Netgear has perhaps one of the most complete router lineups much of which, we have reviewed here at TweakTown. Within this lineup, the Nighthawk brand is likely the most recognizable by consumers as it encompasses both mid-range platforms and gamer or enthusiast platforms. That said, across this entire lineup we had got used to Netgear deploying its "genie" OS/firmware and while it carried all the features needed for the typical consumer, it didn't have that edge gamers look for.

With the Nighthawk XR500 Netgear has gone all in, partnering with NetDuma, the company behind the R1 back in 2014, to create a feature-rich gaming platform. This includes a geo-filter to guarantee you connect to a host close to home, Anti-Flood technology to eliminate congestion caused by excessive downloading and the ability to set per device bandwidth with QoS.