NETGEAR launches Nighthawk X6S (EX8000) AC3000 Tri-band WiFi Range Extender

Mesh networking is all the rage nowadays. This is a technology where several access points work together to provide enhanced coverage and range. This concept works great, as I learned when testing the wonderful Ubiquiti Networks AmpliFi HD Mesh Wi-Fi System.

Of course, not everyone wants to buy into an entirely new Wi-Fi system. If you are happy with your current router, but you need to extend range and coverage, you can always go with a range extender. These products act as a middleman between your device and router. Today, NETGEAR announces a new such product and it is chock-full of really impressive specifications and features, such as smart roaming. Quite frankly, its technology is superior to many home routers, and it has a price tag to show that.

"Tri-band WiFi enables the Nighthawk X6S to create a FastLane3 dedicated connection to any existing WiFi router or modem router. Unlike single or dual-band WiFi range extenders, this dedicated link is not used for any other purpose and thus maximizes the available internet speeds improving the overall network throughput to WiFi devices that are suffering from a weak connection," says NETGEAR.

The company further says, "A traditional range extender repeats the WiFi signal of your router to other parts of your house, but requires your devices to switch WiFi network names (SSID), one for the router and another for the extender, causing connectivity to suffer. In contrast, the new Nighthawk X6S WiFi Extender supports the same WiFi network name and password as your router, so your devices connect automatically to the strongest signal as you move around your home."

NETGEAR shares the following features of the range extender.

• Extreme AC3000 WiFi speeds: for providing up to 3Gbps (1733+866+400)
• Smart Connect: for intelligently selecting the optimal WiFi band (5GHz or 2.4GHz)for every device
• Multi-User MIMO (MU-MIMO): for simultaneous streaming of data to multiple devices
• Quad-core Processor: for boosting wireless and wired performance for better 4K streaming and lag-free gaming
• Six (6) High-Performance Antennas: for providing optimal performance
• Four (4) Gigabit Ethernet Ports: for connecting wired devices like game consoles, smart TVs, or multimedia streaming set-top boxes to your WiFi network
• ReadySHARE USB Port: for connecting your USB printer to the USB 2.0 port
• WiFi Analytics App for Android devices: for optimizing your network status, signal strength, and channel interference

The NETGEAR Nighthawk X6S (EX8000) AC3000 Tri-band WiFi Range Extender looks very impressive, but its worthiness is a bit limited. Keep in mind, your router could be the bottleneck here, meaning if your router is slower than this range extender, you probably won't see a boost in speed.

With that said, it won't hurt to have a more powerful extender than your router, other than having to shell out $230. After all, there are less expensive offerings on the market -- albeit not with these specs.

The fact that it has four gigabit ethernet ports makes it intriguing, however, as you could place this in a single room and use it to provide Wi-Fi to devices that don't have such a connection, such as a gaming desktop or workstation. A small business, for instance, could benefit from this, as I could see a single room of four computers and a printer hardwired into it for easy management.

If you see a potential usage case with the NETGEAR Nighthawk X6S (EX8000) AC3000 Tri-band WiFi Range Extender, you can buy it immediately from various retailers.