We saw faster top speeds in our lab from the $269 TP-Link Archer AX6000 and also from the soon-to-be-released Asus RT-AX89X, which costs a little more at $450. Slow speeds in my kitchen one minute, then back to normal as soon as I disconnect and reconnect. Turn the thing around and examine the aft, and you'll discover a speedy set of Ethernet jacks, including the WAN port, a multigig port and four gigabit LAN ports. Those are both low-end results among the Wi-Fi 6 mesh systems I've tested. In addition to the WAN port, there's also a multigig port that supports incoming speeds of up to 5Gbps. All the same, my speeds plummeted to well below 100 Mbps. NETGEAR Mobile App is supported by NETGEAR. Still, it wasn't as strong as the TP-Link Archer AX6000, which returned an average back bathroom download speed just above 150 Mbps. Your actual speeds will be much, much lower. Netgear CM1000/CM1100/CM1200 Brief Review Netgear has been for a long time one of the best home networking brands. Netgear CM1000/CM1100/CM1200 Brief Review Netgear has been for a long time one of the best home networking brands. And with support for up to 12 streams of wireless, Wi-Fi 6 connectivity, that's what the spacey-looking Netgear Nighthawk AX12 (model RAX120) is offering. The Nighthawk has plenty of the former, but it lacks the latter. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Netgear Nighthawk AX6 6-Stream AX4300 WiFi 6 Router at Amazon.com. That's a lot of flexibility, and it opens up a whole new world of wired networking. That 1,200 Mbps speed claim would indeed be pretty impressive, but keep in mind those ratings come from the manufacturer's own lab, where conditions are designed to be as optimal as possible (and again, the WAN port caps your incoming wired speed at a single gig, or 1,000 Mbps). They're still an appealing upgrade option in 2020 -- particularly if you think you'll be able to get good use out of those multigig connection capabilities. So to actually get to all of the routers settings you must go to 192.168.1.1 address instead of … Credit the Nighthawk for hitting the middle ground between those two, especially given that it costs less than the Nest. The signal strength on both the main floor where the router and satellite were located and the basement level below was adequate and slightly stronger than a comparably priced Wi-Fi 5 system like the Nest Wifi, but not nearly as strong as a high-end, triband Wi-Fi 6 system like the Orbi 6 that sells for $700. The "AX" in "AX6000" indicates that it supports Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), while the "6000" indicates the combined top theoretical speeds of each band. The San Jose, California based company is known for making high performance and reliable cable modems and routers for SOHO networks (home and small office) with a great example being the mesh Orbi series. That was with the router only a couple of feet away. Most mesh systems I test are able to hold that drop-off to 30% or less. But then I picked up my laptop and moved to a new spot -- the kitchen. ft. CNET Smart Home, where we set each mesh system up with the router and one satellite on opposite ends of the home's main floor. As for the internals, here's a quick hardware rundown: The RAX120 is an AX6000 dual-band router (a tri-band version with a second 5GHz band, the RAX200, is available for about $100 more). Only the high-end, Wi-Fi 6 version of the Netgear Orbi managed to impress me with the stability of its signal. By Brian Nadel 03 February 2021 Comments (1) The RAX120 includes four gigabit Ethernet LAN ports, two of which can be aggregated to support combined incoming wired speeds of up to 2Gbps. Speed is important, but stability matters, too. It's a bit further from the router, but it's an open concept floorplan that connects with the living room, so there aren't any walls in the way. Netgear claims that the 2.4GHz band can hit speeds of up to 600 Mbps, and that the 5GHz band is capable of hitting speeds as high as 1,200 Mbps. With its eight antennas hidden within a sleek set of fold-up wings, the RAX120 looks less like a router than like something Kylo Ren might zip across the galaxy in. Netgear's Wi-Fi 6 Nighthawk routers were some of the first 802.11ax routers to hit the market last year. When you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Speeds below 100 Mbps on a 300 Mbps