Reviews Netgear - Ac1200 Dual-band Wireless-ac Range Extender With 5-port Ethernet Switch - Black

NETGEAR EX6200 AC1200 High Power WiFi Range Extender Reviewed

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At a glance		AC1200 Wireless Extender Performance June 2015
Product	NETGEAR AC1200 WiFi Range Extender (EX6200) [Website]
Summary	Broadcom-based AC1200 wireless extender with Gigabit ports and USB 3.0 storage sharing
Pros	• 5 Gigabit ports • USB 3.0 storage & printer sharing • Very easy setup • 'FastLane' can increment available wireless throughput
Cons	• Multi-colour indicators too dim to be helpful • Can't use equally access point

Introduction

Nosotros recently overcame our long-standing aversion to reviewing wireless extenders with ii roundups. The Unmarried Band Wireless Extender Roundup covered N300 course 2.4 GHz-only products, while the Dual Band Wireless Extender Roundup tested dual-band N600 products.

NETGEAR appears to be a true believer in the value (or at least the sales potential) of wireless extenders and announced ii Air conditioning class models at CES in January: the wall-plugged EX6100 AC750 WiFi Range Extender; and the EX6200 AC1200 High Power WiFi Range Extender desktop model that is the focus of this review.

Every bit its name implies, the EX6200 supports maximum link rates of 300 Mbps in the 2.4 GHz band and 867 Mbps in 5 GHz. Its ii radios can extend your network in both bands simultaneously or utilize one radio as a "backhaul" to the router or AP being extended while the other is used to connect clients. NETGEAR calls this capability "FastLane", presumably because information technology avoids the 50% retransmission throughput penalty imposed past the bones wireless extension process.

NETGEAR has endowed the EX6200 with a overnice array of status LEDs as described in the graphic beneath. Since proper extender placement is the central to success with these products, the Link Charge per unit lights apply color to indicate "optimum", "proficient" or "poor" connection betwixt the extender and the base router / AP.

NETGEAR EX6200 front panel callouts

Since I am partially ruddy / green color blind, I didn't pay whatever attention to the lights, whose colors were fifty-fifty more difficult to brand out being behind a dark-tinted plastic panel. Although it would take toll a bit more than, 3 separate LEDs for each indicator would have been more helpful.

The two dual-band 5dBi antennas are actually attached via RP-SMA connectors. But they are screwed on very tightly and you may demand pliers to get them off, should you lot want to. Since the EX6200's design is likely very like to that of an AC1200 router, the fifth Ethernet port that would normally serve as a WAN connection becomes another LAN port (all are Gigabit).

NETGEAR EX6200 rear console callouts

There is also a single USB three.0 port on the front console of the router that supports NETGEAR's ReadySHARE USB storage and printer sharing.

Inside

NETGEAR is blocking the internal FCC doc photos until late May 2014, so I opened up the EX6200 later testing was completed. It'due south a Broadcom-based blueprint with an interesting tertiary internal antenna that I can't quite figure out how it is continued. Both the 2.4 and v GHz radios appear to have external power amplifiers.

NETGEAR EX6200 board with RF shields removed

The processor and RAM are under the pinned-on heatsink. But given the space available and the absence of other visible components for USB iii.0 and switch, I'm guessing the principal processor is a Broadcom BCM4708A or A1. I managed to observe viii MB of Macronix flash on the underside of the board.

	EX6200
CPU	Broadcom BCM4708A or BCM4708A1 (guess)
Switch	In BCM4708A
RAM	?
Flash	eight MB
2.4 GHz Radio	Broadcom BCM43217 2x2 802.11b/g/n transceiver + unidentified 2.4 GHz power amps (markings 088649E310)
v GHz radio	Broadcom BCM4352KMLG + Skyworks SE5003L1 5 GHz, 23dBm Power Amplifier with Power Detector (x2)

Table ane: NETGEAR EX6200 key components

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Source: https://www.smallnetbuilder.com/wireless/wireless-reviews/32355-netgear-ex6200-ac1200-high-power-wifi-range-extender-reviewed

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