Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I bought this router for a six primary reasons: ----------------------------------------------------------------- a ) Strong performance when handling a large number of connected devices b ) Ethernet Port Aggregation via 802.3ad (LACP) c ) Strong WiFi performance (though there are competing routers which may be a bit better) d ) Six Ethernet ports on the router's switch e ) Active antennas f ) Dynamic Quality of Service (QoS) For anyone with MINIMAL experience with networking equipment, or general networking knowledge, I have some advice for you. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Download and read the User Guides and Documentation for this router (see link) https://www.netgear.com/support/product/R9000.aspx#docs 2. Follow the step by step directions and pay attention to any WARNING messages in the documentation 3. Ideally you'll want to place the X10 in a room that is in the center of your house but if you need to play it in an edge room in your house then pair it with the NETGEAR Nighthawk Mesh X6S like I did to prevent WiFi dead spots (mostly applies to larger homes or people looking for the best performance). 4. Backup your settings on the X10 once configured (it's just a good idea). 5. Once everything is set up, download the latest firmware (I did this via the web-interface, it's easy). A little more detail below ------------------------------------ For my personal setup I started by downloading the manuals at NETGEAR's website for this router. I read the manuals just to make sure I did things in order because every company does things slightly different and it's good to know how your particular hardware is meant work (and when it's ready to do things). I mapped out my network (just draw a diagram of your house, the locations of your networking hardware, and connection type) and I determined where I would place my X10 router (and the X6S extender I purchased separately). I connected my modem and router and then the primary PC in my home using cat6a cable and performed initial setup of the router. Once the router was connected, in a working state, and ready for modifications, I logged into the web interface and I modified the settings that applied to me (enabling QoS, changing the default password for the router's login page, enabling Ethernet port aggregation, setting priorities for devices, downloading firmware, etc.). Then I connected the X6S extender to this router via two NETGEAR Powerline 1200 Mbps (PLP1200) ports and cat6a cable. I set the X6S up in access-point mode (you can do extender mode but access point mode will give you the best performance in most cases if the wiring in your house is good). I ran tests in every room of my house and my WiFi signal was full-bars at all locations and the speed test results confirmed that my WiFi performance was consistent throughout the house (the loss or gain was NOT meaningful). This router is able to handle a large number of connected devices without slow down (from the router, you may have slowdown due to high bandwidth usage but that is not the fault of the router, that is a limitation of your internet connection). Today at my house we had 18 devices running on this router and it ran without any issues. I have had 0 disconnects, or sudden drops in performance (WiFi or wired) from any devices connected to this router. Simply put, if you want a great router then buy this one but make sure you learn how to get the most out of it before buying it, otherwise, there are other similar routers with a few less features that might save you some money and fir your needs better. Also, at least for larger homes or people looking for the very best WiFi experience, pair this with the X6S (and place them in ideal locations) and if you want to go crazy like I did set up a power-line Ethernet connection between the X10 and the X6S using cat6a Ethernet cabling so the X6S can be run in access-point mode instead of extender mode. I love this router and I hope it lasts me 5 years like my previous router (which was still in working condition but couldn't handle the processing requirements of my household). If I had to be critical of NETGEAR for anything it would be that a 1 year warranty is simply laughable for a router at this price point. This company needs improve in this area in particular. I have had good interactions with NETGEAR customer support and I plan on staying a NETGEAR customer in the future but a 1 year warranty is a joke and a premium router deserves a premium warranty. I hope that eventually NETGEAR puts a strong warranty behind all of their products but especially their high end products and learns from companies like Samsung (who I buy all of my SSD's from partly because of their 10 year warranty on the 850 Pro) because a strong warranty is a way for the company to say that they believe in the reliability of the product and NETGEAR doesn't do that currently. Other than the abysmal warranty, this router has been flawless.