If you are looking to compare the Netgear AX8 8-Stream AX6000 vs TP-Link Archer AX6000 WiFi 6 routers, then you are in the right place.
The WiFi connectivity was updated to a new standard recently. Commonly referred to as WiFi 6, the new standard is technically known as WiFi 802.11ax. It is set to introduce a considerable improvement in terms of speed and reliability. The new standard has already been launched and made available for the manufacturers to incorporate them into their products. Several routers have already been launched with the WiFi 6 compatibility.
What is the 802.11ax standard?
Well, it is the new standard in the WiFi technology and known in the form of 802.11ax. The new standard has been designed as the successor for the Wireless-AC and Wireless-N standards. It has been designed to provide you access to better speeds and a higher degree of performance.
| WiFi 6 (802.11 ax) | WiFi 5 (802.11 ac) |
| Up-to 11 Gigabits/Seconds | 1.3 Gbit/s – WAVE 1 (After 2013, before 2016)
2.34 Gbit/s – WAVE 2 (After 2016) |
| Frequency – 2.4 GHz & 5 GHz | Frequency – 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz & 7 GHz (1-7 GHz Spectrums)
6 GHz (Unlicensed spectrum) |
| 4x Faster than 802.11 ac | 3-5 times faster than 802.11n |
| 1024-QAM modulation (8 Streams) | Up to 256-QAM (4 Streams) |
| 8-stream Multi-User-Multiple-Input Multiple-Output or MU-MIMO | 4-stream (MU-MIMO) |
It has been designed to provide you up to four times better speeds and performance. Even in crowded scenarios. The new standard is also expected to bring new improvements in terms of capacities and a low latency experience. The reduced power consumption is yet another advantage expected to come along with the new WiFi standard.
Of course, the 802.11ac routers are still ruling the roost. However, it may be a good idea to get a feel of the new standard through the OEM manufacturers coming up with the next generation routers. From that perspective, we will today try to learn a little about the Netgear Nighthawk AX8 AX6000 and TP-Link – Archer AX6000 routers and explore the best features that they have on offer.
Netgear Nighthawk AX8 AX6000
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The router comes with a processor that offers you a 1.8 GHz Quad-core of clock speed for smoother operations. In our perspective, the router provides you access to the best Gigabit speeds out there. The unique winged look is what would make it a great option you can check out. This is what would go with practically any home décor you would love it too.
The router can accommodate more users simultaneously. This can help you get more capacity to your home network. The router is capable of offering up to 8 streams of WiFi channels and provide speeds ranging across 1.2 Gbps+ 4.8 Gbps speeds. The Netgear companion app is quite user-friendly and should assist you in setting it up without any professional assistance.
The router also comes with six Gigabit Ethernet ports for enhanced connectivity. You can have eight simultaneous connections without the need to worry about performance interruptions. The router comes with a spacey design – no, we didn’t mean the design that takes a fair amount of space, but we are stressing the looks of the router which should resemble a spacecraft.
It comes with five Gigabit LAN ports on the rear. There are a WAN port and two USB 3.0 ports. You have access to 512 MB of RAM and 25 MB of storage capacity. The maximum speed that can be achieved through the 2.4 GHz band stays at 1.2 Gbps, and the one through the 5 GHz band would be 4.8 Gbps at peak. Other salient features would include beamforming, MU-MIMO data streaming, and Smart Connect band steering. The router also supports Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.
Full Specifications:
| Description |
NIGHTHAWK AX8 8 STREAM (WiFi 6) ROUTER |
| Product Name | NIGHTHAWK AX8 |
| Network Standard | IEEE 802.11ac – Dual Band
IEEE 802.11n, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11a, IPv4 & IPv6 |
| Data Throughput – Dual-Band | 2.4GHz AX: 4×4 (Tx/Rx) 1024 QAM 40MHz, up to 1.2Gbps
5GHz AX: 4×4 (Tx/Rx) 1024 QAM 160MHz, up to 4.8Gbps |
| CPU & memory | 4 Core CPU @ 1.8 GHz |
| Wireless Frequency | 2.4G Hz, 5 GHz-1, and 5 GHz-2 |
| Security & Encryption Support | Standards-based WiFi Security (802.11i, 128-bit AES encryption with PSK)
Automatic firmware update to the router Guest network access— Isolated & secure VPN Support—Secure access to your home network VPN: IPSec Pass-Through PPTP Pass-Through L2TP Pass-Through PPTP server OpenVPN server PPTP client L2TP client OpenVPN client
|
| WAN Support | Automatic IP, Static IP,
PPPoE (MPPE supported), VPN: PPTP, L2TP |
| Connectivity Ports | 10/100/1000 Mbps Gigabit Ethernet ports
1 WAN & 5 LAN Dual Gigabit Ethernet Port Aggregation Two (2) USB 3.0 ports |
| Misc Features | 802.3ad – Link Aggregation
Beamforming+ DUAL-WAN Support |
| Dimensions & Weight | 12.0 x 7.95 x 6.34 in (Unfolded) &
2.82 lbs |
TP-Link Archer AX6000
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Equipped with the OFDMA and MU-MIMO technology, the router does support four times higher performance improvement in speed over typical 802.11ac routers. The eight high gain antennas will provide you access to even the difficult to reach areas in your home.
