Netgear EAX12 review

Netgear EAX12 is the lowest-priced way into Wi-Fi 6 on this list. Netgear rates it AX1600, with up to 1.2 Gbps on 5 GHz and 0.4 Gbps on 2.4 GHz, so the 5 GHz side matches the EAX15 and the gap is on the slower 2.4 GHz band. It uses four streams with OFDMA and MU-MIMO, and Netgear says it performs up to 1.5X better than a Wi-Fi 5 AC1200 extender. It plugs into the wall, weighs 0.49 lb and has one Gigabit Ethernet port. It keeps your existing WiFi name with Smart Roaming, and the Nighthawk app walks through setup and lists connected devices. Netgear listed it at $79.99, $20 below the EAX15, which makes it the value pick for a Wi-Fi 6 home that just needs one dead room covered. Larger homes or Wi-Fi 7 routers are better served by the EXS27. We compared documented features and published prices; we did not test the extender ourselves.

Who it is for

budget buyers who still want Wi-Fi 6

Price

$79.99 at Netgear.

EAX12, up to 1.6 Gbps $79.99 current price $79.99
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 13, 2026.

Key features

• AX1600 Wi-Fi 6 with up to 0.4 + 1.2 Gbps
• 4-stream Wi-Fi with OFDMA and MU-MIMO
• One 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet port
• Wall-plug design
• One WiFi Name and Smart Roaming, Nighthawk app setup

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Cheapest verified Wi-Fi 6 extender on this list at $79.99
• Strength: Netgear rates it up to 1.5X better performance than a Wi-Fi 5 extender
• Strength: Backward compatible with Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 4 devices
• Weakness: 2.4 GHz band rated at 0.4 Gbps, below the EAX15's 0.6 Gbps
• Weakness: Gigabit port only
• Weakness: Wi-Fi 6 only

Key facts

• Price checked: $79.99 at Netgear
• Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi 6, AX1600
• Port: 1x Gigabit Ethernet
• Weight: 0.49 lb
• App: Nighthawk

Where it ranks

Netgear EAX12 is No. 6 in our Best Wifi Extenders verdict.