Top Mesh Wi-Fi Systems: Asus XT8, TP-Link Deco X20, and Amazon’s Eero 6
The need for fast and reliable Wi-Fi has never been greater as the COVID-19 pandemic forced millions to work and study from home. Mesh Wi-Fi systems are becoming increasingly popular as they provide wider coverage and better performance than traditional routers. In this article, we review three top mesh Wi-Fi systems: the Asus XT8, the TP-Link Deco X20, and the Amazon Eero 6 mesh system.
Asus XT8: Fast and Feature-Packed
The Asus ZenWiFi AX (XT8) is a high-end mesh Wi-Fi system that delivers top-notch speed, coverage, and features. The system comes in two or three units, depending on your coverage needs. The XT8 is easy to set up, either via the mobile app or the web interface, which offers more detailed settings. One notable feature is the dedicated backhaul channel, which ensures fast and stable connections between the nodes and the main router.
Pros:
– Wider coverage and faster speeds than most mesh Wi-Fi systems
– Easy to set up and manage via the app or web interface
– Supports AiMesh, enabling you to expand the Wi-Fi system with other Asus routers
– Excellent device recognition
Cons:
– Some users may experience firmware and device recognition issues
– Relatively expensive compared to other mesh Wi-Fi systems
TP-Link Deco X20: Affordable and Secure
The TP-Link Deco X20 AX1800 is a budget-friendly mesh Wi-Fi system that delivers decent coverage and performance. The system comes in packs of three units, each with two Ethernet ports and free TP-Link HomeCare for antivirus protection and parental controls. The system is easy to set up and manage via the app, which allows you to split the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, set up a guest network, and prioritize devices and activities.
Pros:
– Affordable and offers decent coverage and speed
– Easy to set up and manage via the app
– Free TP-Link HomeCare with antivirus protection and parental controls
Cons:
– Slower and less feature-packed than high-end mesh Wi-Fi systems
– Limited web interface
Amazon Eero 6: Easy and Elegant
The Amazon Eero 6 is a sleek and easy-to-use mesh Wi-Fi system that delivers stable connectivity and wide coverage. The system comes in packs of three routers or one router and two nodes, with no Ethernet ports on the nodes. The mobile app is straightforward, offering basic features such as device management, guest network, and profile creation. However, advanced features such as parental controls and content filtering require an Eero Plus subscription.
Pros:
– Elegant and easy to set up
– Stable connectivity and wide coverage
– Basic features are available through the mobile app
Cons:
– Slower speeds than high-end mesh Wi-Fi systems
– Advanced features require a subscription to Eero Plus
Additional Piece:
Mesh Wi-Fi systems are the new standard for fast and reliable home internet. With more people working and studying from home, the demand for wider coverage, faster speeds, and stronger security has never been greater. Mesh Wi-Fi systems offer many advantages over traditional routers, such as:
– Wider coverage: Mesh Wi-Fi systems consist of several nodes that work together to provide seamless coverage across your home.
– Faster speeds: Mesh Wi-Fi systems use advanced technologies such as dedicated backhaul channels and beamforming to deliver faster and more stable connections.
– Better security: Mesh Wi-Fi systems come with advanced security features such as antivirus protection and parental controls to keep your devices and data safe from cyber threats.
However, not all mesh Wi-Fi systems are created equal. It’s essential to choose a system that meets your needs in terms of coverage, speed, and security. For example, high-end systems such as the Asus XT8 are suitable for larger homes with many devices, while budget-friendly systems such as the TP-Link Deco X20 offer decent coverage and performance for smaller homes.
Moreover, it’s essential to consider other factors such as ease of setup and management, customer support, and pricing. Some mesh Wi-Fi systems come with intuitive mobile apps that make it easy to set up, monitor, and manage your network, while others offer detailed web interfaces with more advanced settings. Additionally, some vendors offer excellent customer support and fast firmware updates to address any issues or vulnerabilities in their systems.
In conclusion, mesh Wi-Fi systems are the way to go for fast, reliable, and secure home internet. By choosing the right system for your needs and budget, you can enjoy seamless connectivity and stay productive and entertained from anywhere in your home.
