Netgear R8000 Nighthawk X6 Ac3200 Tri Band Wifi Gigabit Router User Manual

							Tri-Band WiFi Connections 71
 Nighthawk
 X6 AC3200  Tri-Band WiFi  Router
Tri-Band WiFi
Tri-band WiFi delivers 3.2 Gbps combined WiFi speeds through three dedica\
ted WiFi 
bands—a 2.4 GHz band, plus two 5 GHz bands. This additional 5 GHz WiFi band allows you 
to double the WiFi bandwidth for dual-band devices.
FAST
FASTER
FASTEST
2.4 GHz
600 Mbps
1300 Mbps  5 GHz - 2
1300 Mbps
 5 GHz - 1
Figure 7. Tri-band WiFi doubles the available bandwidth for dual-band devices
Smart Connect intelligently selects the best WiFi band for each dual-ban\
d device to optimize 
connection speed and performance based on that device’s speed and performance. The 
router automatically manages your WiFi connections, performing load bala\
ncing across the 
two 5 GHz radios. This additional WiFi bandwidth combined with the intelligence to segrega\
te 
traffic based on WiFi speed and load balancing provides the best performance\
 for multiple 
WiFi devices in the home.
How Tri-Band WiFi Improves Speed and Performance
Tri-band WiFi increases the available WiFi bandwidth for your network to \
reduce network 
congestion. 
Typically a dual-band WiFi router shares bandwidth among all connected de\
vices that are  downloading data at the same time. So if you are watching a Netflix movi\
e on your 
Internet-enabled large screen 

TV while your kids are watching a YouTube video on a 
smartphone, the router shares the bandwidth across these two devices. This is particularly 
unfair for the faster 802.11ac devices or three-stream (3x3) 802.11n devices because their 
speeds are reduced to the speed of the slowest device in the network. Ev\
en one slow device 
can bring down the entire network speed.
In this simplified example, the 5 GHz band is capable of a maximum speed\
 of 1300 Mbps, but 
the actual speed could be limited by the device capability
 . For example, an Apple MacBook 
Pro with support for three streams is capable of the maximum 1300 Mbps b\
ut the 
						

							Tri-Band WiFi Connections 72
Nighthawk
 X6 AC3200
 Tri-Band WiFi  Router 
iPhone 5S with support for only single-stream 802.11n can achieve a maximum WiFi speed 
of only 150 Mbps. As more devices connect and begin downloading, the bandwidth is shared 
among them as well.
The following example of shared bandwidth shows a dual-band router in wh\
ich the GHz WiFi  band has a fast 640 Mbps capacity
 . If only one computer or device connects, the router can 
allocate a speed of up to 640 Mbps to that connection, assuming that the\
 device is capable of 
that speed. When more devices connect to the 5 GHz band, they must share\
 the bandwidth. 
If four devices connect, then the router divides its 640 Mbps capacity b\
y 5, as shown in the 
following figure. 
Other router
Total bandwidth: 640 Mbps
(150 + 300 + 150 + 1300 + 1300) ÷ 5
Internet
5 GHz
FastMacBook Pro
300 Mbps ÷ 5
iPhone
150 Mbps ÷ 5 MacBook Pro
1300 Mbps ÷ 5
iPhone
50 Mbps ÷  5
iPad
300 Mbps ÷ 5
5 GHz WiFi Band
Figure 8. Dual-band WiFi network with one 5 GHz WiFi band
That means that in the network shown, a computer with a 1,300 Mbps capac\
ity has an 
effective WiFi connection speed of 160 Mbps (
1300 5 ), and other devices would also see 
their WiFi speeds divided by 5.
Tri-band WiFi adds a second 5 GHz WiFi band to the network. This increases the available  WiFi bandwidth, which can be compared to widening the road. In addition \
to widening the 
road, having two 5 GHz bands means that the router has dedicated 5 GHz b\
ands. 

That’s like  
						

							Tri-Band WiFi Connections 73
 Nighthawk
 X6 AC3200  Tri-Band WiFi  Router
having two lanes in the wider road instead of one. The router automatically uses Smart 
Connect to allocate the fastest devices to the fast lane
Nighthawk X6
Total bandwidth: 1500 Mbps
Internet 5 GHz
Faster
5 GHz WiFi Band
Greater than 2x the performance of other routers
5 GHz
Fastest iPhone
150 Mbps  ÷ 3 iPad
300 Mbps ÷  3iPhone
150 Mbps ÷ 3
MacBook Pro 300 Mbps ÷ 2 MacBook Pro
1300 Mbps ÷ 2
(150 + 300 + 150)÷ 3 + (1300 + 1300) ÷ 2
.
Figure 9. A tri-band network has two dedicated 5 GHz bands
In this tri-band network, the first 5 GHz band has a speed of 200 Mbps, \
and the second 5 
GHz band has a speed of 1,300 Mbps. 
The slower and faster devices are separated in different WiFi connections to ensure that you  get the best speed on each device. So in the previous figure, all the th\
ree mobile devices are 
on one 5 GHz band with a combined maximum speed of 200 Mbps and the othe\
r 5 GHz WiFi 
band is used for the faster 802.1

1ac devices with a combined maximum speed of 1300 Mbps. 
Effectively both slower and faster devices can run faster and the overall \
network speed 
increases by more than two times, from 640 Mbps to 1500 Mbps.
Load Balancing
The router uses load balancing to distribute WiFi connections among all \
three WiFi bands, to  ensure that both the WiFi bands are utilized. Load balancing avoids over\
loading a single   
5 GHz band and ensures that both the WiFi bands are utilized and device \
connections are 
spread across the two bands. 
						