The router comes with the BSS color technology to enhance the smoother connectivity without any sort of interference, while the beamforming and Rangeboost techniques will be helpful in stronger network signals that can reach far enough. The router does come with 8 Gigabit Ethernet ports and a WAN port. You also have two USB 3.0 ports, one of which is Type C. It is powered by a powerful 1.8GHz 64-bit quad-core processor and also comes with an 8 GB RAM capability.
The devices connected to your router are protected through TP-Link HomeCare protection. You also have access to the parental controls for an added advantage. The Tether companion app makes it easy and simple enough to configure and set up your router.
Full Specifications:
| Description | Archer AX6000 from TP-Link |
| Product Name | Archer AX6000 |
| Network Standard | IEEE 802.11ac,
IEEE 802.11n, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11a, IPv4 & IPv6 |
| Data Throughput – Dual-Band | 5GHz: 4804Mbps(802.11ax) 2.4GHz: 1148Mbps(802.11ax)** compatible with existing 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi standards |
| CPU & memory | 128 MB Flash Memory
1 GB RAM |
| Wireless Frequency | 2.4G Hz, 5 GHz-1, and 5 GHz-2
8 Antennas |
| Security & Encryption Support | 64-bit WEP,
128-bit WEP, WPA2-PSK, WPA-PSK, WPA-Enterprise, WPA2-Enterprise, WPS support VPN: PPTP, OpenVPN
|
| WAN Support | Automatic IP, Static IP,
PPPoE (MPPE supported), VPN: PPTP, L2TP Dynamic IP/Static IP/PPPoE/ |
| Connectivity Ports | Eight 1G/100M/10M LAN Ports, One 2.5G/2G/1G/100M WAN Port 1 USB-A 3.0 Port + 1 USB-C 3.0 Port |
| Misc Features | 2.4GHz guest network x 1, 5GHz guest network x 1
MU-MIMO Traffic Analyzer Advanced QoS powered by TrendMicro |
| Dimensions & Weight | 10.3×10.3×2.4in & 3.8 lbs |
The Comparison Chart: Nighthawk AX8 8-Stream AX6000 vs TP-Link Archer AX6000
Having gone through the salient features of the two competing WiFi 6 routers from Netgear and TP-Link through the concise reviews above, we thought it would now be appropriate to compare the specifications in a side by side chart. The head on comparison can be helpful enough in arriving and understanding the specific features an functions that matter the most for your expectations.
| Features / Particulars |
Netgear Nighthawk AX8 AX6000
|
TP-Link Archer AX6000
|
| WiFi Platform | WiFi 6
802.11ax |
WiFi 6
802.11ax |
| WiFi Performance | AX6000 WiFi | AX6000 WiFi |
| WiFi Band | 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz simultaneously | 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz |
| Processor | Powerful 64bit 1.8GHz quad-core processor | 1.8GHz quad-core processor |
| Storage | 25 MB | 128 MB |
| RAM | 512 MB | 1 GB |
| Wireless Maximum speed | 6000 Mbps | 6000 Mbps |
| Number of antennas | 5 | 8 |
| Antenna type | External | External |
| Interface | 5 nos 10/100/1000Mbps LAN port
1 No 10/100/1000Mbps WAN port Two (2) USB 3.0 ports |
8 nos 1G/100M/10M LAN Ports,
1 no 2.5G/2G/1G/100M WAN Port 1 no USB-A 3.0 Port and 1 no USB-C 3.0 Port |
| Backward compatibility | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac WiFi | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi |
| WiFi speeds | 2.4 GHz – up to 1.2 Gbps
5 GHz – up to 4.8 Gbps |
2.4 GHz – up to 1.15 Gbps
5 GHz – up to 4.8 Gbps |
| Security features | 802.11i, 128-bit AES encryption with PSK
Automatic firmware update VPN support |
64/128-bit WEP, WPA/WPA2, WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK encryptions |
| Miscellaneous features | 802.3ad – Link Aggregation
Beamforming+ DUAL-WAN Support |
2.4GHz guest network x 1, 5GHz guest network x 1
MU-MIMO Traffic Analyzer Advanced QoS powered by TrendMicro |
The Concluding Thoughts
That was what we have for now for the comparison between the two (AX8 8-Stream AX6000 vs TP-Link Archer AX6000) capable WiFi 6 routers. Of course, there are just a few options currently available for the routers in the WiFi 6 genre, and we would consider them a couple of the best options you can opt for. Both the routers come with almost similar features and compatibility, and we would treat them on equal terms.