Summary:
This article reviews three top mesh Wi-Fi systems: the Asus XT8, TP-Link Deco X20, and Amazon’s Eero 6. The Asus XT8 is a high-end mesh Wi-Fi system that offers wider coverage, faster speeds, and advanced features such as dedicated backhaul channels and AiMesh support. The TP-Link Deco X20 is a budget-friendly mesh Wi-Fi system that offers decent coverage and performance, basic features, and free antivirus protection and parental controls. The Amazon Eero 6 is a sleek and easy-to-use mesh Wi-Fi system that offers stable connectivity, wide coverage, and basic features through the mobile app, with advanced features such as parental controls and content filtering requiring a subscription to Eero Plus. The article also highlights the advantages of mesh Wi-Fi systems over traditional routers, such as wider coverage, faster speeds, and better security, and provides tips for choosing the right system for your needs and budget.
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The mobile app has a large number of options and the web interface is even more detailed. It’s easy to split bands or set up a guest network. I also found that the app recognized most devices correctly (sometimes it’s hard to identify devices from the hardware names given in router apps). And there is support for AiMesh. which means you can easily add other Asus routers to expand your Wi-Fi system. The dedicated backhaul channel, the way the router talks to its nodes and vice versa, is extremely fast, ensuring you get maximum speed from your Internet connection even from that node you placed near the backyard.
On the downside, my XT8 node initially refused to update its firmware, which required a couple of tries to fix. I also had a problem with my Sonos speakers disappearing, but I managed to resolve it with a factory reset. Overall, using the XT8 has been a smooth experience. It’s easy enough for almost anyone to operate, but the variety of options will satisfy advanced users.
TP-Link Deco X20 AX1800 (3-Pack)
best budget
This affordable package incorporates parental controls and antivirus protection while offering decent coverage and performance, making it ideal for the average family home. I tried the AX1800 three pack and it was very easy to set them all up. All three routers are quite small and sport a well-matched cylinder design. There are two Gigabit Ethernet ports on each.
Coverage and speeds are fine, well below the Asus XT8 but better than the Eero 6 (below). The app is straightforward and it’s easy to set up a guest network. TP-Link HomeCare is free and enables antivirus protection powered by Trend Micro and strong parental controls. It’s very easy to set up profiles with time limits and scheduled bedtimes, there are basic filters by age, and you can review activity both in the app and on the website.
The Quality of Service feature allows you to prioritize activities like gaming or streaming or set priority devices. It is important to note that you can split the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands to show up as two separate Wi-Fi networks. This is useful as some smart home devices only work on the older band. Similarly, there is a mixed mode for WPA2 and WPA3 security. Only a few devices work with the newer WPA3 standard, and some routers force you to choose one or the other, which can lead to problems. This mode ensures that all your devices have a compatible standard.
The web interface is basic and doesn’t add much, so I preferred using the easy-to-use app. However, the update is a bit slow and the settings are still limited. It didn’t recognize many devices and listed obscure hardware manufacturer names, making it hard to know which devices to add to my kids’ profiles.
It wasn’t the fastest, but this system is fast and reliable enough for the average home. If you have a 500 Mbps or higher connection, it might be worth upgrading to the X60 AX3000 Decor ($240).
Best for smart homes
Amazon’s Eero 6 Mesh System is one of the easiest to set up, offers fairly wide coverage, and offers stable connectivity. It’s a fancy system, available as three identical routers or (slightly cheaper) as one main router and two small nodes. The Eeros sits on a table or shelf, though the compact design leaves no room for any ports. (There are only two gigabit ports on the routers and none on the nodes.)
Although the basic Eero 6 was one of the slower systems I tested, particularly over longer distances, the speeds of the nodes were close to what I got from the main router. There were no crashes and it proved adept at sharing limited bandwidth. The mobile app is straightforward, giving you an overview of connected devices with the option to pause the internet and set up a guest network. I was also able to create profiles, group devices, set schedules, and set bedtimes. Unfortunately, content filtering, other parental controls, advanced security, ad blocking, and activity stats require a subscription to Eero Plus at $10 per month or $100 per year.
https://www.wired.com/story/best-mesh-wifi-routers/
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