							Tri-Band WiFi Connections 74
Nighthawk
 X6 AC3200
 Tri-Band WiFi  Router 
For example, if three mobile devices are connected to one 5 GHz band, th\
e fourth device is 
automatically connected to the other 5 GHz band.
Internet
PrinterLegacy devices
Dual-band WiFi devices IP camera
Dual-band AC WiFi devices
iPad Phone Fast
2.4 WiFi band
Up to 600 Mbps
Faster
5 GHz WiFi Band 1
Up to 1.3 Gbps
Fastest
5 GHz WiFi Band 2
Up to 1.3 Gbps
MacBook Pro MacBook Air iPhone
Desktop computer
Figure 10. Load balancing in a tri-band WiFi network
Slower devices like printers, older computers, or an IP camera connect t\
o the 2.4 GHz band. 
Having two 5 GH bands prevents overloading when many devices use WiFi at\
 the same time.
Benefits of Tri-Band WiFi
The tri-band WiFi network outperforms the dual-band network in several w\
ays:
• More bandwidth is available.
Even with more devices connected to the network, because the connections\
 are spread 
across two dif
 ferent bands, each device gets a larger share of the available WiFi 
bandwidth. The computers in Figure  9, A tri-band network has two dedicated 5 GHz 
bands  on page  73 have a 1,300 Mbps capacity. They share a 5 GHz WiFi band, and each 
has a WiFi connection speed of 650 Mbps, compared to 325 Mbps shown in Figure  8, 
Dual-band WiFi network with one 5 GHz WiFi band  on page  72. 
• Smart Connect directs WiFi traf
 fic to the appropriate lane.
With Smart Connect, older devices do not slow down faster devices.
• The router uses load balancing to avoid network congestion in each WiFi \
band.
With load balancing, you don’t have to share your WiFi connection wit\
h as many devices. 
						

							Tri-Band WiFi Connections 75
 Nighthawk
 X6 AC3200  Tri-Band WiFi  Router
Smart Connect
Smart Connect balances your 5 GHz WiFi connections into two different radio bands: the 5 
GHz radio 1 band and the 5 GHz radio 2 band. The router uses Smart Connect to choose the 
best radio band for your device to give you the best WiFi performance.
Nighthawk X6 2.4 GHz
600 Mbps
Legacy
devices
5 GHz WiFi band 1
300 Mbps Fast
dual-band
devices
5 GHz WiFi band 2
1300 Mbps Faster
dual-band
devices
Same WiFi network 
name and password 
for both 5 GHz 
bands—only one 
visible 5 GHz band
Figure 11. Smart Connect
For Smart Connect to work, both 5 GHz radio bands must use the same wire\
less network 
name (SSID) and network key (password). That means that when you connect to the router 
with WiFi, you see only one 5 GHz SSID that connects to both 5 GHz radio\
 bands.
Note:
If you enable Smart Connect and the SSID and passwords for both  
5 GHz radio bands do not match, the WiFi settings for 5 GHz radio 1 
overwrite the WiFi settings for 5 GHz radio 2. 
Enable or Disable Smart Connect
To enable or disable Smart Connect:
1.  Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is co\
nnected to the 
network.
2.  T
ype  http://www.routerlogin.net  or http://www.routerlogin.com .
A login screen displays.
3.  Enter the router user name and password. 
						

							Tri-Band WiFi Connections 76
Nighthawk
 X6 AC3200
 Tri-Band WiFi  Router 
The user name is  admin. The default password is password . The user name and 
password are case-sensitive.
The BASIC Home screen displays.
4.  Select  W
 ireless.
5. Select or clear the  Smart Connect – One Wireless Network Name (SSID) for both 5 GHz 
radios check box.
Selecting this check box turns on Smart Connect and clearing this check \
box turns off 
Smart Connect.
6.  Click the  Apply button. 
Your settings are saved.
Beamforming
Beamforming means that your router actively tracks clients and directs p\
inpoints Wifi to the 
client, rather than just blasting it out in all directions. This means better WiFi range and 
performance for your WiFi devices.
The router uses explicit and implicit beamforming to improve WiFi perfor\
mance. Explicit  beamforming requires the client to support beamforming typically 802.1
 1ac clients support 
beamforming. Implicit beamforming means the router can support beamformi\
ng even with 
clients that do not support beamforming. This router supports implicit beamforming for both 
2.4 GHz and 5 GHz clients, which means that it will provide beamforming \
benefits of better 
range and performance for all WiFi devices even older 802.11a/b/g/n, not just the latest WiFi 
clients. 
						

