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foxxden12's avatar
foxxden12
Aspirant
Jun 29, 2020

Help selecting new router

I'm looking at 2 different routers and am not tech savvy enough to know how they compare.  One is the Nighthawk AX5400 (RAX50) which is WiFi 6.  The other is the Nighthawk X10 AD7200 Smart WiFi router (R9000).  I haven't found any technical reviews of the AX5400, only customer reviews.  Tech reviews for the X10 AD7200 were very good but the unit was expensive at the MSRP of $480.  That router is on sale now for $250.  The AX5400 is also $250.  Any input from the community would be appreciated.  Thanks.

Before You Buy

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  • Tofu-Golem's avatar
    Tofu-Golem
    Apprentice
    Jun 29, 2020

    It's on sale because it's not WiFi 6. WiFi 5 routers are just not in demand.

     

    Chances are, you don't have very many WiFi 6 client devices, and WiFi 6 routers really come into their own when you're using all or mostly WiFi 6 devices (they're better at juggling multiple concurrent connections).

     

    So to answer your question: how soon do you expect to have all or mostly WiFi 6 devices in your house? If you buy the WiFi 5 router now, are you going to be OK with purchasing a new WiFi 6 router at that future date?

     

    One thing to keep in mind: WiFi 6E routers should be coming out at the end of the year, but I have no idea when WiFi 6E phones, laptops, etc. will be available. Bear in mind that the new 6 GHz band in WiFi 6E will have an even more difficult time penetrating walls and floors than the 5 GHz band does. I rather suspect that the 6 GHz band will be mostly useful as a backhaul for tri-band mesh routers.

    • microchip8's avatar
      microchip8
      Master
      Jun 29, 2020

      Stay away from the R9000. It's dead technology (AD) and NETGEAR barely supports it any more. If you want a decent AC router, go for the R7800. For AX, I recommend the RAX120, though it's a bit expensive

      • foxxden12's avatar
        foxxden12
        Aspirant
        Jun 29, 2020

        Thanks. I'm not wanting to spend $500, but what about the RAX50?  My house is a single level, 2500 sqft home.  The router is positioned near the middle of the house.  Max of 15 devices connected at a time (couple of gaming consoles, smart TV, 4 phones, couple of laptops, Nest thermostat, garage door opener, water softener, refrigerator, Sonos speakers).

        My internet provider is a wireless broadband and I have a 30 mbps download package.  I typically get 31-35 download and 7-7.5 upload.