What is WiFi 6 and How Fast is WiFi 6?

Wi-Fi is getting stronger, faster data transfer speed. Internet connection speed is becoming faster and faster to meet user demand. Not only serving in the purpose of sharing common data, the Internet is now also used for other purposes such as entertainment, learning, etc… Users not only use the Internet via desktop computers as before, but also use other mobile devices such as laptops, smartphones, tablets.

 

The next generation of Wi-Fi, known as Wi-Fi 6, has been upgraded to a lot of things, not just speed. The benefits of this technology will be evident over time. The upgrade includes features and speeds to ensure that the needs of users are not only present but also in the future.

 

 

What is Wi-Fi 6?

Simply speaking, WiFi 6 is the next generation Wi-Fi, which helps users connect to the Internet. Along with that is the series of additional technologies to increase efficiency and better connection speed.

 

How fast is Wi-Fi 6?

The Wi-Fi 6 standard will have a transmission speed of up to 9.6 Gbps in theory. The previous version, Wi-Fi 5, achieved a 3.5 Gbps connection speed in theory. It should be noted that the theoretical speed and actual speed are always different due to environmental factors. However, Wi-Fi 6 still gives users a line speed with an impressive number.

 

Speed ​​is not all that Wi-Fi 6 has

Instead of upgrading the connection speed to devices, Wi-Fi 6 also improves the network connection performance that the devices connect through it. That is the main goal that this technology focuses on. By the time the Wi-Fi 5 network technology, an average US family used five Wi-Fi-connected devices. Currently the number has reached 9 devices. And according to technology company estimates, this number will be up to 50 devices within the next few years.

The more devices connected on the same line, the slower the network speed will be. And the launch of Wi-Fi 6 comes with new technology that minimizes problems that occur when network connections have multiple devices connected at the same time. It helps router equipment (routers) can communicate with multiple devices at the same time, transmit data to multiple devices in the same broadcast domain and allow Wi-Fi devices to schedule to check router. These features will make the connection more stable while more and more devices require data transmission on the line.

 

 

How fast will devices connect to Wi-Fi 6?

This is a pretty difficult question to answer. A laptop that supports Wi-Fi 6 connected to a Wi-Fi 6-enabled router may only be faster in the same case as Wi-Fi 5. But the difference between them is not very different. Assessment can only be based on the number of devices connected to the router and the data transmission required on the network. If the current router device is likely to experience a hang, congestion resulting in reduced line quality, then the Wi-Fi 6-enabled router exhibits incredible stability. The current transmission speed is no longer an important factor in Wi-Fi connection. The key point now is the stability of a Wi-Fi network as well as Wi-Fi or router devices.

 

Imagine in a multi-member family, some of whom are watching movies via Netflix, who are playing online games, others are calling video calls, along with a variety of other smarthome devices in Wi-Fi connection. Everything is still connected normally, there is no lag, congestion or disconnection. The maximum transmission speed of the devices is not really necessary to upgrade, but the normal speed of use of the user needs a significant upgrade. It depends on the number of Wi-Fi devices that users use, as well as the speed that these devices need to operate stably.

 

How to get Wi-Fi 6?

To be able to experience Wi-Fi 6, users need to buy new devices that support this technology. When shopping for a device that supports the latest wireless connectivity, this almost means you also have the latest Wi-Fi connection technology. And another important thing is that users need to buy themselves a router device that supports this technology.

 

 

If there are a lot of devices that are connecting via Wi-Fi and transmission quality have declined in recent years, it’s time for users to consider buying themselves a router supporting Wi-Fi 6.

 

 

What makes Wi-Fi 6 faster? 

There are two main technologies that make Wi-Fi 6 more powerful: MU-MIMO and OFDMA.

