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There are two things about the Netgear WAX204 Wi-Fi 6 AX1800 Dual-Band Business Wireless Access Point (WAP). First, it’s not a standard access pointโit’s a router. And second, it’s a phenomenal deal.
Indeed, at well less than 100 bucks, it’s one of the most valuable Wi-Fi 6 routers you can find. No, it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles available in more expensive options, but it does include a lot more than you might expect from its price point.
If you live in a small home with a sub-Gigabit internet connection and a modest number of concurrent active wireless devices, the Netgear WAX204 will work out well. Get it!
Netgear WAX204: Simple and effective router (that can work as an access point, too)
When Netgear first pitched me the WAX204, I was surprised the company called an access point. The device has a WAN (Internet) port, which generally means it’s a router.
But Netgear was adamant on the naming, telling me:
“[…] the WAX204 can also save you money due to its ability to act as a router as well as an access point. This functionality allows you to forgo the cost and complexity of a separate router and simply have one device to perform both tasks.”
Well, hello! I got that. The point here is most Wi-Fi routers can work as an access pointโthey are all routers with built-in Wi-Fi access points. But a standard Wi-Fi access point can not work as a routerโit has no routing function.
Of course, as the maker, Netgear can call its product however it wants. My mom used to call me a “good for nothing,” and I turned out to be OK, I guess. But in my view, the company has decided to present the WAX204 as a lesser product than it can be.
This naming sure makes things confusing. The only positive outcome I can think of is the benefit of low expectations. And if so, that workedโthe WAX204 proved to be very much of a pleasant surprise.
But, again, to sum up: The WAX204 is a Wi-Fi router that can also work as an access point. And like many other routers, it also supports the bridge mode, where it works as a Wi-Fi adapter for a few wired clients.
Netgear WAX204: Hardware specifications
| Model | WAX204 |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Wi-Fi 6 AX1800 Dual-Band Wireless Business Access Point |
| Dimensions (Without Antennas) | 9.27 x 7.26 x 2.25in (236 x 184 x 57mm) |
| Weight | 1.08lb (490g) |
| Wi-Fi Technology | Dual-band Wi-Fi 6 AX1800 (600Mbps + 1200Mbps) |
| 5GHz Wi-Fi Specs | 2×2 AX: Up to 1200Mbps Channel Width: 20/40/80MHz |
| 2.4GHz Wi-Fi Specs | 2×2 Wi-Fi 6: Up to 600Mbps Channel Width: 20/40 MHz |
| Backward Compatibility | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac |
| Wireless Security | WPA / WPA2 / WPA3 |
| Mesh-Ready | No |
| Web User Interface | Yes |
| Bridge Mode | Yes |
| AP Mode | Yes |
| USB Port | None |
| Processing Power | Undisclosed |
| Gigabit Port | 4x LAN, 1x WAN |
| Link Aggregation | No |
| Dual-WAN | No |
| Multi-Gig Port | None |
Simple design, standard in the face and setup process
The Netgear WAX204 is a typical Wi-Fi broadcaster with four antennas sticking up from its back. It’s so small that I wish it supported getting power via a network connection, namely the Power over Ethernet (PoE).
You can treat the WAX204 as a standard router out of the box. Connect its WAN (orange) port to an Internet source (like a modem), and it’s ready.
You then hook a device to one of its LAN ports or the default Wi-Fi network (printed on its underside), and you can start the initial setup process, which is similar to that of any standard router.
Specifically, navigate a connected computer’s browser to the router’s default IP address which is 192.168.1.1, and you’ll be greeted by a wizard that walks you through making a password for the interface, creating a Wi-Fi network, and a password. You’ll also get the chance to update the router to the latest firmware.
The interface is similar to Netgear’s Nighthawk routers, such as the RAX120 or RAX200, and comes with a matching set of settings. These include the support for Dynamic DNS, port-forwarding, IP reservations, and so on.
The WAX204 doesn’t have a built-in VPN server, but it can work as a VPN client, turning your local network into part of a remote one when applicable.
Also, the router doesn’t have remote web-based management, making its support for Dynamic DNS a bit incomplete. Netgear might add this via firmware updates, however.
Update: No, it won’t. The company has decided to move in a different direction on remote management.
