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Netgear today announced the availability of the Insight Managed
Wi-Fi 6 AX3600 dual-band Wireless Access Point (model WAX620) for a big home or a small business. This is the upgrade to the WAX610 that came out almost a year ago.
4x4 Wi-Fi 6 sans 160MHz channel width
The new WAX620 has double the bandwidth of its older cousin. It now features 4x4 Wi-Fi specs on both of its 2.4GHz and 5Ghz bands.
As a business access point, it doesn't support the venerable yet problematic 160MHz channel width. It favors reliability over performance.
As a result, the WAX620 caps at 2400Mbps on the 5GHz band and up to 1200Mbps on the 2.4GHz. While those are not the top speed of Wi-Fi 6, they are plenty fast.
Similar to the previous model, the new WAX620 comes with a 2.5Gbps PoE LAN port. I support both 802.3af and 802.3at PoE standards but operate only at 60% with the former.
Insight managed, no injector included
PoE is a convenient way to deliver both power and data to a device. However, it's important to note like, like the WAX610, the WAX620 doesn't include a PoE injector—it won't work right out of the box.
Instead, you need to have a PoE switch or get a standard injector yourself which costs extra.
Speaking of cost, the WAX610 also uses the Insight premium app, free for one year. After that, it requires a yearly subscription that starts at $10.
In return, according to Netgear, the app makes setting up and managing the AP an easy job, both locally and when you're out and about.
It's important to note that, as an access point, the WAX620 won't work by itself. Instead, you add it to an existing network hosted by a router. The idea is that you can extend the network father by using a long network cable.
The Insight app also allows for bundling multiple Insight Managed access points together, including the WAX620 and the WAX610, to form a mesh system. The more hardware units you use, however, the more expensive the subscription will be.
Netgear WAX620 vs. WAX610: Hardware specifications
| Model | WAX620 | WAX610 |
| Name | Insight Managed Wi-Fi 6 AX3600 Dual-band Wireless Access Point | Insight Managed WiFi 6 AX1800 Dual-band Wireless Access Point |
| WiFi Standards | Dual-band AX3600 | Dual-band AX1800 |
| 5GHz | 4x4 AX: Up to 2400Mbps (20/40/80MHz) | 2x2 AX: Up to 1200Mbps (20/40/80MHz) |
| 2.4GHz | 4x4 AX: Up to 1200Mbps (20/40MHz) | 2x2 AX: Up to 600Mbps (20/40MHz) |
| Backward Compatibility | 02.11ac/n/g/a/b | 802.11ac/n/g/a/b |
| Power over Ethernet (PoE) | 802.11at 802.3af (60% peformance) | 802.11at, 802.3af (60% peformance) |
| Power Consumption | 25.5W | 15.3W |
| Network Port | 1x 10/100/1000/2.5Gbps PoE | 1x 10/100/1000/2.5Gbps PoE |
| Security | WPA, WPA2, WPA3 | WPA, WPA2, WPA3 |
| Mobile App | NETGEAR Insight App | NETGEAR Insight App |
| Mode | Access Point Mode Bridge Mode Repeater Mode | Access Point Mode Bridge Mode Repeater Mode |
| Dimensions (W x D x H) | 8.09 x 8.09 x 1.35 in (205.7 x 205.7 x 34.3 mm) | 6.33 x 6.33 x 1.30 in (160.9 x 160.9 x 33.25 mm) |
| Weight | 1.72 lb (783 g) | 0.90 lb (412 g) |
| LED | Power and Cloud; LAN speed; 2.4GHz status; 5.0GHz status | Power and Cloud; LAN speed; 2.4GHz status; 5.0GHz status |
| Warranty | 5-year | 5-year |
Availability and pricing
Netgear says the WAX620 Insight Managed Wi-Fi 6 AX3600 dual-band Wireless Access Point is available for pre-order right now with the suggested retail price in the U.S. of $229.99 (or $239.99 power adapter included).
On the other side of the pond, it goes for €229.99 and £219.99 in the EU and UK, respectively.
The access point will ship on May 4th this year.
Can you review the Netgear Wax214 please
I have a large house (Cat-6 Wired to each room) and am considering this
How much speed is lost using a POE and would this installation be better than a mesh
Many thanks
Noted, John.
No speed is lost while using PoE.