Netgear Orbi vs Nighthawk X6S- Going for the best Wi-Fi router to suit your needs
For pros and amateurs alike, choosing the right Wi-Fi router can be quite the task because of all the good products in the market. This article has narrowed down to Netgear Orbi vs. Nighthawk X6S as some of the top contenders for the best router.
To buy the best router that will meet your expectations, there are a number of factors that one ought to consider. For instance, the hardware and technology used in designing each router ultimately determines the type of connection you get on your devices. Some of these elements are rather technical but can be easily understood by reading the information that comes with each device. For Netgear Orbi and Nighthawk X6s, they both stand out because of certain unique features like their speeds and range capabilities.
For more on these routers, here is an analysis on all the subtle differences between the two to find out which is the best choice for your specific requirements.
Table of Contents
What are the differences between Netgear Orbi and Nighthawk X6s?
Product |
Netgear Orbi (Winner) |
Nighthawk X6s |
Specs |
MU-MIMO, Beamforming+, 1 Ethernet port, tri-band technology |
MU-MIMO, Beamforming+, 4 Ethernet ports, tri-band technology |
Coverage |
5,000 square feet with the option of extending coverage with 2,500 |
3,500 square feet |
Speed (Long range) |
Up to 3Gbps |
750+1625+1625Mbps |
Netgear Orbi vs Nighthawk X6s– How do they compare?
Speeds
Nighthawk X6s is able to support data transfer speeds of up to 4000mbps. This is enough for streaming high definition movies as well as multiplayer online gaming. Statistically, X6s can deliver speeds of 750+1625+1625Mbps. This is because it is designed with tri band technology to enhance efficiency and total speeds.
For Netgear Orbi on the other hand, it delivers good speeds especially when paired with an ISP plan of up to 500Mbps. With this, you can enjoy seamless roaming. It also gives high performance for online gaming and watching HD movies even on multiple devices.
Coverage
Many people often resort to Wi-Fi mesh systems because some routers simply do not cover the whole home or office area. For Netgear Orbi, it covers up to 5,000 square feet with the option of additional satellites and router boosters to extend it with 2,500 square feet. You can therefore experience strong signals throughout the space with the option of router extenders as well for wider coverage.
Nighthawk X6s on the other hand, covers a greater area of 3,500 square feet. With the option of router boosters/extenders, this coverage can also be enhanced.
Pointer: Coverage ultimately depends on your home/office structure, number of floors as well as the thickness of walls and doors.
Capacity
Even without additional satellites, Netgear Orbi can handle multiple devices on its system. Whether you are streaming high definition movies or online gaming, you will get to experience minimal lag because of its high performance features. For router extenders, Netgear Orbi comes with the smart connect option such that you can use one network name and password for all the connections in your designated areas.
Nighthawk X6s, on the flipside can seamlessly handle up to 55 devices connected on its system. This capacity is for streaming, surfing the web, playing online games as well as connecting smart devices. Multiple players can do online gaming with minimal interruptions. To add, it has 2 USB ports for various uses like sharing a storage drive with another connected device. In this sense, the X6s wins out by offering more capacity.
Safety
In this modern tech age, one needs proper protection from cyber threats that can be quite disastrous. Netgear Orbi has gone ahead to develop their products with the Netgear Armor which is powered by Bitdefender from protection against threats such as fraud and phishing. It also has anti malware properties. This software comes at the price tag of $69.99 a year and a 30 day free trial at the beginning.
Nighthawk X6s is also designed to be secure and sage. For example, it has a double firewall protection system. It also supports wireless security protocols like WPA2. You can also use the Nighthawk app for troubleshooting to pinpoint any issues that might arise.
Parental Control Features
With Netgear Orbi, if you want to set online time limits for your children or other users, you need to pay $4.99 for it.
Nighthawk X6s is also equipped with smart parental controls that come in handy for those with children. For instance, you can check on the history usage and filter out websites you do not want. You can also easily have the internet connection paused through the app. To set online limits like in Netgear Orbi, it is free for the first month then a monthly fee of $4.99.
Technology
Beyond the comparisons above, Netgear Orbi and Nighthawk X6s are different regarding the technology they are designed with. For Netgear Orbi, it is a modern Wi-Fi mesh system that entails using more than one node for wider coverage. These multiple networks work under one umbrella with a single SSID drive. Nighthawk on the other hand is a rather traditional Wi-Fi system that entails having one Wi-Fi router that works as the sole connector. For both one can use router extenders/boosters if need be.
Performance in speed tests
When tested using Ixia’s Chariot software, Orbi routers can deliver up to 552.1Mbps when within close proximity. For X6s on the flipside, it is quite fast and can do up to 661.5Mbps when 50 feet away from the router. Within 5 feet and 15 feet, the speeds are 571.2Mbps and 628.7Mbps respectively.
Netgear Orbi and Nighthawk X6s- A comparison overview
Netgear Orbi
- Ultra-performance Mesh WiFi network blankets every inch of your home in super fast and seamless WiFi...
- Eliminates WiFi dead zones and buffering - 5,000 square feet of consistent coverage - with speeds up to...
