Today, Netgear announced its first Wi-Fi 7 standard AP, the WBE750 Insight Manageable tri-band Wi-Fi 7 Access Point. In a way, it's the answer to the Zyxel WBE660S, which came out late last year.
On the inside, it's slated to be a familiar broadcaster yet totally new at the same time.
Netgear WBE750: The Wi-Fi 7 of the WAX630E
Right off the bat, Netgear says the new WB750 "delivers up to 18.4Gbps total Wi-Fi throughput, supported by a 10Gbps/Multi-Gigabit PoE++ port."
If the numbers seem odd—an access point's Wi-Fi bandwidth generally can't exceed the uplink port's speed—the 18.4Gbps is simply the aggregated theoretical bandwidth of the hardware's three Wi-Fi bands (2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz). This number is not to be taken seriously.
Still, the WBE750 has top-tier hardware specs and is slated to be among the fastest Wi-Fi apps on the market.
On the inside, though, it will likely be similar to the WAX630E or any other Netgear access points in the vendor's Insight Cloud Management family.
Specifically, you can use the AP as a standalone unit via its built-in local web-based management. But if you want to get the most out of it, including mesh functionality, you need to connect it to Netgear's Insight Managed cloud-based account. This account decides what you can do with the hardware itself. Generally, all Insight-managed APs share the same features and settings.
Netgear's Insight has no free tier. Instead, it costs $9.99/year per device, but the WBE750 includes a 1-year subscription with its hardware cost. And this is one of the differences it has compared to the Zyxel WBE660s. The table below shows the specs of the two.
Netgear WBE750 vs. Zyxel WBE660s: Hardware specifications
Name | WBE750 Insight Manageable tri-band Wi-Fi 7 Access Point | Zyxel WBE660S BE22000 Wi-Fi 7 Triple-Radio NebulaFlex Pro Access Point | |
Model | WBE750 | WBE660S | |
Wi-Fi Standards | Tri-band BE18400 | Tri-band BE22000 | |
6 GHz Speeds (channel width) | 4x4 BE: Up to 11530 Mbps (20/40/80/160/320MHz) | ||
5 GHz Speeds (channel width) | 4x4 BE: Up to 5,765Mbps (20/40/80/160MHz) | 4x4 BE: Up to 8646 Mbps (20/40/80/160/240MHz) | |
2.4 GH Speeds (channel with) | 4x4 BE: Up to 1,147Mbps (20/40MHz) | 4x4 BE: Up to 1376 Mbps (20/40MHz) | |
Number of SSIDs | 8 | ||
Operating Mode | Standalone with local web-based management Cloud-managed via Netgear Insight (Netgear account required) | Standalone with local web-based management or via Controller/Nebula Cloud-managed (Nebula account required) | |
Free-tier for Cloud Management | No (one-year trial included) | Yes | |
Backward Compatibility | 802.11/axe/ax/ac/n/g/a/b | ||
Power over Ethernet (PoE) | 802.11bt (PoE++) | ||
PoE Power Draw | 39W | 41W | |
Injector Induded | No | ||
Power Adapter Included | No | ||
Multi-Gig port | 1 x 10G/Multi-Gigabit PoE++ port | 1 x 10GBASE-T PoE++ Multi-Gig LAN | |
Gigabit Port | None | 1 x 1 Gbps LAN | |
Wireless Security Methods | WPA2-PSK/WPA3 | WEP/WPA/WPA2-PSK/WPA3 | |
Mobile App | Netgear Insight | Zyxel Nebula | |
Dimensions (W x D x H) | 6.8 X 6.8 X 1.7 in (172 X 172 X 44 mm) | 12.21 x 7.01 x 2.21 in (310 x 178 x 56 mm) | |
Weight | 2.08 lbs (0.94k g) | 3.11 lbs (1412 g) | |
Release Date | March 14, 2024 | October 17, 2023 | |
US Price (at launch) | $699.99 | $599.99 |
An access point for modern clients
According to Netgear, the new WBE750's highlights include:
- Unprecedented WiFi 7 security – enterprise-level WPA3 for top-rated security. Create safe and secure sub-networks with multiple SSIDs and VLANs and use NETGEAR Insight to help configure and easily maintain the security of the network.
- Backward compatibility and futureproofing – enhanced speed and greater throughput even with older WiFi 6/6E devices, building in futureproofing when more WiFi 7 devices hit the market.
- Mesh capability for better coverage – connect several WBE750 APs together to create a comprehensive mesh network.
- 2.4x more throughput - WiFi 7 technology, featuring a faster 6GHz band, delivers 2.4x more throughput than designs based on WiFi 6E.
The takeaway is that the new AP likely will not work with Wi-Fi 5 and legacy clients that don't support WPA or older security methods. Removing support for older security methods has been the case for many new broadcasters, and it makes sense. But it greatly reduces compatibility.
While the 6GHz band has always required WPA3, many other Wi-Fi 7 broadcasters, including the Zyxel WBE660s, allow WPA as an option for their 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. This enables users to continue supporting Wi-Fi 7 and even older clients, which are still quite popular.
Availability and pricing
Netgear says the new WBE750 Insight Manageable tri-band Wi-Fi 7 Access Point is available for purchase today and carries the suggested retail price of $699.99. Again, the price includes a one-year Insight Management subscription, which costs $9.99/year afterward.
Can you run both a WBE750 and WAX630E to wi fi 7 while keeping wi fi 5 for legacy devices?
Running a single WAX 630E off a MS108UP and UDM Pro until we can get a deal on a PR60X.
Wi-Fi 5 uses only the 5GHz and 2.4GHz, Corleen, so the answer is yes, it’s only a matter of Wi-Fi settings. Set the applicable Wi-Fi bands to support all standards (default) and you’re fine.
Which one do I go for the Zyxel or Netgear? I have a netgear insight switch but leaning towards the Zyxel at the moment looks more purposeful. Interested in range on 6ghz and ability to block interference.
I’d go with Zyxel, Jimbo, if you intend to use the cloud-based management—there’s a free tier. If you use a single unit via the local web user interface, either is fine.
How do these compare to ubiquiti access points? I think their new wifi7 APs are less than 200. It’s sad to see netgear go towards cloud and subscriptions. I will not buy anything that requires clouds or remote access.
You can’t get this type of hardware without cloud-based access. Other than that, I’d take UniFi over Netgear in a heartbeat. It’s free to use and 10x better.
Or pick one of these.