vs Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)
  • 2.03x faster Wi-Fi speed
    Wi-Fi speed
    3,000 Mbps
    This router has a higher Wi-Fi speed than the average router (3000 Mbps vs 1475 Mbps). The average router reaches Wi-Fi speed of 1475 Mbps.
    3,000 Mbps vs 1,475 Mbps
  • 2x more RAM
    RAM capacity
    512 MB
    This router has more RAM than the average router (512 MB vs 256 MB). The average router has 256 MB of RAM.
    512 MB vs 256 MB
  • Supports MU-MIMO
    MU-MIMO
    yes
    This router supports MU-MIMO, while the average router does not. 47.7% of routers support MU-MIMO.
  • Suitable for gaming
    Suitable for gaming
    yes
    This router is designed for gaming, while the average router is not. 36.9% of routers are designed for gaming.
  • Wider channel widths
    Channel widths supported
    20 MHz + 40 MHz + 80 MHz + 160 MHz
    This router has a higher supported channel width than the average router (20 MHz + 40 MHz + 80 MHz + 160 MHz vs 20 MHz + 40 MHz + 80 MHz). The average router supports channel width of 20 MHz + 40 MHz + 80 MHz.
    20 MHz + 40 MHz + 80 MHz + 160 MHz vs 20 MHz + 40 MHz + 80 MHz
  • Supports OFDMA
    OFDMA support
    yes
    This router supports OFDMA, while the average router does not. 35% of routers support OFDMA.
  • Newer Wi-Fi version
    Wi-Fi version
    Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
    This router supports a newer Wi-Fi version than the average router (Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) vs Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)). The average router uses Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac).
    Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) vs Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)
  • 2.03x faster Wi-Fi speed
    Wi-Fi speed
    3,000 Mbps
    This router has a higher Wi-Fi speed than the average router (3000 Mbps vs 1475 Mbps). The average router reaches Wi-Fi speed of 1475 Mbps.
    3,000 Mbps vs 1,475 Mbps
  • Supports MU-MIMO
    MU-MIMO
    yes
    This router supports MU-MIMO, while the average router does not. 47.7% of routers support MU-MIMO.
  • Wider channel widths
    Channel widths supported
    20 MHz + 40 MHz + 80 MHz + 160 MHz
    This router has a higher supported channel width than the average router (20 MHz + 40 MHz + 80 MHz + 160 MHz vs 20 MHz + 40 MHz + 80 MHz). The average router supports channel width of 20 MHz + 40 MHz + 80 MHz.
    20 MHz + 40 MHz + 80 MHz + 160 MHz vs 20 MHz + 40 MHz + 80 MHz
  • Supports TWT
    Target Wake Time (TWT) support
    yes
    This router supports Target Wake Time (TWT), while the average router does not. 36.4% of routers support Target Wake Time (TWT).
  • 1 more spatial streams
    N. of spatial streams
    4
    This router has more spatial streams than the average router (4 vs 3). The average router has 3 spatial streams.
    4 vs 3
  • Stronger Wi-Fi security
    Wi-Fi security protocols
    WPA3, WPA2, WPA
    This router supports the Wi-Fi security protocols WPA3, WPA2, WPA, while the average router supports WPA2, WPA, WEP, WPS.
    WPA3, WPA2, WPA vs WPA2, WPA, WEP, WPS
  • 2x more RAM
    RAM capacity
    512 MB
    This router has more RAM than the average router (512 MB vs 256 MB). The average router has 256 MB of RAM.
    512 MB vs 256 MB
  • Suitable for gaming
    Suitable for gaming
    yes
    This router is designed for gaming, while the average router is not. 36.9% of routers are designed for gaming.
  • 2x more internal storage
    Internal storage
    0.25 GB
    This router has more internal storage than the average router (0.3 GB vs 0.1 GB). The average router offers 0.125 GB of internal storage.
    0.25 GB vs 0.125 GB
  • 25.3% narrower wireless coverage
    Wireless coverage
    139 m²
    This router has narrower wireless coverage than the average router (139 m² vs 186 m²). The average router offers wireless coverage of 186 m².
    139 m² vs 186 m²
  • Limited firmware updates
    Firmware upgrade method
    Web UI, App
    This router supports the firmware update methods Web UI, App, while the average router supports Web UI, App, Automatic.
    Web UI, App vs Web UI, App, Automatic
  • Less capable NAS services
    Built-in NAS services
    SMB, FTP, time machine, web access
    This router includes SMB, FTP, time machine, web access NAS services, while the average router includes SMB, FTP, time machine, NFS, web access.
    SMB, FTP, time machine, web access vs SMB, FTP, time machine, NFS, web access
  • 2.44x more expensive
    Netgear Nighthawk AX4 RAX40 is more expensive than the average router (£220 vs £90).
    £220 vs £90
  • No PPTP server
    PPTP server
    no
    This router cannot act as a PPTP server, while the average router can. 62.4% of routers can act as a PPTP server.
  • 138 mm wider width
    Width
    340 mm
    This router is wider than the average router (340 mm vs 202 mm). The average router is 202 mm wide.
    340 mm vs 202 mm
  • Lower CPU clock speed
    CPU clock speed
    0.8 GHz
    This router has a lower CPU clock speed than the average router (0.8 GHz vs 2x0.5 GHz). The average router has a CPU clock speed of 2x0.5 GHz.
    0.8 GHz vs 2x0.5 GHz
  • 2.44x more expensive
    Netgear Nighthawk AX4 RAX40 is more expensive than the average router (£220 vs £90).
    £220 vs £90
  • 25.3% narrower wireless coverage
    Wireless coverage
    139 m²
    This router has narrower wireless coverage than the average router (139 m² vs 186 m²). The average router offers wireless coverage of 186 m².
    139 m² vs 186 m²
  • No PPTP server
    PPTP server
    no
    This router cannot act as a PPTP server, while the average router can. 62.4% of routers can act as a PPTP server.
  • Limited firmware updates
    Firmware upgrade method
    Web UI, App
    This router supports the firmware update methods Web UI, App, while the average router supports Web UI, App, Automatic.
    Web UI, App vs Web UI, App, Automatic
  • Less capable NAS services
    Built-in NAS services
    SMB, FTP, time machine, web access
    This router includes SMB, FTP, time machine, web access NAS services, while the average router includes SMB, FTP, time machine, NFS, web access.
    SMB, FTP, time machine, web access vs SMB, FTP, time machine, NFS, web access
  • 138 mm wider width
    Width
    340 mm
    This router is wider than the average router (340 mm vs 202 mm). The average router is 202 mm wide.
    340 mm vs 202 mm
  • Lower CPU clock speed
    CPU clock speed
    0.8 GHz
    This router has a lower CPU clock speed than the average router (0.8 GHz vs 2x0.5 GHz). The average router has a CPU clock speed of 2x0.5 GHz.
    0.8 GHz vs 2x0.5 GHz

