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How many years have gone by since you've upgraded your Wi-Fi router? If it's been a few years and you want to also future-proof the network for upcoming technologies, a router on your short list should be Netgear's Nighthawk X10 (model R9000, $499.99).
The X10 not only has very fast dual-band (5GHz and 2.4 GHz) networking, but it also adds 802.11ad (60GHz) support, which provides for very fast data transfer rates over very short distances. This can be perfect for transferring large amounts of files over your LAN (such as between computers or a centralized storage device). Netgear also says that VR gaming will benefit from 802.11ad technologies (for when the headsets go wireless and need a high-speed connection to the PC from the headset) in the future. MU-MIMO technology is also supported, which maintains high data transfers when multiple-devices are also trying to do things on the network (such as stream video).
We recently tested the Nighthawk X10 on our network and found it to be a powerful Wi-Fi router. Not only did it provide us with fast data transfer rates in our different locations, but its add-on features were quite unique and helpful to us in our home network setup.
One such example - the X10 features six Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports on the back of the unit, while most standard Wi-Fi routers only include 4 LAN ports. If you're an Ethernet device type of person, the additional ports should make you smile. Other features include Amazon cloud backup (new users can get a six-month free trial) that lets you back up a connected USB storage drive to the cloud service, and parental controls options.
Setup can be done traditionally (by connecting to...