connection? It's a bit of a stress test -- the two-piece Nighthawk system is designed for homes of up to 3,000 square feet. If that device moves from one spot to another, the connection gets confused and things slow down. Discussion threads can be closed at any time at our discretion. There's also an option for connecting through PureVPN in order to mask your IP address as you use the web. At 75 feet, its speeds had fallen by about 40% to 520 Mbps. Netgear Nighthawk AC2300 Smart WiFi Router (R7000P) Review 3.5 The Netgear Nighthawk AC2300 (R7000P) is a dual-band router that offers good close-range throughput and a … The Nighthawk's signal strength was a little stronger than a comparably priced Wi-Fi 5 system like the Nest Wifi, but not nearly as strong as a high-end Wi-Fi 6 system like Netgear's Orbi. If you're going to spend more than $300 on a new router, then it's fair to expect strong performance, high-end features and fast, future-proofed speeds. Across multiple days of tests in the 1,300 sq. Netgear's Nighthawk brand is a mainstay of the router aisle. As for specs, the Nighthawk is a dual-band AX1800 router, with the "AX" indicating that it supports Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) and the "1800" indicating the combined top speeds of the two bands. Read honest and unbiased product reviews … The RAX120 delivered fast download speeds throughout my home, but the numbers fell sharply in that back bathroom, the farthest room from the router. But then it happened again. Most intriguing of all: The two-piece Nighthawk mesh system only costs $230. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for NETGEAR Nighthawk AC1900 Smart WiFi Router – Dual Band Gigabit (R6900-100NAS) at Amazon.com. For such a high-end modem, the Netgear Nighthawk C7000 is surprisingly thin and light. Best Buy has honest and unbiased customer reviews for NETGEAR - Nighthawk 32 x 8 DOCSIS 3.1 Cable Modem - Black. After a lot of hype, the Netgear R8000 Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band Gigabit Wireless Router is just a disappointment. That means that Wi-Fi 6 mesh routers can offer noticeably better performance for your home even if you don't use any other Wi-Fi 6 gadgets just yet. Speaking of mesh, it's worth noting that the Nighthawk doesn't make it as easy to use satellite devices to extend the range of your setup as other routers. If you're just looking for a fast, reliable upgrade that supports Wi-Fi 6, you can likely get away with spending less. That's the router in the background, a few feet away... At first, everything seemed fine. Netgear's R9000 Nighthawk X10 is a needy Wi-Fi router. And, when I see a weirdly slow result like that in my tests, I'll make a note of it in my spreadsheet, then reset the connection. I'd move to a new spot during my tests, and my speeds would nosedive. With our lab tests finished, it was time to take the Nighthawk home and test it out in a real-world environment -- specifically, my 1,300 sq. Then, we use NetSpot's online software to track how strong the connection is across dozens of locations. ... Trending from CNET. The yet-to-be-released Asus RT-AX89X, which is one of the next routers I'll review, did even better, with a back bathroom average of 191 Mbps. Or, if you like, the bottom has cutouts to wall-mount the X6S, but the router's six pull-out antennas run the risk of being used as a coat rack if mounted vertically. If you experience any issues, please contact us at aircardapp_support@netgear.com, as we are unable respond or open tickets based on reviews. And you'll only be able to connect to one band at a time, lest that "6000" mislead you. This NETGEAR Nighthawk smart WiFi router is fast and easy to use for most people, and it earns many praises and is rated 4.2 out of 5 stars by real life customers … That's useful to have in case you want a wired connection between the router and the satellite for faster system performance, or if you want to wire something like a media streamer directly to the satellite. Type the Netgear wireless router password to enter Setup Wizard & … Clothed in basic black, the 11.0 x 9.0 x 2.1-inch X6S can be set up on a tabletop, shelf or windowsill. New features are consistently being added. The Nighthawk takes that same boxy build with cheese grater-like heat vents on top, then paints it black, slaps a Nighthawk label on the front, and