WiFi Mesh Range Extender EX8000 - Coverage up to 2500 sq.ft. and 50 Devices with AC3000 Tri-Band Wireless Signal Booster & Repeater (Up to 3000 Mbps Speed), Plus Mesh Smart Roaming

UPDATE: I've been using this for almost two weeks now with absolutely no issues. It continues to do exactly what it claims to be able to do. Awesome! I have a Nighthawk X4S AC2600 Smart WiFi Router Model R7800 that I've had for awhile now and it's connected to AT&T's provided ARRIS BGW210-700 modem. My 2500 SqFt two story home was built back in 2007 with a sort of central box where all the wires come in and go from which happens to be located upstairs at the very front of the house in our walk in closet. This has not been the greatest place to have a wireless router, in fact it's been terrible! Recently AT&T was finally able to send greater speeds through our fiber optic lines in our area so we went back to them and bumped our speed up to 300Mbps. Well almost immediately we were suffering with very low speeds down stairs, on the sides and the back of our home. We were consistently only getting speeds from 1 to 28Mbps...seriously. Everything was lagging or not connecting at all. I'm fairly good when it comes to getting everything hooked up but I fall short when it comes to solving these problems. Several times I almost called out a service tech to try and troubleshoot it but I didn't want to spend the money to find out it was something simple. My research led to trying a whole house mesh type product but I didn't want to fork out the dough for a bunch of extenders all over the house just in case it wasn't needed. Finally I came across this device here on amazon and it's was on sale and had great reviews. I liked that it's a Netgear product and should connect seamlessly to and truly become an extension of my existing router. I wouldn't even have to manually reconnect everything to it or change passwords, etc. Well no lie, I took it out of the box, walked it upstairs and plugged it in to power next to my Nighthawk router. The quick start instructions were very simple explaining to hit the WPS button on the extender and then on the router...within minutes it connected to the 2.4Ghz signal. Then I repeated the same process to connect it to the 5Ghz signal which again only took a couple of minutes. After that was done and all the lights were lit properly I walked it downstairs and plugged it in to a central location in the living room on a faux fireplace mantle. Within a couple of minutes all the lights came on and showed all was connected properly. I then sat down and ran my usual test Googleing 'speed test' from my favorite chair in the living room where I have been consistently getting those awful slow speeds. WHAT?! See the attached image with the white background of the test results. I almost wanted to cry tears of joy! I am finally getting pretty darn close to the speeds that my router is getting from the modem (see black background speed test from the router)! And this is with having 25-35 devices being connected...outdoor and indoor security cameras, multiple iphones, ipads, a few video game consoles, 3 apple tv devices, a couple of smart tvs, 5 computers, a couple of Amazon Alexa devices, multiple guest devices and so on and so on. Now I know this is my set up and my experience. A lot of people have different modems and routers from different manufacturer's even and I can't speak to how this will work with them, but I can honestly say this was worth every penny and the slow speed/terrible signal thing is a thing of the past! Woohoo!!

This extender did exactly as advertised. The signal was much stronger than my AT&T router, and then I had a good signal throughout the entire house, and even out to the sidewalk and backyard fence. I love how it allowed you to rename it, or keep the original router name if you desire. I keep the original router downstairs where the signal comes in, so the router doesn't extend well throughout the entire house. The extender is upstairs in the middle of the house, about 50 feet away, so then I had a great wifi signal everywhere. I set my devices to forget the original router, so they latched on to the mesh extender only. I was able to wire four devices in the room where the extender is with gigabit speeds, as well as the router downstairs. There is no apparent loss in speed. I loved this product, but then, a little over a year later........ We had a power outage that lasted 5 seconds. It resulted in the factory programming of this extender being erased. It no longer worked. All the lights constantly flashed. It was apparently downloading updates during the outage, so it bricked when the power came back on. All the lights on the front flashed every second or two, and the power light in back came on green initially, but after several seconds, became red permanently. So, I looked into the possibility of reprogramming it. Netgear gives us instructions on their website about how to do it, and since I have a decent knowledge of computers, I was successful! It works better than new now, with the latest updates. I am able to use wifi up to a hundred feet from the extender.

