Customer Ratings & Reviews

First of all, this Router is simply stunning. It is something I am actually proud to display on a shelf instead of wanting to tuck away and hide, and possibly compromise its abilities. It creates a powerful network, protects all of my connected devices, and I don’t have to worry about any cyber criminals. It’s super easy to set up and I love how the app works with both iOS and Android. As a mama I can limit my kid’s screen time and even pause the internet. Genius!!!

It’s nice and uses a mobile app setup only (removes admin login via ip or ash) to remove vulnerability/admin login attempts, but comes with 1-year norton security subscription. You’ll need to renew after the year. Not happy about that

Got a big discount; planned to purchase with or without. Works perfectly. Great product. Great company which created it. BB , a solid business from which to purchase.

Was difficult to hook up with our internet provider because it’s so new they had never even heard of it but got best reviews for security so we purchased. Great so far.

I have always associated Norton with their antivirus software solutions since I was a young man and they have always done a pretty good job protecting my computers from malicious software. Now Symantec has entered the highly competitive wireless router market and I am interested to see what they have come up with. DESIGN: The appearance itself of the Norton Core router is in stark contrast to rival router designs. The Core has an alien or epcot center dome looking build to it. My first thought is that this should allow for better wireless signal dispersion and overall coverage in my house. One apparent difference is that this has 3 LAN ports and not the usual 4 LAN ports in all routers that I have owned in my lifetime. There are 2 USB ports that allow PRINTER SHARING ONLY. I do not see a WPS button or Wireless ON/OFF option built in; I have never seen a wireless router not have these. There are no external antennas, in my experience those are still necessary for optimal signal attenuation and wireless range. SETUP/NEW FEATURES: Linking to the router initially requires a mobile app download and Norton Core account creation. These are understandable due to the Norton security software that is built in and linked to your account. The Norton Core Security Plus requires a monthly subscription fee for continual usage; at least you have 1 year free bundled with the router. What I do like a lot is the Security Score indicator that informs you of the overall threat risk to your network and ways to improve your network security; big plus. Navigating the user interface is no problem and I can easily find options such as parental controls and content filtering. PERFORMANCE: Let's get down to what really matters here; wireless range and throughput. I have a 2200 sq. ft. house and have tested many wireless routers over my lifetime. Most routers I have gone through do not deliver strong wireless range to my rear upstairs bedroom. I currently have a 200 Mbps download speed package, with the Norton Core 802.11ac signal connection via my desktop in that same room, I am measuring about 145 Mbps which is not that bad. The signal strength is at 2-3 bars however and sometimes streaming HD video requires a lot of buffering due to less than optimal wireless connection strength. I really believe that internal antennas are currently not as effective as amplified external ones; I think that may be the case here. My upstairs front bedroom is getting maximum signal strength and the Roku in that room is streaming 1080p content without any issue whatsoever. Speed tests show ~190 Mbps downloads. I do not have a video gaming console system currently and I am unable to test that aspect of the router but it would have been a wired link and I am confident the router should not have any issues with that. The Norton Core router is definitely better than I could have hoped for, especially as a first time wireless router offering from a security software firm. The wireless router market is just so competitive and there are so many other options that are similar and better than the Norton Core right now. Their biggest strength goes back to what they do best and that is providing computer security solutions which is built into the router itself. Providing the gateway with more beefed up security is always great and I wish other personal home routers will allow security software to be added in as an option in the future.

No coax connection. Verizon does not provide Ethernet FIOS, had to run through my router. Security rating Fair, no chance of improving according to customer support.

I've never been a huge fan of Norton products as I've always felt they were overkill for the average user. This router has surprised me though. It has some really nice features and has performed well. Better than my old Nighthawk. Setup is a breeze and the features/app is very helpful and user friendly. I love that you can get an alert when a new device joins your network! So far, I really can't complain about this unit. As mentioned, it has really impressed me thus far. I wouldn't recommend installing the free Norton Security they bundle with it. Unless you have a house full of teenagers downloading inappropriate material, it is a resource hog and overkill. But the router is a stellar performer!

