Share Paul's profile
 
Facebook Twitter
 
 
Paul
 
 
 
Paul's stats
 
  • Review count
    73
  • Helpfulness votes
    29
  • First review
    April 23, 2020
  • Last review
    April 9, 2026
  • Featured reviews
    0
  • Average rating
    4.2
 
  • Review comment count
    5
  • Helpfulness votes
    3
  • First review comment
    July 30, 2020
  • Last review comment
    March 25, 2023
  • Featured review comments
    0
 
  • Question count
    1
  • Helpfulness votes
    0
  • First question
    September 18, 2020
  • Last question
    September 18, 2020
  • Featured questions
    0
 
  • Answer count
    19
  • Helpfulness votes
    1
  • First answer
    April 23, 2020
  • Last answer
    July 16, 2023
  • Featured answers
    0
  • Best answers
    1
 
 
Paul's Reviews
<< 1 ... 4 5 6 7 8
 
The NETGEAR Nighthawk AX6000 12-Stream WiFi Router is powered by the industry~s latest 802.11ax WiFi standard with 4 times increased data capacity to handle today and tomorrow~s growing home network. Blazing-fast combined WiFi speeds up to 6Gbps and AX optimized 64bit 2.2GHz Quad-core processor powers smart home applications, ultra-smooth 4K UHD streaming, online gaming, and more. Keep your family safe from cyber threats with NETGEAR Armor anti-virus and data theft protection for your home and all of your smartphones and computers. Free trial included.
 
  • Verified Purchaser
  • My Best Buy® Member
  • Tech Insider Network
Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Stellar, but pricey
on June 30, 2020
Posted by: Paul
Verified Purchase:Yes
I think this RAX120 is a better deal than the RAX200 right now. The RAX120 has a 5gbps ethernet port instead of 2.5, and a faster CPU. The RAX200 is tri-band instead of dual-band, and if configured correctly can offer higher speeds to WiFi 6 client devices. All in all, I'd say the RAX120 is worth saving $100.
It's definitely faster (for WiFi 6 devices) and produces a noticeably stronger signal than the RAX80.
The one downside is that as with the RAX80, you may have to toggle QoS off and on or on and then off to get the WiFi connection speeds up to where they should be, and you may have to do this again after firmware updates. Consider yourself warned.
If you have another router set up in AP mode (what I'm doing with my old RAX80) with this as the main, the hand-off between the two routers is not exactly seamless (sometimes you'll have to wait a few seconds for your device to connect to the other router), but these routers aren't really designed to function as mech routers, so that is to be expected.
Other than that, stability and speed have been stellar.
Length of ownership: 5
Mobile Submission: false
I would recommend this to a friend!
Ease of Use
3 out of 5
3
Quality
5 out of 5
5
Value
2 out of 5
2
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
 
See and hear in perfect detail with the Arlo Q HD security camera. Experience a new sense of security with 1080p HD video, night vision, and 2-way audio. Arlo Q alerts you whenever motion or sound is detected and notifies you with instant alerts so you never miss an important moment again.
 
  • My Best Buy® Member
  • Tech Insider Network
Customer Rating
2 out of 5
2
Great when they work, which is most of the time.
on May 1, 2020
Posted by: Paul
The night mode works great, the image quality is great. The two-way audio is too quiet for some to hear.
But my main beef is connectivity.
I have two Arlo Q cameras, and the smart home stuff get their own separate router at my house. The two Arlo cameras are the only high-bandwidth devices on that router. The WiFi signal is reasonably strong where the cameras are at (I measured).
Despite this, I occasionally have connectivity issues, and it takes many tries to actually get those cameras back on the WiFi network. Most recently, I was forced to give up trying to connect these cameras to the network. They are now decorative paperweights.
Mobile Submission: false
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Quality
1 out of 5
1
Value
1 out of 5
1
Ease of Use
1 out of 5
1
+1point
1of 1voted this as helpful.
 