When I received my Netgear EX8000 I set it up. Setting up wireless network devices has become very easy so, it only took a few minutes. It did just what you'd expect a range extender should. The range was better than I expected and covered a wider area than other extenders I've used or setup for clients. Just shy of 2 months I noticed a massive drop in signal strength. When I went to look at the EX8000 I noticed that every light was flashing green simultaneously. I then tried connecting a computer up to it via a wired connection to reboot it through the interface. The page wouldn't load up. I then tried pressing the reset button which did nothing (not even a single change in how the lights flashed). As a last resort, I unplugged it for over a minute and plugged it back in. I came back 5 minutes later and all the lights were still flashing green. I then left it unplugged overnight and plugged it back in. This time I watched the lights for a good 7 minutes. Not once did the lights change from their flashing pattern. After trying various things over the next few days it was apparent that the EX8000 was "bricked". It seems very odd for a device that has been on the market as long as the EX8000 has to go out after less than 2 months. It was kept in an area that maintained a 78 degree (Fahrenheit) temperature with plenty of room around it. This experience has left me reconsidering recommending Netgear to even my client's home networking needs. One should get years, not months of use out of any equipment. In all my years of working on computers, upgrades have only been required for faster more capable equipment. I have a lot of old equipment that is 10 to 20 years old that still work for many clients who have less demanding needs. I've heard of disposable equipment, but this is ridiculous!

This review is for the EX8000. Included with the extender is a power adaptor and the instructions. I purchased this direct from Amazon and not a third-party seller after seeing it go on sale here for $159.00 which I thought was a decent deal for this extender. I held off on getting this because I thought the original price of 299 when it was first released was way too high as that cost as much or more as most good quality routers. The included instructions are rather basic but once I figured out how to activate WPS on my R7000 router, which doesn’t have a physical button, the connection with the extender was quick and easy. When the extender is first powered on, it takes a minute for it to boot up and be ready to pair with the router. The WPS pairing process also takes a couple minutes where it connects to the 2.4 Ghz network. You have to activate WPS again for it to connect to the 5 Ghz range, which takes about another minute to complete. If you don’t have WPS, you can utilize the installation assistant program. Once connected, you log into the extender to complete the setup. There was an update for the extender available (1.0.0.98) when I initially did the setup and I recommend updating immediately before completing the setup as it has some bug fixes. The firmware update completed pretty smoothly, although for some reason I could not access the extender webpage after the firmware update and instead had to use the extender’s IP to login and continue the setup. I assume that is some quirk in the new firmware that needs to be fixed. Once in the extender setup page, the setup is pretty easy to walk through and understand. The extender connected to my router with no further issues. It shows in my routers attached device section as 5g Wireless EX8000, along with its IP address. The one thing that I really like about the extender over other similar devices is that it is capable of using the same signal and network name as the router without having multiple networks being created. This makes connection to the network simple. If you have the devices already connected to the network there is no interruption. One small complaint I have is the white LED lights on the front of the extender are a bit hard to see and differentiate what it is indicating is active. Even though my router has the same white lights, the reflection caused by the angle of the LEDS make them blend together a bit. The extender is pretty big, standing 9 inches tall by 6.75 inches long but has a narrow vertical footprint at 2 inches deep. So, it does take up a bit of space wherever you put it. There are 4 Ethernet ports for hardwiring devices along with a USB port, which is similar to what my R7000 router has for hard drives. I have found that the USB port works but like my R7000, not nearly as well as a dedicated NAS server. In addition to the ports, there is a WPS button, power button, power port and reset button on the back of the device. I have a variety of devices that I use for streaming videos, music, and web surfing, including phones, tablets, smart TV, blu-ray players, computers, and PS3 and 4. Even my treadmill and elliptical is internet connected. For the most part, I have no major issues with getting a network signal from my R7000 router but since my router is on the 2nd floor of my home in a room that is in the front of the house, it sometimes struggles with some areas in my basement and in the back yard where the signal is a bit temperamental. Specifically, I have issues with my networked Nordic Track exercise equipment that has a built-in tablet of sorts that allows you to connect to the internet and play videos and things like that. With just the router, I get a decent signal but tend to get a lot of disconnects or a lot of stutters when playing videos. In addition, when I am outside in the back yard, the signal sometimes has issues as well. Once I got the extender connected and running, I put the device in the basement area. The instructions recommend putting it halfway between the router and the areas of poor signal. In my case, I would say that I have it placed a bit further than that, mainly because the signal being received from the router was still strong. I powered on my exercise machines and crossed my fingers. I got a full, excellent signal and connection on both machines. There have been no disconnects and no video stutter when watching videos on the machines. I also took my tablet out to the farthest reaches of my yard and whereas I would normally get a fair to good signal with just the router, I now have an excellent signal with no stuttering issues on the network. As far as I am concerned, it is a big improvement and so far, the device has worked as it is supposed to do. If you want to improve your routers signal strength, then this does the job. I also like that this device is setup to work with new routers that come out as well, so when the time comes that I will eventually replace my R7000, then I have an extender that will work as well for that one. Netgear, as well as other companies, tend to release hardware before the bugs are worked out in the firmware (as I experienced with the R7000) and that is probably the case here, since there an immediate update for the extender. Based on my experience with the router, Netgear does work hard to update the firmware for their devices. So far, I have had no issues with the extender working as it should with the 1.0.0.98 firmware, other than the quirk with the webpage, I described above which hopefully be fixed and continue to improve with future firmware updates. Pros: Easy setup WPS pairing Tri-band Good network speed (router dependent) One network ability Greatly extends range Firmware Updatable Future proof No interruption in connected devices No more dead spots 4 additional hardwire ports Cons: A bit expensive for an extender (at regular price) An occasional firmware update quirk Large footprint Instructions a bit basic and may not apply to your router White LED indicator lights a bit hard to see and determine which is on USB hard drive connection a bit flakey Overall, this extender seems to work well with an excellent 5 bar signal through two floors, a basement and outside, but I do think it is a bit pricey, especially at regular price. I will update my review if I have any future issues or updates. 4 stars