Database-based Quality of Control (QoS)
The WAX204 doesn’t have a lot of features. There’s only Quality of Services or QoS, but it’s subdued compared to other routers’ QoS features.
There’s no way to customize the prioritization after punching in your download and upload numbers. You’ll need to leave that to the router to handle it automatically based on a database.
It’s unclear what that database entails and what the router will do precisely. However, it seems that QoS, in this case, is based on application and automatically prioritizes the Internet for real-time communication, such as Voice over IP or video conferencing.
I did try this feature out, and it didn’t show much of a difference. But likely, that was because my broadband connection was already good enough for any application, and the fact I generally didn’t do anything crazy within my network must have helped, too.
Netgear WAX204: Detail photos
Note how the device is wall-mountable.
Business-flavored Wi-Fi settings
The WAX204 doesn’t come with the Guest network feature. Instead, you can create up to three Wi-Fi SSIDs (network names) with it.
What’s interesting is the fact you can manage each network’s bands individually. Specifically, you can make each work in either 2.4GHz, 5GHz, or both. On top of that, you can also make each network’s clients isolated from one another, effectively turning it into a Guest network.
On top of that, you can also allow or disallowed Wi-Fi client access to the WAX204’s network ports, which is another level of isolationโWi-Fi clients can talk to one another but not to wired devices.
Remember that the isolation settings are turned on by default for the 2nd and 3rd networks. That said, you’ll need to turn them off if you want connected clients to have normal access to the network’s local resources such as file-sharing or printers.
In terms of Wi-Fi settings, there’s not much. In fact, you can only pick the network name, password, and security method (WPA, WPA2, or WPA3), and that’s it.
Considering this is a low-tier AX1800 broadcaster, which has no meaningful options in terms of speed, the lack of Wi-Fi customizability is not a huge deal.
Netgear WAX204: Excellent performance
What is a huge deal is always the performance, and the Netgear WAX204 did well in my testing for an entry-level budget broadcaster.
On the 5GHz band, my 2×2 Wi-Fi 6 clients consistently connected at 1.2Gbps of negotiated speed and sustained at some 800Mbps at a close range of 10 feet (3m). At 40 feet (12m) away, it now registered close to 630Mbps. These numbers were excellent for the hardware specs.
The WAX204 did well with Wi-Fi 5 clients, too, registering 730Mbps at the close and 630Mbps farther away. These were the number of 2×2 Wi-Fi 5 specs.
And on the 2.4GHz band, the router did about the same as other Wi-Fi 6 broadcasters, averaging between almost 100Mbps and 160Mbps up to 40 feet away. This band has been notoriously slow with Wi-Fi 6.
I tested the WAX204 both as a router and an access point, and it passed my 5-day stress test with no issue.
The coverage was decent, too, similar to that of most 2×2 Wi-Fi 6 routers, like the Asus RT-AX58U or the TP-Link AX50.
Generally, if you live in a home of some 1800 ftยฒ (170 mยฒ) or smaller, place the WAX204 in the middle, and chances are it can deliver Wi-Fi throughout. Of course, this is just a ballpark figure. The actual coverage will vary depending on the environment.
Netgear WAX204 Access Point's Rating
Pros
Affordable
Strong and reliable Wi-Fi coverage
Can work as a router or access point
Straightforward local web user interface
Useful Wi-Fi settings
Compact design, wall-mountable
Cons
Entry-level Wi-Fi specs
No Multi-Gig port
Limited Wi-Fi settings and features
No remote web-based management
No PoE support
Conclusion
The unusual access-point/router notion aside, the Netgear WAX204 is an excellent Wi-Fi 6 broadcaster, no matter how you look at it.
Use it as a router if your home doesn’t yet have one or as an AP if there’s already a router (or gateway) in place. In either case, you can expect reliable Wi-Fi signals and decent speed throughput.
In fact, it is safe to say it’s one of the best sub-$100 Wi-Fi machines you can find. Want Wi-Fi 6 and on a budget? Get it!
Hi thank you for the review.
I’m looking at using one of these as an access point for a vodafone router with digital voice, maybe a second one for the rear of the house. I cant find info about the number of devices it can handle.
Would this be suitable to connect a few laptops, a handful of phone, a security system and cctv?