The NETGEAR Nighthawk AX8 8-Stream AX6000 Wi-Fi 6 Router offers improved network capacity for more Wi-Fi devices in your home and 2Gbps wired connectivity support for an incredibly faster Internet experience. It has a 64-bit 1.8GHz quad-core processor designed to transfer multi gigabits of data with almost zero CPU load. 160MHz channel support doubles the speeds as offered by 80MHz channels to provide gigabit speeds to compatible devices.
 
  • My Best Buy® Member
  • Tech Insider Network
Customer Rating
4 out of 5
4
Good, but with some frustrations
on April 23, 2020
Posted by: Paul
I bought this to replace an old R7000. The R7000 is now acting as an access point in another part of the house, and it still needs fairly frequent reboots even though it now carries a much lighter load than before.
The RAX80 has been rock solid compared to the old R7000. No reboots. It's been very reliable with a good, strong signal.
The downside is that every so often, the throughput speeds will go down by around 20%, even over ethernet. Usually, this happens if the ISP increases my bandwidth, or occasionally after a firmware update. If this happens to you, the fix is to enable QoS, apply, then disable QoS and apply. Some people say rebooting the router works, although I haven't had to try that yet as enabling and disabling QoS usually does the trick for me.
Also, this router has yet to receive a firmware update to make WPA3 available. It seems that very few Netgear routers have that as yet.
The Android app is OK, but limited. If you want to do anything tricky, you may need to fire up a web browser on a desktop or laptop.
Caveat: I do not have any WiFi-6 devices, so I have not been able to test the WiFi-6 performance.
Mobile Submission: false
I would recommend this to a friend!
Ease of Use
5 out of 5
5
Quality
4 out of 5
4
Value
2 out of 5
2
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
 
<< 1 ... 4 5 6 7 8
 
Paul's Review Comments
 
The NETGEAR Nighthawk AX6000 12-Stream WiFi Router is powered by the industry~s latest 802.11ax WiFi standard with 4 times increased data capacity to handle today and tomorrow~s growing home network. Blazing-fast combined WiFi speeds up to 6Gbps and AX optimized 64bit 2.2GHz Quad-core processor powers smart home applications, ultra-smooth 4K UHD streaming, online gaming, and more. Keep your family safe from cyber threats with NETGEAR Armor anti-virus and data theft protection for your home and all of your smartphones and computers. Free trial included.
 
Overall5 out of 55 out of 5
Stellar, but pricey
By Paul
I think this RAX120 is a better deal than the RAX200 right now. The RAX120 has a 5gbps ethernet port instead of 2.5, and a faster CPU. The RAX200 is tri-band instead of dual-band, and if configured correctly can offer higher speeds to WiFi 6 client devices. All in all, I'd say the RAX120 is worth saving $100.
It's definitely faster (for WiFi 6 devices) and produces a noticeably stronger signal than the RAX80.
The one downside is that as with the RAX80, you may have to toggle QoS off and on or on and then off to get the WiFi connection speeds up to where they should be, and you may have to do this again after firmware updates. Consider yourself warned.
If you have another router set up in AP mode (what I'm doing with my old RAX80) with this as the main, the hand-off between the two routers is not exactly seamless (sometimes you'll have to wait a few seconds for your device to connect to the other router), but these routers aren't really designed to function as mech routers, so that is to be expected.
Other than that, stability and speed have been stellar.
Customer Avatar
Paul
UPDATE
July 30, 2020
This is the original reviewer
So I ran into a nasty issue. Randomly, devices will stop connecting to one or the other bands. Keep getting "invalid password" when I try to connect an affected device to the affected band. Nothing I do changes this. Netgear said they were "looking into it" and would "fix it soon" around 10 months ago. It still has not been fixed. This router is great when it works, but a device this expensive should not have a bug this glaring for this long. I can no longer in good conscience recommend this router to anyway.
0points
0of 0voted this comment as helpful.
 
