Although the RAX80 is not cheap, it performed really well when it came to file transfers and achieved some outstanding throughput results. But unlike the Asus RT-AX88U, the RAX80 lacks the robust game-friendly QoS choices and anti-malware tools. Additionally, just like with the RT-AX88U, you’ll need to wait until Wi-Fi 6 clients are available on the market to fully utilize all of the RAX80’s features. you can read our article on Netgear Nighthawk AX8 review. The Nighthawk AX8 deserves serious consideration if you’re in need of a new router and intend to pay a premium for a high-end device anyhow. Spending many hundred dollars on anything other than a Wi-Fi 6 model is actually unnecessary. The Nighthawk AX8 is just as fast (or quicker) than a top-tier Wi-Fi 5 device, even though you can’t use all of its features just yet.
Design
The Nighthawk AX8 (RAX80) router from Netgear sports a visible set of fold-open wings that make it more like a model of the Star Wars A-Wing fighter than a piece of networking equipment. There are a total of four antennae, two in each wing. Despite how amazing the wings could appear on a desk or coffee table, the antennas cannot be adjusted or changed. When the device’s wings antennae are folded up, it has dimensions of 10.8 x 8.0 x 2.8 inches. also you will learn our article on Netgear Nighthawk AX8 review. The AX8 swiftly enlarges to 12.0 x 8.0 x 6.3 inches when they are unfolded. Given how large it is, you could put file folders or the day’s mail between its wings. The silver and black Nighthawk AX8 won’t scratch your furniture and can spark a conversation thanks to its soft rubber feet. It contains grilles up front and on top to help with heat dissipation, as well as two inserts underneath for mounting it on a wall or under a table. The router never exceeded 105 degrees Fahrenheit during our testing. The Broadcom BCM43684 Wi-Fi chipset, which also powers the TP-Link Archer AX6000 and Linksys Max Stream MR9600, is found within the Nighthawk AX8. The Nighthawk AX8 has 512MB of flash storage compared to the Archer AX6000’s 128MB, but all three routers have the same 1.8GHz quad-core processor and 1GB of RAM. The dual-band Nighthawk AX8 produces 2.4- and 5GHz networks but lacks the second 5GHz network that the company’s tri-band Nighthawk RAX200 supplies. The AX8 still has a theoretical top speed of 1.2Gbps in 2.4GHz mode and 4.8Gbps in 5GHz mode, as well as the most recent beamforming technology and the capacity to employ ultra-wide 160MHz channels. Its rating is AX6000. The AX8’s input broadband connection and five downstream wired Ethernet LAN connections are accessible from the back panel. That is one more than the MR9600, but three fewer than the wired ports on the TP-Link Archer AX6000. The output of ports four and five can be combined for a maximum of 2Gbps if your equipment supports port aggregation and you’re in need of maximum speed.
Netgear Nighthawk AX8 review: Features
The main selling point of the Nighthawk AX8 is that it supports the most recent Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) standard. Built to make network congestion a thing of the past, Wi-Fi 6 requires clients that implement the same standard to get the most out of the router – however older Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) devices can still connect. The Samsung Galaxy S10 and iPhone 11 smartphones have already been released, and over the next year, laptops and other devices will follow. More information about the standard is provided in our guide to Wi-Fi 6, but the key aspects to keep in mind are that 802.11ax boosts data transmission rates by 25% over 802.11ac and enhances client communication, providing each client more resources and relieving network load. Importantly, 802.11ax is a standard that runs on both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks, whereas 802.11ac is a 5GHz technology (Wi-Fi 5 routers used the older 802.11n standard for 2.4GHz networks). Since the Netgear Nighthawk AX8 is an 88 router, it has access to eight separate streams, each of which offers a specific amount of bandwidth. Various applications exist for streams. For example, eight clients can connect using a single stream, or you can have four 2×2 clients connecting, utilising two streams each for double the performance. Four streams are set aside for the 5GHz channel in the AX8’s configuration. With a 160MHz channel width at 5GHz in Wi-Fi 6, the maximum throughput is 4.8Gbps (1.2Gbps per stream). The remaining four streams, which may transmit up to 1.2Gpbs over the 2.4GHz network (300Mbps per stream). That is certainly a significant amount of bandwidth.
