If you want to be ready for the next wave of technology you may want to consider picking up a router with the 60GHz frequency. This router is more than enough if you have mediocre to above average needs and arguably enough for any single home application for the near future. This router has other features I have yet to dive into but I will mention 2 Ethernet ports that are given priority when bandwidth is needed for high demand gaming.
#NETGEAR R8500 NIGHTHAWK X8 REVIEW PLUS#
I have two laptops, one desktop and 4 tv connected as well as several home automation devices ( video doorbell, cameras, sprinkler system, lights, blinds and vacuum) plus standard phone usage on wifi. There are plenty of Ethernet ports for most applications as well as usb 3.0. I have really enjoyed the router so far, I have it paired with a surfboard 6190 modem with 150 connection from xfinity. I have had no issue connecting anywhere in my home on the 5GHz (single story 190 0sq/ft) The x8 has one 2.4GHz and two 5GHz bands so there is plenty of devices that are able to connect at higher speeds and the 2.4GHz gives great range. Not to mention the 60GHz needs to be very close to the devices connecting to it, 10 feet away and a wall are enough to drop the connection. There will be plenty soon but in my near future I don't plan to invest in devices that can operate this frequency. One is bank for my buck, the new x10 and d-link have a 60GHz band but most devices can't use this band yet. And I went with the x8 instead of the hot new x10 for a few reasons. If you’re in the United States, you can purchase the router now, either at the store or online.I am a big fan of netgear and decided to stick with them even though there are other tempting options from asus and d-link at the moment. Additional features of the Nighthawk X8 include application/device-aware Dynamic QoS tech, Beamforming+ to improve coverage and reliability, access to files and media over cloud, VPN support, and two onboard USB 3.0 ports. Nonetheless, if you’re in the market for the absolute best in the market with no concern for price, this may very well be your best bet. That’s because Netgear’s Nighthawk X8, at $400, is a lot of things, but affordable is not one of them. “Tri-band Wi-Fi helps provide sufficient bandwidth for the increasing number of devices in the home and cutting-edge Wave 2 AC provides the best Wi-Fi performance.”Ĭonfidently, he believes that the X8’s Active Antennas, Gigabit ports, and port aggregation “outpaces any other router in the market today.” But, while that very well may be true, consumers worried about price might want to look away from the next bit of information. “Nighthawk X8 is the next wave in Wi-Fi and is for people who crave the absolute best networking experience possible today,” writes Netgear senior director Sandeep Harpalani.
That’s the demographic Netgear is preemptively targeting with the Nighthawk X8, and it certainly seems to be worthy of your consideration at some point down the road. This information comes from market research company MarketLab, but also goes on to say that it’s only a matter of years before the IoT smart home comes to fruition, speculating that most of our household utilities will soon be Wi-Fi-enabled.
Netgear even included a statistic in its press release, explaining that the average household has more than twelve Wi-Fi devices connected to its network. Interestingly enough, the X8 even bolsters six gigabit Ethernet ports, two of which can be combines for even faster network speeds.
It bears an impressive 1024 QAM and is capable of transmitting multi-user MIMO - or multiple input/multiple output - connections. And, the whole thing is powered by a 1.4GHz dual-core processor, the industry’s first active antennas, used to improve quality of range, and three quad-stream Wi-Fi bands. Since it uses 802.11ac Wave 2 networking specifications, the Nighthawk X8 is clearly focused on large households who are constantly using the Internet on multiple devices simultaneously. It’s a quad-stream, tri-band router and, according to Netgear, it’s designed for home use with families in mind. Officially dubbed the Nighthawk X8 AC5300, Netgear’s latest smart Wi-Fi router supports speeds up to 5.3Gbps over a wireless signal, allegedly making it the fastest on the market. Netgear revealed to us in a press release that it’s putting out a high-end smart router starting today.