Netduma R3 Gaming Router Review

With fixed broadband internet becoming faster and more affordable, the need for a better home network becomes equally essential when getting a new subscription or upgrading to the gigabit levels.

This includes a well-laid-out network wiring throughout the home, a capable WiFi 6E or 7 broadband router, and spaced-out WiFi 6 repeaters around the house.

When picking the right router for the home or a specific room in the house, like an entertainment room or game room where you spend hours playing Diablo IV while other members of the family are playing other mobile games like CoD: Mobile or Mobile Legends.

In which case, it would also be a good idea to look into a gaming router that not only optimizes the network for higher bandwidth or internet speeds but also for better response rates for gaming.

While not a hugely popular name in the networking industry, Netduma bas been making WiFi routers for a decade now and their latest gaming router is the Netduma R3 which we have been using for over a month now.

The Router

The Netduma R3 is the latest of the 3 main routers that the company has released since inception. Netduma routers are designed specifically for gamers, with features focused on optimizing network performance for online gaming. This model has been announced in the latter months of 2023 so, given its release date, we can better appreciate what it offers compared to other WiFi 6 routers of that period.

The slim, spaceship-like shape in a black matte finish reminds us of an F-117 Stealth fighter crossed between a Black Manta feel. There are four (4) external antennas you can attach from the back, thought they feel flimsy and the WiFi label looks unappealing and out of character.

The entire device itself is actually pretty lightweight at only 650 grams and that flat profile (30 x 8 x 6 cm) allows for a more stable grounding when placed in a flat surface. You can also choose to mount it on a wall or ceiling with the build-in hook attachments at the back.

There are RGB strip lights along the edges at the top that you can customize as well as the 10 individual light indicators at the front. More on that later in the interface settings.

At the back, there’s a single WAN port (colored blue) and four (4) LAN ports (colored yellow), a reset button and power plug. There’s also a single flat LAN cable that came with the box. That’s basically the whole set up although we actually love the box and whole packaging of the router as well the paper documentation that came with it.

The whole design, color choice and RGB lights does scream gaming but what’s more important is what’s inside and what’s running the Netduma R3, which we will tackle next.

DumaOS

Netduma routers run on their proprietary DumaOS software, which provides advanced network management tools for gamers. In the case of the R3, you can either configure the router via the web browser or via the Netduma app downloaded from the app store. We chose to do the configuration via the browser.

After connecting to the WiFi of the R3, we initially had a hard time launching the start-up process. The browser keeps on churning 404 errors and after about 30 minutes of tinkering around, we decided to disconnect the router from our main router and tried the process again without internet connection.

That worked like a charm. So, this time around, we also tried the DumaOS app and we’ll show you the step by step process in configuring the R3 router.

First, you’ll be greeted by the DumaOS welcome page, then it will ask you for the router model that you want to add and proceeds to configuring that model.

The R3 already has DumaOS 4 pre-installed. You will also be prompted for the custom name of your WiFi and the password. It also also ask you to change the admin password of the portal.

It will then ask you a few questions that will aid in optimizing the router, like your activity priorities (Work, Gaming, etc).

In this next step, you will be asked to set the lighting preferences for the RGB strip lights, theme colors as well as enabling Telemetry and the built-in Adblocker.

Once the setup is complete, you will be given a summary of the settings, including optimized Ping and a speed test of your internet speed. You’re all set after that.

The next time you login to your DumaOS app, you will see an entire option of the Settings as well as Advanced WiFi option to separately broadcast the 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz channels.

Performance

So, how does the Netduma R3 fare in terms of performance? First off, let me point out that the DumaOS is a great operating system for a router with a nice design and layout for the mobile app.

Next, we tried out our internet speed at the office (Converge) using different speed tests. This is done via WiFi from our Macbook Air M3 at about 6 feet away from the router.

We then repeated this tests at various distances from the router and got these results:

6 feet: [ 709/438Mbps @ SpeedTest.net ] [ 517/490Mbps @ SpeedOf.me ] [ 480/440Mbps @ Fast.com ]

15 feet: [ 730/440Mbps @ SpeedTest.net ] [ 475/479Mbps @ SpeedOf.me ] [ 430/440Mbps @ Fast.com ]

30 feet: [ 357/98Mbps @ SpeedTest.net ] [ 340/45Mbps @ SpeedOf.me ] [ 284/52Mbps @ Fast.com ]

Pricing and Conclusion

The Netduma R3 gaming router retails for $249PHP 14,556INR 21,593EUR 242CNY 1,823 on their website (checkout) and that’s after being on the market for a little over a year now.

As a gaming router, we can see the benefits that the DumaOS 4 delivers in terms of ping optimization, geo-filter, and network activity monitoring. There’s also a lot of granular configurations in the Settings that you can customize in order to maximize the performance of the router.

The Netduma R3 router offers several advantages for gamers and power users. Here are the top 5 benefits of this gaming router:

Advanced Gaming Optimization

• GeoFilter 2.0: This feature allows you to connect only to the closest servers or players within your chosen range, effectively minimizing lag.

• Steady Ping: Utilizes anti-jitter technology to stabilize your ping, reducing lag spikes and ensuring consistent gameplay.

• Ping Heatmap: Visualizes your latency to various game servers, helping you choose the ones that offer the smoothest gameplay.

Intelligent Network Management

• SmartBOOST: Automatically adjusts your network in real-time, prioritizing your favorite applications to ensure they receive the necessary bandwidth when needed.

• Ping Optimiser: Employs patented Congestion Control technology to lower latency, especially useful when your network is under heavy load.

Powerful Hardware

• 1.5GHz Quad-Core processor with 256MB DDR3 RAM and 256MB storage.

• Upgraded chipset for efficient handling of multiple connections.

• Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) capabilities for improved speed and stability.

User-Friendly Interface

• The R3 features a redesigned, intuitive user interface that’s fast, responsive, and compatible with both mobile and desktop platforms.

• Easy-to-use admin panel with gaming-centric features, making network management simpler for gamers.

Customizable Design

• RGB Trisect: The router includes vivid, customizable RGB lighting that not only allows for personalization but also indicates live gaming prioritization.

• Sleek and modern design that fits well with gaming setups.

These features combine to make the Netduma R3 a powerful tool for gamers seeking to optimize their online gaming experience and network performance. But, is it worth the $249PHP 14,556INR 21,593EUR 242CNY 1,823 price tag? We’ll, that depends on what you’re looking for — definitely a yes for a gaming router, but can be too much on the pocket if you’re not after the gaming-optimized features. Nevertheless, this router is still worth considering.