Netgear EX6200 AC1200 Wi-Fi Range Extender Review

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Over the past few months, we have seen quite a few range extenders come through the lab here at TweakTown. While most of them have been of the compact variety, we have seen full size units such as the REA20 from Amped Wireless come through as well.

Today, we have one of the latest solutions from Netgear in the lab in the form of the EX6200 AC1200 wireless range extender. The EX6200 features dual-band capabilities of 300Mbps on the 2.4GHz band and 900Mbps on the 5GHz band. In addition to this, the EX6200 features 700mW high power amplification along with 5dBi antennas.

Adding to the value of this range extender, you will find five gigabit Ethernet ports on the back of the unit, allowing you to wire up additional PCs that may be near your extender. Netgear didn't skimp out on processing power either. It features a dual-core 800MHz processor at the base of the system.

MSRP for the Netgear EX6200 Range Extender is set at $149.99 with a one-year warranty.

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The scope of delivery for the EX6200 included the power adapter, wireless antennas, reading materials, and a base for the unit should you want to stand it vertically on your desk.

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Looking over the EX6200, the first thing we found was a set of nine LEDs across the front to denote everything from USB connectivity to LAN activity.

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The back of the extender houses the WPS button, five gigabit Ethernet ports, power adapter along with its switch, and the antenna connections.

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Internally, everything is shielded, so there really isn't too much to see, but I do believe the EX6200 utilizes a full Broadcom design.

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Setting up the extender, we had to first choose the 2.4GHz network we would extend. As you can see, the EX6200 picked up on our Linksys router.

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Next up, we chose our existing 5GHz network.

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As seen in the image at the end of the previous column, after the extender connects and you input your wireless network password, you can choose what to name the extended network.

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We are then ready to start testing the router after setup has finished.

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Now to testing, where with the 2.4GHz band we connected at 145Mbps with our MacBook Pro. Starting off our testing, the EX6200 had a signal rate of -20dBm, which is rather impressive. Moving out to our final distance at 40ft, the signal rate dropped to -50dBm.

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Over on the 5GHz band, we connected at 585Mbps with a -36dBm signal rate. Moving away from the EX6200, we find the extender making use of its beam forming technology, holding a steady signal rate but dropping to -60dBm at 40ft.

The Netgear EX6200 is quite the looker when it comes to aesthetics; its red and black design scheme really stands out among other solutions. The build quality of the unit is, well, not as good as the R7000 we reviewed a few months back. The plastics seem to be of lesser quality and a little more flimsy, and the included stand doesn't hold the extender in a true vertical position. Instead, it leans a little, much like the Tower of Pisa.

Pushing through the build quality to performance, I found the EX6200 to be one of the best performing solutions I have had come through the lab. It's far superior to the REA20 because it simply works. In testing, we were able to connect and setup the extender with ease thanks to the Netgear Genie, and 2.4GHz performance allowed us to connect around 150Mbps, while 5GHz allowed 585Mbps, though we did see the full 867Mbps a few times when we were closer to the extender.

MSRP of the Netgear EX6200 is set at $149.99 with a one-year warranty. Current market pricing can be found below.

PRICING: You can find the Netgear EX6200 for sale below. The prices listed are valid at the time of writing but can change at any time. Click the link to see the very latest pricing for the best deal.

United States: The Netgear EX6200 retails for $127.99 at Amazon.

Canada: The Netgear EX6200 retails for CDN$162.52 at Amazon Canada.

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