Better than Orbi. Two months ago I switched out a Nighthawk X8 Router for Orbi AC2200 with 3rd additional RBS40 Satellite. The Nighthawk worked great and rock solid Router. My issue was limited 5G range. My router was placed in basement of a 3000 sq ft Ranch in middle of house. 2.4 covered the whole house and perimeter outside. 5G covered 40% of the middle. After I set up the Orbi and Upgraded my modem to N1000 and Upgrade Xfinity to Xtreme 300 the 5G range and throughput was insane. Most wireless connected 200-360 on 5G. 2.4 speed were the same 40-90. After two months lots of drops due the wireless backhaul from router to satellites. I had to reboot daily to get it the work intermittently. I did all the firmware upgrades, etc I did process of elimination of removing Satellites to determine if defective units and did not find any. I had spotty connection especially with IOS and Mac OS devices which is like 70% of what I use. After one of my kids sleepovers and lots of complaining Youtube would not load I returned my Orbi back to big box store. I ate the Satellite I bought from Amazon. I then swapped in newer Nighthawk X10 from big box store. My old X8 already was up-cycled to friend. The new X10 worked just as well as old X8 with same limits on 5G, but no drops and rock solid connections. I then bought two of the Mesh X6s extenders to created in essence a wired Orbi. 5G coverage is great again with no drops like the Orbi. The wired backhaul makes all the difference. My house has lots of interference and prolly why the Orbi failed. I have multiple routers running (xfinity security, Netgear Arlo, etc) and everything is basically smart in my house (Garage, Lutron Lighting, XMAS lights, Water Sensors, Phlips HUE, Universal Remote Control Mrx-10 automation for AV, etc). The 4K streaming devices all wired up through cat6 through 3 netgear prosafe switches. Main wireless devices include ipads, iphones, samsung tablets, imac, macbooks, chromebooks, URC remotes. I cannot comment on extender mode since I am running them in AP mode using same SSID as router with smart connect turned off. The extenders have two 5G bands and my X10 only has one 5G since 3rd band is worthless Ad band. I named both 5G bands same ssid as router. Originally I thought smart connect combined only the 5G but was wrong. In extender it combines all bands into one ssid like an Orbi yuck!!! My old X8 router let me combine the two 5G bands into one that’s how I got confused with the X6s.

