Asuswrt Merlin vs Netgear Nighthawk
The Battle of the router interfaces
ROUTERS HAVE COME a long way in the past 20 years, each year brings better features, new designs, and bigger wireless ranges. But for the enthusiast, a good router stretches beyond just “how quick is it?” And quickly moves on to “how easy is it to configure?” Today, we’re pitting two behemoths against each other. Netgear vs Asus, US vs Taiwan, in a battle of the networking giants. Which router’s onboard UI comes out on top? What features do you get? And which is easier to set up?
But there’s a twist. Instead of running on the stock Asus firmware, we’ll be comparing the third-party Asuswrt-Merlin variant instead. Identical in almost every way to the stock config, the Merlin features an expanded feature list, while retaining the look, feel, and features of the default UI. With support for third-party software, performance optimizations, to VPN solutions, bug fixes, DNS-based filtering, and a host more additions. In fact, AsuswrtMerlin’s firmware has been so impressive over the years, Asus has included features from it in its own stock configuration.
The initial setup for Asus routers is fairly seamless. Plug in direct from the modem, let the device power on, then connect either via Ethernet, LAN, or Wi-Fi. Then, head to a web browser and type in router.asus.com and it takes you straight to the main router admin page. Enter the username and password, and you’re in. Depending on your ISP, you can then head to WAN settings, and input your user and password for PPPoE, or leave it blank if you’re running DHCP instead.
For Netgear, it’s more complicated. The same basic premise applies, plug in the router, connect the modem, power it up. Once that’s done, however, you can’t just connect and log in using an admin and password. Instead, you’re encouraged to scan the QR code provided with your phone, at which point, you’ll be prompted to download the Nighthawk mobile app.
This will then identify your router’s WiFi network, and run you through the setup procedure that way. The process involves turning the modem and then router off and on, then add a username and password if you require a PPPoE setup (inputting long usernames by phone isn’t fun). However, the phone also provides an uncontrollable variable. Take the Samsung S21 Ultra, if it can’t detect an internet connection, it disconnects from Wi-Fi and uses mobile data instead. If it does this during setup, it can crash the entire thing, meaning you have to start again. It took three attempts to get past the initial setup and required us to disable mobile data to get it right. Once set up, you can log in via routerlogin.net, which gives you access to a comparatively rudimentary UI, with numerous adverts and pop-ups pointing to the app.
Netgear’s basic web UI is practical, although not flashy. On arrival, it gives you a quick update on attached devices, internet status, Wi-Fi and Guest Network status, and whether your Armor security package is enabled. The basic page has a number of tabs, including Internet (access to your login and password, WAN preference, MAC and DNS settings), Wireless (where you can control WiFi AX, SSID broadcast, channel config, security), QoS (providing
some basic bandwidth allocation settings, backed up by online profiles, there’s also a speed test function here), Parental Controls (for internet usage controls, time limits on apps/websites, age-appropriate filters and more), ReadySHARE (where you control your attached USB storage), Guest Network, and, last but not least, Attached Devices, which is genuinely awesome.
Asuswrt has this too, but not to the same caliber. Netgear actively identifies what each item connected to the network is using an online database, providing it with a visual indicative icon, a product name, and assigns it a bandwidth priority. It also informs you of the connection type and local IP address. There’s also a handy link taking you to “Access Control”, where you can block devices. Asus has something similar, but it’s far more simplified. If you want to input the product name, you can, but you have to do it yourself. There are icons but it’s not often accurate. You can however sort by connection type, a feature that’s sorely missed on the Netgear setup.
Moving across to the advanced setup tab takes this all a step further, and gives you more in-depth features, port-blocking, Traffic Meter, Port Aggregation, Static Routes, Dynamic DNS, and a whole host of logs and other good stuff.
With Asus, it’s a lot more clean-cut, you get a far better visualization on first entry into the web GUI, with internet status, WAN IP, DDNS signup, internet traffic figures, and CPU and RAM utilization charts too.
You can also see what speeds are capable on each device plugged into each ethernet port, and more. On first appearances, it’s a superior UI. Everything is neatly aligned in tabs on the left of the page, including features such as Guest Networks, AIProtection, Adaptive QoS, Traffic Analyzer, Game mode, Open NAT, and the VPN, IPv6, Firewall settings, and more. At first glance, it’s far easier to navigate around than Netgear’s solution.
Both solutions have a form of security on board. Asus’s is discreet, sitting solely on the router, it blocks access to malicious websites, and attempts, and gives you a device-by-device breakdown on how many attacks it has blocked. Armor, Netgear’s proprietary software package partnered with Bitdefender, is more involved, again requiring the app. It informs you when a new device has connected to the Wi-Fi and then scans it for vulnerabilities. It also analyzes your Wi-Fi network for security flaws and, like Asus’s AiProtection, blocks malicious attacks.
It comes with Bitdefender Security for all your devices, and a limited 200MB a day Bitdefender VPN. But this is a subscription package that will set you back $70 a year without discount (currently 35%), or you can upgrade for an extra $40 for unlimited VPN data. Of course, all of those features are buried in the app. Would Netgear consider dropping Bitdefender and including Armor for free or at a discounted price? Sadly not. It’s an awesome piece of software, but it comes at a cost when you have paid $400+ for a router that supports it. As an enthusiast who likes to pick their antivirus and VPN solutions, we are unlikely to renew, despite these extra features.
Ultimately, both are similar, but with two different approaches to how you use them. Both have a solid web UI, with Asus eking out a win on usability and security features, and both have mobile apps with Netgear’s far superior in function and form. However, Asus slightly tops the competition, mainly because AiProtection is included as standard with the router, unlike Netgear’s Armor equivalent.