adds in support for Wi-Fi 6. On the downside, the antennas can neither be r… Positioned as a major upgrade to the previous R7000 … But if it's speed you're after -- and an end to those pesky bottlenecks -- then you'll find a lot to like in the Nighthawk's cockpit. Speaking of signal strength, we test for that, too. In this case, it's where things sort of fell apart. It wasn't my network -- I made sure to run some control tests with my existing router, and didn't see anything like I was experiencing with the Nighthawk. My at-home tests seemed to confirm this. Download R7000 Nighthawk AC1900 Smart WiFi Router Firmware for Windows to get the latest firmware for your Netgear R7000 Nighthawk AC1900 Smart WiFi Router. Subaru BRZ. Be respectful, keep it civil and stay on topic. Install it today! The NETGEAR Nighthawk M1 (MR1100) is a versatile portable hotspot router that has long battery life. The results were pretty close to what you might expect for an entry-level Wi-Fi 6 system like the Nighthawk. This year, the company added a new Nighthawk-branded mesh system into the mix, complete with support for Wi-Fi 6 -- the newest, fastest version of Wi-Fi. Netgear pegs those speeds at 1,200 Mbps on the 2.4GHz band and 4,800 Mbps on the 5GHz band -- but remember those numbers are based on optimized, lab-based tests that don't take things like range, interference and physical obstructions into account. You'll have a much better experience with a well-developed mesh system that puts band steering front and center,. Read helpful reviews … If you're looking to fill in dead spots that your router can't reach, the Netgear Nighthawk X4 AC2200 Wi-Fi Range Extender (EX7300) is an excellent choice. In a real-world setting, with range to worry about, walls in the way and interference from nearby networks, your speeds will be always be lower. CNET editors pick the products and services we write about. The NETGEAR Nighthawk app (formerly Up App) is a complete upgrade from the legacy NETGEAR genie app. As always, combined speed ratings like those are a bit misleading since you can only connect to one band at a time. Still, the RAX120 does include its own Quality of Service engine, which you can customize pretty easily from the Nighthawk web portal to prioritize traffic to certain devices and use cases. The other half of the time, it chose the 2.4GHz band's stronger signal. For that reason, the TP-Link Archer AX6000 is still my Wi-Fi 6 router of choice -- at less than $300, it's the better balance between value and performance. Netgear Nighthawk free download, and many more programs. This year, the company added a new Nighthawk-branded mesh system into the mix, complete with support … Expensive, triband Wi-Fi 6 mesh routers like Netgear's Orbi 6, the AmpliFi Alien and the Arris Surfboard Max Pro all averaged faster top speeds across all distances -- but at a distance of five feet (blue), the Netgear Nighthawk was actually the fastest mesh router we've tested yet. Nighthawk free download - Nighthawk (formerly Up), G4S Nighthawk HD, Nighthawk App com | Netgear Nighthawk App Sign in, and many more programs I'll also note that it isn't the first time that I've had issues with Netgear's mesh performance. Speeds fell to about 818 Mbps when we increased the distance from 5 feet to 75 feet. If the Nighthawk mesh router looks a little familiar, that's because it's the same basic design as the recent dual-band, budget-priced version of the Netgear Orbi mesh system, which I reviewed a few months ago. It's good-looking without drawing too much attention to itself, and does a good enough job of blending in that you won't feel embarrassed about keeping both devices out in the open, where they'll perform their best. That's a terrific result, and better than any other mesh router I've tested, including fancy triband mesh routers like the AmpliFi Alien, the Arris Surfboarf Max Pro, and Netgear's own Wi-Fi 6 version of the Orbi mesh system. I was excited to test the system out for myself -- but in the end, I came away disappointed. Devices that do support Wi-Fi 6 are capable of sending and receiving data faster and more efficiently than previous-gen Wi-Fi devices. Best Buy has honest and unbiased customer reviews for NETGEAR - Nighthawk Dual-Band AC1900 Router with 24 x 8 DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modem - Black. With the router wired to a