The Nighthawk X8 can figure out which devices or apps are data hogs and apportion bandwidth based on a priority list you create. You can also set up a guest network so that visitors can use your internet connection without having access to your storage or settings. Here, you can change the network names, encryption type and passwords, and turn off any of its three radios to change Nighthawk X8 into a wired router. The Nighthawk X8's Wireless page shows everything you need to get started. Compare that to Google's OnHub, which can only be configured via its apps. You can tweak the router by using a connected device's Web browser or Netgear's Genie apps for iOS and Android. Like the Linksys WRT1900ACS, the Nighthawk X8 provides lots of customization options. That's pretty standard, but it pales in comparison to TRENDnet's lifetime coverage. Netgear includes a one-year warranty for the Nighthawk X8.

All told, it took me about 3 minutes to go from a sealed box to web surfing. That's a much better approach than the insecure generic names and passwords still used by some router makers, but you should change the X8's login info immediately. Underneath the router, you'll find a label with randomized network names and passcodes for connecting via Wi-Fi or wired client. MORE: Top-Rated Wi-Fi Extenders to Boost Your Signal When all of the LEDs light up, the Nighthawk X8 optimizes the connection. To get going, all you do is plug the Nighthawk X8's AC adapter in and connect its WAN port to your broadband modem. In addition to being a router, the Nighthawk X8 can operate as an access point, wireless range extender and a media server. It successfully streamed a movie to one device while sending the audio from an Internet radio station to another and moving data back and forth with a file server, all without a hitch or hiccup.

The Nighthawk X8 is a power router that delivers data regardless of whether it's for a gaming party, watching the latest episode of Bob's Burgers or both.ĭuring two weeks of near-constant use, the Nighthawk X8 performed well with a wide variety of devices, including an iPad Pro, a Microsoft Surface 3, a MacBook Air and a Samsung TabPro S. While that's better than the 130-foot average for routers we've tested, it still lags behind the R8000's 165-foot range. In a suburban house with lots of thick walls, the Nighthawk X8 achieved a range of 150 feet.

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