Netgear R6400 vs. Archer C9 – the battle between two budget routers

So, you want to buy a router but have no idea where to begin? Perhaps you may have considered the Netgear R6400 or Archer C9 because they are great for budget buys, but you don’t know what to choose.

We understand the struggle of choosing a router when there are so many similar options in the market, and you might just throw your hands and think every one of them is the same – even though the reality is different. However, our experiences with the Netgear R6400 and Archer C9 will reveal that the actual performance differs from the expected outcome.

Before beginning the review, keep in mind that the Netgear R6400 is an AC1750 router, which tells you its theoretical speeds are 1750 Mbps, while the Archer C9 is an AC1900 router (theoretical speed is 1900 Mbps). Both routers support 802.11ac Wi-Fi connection standard, which is the latest standard in the industry and is also the fastest; although their actual performances are likely to differ.

What are some of the differences between the Netgear R6400 and Archer C9?

Netgear R6400 vs. Archer C9 – How they compare

Design

If we could describe the design of the Archer C9, we would say ‘router-y’. Its appearance is standard to what you would assume a router to look like, although the casing is in a white color and its LED indicators shine blue. It comes with three standard antennas at its top, and its rear contains all the expected ports.

Unlike most routers in the market – including the Netgear R6400 – the Archer C9 sits on its rear legs. In order to make it easier to see its indicator lights even from across a room, it tilts upwards at an angle of approximately 75 degrees.

On the other hand, even though the R6400 is not exactly the definition of a Netgear router, ithas a physical design that is more similar to the R7000 router. Its external body has three dipole antennas, all dual band – though it is also important to keep in mind that the antennas will not attach through the RP-SMA antennas as you would notice in Nighthawks. They are also non-upgradeable, as they are affixed permanently to the enclosure.

Software

When looking at the performance of the R6400, the beam forming feature is also present here as with most Netgear routers. The router supports three spatial streams that drive its maximum theoretical throughput of 1300 Mbps on its 5GHz band and 450 Mbps on the 2.4GHz band.

There are some improvements to the Genie software in use here, which you can also use on its close cousin, the Netgear R7000. You can use the software to manage the router remotely or locally through an internet connection, which comes in very handy if you are the de-facto IT support expert. If you want to, you can also implement some parental controls, especially on a device-per-device level, rather than extending them to an entire network.

In contrast to the Netgear R6400 or other Linksys routers, the Archer C9 does not have a special name for the software managing it – but it does not make it less than expected. The simplicity it carries is definitely worth checking out, even though it does not make a scene of this.

Performance

Considering the price point of the Archer C9, you might not think its performance will be that high – in fact, you might assume it is only good for general streaming. With that in mind, our surprise when monitoring its actual performance was quite real.

When checking the performance of the 2.4GHz band, the upload and download speeds were 64.97 Mbps (download), and 96.35 Mbps (upload). Further distance use reduced the speeds significantly, though this affected the upload speed. However, the performance on the 5GHz band was an entire story on its own – the download throughput was 289.97 Mbps, while upload throughput was 483.37 Mbps. Though it dropped as we moved away from it, the drop was not as drastic as with the 2.4GHz band.

There is some encouraging news in the R6400 – the performance we got from the download and upload tests show the average WAN-LAN speeds to be relatively well behaved. They also tend to mirror each other throughout any changes in the throughput results, with an average maximum of 713 Mbps for the downlink speed and 498 Mbps for the uplink speed.

We consider the R6400 as a mid-range 802.11ac router, with a slightly slow read speed of 42 Mbps when reading files and transferring them. Its 5GHz throughput stands at 463 Mbps at 10 feet and 376 Mbps at 25 feet, while the 2.4GHz throughput stands at 294.6 Mbps on average.

Netgear R6400 vs. Archer C9 – A comparison review

Netgear R6400 – Overview

Netgear R6400 AC1750 Smart Wi-Fi Router (R6400-100NAS) Black - New

• input voltage：100 -240V
• Wi-Fi Boost With High Powered Amplifiers

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This is not the fastest router in its class, although this might change if it goes through firmware updates and optimizations. It already comes with a solid set of features, so it is still worth trying – especially if you are on a budget and cannot afford many premium options. There are 3 port compartments here; the Gigabit Ethernet, USB 3.0, and USB 2.0. Because the R6400 shares the same aspects of design as the R7000, the ports are also in the same places. The biggest changes that you can say are advantageous in the R6400 are the external antennas, but there is not much else to say beyond that.

The contrast in performance from the Netgear R6400 makes it surprising, on the other hand, especially when we looked at our expectations. At longer ranges though, the results were much stronger. Its LAN is slightly better than what we see in the Archer C9.

Pros

• The wireless networking performance is solid
• Very easy to install and setup
• Supports Time Machine and OpenVPN

Cons

• Average NAS performance
• Not the fastest Wi-Fi performer we have seen
• Costly

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Archer C9 – Overview

TP-Link AC1900 Smart Wireless Router - Beamforming Dual Band Gigabit WiFi Internet Routers for Home, High Speed, Long Range, Ideal for Gaming (Archer C9)

• 1 of wireless routers for Home which is compatible with all Wi Fi devices, 802.11ac and older
• Gigabit router with 4 gigabit LAN ports, fast Access to Multiple connected wired devices, also ideal as...

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When you initially look at the Archer C9, you might be tempted to dismiss it as a typical run-of-the-mill router, mid-tier in its scope and performance. On first glance, the software seems uncomplicated and unassuming. The advanced settings are also in plenty, which allowed us to get into more nerdy features like QoS and configuration of access ports. While it is not intuitive enough to use on a laptop, it will still offer plenty of advantages when managing the system.

However, an installation of its system will quickly dispel that notion, because it outperforms your expectations in many ways; at least it did that for us. This design choice, though it sounds very innovative, is not that advantageous.

Pros

• The router offers you with the best price-to-speed ratio we have seen in mid-range routers
• Very high speeds and good performance
• The smartphone app and software are very easy to navigate

Cons

• Its standing design is difficult to place because of the size

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Verdict: So which is better? The Archer C9 or the Netgear R6400?

We have a clear winner coming from our review of these two options, even though they may seem similar in performance – and that choice is the Archer C9. Even though it might not seem like much, it performs way beyond our expectations in its speed, performance, and management software, despite all the tests we attempted to throw its way.

FAQs

Why do I need Smart Connect when using my Netgear router?

This is best when you are using different devices at different times. This is because some devices can only use 2.4GHz radio, while others can use both 5GHz and 2.4GHz radio, so it will help them use the bands are used in a more efficient way.

If my Archer C9 is experiencing issues, is it a bad idea to reset it?

No, as the process of restarting does not lead to adverse effects.