However, it's important to note that at this point there are very few client devices that actually support MU-MIMO. Since these AC5300 routers broadcast three networks, along with MU-MIMO, they can potentially transmit data to up to six devices simultaneously.
But very briefly now, it’s a technology that enables more efficient use of a router’s available bandwidth by allowing it to transmit data to multiple devices simultaneously. For those unfamiliar with MU-MIMO, it’s worth reading our review of the Linksys EA8500 router first - it was the first router to support MU-MIMO out of the box. These radios are also MU-MIMO capable, so if you have the right client devices, you can expect an overall network performance boost too. Powering all this is Broadcom's new 4x4 5G Xstream platform which consists of a 1.4GHz dual-core BCM47094 ARM Cortex A9 processor and three BCM4366 4x4 radios. This is all very amazing especially when you remember that your Gigabit Ethernet connection is “just” 1000Mbps. Take this number and multiply it by two (because there’s two 5GHz bands) and add 1000Mbps from the 2.4GHz band, and you get 5300Mbps. On the 5GHz network, because of NitroQAM and the fact that it supports up to four streams, total bandwidth has been boosted to 2150Mbps. And because this new Broadcom platform supports four spatial stream and a new Broadcom technology called NitroQAM, which increases the maximum bandwidth of each stream, the 2.4GHz network now supports a maximum throughput of 1000Mbps. So how did we arrive at 5300Mbps? AC5300 class routers are tri-band capable which means that they broadcast a single 2.4GHz network and two 5GHz networks. It is tri-band capable and supports up to four spatial streams, allowing it to provide even greater overall bandwidth. The ASUS RT-AC5300 and Netgear Nighthawk X8 routers are both powered by this new platform. This new platform is the successor the 5G XStream platform found in the Netgear Nighthawk X6. Internally, these routers are very similar in that they are all based on Broadcom’s new 4x4 5G XStream platform, so it’s probably apt that we talk about this new chipset now. And now we have AC5300 class routers in the form of ASUS' new RT-AC5300 and Netgear's new Nighthawk X8. And then in the past 12 months we saw the first AC2400 and AC3200 routers arrive as well. Just two years ago, we had the first AC1900 class routers hit the shelves. In fact, they are getting ludicrously fast. Routers are getting faster than ever, and that’s progress for you. Additionally, all DD-WRT Routers include a 1 year Hardware Warranty and a 30-Day Customer Satisfaction Guarantee.Note: This article was first published on 3rd December 2015.
All DD-WRT purchases come with setup instructions and free e-mail or ticket tech support for the life of the router. DD-WRT unlocks powerful features that allow you to better manage network traffic, access your home computers remotely, surf the web more securely using OpenVPN or PPTP and much more. Your DD-WRT Router will arrive with a recent and stable build of DD-WRT. NETGEAR NIGHTHAWK X8 R8500 OPTIMIZED BY DD-WRTĪll DD-WRT routers are flashed and tested by a Sabai Technology expert. Two (2) USB ports: 1 USB 3.0 & 1 USB 2.0 portĮight (8) high performance antennas with high-powered amplifiers Seven (7) 10/100/1000 Mbps Gigabit Ethernet ports: 1 WAN & 6 LAN Nighthawk X8 is the next wave in WiFiġ Netgear Nighthawk X8 R8500 flashed with DD-WRT firmwareġ Dual voltage American style power adapterĮmail or Ticket support for the life of the router
Six gigabit Ethernet ports means even more wired devices can connect and with port aggregation 2 ports can combine to double maximum wired speeds.
Four external Active Antennas plus four internal antennas amplify WiFi range. Tri-Band WiFi and Quad Stream performance boosts X8's combined wireless speeds to up to 5.3Gbps. The Nighthawk X8 AC5300 Smart WiFi Router is the next wave in WiFi.