Netgear Nighthawk X4S D7800 4×4 802.11ac Router Review

1. Introduction2. Netgear Nighthawk X4S D78003. Netgear Nighthawk X4S D7800 Software4. Netgear Nighthawk X4S D7800 Analysis5. Closing Thoughts6. View All Pages

We tested the Netgear Nighthawk X4s D7800 over 802.11n, 3×3 802.11ac and quad-stream 4×4 802.11ac, using a second router configured as a bridge.

As with other networking reviews, Macs were used for testing with the useful software WiFi Perf, based on the open-source iPerf software. We tested both client-to-server (c2s) and server-to-client (s2c) speeds for three minutes, at distance of 1 metre, 5 metres and 10 metres, with the devices in direct line of sight to the router.

For the 4×4 tests, one Mac was connected via Ethernet to the router with another connected via Ethernet to the second router, configured as a bridge.

We also updated the Netgear Nighthawk X4S D7800 to the latest firmware prior to testing.

802.11n Results

Some excellent results over 802.11n at short range, hitting over 160 Mbit/sec, and while speeds drop off a bit at long range, as expected, it's still very much usable. Which is particularly helpful for people with older smartphones or tablets.

3×3 802.11ac Results

With the 3×3 802.11ac tests, we see some really good average speeds. As a general rule, anything over 600 Mbit/sec is good for 802.11ac, and averages over 700 are superb, so at short range, the Netgear Nighthawk X4S D7800 delivers the goods.

4×4 802.11ac Results

Just looking at the short-range results, you might not think these gains are impressive. In 4×4 mode the D7800 is only faster by a small margin, on average. Admittedly, we found that while it even hit a blistering high of 900 Mbit/sec close to the start, a result we rarely see from any wireless kit, it drops off sharply and averages out at a less impressive 780 Mbit/sec. This isn't particularly higher than the 3×3 results we recorded, making you wonder what the point would be of using 4×4.

The answer is in the long rage results, which are significantly improved over the 3×3 performance above. It leaps from 323 Mbit/sec to 577 Mbit/sec read, and from 402 Mbit/sec to 595 Mbit/sec. That's a great achievement.

USB Performance

We've seen better results from USB ports on modern routers. There's no reason 100MB/sec is not possible, maximising the speed of gigabit Ethernet, but these results are somewhat middling.

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