NetgearWi-Fi 6 modem-router2020
Netgear Nighthawk CAX80
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- Wi-Fi 6Wi-Fi standardDual-band · AX6000
- 4,804MbpsFastest band5,951 Mbps across all bands
- 5portsWired Ethernet1× 2.5 Gigabit · 4× Gigabit
Key capabilities
- WireGuard VPN — not listed
- Parental controls
- Guest network
- WPA3 security
means the manufacturer doesn't list it, which isn't the same as the product lacking it.
OpenWrt
No support found. Checked against OpenWrt's own Table of Hardware, which carries no qualifying row for this model. That is a weaker statement than "this router cannot run OpenWrt" and a much stronger one than silence.
No ToH row for any current Netgear entry. The Netgear models OpenWrt does cover, such as the R7800, are older and none of them are in this lineup.
Checked 2026-08-06. How every router here was checked.
Specifications
Wireless
- Standard
- Wi-Fi 6
- Bands
- Dual-band
- Speed class
- AX6000
- Fastest band
- 4,804 Mbps
- All bands combined
- 5,951 Mbps
Connectivity
- Uplink
- Cable (DOCSIS)
- Wired ports
- 1× 2.5 Gigabit · 4× Gigabit
- Port map
- USB ports
- 2
- Cable modem
- DOCSIS 3.1
Hardware & physical
- Form
- Single unit
- Released
- 2020
- Model number
- CAX80
Manufacturer details
- Processor
- Quad-core 1.5 GHz
- DOCSIS channels
- 32x8
Radios
| Band | Max link | Streams | Channel width |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.4 GHz | 1,147 Mbps | 4×4 | 40 MHz |
| 5 GHz | 4,804 Mbps | 4×4 | 160 MHz |
All features · 13
Firmware
- Automatic firmware updates
Wi-Fi features
- OFDMA
What is OFDMA?
Table stakes50 of 79 listed here
Splits a channel into smaller slices so several devices are served in the same instant instead of taking turns.
Look at instead: streams per radio and channel width — those set the ceiling OFDMA divides up
Full entry → - MU-MIMO
What is MU-MIMO?
Table stakes46 of 79 listed here
Lets the router hold separate conversations with several devices at once using different antenna streams.
Look at instead: the stream count on each radio — a 4×4 radio has twice the streams of a 2×2 to hand out
Full entry → - Beamforming
What is Beamforming?
Table stakes37 of 79 listed here
Shapes the signal toward where a device actually is, rather than radiating evenly in every direction like a bare bulb.
Look at instead: where you physically put the router — placement beats every antenna trick on this list
Full entry → - 160 MHz channels
What is 160 MHz channels?
Table stakes47 of 79 listed here
A double-width channel that roughly doubles throughput when the airwaves are clear enough to sustain it.
Look at instead: whether the band has room for it — on 5 GHz that almost always means DFS
Full entry →
Networking
- Link aggregation
- Dynamic DNS
- Access point mode
Security
- WPA3
Management
- Parental controls
- Guest network
- Mobile app management
Hardware
- USB storage sharing