X
Home & Office
Why you can trust ZDNET : ZDNET independently tests and researches products to bring you our best recommendations and advice. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Our process

'ZDNET Recommends': What exactly does it mean?

ZDNET's recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing.

When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions. This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay. Neither ZDNET nor the author are compensated for these independent reviews. Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers.

ZDNET's editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form.

Close

Get better, faster Wi-Fi with Netgear's new WiFi 6 Standalone Access Points

Perfect for small businesses, home offices, home-based businesses, and more.
Written by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes, Senior Contributing Editor

Looking for a better Wi-Fi solution for a small business, home working, or a heavy-duty home network? Look no further than the new WAX202 and WAX206 desktop WiFi 6 Access Points from Netgear.

These are Netgear's latest addition to its Business Essentials family of products and combine high performance and professional-grade features with ease of use and a low price tag.

Both the WAX202 and WAX206 leverage the latest WiFi 6 wireless standard, which means that you get better coverage and fewer dead spots, all of which translates into a better, faster internet experience.

Also: Internet slow? Here are 7 possible reasons why and how to fix them

Both the WAX202 and WAX206 have been designed with ease of setting up and configuring in mind, and feature an intuitive web-based interface that provides step-by-step instructions for system configuration.

The new WiFi 6 standard is used on both the 5GHz and 2.4GHz bands offered by the access points, future-proofing them for Wi-Fi devices to come. Also, both the WAX202 and WAX206 are backwards compatible with devices using WiFi 5, ensuring broad compatibility.

Since not everything is wireless, the access points feature multiple 1Gb Ethernet ports to enable easy connection to PCs, printers, and other wired network devices, freeing up wireless bandwidth for Wi-Fi-only devices.

Feature Comparison Chart

WAX202

WAX206

WiFi Technology

WiFi 6 (802.11ax)

WiFi 6 (802.11ax)

WiFi Standards Supported

802.11b/g/n/ac/ax

802.11b/g/n/ac/ax

Frequencies

2.4GHz, 5.0GHz

2.4GHz, 5.0GHz

# of SSIDs

3

3

Speed

1.8Gbps (AX1800)

3.2Gbps (AX3200)

Ethernet Port

Four 1GbE ports

One 2.5GbE port, three 1GbE ports

Dimensions (LxWxH)

6.7 x 2.5 x 9.5in
(170 x 63 x 242mm)

6.7 x 2.5 x 9.5in
(170 x 63 x 242mm)

Weight

1.1lb (497g)

1.1lb (504g)

The WAX202 has a recommended price tag of $99.99, while WAX206 will be available later this month and retail for $149. Both also come with a 3-year hardware warranty and 90 days of phone and chat support.

Editorial standards