I have been using the Netgear routers for some time now and looking into the getting the RAX200. I am aware that the final WIFI 6 specs has been finalized just recently.
Is or will the RAX200 adhere to ALL the WIFI 6 specs? I read that the older RAX120 already doesn't support some features, and would hate to pay that much for a router, only to find out later on that it doesnt support all the final WIFI 6 features.
Re: Has or will the RAX200 get the final WIFI 6 specs
The RAX120 qualitatively uses a superior chipset (Qualcomm), in SmallNetbuilder’s testing the RAX120 did the best in 5Ghz performance testing while the Broadcom chipset based router’s like the chipset in the RAX80/200 saw a weird dip in performance plots.
The RAX200 is basically a RAX80 with an extra 5Ghz band and 2.5 Gb with port but the main Broadcom WiFi chipset and CPU are the same.
Qualcomm usually has a better track record of implementation of new features in a properly working manner. Broadcom still has issues with things like MU-MIMO performance.
Re: Has or will the RAX200 get the final WIFI 6 specs
But yeah none of the current routers support all AX features..... Even if chipset vendors promise support later on via an update for current devices I’d be weary. As mentioned previously at least with Broadcom newly added features aren’t necessarily activated in a properly functioning manner, more like just to check boxes. Qualcomm had declared that the QCA8074/8 chipset in the RAX120 supports all the draft AX features but things like uplink MU are missing, though downlink MU is enabled.
Re: Has or will the RAX200 get the final WIFI 6 specs
Yep. I’m pretty certain current routers they won’t support all the features even at a later point. But as I said earlier don’t take even the WiFi 6 certification to necessarily mean that all those features will actually work well/cause issues in the first gen chipsets if any even manage to get fully certified in the first place.
Re: Has or will the RAX200 get the final WIFI 6 specs
There are quite a few Wifi6 certified routers now. Unfortunately none of them are made by
Netgear. The Asus RT-AX88U is WiFi 6 certified and it uses the Broadcom chipset.
Ever wonder why Netgear is absent from that list? Probably because their firmware side of all their wifi6 products are a complete disaster and the absolute stonewalling of acknowledgment of any existing problems.
Re: Has or will the RAX200 get the final WIFI 6 specs
I currently use the AX88U & the AX58U in a mesh setup and they work as advertised, with no issues even remotely close to what I experienced with Netgear. This is why my RAX80 is sitting in a box.
Save yourself a world of trouble and avoid Netgear.
Re: Has or will the RAX200 get the final WIFI 6 specs
The AX88U does NOT support all AX features, SNB testing shows even in the unreleased beta firmware there’s a major performance issue with a massive dip in the 5Ghz performance charts. The Qualcomm chipsets are the only ones that are somewhat consistent performance wise, or RAX120 and others using the same chipset. Asus has one eventually coming out using that QCA8074 chipset.
Re: Has or will the RAX200 get the final WIFI 6 specs
But I also read that the RAX120 also lack crucial AX specs . This whole wifi 6 thing is a mess. This whole bringing out hardware based on draft should be regulated. And these things are expensive.
Re: Has or will the RAX200 get the final WIFI 6 specs
Yep you are correct, not all features have been enabled even on that one, but at least those enabled AX functions work properly like WPA3 and Downlink OFDMA unlike in the Broadcom based routers like the AX88U/GT-AX11000 or RAX80/200. The Broadcom units still have issues with MU-MIMO performance at times.