							Tri-Band WiFi Connections 
77  Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router
Implicit Beamforming
Implicit beamforming means that the router can use information from client devices that 
support beamforming to improve the WiFi signal. This feature is enabled by default, but you 
can disable it. 
To disable implicit beamforming:
1. Launch a web browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the 
network.
2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com.
A login screen displays.
3. Enter the router user name and password.
The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and 
password are case-sensitive.
The BASIC Home screen displays.
4. Select ADVANCED > Advanced Setup > Wireless Settings.
The Advanced Wireless Setting screen displays.
5. Scroll down below the WPS Settings section of the screen and clear the Enable 
Implicit BEAMFORMING check box.
6. Click the Apply button.
Your settings are saved. 
						

							78
7
7.   Share USB Devices Attached to the 
Router
This chapter describes how to access and configure USB storage devices attached to your 
router. The USB port on the router can be used only to connect USB storage devices like flash 
drives or hard drives or a printer. Do not connect computers, USB modems, CD drives, or DVD 
drives to the router USB port.
This chapter contains the following sections:
•USB Device Requirements 
•Access a USB Device on the Network 
•Back Up Windows Computers with ReadySHARE Vault 
•Back Up Mac Computers with Time Machine 
•Control Access to the USB Device  
•Use FTP Within the Network 
•View Network Folders on a USB Device 
•Add a Network Folder on a USB Device 
•Edit a Network Folder on a USB Device 
•Approve USB Devices 
•Safely Remove a USB Device 
For more information about ReadySHARE features, visit www.netgear.com/readyshare.  
						

							Share USB Devices Attached to the Router 79
 Nighthawk
 X6 AC3200  Tri-Band WiFi  Router
USB Device Requirements
The router works with most USB-compliant external flash and hard drives.\
 For the most 
up-to-date list of USB devices that the router supports, visit 
http://kbserver.netgear.com/readyshare .
Some USB external hard drives and flash drives require you to load the d\
rivers onto the 
computer before the computer can access the USB device. Such USB devices\
 do not work 
with the router

.
The router supports the following file system types for full read/write \
access: • F
AT16, FAT32
•NTFS
• NTFS with compression format enabled
• Ext2, Ext3, Ext4
• HFS
• HFS+
Access a USB Device on the Network
ReadySHARE lets you access and share a USB device connected to the route\
r USB port. (If 
your USB device uses special drivers, it is not compatible.) 
USB 3.0 port
Figure 12. The blue USB 3.0 port on the rear panel of the router provide\
s the fastest access

To connect a USB device:
1.  Insert your USB storage drive into a USB port on the rear panel of the r\
outer
 .
NETGEAR recommends that you use the blue USB 3.0 port for the fastest ac\
cess.
2.  If your USB device uses a power supply
 , connect it.
You must use the power supply when you connect the USB device to the rout\
er.
When you connect the USB device to the router USB port, it might take up\
 to two minutes 
before it is ready for sharing. By default, the USB device is available \
to all computers on 
your local area network (LAN). 
						

							Share USB Devices Attached to the Router 
80 Nighthawk  X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router 
To access the USB device from a Mac: 
1. Connect your USB device to a USB port on the router.
NETGEAR recommends you use the blue USB 3.0 port on the router to get the best USB 
device access speed.
If your USB device has a power supply, you must use it when you connect the USB 
device to the router.
When you connect the USB device to the router’s USB port, it might take up to two 
minutes before it is ready for sharing. By default, the USB drive is available to all 
computers on your local area network (LAN).
2. On a Mac that is connected to the network, launch Finder and select Go > Connect to 
Server.
The Connect to Server screen displays.
3. Enter the smb://readyshare in the Server Address field.
4. Click the Connect button.
5. When prompted, select the Guest radio button.
If you set up access control on the router and you allowed your Mac to access the 
network, select the Registered User radio button and enter admin for the name and 
password for the password. For more information about access control, see 
Allow or 
Block Access to Your Network on page 60.
6. Click the Connect button.
A window automatically opens and displays the files and folders on the device.
To access the USB device from a Windows computer: 
1. Connect your USB device to a USB port on the router.
NETGEAR recommends you use the blue USB 3.0 port on the router to get the best USB 
device access speed.
If your USB device has a power supply, you must use it when you connect the USB 
device to the router.
When you connect the USB device to the router’s USB port, it might take up to two 
minutes before it is ready for sharing. By default, the USB drive is available to all 
computers on your local area network (LAN).
2. Select Start > Run.
3. Enter \
eadyshare in the dialog box.
4. Click the OK button.
A window automatically opens and displays the files and folders on the device.
To map the USB device to a Windows network drive: 
1. Visit www.netgear.com/readyshare.