That’s because there is no hard number for that. The number you see is generally the estimate or false advertising. More in this post.
Hi Dong
At the moment I have an ASUS Zenwifi Mini CD6 mesh network with one router and one node which I’m happy with as an ordinary network.
I’ve just bought an Oculus Quest 2 and am thinking about devoting a Wifi6 node to it with nothing else connected.
Would this do the job or would I be better getting another Asus node with Wifi6?
I want to spend as little as possible.
Advice please?
Get a Wi-Fi adapter (6 or 5) for your VR computer, Richard. More in this post.
Thanks for the quick reply ๐
Sure, Richard. Good luck! ๐
Many thanks for your continued expertise and practical / pragmatic reviews.
Will this be a suitable replacement for my Netgear R7000?
Also want this to connect to the modem and a PoE switch
PoE switch will service Netgear WAX214 access points
Is this a possible and reasonable configuration please?
Thankyou
John
All that you mentioned will work, John. As for how “suitable” or “reasonable,” it depends on your needs and expectations. Here’s the review of the WAX214 and this post will help with using a router and access point.
Thank you for the review. I was pleasantly surprised this also rated high on the Best Routers list. I purchased one to replace my mom’s old 802.11n router and the difference was transformational. Before we could stream something on TV, but as soon as someone tried to connect on their mobile device the wifi grinded to a crawl. Just changing the router made internet usage possible for everyone. Thank you for such an incredible economical solution. I was contemplating moving our Asus AC1900 to my mom’s house and replacing it with a Asus AX5700. The WAX2404 saved us $200 by not having to upgrade. Well we’ll probably upgrade our router anyways, but that is bridge we can cross later. Thanks again for the super work you do.
You’re welcome, Ken. Glad it worked out for your mom. ๐
Thank you for this review, Dong. I followed the links on your page to the amazon listing for the wax204. I fair number of reviews claim that an online netgear account is required to setup this device. Other reviews replied that those people are crazy and should have their heads re-examined. But it is 2-to-1 for the former. I’ll ask you to settle this, can this access point/router be setup entirely using the local web interface, without ever registering any sort of online netgear account?
You don’t need an online account, Veng. If so I would have mentioned it. ๐
Great review. Was wondering what you thought of this: I’m retiring an old Nighthawk R7000, as it’s failing and there is no firmware upgrade. 5yrs old, and it’s time.
I wanted to go up to Wifi6 but am not super excited about the mesh options. I had the thought that I could buy three of these (WAS204) and use one as a router, and string two others across the house as wireless endpoints ( OR routers themselves ) as the house has Ethernet to those parts distant.
This gives me close physical proximity to every corner of the house upstairs and down, and I can put them on non-conflicting channels. And use a workhorse Ethernet switch like the NG GS108.
This as an option to a massive (and expensive) AX12 Nighthawk (which would still need some wireless endpoints IMO), or the crappy Orbi that they seem to be pushing. Thoughts? Thank you. Keep up the great work.
I think that’s a great idea, Matt. Go for it.
If I get more than one of these set up in AP mode on opposite sides of the house, can my devices roam seamlessly between them without, for example, dropping an in-progress video call?
In general, can I do the same with other consumer-grade routers (e.g. TP-Link Archer)?
I have cat 6 ethernet in the necessary locations.
No, Tom. No system can handle video calls when you move from one broadcaster to another. You need to stay at one spot for this kind of application. More here. The hand-off is a matter of degrees, and generally you can’t expect that from cheap hardware.
I found your site while researching a replacement router and this is right up my alley, as I have 100Mbps internet and only a handful of wi-fi devices. Seems like a great value at the current $80 price point.
I just have one question: Is Netgear reliable? User reviews are peppered with horror stories of routers losing connections requiring daily reboots and firmware/UI issues, but it’s difficult to tell if that’s just a result of that particular person’s setup, an occasional faulty unit, or a larger pattern with the company.
Maybe the broader topic of long-term reliability could make for a fun feature. Thanks!
I do follow up or re-visit reviews sometimes, Dennis, but that requires time. For now, within reasonable expectations, it’s reliable enough. You either have to take some risk or don’t “live” at all. And by the way, living itself is risky and will cause you death. ๐