Is the Nighthawk MK83 right for you?

The Nighthawk MK83 is a decent mesh Wi-Fi option if you have an internet connection with 940Mbps speeds or slower. In our tests, its speeds were nearly identical to similar systems. However, the third Wi-Fi band for router-to-satellite communication produced higher test scores in specific spots than systems without one. Overall, the MK83 is a better value than some of its higher-priced competition, but you need two subscriptions to get the most out of it.

Fastest internet plans for the Nighthawk MK83

The Nighthawk MK83 uses Gigabit Ethernet internet connections, so it’s not compatible with plans of 1,000Mbps and faster. To see if you have the best internet speeds for the MK83 mesh system, run our speed test first:

You don’t need the fastest plan to enjoy this system. But If you’re on the market for an internet upgrade, here’s a list of the best plans you can get:

Nighthawk MK83 standout features

Mesh systems don’t pack a lot of features, and the Nighthawk MK83 is no different. The only callout here is the OpenVPN server and basic profile controls.

Compare the Nighthawk MK83 to the competition

The big difference between these five mesh systems is how many devices they can download to at the same time. NETGEAR’s own Orbi RBK853 takes the top spot, supporting eight devices across both available bands, as does the Eero Pro 6 system. The X55, X50-PoE, and MK83 all support up to four devices across both bands.

If you need a new system supporting multi-gig internet, the Orbi RBK853 and Deco X50-PoE are the only ones on the list with a 2.5Gbps internet port. The Orbi system also supports link aggregation to create a 2Gbps connection to a compatible modem, gateway, or fiber ONT. The other three systems don’t have the capacity for multi-gig connectivity.

See our full coverage of the best Wi-Fi routers.

Our Nighthawk MK83 scoring breakdown

* out of 5 points

As expected, the MK83 produced decent speeds in our tests, right in line with the other systems we’ve tested to date, including the Amazon Eero 6 Pro, TP-Link’s Deco X55, and X50-PoE systems—and NETGEAR’s own Orbi RBK853. They all started with around a 830Mbps average at close range and dropped to a 350Mbps average when we reached our 40-foot marker outside. You don’t get a long range with these systems—they’re built to dodge corners, not drill through walls or invade your neighbors’ airspace.

The MK83’s use of the third band for backhaul really shows in the numbers. We always test with a satellite placed in the dining area, which is two rooms away (20 feet) from the router. We benchmarked a good 543Mbps average, slightly below results from the Orbi RBK853 and Eero 6 Pro. But the number was significantly higher than the two tested Deco systems, as they don’t have a dedicated Wi-Fi line for backhaul. Check out the results:

Mesh systems are expensive, boring, featureless things as it is, so it’s hard to judge them after reviewing standalone routers. Mesh systems never have free security features and very few free parental controls, so most feel like they’re platforms for selling subscriptions—which is definitely the case here with the MK83.

The MK83’s only real incentive is getting whole-home Wi-Fi 6 coverage. There’s no USB connectivity, so it can’t share files and stream media to your devices. The built-in OpenVPN server is the only real feature callout, which you can use to hide your location and activities while you’re off the home network.

What we wish the Nighthawk MK83 did better

• Free parental controls
• Free security

With the MK83, you can create profiles, assign devices to those profiles, and pause their internet—that’s it. Features like age-specific filters and bedtimes require a Smart Parental Controls subscription.

Also, NETGEAR locks all notable security features behind the Armor subscription. Sure, the system has basic controls like blocking websites and services, but you need a subscription for malware and antivirus protection.

We try not to be too picky about mesh systems since most are designed to be compact—you never see USB connectivity, for example. Some do have more than one Ethernet port for wired devices, like the MK83 system, one of which you can use for the backhaul. The third, backhaul-dedicated 5 GHz Wi-Fi band enables good speeds for the MK83 based on our tests, but a wired connection is faster.

Still, the MK83 system is about as basic as you can get. There’s no multi-gig internet support or 160 MHz wireless channels, so the MK83 is best used with internet plans of 940Mbps and slower—but it sure does look purdy.

There isn’t much to report here. Nearly all mesh systems take a little longer to set up than standalone routers because the instructions include power cycling the modem first, placing and powering up the extra routers or satellites, and waiting for it all to synchronize. NETGEAR requires you to create two security Q&As, too, which other manufacturers don’t enforce.

The MK83 was our first Nighthawk mesh system, so we were pleasantly surprised to see the same web interface NETGEAR uses on its larger Orbi systems. You can manage the MK83 with the Nighthawk app, but most of the advanced settings reside in the web interface—like changing the Wi-Fi channel, which we appreciate on the MK83 because you normally can’t on mesh systems.

The good news here is Smart Connect isn’t a forced feature like with other mesh systems, but you also can’t disable it with the click or tap on a toggle. Instead, you must go into the web interface and select the Customize WiFi Network section to create separate network names and passwords. You can’t split these connections in the Nighthawk app, either.

Are there any additional costs?

Here are the costs you can expect if you want to get everything out of the MK83 system:

• Smart Parental Controls: $7.99 per month or $69.99 per year
• NETGEAR Armor: $99.99 per year
• NETGEAR ProSupport: Starting at $19.99
• NETGEAR Nighthawk MS80 satellite: $129.99

Our Nighthawk MK83 review: The verdict

The Nighthawk MK83 is a decent mesh Wi-Fi system for the money. Its short-range speeds aren’t different from similar systems we’ve tested to date. The dining room and hallway placement tests were our biggest concerns about testing, but the MK83 did exceptionally well there. If anything, the test results prove the benefits of having a private Wi-Fi connection between the router and satellites.

Unlike standalone routers, mesh systems rarely have any callout features. So, when something pops up like the MK83’s built-in OpenVPN server, we get a few stars in our eyes. It doesn’t sound like much, we know, but every differential counts in a market saturated with similar mesh systems.

And like nearly all mesh systems, the MK83 is a platform for selling services. In this case, it’s NETGEAR Armor for security and Smart Parental Controls. Many standalone routers offer similar services for free, but that’s never the case with mesh for some reason. Your annual cost is at least $169.98 if you go with both, which is a little more than a single MS80 add-on satellite.

Get the NETGEAR Nighthawk MK83 system

FAQ about the Nighthawk MK83

Methodology

We test router speed by setting up each router in an office and connecting it to a local test server. Then, we transmit test data between our wireless devices and the server, taking numerous measurements to account for fluctuations in Wi-Fi speeds.

The first tests occur close to the router, without obstructions—so the Wi-Fi is as strong and fast as it’s gonna get. We repeat the process straight out at 10, 20, and 30 feet, with only a glass door obstructing our view of the router. The same glass door and an exterior door blocks our path when we test outside at 40 and 50 feet.

We also run tests in a hallway to the left of the TV room and office—where there’s a glass door, three walls, and an air handler unit blocking our view of the router. The dining room, another testing point, sits to the right of the kitchen, TV room, and office—two walls and a glass door block the path in this test.

To test video streaming, we connect a fast storage device to the router and stream a 4K video to six wireless devices simultaneously—two phones, three tablets, and a laptop—connected to the same wireless band.

Client devices used in testing

Nighthawk MK83 benchmarks (5 GHz only)

Disclaimer