We have been waiting for the Nighthawk series to get a true mesh solution since Netgear has had such a success with their Orbi lineup. They came out with a Nighthawk mesh repeater, but it wasn’t really true mesh. It was mostly just an opportunity to throw the word around as a marketing trick, as it was just a basic extender/repeater more than anything.
Netgear will be finally launching its Nighthawk Mesh WiFi 6 System, which brings true mesh to the Nighthawk family of products, coming later this month with a two-unit setup and the ability to expand to three with a second satellite (for larger homes/spaces).
One of the typical drawbacks with mesh is that a lot of your solutions currently on the market lack some of the more advanced settings that tech enthusiasts look for in a router, instead opting for a more user-friendly setup for the average beginner or intermediate consumer. Because of this, advanced lines like the Nighthawk series have been selling strongly for those who have the need for these deeper settings, despite lacking the flexibility of mesh. This opens the opportunity for these enthusiasts to jump into mesh without the loss of those deeper settings, allowing gamers and professionals to find the best of both worlds.
At first, it will likely be missing some of the capabilities of a normal Nighthawk model during its early moments, but Netgear has sworn to continue to add new features to the new setup in the near future to bring it up to the quality that these users depend on.
It will be launching on the 24th (this month) where they will begin shipping units. Meanwhile, you have the option of pre-ordering one if you want to be one of the first to get your hands on one. The price point seems to be fair for an introduction, with an MSRP of just $229. You can find the specifications below, as well as a link to the pre-order.
WiFi Coverage
Meanwhile, they have their NETGEAR Orbi Whole Home Tri-Band Mesh WiFi 6 System (RBK852) solution for those looking to stick with their Orbi line. It has a little further reach minus some of the settings/features of the Nighthawk series. Still, a dependable and powerful router solution for most homes with a user-friendly setup. This is great for your average to intermediate consumer and still ranks as one of the best mesh solutions on the market. The only catch is this latest version of the Orbi family weighs in at a cost. The MSRP is $699 for the typical two-unit setup that covers up to 5,000 square feet of space. They also have their three-unit kit that covers up to 7,500 square feet that will run you around $999 MSRP. It is an incredible platform, but it might be some time before it reaches a price that the common consumer may be willing to jump into. These have been available since late last year and are shipping currently.