PROS: . Easy to setup . Identifies all devices in the network by name . Access Control per device which can be assigned to a user ..Excellent Range . Advanced Firewall CONS: . Does not support PPOE . Depends only on app for configuration First, Norton Core has a very interesting design for a router or firewall. Nobody would guess that is a network device with Wi-Fi unless you tell them. In addition, the range is not affected by that design. It does cover a large area with excellent performance. Norton Core is probably the best home firewall I have ever used and it is the first with deep packet inspection, anti-virus and access control per device, all in one. Usually, this type of firewall slows your access to the internet due to the inspection but although Norton Core does slow it too, I noticed that I still could get over 398Mbps download using my iPhone. Without it, I got 500Mbps. The decrease in speed is about 20% while other similar routers/firewall combos would usually slow it down by 50% or more in my experience. We have over 30 devices connected to the internet and most of them make use of streaming video and music. Some like my security system also stream video and audio to the cloud and I noticed no performance issue. The only reason I know there is some slowness is because I tested the speed manually. I have CenturyLink fiber with gigabit speed and so I have a lot of bandwidth to spare but 20% slowness should not be a big issue to most people, especially considering the great job it does to protect your home network. Now I not only can control the time my 9-year-old spend on the internet but I can also choose the type of content she can see. That alone is a very nice feature that will entice most parents. Be aware that it does not support PPOE. That is very unfortunate because in my area, the fiber connection requires PPOE for authentication. Because of that, I have another router directly connected to the internet just to authenticate and Norton Core connected to it. It makes no sense to have both on. I do hope they can fix that soon. The other annoyance is that the only way to configure and grant access is by using the app. I understand it is for security reason that it does not provide a web interface but I wish they could make it available at least for internal use. The lack of these features are the reason I am not rating it 5 stars but it still highly recommended and most users will not miss these features

Symantec has released the Core, its first secure router and Wi-Fi hotspot for your entire home that protects all connected devices. This single device is powerful enough to provide speed and signal to stream 4K video and support HD gaming. It has a multi-layer, cloud-connected approach to security. It integrates Norton Security for PCs, tablets, smartphones and a secure cloud connection that scans all network traffic. All of this is included in a $279 package that looks nice, even on a table where everyone can see it. The rounded Core has triangular facets that are based on Buckminster Fuller’s geodesic design. Around back are four Gigabit Ethernet ports, two USB 3.0 ports, a refresh button and a power port. There is a small area for cords to exit the router and the ports are somewhat close. One of the four Ethernet ports is the WAN port, where the cord that comes from your DSL or cable modem goes and three ports to connect all other devices. Bluetooth Low Energy is built-in to set it up. Top Norton Core Features: - Router’s Design is Good Enough to Display in The Living Room - Software to Protect All Compatible Individual Devices - Easy Set-up with Bluetooth and Free App - Smart Parental Controls - Protects Against Hacks to IoT Devices - 4×4 MU-MIMO and 2.5Gbps Max Throughput - 1.7GHz Dual Core Processor Beyond the design lies a Wi-Fi powerhouse with integrated antennae. The Core has four dual-band phased antennas inside that provide 360 degrees of 2.4GHz and 5GHz dual-band 802.11ac Wave 2 Wi-Fi coverage, with MU-MIMO streaming technology. All together, the hotspot is a 4×4 AC 2500 router with Beamforming technology. This package comes with one year of Norton Core Security Plus antivirus software and licenses for all of the devices on the network. Additionally, the Core scans data packets for malware, spyware, viruses and botnet attacks via Symantec’s cloud security network. For cameras and other devices on the network that do not have software running on them to prevent security breaches, the cloud security software takes over to protect them. Watching the network is done via its free iOS or Android app. Apps for routers have been around for a few years. Symantec has taken steps beyond the ability to make simple adjustments to an entirely new level. Its clean and intuitive interface makes for setting up the router easy and learning all of its available features possible in about 15 minutes. Taking a few minutes to understand what a Security Score is, where to alter the parental controls and create time-limited guest wireless networks; will ensure a smoothly operated Core. On the top left corner of the app, menu options for Home, Security, People, Devices, Network, Settings, and Help appear with one tap. A Security Score is shown under the Security menu and shows which devices may need adjusting to become more secure. Under People, profiles can be set up for controlling daily time limits on assigned devices. Blocked sites can be managed for individual profiles. Tap on the Network menu to view Internet speed and bandwidth consumed, which can be helpful for metered connections to ISPs. Internet can be paused under the Devices menu and it shows which gadgets are currently online. Norton’s Core app is the conduit in which it communicates what is happening on the network. For some, notifications from an app can be annoying. This app only notifies when something important happens, like if the network goes down or when a major security threat is identified. Networking devices, like the Symantec Core Wi-Fi enabled router, are simultaneously becoming more secure and are focusing on ease of use. A monthly fee makes sense past an included year of service. Most single installs of anti-virus software can cost $29.99 or more. The Core’s speed and ability to handle an entire home’s worth of traffic, makes it a great single device solution to protect everything from PCs, smartphones, tablets and Internet connected security cameras.

would recommend to people starting with wifi router

Love the extra security and was easy to set up and monitor!

Bought to give me addd internet computer security!

Plugged in and never discovered a WiFi signal. Returning.