MU-MIMO (multi-user, multiple input, multiple output) is now integrated on current router devices, but Wi-Fi 6 will have additional upgrades. This technology enables router devices to communicate with multiple devices at the same time, instead of just communicating with each device at a time. Currently, MU-MIMO allows the router to communicate with 4 devices at the same time, but for Wi-Fi 6 it will be 8 devices.

And the other technology, orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) allows one data transfer to multiple devices at the same time.

 

 

Wi-Fi 6 will also improve battery life 

Another technology that comes with Wi-Fi 6 allows the device to schedule a connection to the router, reduce transmission time and detect signals via antenna. This saves energy and battery life of the device more. “Target Wake Time” is the feature that helps Wi-Fi 6 can help devices communicate with the router at predetermined intervals. However, this feature is not really useful for devices that need to transmit data continuously.

 

Instead, the feature of this new technology will help save energy for devices with low battery life like smarthome devices, just update the status according to the present time. For example, sensors inside smart devices are usually in the home, they only read the environmental data and send it to the server within the specified time period.

 

 

Wi-Fi 6 has a better security level

Last year, Wi-Fi was integrated with a new security protocol, called WPA3. WPA3 makes it hard for hackers to crack passwords using library kits to predict passwords, and make data less useful if hackers steal it.

 

 

Current devices support the WPA3 protocol, but this is only an option for users to choose. For Wi-Fi 6, WPA3 will be required, so devices that are compatible with Wi-Fi 6 will become more secure.

 

Wi-Fi 6 has begun to be deployed 

Wi-Fi 6-enabled devices have appeared on the market but the number is still quite small. Wi-Fi 6-enabled router devices are also on the market but the price is very high. Laptops that support this new technology have also appeared in some parts of the market. Wi-Fi 6 is currently integrated on today’s high-end devices. Snapdragon 855 is a chip that will support this technology. Expected next year, Wi-Fi 6 will become widely available.

 

Wi-Fi 6 is expected to become popular by 2020, making wireless networking more secure and stable.

 

 

Huawei Launched Multi-mode 5G Chipset and 5G CPE Pro Router

Huawei officially launched the multi-mode 5G chipset called Balong 5000 and was first used on the Huawei 5G CPE Pro router. The perfect combination of these two products will bring the world’s fastest wireless connection speed not only on smartphones but also for larger spaces like houses, offices and other large spaces.

Balong 5000: Start for the 5G era 

 

The Balong 5000 chipset is expected to help Huawei formally open the era for leading advanced 5G technology. In addition, the Balong 5000 chipset also provides optimal support on a range of other 5G products, such as home broadband network equipment, car-mounted devices and 5G modules. Thus, Balong 5000 will help consumers have the opportunity to experience 5G completely new in many different usage situations.

 

With a compact design (SFF) and a high level of integration, Balong 5000 supports 2G, 3G, 4G and even 5G on a single chip. This will minimize the latency and power consumption when transferring data between different modes, and significantly improve the user experience in the early stages of 5G deployment. Balong 5000 marked a big step forward for the Balong chipset series.

On the market, Balong 5000 is the first chip for download speed reaching 5G standard. In Sub-6 GHz band (low operating frequency, main frequency used for 5G), Balong 5000 can achieve download speeds up to 4.6 Gbps. In the mmWave spectrum band (high operating frequency, used for extended spectrum for 5G), Balong can achieve download speed of 6.5 Gbps – 10 times faster than the leading 4G LTE router in the current market.

 

Besides, Balong 5000 is also the first chip in the world to support both independent network architecture (SA) and non-independent (NSA). With a non-independent form, 5G network architecture is built on 4G LTE network platform. Meanwhile, the independent form, as the name suggests, will have its own architecture. Balong 5000 can flexibly meet different requirements from users and operators in connecting equipment throughout the development stages of 5G.

 

Moreover, Balong 5000 is also the world’s first multi-mode chip that supports the V2X protocol (universal connection method), providing a reliable and low-latency solution for connected media. Huawei’s 5G smartphones using Balong 5000 will be launched at the Global Mobile Exhibition (MWC) in Barcelona this year.