Setup
The Netgear Nighthawk AX8 Wi-Fi 6 Mesh Extender truly did give good performance once the tedious setup process was over. When we tested the connection at our office, which consistently experiences slower 5GHz reception from our router due to obstacles in the way, we noticed a significant improvement in both reception and speed. The extension recorded a 5GHz speed of 246Mbps during one test, which was the best wifi speed we had ever experienced while using the older TP-Link router throughout our entire home. Given that, we weren’t expecting the blazing 406Mbps speed our laptop experienced when connected to one of the Ethernet ports on the Netgear Nighthawk AX8’s rear. Even though the router isn’t Wi-Fi 6 compliant, we saw faster top-end speeds than ever. Additionally, the Netgear Nighthawk AX8 Wi-Fi 6 Mesh Extender did really well in the tests conducted at a distance. Another time, our office recorded a 5GHz download speed of 87Mbps. We then monitored the speeds from our backyard at roughly 10-foot intervals from the extension. also you will check our article on Netgear Nighthawk AX8 review.
Netgear Nighthawk AX8 review: Performance
The Netgear Nighthawk AX8 is now the finest standalone router and is for individuals who require the fastest speed, according to benchmark testing with Ixia’s ixChariot network simulation software in a 100-year-old home. It performs significantly better than other Wi-Fi 6 devices with a data transfer rate of 1.389Gbps at a distance of 15 feet. The Linksys MR9600 and TP-Link Archer AX6000, both of which offer 884.4Mbps, were the closest rivals (at 822.0Mbps). For high-resolution movies, online gaming, and household data hogs, this translates into an increase in throughput of at least a third. The AX8 could send a lot of data over a short distance, but as the range grew, its throughput dramatically decreased, making it more suitable for smaller and mid-sized homes than for larger ones. It could only move 277.1 Mbps at 50 feet, compared to 363.3 Mbps and 396.4 Mbps for the MR9600 and Archer AX6000, respectively. Its usable bandwidth further decreased to 142.3Mbps by 75 feet, which is a little less than the MR9600’s 227.0Mbps. At our final distance of 90 feet, the system maintained touch, albeit just just. It moved at 20.8Mbps, which is hardly adequate to watch movies. The Archer AX8000 and MR9600, on the other hand, were offline at this distance. The Nighthawk AX8’s capability to punch a strong Wi-Fi signal through walls and floors can come in handy if you reside in an older house. 20 feet away from the router, it was able to deliver data at 1.077Gbps through a wall. That is about 80% greater than the MR9600’s 219.1Mbps and nearly a third higher than the 738.0Mbps of the Archer AX6000. With 628.8Mbps available upstairs from the router as opposed to 667.3Mbps, it was on par with the Archer AX6000 when it came to sending a strong signal up a floor; the MR9600 only managed to achieve 72.6Mbps.
Price
The Netgear Nighthawk AX8 Wi-Fi 6 Mesh Extender has a list price of $250 but is now being offered for $220 at a number of stores. That is unquestionably above average for an extension. Is that much money really necessary to invest on an extender? Probably not, if you don’t already have a new Wi-Fi 6 router. You might see faster peak speeds than we did, but buying a new Wi-Fi mesh system that can cover your entire home is probably a better option than attempting to combine old and new technology. Favorite models include Google’s Nest Wi-Fi system and Netgear’s Orbi.
Conclusion
Even for 160MHz devices, the Netgear Nighthawk AX8 WiFi 6 Router offers Wi-Fi 6 speeds, making it a well-balanced router. You have several possibilities for wired extension or network storage thanks to the two open USB 3.0 connections and five open Gigabit Ethernet connectors. The Nighthawk AX8 also offers the fastest throughput we’ve yet seen in a Wi-Fi router, in addition to outstanding security and performance. The Netgear Nighthawk AX8 is the Wi-Fi 6 router to purchase, despite its high cost.