ZenWiFi Pro AXE1100 Tri-Band WiFi 6E Mesh System (ET12 2PK) is the new paradigm for whole home mesh Wi-Fi, combining performance and beauty in a perfectly balanced package. Working with the ASUS Wi-Fi 6E ecosystem, it takes the productivity and entertainment capabilities of your whole-home network to the next level. Features include whole room coverage up to 6000 sq. ft. and 6+ rooms, dual 2.5G ports, 6GHz Band, AiMesh, with included lifetime internet security.
 
Overall5 out of 55 out of 5
Remarkable Router
By Construction
Bought this mesh system after being extremely unhappy with my Nighthawk AX11000 Tri-Band WiFi 6 Router router. This ASUS router is amazing. Only potential gripe is one router completely covers my whole house easily. I don't even know why they sell this in pairs unless you need to cover 6000sf home. I would have been more than happy with the one unit. Amazing coverage and speeds....one day I might plug in the mesh point.....It is that good. Yes it is expensive and maybe technology has gotten that much better in a few years, but this router is amazing.
Customer Avatar
Paul
The 6 GHz band has short range
August 2, 2022
The higher the frequency, the more signal attenuation you get when it passes through physical objects such as walls. This is why the 2.4 GHz band is available in more parts of your home than the 5 GHz band. If and when you start using that 6 GHz band with client devices,you're probably going to want that second node/access point.
It's best if you connect these two routers via an Ethernet cable, otherwise the Wi-Fi connection between the two units will affect bandwidth over whichever band gets used (and that can change from moment to moment as the two units look for the best band to use for the backhaul, causing performance to change during use).
+1point
1of 1voted this comment as helpful.
 
ZenWiFi Pro AXE1100 Tri-Band WiFi 6E Mesh System (ET12 2PK) is the new paradigm for whole home mesh Wi-Fi, combining performance and beauty in a perfectly balanced package. Working with the ASUS Wi-Fi 6E ecosystem, it takes the productivity and entertainment capabilities of your whole-home network to the next level. Features include whole room coverage up to 6000 sq. ft. and 6+ rooms, dual 2.5G ports, 6GHz Band, AiMesh, with included lifetime internet security.
 
Overall4 out of 54 out of 5
Fast
By Rexx
Very fast. However the 6GHz network serms to drop out frequently. Going to tey a wired backhaul to see if that makes a difference.
Customer Avatar
Paul
Absolutely use a wired backhaul if possible
August 15, 2022
This does not have two 5 GHz bands, so you cannot have a dedicated wireless backhaul. Because of the way AI Mesh works, which of the three bands (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz) gets used as a backhaul will change every so often depending on what's going on. Whichever band gets used as a backhaul will suddenly have the throughput halved. If your connection to the ISP is less than 500 megabits per second, then you might not notice, but it could still make things weird.
The reviews I read strongly recommend using a wired backhaul with the ET12 for this reason. The nice thing is that both units have 2.5 gbps Ethernet WAN and LAN ports. If you have a switch between the two, the switch will need to be 2.5 gbps. If you have 1 gbps from your ISP or faster, having a 2.5 gbps Ethernet connection between these two units will make a difference. (At 1 gbps, in practice you'll get around 800 mbps or so because with 1000 base-T, 1 gbps is a hard maximum.) This is good because a lot of routers these days have a WAN port that is faster than 1 gbps, but only 1 gbps LAN ports. This is one of the few routers you want if you are getting multigig connection from your ISP and have the Ethernet hardware to make use of it.
+1point
1of 1voted this comment as helpful.
 
The NETGEAR 4-stream Wi-Fi 6 mesh extender EAX20 is built for the future of Wi-Fi to create a powerful mesh Wi-Fi network for increased coverage to every corner of your home. Experience the power of the latest-generation Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) for dramatically faster Wi-Fi to your smartphones, tablets, computers and so many more devices. Even more capacity plus backward compatibility with your current- and previous-generation routers and devices (Wi-Fi 5, Wi-Fi 4, and earlier-generation Wi-Fi standards) means that you'll enjoy ultrafast Wi-Fi in the farthest corners of your home today and for all your future tech purchases for years to come.
 
