Netgear nighthawk x6 vs. x8- You smart devices deserve a great performing router
When you have a lot of devices that need internet in your home, you need to invest in a reliable router that will not let you down. This comparison guide between Netgear Nighthawk x6 and x8 can help you find an ideal one.
When my girlfriend moved into my house, she came with a router that she had been using. At first, I liked the idea of having wifi in my home, but it did not take me long to realize that it was poor at supporting most of our smart devices. Therefore, I suggested we get a better router as a couple now that we had more smart devices in our house. We both compared different models such as Netgear Nighthawk x6 vs. x8 and found out the following.
Table of Contents
What are the differences between Netgear nighthawk x6 and x8?
Name |
Netgear Nighthawk x6 (Winner) |
Netgear Nighthawk x8 |
Antennas |
6 |
4 |
Speed |
Download speed-150 Mbps
Upload speed-50 Mbps
|
Download speed-134 Mbps
Upload speed-39 Mbps |
LAN ports |
4 |
6 |
Call to action |
Netgear nighthawk x6 vs. x8- How do they compare?
Design
Netgear tries to use different designs when making its routers to make each model look different. Though both Netgear Nighthawk x6 and x8 have some similar features, they don’t look alike. Netgear Nighthawk x6 comes with at least six antennas that boost the wifi signal and extend the range while Netgear Nighthawk x8 has four internal antennas and four active antennas.
Nighthawk x8 is, therefore, better at extending the wifi coverage since it has more antennas.
Connection
You will also notice a difference in the number of LAN ports included in these routers. While Netgear Nighthawk x6 comes with at least 4 LAN ports, Netgear Nighthawk x8 adds an extra two LAN ports.
The inclusion of more LAN ports in Nighthawk x8 makes it offer more connection options.
Performance
According to the manufacturer, Netgear Nighthawk x8 can deliver maximum speeds of up to 5300 Mbps. Netgear Nighthawk x6, on the other hand, can deliver up to 3200 Mbps. We tested both routers to see how good they perform. From our tests, Netgear Nighthawk x6 recorded a total throughput of about 700 Mbps at a distance of 5 feet. Netgear Nighthawk x8, on the other hand, recorded 650 Mbps from the same range.
Nighthawk x6 is, therefore, a better performing router since it delivers greater speeds.
Netgear nighthawk x6 vs. x8- A comparison overview
Netgear nighthawk x6
- 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...
Tri-band routers are known to offer better performance than dual-band routers. This specific model is a tri-band router that delivers a speed of up to 3.2 Gbps. One of the reasons why this router is quite powerful is because it uses a 1GHz dual-core processor.
Since this router makes use of beamforming technology, it can cover strong connections for every mobile device around your home. You will also like the inclusion of a 3.0 USB port in this router, which delivers fast storage access. The router also includes one 2.0 USB port. Its design also affects its flexibility and scalability. You can set up the router either horizontally or mount it on a wall.
The router also comes with 13 LEDs that show you which ports and bands are active. If you feel that the lights are too much, you can switch them off using the switch at the back of the router. Netgear Nighthawk x6 can also handle at least three lanes of data traffic. It comes with one 2.4 GHz channel and two 5 GHz channels. Instead of using stubby cylindrical antennas, the manufacturer adds 6 antennas that can fold out. You can even adjust them to different angles to boost the signal. Though the antennas are quite flexible, they are not replaceable.
If you have some experience with setting up routers, you may take less than 5 minutes to configure this router. You can connect different devices to this router, including tablets, phones, desktops, internet radio, and printers. It is, therefore, a great router for both homes and small offices. Since this router has advanced security features, it can protect your network. The router features security protocols, including WPA2 encryption. NAT firewalls and even supports VPN. Since this router also features the guest network feature, it allows you to invite your visitors to your home network from time to time.
Pros
- It does not overheat
- Your purchase comes with a one year warranty
- Delivers fast speeds
Cons
- The antennas are not replaceable.
Netgear nighthawk x8
- Get fastest speeds available up to 5.3Gbps. Up to 1,000 Mbps @ 2.4GHz 1024 QAM. Up to 2,166 Mbps @ 5 GHz...
- Tri-band WiFi/Quad Stream/MU-MIMO delivers more WiFi to your devices. Smart Connect intelligently selects...
If you are a savvy user looking to upgrade your home network, you will appreciate the router’s advanced capabilities. Netgear Nighthawk x8 has incredible signal stability and delivers fast speeds. The problem with this router is that it costs so much more than what other models do. It can, however, deliver speeds of up to 2166 Mbps on the 5 GHz band and 1000 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band. The router allows you to share data without experiencing speed issues.
This is also a tri-band router that supports MU-MIMO technology. It, therefore, allows you to stream data from different devices at the same time. If you have a lot of concurrent active clients, you need to choose this router instead of one that uses dual bands. When it comes to the design, this router has a squarish shape. It contains at least 6 Gigabit LAN ports and 2 USB ports, including the 3. 0 and 2.0. Having more LAN ports means that it can accommodate more wired clients. The USB ports let you connect a printer or external storage device to the router.
It is a big and bulky router that needs a lot of space. You can let it sit on a flat surface or mount in on a wall. Its wavy texture makes it look unique. Since it comes in black, it can easily blend in with your home décor. You should also expect to see features such as dynamic DNS, guest networking, and port forwarding in this model.
Pros
- The router comes with 6 LAN ports
- Offers a stable signal
- Delivers fast speeds
Cons
- The cost is outrageous.
Conclusion
You should set a budget when you need to invest in a router. You should know the most important factors to pay attention to so that you can get value for your cash. Both Netgear Nighthawk x6 and x8 are great looking routers that deliver a great performance. Despite this, they have some differences.
Verdict: So, which is better? Netgear nighthawk x6 vs. x8
We took our time to compare Netgear Nighthawk x6 against x8 and discovered some interesting facts about them. Though both are tri-band routers that can deliver fast speeds, Netgear Nighthawk x6 can give you great service at a lower price compared to Netgear Nighthawk x8. We liked the use of advanced technology in Netgear Nighthawk x6 and its ability to support numerous devices. It also comes with six antennas, offers parental controls, and can support Alexa. It has not only helped us save some cash but also gives us a reliable network connection. We, therefore, concluded that Netgear Nighthawk x6 is better than Netgear Nighthawk x8.
FAQs
What is the circle app included in Netgear Nighthawk x6?
The app allows you to manage your device screen time and internet content access.
Can I set up Netgear Nighthawk x8 without help?
It depends on your experience with routers. The manufacturer, however, tries to simplify the installation by including a guide.