Graphic comparison of Netgear Nighthawk AX4 RAX40 and other routers

No results found

Third-party reviews

(Reviews last updated: May 2026)

What customers like about Netgear Nighthawk AX4 RAX40?

  • Significantly faster Wi-Fi 6 speeds compared to older Wi-Fi 5 models
  • Affordable entry point for 802.11ax technology
  • Strong signal strength and broad coverage in small to medium-sized homes
  • Easy basic setup via QR code and Nighthawk mobile app
  • Supports voice control through Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant
  • Sleek and well-ventilated hardware design

What customers dislike about Netgear Nighthawk AX4 RAX40?

  • Frequent connectivity drops requiring manual reboots every few hours/days
  • Painfully slow and poorly optimized web interface and mobile app
  • Long reboot and firmware update times (sometimes up to 10 minutes)
  • Limited advanced features compared to higher-end Nighthawk models
  • Lacks a multi-gig network port for ultra-high-speed wired connections
  • Inconsistent performance on the 2.4 GHz band with certain clients

Expert reviews

In-depth analysis and verdict from leading tech publications

M
mbreviews.com
27/03/2020
Summary of the review
D
dongknows.com
09/02/2020
Summary of the review
T
techadvisor.com
30/07/2019
Summary of the review
E
expertreviews.co.uk
25/07/2019
Summary of the review
R
relaxedtech.com
26/05/2019
Summary of the review
D
digitalcitizen.life
03/10/2025
Summary of the review

Video reviews

Hands-on testing, unboxing, and real-world video evaluations

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