Is the R6080 router (which I assume is wifi 5) compatible with a wifi 6 device? Thanks.

TnBigDog wrote: Is the R6080 router (which I assume is wifi 5) compatible with a wifi 6 device? Thanks. No. Manuals are always a good place to start.Visit the support pages:Support | NETGEARFeed in your model number and check the documentation for your hardware. Look at the data sheet. It isn't compatible with very much, including many newer Internet services. According to Netgear's manual for this device, not always the most reliable source of information, the LAN and WAN ports support only 10BASE-T or 100BASE-TX. That makes it slower than many newer internet services and most modern network hardware. This may not matter to you, but be warned that it will hobble you if you ever sign up for faster Internet, anything faster than 100 Mbps is a waste of your money. It also slows down whatever is going on in your local network. Newer devices support at least 1000BASE-TX.

Thanks! Just to clarify--My new laptop has wifi 6 capability. I realize that I cannot get wifi 6 functionality with the R6080 router, but can I still get wifi 5 functionality when using my wifi 6 laptop? In other words, will the router still work? Thank you!

TnBigDog wrote: ... can I still get wifi 5 functionality when using my wifi 6 laptop? In other words, will the router still work? Thank you! Yes, but you will get hopeless speeds. Nothing will be faster than 100 Mbps. That's the speed limit between your router and the modem. If your Internet is slower than that, fine.

Sorry, I'm not much on internet speeds, etc. So just one more question for my simple mind. Under the scenario I posed, will anything (speeds, connections, etc.) be slower or diminished vs. my previous situation, which was a wifi 5 laptop connecting to this R6080 router? In other words, will the wifi 6 laptop degrade any performance in the wifi 5 R6080? Thanks for any info!

TnBigDog wrote: In other words, will the wifi 6 laptop degrade any performance in the wifi 5 R6080? Thanks for any info! No. How fast is your Internet service?

R6080 Router Compatibility | NETGEAR Communities

12 Replies

michaelkenward
Guru
Nov 24, 2022
TnBigDog wrote:

Is the R6080 router (which I assume is wifi 5) compatible with a wifi 6 device? Thanks.

No.

Manuals are always a good place to start.

Visit the support pages:

Support | NETGEAR

Feed in your model number and check the documentation for your hardware.

Look at the data sheet.

It isn't compatible with very much, including many newer Internet services.

According to Netgear's manual for this device, not always the most reliable source of information, the LAN and WAN ports support only 10BASE-T or 100BASE-TX. That makes it slower than many newer internet services and most modern network hardware. This may not matter to you, but be warned that it will hobble you if you ever sign up for faster Internet, anything faster than 100 Mbps is a waste of your money.

It also slows down whatever is going on in your local network. Newer devices support at least 1000BASE-TX.
- TnBigDog
  Aspirant
  Nov 24, 2022
  Thanks! Just to clarify--My new laptop has wifi 6 capability. I realize that I cannot get wifi 6 functionality with the R6080 router, but can I still get wifi 5 functionality when using my wifi 6 laptop? In other words, will the router still work? Thank you!
  - michaelkenward
    Guru
    Nov 24, 2022
    TnBigDog wrote:
    
    ... can I still get wifi 5 functionality when using my wifi 6 laptop? In other words, will the router still work? Thank you!
    
    Yes, but you will get hopeless speeds. Nothing will be faster than 100 Mbps. That's the speed limit between your router and the modem.
    
    If your Internet is slower than that, fine.

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R6080 Router Compatibility