Netgear has a new access point for the WiFi 6 generation. Dubbed the Netgear WAX630, this is a new WiFi 6 AP. The new solution has several new features as part of the company’s Insight managed AP line.
Netgear WAX630 WiFi 6 Access Point
Just to set some context, here is Netgear’s current roadmap for adopting newer WiFi standards. One can see that we are still in the WiFi 6 generation but we will start to see WiFi 6E next year. For those who are wondering why not WiFi 6E at this point it usually comes to the power, price, and features of early WiFi 6E radios versus more mature WiFi 6 offerings.
The Netgear WAX630 is about a $100 premium at $329 over the WAX620. One of the major differences is that the WAX630 is the tri-band WiFi 6 offering.
Here is the spec comparison. The perhaps big one here is that the tri-band is enabled by two 5.0GHz 4×4 radios. It also supports more than twice the devices of the WAX620. Two 4×4 5.0GHz radios allow for the AP to operate over channels even if part of the spectrum is being subject to interference. With many devices on the AP, it also allows for higher performance by adding another 2.4Gbps radio. The AX6000 speed grade is 802.11ax with 6000Mbps combined (1200+2400+2400.)
The Netgear WAX630 is an Insight-managed AP. As a result, it is managed via Netgear’s Insight management interface. We showed this in our Netgear GS710TUP 10-port Ultra60 60W POE++ Switch Review as an example. This is a bit of a polarizing feature because some do not like the Insight subscription costs.
We probably would not have covered the Essentials WiFi collection except that we wanted to show that the Netgear WAX218 has 2.5GbE. This year, 2.5GbE is making a major push.
Overall, Netgear has a number of options in the WiFi space as we would expect.
Final Words
If there is interest, we may look to review the new Netgear WAX630. We have not reviewed an Insight-managed AP so perhaps that will make sense to do so. Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Am I correct in reading the “essentials vs. insight” comparison table as indicating that Netgear has absolutely no non-insight options if you need more than a single AP cooperating?
All Insight AP including. WAX610, WAX620 and WAX630 all work Standalone.
You can install multiple of these AP without Insight cloud to mange them.
Just manage it with Local UI.
I’d be curious to see an AP with 2.5gb backhaul stretch it’s legs (presuming the wifi side performs). Needing a subscription is a turn-off for home.
@fuzzy With the non insight ones you can have multiple APs. You just have to config each separately through their web UIs.
As Jaggi said:
I own the WAX620. I can tell you for sure, you can easily manage the AP locally. You do NOT need insight at all.
It’s quite easy to manage 10-20 or more Ruckus APs with the Unleashed firmware. It doesn’t sound like Netgear’s “Essentials” is in the same league as Unleashed is.
Standalone management of multiple AP’s is kind of outdated at this point.
I wonder how Netgear expects to compete with TP-Link Omada or even Ubiquiti Unifi?
Stuart,
If you need 5000 to 15000 sq ft of wifi and less than 60 wireless clients.
Orbi Pro Wifi 6 is good choice. check it out.
Orb Pro Wifi 6 supports both wireless backhaul and wired backhaul.
It has centralized management. I just go to orbilogin.net to configure and manage the whole network.
As per netgear:
Orbi Pro Wifi 6 is a system in box. It has router, AP and switch in the system.
OrbiPro SXK80 supports up to 6 satellites. When you wire the backhaul, you can use all the 3 radios to service wireless clients. I have not used wired backhaul in my home.
At my home, I use SXK80 with 3 satellites. I have 3 isolated SSID/networks/VLAN and about 60 wireless clients joining the network
My home network looks like this now.
CM2000==SXR80~~~~~~3 SXS80
moved from
Modem==router=Poe+switch=3 WAC540s to SXK80.
I liked DPI on WAC540 local UI.
I think I’ll stick with Ruckus, thank you very much. :-)
i have several insight devices THEY DO NOT NEED A SUBSCRIPTION. you can manage locally. especially doable for home environment. as much i like the unifi gui they have been on a downward trend and now have their software settings stuck between UIs that you have to switch in and out of. they also do not have 2.5g back haul on unifi stuff yet.
Rukus is good stuff too! i’ve thought about switching to Ruk from unifi APS as well