XR500 and using a second netgear router as an access point to expand coverage
Hi guys, my family is in the process of purchasing a new home. We currently are in a 1700 sqft, one story home and we are using an XR500 for our needs. But, the new house is around 2700 sqft, two stories, and almost 40 years old. I had contimplated picking up a second XR500 for the upstairs and connecting them by way of TP-Link Powerline Adapter (AV2000). That seems, however, like a colossal waste of the second XR500--the only reason I considered it was because its range has been so good for us in the existing home, I thought, likely dumbly, "why not two?"
I also mulled over using a Nighthawk X4s for the upstairs or an X6s Extender (I would add here that I like the idea of having the potential of more hardwired network ports that a second router serving as an access point could provide). Whatever I use, the goal is for the XR500 to be paired with its CM600 modem downstairs, where the PS4 Pro and 4k Firetv and Switch are located--also servicing wirelessly two computer desktops, phones, ipad, Echo dot, and laptops. The upstairs solution would likely handle a second echo device, a roku tv, and a 1080P fire tv stick, and certainly the phones, ipad, and laptops when we are up there.
Granted, I ain't made of money--though the amount I have spent on tech sure as hell gives me some pause--but I want a system that would provide excellent coverage while maintaining the XR500 as the main router. And provide, and I hate this term, some level of future proofing.
You really want the mesh functionality, this will insure your wifi devices automatically finds and uses the best signal and automatically switches between stations , If you add a second router your wifi device first needs to disconnect from the first router and then reconnect to the second router, this will result in hiccups in services. (skype call disconnected, download failure, ......)
I myself am a very happy customer of a Orbi System so I'm no Nighthawk expert and there is a very very tiny chance that maybe you can add a second nighthawk router as a mesh point but someone else will need to confirm that.
I have both professionally and personally spend a ridiculous amount of money on wifi systems over the past 20 years and I can confidently say
Re: XR500 and using a second netgear router as an access point to expand coverage
The EX7700 or EX8000 would be a good addition to the XR500. I have the EX7700 and works great with my XR450. A friend of mine has the XR500 and the EX8000. Says the 8000 has great coverage and performance with his XR router. Both extenders can be run either in wifi extender mode or wired LAN cable AP mode.
Future proofing can only go so far as to what is currently on the market and what is upcoming. AX is the new wifi standard thats started to arrive. We haven't seen any AX extenders has of yet. NG's RAX80 and 120 are there AX routers.
Hi guys, my family is in the process of purchasing a new home. We currently are in a 1700 sqft, one story home and we are using an XR500 for our needs. But, the new house is around 2700 sqft, two stories, and almost 40 years old. I had contimplated picking up a second XR500 for the upstairs and connecting them by way of TP-Link Powerline Adapter (AV2000). That seems, however, like a colossal waste of the second XR500--the only reason I considered it was because its range has been so good for us in the existing home, I thought, likely dumbly, "why not two?"
I also mulled over using a Nighthawk X4s for the upstairs or an X6s Extender (I would add here that I like the idea of having the potential of more hardwired network ports that a second router serving as an access point could provide). Whatever I use, the goal is for the XR500 to be paired with its CM600 modem downstairs, where the PS4 Pro and 4k Firetv and Switch are located--also servicing wirelessly two computer desktops, phones, ipad, Echo dot, and laptops. The upstairs solution would likely handle a second echo device, a roku tv, and a 1080P fire tv stick, and certainly the phones, ipad, and laptops when we are up there.
Granted, I ain't made of money--though the amount I have spent on tech sure as hell gives me some pause--but I want a system that would provide excellent coverage while maintaining the XR500 as the main router. And provide, and I hate this term, some level of future proofing.
