Netgear Nighthawk Mesh Wifi 6 Review

Design & build

The Nighthawk Mesh WiFi 6 System units are sturdy-looking reflective black mesas with snazzy angular undulating designs on the top. The look and colour scheme is consistent with Netgear’s gaming-centric brand of routers, though there are no large posable antennas jutting out at the sides – all of the radios are neatly tucked away and hidden inside the 122 x 122 x 64mm plastic bodies.

This review was done with a trio of units: one router and two satellites. The MR60 router and satellite are almost identical in terms of appearance and specs. However, there is one major difference: the MR60 router comes with two gigabit Ethernet ports – one for connecting to your modem and one to connect other devices.

This doesn’t offer much flexibility in wired connections, as even the Eero has two Ethernet ports per device. They are also not as small and compact as Eero units. The lack of ports means that you’ll likely want to invest in a network switch, especially if you have lots of devices with Ethernet ports in your living room.

Weighing around 287g each, the Mesh WiFi 6 units are lightweight as well. The Mesh WiFi 6 units can easily be moved from one place to another on your home’s shelves, windowsills, or desktops.

Cons

– The Expensive

Best for homes over 2000 square feet in size

– Poor parental controls

Although you can’t purchase the Nighthawk MK63 Mesh System directly from Netgear (or AU$649), it is possible to find the MK63 online for around PS300.

Less powerful than Wi-Fi 6, Systems

Netgear did not reduce its port count in an attempt to decrease the price. Netgear Netgear cut back some features in order to decrease the price. Netgear’s router has two Ethernet ports instead of the four that are standard. The satellite unit, on the other hand, only has one (a reduction from the previous two).

You’ll get less bandwidth to work with and fewer antennas: the Nighthawk relies on 2×2 arrays for both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks as opposed to the 4×4 arrays other more expensive have. However, the mesh system could still be used to create a 1,500-square foot home. This is possible if conditions are perfect.

Netgear claims that the first version of the system will not support wired backhaul, which is a key feature for mesh systems. However, it intends to include the feature in an update.

Netgear Orbi Wi-Fi 6 features more antennas, bandwidth and ethernet ports, so if that’s what you want, then it is worth the additional cost. We’ve found the Nighthawk to be the most affordable mesh Wi Fi 6 choice.