Netgear R9000 (AD7200) Nighthawk X10 Smart WiFi Router Review

The Netgear AD7200 (R9000) is one the fastest router, which is designed specifically for streaming media with servers. It comes with a sophisticated Wi-Fi technology of both 802.11 ac and 802.11 ad Wi-Fi, which offers high-quality and 4K streaming smoothly, virtual reality “VR” gaming and faster downloads.  

The Netgear R9000 has a powerful Quad-core processor with a high-speed of 1.7 GHz. The design is based on Quad-stream construction, which allows for 7.2 Gbps wireless speeds. The multi-user multi-input and multi-output (MU-MIMO) is a unique feature of this Wi-Fi router, which offers simultaneous streaming.

On mobile devices, the speed is doubled due to the 160 MHz built-in mechanism. It comes with 4 patented external active antennas, which can amplify Wi-Fi signals to achieve maximum range and throughput.

The Netgear R9000 has a dynamic QoS, beamforming, and Amazon Alexa voice control features. It is compatible with Windows, Mac OS, Linux, UNIX as well as different internet browsers such as Firefox, Google Chrome, Safari, and Internet Explorer.

Also, with any connected device, this Wi-Fi router shares a storage drive and printer. Using this device, the user can create a cloud storage system and access it remotely due to two 3.0 fast-speed USB ports.

In today’s article, we are going to review one of the best Wi-Fi routers available on the market – i.e. The Netgear AD7200 (R9000). Read on!

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Specifications

Size: 8.8 x 6.6 x 2.9 inches

Antennas: 4 (adjustable)

Wi-Fi Spec: 5 GHz Radio Frequency, 802.11ad

Ports: 2 x 3.0 USB ports

Peak Performance: 7200 Mbps

Range: 2500 sqft.

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What We Liked

• Excellent range
• High-quality Hardware
• 1.7 GHz Quadcore Processor
• Beamforming and QoS
• Simple Installation

What We didn’t Like

• It is pricey
• 1-year warranty

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Unbox Video

Netgear Nighthawk X10 AD7200 Router Unboxing Video

> ALSO SEE: Best Wireless Routers for Large House

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Networking

The Netgear AD7200 has 802.11 ad support, which allows for networking over a frequency of 60 GHz. Thus, it provides faster data transfer speeds over a short distance. This device does not function with existing Wi-Fi clients.

Instead, it is compatible with the 802.11 ad. It has a short-range, which is around 15-20 feet. The signal is unable to penetrate walls and other obstacles and this is why the standard is used for clients staying closer within the router’s line of sight. So, this makes 802.11 ad a replacement for USB 3.0 wireless standard.

The Netgear AD7200 has a higher Wi-Fi speed. For example, this device supports up to 4,600 Mbps in a single 802.11 ad Wi-Fi connection as compared to the 802.11 ac to 1,733 Mbps speed.

Design

The Netgear AD7200 Wi-Fi router has 4 adjustable antennas with different LED indicators placed on antennas’ front edges. These LEDs indicate the Wi-Fi signal status. There are 6 Gigabit LAN ports at the back of the device.

Also, there is a 10G SPF+LAN port. At the end of the unit, there are power and WPS buttons, which make the front of the device clear.

On the left side, there are two 3.0 USB ports, which are near the front. The Netgear AD7200 comes with an Ethernet port that enables you to merge 2 LAN ports for boosting the speed of file transfer adequately.

It is important to know that this work only with compatible devices such as network-attached storage “NAS.”

The Netgear AD7200 has a 2.9 x 8.8 x 6.6 inches frame along with 1.7 GHz Quadcore CPU. This is a multi-band router, which has both 802.11 ac and 802.11 ad support. The device offers three Wi-Fi of 2.4, 5, and 60 GHz.

Also, the 2.4 GHz has an incredible 800 Mbps clock speed and the 5 GHz delivers 1,733 Mbs, as well as the 60 GHz, which provides 4,600 Mbps.

Hardware

The Netgear AD7200 is a huge wireless router with 4 external antennas, which are non-detachable. The device looks heavy and powerful. It has powerful hardware – i.e. a Quadcore Al-514 processor, 1 GB of DD3 RAM, 1.7 GHz processor speed, and 512 MB of firmware storage space.

Inside the router, the hardware requires cooling and for this, the device has large grids for ventilation, which are located on the top side. This includes a fan, which is located on top of the processor. When we tested the router for a couple of weeks, we found that the fan does not make noise.

There are several ports on the back of the Netgear AD7200 (R9000) Wi-Fi router. Six of these ports are Ethernet ports, which work effectively at 1 Gbps. Likewise, two of them are for supporting port aggregation, as well as one port is for WAN and one is for SFP+LAN port, which connects fast at 10 gigabits.

On the back of the device, there is a power button and power back as well as a button, which you can use for turning on/off of the LEDs. Moreover, on the bottom side of the Netgear AD7200, you will find holes, which are useful in mounting the device on the walls.

Installation

The process of setting up or installing the Netgear AD7200 (R9000) is simple and easy. There is no hard-science to understand the process of installation. Just connect the device to your computer or laptop.

First, remove any cables, which are connected to your PC. Then, Plug in the router adapter and see whether or not the power light in on. If it is on, you are good to go. Now, connect the router to the computer and plug in the power adapter.

Once connected, you can open a browser such as Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. Type www.routerlogin.net and hit enter. It will take you to the setup wizard, which enables you to go through a step-by-step process to install the device easily over through the wireless network setting.

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Conclusion

Pros

1. Aggressive design
2. Outstanding 5GHz Performance
3. 10Gbps support
4. High-speed network storage performance
5. Ultrafast wired connections

Cons

1. Sluggish web interface
2. A bit Heavy
3. Expensive
4. Lack of QoS settings

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