Netgears new VDSL / ADSL Modem Router with AC wireless (D6400)

I was about to put it back earlier and the line went down so until that gets fixed I've no idea if it was on the way out already. Will report back :)
Oh one thing though, after another reboot the media server and drive sharing is now pretty nippy, playing back 1080p without an issue :)
 
Is anyone using these for wireless remote gaming either using a Shield or Steam? I know the quality of the experience can vary on a lot of factors such as distance, amount of walls, other devices etc but in general is the experience better than your previous router?
 
Freddie1980 said:
Is anyone using these for wireless remote gaming either using a Shield or Steam? I know the quality of the experience can vary on a lot of factors such as distance, amount of walls, other devices etc but in general is the experience better than your previous router?
Click to expand...

Thats a loaded gun question which will have varying answers.

If i compare the Netgear D6400 to my prior ECI modem and Homehub 3 router setup then yes of course wifi is better on the Netgear.

If someone was previously using equipment of a similar spec to the Netgear though and not just N rated gear then it may be another story.

5Ghz AC also as im glad you realise can vary greatly home to home, due to it being a narrower focused radio wave. It is actually technically possible for someone with a thick breeze block wall to have better performance than someone with a thin Plasterboard wall. (narrow beams like as much free air as they can get in a very narrow path, breezeblock is hollow, plasterboard is not). Its the opposite for 2.4Ghz and N rating that is a wider radio wave.

Asking that question is like asking someone who is a 34inch waist how a pair of trousers fit when you are a 28 inch waist. Pointless to a degree and will tell you nothing about how well the trousers will perform for you.

The best thing you can do is go here.....
http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/tools/charts/router/view
Look up your current gear if it is listed, make notes of wifi figures......

Then lokk up and compare it to the Netgear R6250 on that list

That is basically the same as the D6400 (well as close as it gets, wifi chipset is the same) in this thread only minus the modem and usb port config is different. The rest of the device is very similar. That will give you more of an idea of how well or not it will perform for you as on that site the devices are all tested under the same roof rather than random house designs with people using random wifi receivers.
 
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Freddie1980 said:
Is anyone using these for wireless remote gaming either using a Shield or Steam? I know the quality of the experience can vary on a lot of factors such as distance, amount of walls, other devices etc but in general is the experience better than your previous router?
Click to expand...

I have an nVidia Shield Tablet, I will see if can test it out but the tablet has only N whereas the console has AC, although the tablet can use usb ethernet adapters but then not as portable then hahahaha.
 
Freddie1980 said:
Thanks for the replies so far.
Click to expand...

Ran the Shield Hub test from about 8m away on 5Ghz Wireless N showing as 300Mbit and it gave the following -

Code: 
                       Measured    Required     Recommended
Bandwidth (Mbps)         >24          >4            >12
Frame loss (%)            0          >10             <1
Jitter (ms)               7          <40            <20
Ping (ms)                 2          <15             <2
 
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Quick little tip ive discovered which may come in handy on the D6400.

If the internet side of things ever has an authentication issue or the IP lease expires, or for whatever reason you wish to renew the IP on the device without resorting to a FULL reboot you can actually do this...

Enter routers setup
Under Basic click Internet, the internet Setup page will display
DO NOT alter anything on the page
At the top just click apply.

Now the device will state "Restarting" rather than "Rebooting" again it will take about 60 seconds but there is a benefit...

This is useful as it will renew IP address, Lease time and probably cure any minor authentication issues we have all had time to time, while at the same time the Netgear will still keep track of your UPTIME and stats unlike if you use the full reboot option where the stats are all reset.

:)
 
michty_me said:
Ah that sounds better! Thanks for the tip. So it resets everything apart from the modem side of things?
Click to expand...

I think it technically stays connected and just asks for or sends a new authentication request. It is definitely is not a full disconnect and reconnect or reboot though as it happens quicker than a reboot or power off and on. I think what it is doing is similar to what IP lease periods do on ISPs which actually support changing that period.

If before the tip above you click on "advanced, then advanced home, then show statistics and connection status" you will find your UPTIME and data transferred figures.

Do the above mention tip and then look at these stats under advanced home again and you will find they have NOT reset and continue on from where they were.

If you click reboot anywhere in the interface though all your stats are reset and start over. Even just altering a wifi setting.
 
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Quick update, Currys kindly replaced my faulty D6400.
The replacement is certainly better then the faulty unit (that was easy!), but I'm totally unimpressed by the wifi performance. It is not better than my TalkTalk supplied router, sadly. Actually the 5G signal is pretty poor. I have to resort to the 2.4 to get a better range. Considering that it costs £150, and that I'm using an iphone 6 with ac its wifi performance is extremely disappointing. It went back to Currys and I got a full refund. Kudos to Currys in Canary Wharf London who have been exceptionally patient.

So in the end I am keeping the TalkTalk Super Router which does everything the same if not better than the expensive D6400...pity.
 
There should be a few more options out for you in the coming months. I too found the WiFi performance a bit weak with the d6400 hence why I returned it too.
 
I was interested earlier but having read the previous 2 posts ain't buying it yet.

I'll keep my bt modem for now, I wanted to save an electrical socket, knowing that the D6400 has built in vdsl and router all in one.
 
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FYI the new D7000 does not reboot itself or lose sync when you apply the majority of settings and if it does need to do something that takes a while it seems like the modem part and the router part are separate parts and it does not have to take both down etc ))))
 
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