Netgear Orbi is a highly reputable tech product. It has many features that stand out. For instance, it comes powered with the Netgear Armor which is supported by Bitdefender. This offers you advanced protection against phishing, malware and other cyber threats. This anti-virus software is free for the first month and after you will be required to pay a $69.99 per year free. Considering the level of protection you get for your connectivity system, this is a pro feature.
Secondly, it is easy to install whether you are a pro or amateur. Netgear Orbi has its own Orbi app that guides you through the installation process. Also, if you ever want to tweak or customize your settings, you can easily do it with the app to manage your preferences. The Orbi app can also run speed tests in case of any lags.
Another pro feature of this device is its speed and tech specifications. For example, if your Internet Service Provider plan can maintain speeds of up to 500mbps, you can experience seamless roaming in your home and office. Netgear Orbi is designed to keep up with high performance tasks like streaming HD movies and playing online games on multiple devices. One reason why this is made possible is its advanced networking features. This entails a backhaul channel that is dedicated to handle traffic between the router and satellite.
Like all other products, Netgear Orbi has its fair share of imperfections. One, it can run into a few connection issues but these can be easily worked out by doing factory resets. Secondly, one needs to keep in mind that if the router fails after 90 days (return period) you have to pay for premium support. This can be a deal breaker for some. Another imperfection is that the unit is rather large and can easily slip off.
Pros
- Comes equipped with advanced protection against cyber threats such as phishing and malware
- Easy to setup and manage using the Orbi app
- No cloud management is required with it
- High performance on multiple devices
Cons
- Does not have an interface to see details of router, satellite connection
- Rather large and easy to slide off your grip
- One needs to pay for advanced support
Nighthawk X6s
- Maximum Range : 3500 Sq Ft
- Fast Wi-Fi performance: Get up to 3500 square feet wireless coverage with AC4000 speed (Tri-band up to...
Nighthawk X6s is a highly reputable Wi-Fi mesh system that comes jammed with many noteworthy features. It is also rather high end compared to other products by the same manufacturer.
First, it has an easy setup system using the Nighthawk App that you can also use to manage and tweak all your settings. You can also troubleshoot through the app in case of any trouble. Within minutes, you can have your devices connected to your specific settings.
Secondly, it is designed with tri-band technology such that it is able to keep up with resource intensive tasks and devices. Compared with dual-band routers, Nighthawk X6s is able to keep up with activities such as online gaming and ultra HD streaming. Simply put, this additional dedicate band is able to pick up where there is traffic for maximum speed. Theoretically, it can deliver a combined speed of up to 4000Mbps (750+1625+1625) on each band. This works for up to 55 connected devices without any signal degradation. For smart devices ranging from TVs to PlayStations, X6s vouches for streamlined connection even with all connected at once.
Thirdly, X6s is highly compatible with internet providers like fiber, cable, DSL and satellite. This means that you can easily replace your router and any extenders with X6s. Other additional accessories include 2 USB ports and a smart parental control system. For the USB ports, you can use them to share storage devices between connected devices. The parental control features, on the other hand, come in handy to pause internet usage and filter websites that your child can access. You can also view all sites history to further monitor your child. To set time limits internet usage, it is free for the first month and $4.99 per month thereafter.
A few drawbacks include the customer support and its recent updates. One needs to keep in mind that if your product fails you after 90 days, you will need to pay for troubleshooting. This can be a deal breaker for some. To add, recent minor modifications have still not cleared with the starting up issues that some units have.
Pros
- Offers smart parental control features and security protocols
- Easy installation using the Nighthawk app
- Fast data transfer speeds with up to 55 devices connected (4000Mbps)
- One can create a guest network
Cons
- Rather pricey
- Need to pay for customer care support if product breaks down after 90 days
Conclusion
To choose between all the available Wi-Fi systems in the market, there a few factors to consider. For both Netgear Orbi and Nighthawk X6s, they have all the quality features like cyber threat protection and other advanced networking features. They also have the option of additional satellites in case you want to widen the coverage offered by both (5,000 for Netgear and 3,500 for Nighthawk).
However, one of the most important things to keep in mind is that these two products run on different technologies. Netgear Orbi is a mesh system which simply means multiple Wi-Fi connection devices while Nighthawk takes the more traditional route of one Wi-Fi device.
Verdict: So,between Netgear Orbi and Nighthawk X6s, which one is better?
Netgear Orbi and Nighthawk X6s are two quality products. They both offer wide coverage, stable connection, fast data transfer speeds and safety features. Nighthawk X6s for instance has some noteworthy features like its app, 3,500 square feet coverage and smart parental control. Another advantage X6s has is its capacity to handle up to 50 devices on its system with proper sharing of bandwidth.
Nonetheless, Netgear Orbi wins out simply because of its advanced network settings. It entails a mesh system for better coverage and it is also designed for high performance in gaming and 4K streaming.
Frequently asked questions
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What is the advantage of using the mesh system in Orbicompared to the traditional option of one Wi-Fi device as in X6S?
To get rid of dead-zones, and ‘blind-spots’, mesh systems were developed to offer better coverage. Compared to single routers like Nighthawk, Orbi is able to provide signal coverage over your whole house because of the multiple Wi-Fi devices connected to one system.
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What is the set-up process for both Orbi and X6s?
Both Netgear Orbi and Nighthawk X6s come with apps that make the installation process easy and quick within minutes.
