I need some help understanding differences in XR500 and NetDuma R1

[TripleJski]

So, I'm in the market for a new router for multiple reasons.  My current setup is with our verizon fios gigabit ethernet.   My brother and myself both have ps4 and XB1 and to a much lesser extent, occasionally we'll dabble in some pc gaming.  The biggest issue seems to be that when he's playing a fighting game on ps4, or I'm playing a title on XB1, any and all wifi connections (particularly from my father's cell) or the addition of any streaming (youtube, twitch, netflix) just destroys the gaming experience on either console, causing extreme frustration.  Aside from that, certain times of the day, the connection can be extremely volatile for no apparent reason, and it's not always the hours you'd expect, leading us to look around to see if someone's using wifi or streaming services, finding nothing, and sometimes scratching our heads.  I've read up on NetDuma and I'm confident buying the R1 would help immensely.

 

In fact, I had all but made up my mind right before reading about the deal between Netgear and Netduma to bring the DumaOS to the XR500.  I've done a little research, but I've had a hard time finding information differentiating the two hardware wise.  If anyone could point me to a comparison website or give me information about the differences or potential advantages of one over the other, it would GREATLY be appreciated.  Personal anecdotes and opinions as to which is better suited for my needs would be appreciated.  We both use ethernet cables to directly connect from the router we have now to our consoles.    

 

As I stated, I'm mainly a console gamer, and spend most of my hours playing NHL 18, or various other sports titles, with some shooters (pubG on xb1, battlefield, cod, battlefront) mixed in on occasion.  My brother is more of a ps4 fighting game fan, playing Dragonball FighterZ most recently, as well as Marvel, Street Fighter, and Injustice/Mortal Kombat religiously.

 

So, anyone with an informed opinion, please weigh in and tell me why one would be a better choice than the other.  At first glance, I feel like since they will have the same OS in April, the newer router with the newer hardware seemingly has an advantage, but, that's just a guess really, I haven't seen much about the specifications, nor do I know what measurable metrics would be most important for two console gamers looking to prioritize gaming traffic.  Any help for a clueless gamer would go a long way since it's not often I have this kind of money to spend on my gaming hobby, and to make the incorrect choice would be a real bummer.

 

It doesn't seem to be good business necessarily for NetDuma to state outright that Netgear's router is flat out better (despite the price difference), but the added cost makes me think that it may in fact be so, if not the age of the R1.  Still, that's just an assumption based on those two factors, without proof, so any real tangible information or anecdotal experiences that someone could share would help.  Thanks in advance!

[Netduma Fraser]

I'll copy and paste what I've about DumaOS before here as I think it's quite relevant.

 

DumaOS is way more streamlined, easier to use, more robust and faster. Its easier to use while still having advanced options for those that like to tinker. QoS can be exclusively automatic if you would like it to be, automatically prioritising your consoles/games (using enterprise level deep packet inspection) and then applying Anti-Bufferbloat (Anti-Flood on R1) whenever this happens or giving full speed when not playing. The Dashboard provides a one stop customisable shop for your favourite features all sharing one screen where you can change settings on the fly without going to all the different features. More indepth Network Monitor, I could go on. Of course you have the Geo-Filter as well which I don't think I need to sell to you - it's the only feature of it's kind. 

 

Also DumaOS is an actual OS so that means we can build new features & fix bugs - VERY fast. We have only just started, there is so much we plan on adding to DumaOS that it's actually crazy.

 

Hardware Specifications:

 

R1: https://netduma.com/features/hardware/

XR500: http://www.netgear.com/images/datasheet/networking/wifirouter/XR500.pdf

[BIG__DOG]

the XR500 has much much newer hardware and has 5G wifi capability which the R1 does not. I am buying the XR500 to simplify my network as I have the R1 for my gaming and controlling EVERYTHING in my house connected to the internet and I have aWRT3200acm connected to the R1 that allows all wifi devices to get 2.4G and 5G wifi access.

 

 

The R1 is still a fantastic router and it does what it claims it does. If you have a spare router that you can connect to the R1 to handle all the wifi connections if you want access to 5G wifi then do that. If you want the latest router with the latest hardware then go for the XR500.

 

Also dumaOS is coming to the R1 on April 18th.

 

 

 

 

 

B.D