This router is stylish hard to tell it is a router by its looks. The setup instructions were fairly simple once you get a Norton account configured. Two factor authentication is nice added security, but makes setup a bit more cumbersome if you are using a mobile device. If you are replacing an existing router it lets you enter the existing wireless network name and password so all your connected devices do not need reconfigured. QoS is nice so you can prioritize bandwidth on your gaming and voice over IP devices. I did experience issues with the router disconnection when renaming certain connected devices. The issue resolved itself after a few minutes. It comes with one year of compimentery norton core security software for unlimited number of devices. After the one year it is $9.99 per month, which is not bad. You can cancel the subscription and it will still work as a router but you will lose the advanced security features. There are one LAN and four high speed ethernet ports. They are slightly hard to plug into but the included cord management makes everything look tidy. Wireless performance and range is excellent. This is one of the best routers out there for the price, performance, security and style.

I purchased the Norton Core earlier this year and have been using it since August without any major issues. The setup process does take some time and did require me to configure the bridge mode on my Xfinity dual band gateway router/modem. However, the Norton Core app asked me if this was how my existing setup was configured and provided step-by-step instructions on how to disable it on xfinity.com. Once the router was up and running it has been very reliable – an occasional dropped connection but nothing that a quick reset or firmware update didn’t immediately fix. At any given moment we have 10-15 connected devices and have rarely experienced any issues – certainly none outside the occasional dropped or slow connection mentioned previously. The connection is very fast – consistently seeing download speeds of 174 Mbps and uploads around 12 Mbps – even when simultaneously streaming Netflix on the TV, using the internet on 2 laptops and all the other IoT gadgets that have taken over our daily lives! The app is also easy to use. Some of my favorite features are: the security score, the traffic scanned and threats blocked – really making me feel that I have some visibility on my network usage and security. Overall, this has been reliable product and one that I have also purchased for my father. I am a Symantec employee, but my review and opinions on this site are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Symantec.

On a basic level, this router is comparable to many others from Linksys or other brands with the same network frequency specs. Where the Norton Core differentiates itself is in appearance and security features. This router is definitely a modern-art piece if you want it visible. The geodesic dome is a great touch that is nice enough that I don't feel like I need to hide it. The color is more of a dirty beige than the standard electronics silver, however. The dome covers directional antenae which are supposed to direct the signal to connected devices for a better connection. I live in a smaller apartment, so this isn't really necessary, but I find that it works a little better than my previous router if I take my laptop into the closet (forcing the signal to go through at least 4 walls). Where this router is really different is the security features. It automatically identifies the types of devices you are connecting, and allows you to turn on/off access for that device, or all devices. If you are a concerned parent, you can even set up a user profile, identify which devices belong to that person, and restrict internet usage times, access to individual sites, or turn off access entirely for particular people. I haven't (thankfully) had any malware on my home network since installing this router, but I understand that the router is supposed to automatically isolate any device which appears to be inappropriately communicating with others to make sure that hackers cannot access all of your devices (and even WiFi-enabled appliances) by getting through any single device. While Norton seems to do well with monitoring the type of traffic, it doesn't look at your secured traffic, so Norton actually doesn't get a record of user names and passwords for sites using HTTPS, and cannot monitor traffic through a VPN if you work from home.

I preordered months ago and just received the router on 08/09. What to say? It's a sleek router with very good coverage and excellent throughput. It's extremely easy to set up, and managing devices on your network could not be simpler. The security score is a nice, if perhaps a little gimmicky, feature. All said, very positive about how well designed and performing the router is, and about how dead simple it is to manage devices on your network, and to assign these into parental control categories with pre-defined filter settings for web content. That said, Norton needs to work better at correctly identifying web content, as I've found that sites are radically misclassified, in some cases either exposing sites that shouldn't be, or blocking access to sites which are completely misclassified. A few examples: By default, the router blocks all web sites in the category "Religion". That's a bit offensive for people of faith, but fine - let's just roll with it. So as a Christian Dad who wants content filtering (Norton, I'm probably a part of a big market constituency for your product), let's assume I just get over that mild slight and re-enable that category. All good, right? No harm, no foul. Except Norton has somehow managed to classify the web presence for major Christian ministries as cults. Not just a few - most of them. Rick Warren's church? Blocked as a cult. Greg Laurie's harvest fellowship? Blocked under 'cult'. Joyce Meyer? Cult. We are talking about some of the biggest ministries in the United States, and in the case of churches like those of Rick Warren and Greg Laurie, some of the best known and most widely respected ministries in the world. Yet Norton says these organizations are cults. So, as a Dad, I either have to allow these sites manually (a huge pain), or I have to allow the "cult" category as a whole, which is also populated by such luminaries as "The Manson family." More notable, perhaps, than what IS blocked under the Cult category? What isn't: Groups like Scientology. Norton claims that sites find their place in it's filtering categories as the result of 3 or more "authoritative sources"... but I highly doubt 3 authoritative sources concluded Rick Warren is a cult leader. So you might be forgiven for wanting to actually look up what some authoritative sources have to say. So, would you like to visit sites like CARM or Cultwatch to find out what organizations ARE identified as cults? Sorry, you cannot do that: Norton thinks Cultwatch and CARM are cults, and blocks them, too. Beyond this all, there are sites with blatantly pornographic or tasteless content that are not caught by the content filtering. To flesh that out, let me say this: I also have a Zyxel unified security gateway on my wired network, and the content filtering it provides is spot-on. I have to conclude that Norton's effort is flawed, either due to mismanagement or potentially even intent. I can't, given all of this, give the router a very high rating. I think it falls into the category of "great idea, but poor execution in a few core areas." If Core were just a router, I would give it a solid 5. But the product is marketed based on its security characteristics, many of which surround content filtering and parental controls. And frankly speaking, I think Norton needs to examine how these portions of the product are being managed, because not only do they have serious issues in classification, the errors that have been made create an impression of bias.

