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RAX40 and Smart Connect

UpsidedownWorld
Aspirant

RAX40 and Smart Connect

Just bought the RAX 40 to replace my dying Airport Extreme. One of my main reasons for buying this router was to utilize the smart connect feature so I only have one SSID. I guess this router doesn't have that feature.

 

Is this something that may appear with a firmware update?

 

Is this feature necessary?

Model: RAX40|Nighthawk AX4 4-Stream WiFi Router
Message 1 of 25
schumaku
Guru

Re: RAX40 and Smart Connect

If it's not available yet in the current firmware [you have checked the Netgear support download pages for the WAX40, right? 1.0.1.46 released 09 April 2019], I'm convinced it will show up later. Technially, there is a little bit more going on behind the UI and over the air than just the same SSID.

 

As per the Netgear KB What is Smart Connect and how do I enable or disable it on my NETGEAR router? the RAX40 is included, too.

Message 2 of 25
schumaku
Guru

Re: RAX40 and Smart Connect

@Christian_R  this might be one more chapter for the currenlty ongoing meeting.

Message 3 of 25
UpsidedownWorld
Aspirant

Re: RAX40 and Smart Connect

Hi @schumaku ,

Thanks for your response. I do have the latest firmware (1.0.1.41) loaded which is weird because the one listed on the Netgear website is 1.0.1.36. 

 

Good call on the supported routers for the Smart Connect. Looks like it might be on its way in a future release. 

 

The other router I was considering was the RP7000p. Does the RAX40, aside from having support for wi-fi 6, also have superior performance to the R7000p (similar price point)?

Message 4 of 25
schumaku
Guru

Re: RAX40 and Smart Connect


@UpsidedownWorld wrote:

Does the RAX40, aside from having support for wi-fi 6, also have superior performance to the R7000p (similar price point)?


Expect similar performance for wired and 802.11ac (5 GHz)/.11n (2.4 GHz) clients - the allowed power is the same, the standards are the same. 

Message 5 of 25

Re: RAX40 and Smart Connect

Both the slightly older RAX80 and RAX120 support smart connect.

 

 

 

Message 6 of 25
dock8486
Aspirant

Re: RAX40 and Smart Connect

Ac2600(R7800) or ax3000 (Rax40) which on should I get?
Model: RAX40|Nighthawk AX4 4-Stream WiFi Router
Message 7 of 25

Re: RAX40 and Smart Connect

Re: Want to Buy a Neatgear router - NETGEAR Communities

 

I don't think the subject is intended to be ironic.

 

 

Message 8 of 25
Christian_R
NETGEAR Employee Retired

Re: RAX40 and Smart Connect

Hello @UpsidedownWorld

 

Thank you for your post. Would you mind providing a screenshot of your UI when going to the router's wireless settings. I'd like to forward this to engineering for further investigation. In the meantime, please download the latest FW for the RAX40. 

 

https://www.netgear.com/support/product/rax40.aspx#Firmware%20Version%201.0.2.44

 

~Christian 

Message 9 of 25
schumaku
Guru

Re: RAX40 and Smart Connect


@Christian_R wrote:

Would you mind providing a screenshot of your UI when going to the router's wireless settings. I'd like to forward this to engineering for further investigation. In the meantime, please download the latest FW for the RAX40. 


@Christian_R  now you confuse me. Is the RAX40 supposed to have the Smart Connect controls, and it's not visible? Should the v1.0.2.44 firmware introduce the Smart Connect feature? Can't be difficult to check a RAX40 to get the UI screen (uh, isn't it?), and get the information if and when Smart Connect - essentially the ability to configure the same SSID on both radios, plus 802.11k RRM at least (this is what other vendors promote in the marketing blush as "mesh"), an industry standard feature (well difficult to explain to firmware spec writers which deny setting the same SSID e.g. on the R6220/6230 even without RRM) - should become available? For this request to engineering, no screenshot is required IMHO. 

Message 10 of 25
Christian_R
NETGEAR Employee Retired

Re: RAX40 and Smart Connect

Hello @UpsidedownWorld - Smart Connect will be supported in the near future but we do not have an ETA of when. In the meantime, changes will be made to the RAX40 user manual. 

 

~Christian 

Message 11 of 25
jjw001
Tutor

Re: RAX40 and Smart Connect

I am really disappointed.  I spent a few sessions last week with the support folks looking at various routers that supported smart connect.  They assured me that the AX4 did.  Now I install one and there is no smart connect option. 

Model: RAX40|Nighthawk AX4 4-Stream WiFi Router
Message 12 of 25
UpsidedownWorld
Aspirant

Re: RAX40 and Smart Connect

In addition to the lack of smart connect, I wasn’t happy with the speeds. Didn’t think it was any better than my AirPort Extreme. I took it back, and bought the rax80. Should have done it from the start. So happy with it. This thing screams! Close to 1gig over WiFi!
Message 13 of 25

Re: RAX40 and Smart Connect

The RAX40  is a new product. In effect you are paying Netgear to be a beta tester.

 

That is what you get when trying to live on the bleeding edge.

Message 14 of 25
schumaku
Guru

Re: RAX40 and Smart Connect


@jjw001 wrote:

I spent a few sessions last week with the support folks looking at various routers that supported smart connect.  They assured me that the AX4 did.  Now I install one and there is no smart connect option. 


Support does work - among internal information - also on the public available resources like data sheet, user manual, and KB. As all these proofed to be wrong or pre-mature, blame has to go to a different channel. Time-to-market pressure has again won over quality, correct information, and more.

Disappointment understood.

