Netgear Nighthawk X6 VS X6S – which router is better for crowded homes?
Netgear is known for manufacturing some of the best communication electronics like routers in the market. What are the main differences between Netgear nighthawk x6 and x6s? Click on the X6 VS X6S comparison for more.
When your home is a busy place and counts as your business place, a flaky connection can be an absolute nightmare. Choosing a router that prioritizes intelligence, control, high bandwidth and capacity plus other essential features is important. Both Netgear nighthawk x6s and x6 promise all these features, but the x6s is a more advanced version of the x6. This Netgear Nighthawk X6 VS X6S comparison will help you find a router for a smoother running home system.
Table of Contents
What are the key differences between Netgear Nighthawk X6 and X6S?
Model |
NETGEAR Nighthawk X6 Smart Wi-Fi Router (R8000) – AC3200 Tri-band |
NETGEAR Nighthawk X6S Wi-Fi Router AC4000 Tri-band (Winner) |
RAM |
256 MB |
512 MB |
Ports |
2USB Ports and 4 LAN Gigabit ports |
2USB Ports and 4 LAN Gigabit ports |
Wi-Fi bands |
Tri-band (2x5Ghz & 1×2.4Ghz) |
Tri-band (2x5Ghz & 1×2.4Ghz) |
Wi-Fi speed |
3.2 Gbps |
4 Gbps |
Availability |
Netgear Nighthawk X6 VS X6S – How do they differ?
Design and features
At first glance, the Netgear nighthawk x6s and x6 look different but both routers are you can set the 11.0 x 9.0 x 2.1-inch router on a shelf or table top. The bottom is also fitted with cut-outs that allow you to wall mount this router. The Netgear Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band Wi-FI Router is much smaller when compared to the Netgear x6s router but is still one of the biggest for its price.
The Netgear nighthawk x6s has a better design than the x6. With its retractable antennas and cut outs, you can mount this router on the wall.
Performance and software
Nighthawk® X6S AC3600 Tri-Band Wi-FI Router is fitted with high power amplifiers that extend your Wi-FI range and coverage. The Netgear nighthawk x6 operates on two frequency bands, 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz just like the Netgear x6s. With both routers, you can say goodbye to network lags, dropouts and connectivity issues. AT 100feet, the Netgear x6s can handle 150mbps on its 2.4gbps and 525mbps on its 5GHZ. At the same distance, the Netgear x6 can sustain a speed of 75mbps on the 2.4gbps and 400mbps on the 5GHZ.
The Netgear X6S is basically an advanced version of the Netgear x6 in terms of software. Netgear nighthawk is fitted with a MU-MiMO, dynamic QoS and a powerful dual core processor that allow the router to prioritize bandwidth to your game.
They also ensure that other devices on the network don’t slow down your connection during gaming. With this router, you can enjoy fast streaming applications like Netflix, YouTube and more. Unlike the x6s, the Netgear x6 does not support the MU-MIMO technology. Instead, it has a different strategy to support all the wireless connections.
Generally, the X6s performs better than the x6 model with testing speeds of up to 525mbps compared to the 400 on the 5GHZ.
Netgear Nighthawk X6 VS X6S – A Comparison Overview
Netgear Nighthawk X6S –Overview
- Recommended for up to 50 devices: Reliably stream videos, play games, surf the internet, and connect...
- Wired Ethernet ports: plug in computers, game consoles, streaming players, and other nearby wired devices...
The Netgear nighthawk X6S is a suitable router for home Wi-FI networks. It is equipped with two 5 GHz Wi-FI bands and a single 2.4 GHz Wi-FI band. Together, they give the x6s the intelligence, flexibility and capacity to assign devices to a band and allow it to work at its best maximum speed. This smart Wi-FI router is built to handle high bandwidth activities and the features keep all your devices connected as high speed.
This device is meant to deliver more than 1 gigabyte of internet speed on your home through the combination of two gigabit Ethernet ports. You can also pair this device with multiple compatible cable modems to support the multi gig internet speeds. The high performance external antennas and beam forming allow you to enhance mobile speeds while connected to the Netgear nighthawk x6s so you can roam freely without facing dropped or slow connections.
The powerful dual core processor, Dynamic QoS and MU-MIMO on the Netgear Nighthawk X6S allows it to prioritize bandwidth to any games connected so the other devices won’t slow down the gaming connection. The multi-user MU-MIMO technology on the Netgear x6s router allows it to stream data on multiple devices simultaneously. MI-MUMO works by delivering faster throughput to all MU-MIMO connected devices. This allows for smoother streaming and faster downloads on the connected devices.
Pros
- Tri band design
- Has great performance at middle distance
- Wired LAN aggregation potential
- Good throughput in testing
Cons
- Middling file-transfer performance
- Parental control needs third party account
- expensive
Netgear x6 Nighthawk AC3200 Tri-Band Overview
- AC4000 WIFI—Up to 750+1625+1625 Mbps wireless speed
- Memory: 128 MB flash and 512 MB RAM
This Netgear Nighthawk X6 Router is built with breakthrough tri-band tech that helps you connect both wireless and wired devices in your home simultaneously and automatically. The 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz bands on this router allow you to connect your devices and operate at its maximum seed while offering you great capacity, intelligence and flexibility for all devices connected.
The 6 external antennas and powerful amplifiers on the Netgear x6 Nighthawk AC3200 Tri-Band keep your devices connected at all times. You can roam freely and enjoy a powerful Wi-FI coverage from any location in your home. You can expect stronger and more reliable connections from the Netgear nighthawk x6. The antennas are designed to deliver beam forming and trainbands Wi-FI that focuses on creating more reliable connections and stronger Wi-FI signals.
The USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports on the Netgear nighthawk x6 allow you to connect any USB storage device of choice and enjoy high speed access through Wi-FI. The readyshare USB is responsible for powerful and convenient features like media streaming and USB storage access.
Readyshare also allows users to view, play and share photos and videos through media players, game consoles and TV. With this router, you get free readyshare vault pc software that allows you to schedule free automatic backups. You can safeguard your files from your pc or other devices to the usb storage connected to the router directly.
Pros
- It is great at optimizing performance of multiple devices on a single network
- Has a simple setup
- Solid throughput and NAS performance
- Genie software makes setup easy
- Tri-band operations and good performance
Cons
- Some connections will time out at 30 feet
- Lacks enhanced QoS feature of previous model
Conclusion: So, Which is better – Netgear Nighthawk X6 or X6S?
From this comparison, NETGEAR nighthawk X6S (ac4000) model is the clear winner. It is a more advanced version of the X6 (ac3200) model which means it can give you a better connection. It is built to handle high bandwidth activities and the features keep all your devices connected as high speed. With the powerful dual core processor, dynamic QoS and MU-MIMO you will be able to prioritize bandwidth distribution to connected devices in your home, therefore working more efficiently.
FAQ
Is the Netgear X6 reliable for direct simultaneous wireless TV, laptop and phone connection?
The connection will depend on the range as well as activities you are trying to do on those devices. This router is designed to support 8 or more devices and gives you option to prioritise the bandwidth used by those devices. This means you can stream download and use the devices at a considerably fast connection.
What are the notable differences between the Netgear nighthawk X6 AND X6S?
Not only do the two routers offer good features and reliability, they come with great support too. The x6s is a new version and has more advancements than the x6. While it still has 6 antennas, it moves from ac3200 to ac4000 which means faster speeds. It also has a better processor and can connect to Amazon Alexa support.
