Netgear Nighthawk X8 AC5000 WiFi router: Pros and Cons

Netgear Nighthawk X8 AC5000 (R8300) pictures

The specifications below are based on the official data published by the manufacturer, but we also take user reviews into consideration. If you found an error or something lacking in the specifications above for the Netgear Nighthawk X8 AC5000, then don’t hesite and signal the problem to us.

Netgear Nighthawk X8 AC5000 (R8300) specifications

Body

The dimensions and design of a router can impact its cooling capabilities. Routers with larger dimensions may have more space for internal cooling mechanisms, such as larger fans or heat sinks, which can help dissipate heat more effectively. If you purchase a router online or have it shipped, the weight may affect the overall cost. Heavier routers can result in higher shipping charges, especially for international deliveries.

System

The Netgear Nighthawk X8 AC5000 router is equipped with Broadcom BCM4709C0 @ 1.4 GHz processor. The Nighthawk X8 AC5000 has 512 MB of RAM. Some advanced router features and software functionalities require a certain amount of RAM to operate properly. For example, routers with more RAM can support advanced security features, VPN services, or QoS (Quality of Service) prioritization more effectively. The Nighthawk X8 AC5000 has 128 MB of flash memory. A larger flash memory allows for more storage space to accommodate future firmware upgrades.

The process of upgrading the firmware on routers has become relatively simple and user-friendly over the years. The Netgear provides easy-to-use interfaces and instructions to guide users through the firmware upgrade process. The Netgear Nighthawk X8 AC5000 router comes with 12 V / 3 A PSU. This unit is responsible for providing electrical power to the router, and if it becomes faulty, it can be replaced with a new, compatible one.

Network

The Nighthawk X8 AC5000 router offers built-in security features to protect your network and connected devices. The IPv4 is the fourth iteration of the Internet Protocol (IP) and is the most widely used version of IP on the internet today. The latest firmware supports IPv6 protocol that provides an identification and location system for computers on networks and routes traffic across the Internet. The Netgear Nighthawk X8 AC5000 has 6 x 10/100/1000 Mbps LAN and 1 x 10/100/1000 Mbps WAN ports. LAN or Ethernet ports (RJ-45) are used to connect devices to the local area network (LAN).

This router has Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports. If you have a high-speed internet plan that offers speeds of 1 Gbps or higher, gigabit Ethernet ports are essential to fully utilize the available bandwidth. WAN ports often require specific configuration settings based on the type of internet connection provided by your ISP. The Nighthawk X8 AC5000 router supports Gigabit speed on its WAN port, that can support speeds up to 1000 Mbps. This router ensures that you can fully utilize high-speed internet connections provided by your ISP. The Nighthawk X8 AC5000 comes with built-in OpenVPN client. OpenVPN employs a certificate-based authentication system, which enhances security and provides a more robust method of identity verification compared to traditional username/password authentication.

Wireless

This router has 4 x external, 4 x internal antennas. Antennas play a significant role in Wi-Fi performance and coverage. They are essential components of wireless routers that transmit and receive radio signals to establish wireless connections with devices. The Nighthawk X8 AC5000 supports the 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi. It is one of the most common frequency bands used for Wi-Fi networks. The Nighthawk X8 AC5000 supports the 5 GHz band too. The 5 GHz band offers better noise immunity, less interference, and more available channels.

The Nighthawk X8 AC5000 AC Wi-Fi router is backward compatible with older Wi-Fi devices that support 802.11a/b/g/n standards. The AC5000 refers to the maximum combined data transfer rate supported by the router across all Wi-Fi bands. The Nighthawk X8 AC5000 is capable of a maximum throughput speed of 600 + 2167 + 2167 Mbps. The real-world speed of a Nighthawk X8 AC5000 router is typically lower than its theoretical maximum speed.

The TX power (20 dBm) of a router refers to the transmission power or signal strength at which the router broadcasts its Wi-Fi signal. It determines the range and coverage area of the wireless network. The Nighthawk X8 AC5000 router offers several security protocols: WPA, WPA2. The WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access 2) was introduced as an improvement over WEP and provides stronger security. If WPA3 is not available, WPA2-Personal with AES encryption is still considered secure. A guest network on the Nighthawk X8 AC5000 router is a separate network that provides internet access to guests or visitors without giving them access to your main or primary network. It allows you to create a dedicated network segment for guests, keeping their devices isolated from your private network, thereby enhancing security and privacy.

Connectivity

USB ports can offer additional functionality depending on the router's capabilities. The USB 3 ports provide a fast interface for external storage with data transfer rates of up to 4.8 Gbps. You can attach a compatible USB printer to the Netgear Nighthawk X8 AC5000 device. USB print servers allow you to connect a USB printer to your network, making it accessible to multiple devices. This eliminates the need for each device to have a direct USB connection to the printer. It has built-in NAS functionality. You can connect external storage devices such as USB flash drives or USB hard drives to your router. This allows you to share files, documents, photos, and media across devices on your network. It can be convenient for accessing and sharing files without the need for separate file servers or cloud storage.

Administration

The default IP addresses of the Netgear Nighthawk X8 AC5000 device is 192.168.1.1. These address allows you to access the router's console login page. If you are unable to log in to the setup panel of your Netgear router, performing a reset can be a helpful troubleshooting step. It is highly recommended to change the default password of your Nighthawk X8 AC5000 router after the initial setup. If you forget the new password in the future, you may need to perform a factory reset on the router to revert to the default settings.

Netgear Nighthawk X8 AC5000 (R8300) comparisons

According to our statistics, the Netgear Nighthawk X8 AC5000 router was most often compared on our site with the following routers.

Netgear Nighthawk AX1800 WiFi 6 Netgear Nighthawk AXE10000 Tri-Band WiFi 6E Netgear N300 JNR3210 Netgear Nighthawk AX12 Tri-Band WiFi 6 Netgear Smart WiFi AC1600 Netgear Nighthawk AX4 Dual-Band WiFi 6 Netgear AC200 Smart WiFi 5 Netgear 4-Stream AX1800 WiFi 6

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