#NETGEAR USB CONTROL CENTER UTILITY. INSTALL#
#NETGEAR USB CONTROL CENTER UTILITY. FREE#

And if you have a 2.4GHz client that you donвЂ™t want to discard, NetgearвЂ™s 2.4GHz beam-forming technology could make for faster connections. If you donвЂ™t already have a NAS, this unitвЂ™s USB 3.0 port will be attractive. If you live in a household in which other users compete for bandwidth, the NighthawkвЂ™s downstream QoS feature might solve any video-streaming problems you encounter.

Upgrading to this from any 802.11n router (or anything older) is an absolute no-brainer. The Netgear Nighthawk is very fast, and itвЂ™s stuffed with compelling features for a very reasonable $200. The dual-core CPU running at 1GHz inside the Nighthawk positive crushed the rest of the field, especially when it came to writing files to the hard drive. If you donвЂ™t want to invest in a stand-alone NAS (network-attached storage) device, connecting a USB hard drive to the NetgearвЂ™s Nighthawk USB 3.0 port is a viable alternative. I didnвЂ™t have a client that supported TurboQAM, but I plan to review some Wi-Fi adapters that do in the near future. The NighthawkвЂ™s 2.4GHz 802.11n network performed much better than the AsusвЂ™s router on this test, but it certainly wasnвЂ™t the fastest in this category.

#NETGEAR USB CONTROL CENTER UTILITY. FREE#

Using NetgearвЂ™s free service, you can set up an easy-to-remember ftp address (such as ) and use it with any Web browser to access the contents of the drive. The Nighthawk provides a personal ftp server, with dynamic DNS support to make it easy to access a USB storage device connected to the router from the Internet.

#NETGEAR USB CONTROL CENTER UTILITY. INSTALL#

The router has two USB ports and can support both a USB printer (youвЂ™ll need to install NetgearвЂ™s USB Control Center utility on each client) and a USB storage device. The Nighthawk also supports OpenVPN, which gives you secure access to your home network-and all of the client PCs running on it-from anywhere that provides Internet access. In addition to supporting OpenDNS, you can block websites based on keywords, you can operate parental controls according to a schedule, you can exempt specific PCs from the parental controls, and it can send you email alerts when someone attempts to connect to blocked sites and services. The Nighthawk also has better parental control features. This means the Nighthawk can recognize network traffic such as a Netflix stream and assign it higher priority than other traffic, such as a BitTorrent upload. The Nighthawk matches the Asus RT-AC68U almost feature for feature, and itвЂ™s superior in two respects: First, NetgearвЂ™s router offers downstream Quality of Service( QoS), where most routers-including the Asus-support only upstream QoS. In some cases, this can be accomplished via a firmware update, if the manufacturer offers one. To enjoy the higher link rate, the client must also support 256-QAM. Unfortunately, not all old 2.4GHz, 802.11n devices will suddenly become faster. Broadcom markets this capability as TurboQAM. Most routers rely on 64-QAM, which provides a maximum link rate of 450 mbps with 2.4GHz 802.11n networks. The higher-than-usual 2.4GHz link rate is made possible by the deviceвЂ™s use of 256-QAM (quadrature amplitude modulation). That number stems from its ability to support physical link rates of 1300 mbps on its 5GHz radio (using the 802.1ac networking standard) and of 600 mbps on its 2.4GHz radio (using the 802.11n networking standard). Netgear describes the Nighthawk as an AC1900 Wi-Fi router. The last two LEDs on the right side are also buttons: One turns the routerвЂ™s wireless capability on and off, and the other enables WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) for connecting a client. Each LED is labeled, but the tiny gray symbols on the gray enclosure are nearly impossible to read. A dozen LEDs on top of the router inform you of the status of its wireless radios, USB ports, Internet connection, ethernet and USB ports, and other features. In any event, the NighthawkвЂ™s sharply angular industrial design and huge antennas make it look very much like its namesake, the F117 Nighthawk stealth jet fighter. I think itвЂ™s even more amusing that Netgear is marketing its new router with the nickname вЂњthe Nighthawk.вЂќ Asus markets its router as вЂњthe Dark Knight.вЂќ Is this a case of imitation being the sincerest form of flattery, or has Netgear realized that people buying high-end routers care more about a routerвЂ™s performance than about its ability to blend into a homeвЂ™s decor? I hope itвЂ™s the latter. So I chuckled when I saw humongous external, removable antennas on the R7000, which-like the Asus RT-AC66U-has a rather slablike enclosure that you can lay flat or hang on a wall.

Netgear usb control center utility.