OVERALL
ALTERNATIVES
SPECS
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REVIEWS
Scored using Routers Methodology v3.0
Routers Methodology v3.0
Mathematical & Unbiased Scoring
Products in this category are scored under Frontum Routers Methodology v3.0: the technical score from the specifications is the base, and independent expert and video reviews (up to ±0.5 points), owner opinions (up to ±0.3) and best-of lists (up to +0.3) move it up or down.
Explore Routers Methodology v3.0

Netgear Essentials WiFi 6 AX1800 WAX204 review: 77 specs compared

Avg. price:~£150Wi-Fi version:Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)Wi-Fi speed:1800 MbpsLAN port speeds:1 GbpsMesh Wi-Fi:no

Netgear Essentials WiFi 6 AX1800 WAX204 Review: Compare 77 technical specifications to see how this product ranks in the Routers category and whether it is worth buying.

7.4/10

Overall score

Score
7.4/ 10
✕
What it is
Our main score for this model, 1–10. It combines specs, expert reviews, best-of lists and owners.
How we count it
Parts: Technical score 40%, Reviews score 25%, List score 25%, Sentiment score 10%
Marks: Each part gets a mark out of 10. For reviews, lists and owners, a typical model in this category gets about 8 and the best one gets 10.
No data yet: A part with no data shows "?". It counts as the mark of a weaker model in this category (4 in 5 models with data score higher). This way, models with reviews, lists and owners usually come out ahead.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 51% of models
Score components

40%

7.2

Technical score

25%

?

Reviews scoreNot enough data yet, so we use 7.7, the mark of a weaker model in this category

25%

?

List scoreNot enough data yet, so we use 7.5, the mark of a weaker model in this category

10%

?

Sentiment scoreNot enough data yet, so we use 6.9, the mark of a weaker model in this category

â–¼Worse than 51% of routers
8.1

Value for money

Value for money
8.1/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the router's overall rating with its cost.
When it matters
When you are looking for a router with a good balance between network performance, features, and price.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 54% of models
Score components

70%

7.4

Overall score

30%

9.7

Price

â–¼Worse than 54%
7.2

Technical score

Technical score
7.2/ 10
✕
What it is
How good the specs are compared with the other models in this category, 1–10.
How we count it
Areas: We rate the specs in each area against the other models in this category.
Weighting: The areas that matter most to buyers count more. The shares are shown under Score components.
Share: The technical score is 40% of the overall score.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–² Better than 53% of models
Score components

26%

6.3

Wireless

20%

5.4

Ports

18%

8.8

Networking

14%

10

Security

12%

6.5

Hardware

10%

7.1

Management

â–²Better than 53%
?

Reviews score

Reviews score
✕
What it is
Average grade from independent test sites, magazines and video reviewers, 1–10.
How we count it
Grades: Each review's own score is converted to 1–10; without one, we grade the review ourselves. Big test sites count more, short reviews half as much as full tests. A video review counts half.
Score: The average grade is 80% of the review mark; the number of reviews is the other 20% (1 review = 5, the typical number in this category = 8, the most-reviewed model = 10).
Enough data: With few reviews, the average grade is pulled toward the typical grade of this category. No reviews yet: 7.7 for now.
Share: Reviews count 25% of the overall score.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Grades by review (0)
We have not found an independent test of this model yet. Until we do, its review part counts as 7.7.
User ratings collected online are not part of this score.
No expert tests yet
?

List score

List score
7.5/ 10
✕
What it is
How often independent test sites, magazines and video reviewers put this model in their best-of lists for this category.
How we count it
Points: The model in the most lists of this category gets 10; the others get 8 to 10 in proportion. In no list yet: 7.5. Lists count 25% of the overall score.
Enough data: Every list counts, even a single one. With fewer than 5 best-of lists in the category, this part is left out.
Lists with this model (0)
Not in any best-of list yet, so this part counts as 7.5. Models in a list get 8 to 10.
Not in any best-of list yet
  • No image
No image
Where to buy
    N/A~ £150
Best rankings
Available: ranking among products currently available (including other versions of this product).All: ranking among all products in the database.
Loading category ranking...

