NETGEAR Nighthawk X4S Smart WiFi Router (R7800) - AC2600 Wireless Speed (up to 2600 Mbps) | Up to 2500 sq ft Coverage & 45 Devices | 4 x 1G Ethernet, 2 x 3.0 USB, and 1 x eSATA ports

** TL;DR - Cut to the chase. Read all documentation online and set-up options at Netgear's product site - BEFORE you start. Know the differences between router mode, access point mode and bridge mode. (Most home applications should choose router mode.) Set-up will be easier if everything you connect is already Wi-fi capable. Use the Netgear Genie to customize settings via a web browser on a wireless computer - and NOT via the mobile app, the latter I consider to be a convenience feature with limited options. Very happy with this super router.=================================(UPDATE 6/1/2019) -* It's been almost two-and-one-half-years (January 2017) - since I installed the Nighthawk X4S AC2600 R7800 and it works like a charm. It's upstairs while my HD TV is downstairs - and I no longer run into freezing or buffering issues while watching streaming videos.* I got this as an upgrade from my old Netgear modem/router/gateway - which I didn't want to trash because it still carries data at high speeds from my Internet provider - and I ALSO didn't want to buy another stand-alone modem. I just needed a more powerful router that would take the Internet from my old modem - and boost it everywhere - without using any Wi-fi extenders.* After extensive research about my needs in relation to where my router had to be placed - (next to my non-Wi-Fi desktop) - I chose the Nighthawk X4S AC2600 R7800 because of its power. I needed a router strong enough to stream videos on my TV downstairs - overcoming walls and obstructions - that my old modem/router/gateway could not. I did not have the option of placing this new router in the same room as my TV.* My layout isn't great because I require my old modem/router/gateway - AND this Nighthawk X4S AC2600 R7800 router - to be close enough to each other - to avoid long wires running everywhere - AND ALSO - they had to be close enough to my wired, non-Wi-fi desktop computer. (Yes, I already know how to make my desktop Wi-fi capable, but I don't have enough USB ports and I'm not yet ready to go there.)=================================* FOUR (4) KEY TIPS to know - if you are using this router with a wired desktop computer and an old modem/router/gateway that outputs a strong Internet signal into wired devices - (but outputs weak Wi-fi signals to wireless devices).* 1) Make sure you read EVERYTHING before installation and this router will become your new best friend. Read the specs, visit Netgear's site about this router - and learn about the various installation choices. There were things I learned on the fly that took way too much time.* 2) If you're using this router with an older modem/router/gateway like I do - make sure you manually shut off its "SSID Broadcast Signal." This renders it "invisible" to your wireless devices. I wanted to retain the power of my old modem - but I didn't want its weaker Wi-fi signal - to compete with the strong signals from this new Nighthawk X4S AC2600 R7800 router.* (You can disable the "broadcast" on your old modem/gateway router by pressing a button on your old modem/router - or - visit the online settings website still maintained by whoever made it. In my case, my old modem/router/gateway was also made by Netgear. The Netgear settings website page will vary according to your model number. If however, you have a straight modem and not a modem/router/gateway like I do - you can skip this step and directly connect your modem to this new router without worrying about competing Wi-fi signals.)* 3) IMPORTANT - I recommend you perform set-up via a Wi-fi enabled laptop or desktop - rather than via a mobile app, even though Netgear recommends the latter. For the Netgear X4S AC2600 R7800 - the online "Netgear Genie" log-in will be at routerlogin.net and the default values (which can be changed) - will be "admin" and "password." Accessing the Genie via a web browser on a wireless computer will provide more features and options than the "Genie" app for phones. The Genie will detect the Wi-fi signal from this X4S AC2600 R7800 router - and you'll be able to customize its settings accordingly.* 4) Go to "ADVANCED" and to "Advanced Setup" at Netgear's Genie website for your router. For most homes - the best set-up of the three available will be "Router Mode." ("AP Access Point Mode" and "Bridge Mode" are less forgiving and to me, less flexible. I learned the hard way that if I set this router as an "Access Point," I could NOT customize this router's settings online. I couldn't even get to the routerlogin.net page. Turns out only authorized devices detecting signals from this new router - can make changes via routerlogin.net.) This is why I had to run an Ethernet cable from this new X4S AC2600 R7800 router - to my non-Wi-fi desktop computer. Connecting this non-Wi-fi computer to my old modem/router/gateway - would not work. (See below.)=================================* In sum - here are the steps I used to set-up a non-Wi-fi desktop using an old modem/gateway/router with this new router: The Internet still enters from my room wall via a coaxial cable - and remains hooked into my old modem/gateway/router, but I disabled its Wi-fi "broadcast" function to make it "invisible" to other wireless devices. I disabled it by accessing the settings at Netgear's support site specific to the model number of my old modem/router/gateway. I then DISCONNECTED the Ethernet cable between my desktop and my old modem/router/gateway.* I then connected my old modem/gateway/router (the Internet) - directly to my new Netgear X4S AC2600 R7800 - via a yellow Ethernet cable provided - that goes into the yellow input on the back. (You can't miss it.) I then grabbed an Ethernet cable - and CONNECTED my non-Wi-fi desktop computer - into one of several open output ports on this new router.* Sidebar: I "logically" thought - but was WRONG - that I could use an Ethernet cable from my old modem/gateway directly into my desktop, bypassing this Nighthawk X4S AC2600 R7800 router entirely - and still visit Netgear's product website to customize this new router's settings. Yes, I still got the Internet, but a Netgear rep explained that bypassing my new router this way - blocks me from making changes at routerlogin.net. (Only devices getting wired or wireless signals from the Nighthawk X4S AC2600 R7800 router can access this website, and only in the "Router Mode" and NOT via "AP Access Point" mode. It sounded Greek to me but this advice worked.)* I've done speed tests and the signal strength from this upstairs router to devices downstairs is phenomenal. But remember - download and upload speeds are dependent upon your Internet provider - and upon the number of wireless devices in use at the same time. Whether your provider's ceiling is 1 GIGABITS (gbps) per second or 150 MEGA BITS (mbps) per second - or lower - this router will take care of you. (Tech sites note that you only need at least 5 mbps for HD quality - and 25 mbps for 4K HD quality.) This router's settings also has a Quality of Service (QoS) feature that enables you to give devices such as HD TVs and gaming devices - the highest service priority.

