NETGEAR Nighthawk AC2600 Smart WiFi Router (R7450)

Just installed this router tonight to replace another Netgear (AC1200) that we've had for over 2 years. The AC1200 was fine, but didn't push the signal quite as far as we needed into back bedrooms. After installing this, even the 5GHz was reaching the master bdrm., and as they say, "Happy wife happy life". The speeds of this router wirelessly were 138Mbps down and 25Mbps up (on the 5GHz channel). On the 2.4GHz I hit 57Mbps down and about 7Mbps up, still acceptable for surfing the web on phones and tablets.

I have not seen any hiccups with the router tonight after installing it and logging 3 phones, two tablets, two laptops, 2 Echo Dots, 2 Google Dots (?), one ROKU, one security camera, and one printer. Still have another camera, another tablet, two more ROKU's, and daughters laptop to connect tomorrow. But I think overall this is going to do great.

I may (or may not) hook an external hard drive up to it as a shared network drive for the house. It has a 3.0 USB port for it. Also have a few wired connections to it (Xbox One S, and a gaming tower). Too much, LOL.

Setup is pretty easy, just set it up, plug it into your modem, power it up, and then using the app on your smartphone rename your SSID (Network name) and change the password (if you want). If you have any connection issues, try unplugging your modem after you get everything hooked up. Wait 31 seconds then plug it back in. Sometimes you have to do that to get your modem to recognize the new router.

Okay, hope this helps. It's a good router, with good range and speed. Pick one up if you're having coverage issues or if your current router is more than 5 years old (time to replace). Happy trails...

- Steve

Had it up and running for a little over a month now. I haven't had to restart it or anything and it has been working reliably. I'm happy with the purchase. We have around a dozen devices connected to it and it seems to handle them well. One nice thing is that in the app for the router you can assign the devices names so you can keep track of what is actually connected verse just seeing a big list of MAC addresses.

A few things I didn't like include:
1) It advertises a large range. I didn't really find this to be true. The range was hardly any larger than the 2 antenna 6 yr old router it replaced. It covers my 1200 sq ft ranch home, but the signal strength tapers off near the exterior walls.
2) Rather than just having you connect via Ethernet cable and visit the router website to configure it, the instructions have you install an app and take some steps to get your phone and the router talking over wireless for configuration. I found this a bit unreliable and it took multiple tries. It would have taken me significantly less time just to connect an Ethernet cable and set it up in the usual way. After configuring using the app I had to do this anyway as the app doesn't expose all the options.

Easy to set up. Powerful. I get WiFi in my yard and through walls now.

Bought this to replace my old Netgear router from about ten years ago. What an improvement (!). Dramatic speed increase right off the bat. Easy setup, great range...what more could you ask for? Those three little external antennas apparently work like a charm. NICE.

I liked this router but it kept dropping my cameras offline and became intermittent after a few weeks. I had to return it. When it worked, it was very fast and I loved it, till it started malfunctioning.

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Feature Product

• AC2600 WiFi-Up to 2.6Gbps (800Mbps 2.4GHz + 1733Mbps 5GHz)
• MU-MIMO for simultaneous streaming of data to multiple devices
• Advanced QoS for lag-free gaming and smoother streaming
• Dual-core processor boosts wireless, wired & WAN-to-LAN performanc
• Better range with three amplifiers & external antennas

Description

The Nighthawk AC2600 Smart WiFi Router supports MU-MIMO for simultaneous streaming and delivers extreme speed so you enjoy less lag and less buffering. Get larger WiFi coverage while reducing dead spots with Beamforming+, built-in high powered amplifiers and external antennas. Easily setup your home WiFi and access and control your router from anywhere using the Nighthawk App.

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Very easy to install with the nighthawk app. Works great. Getting 5x download speeds.

I love this router. It's so easy and works great! Set it up with s downloadable app from cell phone (it's free). Got a T/P link range extender, and it's the real deal!

First Netgear product for me. Certainly not my last. I am impressed

Works well.

This Netgear Nighthawk AC2600 router just flat does the job! I am utilizing both the 2.4 and 5.8 GHz networks and my throughput is fine on both.