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Routers increasingly include 2.5 Gbps Ethernet ports, but using them at full speed requires a matching 2.5 Gbps port on the connected device and a Cat5e or newer cable. Internet-bound speeds are still capped by your ISP plan, though local network tasks like NAS backups can reach full 2.5 Gbps speed regardless of internet plan.
Netgear routers display a range of colored and blinking lights on their front panels, covering functions like power, internet connectivity, and Wi-Fi bands. A new explainer breaks down what each indicator means, helping users distinguish normal operation from potential problems. The guide applies to both standard Netgear routers and the company's mesh Wi-Fi systems.
A networking explainer breaks down the three core pieces of home internet hardware: modems, which translate signals between your ISP connection and digital devices (replaced by an ONT on fiber lines); routers, which distribute that data to devices over Wi-Fi or Ethernet, manage local traffic, and provide security features like firewalls; and gateways, which combine a modem and router into one unit, commonly supplied by ISPs.
Reporting explains that home internet slowdowns in the evening are typically caused by congestion, as many nearby households and devices go online around the same time. Cable internet is especially affected because neighbors share bandwidth, while fiber connections are less prone to this issue. Suggested fixes include power-cycling modems and routers, and separating devices across different Wi-Fi frequency bands.
A tech how-to explains that plugging an external USB drive into a router's USB port and enabling file sharing in the router settings can turn that drive into a makeshift Network Attached Storage (NAS) device accessible to every device on the home network. The guide notes this approach lets users share photos, documents, movies and other files locally without needing a computer to stay powered on, unlike some streaming setups such as Sonos' current folder-sharing method.
Amazon is selling the NETGEAR Nighthawk RS180 Wi-Fi 7 router for $149.88, a 25% price cut from its regular price. The discount offers buyers a lower-cost entry point into Wi-Fi 7 networking hardware.
A hardware project has repurposed the Gemtek W1700K Wi-Fi 7 router's MediaTek MT7996 radio chip as a wideband software-defined radio receiver, capturing raw 14-bit IQ data at up to 320 megasamples per second. Custom firmware, built without any MediaTek code, drives the radio from cold boot and streams captured data over 10 GbE to a Linux host, which renders a live spectrum and waterfall display in a browser.
Quality of Service (QoS) is a router setting that prioritizes certain types of internet traffic, such as video calls and online gaming, over less time-sensitive data like email. A more advanced version, Smart Queue Management (SQM), uses traffic shaping and scheduling to reduce lag caused by congested data queues, a problem known as bufferbloat. SQM requires more processing power, so it's typically found on high-performance gaming routers or Eero mesh systems rather than standard models.
Florida and three other states have filed lawsuits against TP-Link, accusing the company of misleading consumers about the safety of its routers and its connections to China. The legal actions come six months after the FCC implemented a ban on certain foreign-made consumer routers, which currently prevents TP-Link from selling its latest Wi-Fi 8 models in the US. The lawsuits allege that TP-Link's routers have been exploited by Chinese state hackers and that the company falsely claimed its products were secure.
The TP-Link Deco 7 Pro BE63, a tri-band Wi-Fi 7 mesh router, is available at a 28% discount, reducing its price to $179.99. The deal highlights the device's capacity for network expansion and advanced connectivity features.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced a lawsuit against TP-Link, alleging the company misrepresented the security of its routers and falsely claimed separation from China. Uthmeier said Chinese state-sponsored hackers exploited TP-Link routers that lack auto-update capability and no longer receive support, and that despite claims of Vietnam-based manufacturing, less than 1% of parts used there are Vietnamese-sourced.
An analysis of anonymised data from millions of home network client connections across Europe found that 72.9% still use Wi-Fi 5 or earlier standards, with Wi-Fi 4 alone making up a quarter of connections. Only 27.1% of connections use Wi-Fi 6 or newer, and even on the most capable gateways, clients hit 1 Gbps or more just 5.5% of the time.