Netgear Nighthawk RAX120 (AX6000) Review

The Netgear Nighthawk AX12 (Ax6000) is a popular 4×4 fast Wi-Fi router. The wireless performance of this Wi-Fi router is way better than the previous models in the Ax series. The real game-changer is its multi-Gigabit Ethernet port.

Not only it has a stylish design but it is also the best when it comes to connectivity, speed, and range coverage. The only downside is the price but if you are looking to buy a high-end Wi-Fi router, this is the most ideal choice.

In today’s review article, we are going to share our experience with the Netgear AX12 RAX120 (Ax6000) Wi-Fi router. We will talk about networking, design, hardware, and installation. The information presented in this article is based on research and our personal experience/testing of the router. Read on!

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Specifications

Size: 12.2 x 7.48 x 1.77 inches

Antennas: 8 (collapsible)

Wi-Fi Spec: 5 GHz 802.11ax dual-band

Ports: 2 x 3.0 USB ports

Peak Performance: 1.2Gbps

Range: 3500 sqft.

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Unbox Video

Unboxing Netgear Nighthawk AX12 Router with Premier Membership Beta

Networking

The Netgear AX12 RAX120 is an Ax6000 Wi-Fi router with dual-band technology. It supports 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 technology. Our multiple tests have confirmed that the at 2.4 GHz radio frequency band, the RAX120 achieves a speed of 1,200 Mbps. At 5 GHz radio frequency band, the router achieves a maximum speed of 4,800 Mbps.

At 5 feet, we measured the speed of 1,264 Mbps on the 5 GHz frequency band. At 30 feet, the speed reaches 1021 Mbps and at 75 feet, the speed went down to 818 Mbps. We are satisfied with these results.

Compared to a Wi-Fi router, the speeds measured are quite impressive. We performed another test in the 12,000 sqft house where we have a 3000 Mbps fiber optic internet connection. On the 5 GHz band, the average speed of the RAX120 was 250 Mbps. However, in the back bathroom, the speed went down to 100 Mbps. This was the farthest room.

Also, we performed multiple tests on the 2.4 GHz band. At 5 feet, the average speed we measured was 958 Mbps. However, the speed went down slightly at 15 feet, which was 754 Mbps.

We further increased the distance and this time, we measured an average speed of 542 Mbps at 30 feet. At 75 feet, the speed went down to 431 Mbps. This is a good result. The Netgear AX12 RAX120 performs well on both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz radio frequency bands.

Design

The Netgear AX12 RAX120 is a large-size router but it looks incredibly attractive. The design of this router is inspired by a space ship with a nice aerodynamic body and 2 delta wings. The antennas of the router are located inside the wings. These are collapsible antennas, which allows the router to be less bulky and take less space.

The AX12 RAX120 router will work fine and won’t affect the speed even if you fold the antennas. The whole package looks like a race car from the futuristic world. On the backside of the router, there are 4 Gigabit LAN ports and 1 Gigabit WAN port.

The best feature of the Netgear RAX120 Wi-Fi router is the Multi-Gig LAN port. These ports can connect at up to 5 Gbps. However, the Multi-Gig port also works in the 1 Gbps and 2.5 Gbps modes. The Multi-Gig port eases wireless operations for the Wi-Fi 6 clients.

Besides, there are 2 USB 3.0 ports (5 Gbps) to host storage devices. The Netgear RAX120 can deliver ultra-fast network storage performance on a storage device – thanks to the Multi-Gig port.

Moreover, under the top cover, the Netgear RAX120 has an internal fan, which is associated with the noise, and the maintenance is usually not easy. Although the device is not noisy we still hear it from a couple of feet away in a quiet room.

You can’t mount this router on the wall. There are 4 rubber feet on its underside, which allows you to put it on a surface. The dimensions are 12.2 x 7.48 x 1.77 inches and the total weight of the device is 3 pounds.

Hardware

The Netgear RAX120 is powered by a 64-bit quad-core processor with a clock speed of 2.2 GHz. It has 512 MB of DDR3 RAM and 1 GB of flash memory (internal). When it comes to the Wi-Fi, the Netgear RAX120 has the 4 x 4 setup on the 2.4 GHz band.

The top speed at this band is 1.2 Gbps. However, on the 2.4 GHz band, you may not get a much faster rate compared to other high-end Wi-Fi 5 router. For many years, the 2.4 GHz band is used to make the router compatible with legacy clients.

Things get complicated on the 5 GHz band. The Netgear RAX120 has an 8 x 8 Wi-Fi 6 setup. Those who use 80 MHz channel width can get 600 Mbps. Talking about the hardware, the Netgear RAX120 is a dual-band Wi-Fi 6 router with 802.11ax standard. Its backward compatibility is 802.11a/b/g/n/ac powered by the AX optimized quad-core CPU.

Installation

The Netgear AX12 RAX120 has a completely new look. However, it follows the same installation and setup procedure as other routers of the same brand. It has a conventional approach toward setup and management. The Netgear AX12 RAX120 has the same installation steps.

Using the web browser, the first step is to connect the WAN port of the router to the internet source – i.e. the modem. Next, you need to turn “ON” the router. Connect a PC to the router either using the Ethernet cable or through the Wi-Fi.

Next, you need to open the browser such as Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome and type 192.168.1.1. If this does not work, you can simply browse routerlogin.net. You must follow the setup wizard and create a password. You can change the settings and further configure the router from the user-friendly interface.

What We Liked

• Easy to install
• Fast throughput
• Excellent Wi-Fi performance.
• 5GbE port

What We didn’t Like

• High Price
• No malware protection.

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