Netgear Nighthawk AX12 12-Stream WIFI 6 Router (RAX120) Review

Netgear Nighthawk AX12 12-Stream WIFI 6 Router (RAX120) Review

ByAhmed Raza

Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) routers have been on the market for a while, but they’re still hard to come by. This router blasts straight past some of the most frequent networking constraints. It has a multi-gigabit LAN port and WPA3 encryption, but it doesn’t have malware protection or powerful parental controls. There are some nice options if you’re searching for a Wi-Fi 6 router that can give a reliable connection across your home. The TP-Link Archer AX6000 and the soon-to-be-released Asus RT-AX89X both had better top speeds in our lab. As I wandered around my house, the wobbly SmartConnect feature did a poor job of directing me from band to band.

Features:

Wi-Fi 6 — Stream movies, videos, games, and more at up to 6Gb/s at the same time. Easy to set up and manage – use the Nighthawk app to connect to an existing cable modem and complete configuration in minutes. High-Performance Antennas – Pre-optimized for the highest Wi-Fi performance and coverage for both indoor and outdoor wireless connections. Advanced Technology — contains VPN, firewall, guest Wi-Fi access, DOS, and a variety of other features.

A 64-bit Quad-core 2.2GHz processor powers the Nighthawk RAX120. On the back of the router, there are two USB 3.0 storage connections for connecting an external hard drive. It’s Alexa and Google Assistant compatible, so you can use voice commands. Netgear Armor cyber security software is not supported.

Killer Looks:

The RAX120 is a high-end router that hides eight antennas behind a stylish set of fold-up wings. It includes four gigabit LAN connections, two of which can be coupled for wired rates of up to 2Gbps. Two of those LAN ports can be connected to the same server and their speeds combined for better transfer rates.

Installation and set-up:

The Netgear ax12 rax120 is a high-end Wi-Fi router with the Nighthawk mobile app built-in. Basic settings such as wireless and internet connection, connected devices, network data, and system logs may all be found in the app. You can also use it to change and configure media server settings, monitor network statistics, see system logs, and upgrade firmware.

Connectivity:

The RAX120 router is dual-band, although a tri-band variant is also available (the RAX200). It is compatible with 802.11ax, often known as Wi-Fi 6. Overall, the location and characteristics of the ports on the rear impressed me. However, for a router this pricey, I would have loved to see more Ethernet connections.

Software:

You may adjust your router’s settings, create a guest network, remotely operate your router, manage your devices individually, and test your network speeds with the Nighthawk app. When evaluating my network speeds, however, the Nighthawk app consistently outperforms rival platforms such as Ookla and VeeApps.

Speed:

The Netgear RAX120 is a dual-band Wi-Fi router with 802.11ax capability and theoretical download speeds of 1,200 Mbps on 2.4GHz and 4,800 Mbps on 5GHz. Those figures are based on lab-based testing that doesn’t account for things like range, interference, or physical barriers. The TP-Link Archer AX6000 was not only quicker overall, but it also maintained speeds of over 1,000 Mbps over a 37.5-foot intermediate distance.

The average back bathroom download speed on the TP-Link Archer AX6000 router was slightly over 150 Mbps. The Asus RT-AX89X, which will be one of the next routers I examine, performed even better. The Asus ZenWiFi AX is my favorite of those that enable Wi-Fi 6.

Powerful Performance:

As our client, I used a Dell XPS 13 laptop with a Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650s (802.11ax) network adapter to test the Netgear RAX120. On the 2.4GHz close-proximity test, it scored 125Mbps, which is somewhat quicker than the TP-Link AX6000 but slightly slower than the Asus RT-AX88U. The router scored 417Mbps on the 5GHz 30-foot test, which was more than 100Mbps faster than its competitors.

Pros:

  • It’s simple to set up.
  • Throughput and file-transfer performance are also excellent.
  • A 5GbE port is available.

Cons:

  • Pricey.
    • There is no anti-malware protection.
    • Parental supervision is minimal.

Conclusion:

Last year, Netgear’s Wi-Fi 6 Nighthawk routers were among the first 802.11ax routers on the market. In 2020, they’re still a good upgrade option, especially if you think you’ll use them well. As a result, the TP-Link Archer AX6000 remains my preferred Wi-Fi 6 router.

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