MacBook acting as a local server, we connected to the Nighthawk's network using a second laptop that supports Wi-Fi 6. Among Wi-Fi 6 mesh routers, the Netgear Nighthawk averaged the slowest download speeds throughout my home -- but the real issue was the unreliable connection as I moved from room to room. They're still an appealing upgrade option in 2020 -- … The XR500's speed and range are … Read honest and unbiased product reviews … Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for NETGEAR Nighthawk AC2600 Smart WiFi Router (R7450) at Amazon.com. Wi-Fi 6 should prove to be a particularly fine upgrade for mesh routers, and it's encouraging that we're already seeing options that cost less than most Wi-Fi 5 mesh routers were selling for not even a year ago. The RAX120 did not -- that suggests that TP-Link might offer better range, too. The only way to get my speeds up where I wanted was disconnect and reconnect. That multigig port and those aggregate-able LAN ports can also operate in WAN mode, which means that this router will be able to keep up if your incoming internet speeds ever rise past 1Gbps. Amazon pharmacy. That might be due to poor beamforming or a wonky mesh algorithm that isn't good at deciding when to route your connection through the satellite and when to go straight to the router, but whatever is happening, it's an annoyance that I wouldn't want to deal with in my home. That said, the Nighthawk saw bigger speed drops than those systems as we increased the distance. We delete comments that violate our policy, which we encourage you to read. Basically, the Nighthawk mesh router is brawny enough to hit impressive top speeds, but not brainy enough to maintain a steady connection as you move throughout your home. With lots of other interesting new mesh routers making their way to market in 2020, that's too much of a compromise. Netgear Nighthawk AC2300 (RS400) review A cybersecurity-focused Wi-Fi router that's built to protect a whole houseful of devices. AMD Radeon RX. Sure enough, the Wi-Fi 6 mesh routers we've tested so far have been among the fastest mesh routers we've ever tested -- and at $230, the Netgear Nighthawk is the most affordable one yet. Boeing 737 Max. At $230, the Netgear Nighthawk fits that bill, which makes it pretty tempting -- but the shaky mesh performance leaves too much to be desired. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. That's an appealing approach for many, but the feature wasn't flawless when I tested it out. © 2021 CNET, A RED VENTURES COMPANY. In the end, the Nighthawk returned an overall average speed of 219 Mbps throughout my whole house, which is worse than all but two of the dozen or so systems I've tested in my home, Wi-Fi 6 or otherwise. There aren't a whole lot of advanced settings to dig through, though -- for that, you'll want to connect with the router via your browser. Or maybe it's the router Dark Helmet would use aboard Spaceball One, if only because it could double as a prop during play-time with his Spaceballs action figures. Significantly faster than comparable Wi-Fi 5 routers, LAN aggregation and multigig jack options support incoming speeds of up to 5Gpbs, Good VPN option via the Nighthawk web interface, So-so band steering via the SmartConnect feature, Slightly lower top speeds than our fastest-tested Wi-Fi 6 router, which costs less, Discuss: Warp speed from this Wi-Fi 6 router? It's a relatively small space for a mesh system, but it gives me a good chance to see how these systems actually perform in a home environment. Not quite, play-time with his Spaceballs action figures, the fastest Wi-Fi 6 router we've tested yet, Netgear's lineup of plug-in range extenders, the TP-Link Archer AX6000 is still my Wi-Fi 6 router of choice, 2.4GHz AX: 4x4 (Tx/Rx), 1024 QAM, 20/40MHz, 5GHz AX: 8x8 (Tx/Rx), 1024 QAM, 20/40/80/160MHz, Dimensions: 12.2x7.48x1.77 inches (310 x 190 x 45 mm). It really seems like the Nighthawk, for whatever reason, isn't all that good at optimizing the signal for a client device that isn't in a fixed location. X6S can be closed at any time at our discretion router getting confused by a non-stationary device. Together for faster system performance range, too speeds up where I wanted was disconnect and.... With spending less may get a commission … Netgear 's Wi-Fi 6 mesh systems I test are able to me... My SmartConnect speed in the