Netgear Nighthawk X6 R8000 (AC3200) Review

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We have read many reviews on the Netgear Nighthawk X6 R8000 (Ac3200) Wi-Fi router and found that people say different things about the router.

Some reviews say that the router performs well. Others say it is a complete disappointment. We thought to buy the product ourselves and test it.

We performed multiple tests and in today’s review article, we will share our experience with you so that you know whether or not it is worth buying this router product. Read on!

Specifications

Size: 2.14 x 11.54 x 8.92 inches

Antennas: 6 amplified

Wi-Fi Spec: 5 GHz 802.11ac tri-band

Ports: 1 x 3.0 and 1 x 2.0 USB

Peak Performance: 3.2 Gbps

Range: 3500 sqft.

Unbox Video

Networking

We tested the networking or wireless capabilities of the Netgear R8000 router. The results seemed promising on both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz radio frequency bands. For local devices, it connects at 1,300 Mbps. We found that the Netgear R8000 offers extra to 802.11ac clients. The Netgear R8000 (Ac3200) exhibits a lot of differences from other routers for the internet.

The speed of the internet connection is adequately fast than the speed of the 802.11ac wireless. In simple terms, we saw significant improvement for all sorts of internet tasks such as speedy HD streaming on Netflix as well as high-speed uploading and downloading files. The Netgear R8000 is a new router, which comes with default Wi-Fi settings. This allowed us to work with it right away without making in-depth configuration settings.

Our testing of the router shows that it works fine on both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands. We performed the test at 2.4 GHz. At a close range of 5 feet, we measured 645 Mbps speed. Also, the average speed of the router was 331 at 15 feet as well as at 30 feet, we found that the speed of the router was 212 Mbps. This is not bad at all.

Moreover, the Netgear R8000 (Ac3200) Wi-Fi router performs well on the 5 GHz radio frequency band. For instance, at 5 feet, the speed of the router was 682 Mbps. At 15 feet, we measured 482 Mbps speed and at 30 feet, the speed was 431 Mbps. This shows that at 30 feet on 5 GHz, the speed is better than 2.4 GHz.

So much so, we also tested the router’s speed at 100 feet. This time, we measured 242 Mbps, which was a surprising result for us since at 30 feet, we measured 431 Mbps but at 100 feet, the speed was 242 Mbps. This means that the speed didn’t go down significantly. So, again, we could say that the router performs pretty awesome at 100 feet.

Moreover, the measurements we found during our testing of the router shows that its performance is excellent on both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz – for both short and long distances. Thus, the range coverage of this router is great. This refuses the false claims made by other reviewers.

Design

The Netgear R8000 (Ac3200) is a bit larger than the previous model – i.e. the R7000. It has a solid black appearance and takes the shape of a flying object. Thus, it has been given the name “Blackhawk.” The measurements are 2.14 x 11.54 x 8.92 and the weight of the router is 1.03 pounds.

However, compared to the R7000 router, the Netgear R8000 is compact. It has 6 collapsible antennas. The best thing is that you can fold the antennas down. However, to gain maximum range, you must open them.

The new R8000 (Ac3200) Wi-Fi router is similar to the Netgear R7000. It has 4 Gigabit LAN ports and 1 Gigabit WAN port. The Netgear R8000 Wi-Fi router supports both USB 2.0 and 3.0. You will find both 2.0 and 3.0 USB ports on the back.

Moreover, on the topside, right in the middle, there is an array of LEDs, which look nice and fancy. The LEDs indicated the ON-OFF of the R8000 Router as well as the status of WAN, LAN ports, and Wi-Fi networks.

When you see that the LEDs are too bright and you don’t like them, you can simply turn them off through a small switch located on the back panel. Also, below the lights, you will see an ON-OFF button and the WPS button.

Furthermore, the WPS is one of the easiest ways to connect a Wi-Fi client that has WPS enabled. This saves you from setting up the Wi-Fi password manually. However, we recommend you to set the password yourself so that the network is secured and not breached.

Hardware

Like the predecessor of the Netgear R8000, which is the R7000 model, this Wi-Fi router is powered by the dual-core 1024 MHz (1 GHz) processor. The processor is highly compatible with the latest wireless standards.

It offers a wireless speed of up to 600 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz radio frequency band and 1,300 Mbps speed on the 5 GHz radio frequency band. Also, the Netgear R8000 Wi-Fi router is capable of giving a 3,200 Mbps bandwidth at any given time. We think this is quite impressive. This is why the router has the Ac3200 designation. It has 128 flash memory storage and 256 MB of RAM.

Installation

First, position the antennas of the device for the best wireless performance. You must position them vertically. The second step is to prepare the modem. For this, you need to unplug the modem from the power source.

Remove the battery if it has a battery backup. Now, connect the modem and plug it in. Next, you have to put the battery back in. The next step is to connect the modem to the router’s internet port (Yellow Color).

Now, power on the router, and then it is ready, the LED lights will turn from amber to white. The next step is to connect a PC or laptop. You can either connect via Wi-Fi or through the Ethernet cable. Use the Wi-Fi network username and password for connecting the router.

Next, you need to launch any web browser to display the Netgear genie. If you don’t see it, you need to go https://routerlogin.net and when you are there, enter the username and password. The UI will guide you through the steps to connect to the internet and configure the router.

What We Liked

• Tri-band operation
• Excellent performance
• Genie software for easy setup
• 6 fold-out antennas
• USB 2.0 and 3.0 ports
• Good range

What We didn’t Like

• No e-SATA support
• Expensive

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