R6300 wifi dual band gigabit router review

Your router settings could be to blame. Ever wonder what happens behind the scenes when Wi-Fi devices roam, or more likely don't? We'll show you why the "seamless" roaming Wi-Fi gear makers promise is still as elusive as a Yeti.

We reveal the secrets of why your devices don't always connect where you want them to and what you can do to fix it. Wi-Fi Router Charts. Wi-Fi Router Ranker. Wi-Fi Router Finder. Mesh System Charts. Mesh System Ranker. While there are still six antennas three for each band , you'll note that the antennas are located in different locations in the v2 layout.

The radios and amplifiers appear to be the same for both models. Both 2. The table below summarizes the major components in both versions. Buy This Product From Amazon. It's harder than you think for that expensive router of yours to deliver all the throughput the big number on its box promises. We show you why.

Trying to decide between a router and a Wi-Fi System? This experiment should help you choose wisely. Previous tests with the Netgear R at a distance of 25 metres had the 2. With the beamforming update the signal strength hit Mbps, the sort of speed you'd expect in the same room. Throughput correspondingly jumps massively from 4. The increase at 5GHz, while not as impressive, was still around a doubling from Mbps to Mbps. Beyond the performance enhancements, nothing outwardly seems to have changed with the web-based interface.

You wouldn't normally expect a firmware point-update to dramatically alter the main interface, though we would hope that Netgear would throw a little spit and polish in its direction soon.

The Netgear R is a pretty striking router for all the wrong reasons. First it's huge, way bigger than anything we've seen previously. At 10 inches wide by 8 inches high, that's bigger than an iPad. On top of that, it's had a cheap-looking gold half-tone gradient effect applied to the huge front-side, which neither looks good nor adds anything useful.

At least it comes with a decent stand, unlike the Buffalo AirStation Another issue related to the size and design is that it's awkward to reach the rear-positioned ports and power button, because they're recessed into the huge case and you have to reach around to find them. But then we wouldn't expect less. Installation is a breeze, thanks to the new web-based interface.

This can automatically pick up any WAN configuration for you or you can opt for a manual approach. The Netgear R's front-end takes a friendly, colour-coded approach and offers a quick status overview of the internet, wireless, parental and security settings.

Delving deeper, the settings are logically split into Basic and Advanced sections, while the 2. There is a bridge and repeater mode that can handle up to four repeaters, along with a main base station. You can create network folders on the drive and assign usernames and passwords to each. We had no problem accessing attached drives as shares or configuring network folders.

You can also plug in USB printers to share them over the network. Sign up for our daily newsletter Newsletter. Netgear R Image 1 of 6. Our Rating.