Netgear Nighthawk Ax8 Vs Ax12 – Which Netgear router provides better range?

With our home devices connected more than ever, the need for high bandwidth routers has increased drastically. The Netgear Nighthawk AX8 and AX12 are two of the fastest routers in the market. Take a look as we compare them to see which the better one for you is.

The modern smart home requires high speed internet connection from smart lights, smart TVs, home assistants, gaming and more. For this, you need a high performance premium router that can handle all these tasks at the same time. Netgear’s Nighthawk series is known for its premium and fast routers and the AX8 and AX12 continue to uphold this reputation. When distinguishing between this two routers, the main difference lies in their bandwidth capacity. In the following table, we’ll look at their other differences and features

What are the differences between Netgear Nighthawk AX8 and Nighthawk AX12?

Netgear Nighthawk AX8 vs Nighthawk AX12 – how do they compare?

Build design

The AX8 and AX12 are twin routers, meaning they come from the same line of Netgear Nighthawk known as AX routers. Because of this, the routers are quite similar in design. However, in design we consider the attractiveness and practicality of the router. Here, the AX8 is better than the AX12 as it features a much more practical easy to place and position build.Both routers come with foldable ‘wings’ that make the units resemble a spaceship from a scifi. The wings house two antennas each meaning the devices have four units each. Furthermore, they have similar curves and edges and are quite identical in a glance. The major difference comes in size. With the AX8 being smaller, it is easy to place in the house or mount onto a stationary object.

Performance and speed

When picking between these two units, consider the speed and bandwidth. Once again, the routers are almost similar in performance; but not quite. On the box, they are both rated as 6 Gbps routers with 1.2 Gbps on the 2.4 GHz and 4.8 Gbps on the 5 GHz band. But these translate to different speeds in a real world environment. When tested, the Nighthawk AX12 is better than the AX8as it offers higher bandwidth. It provides 125 Mbps in close proximity and 63 Mbps at a distance of 30 feet. This long distance performance is better than other high end routers such as the Asus AX88U. On the other hand, the Nighthawk AX8 provides a speed of 88 Mbps in close proximity and drops to 42 Mbps at 30 feet away from the router.

Ports and connectivity

Being high end routers, both devices should be able to support multiple devices via wired connection. Here, the Netgear Nighthawk AX12 is better as it offers more ports and an extra high speed Ethernet port. It is fitted with the following:1 5 GB Ethernet, 1 gigabit Ethernet WAN, 4 gigabit Ethernet LAN and 2 USB type A ports. On the other hand the AX8 comes with: 1 gigabit Ethernet WAN, 5 gigabit Ethernet LAN, 2 USB type A and a power port. With four gigabit Ethernet ports and a high speed 5 GB port, the AX12 can connect to various home devices from the gaming console to your smart TV.

Hardware capabilities

This section refers to how the physical hardware equipment fitted inside the unit relate to performance of the router. Once again, the Nighthawk AX12 has better hardware performance than the AX8. First, it comes with a powerful 2.2 GHz quad core processor which is faster than the 1.8 GHz quad core processor on the AX8. Furthermore, the AX12 features more flash memory which is used to store updates, inbuilt security, default settings of the device and more. With a flash memory of 256 MB, the AX12 is able to operate smoothly.

Range

One of the most important factors to look at in any router is the area of coverage. Here, the Netgear AX12 provides better range than the AX8. This has been tested and proven and the following ranges were found. The AX12 covers up to 3500 sq. feet against the AX8’s 2500 sq. feet. This large difference makes the AX12 the obvious winner in this category

Netgear Nighthawk AX8 vs Nighthawk AX12 – A Comparison Overview

Netgear Nighthawk AX8

NETGEAR Nighthawk 8-Stream AX8 Wifi 6 Router (RAX80) – AX6000 Wireless Speed (Up to 6 Gbps) | 2,500 sq. ft. Coverage

• WIFI 6 – STREAM EVERYTHING AT EPIC SPEED: Simultaneously stream uninterrupted movies, games, video...
• WORKS WITH ALL INTERNET PROVIDERS: Replace your existing WiFi Router (separate modem or gateway...

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Netgear is one of the largest and popular router brands today and it’s not difficult to see why. The Nighthawk AX8 is a state of the art device that uses the latest technology in the market. It was released in early 2019 and features the latest Wi-Fi 6 or 802.11ax technology. Being a high end router, this is a big deal since such standards are need to reach high speeds. The standards are also backward compatible meaning your devices need not be WiFI 6 enabled to enjoy high speeds. When tested, the unit does up to 88 Mbps on the 2.4 channel and 933 Mbps on the 5 GHz channel.

In addition, the unit features a unique spaceship design with wings. The ‘wings’ house the unit’s four antennas that provide a fantastic range of 2500 sq. feet.

Pros

• Easy to install and setup through the mobile app
• Amazing speeds of up to 933 Mbps allow heavy bandwidth tasks
• Comes with link aggregation ability
• Unique and attractive design

Cons

• The unit is expensive
• There are no anti-malware security tools

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Netgear Nighthawk AX12

NETGEAR Nighthawk WiFi 6 Router (RAX120) 12-Stream Dual-Band Gigabit Router, AX6000 Wireless Speed (Up to 6 Gbps), Coverage Up to 3,500 sq.ft. and 30 Devices

• Maximum Range : 3500 Sq Ft
• UNLEASH FASTER SPEED, EVEN MORE POWER: Optimal for devices built to support WiFi 6: Playstation 5, iPhone...

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The Nighthawk AX12 is a top class router with an equivalent high price tag attached. Like the previous unit, it also comes with the latest Wi-Fi 6 technology. With this, the unit boasts speeds of up to 125 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz and 1040 Mbps on the 5 GHz band. Furthermore, the router provides an impressive range of up to 3500 sq. feet. This is enough for a relatively large three bedroom home. For security, the device features WPA3 encryption. However, it lacks malware protection and robust parental controls.

When it comes design, the AX12 resembles the AX8 with foldable wing-like structures than house the antennas. There are four antennas inside the wings that work to provide a seamless consistent connection.

Pros

• There is a 5 GB Ethernet port for high speed connections
• Attractive design
• Fast file transfer performance
• Easy and quick to install through the mobile app or browser

Cons

• Quite expensive
• No malware protection

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Conclusion

In conclusion, if the Netgear AX8 is a better choice for people who want an affordable Nighthawk gaming router. The AX12 is great for people with a larger budget and more connected devices

Final Verdict -So which is better? Netgear Nighthawk AX8 or Nighthawk AX12

Overall, the Netgear AX12 is a much better purchase than the AX8 because it offers higher bandwidth, wider area of coverage and supports a higher number of connected devices.

FAQs

1. Does the Netgear AX12 support beamforming?

Yes. Beamforming is necessary for a high number of connected devices

2. Does the AX8 suffer from overheating?

Yes. Users have said that the unit gets too warm