Technical Specifications of router Netgear Essentials WiFi 6 AX1800 WAX204

Technical score
Technical score
7.2/ 10
✕
What it is
How good the specs are compared with the other models in this category, 1–10.
How we count it
Areas: We rate the specs in each area against the other models in this category.
Weighting: The areas that matter most to buyers count more. The shares are shown under Score components.
Share: The technical score is 40% of the overall score.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–² Better than 53% of models
Score components:

26%

6.3

Wireless

20%

5.4

Ports

18%

8.8

Networking

14%

10

Security

12%

6.5

Hardware

10%

7.1

Management

7.2
Reviews score
7.7
List score
?
Value for money
Value for money
8.1/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the router's overall rating with its cost.
When it matters
When you are looking for a router with a good balance between network performance, features, and price.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 54% of models
Score components:

70%

7.4

Overall score

30%

9.7

Price

8.1
Brand name
Netgear
Wi-Fi version
Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
This router uses Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), which is more advanced than 58.5% of routers and equal to 25.9% of routers.
Wi-Fi bands
2.4 GHz + 5 GHz
This router supports 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz Wi-Fi bands, which are more versatile than 24.2% of routers and equal to 65.6% of routers.
Wi-Fi speed
1,800 Mbps
Market range: <0 Mbps – >6k Mbps
This router delivers 1,800 Mbps Wi-Fi speed, which is higher than 54.1% of routers and equal to 3.9% of routers.
Channel widths supported
20 MHz + 40 MHz + 80 MHz
This router supports 20 MHz + 40 MHz + 80 MHz channel width options, which is more than 36.5% of routers and the same as 29.9% of routers.
Show more
Wi-Fi security protocols
WPA3, WPA2, WPA
This router supports WPA3, WPA2, WPA Wi-Fi security protocols, which are more advanced than 85.7% of routers and equal to 14.3% of routers.
DoS protection
yes
This router includes DoS protection. 9.8% of routers include DoS protection.
SPI intrusion protection
yes
This router includes SPI-based intrusion protection. 4.7% of routers include SPI-based intrusion protection.
MAC address filtering
yes
This router supports MAC address filtering. 1.7% of routers include MAC address filtering.
URL filter
yes
This router supports URL filtering. 2.6% of routers include URL filtering.
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IPv6 support
yes
This router supports IPv6. 8.8% of routers are IPv6-ready.
Dynamic routing
yes
This router supports dynamic routing. 54% of routers support dynamic routing.
Inter-VLAN routing
yes
This router supports inter-VLAN routing. 75.8% of routers support inter-VLAN routing.
VLAN tagging
yes
This router supports VLAN tagging. 33.6% of routers include VLAN tagging.
QoS
yes
This router includes QoS controls. 2.4% of routers include QoS controls.
Show more
N. of LAN ports
4
Market range: <0 – >5
This router has 4 LAN ports, which is more than 34.2% of routers and the same as 59.3% of routers.
LAN port speeds
1 Gbps
This router offers 1 Gbps on its LAN ports, which is faster than 25.7% of routers and on par with 56.1% of routers.
N. of WAN ports
1
Market range: <0 – >5
This router has 1 WAN ports, which is more than 0.8% of routers and the same as 89.4% of routers.
N. of USB ports
0
Market range: <0 – >5
This router has 0 USB ports, which is fewer than 60.1% of routers and the same as 39.9% of routers.
Power over Ethernet (PoE)
no
This router does not support Power over Ethernet (PoE). 1.7% of routers can be powered over Ethernet.
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Management interface
Web UI, App
This router uses Web UI, App for management, which is more advanced than 29.7% of routers and equal to 60.9% of routers.
Firmware upgrade method
Web UI, Automatic
This router supports Web UI, Automatic firmware update methods, which are more convenient than 30.2% of routers and equal to 31.9% of routers.
Traffic monitoring
yes
This router includes traffic monitoring. 13.9% of routers include traffic monitoring.
Guest Wi-Fi network
yes
This router offers a guest Wi‑Fi network. 7.3% of routers offer a guest Wi‑Fi network.
Captive portal
no
This router does not offer captive portal features. 22.4% of routers offer captive portal features.
Show more
CPU clock speed
4x 1.5 GHz
This router runs at 4x1.5 GHz, which is faster than 73.4% of routers and on par with 7% of routers.
RAM capacity
64 MB
Market range: <0 MB – >1k MB
This router has 64 MB of RAM, which is less than 70.5% of routers and the same as 13.3% of routers.
Internal storage
0.25 GB
Market range: <0.0039 GB – >0.5 GB
This router has 0.25 GB of internal storage, which is more than 71.9% of routers and the same as 16.8% of routers.
Hardware acceleration
yes
This router offers hardware acceleration. 24.9% of routers offer hardware acceleration.
N. of external antennas
3
Market range: <0 – >10
This router has 3 external antennas, which is more than 57.9% of routers and the same as 11.8% of routers.
Show more

