About Starlink Router vs Nighthawk: While Starlink is sufficient for the Starlink internet, it’s yet to have the extensive features of modern routers.
No wonder people bypass it and use third-party routers with advanced capabilities like ethernet ports and extended range.
If you are in such a predicament, the Nighthawk routers are among the best third-party alternatives.
Here, we will compare Starlink router vs Nighthawk to help you determine your needs.
Starlink vs Nighthawk: How it’s Designed
The Starlink device comes as a part of the Starlink kit to enable you to access the SpaceX satellite internet.
It features a sleek rectangular design that extends to a trapezium base. However, when looking from the side, the device is trapezoidal.
The face is white for enhanced blending and contains three LED indicator lights. Its protruding base is the one that harbors the power port, ethernet adapter port, and dish cable port.
Unlike most routers, Starlink router does not have physical protruding antennas, which helps it occupy small space.
Conversely, the Nighthawk router brand makes devices such as RAXE500, R7000P, and others to work with various networks.
Depending on the model, the router is typically black with two to five protruding antennas. Like any other third-party router, the Nighthawk routers usually have LED indicators in front and several ports at the back.
A router
Starlink vs Nighthawk: wifi Standards
When considering modern wifi standards, Starlink isn’t a device you would classify as advanced.
For starters, it utilizes the WiFi5 standards, also known as IEEE 802.1a/b/g/n/ac, with a 1.3Gbps maximum output.
While this standard may seem outdated, it’s still enough for satellite internet, which can only achieve 350 Mbps maximum speed.
The router also features 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz dual-band, supporting 3×3 MU-MIMO.
Typically, these features prevent signal delay, thus increasing speed for handling several devices simultaneously.
In contrast, most advanced Nighthawk routers support WiFi6 standards (IEEE 802.11ax), which support more than 10Gbps output.
It is also triband with 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz channels. Moreover, the device can run 12 wifi streams concurrently, giving your home device 8k quality content viewing.
What I love about these routers is how they serve 60 devices without lagging or interruptions.
Note that while this device is more advanced than Starlink, using it with Starlink internet is underusing due to inferior satellite internet capabilities.
Starlink vs Nighthawk: Functional Range
While Starlink does not come with beamforming antennas, its range is still decent at 2000 square feet.
You may enhance this range using Starlink accessories such as wifi extenders and Nodes.
Most Nighthawk routers feature beamforming antennae capabilities that extend their range to 3500 square feet.
You can extend these devices’ wifi range using mesh systems such as MK83 or extenders like EX7500.
Wifi extender
Starlink vs Nighthawk: Ethernet Ports
The biggest disadvantage of using Starlink is the lack of an ethernet port to connect wired devices.
While the first generation had ports, Starlink eliminated this feature in the modern routers.
Consequently, to connect a wired device, you must buy the Starlink ethernet adapter separately.
In comparison, all Nighthawk routers have several ethernet ports which you can use to connect computers and game consoles.
They feature a 2.5 Gigabit speed ethernet port for connecting devices demanding using an ethernet cable.
In addition, you get about four more gigabit ports with a link speed of 2 Gbps. Moreover, these devices have two 3.0 USB ports as a wired connection option.
Router ports
Starlink vs Nighthawk: Parental Control
Parental control is a feature that lets you, as a parent, control your child’s internet activities.
For example, you can create an internet access profile for every kid and pause and restart it how you want.
Sadly, the Stalink router does not have this capability. Using the Nighthawk router, you can monitor your family members’ devices and know how they use their internet.
You can restrict some sites, schedule bedtime, filter content, and reward good deeds.
However, some of these capabilities are premium at $7.99 monthly, although they have a 30-day trial.
Parental control feature
Starlink vs Nighthawk: Security
According to my research, Starlink uses the WPA2 encryption technology to secure your device from malicious access.
While this may seem slightly lower than modern routers, it still works perfectly.
Additionally, the device is IP54-rated to ensure water and dust resistivity.
On the other hand, the Nighthawk router uses the modern WPA3 encryption system for unauthorized access prevention.
In addition, the company gives you the Bitdefender amour powered by Netgear.
This security system is a premium service that automatically protects your LAN utilizing advanced shield technology.
Besides the security, buying this device gives you privacy protection thanks to the VPN access that runs for one year.
Starlink vs Nighthawk: Compatibility
As I mentioned earlier, the Starlink router comes as a part of the Starlink kit, which includes a dish and cables.
For this reason, it can only work with the Stalink network and cannot function with other ISPs.
It is the one that powers the dish using a PoE cable since the dish does not have its power supply.
Comparingly, the Nighthawk router is an aftermarket universal device. Therefore, it can work with any ISP, making it more compatible than
\]Starlink.
Starlink Router vs Nighthawk: Cost
The Netgear Nighthawk routers vary in price depending on the capabilities and the specifications you seek.
For example, the R7800 model costs $159.95, while the R7000 costs $69.99 on Amazon.
On the other hand, Starlink router sells as a part of the Starlink internet plan you want.
For instance, the business plan kit costs $2500, while that of the RV and residential goes for $599.
Conclusion
Most Nighthawk routers triumph over Starlink regarding link speed, range, security, and other features.
Therefore, when bypassing a Starlink router, the Nighthawk device is worth consideration. However, this does not mean that the Starlink device is inferior, as it is designed to work optimally with the Satelite ISP.