I recently moved into a new three-story house. I have Xfinity gigabit internet. The gateway is located on the middle floor on one end of the home. I have a Netgear R8000 tri-band wireless router connected to the Xfinity gateway. The R8000 has a very strong signal. however, the signal is greatly reduced on the lower floor opposite end of where the router is located. And, there is some weak coverage in areas of the top floor. I needed better coverage in those areas. The way the house is built, running CAT6 network cable is next to impossible without opening up some walls and ceilings. I tried several other WiFi extenders and even tried the Xpods provided by Xfinity. However, none provided me with any significant gains in signal and speed. As a last resort, I thought I would give EX8000 a shot. I wasn't expecting much. Boy, I was pleasantly surprised. I placed the EX8000 in a room located on the bottom floor and on the opposite end of the house where the R8000 sits, the WiFi I am going to extend. Without the EX8000 extender, I was getting one bar and about 60Mbps down and 12Mbs up. Not bad for just one bar of signal. But not reliable. After setting up the EX8000 extender I am now getting all bars, which I should since the EX8000 is only sitting a few feet from my PC. Then I ran a data speed test. I was shocked at the results. 220Mbps down and 41Mbs up! My upload speed is capped at 40Mbs from Xfinity. This device rocks! At least it does in my situation. I even purchased a second one to take care of the dead spots on the top floor. My entire hone is now bathed in string and fast WiFi. And since it is a mesh network, it stays on the same SSID. Setup took about 10 minutes, most of the time is waiting on the device to program and reboot itself. But with the Netgear app it is pretty much a plug and play setup.

This wireless extender does what it's intended to do and does that well. I'm using it as an access point with a wired connection to the router. It has good range and is very easy to set up. Read the instructions first. I took away one star because of the inadequate documentation and misleading advertising and one star because it is way overpriced for what you get. I bought this unit specifically because it offered FTP server and SMB (File Sharing) capabilities. Well, it does have those capabilities, barely, but they are so elemental as to be essentially useless. It's easy to attach a USB drive to it, but when you share it, all files and folders on it are created with a single User ID so that everyone owns all the the content. You can't have multiple User ID's - likewise the FTP server, *AND* if you want to connect to the shared files and password protect the shares, you *must* use the Extender's root/admin password. That means that anyone with the FileShare password can reconfigure and mess up the extender. Tech support was great; they got back to me quickly and confirmed what I had discovered. I'm disappointed that they added those FTP/FileShare features but they're not useable by me/my family certainly, and I'd wager that most people find that worthless too. The Genie software embedded in the Extender is good and I dare say that they even have some password recovery/reset features for people who are prone to forget them (I'm not one of those people).So, in summary, good Extender, Overpriced, useless file share and FTP server. No, I wouldn't recommend it to a friend. Oh yeah, when I received the email from NETGEAR to review the product on their web site, I did so, and repeated got this error: "An error has occurred and has been logged by our system. Thank you." So maybe they only accept good reviews or maybe their software is broken.

This WiFi Mesh Extender increased Internet speeds 70% with no signal dropping or slowing down. No more slow circles when streaming! The problem: My modem & router (Spectrum) located in my office and computer gets 116-118 Mbps download and 11-12 Mbps upload. Single story home with 1,500 sq. ft. I couldn't get any more than 20-28 Mbps download and 8-9 Mbps upload on any of my devices in my living room or bedroom (farthest from Router) using a plug-in extenders and would drop signal sort of ruining the streaming experience. Extreme frustration!!!! With the NETGEAR Nighthawk Mesh X6S Tri-Band WiFi Mesh Extender I now get an average 117 Mbps download and 12 Mbps upload on ALL my devices even in the farthest "dead zone". I even went outside to the farthest corner of my lot (about 80 feet from the Netgear extender) and still got 112 Mbps download on my Samsung Note 8. The unit was easy to install (even for this 75-year old), and being able to use the same access point name a real plus. I installed it eight days ago and the speed and performance have been flawless. It looks sleek and modern and I like that the antennae are inside the unit. While it seemed a bit pricey at first, it's sure less expensive than the other mesh systems I looked at. For me it is worth every penny! I did download the User Manual from the Netgear website before I ordered - be sure to use the model number shown above (the one here on the Amazon site is for a different model-??) There is a wealth of information and help onsite as well. I couldn't be happier with this amazing extender. Highly recommend!