Everything you need to know about NETGEAR Nighthawk X8 [A Review]

The NETGEAR Nighthawk X8 has been identified as the next wave in Wi-Fi and is an exceptional 802.1 1 ac Tri-band quad stream Gigabit router. Let us take a look at its specifications and features that allow you to experience seamless internet connections.

I’ve been looking for the best router that can deliver the fastest possible network in every single corner of my house. Following my quest, I have come across the NETGEAR Nighthawk X8 router which has exceptional network performance on my connected devices. It works by combining the three bands to give me faster internet, both wireless and wired. Having this has made it easier to enjoy seamless downloading and uploading of files, streaming of 4K videos and lag-free online gaming.

NETGEAR Nighthawk X8 Review and Breakdown

NETGEAR AC5300 Nighthawk X8 Tri-Band WiFi Router (R8500-100NAS) (Discontinued)

• 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...

Check Price

The NETGEAR Nighthawk X8 is a smart tri-band Wi-Fi router. It has throughput speed of up to 5.3 Gbps. It has been optimized with quad stream performance and MU-MIMO technology that allows it to deliver more Wi-Fi to your connected devices. It has four external antennas and four internal antennas which are combined to amplify and maximize the Wi-Fi range in your household. Also, it has six Gigabit Ethernet ports that allows for faster transfer of files.

It is featured with Dynamic QoS which prioritizes bandwidth based on applications in use and the connected device. It has a Smart connect feature which intelligently selects the fast Wi-Fi band for each of your devices. It has a 1.4 GHz dual core processor that has been designed to give you faster connection. Aside from that, it setup process is easy because it uses the Nighthawk app which helps you manage your home network.

What we liked;

• It delivers a very fast and reliable Wi-Fi connection
• It has a great number of Ethernet ports which allows you to connect multiple devices
• It has a smart connect feature for the GHz bands

What we didn’t like;

• It is a very large router

View Price on Amazon

NETGEAR Nighthawk X8 Specifications

NETGEAR Nighthawk X8 Features

Speed and performance

The NETGEAR Nighthawk X8 is a tri-band router with a total bandwidth of up to 5,300 Mbps. It can support 2.4 GHz frequency and two 5 GHz frequency which simultaneously work together to allow for faster data transfers, seamless streaming and lag-free online gaming. It has been optimized with the Multiple user- Multiple Input Multiple Output (MU-MIMO) and beamforming technology which directly connection to your devices. Here, each connected device would have its own link to the router that eventually results in a more stable and reliable connection.

When you connect many devices to your NETGEAR Nighthawk X8 router at the same time, you can use the Advanced QoS to prioritize the applications and devices that would need a higher bandwidth so that they can operate smoothly. It uses Smart Connect to assign every device that is connected the fastest Wi-Fi band. It balances the load in such a way that both 5 GHz bands are used.

Through the antenna technology, there is consistent improvement in the Wi-Fi section and then afterwards it gives back a stronger connection.

Design and Structure

The NETGEAR Nighthawk X8 router is one of the largest routers with its size dimensions measuring 316 mm x 264 x 61mm and this means that it would take up a lot of space. It is rectangular in shape with a matte black color which has a wavy grille pattern and a blue highlight on top. The blue highlight is used to determine the connection status of the antennae on the router. The external antennae of the NETGEAR Nighthawk X8 router are not detachable and cannot be replaced upon damage.

The NETGEAR Nighthawk X6 has been designed with 7 Gigabit Ethernet ports , that is 6x 1 Gigabit LAN ports and 1x Gigabit which is for the WAN port, that are used to give you a fast and reliable network connection when you establish an Ethernet connection to your devices such as the Television, game console or your computers. It also has two USB ports, one is a USB 3.0 and the other a USB 2.0, which allow you to plug in storage devices.

On the front of the router, there are buttons that you would use to turn the router on/off and the Wi-Fi. There is also another that would set the WPS feature so that you devices can quickly connect to the internet.

Security and Network Control

The NETGEAR Nighthawk X8 router has been equipped with the ReadyCLOUD software which gives you a chance to create your personal cloud storage service. The NETGEAR Nighthawk X8 has been optimized with the Genie software which automatically sets up and configures your router once you have plugged it into the power supply.

The default IP address for the NETGEAR Nighthawk X8 is 192.168.1.1, the username that has been set for it is admin and the password is written as ‘password’. The genie readily identifies this for you and immediately configures your router which makes it easier to set up the router. However, you can change the SSID and log in information depending on your preference.

Another important feature is the ability to tether the NETGEAR Nighthawk X8 to the Nighthawk app on your Android or IOS mobile device. Through the Nighthawk app, you can monitor, repair or control your network. The parental control feature allows you to

You can access tether your router to the Nighthawk app as a web app on your computer and as app on your Android or IOS mobile device.The parental control feature allows you to secure your children’s internet access by blocking malicious content and restricting the devices access to your network. At the same time you are able to monitor your connection log and create a separate guest network for your friends and visitors in case they come over to your house.It also has the Double firewall protection (SPI and NAT), Denial-of-service (DoS) attack prevention security features

Range and Capacity

The NETGEAR Nighthawk X8 router has been designed to cover a range of up to 2,500 square feet and it has the ability to expand your connection log up to 50 devices large. It’s MU-MIMO and beamforming technology is what enables it to hold such a large number of clients simultaneously as it maintains their speed bandwidth.

Aside from that, the NETGEAR Nighthawk X8 router has a strong and efficient 1.4 GHz dual core central processing unit that is fitted with 512 MB RAM and 128 MB flash memory which stores the NETEGAR operating system and also allows you to expand your home network.

Who is it best suited for?

The NETGEAR Nighthawk X8 is suitable for areas that have multiple connected devices to the router. It has a capacity of up to 50 devices which would work significantly well in large offices or large homes with many people. Its range coverage area also allows you to use it in this kind of environment.

Are there any alternatives to the NETGEAR Nighthawk X8?

Yes. The alternatives to the NETGEAR Nighthawk X8 router are the ASUS ROG GT AC5300, the Linksys EA9500 and the TP-Link Archer C5400X.

Features of alternative routers

Verdict: Should you get the NETGEAR X8?

Yes, you should. The NETGEAR X8 router is suitable for areas with heavy traffic and would deliver exceptional Wi-Fi speeds and would guarantee a stable internet connection as either a router or an access point.

FAQs

Can I set up the NETGEAR Nighthawk X8 router to function as an access point when I have connected it to a hard wired network switch?

Yes, you can. The NETGEAR Nighthawk X8 router works as both a router and an access point. It has been optimized with a built-in configuration that allows you to use it as an access point.

How many Wi-Fi devices can my NETGEAR Nighthawk X8 router handle at the same time?

The NETGEAR Nighthawk X8 router allows you to have a connection of up to 30 devices at the same time on each channel. However, the performance on each band depends on which high/low bandwidth activities the client is doing.