Overall5 out of 55 out of 5
Ad hoc mesh for your existing router
By Paul
I used to use an older Nighthawk router as an access point. This was very clunky, as devices would connect to the first router they could, then hold on for dear life and refuse to connect to the other router as you moved around the house.
With this, the access point acts more like a proper mesh system. As I move around the house, devices connect to either the main router or this device as needed, depending on which has the stronger signal.
Caveat 1: I am using this with a Nighthawk router, so I have no idea how well this plays with other routers from other companies.
Caveat 2: if at all possible, connect this to your existing router using an ethernet cable. As with all range extenders, if you connect to the main router over WiFi, any devices connecting to this will generate twice the traffic (each packet gets broadcast on the network twice to make it to the main router). Depending on what you have going on in your network, this could halve throughput if you don't connect via ethernet. This is true of all range extenders.
I would definitely recommend this if your existing router is a Netgear Nighthawk. I have no idea how good or bad this device is with other routers.
Customer Avatar
Paul
Update: Don't get
August 15, 2022
Sadly, I'm not allowed to edit my original review. I ultimately had to unplug this as it caused connection issues with WiFi devices, even with the wired connection.
0points
0of 0voted this comment as helpful.
 
WD Red Plus NAS internal hard drives are designed with CMR technology for RAID-optimized NAS systems with up to eight bays. Perfect for handling increased workloads associated with small- to medium-sized business environments, including expanded OS compatibility and ZFS.
 
Overall1 out of 51 out of 5
TIGGEDOUT
By Twantabee
Only 2T show up in computer, have not figured out how to get use of other 6T yet. So frustrating for th none computer savvy!
Customer Avatar
Paul
March 25, 2023
Check the documentation for the motherboard of your computer. There might be a BIOS setting, or your computer might just be too old, or your operating system is too old. Google "Windows support for hard disks that are larger than 2 TB" for more details.
+1point
1of 1voted this comment as helpful.
 
Paul's Questions
 
Protect your Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus and Tab S8 Plus against damage with this clear ZeroDamage HD screen protector. The tempered glass guards your screen against cracks and dents, ensuring long-lasting use, while the anti-fingerprint coating prevents smudges without compromising sensitivity. This ZeroDamage HD screen protector retains amazing clarity, enhancing the viewing experience.
 

There was an issue with this same fingerprint reader in phones where a screen protector would allow other people to unlock the device. Does this screen protector produce that same problem?

5 years, 8 months ago
by
Paul
 
Paul's Answers
<< 1 2
 
Experience a new-generation Wi-Fi 6 router with a built-in DOCSIS 3.1 cable modem that delivers blazing-fast multi gigabit Internet. With link aggregation and enhanced capacity to handle more Wi-Fi devices, the Nighthawk multi gigabit speed cable modem router delivers a truly impressive experience. Enjoy an improved Internet experience with a built-in cable modem that supports 1 Gbps+ Internet speed and Next-Gen Wi-Fi 6 technology that is ideal for the speeds you and your family want for lag-free gaming, 4K HD streaming, and Internet browsing coupled with improved indoor and outdoor coverage. Stream, game, and browse even more with 2.5 Gbps Multi-Gig Ethernet ports and 4 Gigabit Ethernet ports for wired connectivity support with endless options for fast Internet.Compatible with XFINITY from Comcast and Cox. Contact your Internet service provider for additional compatibility information.
 

I have a CAX30 which pushes about 250Mbps on a 950 Mbps connection from Comcast. I upgraded to 1.2 gig service but they tell me(Comcast) that the CAX30 won't get there. How much faster would the WIFI signal out be on average with the CAX80?

The speed you get over WiFi depends on a lot of factors: what band you're using, the specific settings in the router, and how much physical material (e.g. walls) are between the router and the client device. Generally, you'll get the fastest speeds when the client device is right next to a router/access point, and speeds go down as you move away from it.

