Netgear n600 vs Netgear ac1200 – Which one has better range?
Home networks have become more demanding and not many wifi adapters are compatible with the latest technologies. That’s why you need a wireless router that can deliver decent wireless performance and Netgear n600 vs Netgear ac1200 comparison is a good place to start.
I purchased a Netgear a few months ago and it has been working fine, but then my Samsung smart tv started losing wifi signal so I can’t watch my favorite Netflix movies. After going through some customer reviews for a few Netgear routers, I zeroed on the Netgear n600 and Netgear ac1200 so now I need to make a decision on which one is better for HD streaming.
Table of Contents
What are the differences between Netgear n600 and Netgear ac1200?
Netgear router |
N600 |
Ac1200 (Winner) |
Processor speed |
530 MHz |
880 MHz |
Bandwidth speed |
2.4 GHz – 300 Mbps
5 GHz – 300 Mbps |
2.4 GHz – 300 Mbps
5 GHz – 867 Mbps |
Antennas |
Internal |
External |
Netgear n600 vs Netgear ac1200 – How do they differ?
Design
The Netgear n600 is a small oval-shaped router with an elegant and stylish design and a big blue button in the middle with LED lights in the middlefor the internal antenna’s direction. This design allows it to blend very well with your décor and furniture. At the back are 4 LAN, a WAN port, and a USB 2.0 port. For the Netgear ac1200, it has a boxy shape with a glossy black finish at the top with 2 external antennas at the rear and triangle-shaped holes at the front and lateral sides for ventilation.
Netgear n600 has a better looking design. It has a stylish look that will not look out of place in your living room.
Speed
The hardware for Netgear n600 is a 32-bit MIPS processor that can clock speeds of 530 MHz and a CPU with RAM storage of 64 MB and 8 MB of flash memory. It operates on both the 2.4 GHz band and 5 GHz band. For the Netgear ac1200, it uses an 880 MHz powerful MediaTek processor that has two radio bands capable of producing 300 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band and 867 Mbps on the 5 GHz band. Its CPU has a RAM capacity of 128 MB and flash memory of 128 MB.
Netgear ac1200 is a better performer. It has a more powerful processor and faster speeds.
Netgear n600 vs Netgear ac1200 – A comparison review
Netgear n600
- Faster WiFi Speed: N600 Dual Band WiFi delivers 300 + 300Mbps
- Ideal WiFi range for medium to large homes. System Requirements: Microsoft Windows 7, 8, 10,Vista, XP,...
The Netgear n600 is a very popular Netgear router, especially in the gaming circles because of its decent speeds and its very affordable price tag. The n600 uses a dual-band system that can deliver speeds of up to 300 Mbps on each bandwidth and it can use both bands at the same time. This helps to reduce network traffic and avoid signal interference. This is a sleek-looking router with an elegant black casing and an eye-catching big blue button in the middle with LED lights that indicate where your antennas are pointing. The blue button is also a WPS button. N600 doesn’t have external antennas which enhances its aesthetic appeal and saves on space. At the back are 4 LAN ports, a WAN port that is regular 10/100 Mbps Ethernet ports, and a USB 2.0 port for your external hard drive. At the front are LED lights that indicate the status for your internet, Ethernet ports, and USB port. It has a detachable base so you can either place it horizontally or vertically.
The router uses the Netgear genie app for a quick and easy setup with very well detailed and clear instructions. N600 has two bandwidths each delivering a speed of 300 Mbps so you have strong and steady speeds on both bands. You can give your visitors access to your internet without them accessing your network by setting up the guest network. The ReadyShare USB allows you to wirelessly connect with your connected devices to share files and other documents from your connected hard drive. With the advanced QoS feature you can easily share content with other devices across your network and HD stream. The system uses WPA/WPA2 and WEP security protocols to protect your system from intrusions. The traffic meter allows you to limit the total bandwidth your system can use and the parental controls that you access with an OpenDNS account will help you monitor internet usage for certain devices.
N600 has very good throughput performance where it registers 65.4 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band at 15 feet and 37.1 Mbps at 100 feet. On the 5 GHz band, it scored speeds of 75.8 Mbps at 15 feet and 59.8 Mbps at 100 feet. It delivers reliable wifi connection even at a long-range that surpasses most routers in the same price bracket.
Pros
- Has great management tools
- Offers a steady connection
- A sleek and elegant design
- Comes with an intuitive web interface
Cons
- Doesn’t support gigabit Ethernet
- It’s not a very stable router
Netgear ac1200
Netgear ac1200 is an affordable dual-band router that is designed to bring wireless network in your home and save some money at the same time. Ac1200 is slightly bigger than other budget routers with a rectangular plastic body at the top covered by a glossy black finish and 2 external antennas at the rear side that you can’t remove or upgrade. Along the front and lateral sides are triangular-shaped holes that help to keep the router cool and 4 silicone pads at the base for stability. You can place the router horizontally on your shelf or mount it on your wall. At the top are LED indicators and at the back are 4 LAN ports, a WAN port, a WPS button, a reset button, and a power button. There is a USB 2.0 portfor connecting to your hard drive and printer. The Netgear genie mobile app or web console will help you to easily configure and control your network. The wireless setting will help you choose your security option between WPA/WPA2 enterprise or WPA and WPA2. THE ReadyShare will help you set up your storage devices and printer while the guest network will allow you to create a separate network for your guests without having to access your entire network. From the advanced home screen you can configure the VPN, port forwarding, triggering, and other settings in your network. Also you can manage and filter web content with the parental controls.
As a dual-band router, ac1200 uses a MediaTek 880 MHz processor with the 2.4 GHz band that can handle 300 Mbps speed and 867 Mbps on the 5 GHz band. It can deliver impressive throughput speeds for a budget router. On the 2.4 GHz band at close range, it can deliver 74.1 Mbps and 48.3 Mbps at 30 feet. On the 5 GHz band at close range, it scored speeds of 331 Mbps and 104 Mbps at 30 feet.
Pros
- Comes with lots of features
- You can use the mobile app and web console to monitor your network
- Provides very good airflow for cooling
- Good wireless performance on the 5 GHz band
Cons
- The USB 2.0 isn’t as fast as the USB 3.0
- The antennas are non-removable
Conclusion
The Netgear n600 and Netgear ac1200 are both budget-friendly routers that are ideal for medium to large homes. Netgear n600 provides good wifi performance and coverage on both its bands while Netgear ac1200 will help improve your wireless connection to get you better range.
So, which one is better Netgear n600 or Netgear ac1200?
Netgear ac1200 is a better router because it operates on an 880 MHz MediaTek processor with dual-bands and impressive throughput speeds and lots of useful features.
FAQ
What is the range of the Netgear n600?
The n600 can offer a great range of about 300 feet for the 2.4 GHz band and 250 feet for the 5 GHz band. However, at these distances your wireless connection is only good for light web surfing so it’s best to use the router at 100 feet.
How many devices can Netgear ac1200 handle?
This router can handle up to 20 devices to provide reliable internet connection for surfing, gaming, and HD streaming with no interference.
