ZyXEL NBG6616 WiFi router: Pros and Cons

ZyXEL NBG6616 (NBG6616) 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 ZyXEL NBG6616, then don’t hesite and signal the problem to us.

ZyXEL NBG6616 (NBG6616) 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 ZyXEL NBG6616 router is equipped with Qualcomm Atheros QCA9557 @ 720 MHz processor. The NBG6616 has 128 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 NBG6616 has 16 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 ZyXEL provides easy-to-use interfaces and instructions to guide users through the firmware upgrade process. The ZyXEL NBG6616 router comes with 12 V / 2 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 NBG6616 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 ZyXEL NBG6616 has 4 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 NBG6616 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.

Wireless

This router has 2 x 5 dBi, fixed 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. This router is 2.4 GHz capable. The 2.4GHz band refers to the portion of the radio spectrum between 2.400 and 2.4835 gigahertz. This frequency range is unlicensed and globally available for various wireless applications, including Wi-Fi.

The NBG6616 supports the 5 GHz band too. The 5 GHz band offers better noise immunity, less interference, and more available channels. The NBG6616 AC Wi-Fi router is backward compatible with older Wi-Fi devices that support 802.11a/b/g/n standards. The AC1200 refers to the maximum combined data transfer rate supported by the router across all Wi-Fi bands. The NBG6616 is capable of a maximum throughput speed of 300 + 867 Mbps. The real-world speed of a NBG6616 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 NBG6616 router offers several security protocols: WEP, WPA, WPA2. The WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) was the first security protocol for Wi-Fi networks but is now considered weak and easily compromised. It uses a static encryption key and has known vulnerabilities, so it is no longer recommended for securing Wi-Fi networks.

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 NBG6616 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 2 port has a maximum theoretical data transfer rate of 480 megabits per second (Mbps), which is equivalent to 60 megabytes per second (MB/s). You can attach a compatible USB printer to the ZyXEL NBG6616 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 ZyXEL NBG6616 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 ZyXEL router, performing a reset can be a helpful troubleshooting step. It is highly recommended to change the default password of your NBG6616 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.

ZyXEL NBG6616 (NBG6616) comparisons

According to our statistics, the ZyXEL NBG6616 router was most often compared on our site with the following routers.

ZyXEL NBG2105 ZyXEL NBG6604 ZyXEL NBG6615 ZyXEL Armor Z2 ZyXEL NBG6503 ZyXEL NBG4115 ZyXEL NBG-419N v2 ZyXEL AC1300 NBG6617

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