Benefits of WiFi 6 with older devices

Question

I run around 30+ wifi devices at any time in my home. These devices range from things like smart TV's, Amazon Fire TV's, wifi A/V Amps, smart home devices (thermostat, sprinkler system, cameras, lights), etc. I have a cable gigabit internet signal coming into a Netgear Nighthawk X10 (R9000) router. My home is about 3,000 sqft and I have 2 wifi extenders on the system. I am now experiencing quite a bit of device buffering and connectivity issues (device drop-outs, signal loss). Would the RAX200 provide a more stable network for me? Or are the benefits of the Wifi 6 coming when you also have Wifi 6 devices? Before I shell out $550 for the router, I'd like some thoughts on if I will even notice any improvement. Thanks in advance for any advice.

plemans · Answer

Both the R9000 and the EX7500 support up to 32 devices per band per device.&nbsp;so you could theoretically have up to 128 devices if they were all seperated out properly.&nbsp;&nbsp;You could try going with a mesh system but if you're current system does provide coverage, you might try optimizing placement of the router/extender as well as what channels they use.&nbsp;

plemans · Answer

If you're already using extenders (you didn't say which ones), a mesh system might be a better option. That way you have seamless coverage with a system designed for it.

stanfrench · Answer

Thank you. I'm running a Netgear WN3000RP and EX7500 as extenders.

plemans · Answer

If you just use the R9000 and the EX7500, how does it work?

What is your home made of for materials? certain materials block wifi better than others.

I've got just over 3200sqft and can cover my home with a router and extender. I do tend to use mesh systems as I prefer that route but I'm currently using just a router/extender setup for testing.

stanfrench · Answer

My house is a wood frame covered by drywall and stucco; typical for California. The wifi signal extends pretty far and I don't have any major problems reaching devices even outside the house. The problem I have seems to be related to having too many devices for the routers capacity.&nbsp; I run between 20-30 at any one time which must be a lot of traffic for the "Wifi Highway" created by ny R9000.&nbsp; What drew my attention to WiFi 6, in particular the RAX200 is the claim it can increase the highway width (maybe not so much its length). In fact the RAXE500 says it can handle up to 60 devices running simultaneously. What I am not clear about though is if that performance depends on using WiFi 6 clients (devices). Most of mine are WiFi 4 and 5 devices. Would I get that same level of bandwidth using Wifi 4 and 5 devices under the RAX200 or RAXE500? That's my main question.

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Benefits of WiFi 6 with older devices

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