Smart Connect - NETGEAR Nighthawk X8 5 User Manual

With Smart Connect, older devices do not slow down faster devices.
• The router uses load balancing to avoid network congestion in each WiFi band.
With load balancing, you don't need to share your WiFi connection with as many devices.

Smart Connect

Smart Connect balances your 5 GHz WiFi connections into two different radio bands: the 5 GHz radio 1 band and
the 5 GHz radio 2 band. The router uses Smart Connect to choose the best radio band for your device to give you
the best WiFi performance.
iTunes Server lets you play music with your Windows or Mac iTunes app from a storage device that is connected
to the router. You can also use the Apple Remote app from an iPhone or iPad to play music on any AirPlay devices,
such as Apple TV or AirPlay-supported receivers.
Figure 10. Smart Connect
For Smart Connect to work, both 5 GHz radio bands must use the same WiFi network name (SSID) and network
key (password). That means that when you connect to the router with WiFi, you see only one 5 GHz SSID that
connects to both 5 GHz radio bands.
Note If you enable Smart Connect and the SSID and passwords for both 5 GHz radio bands do
not match, the WiFi settings for 5 GHz radio 1 overwrite the WiFi settings for 5 GHz radio 2.
Nighthawk X8 AC5300 Tri-Band WiFi Router
Tri-Band WiFi Connections
59