 

Huawei 5G CPE Pro – Huawei First Commercial 5G Router

 

Based on the Balong 5000, Huawei 5G CPE Pro router supports both 4G and 5G connections. With 5G network, a 1GB HD video clip can be downloaded in just 3 seconds. 8K format videos can also be played smoothly, without interruption. This set new standards for home CPE equipment. In addition, the Huawei 5G CPE Router can also be used for small and medium enterprises, with fast broadband Internet access speed.

 

Applying new generation 6 Wi-Fi technology, Huawei 5G CPE Pro router can provides speeds up to 4.8 Gbps. This is the first 5G CPE to support Huawei HiLink protocol, bringing smart home ecosystem (smart home) into the 5G era.

As a pioneer in 5G technology, Huawei has started to research and develop 5G since 2009, currently the only company on the market that can provide all devices for 5G networks. Huawei has more than 5,700 engineers working in the R&D department, including more than 500 network experts. In total, Huawei has established 11 creative cooperation centers for the 5G solution globally.

 

Huawei Launched New 5G Mobile WiFi Hotspot at MWC2019

It’s obvious that the Huawei Mate X is the main role at the Barcelona event MWC2019. With the Mate X, Huawei also presented some 5G gadgets such as Huawei 5G CPE Pro and Huawei 5G Mobile WiFi Hotspot. Although they are not very spectacular, the useful line of innovations naturally attracts intentions at the event.

HUAWEI 5G Mobile WiFi Hotspot

Huawei 5G Mobile WiFi Specifications

 

According to Huawei, the Huawei 5G Mobile Pocket Wi-Fi router has built a Balong 5000 chipset platform modem, the maximum data rate can reach 4.6 Gbit/s, which is very faster than current 4G speeds. The new 5G device supports sixth-generation Wi-Fi networks (ax), with the use of which the speed of data exchange within the network reaches 4.8 Gbit/s. Due to this, a file of 1 GB can be downloaded in just 3 seconds, that is, almost instantly.

With the support of Wi-Fi 6 (ax) HiLink technology, owners of the new Huawei 5G portable WiFi router can communicate with multiple devices within the network any data as much as four times as fast as using Wi-Fi 5 (ac). The Huawei 5G WiFi Hotspot router has a large battery pack of 8000 mAh, and it provides about 7 hours of operation in the 5G network at the highest speed. When using networks 3G and 4G LTE, this figure is increased by 2 – 3 times.

 

Huawei 5G Pocket WiFi Battery

 

The Huawei 5G Mobile Wi-Fi Portable Router supports Qi’s fast charging technology and can also be used as a stationary access point – for this you need to connect the charger via a USB Type-C connector. Also, the manufacturer would provide the antenna connectors in the Huawei 5G pocket WiFi and also introduced a touch screen that allows you to control routers with different capabilities without having to enter the “admin” via a third-party device.

 

Huawei 5G Mobile WiFi Router Availability and Price

Since Huawei mobile WiFi hotspots are always popular in thousands of users worldwide, the latest Huawei 5G WiFi router would be no doubt a selling star. However, Huawei didn’t tell when they would be available. We predict it would be available around June, 2019. And the price would not be cheap because the 5G network construction over the world is still on the way. But we would keep updating the news of this new 5G WiFi router.

 

 

Huawei Mate X Foldable Smartphone Will Be Presented at MWC2019

A couple of days ago, Samsung presented its world’s foldable smartphone named Galaxy Fold, which soon attracts the focus. After the bezel-less display design, there is a high chance that foldable phone is going to be the next significant trend in the smartphone world. Previously, there was a report suggesting that many brands are now in the development phase for their first ever foldable device. Huawei, the world’s third largest smartphone supplier, will release its first foldable phone and named it Huawei Mate X, which was leaked by the banner for Huawei show at MWC2019.

