Netgear Nighthawk AX4 router announced – The first dual-band 4-stream Wi-Fi 6 router – RAX40

I am quite excited about the prospect of Wi-Fi 6 and all the routers that will support it this year. Similar to 5G, the benefits of it will take a while, you need compatible hardware for the client and router, but over the next year or so, Wi-Fi should improve considerably.

Today Netgear are announcing a family of Wi-Fi 6 routers, including an Intel-based dual-band 4-stream Wi-Fi 6 router: The Netgear Nighthawk AX4.

As more PCs and devices with Wi-Fi 6 capabilities come to market, routers like the Nighthawk AX4 will enable improved user experiences for everything from video streaming and video conferencing to gaming and more. Immediate benefits of Wi-Fi 6 include:

• Up to 75 percent reduction in latency
• Up to 3X faster than baseline 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) 2×2 solutions
• Up to 256 devices can connect to an Intel-based Wi-Fi 6 router and share bandwidth simultaneously for a consistent signal
• Improved security, including simplified passwords and improved protection against wireless hacking

PCs with Intel Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+) will become available starting in Q2 2019 and the new Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200 has just launched. The AX200 card offers speeds of up to 2,402 Mbps in the 5 GHz network using two antennas for 2 × 2 MIMO and 160Mhz.

Currently, the only consumer device to supprt Wi-Fi 6 is the Samsung Galaxy S10.

My embargoed pres information is incredibly thin on details, but I will update this post when I have more information.

This will sit below the Nighthawk Tri-band AX12 providing a more affordable Wi-Fi 6 solution to consumers

The Nighthawk AX4 is Gig+ capable and makes it possible for you to start experiencing the benefits of Wi-Fi 6 in an affordable way, offering a performance and coverage boost compared with legacy Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) routers.

It is powered using the Intel Home Wi-Fi Chipset WAV600 Series, and this is likely to be the WAV614 which is capable of 802.11ax 2.4 GHz 4×4 up to 1.14 Gbps PHY rate.

Through 1024-QAM and 160 MHz channels, 1200 Mbit/s per channel is achieved at 5 GHz. At 2.4 GHz, another 574 Mbit/s is achieved via dual channels. In total, the theoretical bandwidth is 2976 Mbit/s.

The routers has four-gigabit ethernet ports and a single wan port, as well as a USB 3.0 type-a connector.

A more detailed specification came from an Amazon listing that has now been taken down:

At the time of writing the product page is not live but I assume it will be when this is posted – The NETGEAR Nighthawk AX4 will be available from NETGEAR-approved retailers starting April 2019. For more information about the router, visit the NETGEAR product page.

Full details of the launch have been announced which includes some other routers and the Nighthawk AX12 we have already posted about:

To make the most of the higher speeds and greater bandwidth for the broad range of household network needs, NETGEAR has released a new family of routers featuring the industry’s latest Wi-Fi 6 standard with four times increased data capacity to handle today and tomorrow’s growing home network.

Today, NETGEAR is announcing the latest model, Nighthawk® AX4 4-Stream AX3000 (RAX40) providing all the benefits of Wi-Fi 6 at a budget-friendly price point. With the new Nighthawk AX4 Wi-Fi 6 router, you’ll be prepared for this major technology shift to faster connectivity and greater capacity to handle the numerous devices now connected in the home.

Nighthawk® AX4 4-Stream AX3000 Wi-Fi 6 Router  (RAX40) – £179.99 – Availability: April 2019 – features combined Wi-Fi speeds up to 3Gbps and an AX optimised dual-core processor powers smart home automation, ultra-smooth 4K UHD streaming, online gaming, and more.

• 4-stream Wi-Fi with up to 600 + 2400Mbps for ultra-fast wireless speeds.
• Powerful Processor—Dual-core processor ensures smooth 4K UHD streaming & gaming.
• Powerful amplifiers for network coverage throughout medium size homes

Nighthawk® AX8 8-Stream AX6000 Wi-Fi 6 Router (RAX80) – £299.99 – Availability: Now – The Nighthawk® AX8 8-Stream AX6000 Wi-Fi Router features blazing-fast combined Wi-Fi speeds up to 6Gbps with an award-winning design recognized by both Red Dot and iF Design awards. Eight Wi-Fi spatial streams – four in the 2.4GHz band, and four in the 5GHz band – offer four times the device capacity as compared to typical 2×2 AC Wi-Fi. Multi-Gig Internet enables customers to get more than one Gbps of Internet through aggregation.

Nighthawk® AX12 12-stream AX6000 Wi-Fi 6 Router (RAX120)  – £359.99 – Availability: April 2019 – This 12-stream router offers combined Wi-Fi speeds up to 6Gbps and AX optimised 64bit 2.2GHz Quad-core processor an award-winning design recognized by both Red Dot and iF Design awards. Have more fun with the uninterrupted 4K/8K Ultra HD streaming, gaming, and the smart home experience. As the only router with 8 streams on 5GHz, you will get better range and reliability with all devices. Built-in 5Gbps Multi-Gig Ethernet provides powerful connectivity options.

Nighthawk® Tri-band AX12 12-stream Wi-Fi 6 Router (RAX200) –Availability: May 2019 – The Nighthawk® Tri-Band AX12 Wi-Fi 6 Router offers the fastest Wi-Fi speeds with a combined speed of up to 10.8Gbps designed to specifically address the smart homes of today and into tomorrow, which are crowded with an ever-growing number of connected of devices. This tri-band Wi-Fi 6 router ensures that there is an abundance of bandwidth available to distribute to all the connected devices on the network delivering the best performance without congestion or drop outs. While streaming 4K/8k Ultra HD video and playing online games simultaneously on the same network, you’ll now be able to enjoy the experience without lag or interruptions.  This router also supplies a 2.5Gbps Multi-Gig Ethernet that can be used for LAN or internet connectivity.

These new routers feature the Nighthawk award-winning design with the speed, power, and ease-of-use consumers have come to expect from NETGEAR products.

[content-egg module=Amazon template=list]

James Smythe( Editor-in-chief )

I am James, a UK-based tech enthusiast and the Editor and Owner of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Passionate about all things technology, my expertise spans from computers and networking to mobile, wearables, and smart home devices.

As a fitness fanatic who loves running and cycling, I also have a keen interest in fitness-related technology, and I take every opportunity to cover this niche on my blog. My diverse interests allow me to bring a unique perspective to tech blogging, merging lifestyle, fitness, and the latest tech trends.

In my academic pursuits, I earned a BSc in Information Systems Design from UCLAN, before advancing my learning with a Master’s Degree in Computing. This advanced study also included Cisco CCNA accreditation, further demonstrating my commitment to understanding and staying ahead of the technology curve.

I’m proud to share that Vuelio has consistently ranked Mighty Gadget as one of the top technology blogs in the UK. With my dedication to technology and drive to share my insights, I aim to continue providing my readers with engaging and informative content.