Netgear Nighthawk X6 Wi-Fi Extender Review
9/10 (Expert Score)
- EXTENDED WIRELESS COVERAGE: Adds WiFi range coverage up to 2300 square feet, and connects up to 45 devices such as laptops, smartphones, speakers, IP cameras, tablets, IoT devices, and more..Connectivity protocol:Wi-Fi,Ethernet
$152.69
Description
Design
The design of the Netgear Nighthawk X6 fits its name. The angular lines bring the recently retired F-117A Nighthawk Stealth fighter jet to mind. This is in direct contrast to other WiFi extenders which seem to be lumps of molded plastic in comparison. Another departure from a typical extenders design is the fact that you don’t plug it directly into a wall socket. It has a cord and the plug only takes up one socket. Place it on a table and it can actually add to any decor with its sleek, futuristic design.
In the WiFi world placement can be everything. The fact that you aren’t limited to 18 inches off the floor and can place the X6 in a higher position such as on top of a bookshelf can do wonders for any coverage issues you may be having.
Netgear Nighthawk X6 Performance and Features
The Netgear X6 is a Tri-Band WiFi extender. That means in addition to the usual 2.4GHz and 5GHz band you get a third 866Mbps band. The third band is reserved for Netgear Fastlane3 feature. Fastlane3 creates a direct link with the WiFi router and frees up the other two bands for device communication. This places the X6s performance head and shoulders above other extenders that have at least one band doing “double duty” sharing a connection with the router and devices. In addition to the extra bandwidth, the X6 boasts a quad-core processor to handle all the traffic pushed through it. To put things into perspective most primary WiFi routers don’t even have quad cores.
MU-MIMO is another feature not found in many WiFi extenders. MU-MIMO allows sending simultaneous signals out to multiple devices and makes each device behave as if it has its own dedicated signal. Not all devices support MU-MIMO but the ones that do will take the load off the ones that don’t so it’s a very useful feature to have. Some may question if the Netgear Nighthawk X6 is a tri-band router that can deliver Wi-Fi speeds of up to 3200 Mbps. is just another extender or an actual mesh device. The fact that you can combine multiple EX7700x into one mesh network further blurs the line between it and an actual mesh device. Netgear claims one Netgear X6 can provide WiFi coverage up to 2300 square feet. The caveat, of course, your Netgear extender will only mesh with other Netgear extenders. 
Installation – Simplicity Simplified
If you’ve been around WiFi extenders for a while you’ve probably noticed they’re all extremely easy to set up. The Netgear Nighthawk X6 actually simplifies things with it’s “cloning” feature. Simply set it near your WiFi router and plug it in. Hit the WPS button on your router and then on the X6 and you’re connected in seconds. When the “Router Link” LED turns white your main WiFi router settings have been cloned to the X6. That means it’s now using the same SSID and password as your router and no further configuration is necessary. When placing the extender the “Router Link” LED alternates between white and amber. White means “good” and amber means “weak.” Finding that sweet spot with the X6 is not as straightforward as with other extenders but you’ll quickly get the hang of it. Further configuration is possible with the web interface but the X6 seems designed to isolate the user from any “scary” web interfaces. 
Netgear Nighthawk X6 – Video
Youtube
Conclusion
Cool design and a top-notch networking appliance that allows seamless roaming with your current WiFi router. The Netgear Nighthawk X6 is a tri-band router that can deliver Wi-Fi speeds of up to 3200 Mbps. and delivers excellent performance and functionality at a price. Unfortunately, at that price, you’re almost buying a new Mesh system. It may be worth it for those already in love with the Netgear ecosystem of WiFi products but a less expensive extender may do the job just as well.
Netgear Nighthawk X6 Alternatives
Netgear Nighthawk X6 Wi-Fi Extender Review Prices
Price History
| Price history for NETGEAR WiFi Mesh Range Extender EX7700 - Coverage up to 2300 sq.ft. and 45 Devices with AC2200 Tri-Band Wireless Signal Booster & Repeater (up to 2200Mbps Speed), Plus Mesh Smart Roaming | |
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Additional information
Specification: Netgear Nighthawk X6 Wi-Fi Extender Review
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Netgear Nighthawk X6 Wi-Fi Extender Review Videos
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