NETGEAR Nighthawk AX12 WiFi-6 Router Review

Specifications and Features

Physical Specifications
• Dimensions: 12.2 x 7.48 x 1.77 in (310 x 190 x 45 mm)
• Weight: 3 lb (1364 g)

Technical Specifications
• WiFi 6 (802.11ax) Dual Band WiFi (AX6000) – 2.4GHz AX: 4×4 (Tx/Rx) 1024-QAM 20/40MHz, up to 1.2Gbps
– 5GHz AX: 8×8 (Tx/Rx) 1024-QAM 20/40/80/160MHz, up to 4.8Gbps
– Backwards compatible with 802.11a/b/g/n/ac WiFi
• OFDMA —Improved capacity and efficiency
• 1024-QAM—25% data efficiency and faster speeds than a 256-QAM router
• Two (2) USB 3.0 ports
• Powerful 64-bit quad-core 2.2GHz processor
• Longer range with 8 high-performance antennas
• Additional DFS channels for interference free experience
• Stronger WiFi password protection with WiFi Certified WPA3™
• Five (5) 10/100/1000 Mbps Gigabit Ethernet ports
– 1 WAN & 4 LAN
– Dual Gigabit Ethernet port aggregation
• 5G/2.5G/1G multi-Gig Ethernet LAN/WAN port
• IPv6 support (Internet Protocol Version 6)
• On/Off LED light switch

Support
• 90-day complimentary technical support following purchase from a NETGEAR
authorized reseller
• Join the NETGEAR Community Forum. Visit http://community.netgear.com

System Requirements
• Microsoft® Windows 7, 8, 10, Vista®, XP®,2000, Mac OS®, UNIX®, or Linux®
• Microsoft®Internet Explorer®11 or higher, Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome®55 or higher, Firefox®45 or higher, Safari®10 or higher

Security
• Supports WPA3, the latest and cutting-edge WiFi security protocol
• Automatic firmware update delivers latest security patches to the router
• Guest network access—Separate & secure
• VPN support—Secure access to your home network away from home
• VPN client support—Protect your network identity and prevent DDoS attacks

Warranty
• www.netgear.com/warranty
• Extend your warranty & technical support within 90 days of product purchase [US only]. Visit: prosupport.netgear.com/home

Now a long list of features. It’s really long but still interesting.

Features:

WiFi 6—Ready for Today and Tomorrow’s Smart Home
Introducing WiFi 6—the latest generation of WiFi that delivers four times better performance than AC WiFi.
With innovative technologies, such as Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple-Access (OFDMA), 8×8 Multi-User MIMO, and intelligent scheduling, WiFi 6 delivers a huge boost in speed and total capacity. Rising to the challenges of modern smart home demands, this new standard of WiFi is ready to support more devices with better reliability and faster speeds.

Capacity

WiFi 6 gives you improved network capacity for more WiFi devices. Have more fun with the uninterrupted 4K/8K streaming, gaming, and the smart home experience. With MU-MIMO, WiFi 6 supports up to eight simultaneous streams for the number of users that can be served double at the same time as compared to an AC router.

• MORE WIFI FOR MORE DEVICES—OFDMA allows efficient datatransmission at the same time
• UP TO 8 SIMULTANEOUS WIFI STREAMS—8-stream MU-MIMO
  enables up to four (4) 2×2 devices to stream content at the same time
• AX OPTIMIZED POWERFUL PROCESSOR—64-bit 2.2GHz Quad-core
  processor ensures smooth 4K UHD streaming & gaming – ideal
  for Gigabit Internet speeds

Speed

Get ultra-fast wireless speeds with more connections for all devices with less congestion. You’ll get some blazing connection speeds of 1Gbps or more, 4K/8K streaming, & VR/AR gaming.

• UP TO 6GBPS SPEEDS—1.2 + 4.8 Gbps with 12-stream connectivity
• 8×8 MU-MIMO — Go faster by simultaneously streaming to multiple devices
• AX OPTIMIZED QUAD-CORE PROCESSOR—Powerful 2.2GHz processor boosts wireless, wired & WAN-to-LAN performance
• MULTI-GIG 5G/2.5G/1G ETHERNET PORT—5 times the wired speed of typical Gigabit Ethernet port for LAN or faster Internet
• 1024-QAM—25% increased data efficiency and faster speeds than a 256-QAM router
• TWO SUPERSPEED USB 3.0 PORTS —Up to 10x faster than USB 2.0
• MULTI-GIG EXPERIENCE—Maximize your available Internet speeds with link port aggregation support. Ability to aggregate two Gigabit ports or use Multi-Gig 5G Ethernet as WAN port (configurable)

Range

Experience reliable and stronger WiFi coverage indoors and outdoors for all your devices. High performance antennas on the router amplify WiFi signals for maximized range and reliable coverage.