One thing to keep in mind is that these units do not have two 5 GHz bands, which means you do not have a dedicated wireless backhaul. The three bands you get are 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and the new 6 GHz (used only by WiFi 6E devices). Because of the way Asus' AI Mesh works, which band gets used as a backhaul will change from time to time based on conditions. Whichever band is used as a backhaul can have its throughput cut in half.

It is strongly recommended that you use a wired backhaul. Both units have a 2.5 Gbps WAN and a 2.5 Gbps LAN port, which means you can have a wired connection between them that is faster than the standard 1000 base-T. Keep in mind that if there is a switch between these two devices, you'll need to make certain that the switch is 2.5 Gbps. Also, find out if the category of your Ethernet cable can handle 2.5 Gbps.

Lastly, if you have any Ethernet devices, you'll definitely need a 2.5 Gbps Ethernet switch, and makes sure the other Ethernet devices (e.g. desktops, laptops, etc.) have a 2.5 Gbps Ethernet NIC.

Since you have faster than 1 Gbps from your ISP, this is one of the few routers you can use if you want to get the most out of it, particularly over Ethernet. If you get something else, make sure that the router has both in and out (WAN/LAN) ports that can handle faster than 1 Gbps (1000 base-T), and that your other networking hardware is up to snuff.
3 years, 9 months ago
by
Paul
 
Stay in the game with reliable connectivity for fast-paced gaming. Optimize your Internet connection by stabilizing ping and reducing lag spikes.
 

IS THIS COMPATIABLE WITH XFINITY MODEM

This is a router, not a modem. It will work with your existing ISP, but if your modem also includes a WiFi router, I would suggest turning the WiFi off on your modem and using this, or otherwise make sure this is using a different SSID than the WiFi router in your modem. Alternately, you can use the WiFi router in your modem for all your smarthome devices, and put all the other devices on this router. That way, the bad security of your smarthome devices will be less of a threat to your laptops, smartphones, etc.
3 years, 10 months ago
by
Paul
 
Stay in the game with reliable connectivity for fast-paced gaming. Optimize your Internet connection by stabilizing ping and reducing lag spikes.
 

Is it compatible with cox Wi-Fi?

This is a router, not a modem. It will work with your existing ISP, but if your modem also includes a WiFi router, I would suggest turning the WiFi off on your modem and using this, or otherwise make sure this is using a different SSID than the WiFi router in your modem. Alternately, you can use the WiFi router in your modem for all your smarthome devices, and put all the other devices on this router. That way, the bad security of your smarthome devices will be less of a threat to your laptops, smartphones, etc.
3 years, 10 months ago
by
Paul
 
Geek Squad Certified Refurbished products are thoroughly, painstakingly and lovingly tested, so you can be sure that your device will work right, right away. Learn more about Geek Squad Certified Refurbished products.Upgrade your computer's performance with this Samsung EVO Plus NVMe M.2 SSD. The 1TB capacity accommodates plenty of files and videos, while read speeds of up to 3500MB/sec. make data transfer easy. This Samsung EVO Plus NVMe M.2 SSD features sequential write speeds of up to 3300MB/sec. for quick file storage.
 

Can I use this in my own PC that uses windows?

If your motherboard supports it, yes. Check the specs of your motherboard.
3 years, 11 months ago
by
Paul
 
Geek Squad Certified Refurbished products are thoroughly, painstakingly and lovingly tested, so you can be sure that your device will work right, right away. Learn more about Geek Squad Certified Refurbished products.Upgrade your computer's performance with this Samsung EVO Plus NVMe M.2 SSD. The 1TB capacity accommodates plenty of files and videos, while read speeds of up to 3500MB/sec. make data transfer easy. This Samsung EVO Plus NVMe M.2 SSD features sequential write speeds of up to 3300MB/sec. for quick file storage.
 

Just wondering if I can use this for my PS5

You can google "PS5 m.d compatibility list" and find the official Sony page showing what to look for in a drive. This is Gen 3x4, while Sony recommends Gen 4x4. Also, Sony recommends 5,500 MB/s while this is rated at 3,500 MB/s.

