NETGEAR 4-Stream WiFi 6 Router (R6700AX) – Router Only, AX1800 Wireless Speed (Up to 1.8 Gbps), Covers up to 1,500 sq. ft., 20 Devices – Free Expert Help

Simple setup with Netgear app/Strong coverage
Bought this NETGEAR Nighthawk to avoid paying Spectrum for a router. If you’re a Spectrum customer, this router works with the Spectrum modem. It arrived this morning and after 20 minutes it’s up and running. We live in a one floor, 1500 square foot condo. Coverage is excellent throughout on 10 devices. The router is also small and fits nicely on our bedroom dresser.What I’m most impressed with is the setup and NETGEAR app. Download the NETGEAR app to your phone using a QR code provided on the instruction sheet. After establishing a NETGEAR account follow the prompts. This initial setup tutorial is fairly boiler plate, what sets this app apart is how it responds to issues. For example, if your router fails to connect on the first attempt, as mine did, it tells you precisely which settings to change on your phone to correct the issue. And these settings changes solved the problem in all three cases that occurred during my set up. I’ve never experienced this level of intuitive app support. I won’t pretend to offer any review of the technical capabilities of the router, definitely outside my bandwidth, but if you’re like me, comfortable with using technology, but needing guidance to navigate setups, this is a great product. The phone app is also easy to navigate and relatively self explanatory. To demonstrate, I ran a speed test from the phone app. It’s way easier than using the settings function on your device. Download speed is 113.72 Mbps, Upload is 12.07 Mbps and Ping is 15.0 Ms. Do I fully understand what these mean, no, but with a small amount of research I could if issues arise.Bottom line, I’m so happy this product was easy to setup and am very pleased with the value. For a few months rental cost on my Spectrum Router, I avoid paying a lifetime monthly fee. I will leave it to others to debate the merits of the technical functions of this router. There is no debate in my opinion on the simplicity of setup and functionality.

A good, very basic router
I ordered this router to replace the Spectrum router I was paying $5 a month for, now having gone to $7 a month. It’s the router that looks like a charred meatloaf, standing on its’ head. It’s nothing special, so finding a substitute was like hurdling a very low bar.This R6700AX is an exact clone of the NETGEAR RAX10. The specs are identical, but not the price. Why, I don’t know. Of note is that this router omits the “NIGHTHAWK” designation, which, aside from generally lower speeds and area coverage, also lacks a USB port and an on/off switch on the back. These are not deal breakers though. My networking demands are quite modest, so I didn’t need a gaming level router. One Dell workstation, two tablets, and a 2000 square foot house, where all the activity is confined to a single quadrant.After reading the user manual, downloaded from the NETGEAR website (146 pages, does not cover NIGHTHAWK app), I opted to do a website interface, desktop installation, rather than using the highly touted NIGHTHAWK app. Though the NIGHTHAWK app has a lot of appeal for its’ simplicity and features, I wanted more in-depth control of the routers options than the app provided. For example, by electing to choose the “Smart Connect” feature, the router automatically chooses which band, the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz, that gives the best performance for each particular device that’s connected. You can still choose to configure each band separately by assigning a different network name (SSID) to each band (and that configuration is generated, by default, in your setup procedure). But with only two devices connected at a time, the “Smart Connect” option did not offer any benefit to me. I actually went several steps further and disabled the 2.4 GHz band and both Guest Network bands leaving only the 5 GHz band active for my two tablets. A word of caution for either of these connection preferences. Unlike some other NETGEAR routers, neither option will disable the WPS feature. That’s a potential security threat lurking under the radar.The installation process was simple and straight forward. Just sit back and answer the questions, click next, page by page, and you’re done. I chose the automatic set up option, the Setup Wizard, with the ability to go back through and tune the features important to me. This is done using the routers web interface, for which you must sign back into with your newly created password. There are a couple of You Tube videos, search: TONOR NETGEAR R6700AX SETUP, and search: BROK3N1MAGE NETGEAR NIGHTHAWK, that can give you a visual “heads up” as to how the router interface is laid out beforehand. I found them helpful.And the results were, well, underwhelming. LAN speeds to my workstation were almost identical to the Spectrum router at 366 Mbps download and 12 Mbps upload, with an assigned 300 Mbps service from Spectrum. Wi Fi speeds for the tablets were about 10% faster with the R6700AX, but if not for doing a speed test, I would not have detected any difference.Overall, I am satisfied with this router. Price, features, speed and coverage are all adequate for my minimalist inclinations. I also opted for the 4-year Asurion protection coverage. If the thing blows up before its’ time, it’s replaced. If I get past 11 months, it will pay for itself in monthly rental fees.

Replaced our 15 year old router. Works well.