Netgear Nighthawk X8 AC5300 Router With Active Antennas Tested (hothardware.com)

MojoKid writes: Netgear recently launched the Nighthawk X8 router, which is part of a new round of second-gen wireless AC devices dubbed "Wave 2", carrying the AC5300 moniker. Instead of using a 3x3 configuration with six antennae, this router offers a 4x4 configuration, with four internal antennae and four active external antennae, each with their own blue LEDs to signal their active state. The actual amplifiers are on the antennae themselves, rather than down on the main board, helping to boost the signal and minimize crosstalk and loss associated with modern PCB circuitry. Each 5GHz radio is able to broadcast at 2.1Gbps compared to 1.3Gbps on Gen 1 devices, and the bandwidth on the 2.4GHz channel is also increased from 600Mb/s on Gen 1 devices to 1GB/s. When you take both 5GHz channels at 2,100Mb/s and add it to the 1,000Mb/s on the 2.4GHz channel, you end up with a number around 5,300Mb/s, hence the branding. Performance-wise, the Nighthawk X8 is one of the fastest Wi-Fi routers on the market currently. However, its hefty price point might be hard to justify for most mainstream users. Enthusiasts and small office/home office users looking for ultimate range on a 5GHz channel with lots of clients connected will appreciate this routers throughput and power, however.

Comments

I have one, but teething pains

[stevel]

I have had one of these for a month or so now. The range is fantastic (even with 5GHz) as is the throughput, though the Ethernet bonding feature isn't useful to me.

However, I, like many other X8 users complaining in Netgear's support forum, have an ongoing issue with the WiFi in that devices still show they're connected but no data flows. And if you have a device that tries to connect to the access point, the router rejects it. Rebooting the router fixes it for a while. Netgear support has been very responsive and they've given me beta firmware, but the problem persists. It's especially aggravating for my DVR which goes back to an "unconnected" state each time this happens, meaning I have to go through its configuration again.

Netgear is sending me a replacement router to see if that helps. I hope it does, as otherwise I love this thing. I was able to disconnect a repeater I had running on the other side of the house as I didn't need it anymore.

Re: What range does AC get in an average house?

[bill_mcgonigle]

I've actually separated SSID's now for 2.4 and 5 GHz, as 2.4 is so much better unless large file transfers are about to happen near the AP.

One SSID I have that only rides a VPN out doesn't even get an instance on the 5GHz radio as the local speed difference is not significant.

These new discrete amps are supposed to make it somwwhat better, but, I dunno - if you need tremendous wireless speed far away such that you're willing to setup LACP and all that to backhail it, maybe you can also put an AP nearer the client or put up with "only" a gigabit? The market seems small for using all the features at once.

D-Link's Response

[sexconker]

Fuck it, we're going to 12 antennas.

R8500, not AC5300

[Gravis Zero]

the actual model number is R8500 and "AC5300" is just marketing shitting on the desk. a side note: netgear actually seems to be open source friendly now as they are using version of dd-wrt and openwrt for their routers.

Wrong units of bandwidth

[duckintheface]

Starting with the line "When you take both 5GHz channels at 2,100Gb/s " everything should be in Mb/s instead of Gb/s.