This Norton Secure Core router is more than just an ordinary WiFi router. The included Norton Core Security Plus protects your devices against malware, viruses and hackers. The router installation is made easy via the mobile app, and that app also allows you to monitor your network's security. Norton provides a "security score" to help you keep all your devices safe. The app also allows you to set up parental controls, temporary guest network access, and monitor the devices on your network. The speed and performance of the router is great, and on par with any other router in this price range. The only issue I have is that the Norton Core Security Plus protection is only free for the first year. After that it is $9.99 per month. But, if you look at the level of security you get, and the peace of mind, I suppose that it's worth it.

I purchased in August. I like the concept very much: Security filtering at the very first internet doorstep to all my home devices. All my IoT devices are connected; Apple computers, cameras, Hue, Ring, Nest, phone, streaming to TV, DVR, DVD, etc. It has increased my speed by a lot!! I had no idea that AT&T's U-Verse wireless gateway was SO stupidly slow. Wireless connections are now MUCH faster with Norton Core, on my AT&T 24mbps service. For the first 3-4 weeks it worked perfectly. Speed was perfect. Then, something happened on the firmware or software updates to the Core. It would drop its wired connection to my AT&T gateway two to three times a day. A new firmware update seemed to work, but it is still dropping once every other day. There has been much discussion on Norton Core's community forum. I believe Norton is working hard to fix. And I am willing to wait through the fixes because I like the concept. But if the fixes do not work, I will be forced to return it. Hoping the fixes get rolled out soon!!!

The NortonCore Router is secure, aesthetically unique, and VERY EASY to set up via the NortonCore App. I want to like this router...I do like this router...its just REALLY SLOW on bench tests. Using your basic online speed testing, I lost approximately 40% of my download speed compared to the router the NortonCore was suppose to replace (98 mbps vs 51 mbps). Now I didn't see much of a difference in basic internet browsing, YouTube watching, etc. But if you play games, you will feel a difference. Now with my main and pretty much only complaint out of the way, let's cover the rest of the features. 1) Setup is simple. How simple? It took more effort to type this sentence than it did to setup my NortonCore router. Probably more time too. Symantec/Norton did a great job with their app for setup. I could honestly care less about the security score as it feels more gimmick than substance, but its nifty too. It would be nice if the app would allow you to setup the NortonCore as a bridge or switch, but I am familiar enough with the homepage that I could do this if needed. 2) This router is Stylish. Although someone in my family described it as "The king of kidney stones" in looks, I think it's a nice change from the same old flat wedge design. The wires are hidden and organized well through the design of the router and the handy cable organizer that is included with the router. Also, on the bottom of the router a status light runs the circumference of the router to let you know the state of the router, and sitting on top of my glass office desk looks really cool. I like that its looks are stylish enough that you don't feel the need to shove it in a utility room or closet. Put it on an end table, counter, whatever! It should be seen to be truly appreciated. 3) This router is secure. I surfed my normal sites...local news, sports, retail stores, and didn't notice any response issues, but the "Threats Blocked" counter showed a lot more potential hazards than I expected to see. This intrigued me and gave me the idea of going to some shady websites to give the NortonCore a trial by fire. Although I wasn't too nervous, I used an old laptop to be safe. This router blocked EVERYTHING. The threat counter started to look like Warren Buffet's bank account, but I didn't see a single thing hit my computer. I ran several scans with trusted third party software to verify this as well with great success. I like this router. I just hope that with firmware updates Norton can make it just as secure, but without sacrificing speed.