• ULTIMATE RANGE—WiFi coverage throughout very large homes
• HIGH-PERFORMANCE ANTENNAS—Eight (8) antennas extend wireless range coverage indoors and out.

Sharing

With NETGEAR, sharing across your network is fun and easy, such as accessing stored photos & music. And make sure you keep it safe by using the included ReadySHARE Vault application for backing up Windows-based PCs.

• READYSHARE® USB ACCESS—Wirelessly access & share USB hard drive via two (2) USB ports
• TWO USB 3.0 PORTS—Faster streaming, backup and easy access to your stored media
• READYSHARE® VAULT—Free software for automatic PC backup to a USB hard drive connected to the router
• READYCLOUD® USB ACCESS—Enjoy personal & secure cloud access to USB storage anytime, anywhere

Reliable Connections

There’s nothing more frustrating than lost connections! With NETGEAR’s advanced features & best-in-class technology, you’ll reduce interference & enjoy more reliable WiFi connectivity.

• BEAMFORMING+—Improve range and performance for 5GHz devices
• SIMULTANEOUS DUAL BAND WIFI—Supports two WiFi bands simultaneously to double the available bandwidth and provide a reliable, dedicated WiFi network for smooth online gaming without any network congestion
• PRE-OPTIMIZED ANTENNAS—Unfold and set antennas on the router, no further adjustment required. The AX12 antennas come pre-optimized for best WiFi performance
• ADDITIONAL DFS CHANNELS—Gives you an interference-free experience

Easy of Use

Start enjoying your new device faster than ever. NETGEAR wants to make sure installation and management is simple & easy, so you can connect quickly & make sure you stay that way.

• SMART CONNECT—Intelligently selects the fastest WiFi band for every device connection. One WiFi name for the entire home
• NIGHTHAWK®APP—Easily set up your router and get more out of your WiFi. Includes remote access to manage your network away from home
• WIFI 6 SUPPORTS ALL CURRENT WIFI DEVICES—Backward compatible with WiFi 5 and earlier generation devices
• VOICE CONTROLLED BY AMAZON ALEXA®& THE GOOGLE ASSISTANT— Control your NETGEAR WiFi network with simple voice commands

Security

Maintain high security across your network to ensure your privacy & family is safe while online.
Whether it’s preventing phishing & spyware or just limiting access for kids & guests, NETGEAR has you covered.

• VPN SUPPORT—On PC, MAC, & now also with OpenVPN Connect app on iOS & Android, securely access your home network & Internet connection from your mobile device remotely
• VPN CLIENT SUPPORT—Protect your network identity and prevent DDoS attack
• GUEST NETWORK—Separate and secure network for your guests
• AUTOMATIC FIRMWARE UPDATE—Delivers latest security patches to the router
• STRONGER PROTECTION—Stronger WiFi password protection with WiFi Certified WPA3™

8×8 Multi-user MIMO
Using multi-user MIMO technology, routers can stream data to multiple devices simultaneously. That means faster downloads and smoother streaming for your devices. WiFi 6 extends MU-MIMO to 8 stream support so it can support double the number of simultaneous transmissions as compared to 4×4 MU-MIMO AC WiFi routers.

Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA)
Using the OFDMA feature of WiFi 6, the WiFi traffic is managed much more efficiently since data is transmitted from different devices concurrently, rather than having each device’s data wait for its turn. This results in an efficient use of air-time, reduced latency, and increased bandwidth to add more devices to your network.

Ultra-powerful AX-optimized Quad-core Processor
Nighthawk AX12 WiFi 6 Router, powered by a 64-bit 2.2GHz quad-core processor, is built for performance at an ultimate level. The ultra-fast processor enables the router to seamlessly handle data intensive applications such as 4K/8K UHD video streaming, VR/AR gaming, as well as provide a stronger, more reliable WiFi experience. This powerful processor is optimized for AX making intelligent spontaneous decisions to schedule data traffic to maximize WiFi Bandwidth utilization.

State-of-the-Art Industrial Design
This next-generation Nighthawk AX12 WiFi 6 Router design conceals eight (8) high-performance antennas under the ‘wings’. The antennas are optimally positioned for best WiFi performance and extend strong and reliable WiFi coverage indoors and outdoors.

Nighthawk App
The NETGEAR Nighthawk® App makes it easy to set up your router and get more out of your WiFi. With the app, you can install your router in a few steps—just connect your mobile device to the router network, and the app will walk you through the rest. Once set up, you can use the intuitive dashboard to pause the Internet on your connected devices, run a quick Internet speed test, and much more!

• Remote Management—Easily monitor your home network anytime, anywhere
• Internet Speed Test—Check the broadband speeds from your service provider
• Pause Internet—Pause the Internet to any device
• Traffic Meter—Track Internet data usage
• Guest Networks—Set up separate WiFi access for guests
• Quick Setup—Get connected in just minutes
• Get it at nighthawk-app.com