Huawei Mate X Specs and Features

Per the leaked information, we can see the Huawei Mate X specs includes two 5.9-inch IPS LCD screens with the resolution of 1440 x 2560 pixels. Moreover, the Huawei device also opens up like a book and lets you use it on both tablet mode and smartphone mode. Additionally, the Huawei flagship comes with a notch on the display and metal back panel.

As per the concept, Huawei Mate X phone will sport two separate displays. One of the screens will measure 5-inches, while the other will be 8-inches in size both of which will be supporting HDR 10. When folded, we will get to use the 5-inch display, which otherwise looks like any other smartphone. But when unfolded the screen size goes to 8-inches featuring a 4K display and will be perfect as a tablet.

On the other hand, there is also another idea developed but in the laptop mode with a 120-degree fold. If a smartphone is designed in this way, it can be literally used as a regular laptop. And with half of the fold, the Huawei foldable phone can be used as a fully functional keyboard, while the rest will be used as a display. In addition, the device’s user interface will also be changed like the desktop UI, so that it can give laptop-like experience to the users. Apart from this, the device will get a sleek design that combines both metal and glass of approximately 7.5-inch total thickness. Moreover, the device will also feature IP68 water and dust resistant.

 

Huawei Mate X is based on Hisilicon Kirin 980 chipset and offer 6GB RAM and 512GB ROM for storage. Huawei Mate X camera expects to get a dual: 12 MP (f/1.6) +20 MP (f/1.6) rear snapper. Other features should include Geo-tagging, touch focus, face/smile detection, panorama, and HDR. On the front, there is also an 8MP selfie shooter. In term of the battery, this Huawei phone rocks a non-removable Li-Po 4000mAh battery. Lastly, Huawei Mate X is going to run on the latest Android 8.1 Oreo with EMUI 9.0 on top.

 

Huawei Mate X Release Date and Price

According to our information, Huawei Mate X would be open for sale in the first quarter of 2019. Regarding the price, we suppose the Mate X foldable phone would refer to Samsung Galaxy Fold and would not be cheap at the beginning. Samsung offer the Galaxy Fold at 1980$, we suppose the Mate X price would be around 1500$ or more.

Huawei Has Delivered 40,000 5G Base Stations

Network equipment supplier Huawei has already delivered more than 40,000 5G-enabled mobile base stations worldwide. This was announced by Ryan Ding, president of the Huawei Carrier Business Group, in the run-up to the Mobile World Congress. Given that the use of Huawei 5G technology is currently much discussed politically, this number is quite remarkable. Especially in Europe, the Chinese network equipment supplier is strong.

 

Eighteen European mobile network operators have already selected Huawei as the supplier for their 5G network. Corresponding contracts have already been signed, according to Ryan Ding. As of February 2019, Huawei has completed around 30 such 5G equipment supplier contracts worldwide, so that the focus is clearly on Europe.

Huawei has been delivering 5G base stations since September 2018, and within a few months 40,000 devices have already been sold to network operators. 5G base stations are usually also backwards compatible with older mobile technologies. Thus, they can be used, for example, for an LTE network expansion, a later upgrade to 5G is then easily possible. First commercial 5G mobile networks are expected in mid-2019.

 

Huawei 5G base stations: smaller, lighter and more energy efficient

 

 

In the run-up to the Mobile World Congress 2019, Huawei has also shown new hardware for the 5G network expansion. Ryan Ding emphasizes that the 5G network technology is significantly smaller and lighter than the technology used in previous generations of mobile phones, such as LTE. Network operators can therefore install the technology with little effort and at low cost and quickly upgrade their networks to 5G. The 5G base stations should also be significantly more energy efficient so that no expansion of the power supply should be necessary to existing locations.

