What’s the difference between the Netgear Nighthawk MK63 and MK83?

The MK83 is a new Nighthawk Whole Home Mesh Wi-Fi 6 System from Netgear. So, how does it stack up against the older MK63 model?

You can find out in this comparison guide between these two Nighthawks.

Quick Summary

When compared to the MK63 Nighthawk Whole Home Mesh Wi-Fi 6 System, the Nighthawk Whole Home Mesh Wi-Fi 6 System comes with an extra Wi-Fi band, more antennas, more Ethernet ports as well as double the amount of memory.

Overall, the MK83 is faster, can handle more simultaneous connections and can cover a larger area when compared to the MK63.

The two mesh systems are the same when it comes to general Wi-Fi and security features.

So, if you are looking for the better Nighthawk Whole Home Mesh Wi-Fi 6 System, then we recommend picking the newer MK83 model over the over MK63 model.

MK63 vs. MK83 Comparison Chart

You can take a look at Seeking Tech’s comparison table for the MK63 and MK83 below.

What’s in the Box

Along with the main router, each product comes with two additional satellites in addition to three power adapters, an Ethernet cable and a quick starter guide.

You can find a breakdown of what’s included in each box for both products below:

MK63:

• 1x Mesh Wi-Fi 6 Router (MR60)
• 2x Mesh Wi-Fi 6 Satellites (MS60)
• 1x 2 m Ethernet cable
• 3x 12 V / 1.5 A power adapters
• Quick start guide

MK83:

• 1x Mesh Wi-Fi 6 Router (MR80)
• 2x Mesh Wi-Fi 6 Satellites (MS80)
• 1x 2 m Ethernet cable
• 3x 12V / 2.5 A power adapters
• Quick start guide

Router Weight

The router that comes with the MK83 weighs more than twice as much as the router that comes with the MK63:

• MK63: 0.63 lb.
• MK83: 1.40 lb.

Satellite Weight

The satellites of the MK83 also weigh more than two times as much as the satellites from the MK63:

• MK63: 0.63 lb. each
• MK83: 1.38 lb. each

Dimensions

In terms of physical size, the router and satellites of the MK83 are bigger all around when compared to the router and satellites of the MK63.

You can find the full measurements below:

Router Dimensions

• MK63: 4.80 in x 4.80 in x 2.50 in
• MK83: 5.51 in x 5.51 in x 3.62 in

Satellite Dimensions

• MK63: 4.80 in x 4.80 in x 2.50 in each
• MK83: 5.51 in x 5.51 in x 3.62 in each

Router Memory

The MK83 router also has twice the amount of flash memory and RAM when compared to the MK63 router:

• MK63: 128MB Flash and 256MB RAM
• MK83: 256MB Flash and 512MB RAM

Number of Antennas

The MK83’s router and satellites also come with one more internal antenna per unit when compared to the MK63’s router and satellites:

• MK63: 4x high performance internal antennas each
• MK83: 5x high performance internal antennas each

Wi-Fi Bands

When it comes to Wi-Fi bands, the Netgear Nighthawk MK63 uses a dual-band setup while the Netgear Nighthawk MK83 uses a tri-band setup.

You can find a breakdown of the bands below:

MK63:

• Radio 1: IEEE 802.11b/g/n/ax 2.4GHz– 1024QAM support
• Radio 2: IEEE 802.11a/n/ac/ax 5GHz– 1024QAM support

MK83:

• Radio 1: IEEE 802.11 b/g/n/ax 2.4GHz—1024-QAM support
• Radio 2: IEEE 802.11 a/n/ac/ax 5GHz—1024-QAM support
• Radio 3: IEEE 802.11 a/n/ac/ax 5GHz—1024-QAM support

Tx/Rx

You can also take a look at the Tx/Rx setup for both wireless systems below:

• MK63: 2×2 (2.4GHz) + 2×2 (5GHz)
• MK83: 2×2 (2.4 GHz) + 2×2 (5 GHz) + 3×3 (5 GHz)

Wi-Fi Coverage

When it comes to the coverage area, the MK83 has a maximum coverage that is 2,250 sq. ft. more than the MK63. This translates to a 50% advantage for the Nighthawk MK83.

You can find the wireless coverage areas below:

• MK63: Up to 4,500 sq. ft.
• MK83: Up to 6,750 sq. ft.

Router Ports

The MK83 router comes with two more LAN ports when compared to the MK63:

MK63:

• 1x WAN 10 Mbps/100 Mbps/1000 Mbps Gigabit Ethernet port
• 1x LAN 10 Mbps/100 Mbps/1000 Mbps Gigabit Ethernet port

MK83:

• 1x WAN 10 Mbps/100 Mbps/1000 Mbps Gigabit Ethernet port
• 3x LAN 10 Mbps/100 Mbps/1000 Mbps Gigabit Ethernet ports

Satellite Ports

The satellites of the MK83 also include an additional Gigabit Ethernet port when compared to the satellites of the MK63.

You can check out the available ports for each satellite for both products below:

• MK63: 1x 10 Mbps/100 Mbps/1000 Mbps Gigabit Ethernet port each
• MK83: 2x 10 Mbps/100 Mbps/1000 Mbps Gigabit Ethernet port each

Router and Satellite Speeds

The MK83 is twice as effective as the MK63 when it comes to speed rating.

You can find the speed breakdown below:

• MK63: AX1800 (1200 Mbps + 600 Mbps)
• MK83: AX3600 (1800 Mbps + 1200 Mbps + 600 Mbps)

Wi-Fi Streams

The Nighthawk MK83 also has three more streams when compared to the Nighthawk MK63:

• MK63: 4-Stream Wi-Fi
• MK83: 7-Stream Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi Features

Both the MK63 and MK83 support the same general Wi-Fi features, including MU-MIMO, Uplink and Downlink OFDMA in addition to Explicit Beamforming for 2.4GHz and 5GHz.

You can find the full list of features below:

• Backwards Compatible with Older Wi-Fi Versions
• Ethernet Backhaul
• Explicit Beamforming for 2.4GHz and 5GHz
• Guest WiFi Network
• MU-MIMO
• Nighthawk App
• Single SSID
• Smart Connect
• Uplink and Downlink OFDMA
• Whole Home Wi-Fi
• Wi-Fi EasyMesh
• WPS/SYNC Push Button

Security Features

The two mesh networks in this comparison guide are also identical when it comes to security features as both feature the following:

• 802.11i, 128-bit AES encryption with PSK
• Netgear Armor
• Secure and Separate Guest Network Access
• Secure Boot
• VPN Support
• WPA3

Support

When it comes to support, the MK63 and MK83 includes 24/7 basic technical support for up to 90 days from the purchase date if the mesh systems were purchased from a NETGEAR authorized retailer.

Warranty

The Netgear MK63 Nighthawk Whole Home Mesh Wi-Fi 6 System and Netgear MK83 Nighthawk Whole Home Mesh Wi-Fi 6 System each come with a 1-year limited hardware warranty.

Resources:

• https://www.netgear.com/home/wifi/mesh/mk63/
• https://www.netgear.com/home/wifi/mesh/mk83/