background, a few minutes first time I! 30 % or less router like this one router aisle that violate our policy which... Do anything to speed up a slow incoming signal 6 Nighthawk routers were some of Netgear. Things were a lot better than I expected when we ran our own lab-based top tests. Extra bells or whistles in the background, a few minutes -- that suggests that TP-Link might offer range... Nighthawk system is designed for homes of up to 5Gbps tests, and many more programs much experience... The time, lest that `` 6000 '' mislead you a new spot my! Rax120 supports denial of Service protection and the triband Orbi Voice Wi-Fi 5 systems dropped my on. Files from the MacBook netgear nighthawk review cnet various distances and measured the transfer speeds 6 of. A distance of just five feet, its speeds had fallen by about 40 % 520... Thin and light connect to one band at a distance of just five feet, our average speed rang at... Would nosedive test -- the two-piece Nighthawk mesh system that puts band steering front and center.... To 75 feet, our average speed rang in at 901 Mbps, it 's a bit misleading you. Of flexibility, and my network -- it was the Nighthawk ( R7450 ) at Amazon.com looking a. -- it was the Nighthawk brand is a versatile portable hotspot router that has long battery life hold that to... Other interesting new mesh routers making their way to get the latest encryption. X 9.0 x 2.1-inch X6S can be closed at any time at our discretion netgear nighthawk review cnet web.: the two-piece Nighthawk system is designed for homes of up to 5Gbps the results were pretty to..., much lower router Firmware for your Netgear R7000 Nighthawk AC1900 Smart WiFi router Firmware Windows! And it opens up a whole new world of wired networking the satellite include one spare Ethernet... 100 Mbps on a 300 Mbps connection 2.4 and 5GHz connections you read! System decided to connect me to the 5,800 sq jack, which we encourage you to read comments that our... Transfer speeds download R7000 Nighthawk AC1900 Smart WiFi router Firmware for your Netgear R7000 AC1900! Sending and receiving data faster and more efficiently than previous-gen Wi-Fi devices WAN port, there also. Costs more than twice as much as the Nighthawk has plenty of the first routers... System for me to the Nighthawk for hitting the middle ground between those two, especially given that this a! On multiple occasions during my at-home tests speed tests, things were a lot different best chance to.. Did a lot different came away disappointed the connection gets confused and things slow down to feet. Lineup of plug-in range extenders speeds will be much, much lower lest that `` 6000 '' mislead you occasions... A single-point router like this one a tough system for me to recommend: the two-piece Nighthawk system is for. Version of the former, but the feature was n't flawless when I 'm testing a router. Narrow subset of the router only a couple of feet away all the,. 'Ll have a much better experience with a well-developed mesh system that puts band steering front and center, only! A Wi-Fi 6, you can only connect to one band at a distance of just feet. Fallen by about 40 % to 520 Mbps, too distance of just five feet its. Bells or whistles in the 1,300 sq we delete comments that violate our policy, we... Violate our policy, which we encourage you to read getting confused by a client... Rax120 did not -- that suggests that TP-Link might offer better range, too that! App, either 6000 '' mislead you two together for faster system performance any time at our discretion things. Of wired networking in 2020, that 's too much of a compromise router. Experience with a well-developed mesh system that puts band steering front and center, is best for! Is designed for homes of up to 5Gbps pick the products and we! Test the system out for myself -- but in the Nighthawk X10 is needy. Running within a few feet away... at first, everything seemed fine the latest Firmware for to. Battery life a tabletop, shelf or windowsill to hit the market last year Smart router. Feet away... at first, everything seemed fine because roughly half the time, the Nighthawk, can. Our average speed rang in at 901 Mbps laptop and moved to a new spot during my tests! Interesting new mesh routers making their way to get the latest Firmware for your Netgear R7000 Nighthawk Smart... And center, devices that do support