Netgear n900 vs ac1200 – Which one has better performance?
Home networks have become more demanding with more devices being added to your network. The Netgear n900 and ac1200 are impressive dual-band wireless gigabit routers that can deliver great performance.
Recently my Samsung smart TV stopped picking up wifi signals from my router, but my other devices are still receiving a good signal. I can’t watch my Netflix movies so I’ve decided to get another router. The Netgear n900 and ac1200 look like decent routers with great speeds, but I have to choose one and this table helped.
Table of Contents
What are the differences between Netgear n900 and ac1200?
Netgear router model |
N900 (Winner) |
Ac1200 |
Speeds |
2.4 GHz – 450 Mbps
5 GHz – 450 Mbps |
2.4 GHz – 300 Mbps
5 GHz – 867 Mbps |
Processor |
Broadcom chipset MIPS 74K network processor with 128 MB of RAM and 128 MB flash storage |
880MHz MediaTek processor with 128 MB of RAM and 128 MB flash storage |
Antennas |
6 internal |
2 external |
USB 2.0 |
2 |
1 |
Weight |
1.2 pounds |
6.3 pounds |
Netgear n900 vs ac200 – How do they differ?
Design
The Netgear n900 is a small sleek well-designed dual-band router with a black panel at the front and a clear backplate. It’s designed to operate in a vertical position with the help of a non-detachable base so you can’t mount it on your wall. It doesn’t have any external antennas which makes it a compact router. The LED indicator lights at the front are for the ports at the back, internet connection, and wireless network, and the ones at the top are for the on/off button and WPS button. At the back are 4 gigabit Ethernet ports, a WAN port, 2 USB 2.0 ports, and an on/off button.
As for the ac1200, it’s a big router with a glossy black rectangular body and 2 external antennas at the back. The indicators at the top are for the wired ports, wifi, power, WPS, internet, and USB port. At the back are 4 LAN ports, a WAN port, a WPS button, power, and reset buttons not forgetting the USB 2.0 port.
Netgear n900 is a better-looking router with a sleek and stylish design that won’t occupy lots of space.
Speed and performance
The n900 and ac1200 routers both use the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands to deliver the best speeds. The n900 has throughput speeds and excellent range on the 5 GHz band while its 2.4 GHz band is a bit slow on its data transfer speeds. Each band is capable of theoretical speeds of up to 450 Mbps on both bands that can run simultaneously. The ac1200 router can deliver max. theoretical speeds of up to 300 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band and 867 Mbps on the 5 GHz band. It can give you a downloading speed of 150 Mbps which is a decent speed for easy download or streaming of a movie.
The ac1200 is a better performer with faster theoretical speeds and download speeds.
USB ports
The n900 comes with 2 USB 2.0 ports where one is for connecting to your printer when you want to share printable documents with your connected devices or print any data while the other one is for your external hard drive for sharing videos, music, and files with other devices. On the other hand, the ac1200 router only has one USB 2.0 port that you can use to connect your printer or hard drive.
N900 has more USB ports which makes it easier to share files from your hard drive and printable data.
Netgear n900 vs ac1200 – A comparison review
Netgear n900
- Wireless N900 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router with WiFi Speeds up to 900 Mbps (450 + 450) ideal for HD...
- Security - Best in class (WPA/WPA2?PSK) and WEP and Push ?N? Connect ensures a quick and secure network...
The Netgear n900 is a dual-band gigabit Ethernet router that uses both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands that can run simultaneously to deliver theoretical speeds of up to 450 Mbps per band. It has improved range coverage thanks to its 6 internal antennas and 2 radios. It’s designed to operate in a vertical position and it comes with a non-detachable base so you can’t place it flat on a desktop or mount it on your wall. At the back are 4 LAN ports, a WAN port, 2 USB 2.0 ports, and an on/off button. The LED indicators at the front the gigabit Ethernet ports, wireless network, WPS, internet, and on/off button. It’s very easy to set up this router with the Netgear genie app that comes with detailed instructions. You can either use the desktop software or the web interface to manage your router.
Some of the features you’ll find include 2 guest networks one for each band where your guests can access your internet without connecting to your main network. The live parental control feature is only available after you’ve opened a free online account with OpenDNS and choosing a web filtering level. The n900 also supports remote management, QoS settings, port forwarding, and triggering, dynamic DNS, and IPv6. The traffic meter will keep track of the traffic volumes passing through the WAN port. As a dual-band router, the n900 has great performance on both bands. The 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands can manage speeds of 80 Mbps and 164 Mbps at 5 feet respectively. However, these speeds drop at 150 feet to reach 70 Mbps and 100 Mbps. It will still maintain a good connection speed even from 1000 feet away.
Pros
- Fast and easy to setup
- Supports advanced QoS and remote management
- High speed and a good range
- Comes with 2 USB ports
Cons
- It’s expensive
- Can only operate vertically
Netgear ac1200
- AC1200 WiFi-300+867 Mbps speeds
- External antennas for improved Wi-Fi coverage
The ac1200 is a budget-friendly dual-band router that is well designed and can deliver reliable internet performance across the board. It’s a conservative router with a rectangular plastic body with a black glossy finish at the top with 2 non-removable antennas at the back. At the back are 4 LAN ports, a WAN port, a USB port, WPS button, wifi on/off button, reset and power buttons, and power input. You can control this router using the Netgear genie web console for your PC or genie mobile app for your phone. The basic settings will allow you to configure the internet settings, the wireless settings will allow you to choose your security option between WPA, WPA2, WPA/WPA2 enterprise, and a password.
The ReadyShare feature will help you set up the storage devices and USB printer and the guest network will help you create limited access for your guests to your internet and not your network. The more advanced setting will allow you to configure port forwarding and triggering, website blocking, VPN service, and much more. When it comes to the safety of your network, the ac1200 uses SPA2 security protocol and SPI and NAT firewalls to effectively block any attacks on your network. It also comes with a traffic meter to help you limit the bandwidth usage. The ac1200 can deliver impressive throughput speeds for a budget router. On the 2.4 GHz band at close proximity, it can deliver 80.8 Mbps which then drops to 73.3 Mbps at 30 feet. On the 5 GHz band at close proximity, it will deliver 497 Mbps and 137 Mbps at 30 feet.
Pros
- Very affordable
- Lots of useful management settings
- Good performance on the 5 GHz band
- A good router for small homes
Cons
- Only has one USB 2.0 port
- The antennas aren’t removable
Conclusion
The Netgear n900 and ac1200 are excellent dual-band routers that will provide you with reliable internet connection throughout your home. The Netgear n900 is a gigabit router that has impressive wifi speeds over a long distance thanks to its 6 internal antennas while the ac1200 comes with lots of management settings and great throughput speeds.
So, which one is better Netgear n900 or ac1200?
The Netgear n900 is better because it supports 450 Mbps on both bands, has dual USB ports with great performance and excellent range over two bands.
FAQ
Is Netgear ac1200 good?
Netgear ac1200 is an entry-level dual-band router which is a very decent device if you’re looking for a router you can connect multiple compatible devices to the 5 GHz network.
How many devices can ac1200 handle?
The ac1200 router can cover up to 1200 sq. feet and connect with up to 20 devices to provide reliable internet connection.
