Skip to main content

Netgear’s new Nighthawk X10 router is crazy fast thanks to Wireless AD tech

Netgear is claiming the “world’s fastest” title with the introduction of its new router, the Nighthawk X10. That is because it is based on Wireless AD technology, which is seemingly only supported by a handful of devices at this time. Heck, we are still getting caught up with Wireless AC connectivity, so do not expect a truckload of devices supporting the Wireless AD aspect of this router anytime soon. Still, it is worth a look for current devices and setting up the home or office for the next generation of wireless connectivity.

The Nighthawk X10 is an AD7200 class router, meaning its combined speeds total up to 7,200 megabits per second (Mbps). To break that down, it supports speeds up to 4,600Mbps on the new 60GHz band, up to 1,733Mbps on the 5GHz band, and up to 800Mbps on the 2.4GHz band. These latter two numbers are made possible because the router broadcasts four streams each.

Recommended Videos

As an example, the 5GHz band is broken down into four streams zipping along at 433Mbps each. The 2.4GHz band consists of four streams at 200Mbps each while the 60GHz band appears to provide one large stream at 4,600Mbps. That said, the whole combined maximum speed advertised by any router, such as the 7.2Gbps with this model, is somewhat misleading given that you will never have a device using all of those connections at once.

On a more technical level, the router is powered by a quad-core processor clocked at 1.7GHz that can support more than 20 simultaneous devices. The router adds a 160MHz channel to the 20MHz and 40MHz lineup for a larger transmission pipeline. In other words, the higher the number, the more data the router can cram in its connection to a device. Right now there is no indication that Netgear has simply crammed together two 80MHz channels.

The router also includes a 10-gigabit port that supports a fiber connection and two USB 3.0 ports for adding external-storage devices or a network-capable printer. There are also six-gigabit Ethernet ports as well, two of which support line aggregation mode that essentially combine to make one super-fast 2Gbps wired connection. The transmissions are delivered through four patent-pending external active antennas that amplify the Wi-Fi signal.

With all the technical stuff aside, the new Nighthawk X10 includes a built-in Plex Media Server. If you are not familiar with this, it is a popular solution for serving up stored media to the free Plex apps found on the gaming consoles, smartphones, tablets, Apple TV, and so on. The server portion scans for local media, throws it all in a library, and then provides access to the content through the Plex app from anywhere. These libraries can be shared with friends who also use the Plex app.

With that in mind, users could essentially store all the media they want to view wherever they go on a dedicated external storage device connected directly to the router. That way, there is no dependent PC or network-attached storage device involved. The drawback to using Plex is that customers will need to pay a subscription for premium features like Plex DVR, offline viewing, parental controls, and more. The router comes with a free three-month Plex Pass to check out the full service.

The Nighthawk X10 is not the only Wireless AD router in town. Customers can also purchase the TP-LINK Talon AD7200 ($350) and the Acelink BR-6774AD (price unknown). The market is not exactly crowded right now, but get ready for more Wireless AD units throughout 2017. Netgear’s Wireless AD solution is available for a meaty price of $500 at local retail and online shops nationwide.

Kevin Parrish
Kevin started taking PCs apart in the 90s when Quake was on the way and his PC lacked the required components. Since then…
The robot takeover comes another step closer — at Amazon
An Amazon robot working inside one of the company's warehouses.

Amazon is close to having more robots operating inside its warehouses than humans after the e-commerce giant announced this week that it now has more than a million robots working at its facilities around the world.

Over the years, Amazon has spent billions of dollars on the development and deployment of warehouse-based robots, which handle an array of tasks once performed by human workers.

Read more
This Lenovo ThinkPad laptop is over $1,400 off — hurry while stocks last!
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 5 Intel laptop on a white background.

Now's an excellent time to take advantage of laptop deals from Lenovo, which has slashed the prices of a wide range of devices for its Black Friday in July sale. Lenovo's ThinkPad laptops are up to 45% off, and here's one of the most interesting offers available with such a discount — the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 5 at $1,440 off its estimated value of $3,199, so you'll only have to pay $1,759. That's an excellent price for this fantastic productivity tool, but you're going to have to push forward with your purchase as soon as possible because stocks may run out at any moment.

BUY NOW

Read more
Early Prime Day deal: Samsung’s 27-inch Odyssey G3 at its annual low price
Samsung Odyssey G3 gaming monitor on desk with keyboard and headset.

If you're ready to upgrade your monitor, this Samsung deal over at Amazon just might be your best bet. The 27-inch version of Samsung's Odyssey G3 is $130 right now, a full $100 off its regular $230 price and its lowest price of the year. It's a part of early Prime Day deals and a good sampling of what we can expect for the shopping holiday, which officially lands on July 8th. Tap the button below to see it for yourself or keep reading to see why we like this deal and why this should be your next monitor.

Buy Now

Read more