 

Samsung Presents Galaxy S10 in 5G Version

Yesterday, Samsung has also introduced a 5G version of the S10 series in addition to the Galaxy S10, the Galaxy S10+ and the Galaxy S10e: the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G. The 5G Galaxy S10 is one of the world’s first 5G phones and is technically based on the Galaxy S10+. As soon as the first commercial 5G networks are launched, Samsung wants to be able to deliver the right device with the Galaxy S10 5G.

5G modem from Samsung or Qualcomm

Depending on the region in which the Galaxy S10 5G is delivered, Samsung uses either a 5G modem from themselves or Qualcomm. In North America, the Qualcomm Snapdragon X50 modem will be used, in the remaining regions such as Asia and Europe, the Samsung Exynos 5100 modem. In 5G operation, both the C-band (frequency range between 3.4 and 3.8 gigahertz) and the millimeter-wave range between 26 and 28 GHz are supported. Standalone 5G cannot use the Galaxy S10 5G, it only supports non-standalone (NSA) 5G.

Both modems are so-called multimode modems and allow 5G connections as well as 2G, 3G and 4G networks. In 4G LTE networks, speeds of up to 2 gigabits per second are supported in the download and 150 MBit/s in the upload via LTE Cat20.

 

High-end 5G Smartphone

The Samsung Galaxy S10 5G is technically very similar to the Galaxy S10+, but comes with a slightly larger 6.7-inch display. The resolution is 1440 x 3040 pixels identical to the S10+. Another difference is with the cameras. The S10+ has a fourth camera with a so-called “Time of Flight” functionality and additionally allows a “Multi Level Bokeh Effect”. In addition, the camera allows the measurement of objects.

Like the other Galaxy S10 models, the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G supports WLAN 802.11ax, also known as WLAN 6, also supports up to 1.2 gigabits per second in the downlink and uplink. The internal memory is 256 gigabytes in size and, unlike the other Galaxy S10 models, it cannot be expanded by memory card. The RAM is 8 GB in size.

Availability and Price

As Samsung officially announced, the Galaxy S10 5G will be launched in the summer of 2019 in Europe but earlier in Asia. Prices and an exact availability date are not yet available. According to Samsung, the following providers want to introduce the S10 5G in their product contract:

  • Deutsche Telekom
  • EE
  • orange
  • Sunrise
  • Swisscom
  • TIM
  • Telefonica
  • Vodafone

 

Qualcomm Unveiled Snapdragon X55 5G Chipset

Yesterday, Qualcomm introduced the second generation of its 5G modem, the Snapdragon X55. The X55 modem can use 5G in a variety of frequency ranges and allows speeds of up to 7 gigabits per second. It supports both 5G standalone networks and 5G non-standalone networks. The Snapdragon X55 modem is also backwards compatible with LTE, UMTS and GSM (4G, 3G and 2G) in the initial phase of 5G.

 

As the successor to X50, the Snapdragon X55 modem is already Qualcomm’s second 5G modem. The X55 modem is prepared for 4G / 5G spectrum sharing, allowing network operators to easily switch from LTE to 5G. The supported frequency ranges range from the millimeter-wave range (above 26 GHz) to the frequency range below 6 GHz. The range between 3.4 and 3.8 GHz used in Germany and Europe to launch 5G is also supported by the Qualcomm Snapdragon X55.

 

The Qualcomm Snapdragon X55 modem is also up to date in the LTE network. With LTE Cat22, up to 2.5 Gbps can be used in the fourth-generation mobile network. The prerequisite for such high speeds is of course that the network operator uses sufficient spectrum and bundles this via carrier aggregation. Even the highest possible modulation and the use of 4 × 4 MIMO significantly increases the speed.

 

First commercial handsets with the new Snapdragon X55 5G modem will hit the market in late 2019, according to Qualcomm. For the first generation of 5G smartphones, which will probably appear in mid-2019, the modem comes a little too late. It might still be worthwhile to wait a bit and not to access the very first 5G smartphones, because the first generation of new mobile modems is experience quite energy hungry and quickly outdated.

