Having wireless connectivity at home is a must for most households in modern days. The internet speed must be reliable too but depending on your equipment, the speed may not always be the same across different spots. Not only the modem, we need a router to work with, such as Netgear AC1200 Vs AC1900 to allow other devices to connect to the internet. Before deciding the option, let’s see below about what they can offer and which to go for.
In this comparison, we are going to talk about:
- What are Modem and Router
- What are Netgear AC1200 and AC1900
- How are the Design of Netgear AC1200 and AC1900
- How are the Setup of Netgear AC1200 and AC1900
- How are the Hardware of Netgear AC1200 and AC1900
- How are the Performance of Netgear AC1200 and AC1900
- Netgear AC1200 Vs AC1900
Modem and Router
In modern days we can’t be far away from our smartphones and this compact device seems to always be in our hands for what they can offer. However, smartphones are actually less attractive if there is no internet or Wi-Fi and data because we are stuck with whatever that is built-in to the device. The Internet is the core of so many activities and many of us are probably working relying on the whole digital world. To have access, we will need the service from providers.
The price varies among providers and the service is also different based on what you need. Faster internet speed with larger bandwidth will be more expensive compared to those we use at home so it is wise to consider what you need based on the applications. When installing a new network at home, besides paying for the provider’s plan we will also need to have the equipment. Most of them are lent by your provider but we can buy our own too.
The core system of simple home internet is modem and router which are different from each other but may come as single equipment like external DAC/amp for headphones. The modem first, it is a box or equipment that connects your home to the network or to the wider internet. On the other hand, a router is the next step or equipment that will allow the wired and wireless devices to use the internet connection at once as well as communicate with each other.
Usually your provider will lend equipment that work as both modem and router yet they are actually separate technology and you can buy separate units as well. Regardless of the decision, we will need both of them to have access to the internet at home or office, etc. However, it is also often recommended to have a separate modem and router if you can because the modem doesn’t change frequently and we can rely on them for several years before having to consider a new option.
But, routers are always improved and it may change with the need around the house because this equipment will decide the coverage area in which many of us may struggle, especially with different house layouts, multi level floors, etc. The router will have to work better the more devices use in the house or the further the device is trying to connect to the internet. For those who want the best from their subscription, using the latest technology can help a lot especially with heavy use such as streaming or online gaming. Read also: Netgear AC1200 Vs AC750 Here.
| Netgear AC1200 | AC1900 | |
|---|---|---|
| Best Offer | click here | click here |
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| Package Dimensions | 13.39 x 11.02 x 2.4 inches | 13.74 x 10 x 3.31 inches |
| Item Weight | 13.6 ounces | 1.65 pounds |
About Netgear AC1200 and AC1900
If you already have a good modem and good plan that is capable of delivering high-speed internet, it is time to see the router because there are so many of them out there. The equipment will usually vary based on the model and capability but if you are tempted to buy the most expensive router available, it is wise to consider the internet plan we have whether it is actually as fast as the router and it is always best to match the two so we don’t overspend.
There are more than plenty to choose from and you can find any brands that offer routers pretty easily. Of course some of them are very popular such as TP-Link and Netgear which have so many models to consider. The higher model will have higher specs as well as capacity too but then again, we advise to match the internet speed with the router’s claim because the function of one is to spread the internet in an area so speed and coverage are the most important.
Netgar for example have budget options such as Netgear AC1200 and AC1900 that are close brothers with similar performance. As expected the latter is supposedly the higher end model and this variant also offers both wider coverage as well as maximum speed. Regardless of the maximum speed, it won’t exceed our subscription but these routers are very reliable for home use, especially in narrower houses because they are not made to cover a wide space. In comparison the latter is also more capable for better performance.
They are already around for quite some time so as you can expect the price point has been reduced a lot and what makes the two special in our opinion is the price itself. They are not the best in the current market but should be enough for typical home use. Additionally, what we like the most from Netgear AC1200 and AC1900 is the ease of use or setup because they are almost plug-and-play.
Netgear AC1200 and AC1900 Design
Before getting into what these routers can offer, first let’s take a look into the equipment and in comparison, they are bulky. Some people complain about how big these routers are and we agree since they are going to take up quite the space. They are easy to notice because the AC1900 is more capable and as you can see they are featured with three antennas while the AC1200 only has two. The equipment looks clean from the front with most of the ports are all located at the back.
Side by side the AC1900 is a neater arrangement because it groups the 4 slots Gigabit Ethernet while next to it you can find the internet port and USB 2.0 port, at the front there is a USB 3.0 as well. On the AC1200 there is no port at the front and on the back we also get the same 4 slots for Ethernet, the internet port right next to it, and a USB 2.0 port. Fashion wise the AC1900 is more unique with the angled cut.
Netgear AC1200 and AC1900 Design
Moving further, let’s see what the Netgear AC1200 and AC1900 can offer starting from the setup because this is often one of the most annoying parts of using a new router. In comparison we actually like the R7000 better because it comes with a preset Wi-Fi network with the name and password printed on the label so you just need to plug it in, turn it on, and we are good to go. If you ever lose the label however, we need to run a browser and use the Genie Web Interface.
This is actually the same as what you have to do with the AC1200 but it somehow keeps losing connection and if you have another network the device seems to always prefer to connect to the other. The plug-and-play is very easy to understand and for the Genie web, it is very simple too, that there is only what’s important here; clean, useful but not fancy.
Netgear AC1200 and AC1900 Hardware
Next let’s talk about the hardware of these routers because they are also very different and in comparison, the AC1900/R7000 is very similar to the R6300. It is dual band with 5GHz up to 1.3Gbps and 2.4GHz up to 600Mbps. Netgear is using Broadcom BCM4709 chip with TurboQAM proprietary technology and this makes the 2.4GHz spatial stream can be bumped up to 200Mbps so the upgrade is very useful to renew the older band instead of the newer 5GHz.
On the other hand we are not informed of what technology used on the AC1200 but for the claimed performance, when connected to 802.11ac dual band the 2.4GHz is up to 300 Mbps while the 5GHz is up to 867 Mbps. It is also using the 880MHz processor while the AC1900 is already coming with a CPU that runs at 1,000MHz but the flash memory is the same at 128MB or 128 and 256MB of RAM respectively.
Netgear AC1200 and AC1900 Performance
Lastly let’s take a look into the performance part of Netgear AC1200 and AC1900 because they are not similar as well. In comparison for the 2.4GHz at short distance, the AC1900 is significantly faster but it is also nowhere near the top models with around 10Mbits speed gap. In long distance the AC1900 is also much better and it is even more noticeable with almost 20Mbits/s speed gap. However, for the 5GHz the speed range is very similar and it seems they are about the same here.
Netgear AC1200 Vs AC1900
Both Netgear AC1200 and AC1900 are good routers and they are great for the budget but, not the same as well with AC1900 has the higher hardware to support its performance. In comparison it is much better on the 2.4GHz while for the 5GHz the two are much more similar. The price point can be different depending on the discount. The overall setup is also easy for a Netgear router but it seems there are some issues when people want to set up their AC1200.
Conclusion
The choice is all yours and the price gap between the two is not far so if you want the better or higher performance, we will highly recommend getting Netgear AC1900 because overall it is more reliable, especially on the 2.4GHz band.