Netgear Essentials WiFi 6 AX1800 WAX204 vs the average router

246810TotalWirelessSecurityNetworkingPortsManagementHardware
  • Stronger Wi-Fi security
    This router supports the Wi-Fi security protocols WPA3, WPA2, WPA, while the average router supports WPA2, WPA/WPA2, WEP.
    WPA3, WPA2, WPA vs WPA2, WPA/WPA2, WEP
  • Supports OFDMA
    This router supports OFDMA, while the average router does not. 41.5% of routers support OFDMA.
  • Newer Wi-Fi version
    This router supports a newer Wi-Fi version than the average router (Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) vs Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)). The average router uses Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac).
    Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) vs Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)
  • Supports dynamic routing
    This router supports dynamic routing, while the average router does not. 46.1% of routers support dynamic routing.
  • Supports inter-VLAN routing
    This router supports inter-VLAN routing, while the average router does not. 24.4% of routers support inter-VLAN routing.
  • 2x more internal storage
    This router has more internal storage than the average router (0.3 GB vs 0.1 GB). The average router offers 0.125 GB of internal storage.
    0.25 GB vs 0.125 GB
  • Higher CPU clock speed
    This router has a higher CPU clock speed than the average router (4x1.5 GHz vs 2x1 GHz). The average router has a CPU clock speed of 2x1 GHz.
    4x1.5 GHz vs 2x1 GHz
  • Supports TWT
    This router supports Target Wake Time (TWT), while the average router does not. 42.6% of routers support Target Wake Time (TWT).
  • Supports OFDMA
    This router supports OFDMA, while the average router does not. 41.5% of routers support OFDMA.
  • Newer Wi-Fi version
    This router supports a newer Wi-Fi version than the average router (Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) vs Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)). The average router uses Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac).
    Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) vs Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)
  • Supports TWT
    This router supports Target Wake Time (TWT), while the average router does not. 42.6% of routers support Target Wake Time (TWT).
  • 1 more spatial streams
    This router has more spatial streams than the average router (4 vs 3). The average router has 3 spatial streams.
    4 vs 3
  • Stronger Wi-Fi security
    This router supports the Wi-Fi security protocols WPA3, WPA2, WPA, while the average router supports WPA2, WPA/WPA2, WEP.
    WPA3, WPA2, WPA vs WPA2, WPA/WPA2, WEP
  • Supports dynamic routing
    This router supports dynamic routing, while the average router does not. 46.1% of routers support dynamic routing.
  • Supports inter-VLAN routing
    This router supports inter-VLAN routing, while the average router does not. 24.4% of routers support inter-VLAN routing.
  • 2x more internal storage
    This router has more internal storage than the average router (0.3 GB vs 0.1 GB). The average router offers 0.125 GB of internal storage.
    0.25 GB vs 0.125 GB
  • Higher CPU clock speed
    This router has a higher CPU clock speed than the average router (4x1.5 GHz vs 2x1 GHz). The average router has a CPU clock speed of 2x1 GHz.
    4x1.5 GHz vs 2x1 GHz
  • 1 more external antennas
    This router has more external antennas than the average router (3 vs 2). The average router has 2 external antennas.
    3 vs 2
  • Limited firmware updates
    This router supports the firmware update methods Web UI, Automatic, while the average router supports Web UI, App, Automatic.
    Web UI, Automatic vs Web UI, App, Automatic
  • 1 fewer USB ports
    This router has fewer USB ports than the average router (0 vs 1). The average router has 1 USB ports.
    0 vs 1
  • 9.9 W higher power consumption
    This router uses more power than the average router (18 W vs 8.1 W). The average router uses 8.1 W power.
    18 W vs 8.1 W
  • 25.3% narrower wireless coverage
    This router has narrower wireless coverage than the average router (139 m² vs 186 m²). The average router offers wireless coverage of 186 m².
    139 m² vs 186 m²
  • 75% less RAM
    This router has less RAM than the average router (64 MB vs 256 MB). The average router has 256 MB of RAM.
    64 MB vs 256 MB
  • No DLNA support
    This router does not support DLNA, while the average router does. 50.4% of routers support DLNA.
  • No beamforming
    This router does not support beamforming, while the average router does. 62.1% of routers support beamforming.
  • Less capable NAS services
    This router includes none NAS services, while the average router includes SMB, media server.
    none vs SMB, media server
  • 57.9% more expensive
    Netgear Essentials WiFi 6 AX1800 WAX204 is more expensive than the average router (£150 vs £95).
    £150 vs £95
  • 25.3% narrower wireless coverage
    This router has narrower wireless coverage than the average router (139 m² vs 186 m²). The average router offers wireless coverage of 186 m².
    139 m² vs 186 m²
  • No beamforming
    This router does not support beamforming, while the average router does. 62.1% of routers support beamforming.
  • No PPTP server
    This router cannot act as a PPTP server, while the average router can. 66.2% of routers can act as a PPTP server.
  • 13,200 fewer NAT sessions
    This router has fewer concurrent NAT sessions than the average router (1,800 vs 15,000). The average router supports 15,000 concurrent NAT sessions.
    1,800 vs 15,000
  • 1 fewer USB ports
    This router has fewer USB ports than the average router (0 vs 1). The average router has 1 USB ports.
    0 vs 1
  • Limited firmware updates
    This router supports the firmware update methods Web UI, Automatic, while the average router supports Web UI, App, Automatic.
    Web UI, Automatic vs Web UI, App, Automatic
  • No DLNA support
    This router does not support DLNA, while the average router does. 50.4% of routers support DLNA.
  • Less capable NAS services
    This router includes none NAS services, while the average router includes SMB, media server.
    none vs SMB, media server
  • 9.9 W higher power consumption
    This router uses more power than the average router (18 W vs 8.1 W). The average router uses 8.1 W power.
    18 W vs 8.1 W
  • 75% less RAM
    This router has less RAM than the average router (64 MB vs 256 MB). The average router has 256 MB of RAM.
    64 MB vs 256 MB