 

Timetable of 5G Mobile Cell Phones

From 2019 to 2020, the top 10 cell phone manufacturers will release 5G mobile phones intensively. Even though 2020 would be the first year for 5G devices to commercially use in large scale, many manufacturers are ready to release their 5G smartphones. Now let’s see what the new 5G phones include:

 

5G Brand Release date 5G Cell Phone Model List
Apple 2020 iPhone
Google 2019 Pixel 4
Nokia Unknown Unknown
Honor 2019 Honor View 20(5G Version)
HTC 2019 HTC U13
Huawei 2019 * Huawei P30 Pro
* Huawei Foldable cell phone
LG 2019 LG/Sprint: LG G8 ThinQ
Motorola/Lenovo 2019 Mote Z3
OnePlus 2019 OnePlus 7(5G Version)
Oppo 2019

OPPO Reno 5G
Samsung 2019 * Galaxy S10 5G
* Verizon/AT&T Customized
* Samsung Galaxy Fold
Sony 2019 Xperia
Xiaomi 2019 Mix 3(5G Version)
ZTE 2019 ZTE Axon 10 Pro
VIVO 2019 VIVO NEX 5G
ZTE 2019 Nubia Mini 5G

 

 

Samsung Galaxy S10 – Released Time: Feb, 11

 

Samsung had already announced the date to launch the Galaxy S10 a few months ago. Besides the well-known aperture screen, it also has the configuration of Snapdragon 855 mobile platform and Samsung Exynos 9820 processor, which both have the ability to support 5G, so the Samsung Galaxy S10 would be easy to have a 5G version.

With the X50 modem and Qualcomm antenna & RF module, the Snapdragon 855 would make S10 to work on 5G easily. Besides the Qualcomm 5G platform, Samsung already developed its own 5G platform. In Aug 2018, Samsung presented the 5G chipset Exynos Modem 5100, after integration of RF IC and power IC, Exynos Modem 5100 can be supplied as chipset to the terminal manufacturers and save the time for the manufacturers.

 

 

Huawei P30 – Feb 24, Huawei Folding cell phone – Feb 24, Huawei Honor V20 5G Version – 2019

 

Huawei would present a new P series smartphone at MWC 2019, and in 2019, Huawei would bring P30 with back four cameras, which makes it be in the first batch of 5G cell phones. Before MWC 2019, Huawei had a communication conference to release some 5G base station, 5G chipset and 5G terminals, among which, Hisilicon Kirin 980 and Balong 5000 are the main chipsets for 5G terminals.

With P30, Huawei also brings its 5G folding cell phone, which would be presented to the public as Huawei first 5G cell phone and folding phone on 14:00 Feb 24 in Barcelona. In addition, we will also have the possibility to see the latest 5G version of Honor V20. And the Honor V20 5G Version may adopt the same solution as Huawei P30.

 

Oneplus 7 + Oppo R15 + Xiaomi Mix 3 5G Version – Early 2019

 

As the 5G terminals members of Snapdragon series, OnePlus and Oppo have a good partnership with Qualcomm. Following the OnePlus CEO Liu Jiahu sent the first twitter in 5G network environment in October 2018, Liu Jiahu also said OnePlus would launch a 5G commercial phone in Europe in Qualcomm Snapdragon technology Summit in December. And there is the possibility to launch a completely new range of products, which means OnePlus may also go the double flagship road, like Huawei and Honor.

 

As one of the important manufacturers in China, OPPO had achieved the signal and data link on 5G network in August in 2018. It’s said the first 5G cell phone model number is R15, but not confirmed yet.

 

Xiaomi had announced the first 5G phone would be based on Xiaomi Mix 3. The Mix 3 5G version would adopt the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 and X50 modem baseband add-on platform to fulfill the 5G connection. The 5G phones with the Snapdragon platform have pure technologies and baseband support, which are also the first batch 5G phones available in the market.