I don't know the details of M.2/NVMe implementation in the PS5, so there's a chance that the slot is backwards compatible with Gen 3x4, but why risk it?
3 years, 11 months ago
by
Paul
 
With BPM Connect, taking your blood pressure at home has never been so convenient. The device provides medically accurate blood pressure and heart rate measurements with immediate color-coded feedback on the device. BPM Connect synchronizes seamlessly via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to the free Health Mate app, where you can see all your data history and share it with your doctor.
 

Hello, I can't figure out how to setup a second user. Can someone provide some steps? Also, seems that it always measures my BP high, does it need some sort of calibration? Thanks!

You add extra users in the smartphone app, but telling it to switch to a different user is obnoxious because the device itself has only one button.

Make sure the device is on your arm such that it is level with your heart when you take three measurement. Use the setting that takes an average of 3 measurements ("BPx3" on the device).
5 years, 2 months ago
by
Paul
 
The NETGEAR Nighthawk AX8 8-Stream AX6000 Wi-Fi 6 Router offers improved network capacity for more Wi-Fi devices in your home and 2Gbps wired connectivity support for an incredibly faster Internet experience. It has a 64-bit 1.8GHz quad-core processor designed to transfer multi gigabits of data with almost zero CPU load. 160MHz channel support doubles the speeds as offered by 80MHz channels to provide gigabit speeds to compatible devices.
 

Can I connect a NAS and a network printer to the USB ports?

If you have a NAS device, you're probably better off connecting it to the router via ethernet.

If you have a USB external drive, you can connect it to this router and use it as a makeshift NAS, although the performance and features will not be as good as a dedicated NAS enclosure.

And yes, you can connect a printer to the USB port and use the router as a sort of print server. If your printer has an ethernet port, that might be a better way to attach it to the router.
6 years, 1 month ago
by
Paul
 
The NETGEAR Nighthawk AX8 8-Stream AX6000 Wi-Fi 6 Router offers improved network capacity for more Wi-Fi devices in your home and 2Gbps wired connectivity support for an incredibly faster Internet experience. It has a 64-bit 1.8GHz quad-core processor designed to transfer multi gigabits of data with almost zero CPU load. 160MHz channel support doubles the speeds as offered by 80MHz channels to provide gigabit speeds to compatible devices.
 

Is this model mesh compatible?

I currently have this router and an old R7000 router using the same SSID and the same password. The result is something that works kind of sort of like a mesh network, although the pass-off between routers can be less than graceful. When I reconfigured the R7000 as an access point in support of the RAX80, it offered various options to make this kind of thing easier.

The R7000 offered "router mode," "AP mode," "Bridge mode," and "repeating mode."

AP mode connects to the other router via ethernet and offers WiFi connections to other devices.

Bridge mode is the opposite: it connects to the other router via WiFi, then offers an ethernet connection to devices.

Repeating mode uses WiFi at both ends, so it probably doubles the traffic on your WiFi network (this is how many mesh devices work, although some WiFi 6 mesh devices can use a dedicated "backhaul" to connect to each other.

I hope that helps.
6 years, 1 month ago
by
Paul
 
The NETGEAR Nighthawk AX8 8-Stream AX6000 Wi-Fi 6 Router offers improved network capacity for more Wi-Fi devices in your home and 2Gbps wired connectivity support for an incredibly faster Internet experience. It has a 64-bit 1.8GHz quad-core processor designed to transfer multi gigabits of data with almost zero CPU load. 160MHz channel support doubles the speeds as offered by 80MHz channels to provide gigabit speeds to compatible devices.
 

can i control my home devices through this router . like i can disconnect my kids devices, parent control device time limit . game website block temporary and how i can do it. if i buy this router

Yes. If you use a web browser on a desktop or laptop, click on "Attached Devices" in the left column, then at the top of the right side, click on "Access Control."

If you use the Android app (called "Nighthawk"), you can tap "Device Manager," then tap on the specific device, then use the switch to enable or disable access to the network.
6 years, 1 month ago
by
Paul