This router has been going strong for atleast 8 years. I cant even recall when I purchased it but it was 3 moves ago and worked flawlessly as my home router. It has not been ‘downgraded’ to my shop wifi router as my home has 6e but it doesnt miss a beat covering every inch of my 1500sqft shop off of a 200ft cat 6 connection. One of my best investments by far.

I just upgraded to the R7800 from an R7000. I was pretty pleased with the R7000 range and performance, but was having issues with a Dropcam Pro (which is used as a baby monitor) constantly timing out. I have about 20 devices that, depending on the time of day, are competing for bandwidth on a fairly consistent ~115-125Mbps(down)/10Mbps(up) connection (only about 8 devices are wireless, the remaining devices are hardwired and pass through a Netgear ProSAFE GSS116E). Dropcam average bandwidth is only supposed to be between 200kb/s(0.2Mbs) average, 500kb/s(0.5Mbs) max. There was no reason I could find for the Dropcam to be stuttering so frequently, when all of my other devices operated at expected speeds. I had even moved the router's location so that it was only about 10 feet away from the Dropcam, with only a single interior (drywall only) wall separating the two (tested signal strength was excellent at the Dropcam). The R7000 was not placed anywhere near anything that could interfere with the signal (additionally, my WiFi signal was excellent in all parts of my home). I tried connecting with the 2.4Ghz band as well as 5Ghz. I was utilizing QOS on the most current firmware and had given the Dropcam the highest priority (by the device's MAC address), but was still having issues constantly.I figured I'd try the R7800 and see if the QOS handling was any better. Although I couldn't find any clear explanation between the "Advanced" QOS on the R7000 vs the "Dynamic" QOS on the R7800, it seems that the Dynamic QOS seems to have made all the difference in the world for me (or perhaps something else in the R7800), as the upgrade solved all of my Dropcam stuttering issues immediately. I've only been running it for about a week so far, but have had no disconnects, or buffering/stuttering with the R7800 so far. I've even tried taxing things by simultaneously streaming the Dropcam feed on multiple devices (1 iPad, 3 iPhones, a MacBook, a PC desktop running the feed in both Firefox and Chrome, at the same time), while playing multiplayer Halo 5 on an Xbox One, and streaming 1080p Netflix on a PS3. No lag in my gaming, 1080p Netflix, and no stuttering on any of the simultaneously running Dropcam feeds. In short, it works for me. So I'm happy.Just to be clear, the R7000 gave me excellent signal strength throughout my home and worked fine for me when gaming or streaming Netflix, but anything with the Dropcam was constantly buffering. The R7800 seems to resolve whatever specific issues I was having with the Dropcam.Also, I think it's worth mentioning that the GUI for the 7800 is similar, yet very much improved over the R7000. Little things like being able to manually assign names/labels for each device on your network and even choose an appropriate icon (game console, switch, TV, PC, iPhone, etc.) for quick and easy viewing of all connected devices is awesome. I no longer need to determine each device on my network based solely off of the MAC address.Thanks Netgear! The R7800 is definitely the best router I've ever owned. No issues. Zero complaints.