Netgear ac1200 vs ac1600 – Which one will deliver faster wifi speeds?
If you have a problem with slow internet speeds or wifi black spots, a new router can help to significantly improve your internet experience. The Netgear ac1200 vs ac1600 comparison will give you a better understanding of these routers that will provide you with dependable performance across the board.
I live in a very old house with walls that are so thick that my old router can barely get a signal to the third floor and thorough some walls without constant buffering. A friend advised me to get a Netgear AC router but am torn between the ac1200 and ac1600.
Table of Contents
What are the differences between Netgear ac1200 and ac1600?
Netgear router |
Ac1200 |
Ac1600 (Winner) |
Processor speeds |
880MHz |
800MHz |
Bandwidth speeds |
2.4 GHz – 300 Mbps
5 GHz – 867 Mbps |
2.4 GHz – 300 Mbps
5 GHz – 1300 Mbps |
Weight |
1.9 pounds |
2.2 pounds |
Netgear ac1200 vs ac1600. How do they differ?
Design
The Netgear ac1200 is a rectangular router with a glossy black enclosure with LED indicators at the top with 2 antennas at the rear. At the back panel are 4 LAN ports, a WAN port, a USB 2.0 port, a power button, a reset button, and a WPS button. On the other hand, the Netgear ac1600 has an upright slab look that won’t take up much space on your desk because it’s designed to stand and a glossy finish with good ventilation. The WPS button is on the right side of the router and at the back is the USB 3.0 port, 4 LAN ports, power input port, and buttons for power and reset.
Netgear ac1200 is a better-looking router and can operate on a horizontal position which makes it more stable on a desktop.
Features
The Netgear ac1600 has internal antennas that use advanced beamforming + technology that directs signals to specific devices, increases wifi range, and gets rid of dead spots to increase wifi speeds. It also uses the QoS feature to allow for smooth and reliable HD streaming and gaming. The ac1600 and ac1200 both have the parental control feature that you can use to filter unwanted content and websites and restrict access for some devices in your network.
Netgear ac1600 has better features with internal antennas that use beamforming+ and other useful features that make it easier to control your network.
Speeds
The Netgear ac1200 uses an 880 MHz MediaTek dual-band processor with 128MB of RAM and 128MB of flash memory that delivers speeds of 300 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band and 867 Mbps on the 5 GHz band. On the other hand, the ac1600 operates on an 800 MHz dual-core processor with 128MB of RAM and 128MB of flash memory and speeds of 300 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band and 1300 Mbps on the 5 GHz band.
Netgear ac1600 is a better performer with faster speeds on its 5 GHz band than ac1200.
Netgear ac1200 vs ac1600 – A comparison review
Netgear ac1200
- AC1200 WiFi-300+867 Mbps speeds
- External antennas for improved Wi-Fi coverage
The Netgear ac1200 r6220 is a budget-friendly router that is surprisingly well-constructed and has fantastic features that aren’t common with routers in its price range. It has a sleek black aesthetic design with 2 antennas extending at the back that you can adjust and rotate to provide maximum wifi coverage in your home. At the top are 9 LED lights that show the status of the wired ports, wifi, power, USB, internet, and WPS. At the back panel are 4 LAN ports, a USB 2.0 port for your printer and hard drive, a WPS button, reset button, and power button. The r6220 operates on an 880 MHz MediaTek processor with 128MB of RAM and 128MB of flash storage space. It has a very simple system but it delivers what you need without issues. You will need to update it manually because it can’t update its firmware automatically. However, you can activate the firmware upgrade assistant to automatically search for the correct firmware updates for your router. It has the parental control feature for filtering unwanted content and websites, traffic meter to limit bandwidth usage, and SPA2 security protocols that include NAT and SPI firewalls to protect your data and network.
You can install the r6220 using the Netgear genie that will allow you to configure your router. This router can provide stable wifi coverage in small homes thanks to its 1200 Mbps of connection speeds. On average, this dual-band router can deliver 450 Mbps on its 2.4 GHz band and 1300 Mbps on its 5 GHz band. Most of your wifi devices can only use one type of band so if your device is restricted to 2.4 GHz channel, it can’t use the 5 GHz channel. The r6220 has very impressive throughput speeds where it will deliver 74.1 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band at close proximity and 48.3 Mbps at 30 feet. When on the 5 GHz band at close proximity it will deliver 331 Mbps and 104 Mbps at 30 feet.
Pros
- Has a simple and compact design
- Excellent performance on the 5 GHz band
- Has enough ventilation to prevent overheating
- Very affordable
Cons
- It only supports USB 2.0
- The antennas are non-removable
Netgear ac1600
- Provides an extensible design that enables service prioritization for data
- Design that delivers high availability, scalability, and for maximum flexibility and price/performance
This is a dual-band router that can deliver reliable speeds for smooth and lag-free HD streaming, surfing, and online gaming. It’s an upright slab with a sheen finish design that may demand more attention than other routers. It doesn’t come with external antennas but has an internal one that uses beamforming + technology to be able to provide reliable internet for your home by increasing the wifi range while eliminating blind spots and extending the signal speed. At the back are 4 LAN ports, a WAN port, a power input port, a reset button, and power button. There are 2 USB ports, one at the back the other at the side. At the side are the wifi connection button and the WPS button at the bottom side that allows you to add more devices when activated without using a password. At the bottom, front are 4 LED indicators and 2 more on the side. You can easily manage the controls of the r6250 through the Netgear genie mobile app that allows you to connect, monitor, and control your home network from your phone.
The Netgear ac1600 operates on a dual-core 800 MHz processor with 128 MB of RAM and 128 MB of flash memory that enables high-performance connectivity in your home with multiple devices. For security, it uses WPA/WPA2-PSK, SPI and NAT firewall, and DSAP to protect your data and home network. You can set up parental controls to filter unwanted content. This router can transmit strong signals more than 15 m behind solid walls, rooms, and electronic gadgets that would interfere with the signal. When on the 2.4 GHz band at close range, it can deliver speeds of 96.8 Mbps and 35.92 Mbps at 15 meters. For the 5 GHz band at close range, the speeds clock 224 Mbps and 102.4 Mbps at 15 meters.
Pros
- Superfast wireless speeds
- Uses beamforming + technology to provide reliable internet
- Very affordable
- Great coverage and eliminating dead zones
Cons
- Its design isn’t that appealing
Conclusion
The Netgear ac1200 and ac1600 are budget-friendly routers that will deliver good speed performance and ensure there are no glitches in your internet connection.
So, which one is better Netgear ac1200 or ac1600?
Netgear ac1600 is better because it’s equipped with beamforming + technology that increases wifi signal range to specific devices instead of broadcasting the signal in all directions which increases the connectivity speed and gets rid of dead zones. It also uses QoS to ensure smooth HD streaming and gaming and it has a USB 3.0 port which is a great investment.
FAQ
How long do Netgear routers last?
Generally, it’s recommended that you upgrade your router every 3-4 years.
Are Netgear routers good?
Netgear is a well-recognized brand in the networking market and its routers are widely used. They’re known for their superior speeds and coverage and are ideal for your home or office networks.
