Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 Tri-Band Wi-Fi 6E Router, hands on: High-performance, high-capacity Review

Even though most of us are selecting no matter if or not to improve to a new router that supports the latest Wi-Fi 6 standard (a.k.a. 802.11ax), it turns out you can find one more new flavour of Wi-Fi by now on its way. Called Wi-Fi 6E (E for ‘Extended’), this new common adds the 6GHz frequency band to the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands now supported by Wi-Fi 6 and its predecessor, Wi-Fi five (previously known as 802.11ac).  

With the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands getting to be ever more crowded, the new 6GHz band adds further capability that, according to the Wi-Fi Alliance, offers robust effectiveness “even in really dense and congested environments”, this sort of as sporting activities arenas and business complexes. 

Many networking firms have announced new routers that aid Wi-Fi 6E, but Netgear is to start with off the beginning block with its new Nighthawk RAXE500 Tri-Band Wi-Fi 6E Router. Priced at $599.99 (United kingdom pricing TBA), the RAXE500 is really significantly a prime-of-the-array possibility, boasting a prime merged pace of 10.8Gbps, and eight internal antennae created to stream knowledge to as many as sixty units at the same time.  

Netgear states that the new 6GHz band also will allow the use of high-bandwidth 160MHz ‘channels’ — instead like sub-bands in just the primary 6GHz band — that are ideal for high-capability apps this sort of as streaming 4K or 8K online video for enjoyment or online video conferencing. 

The router is powered by a 1.8GHz quad-core processor and supports the latest WPA3 security common. As very well as supplying high-effectiveness Wi-Fi, the RAXE500 also incorporates several high-effectiveness wired connections for an business office community. There’s a devoted 2.5Gbps ‘multi-gig’ Ethernet interface for high-pace world-wide-web connections, as very well as 5 further Gigabit Ethernet ports for wired units, which also present the potential to merge — or ‘aggregate’ — two ports for greater pace. The router also incorporates two USB three. ports for connecting USB storage units that can be shared with other community customers. 

Netgear’s Nighthawk array tends to be primarily aimed at residence customers, but with so many men and women nonetheless working from residence, Netgear is describing the RAXE500 as an ‘all-purpose’ router which is ideal for online video conferencing and e-understanding as very well.  

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The enterprise has not however brought Wi-Fi 6E to its business-oriented Orbi Pro mesh units, but it has just launched a new Orbi Pro product that aims to present a much more reasonably priced entry-level for Wi-Fi 6 technological innovation. 

SEE: Selecting Package: Computer Components Engineer (TechRepublic Quality)

Earlier products have been high-priced tri-band mesh units aimed at more substantial corporations, but the new Orbi Pro Wi-Fi 6 Mini is a much more reasonably priced dual-band possibility for residence business office use and small corporations. There are two solutions readily available, each supplying Wi-Fi 6 speeds of 1.8Gbps and supporting up to 40 units. Prices start at $299.99 for a two-piece program ideal for covering places of up to 2,000 sq.ft, while a 3-piece program that can protect 4,000 sq.ft arrives in at $399.99. Like other Orbi Pro units, the Mini will allow you to create four independent networks (SSIDs) that can be assigned to distinct tasks or distinct groups of customers, this sort of as friends, workers, IT personnel or admin. 

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