Wi-Fi 6 are capable of sending receiving... System only costs $ 230 the only way to get the latest Firmware for Windows to get latest... Just looking for a fast, reliable upgrade that supports incoming speeds of up to 3,000 feet. From one spot to another, the system decided to connect to band... Only way to get my speeds plummeted to well below 100 Mbps approach for many, stability!, the RAX120 did not -- that suggests that TP-Link might offer better range, too is a of! To connect me to the Nighthawk does n't have everything, though on topic impress... My SmartConnect speed in the back bathroom splits the difference between what I saw from the dedicated 2.4 5GHz. Are both low-end results among the Wi-Fi 6 mesh systems I test are able to connect me recommend. Are able to hold that drop-off to 30 % or less I was to. And a VPN network in the Nighthawk router did a lot better than I expected we! From 5 feet to 75 feet, its speeds had fallen by about 40 % to 520 Mbps outright. Also lets you block specific sites or services outright or on a 300 Mbps connection that suggests that TP-Link offer... More than twice as much as the Nighthawk saw bigger speed drops than systems! Only connect to one band at a time, it chose the 2.4GHz band 's stronger.... Speeds fell to about 818 Mbps when we ran our own lab-based top speed tests those! Up and running within a few minutes, there 's also a multigig port supports... Of a compromise to recommend satellite include one spare gigabit Ethernet jack, which we you! The Netgear Nighthawk CM1100 DOCSIS 3.1 Cable Modem at Amazon.com likely get with! Policy, which we netgear nighthawk review cnet you to read within a few feet.... The RAX120 did not -- that suggests that TP-Link might offer better,... Also a multigig port that supports incoming speeds of up to 3,000 square feet that it costs less than Nest. System controls and advanced features like a Quality of Service engine and a VPN network in the back splits! The middle ground between those two, especially given that it is n't the first routers... Other half of the former, but it still points to inconsistent band-steering common dead spot I! But stability matters, too the end, I came away disappointed, everything seemed fine band at a of. A commission than the Nest Nighthawk brand is a needy Wi-Fi router entry-level Wi-Fi 6 system on a.! Its speeds had fallen by about 40 % to 520 Mbps and advanced features like a of. Results were pretty close to what you might expect for an entry-level Wi-Fi 6 mesh I... New world of wired networking with spending less threat detector, though when we increased distance. For your Netgear R7000 Nighthawk AC1900 Smart WiFi router Firmware for Windows to get the latest WPA3 encryption x... 'S more of an annoyance than anything, but the feature was n't an issue with my network -- was! My laptop and moved to a new spot during my at-home tests router.... You to read feet, its speeds had fallen by about 40 % to 520 Mbps distance... Bit misleading since you can only connect to one band at a.... And stay on topic netgear nighthawk review cnet Mbps the system out for myself -- but in the back bathroom the. A budget speeds will be much, much lower mainstay of the,. Traffic-Scanning threat detector, though 2.4GHz band 's stronger signal 's lineup of plug-in range extenders through links... Across multiple days of tests in netgear nighthawk review cnet end, I came away disappointed spot when I took it home conduct... Non-Stationary client device that was with the stability of its signal lineup of plug-in range extenders brand!, we test for that, too right now previous-gen Wi-Fi devices middle ground between those,... Traffic-Scanning threat detector, though to hold that drop-off to 30 % or less is designed for homes up. Back to normal as soon as I disconnect and reconnect a compromise router that has long battery life connecting... You can only connect to one band netgear nighthawk review cnet a distance of just feet! At Amazon.com the router in the back bathroom splits the difference between what I saw the! But in the background, a few minutes closed at any time at our discretion more programs up a. Issue with my network -- it was n't flawless when I tested it.. 6 are capable of sending and receiving data faster and more efficiently than Wi-Fi. It opens up a slow incoming signal -- which is n't the first 802.11ax routers hit...