Netgear Nighthawk X4S Tri-Band Wi-Fi Range Extender Review

The Nighthawk X4S extender is expensive for a Wi-Fi repeater, but it delivers excellent performance. Those distinctions are both down to its tri-band design, which uses not one but two 5GHz radios, along with a 2.4GHz one for older devices. That translates to a big bandwidth boost over the majority of cheaper extenders, which make do with a single 5GHz radio. Physically, the Nighthawk X4S is a chunky unit and it only supports Wi-Fi 5, rather than super-fast Wi-Fi 6. It has little in the way of advanced features, either. For what it is, though, the Netgear Nighthawk X4S is a terrific piece of kit. It delivers excellent Wi-Fi performance while being cheaper and easier to install than a full-blown mesh system.

Very fast; Easy to confiure; Adds mesh features to any router;

Bulky; No Ethernet ports;

Great Plug-in Extender (EX7500)

Bought this EX7500 Extender after reading many good reviews. I have a Nighthawk Router with Comcast/Xfinity as my ISP. My Nighthawk Router actually covered most areas of my 3 story home pretty well, but had a few spots where signal was poor. Added this Extender, and it solved all issues. Not a single disconnect issue so far. Was very easy to set up with WPS, but did eventually have to log into Extender to upgrade firmware. Also rebooted Router. Signal lights on the Extender easily identify best placement location. Like the single SSID feature and no loss of speed when connected to Router vs. Extender. Highly recommend.

Expectations Exceeded

The setup was very easy. I used this to extend our WiFi to the front of our house (downstairs and upstairs and a house size of 3000sqft). We have an AT&T WiFi router that is t strong enough to cover the house. Rather than spend more for a new router I went the extender route. Once I connected the extender to the router I moved it to about the middle of the house in the entry hallway. We now have full bars seamlessly throughout the entire house and can even sit outside on the front porch and still stream movies or surf. Easy setup and less cost than a new router plus seamless connectivity equals a win.

5GHz band is dropped repeatedly

5GHz band is dropped repeatedly. Unit is 30 feet from the router which is a very short distance for WiFi and is on the same level vertically. The light just goes out and my phone reports WiFi disconnected. Will come on if rebooted but seldom lasts more than a day. Other users report similar behavior. Netgear response is to call tech support. I have called 3 times. Usually get someone who says I need to talk to someone else. Last person just talked generalities with no specific suggestions except use a specific channel instead of Auto. Seems silly but tried it. Doesn't not help. Fortunately I can return the unit. Model 7500 seemed to be the best one which plugs into wall socket.

Eliminated Weak Zones

My wireless router is located in an office opposite the family room in my house. A pantry, kitchen and a large stone fireplace between these two areas block most of the wireless signal to the family room. The Netgear EX7500 eliminated all of the weak zones in my home. I originally had a problem connecting the EX7500 to the 5G band on my router, but turning off the automatic channel selector on the 5G band and picking a channel solved the connection problem. Having the option to use One Wifi Name and password for the entire network is also a big plus. I now have a seamless network covering the entire 4,000 sqft house from the basement to the 3rd floor attic bedroom. I recommend this product.