Expert reviews

In-depth analysis and verdict from leading tech publications

dongknows.com
04/03/2021
Not graded yet
storagereview.com
12/04/2021
Not graded yet

Third-party reviews

What customers like about Netgear Essentials WiFi 6 AX1800 WAX204

  • Affordable Wi-Fi 6 entry point often available for under $100
  • Reliable Wi-Fi 6 performance with speeds reaching ~800Mbps at close range
  • Versatile operating modes as either a standalone router or a wireless access point
  • Supports VLAN tagging and multiple SSIDs (up to 3) for network isolation
  • Includes five Gigabit Ethernet ports, providing ample wired connectivity
  • Good coverage for small to medium spaces, typically up to 1,800 sq. ft.
  • Compatible with open-source firmware like OpenWRT for advanced users

What customers don't like about Netgear Essentials WiFi 6 AX1800 WAX204

  • Management interface is reported as slow, cumbersome, and dated
  • Some users report intermittent connection drops that require frequent reboots
  • Web configuration page may trigger security warnings in modern browsers
  • Lacks a USB port for network-attached storage or printer sharing
  • QoS (Quality of Service) features are automated and lack manual customization
  • No support for simultaneous WPA2/WPA3 on a single SSID
  • Indicator lights are described as excessively bright with no option to dim

Verdict

The Netgear Essentials WAX204 is a dual-band WiFi 6 router and access point designed for home offices and small businesses, delivering a combined theoretical throughput of 1.8 Gbps (600 Mbps on 2.4 GHz and 1200 Mbps on 5 GHz). It features four Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports and one Gigabit WAN port for high-speed wired connectivity, alongside support for WPA3 security and up to three separate SSIDs to segregate guest and employee traffic. Main advantages include its cost-effective entry into WiFi 6 technology, the ability to support up to 64 client devices simultaneously, and a simple local web-based management interface that does not require a cloud subscription. However, notable drawbacks include the absence of a USB port for shared storage, a lack of support for mesh networking or remote mobile app management, and reports of a somewhat slow and cumbersome administrative interface.

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