Message 15 of 25
schumaku
Guru

Re: RAX40 and Smart Connect


@UpsidedownWorld wrote:
... Didn’t think it was any better than my AirPort Extreme. I took it back, and bought the rax80. ... This thing screams! Close to 1gig over WiFi!

Real throughput or link rates? The AE Gen 6 has a 802.11ac 3.3:3 supporting up to AC1300 at 80 MHz bandwidth. To reach higher numbers you must have "better" clients, e.g. 802.11ax, 802.11ac 160 MHz ones, or 802.11ac with non-standard 1024-QAM, or some of the very few 802.11ac 4x4 clients (typically PCIe cards with external antenna arrays for desktop systems only).

Message 16 of 25
UpsidedownWorld
Aspirant

Re: RAX40 and Smart Connect

You’re right. That’s the speed I’m getting in the Netgear app. That’s disingenuous. Who cares what speed that is. I need to know what it is at the client device I’m using. So maybe it’s my imagination.
Message 17 of 25
UpsidedownWorld
Aspirant

Re: RAX40 and Smart Connect

Although I am mostly using my iPhone 10 which has AC...
Message 18 of 25
jjw001
Tutor

Re: RAX40 and Smart Connect

Well I spent a few minutes on the phone with support. They confirmed I was given bad information. Originally smart connect was included in the RAX40, specs and user manual but it never made it into the firmware. So they deleted it from the user manual a couple days ago. Support said it should be out in a future firmware release but specific timeframe. Seriously?

Model: RAX40|Nighthawk AX4 4-Stream WiFi Router
Message 19 of 25
schumaku
Guru

Re: RAX40 and Smart Connect


@UpsidedownWorld wrote:
That’s the speed I’m getting in the Netgear app.

The Netgear Nighthawk App does run the Speedtest between the router and the test system in the cloud - not the speed the mobile client. The App is very clear about this:

 

Screenshot_20190503-133038.pngScreenshot_20190503-133110.png

 


@UpsidedownWorld wrote:
Who cares what speed that is. 

Nowadays the Internet bandwidth available in many areas goes ways beyond of what a wireless client (even WiFi 6) will ever reach. The technology goes away from being able to provide peak performance to a single client to provide reliable concurrent access for many different wireless devices. In a time where consumer Internet connections are offered in the symmetric 1 Gb to 10 Gb range ... 

 


@UpsidedownWorld wrote:
I need to know what it is at the client device I’m using.

Well, wireless (any standard) is a highly variable target. Performance does vary depending on distance, obstacles, interferences, ... And what application does require >1 Gb/s on a mobile phone? No matter if we talk of 5G (mobile) or WiFi 6 (802.11ax) - both technologies are aimed to provide concurrent fast access for many systems, not blinding peak performance to one.

 

 

Message 20 of 25
schumaku
Guru

Re: RAX40 and Smart Connect


@jjw001 wrote:

Seriously?


TIme-to-market at every price ... Yes, this matches to the information provided above here in the thread earlier this week by @Christian_R (Netgear).

Message 21 of 25
jjw001
Tutor

Re: RAX40 and Smart Connect

I have been going round and round with Netgear customer support and they are unable to provide any meaningful information about the lack of the 'smart connect' feature or when it will be made available, if ever.  They have suggested I return the router to the seller, like it is the seller’s responsibility to bail out Netgear deceptions.  I am thinking about filing a deceptive trade practices complaint with the Texas Attorney General office. 

 

The Attorney General's Office recommend the following action.  'If the business refuses to fix your problem, you can file a complaint with us, with the Better Business Bureau, and with the Federal Trade Commission. ' This might get the problem escalated to someone at Netgear that will actually go something.

 

Model: RAX40|Nighthawk AX4 4-Stream WiFi Router
Message 22 of 25
Amilcoppens
Aspirant

Re: RAX40 and Smart Connect

I’m disappointed this doesn’t have smart connect yet. I bought a rax80 and a rax40 expecting the rax40 to have smart connect. I’m going to take them both back and get a different brand that has this feature. I want the same brand and management interface, so I’ll go with another brand that has a lower cost router that has smart connect analog to Netgear. How disappointing. So much on the web says it has these features. I will also file a complaint with the bbb. I HATE when manufactures waste my time, misrepresent their products, and then don’t come through with anything other than empty promises.
Model: RAX40|Nighthawk AX4 4-Stream WiFi Router
Message 23 of 25
schumaku
Guru

Re: RAX40 and Smart Connect


@Amilcoppens wrote:
I’m disappointed this doesn’t have smart connect yet.

Initially around product launch, there had ben some traces of Smart Connect on the RAX40.

 


@Amilcoppens wrote:
So much on the web says it has these features. I will also file a complaint with the bbb.

So where is this "so much on the Web" please? Neither the RAX40 marketing blush nor the documentation nor e.g. the KB entry indicate that Smart Connect is available.

 

Netgear was transparent with this - some posts above here @Christian_R (as a Netgear rep) stated (around 26 April 2019):

 


@Christian_R wrote:

Hello (xxxx) Smart Connect will be supported in the near future but we do not have an ETA of when.


Not convinced there are many other vendors with such a competitive line-up of Wi-Fi 6 routers as Netgear has, and including a basic Wi-Fi 6 AX3000 (four streams) offering.

Message 24 of 25

Re: RAX40 and Smart Connect

None of the documentation for the RAX40 mentions "smart connect".

 

>>>RAX40 | Product | Support | NETGEAR<<<

 

While that may not be a reliable source of the latest information, it is a good place to check for details of key features you want before you part with money.

 

If the documentation does not mention smart connect, don't expect to see it. Buy something that does. The RAX80, for example.

 

Message 25 of 25
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