 

 

Sony Xperia – 2019, LG V50 ThinQ – 2019

 

Like Samsung, LG and Sony mobile phones are going down, but they never give up cell phone business and keep presenting a new flagship phone. LG will present its first 5G phone V50 ThinQ, which has a 6 inches display and 4000mAh battery with Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 platform.

Sony would also launch its first 5G cell phone in 2019, but till now, we don’t have detail information for the 5G phone. But we are sure Sony would follow other manufacturers to release its 5G phone.

 

Google Pixel 4 – 2019, HTC U13 – 2019

 

Google Pixel series are special mobile phones for making friends, not for money. However, it has gained many fans in these years. Per the past schedule, the Pixel 4 would support 5G, but no more news to get now.

 

Regarding HTC, it’s said the HTC U13 would be the flagship. Even though HTC didn’t tell when the U13 would be available, but they confirm U13 would focus on 5G technology.

 

Apple iPhone

Apple is reluctant to follow the 5G mainstream in 2019, not only 5G technology is not pure, but also Apple doesn’t have strong 5G support from its partners. So if you want to buy an iPhone, don’t wait for 5G iPhone in 2019.

 

 

From the mentioned 5G phones, we can see some manufacturers are trying to use 5G phones to change the current market decline; some are just following the mainstream to see whether there are good opportunities. Whether 2019 would be the first year of 5G phone, we will see and the market will tell.

 

 

 

Netgear Nighthawk XR700 Gaming Router Review

The Netgear Nighthawk XR700 gaming router delivers superlatives: huge body, spectacular design, many wireless antennas, and the latest wireless 802.11ad technology, in addition, an SFP connection for 10 Gigabit Ethernet. So it is clear: this Netgear XR700 router is not aimed at the classic standard user, but at users who want to have super fast connections and lots of power in the home network such as gamers.

 

Netgear Nighthawk XR700 Appearance

Netgear has gone all-in for the design and designed a very unique case. The XR700 gaming router is huge and heavy in comparison to other router models, especially the bulky wireless antennas catch the eye. A large ventilation grille on the front allows a view of the technology and the active fan, red stripes on the body provide a fresh look. Overall, the design takes a bit of getting used to and certainly not compatible with any home decor – the XR700 is more likely to fit between gaming computers and network switches rather than on the dresser in the entry hallway.

 

Nighthawk XR700 WLAN Features

The Netgear Nighthawk XR700 can use WLAN on three frequency ranges: 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz and 60 GHz. Over 2.4 GHz, a maximum of 400 Mbit/s is possible, over 5 GHz up to 1733 Mbit/s and over 60 GHz even up to 4,600 Mbit/s – in each case a suitably equipped terminal provided. The router supports 4 × 4 MU-MIMO antenna technology and offers a comparatively good range. An apartment of 60-80 square meters can be easily provided without the further repeater.

The integrated 802.11ad WLAN at 60 GHz is a curiosity. Theoretically, very high data rates are possible at a short distance – ideally a few meters and visual contact. Practically, however, it lacks of devices that have integrated 802.11ad. In fact, very few devices around the world are with this technology. Although there are retrofit solutions, including from Intel, but even Netgear has no retrofit adapter for USB or PCIe in the range. The 60 GHz WLAN could therefore not be tested.

 

Nighthawk XR700 Gaming Pro Interfaces

The Netgear XR700 has six RJ45 Gigabit LAN ports on the back, two more than an ordinary wireless router. Ports 1 and 2 can even be combined via Link Aggregation and thus significantly increase the speed, if supported by the end device (for example, a NAS). If you need an even faster LAN, you can buy a 10 GBit/s SFP module from a retailer and install it in the XR700’s SFP bay. Then up to 10 Gbit/s are possible.

 

 

The Netgear XR700 has no integrated modem. This is a shame given the high price on the one hand, on the other hand, there are now with (V) DSL, TV cable and fiber- three common types of connection and so anyone can take the modem, which fits best. The modem is then connected to the XR700 via the 1 Gbps WAN port.

For external devices such as hard drives or printers, there are two USB 3.0 ports on the Netgear XR700. In practice, a USB stick was easily detected and could be used within a short time. The data transfer rates were not tested in detail.

 

Conclusion

One thing is clear: the Netgear Nighthawk XR700 is not a router for everyone. This is already visible at the incredibly high price. But when you get the Netgear XR700, you can get other things that are otherwise in hardly any other router: an extraordinary design, good workmanship, top wireless performance, an SFP port for 10 GBit LAN and good software. Due to the lack of end devices, the integrated WLAN 802.11ad can hardly be used by anyone – but it is, after all, integrated. If you want to combine this combination of high-end features in one router, the Netgear Nighthawk XR700 is just what you need.

 

D-Link Debuts New 5G NR Router DWR-2010

At the Consumer Electronics Show 2019 in Las Vegas, D-Link announced a new 5G NR Enhanced Router named DWR-2010. With nothing more than wall power and a SIM card, the router promises to create a high-speed Wi-Fi network in your home, according to the official sayings, the DWR-2010 5G NR Router enables download speeds more than 40x faster than current average fixed broadband download speed in the U.S. of 70Mbps.

Based on Qualcomm’s SDX55 chipset, the D-Link DWR-2010 5G Enhanced Gateway is capable of transmitting standards-compliant 5G data through either millimeter wave or sub-6GHz towers, the former currently available in a handful of U.S. cities and the latter planned for wider deployment in 2019 and 2020. Four of its antennas pick up 5G signals, falling back to LTE when 5G’s not available, and the D-link 5G Router also supports voice over LTE (VoLTE) for traditional phone calling.

 

D-Link DWR-2010 5G Router Highlight features Review:

  • CES Innovation Award Honoree
  • Embedded 5G NR NSA module (3GPP Rel.15)
  • Sub-6 GHz or mmWave frequency compatible
  • AC2600 Dual Band Wi-Fi (800 + 1732 Mbps) with MU-MIMO
  • 4 external antennas for LTE/5G NR
  • Whole home coverage with D-Link Wi-Fi Mesh
  • Auto Firmware Upgrade
  • Supports VoLTE
  • Supports Remote Management (TR-069)

Like a traditional Wi-Fi router, the 5G NR Router enables users to access data either through Wi-Fi connections or Ethernet ports, starting here with a 2.5Gbps LAN, a 1Gbps WAN/LAN, and three 1Gbps LAN ports. The Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) support is practical — given today’s devices — but a generation old, offering an 800Mbps connection on one band plus 1.7 Gbps of bandwidth on another. It’s worth noting that faster Wi-Fi 6 routers are already being announced ahead of this month’s CES trade show, though no consumer devices — computers, tablets, or smartphones — include the chips necessary to use them.

D-Link’s key selling point for the DWR-2010 5G is convenience. Assuming there’s a 5G network in your neighborhood, and 5G data pricing is reasonable, a cellular carrier could offer you high-speed home broadband service with zero installation hassle — just plug the router into a wall near a window and, if the SIM card’s pre-installed, join the network. In theory, the router could work with current and future AT&T and Verizon 5G services, and D-Link expects it will expand broadband availability to “remote areas currently limited to dial-up and DSL services.”

 

A secondary selling point for the router is speed. The DWR-2010 5G Gateway’s bandwidth promises to stream 4K video content with ease and to support “little to zero lag” in online gaming. This sort of reduced latency is a key feature of 5G networks and is expected to enable both ultra-high resolution videos and instantly responsive immersive 3D/VR streaming.

The DWR-2010 5G NR Router is scheduled for release in the second half of 2019 and doesn’t yet have a price tag. By the time it’s released, multiple carriers will hopefully have affordable 5G data plans capable of making the most of its features.