Top 5 Best WiFi 6 Mesh Router

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Since mesh routers are fast, reliable, and capable of covering a broad geographic area, mesh routers are practically always the best Wi-Fi routers. Ideally, a mesh router should be simple to use and provide you the freedom to customise your Wi-Fi to meet your individual requirements. With the extra benefit of being able to control an entire network across your home or company, the ability to handle everything from gaming to movie streaming or even simply browsing the internet must be handled as effortlessly as a typical router does. These are the best Wi-Fi 6 mesh routers currently on the market.

1. Netgear Orbi RBK852

Wi-Fi 6 (also known as 802.11ax) has here, and Netgear has updated its Orbi mesh networking kits to take use of it. The RBK852 is a lot simpler to refer to. The RBK852 gear, like its predecessors, is large and retains the tall, round cooling tower appearance that makes it difficult to conceal. As compared to the TP-Link Deco X20 or Google Nest WiFi, the RBR850 router and RBS850 satellite are massive in size.

Despite this, the RBK852 devices cannot be wall mounted and must be placed on a bookshelf or desk. Instead of depending on third-party accessories, Netgear treads new ground by supplying a wall mounting bracket for its devices ($19).

There is 1GB of RAM and 512MB of storage for firmware and settings in the Orbi RBK852’s new Qualcomm Networking Pro 1200 Wi-Fi chip. At a maximum speed of 2GHz, a quad-core CPU powers everything. It’s rated AX6000 by the manufacturer.

Most of our testing using Ixia’s IxChariot networking benchmark software, which replicated a busy Wi-Fi network in my 100-year-old, 3,500-square-foot house, found that the RBK852 set gave outstanding performance overall. Even many Wi-Fi 6 routers couldn’t keep up with it.

The RBR850 router was all that was needed to transport 883.6Mbps to the 15-foot-away receiving device. While it falls short of the 1.389Gbps of routers like the Netgear Nighthawk AX8 (RAX80) and the Arris SURFboard mAX Pro, it comfortably outperformed comparable mesh kits like the TP-Link Deco X20 (at 820.3Mbps).

At 50 feet, its throughput plummeted to 124.4Mbps, while the Deco X20 was the clear winner with 255.4Mbps. At 75 feet, the Deco X20 maintained its lead over the Orbi RBR850 with 112.7Mbps vs 85.9Mbps. It dropped out of the Deco X20’s 95-foot range at 85 feet.

2.TP-Link Deco X20 WiFi 6

Deco X20 mesh networking kit is an affordable alternative to the likes of the Arris SURFboard and the Netgear Orbi WiFi 6 (RBK852). To put it another way: they’re about the same size as a can of Planters Mixed Nuts, but they’re about an inch higher. The Orbi RBK852 and Arris SURFboard mAX Pro units, by comparison, are enormous.

The Deco X20 units are only available in white and do not have any mounting inserts for hanging on a wall behind the cooling holes. Fortunately, there are third-party plastic brackets that can be attached to a wall for a low price.

The Deco X20 mesh items contain LED indication lights that shine from the bottom. To indicate that the system is ready for setup, a pulsating blue light appears after the solid yellow light of system startup. A blinking red light indicates that the gadget is no longer connected to the Internet.

The Deco X20 was a surprise performance given its size and price, extending a Wi-Fi network to previously unreachable areas of a house. I set up a bustling network in my century-old house using Ixia’s IxChariot networking benchmark. Despite the Deco X20’s promising start, the test system was just 15 feet away from the host router when it received 522.1Mbps of throughput. Other Wi-Fi 6 mesh kits, such as the SURFboard mAX Pro (820.3Mbps) and the Netgear Orbi RBK852 (883.6Mbps), are far faster (701.0Mbps).

Even so, it rapidly caught up and was able to deliver 255.4Mbps over 50-feet, which is almost twice as fast as the Orbi RBK852 (124.5Mbps). When it came to 75-foot range, the Deco X20 outperformed the Orbi RBK852 (84.9Mbps) and the Arris SURFboard mAX Pro (112.7Mbps) (16.6Mbps).

The Deco X20 demonstrated its increased range by remaining online at a distance of 90 feet with a bandwidth of 51.1Mbps, while other mesh systems dropped out. Its 95-foot range was the greatest we’ve observed from a mesh router in these circumstances.

With a maximum download speed of 556.5Mbps on the other side of a 20-foot-long wall, it was able to deliver a strong signal. The Orbi RBK852 set a speed of 40 percent slower than this (782.9Mbps). The Deco X20 delivered 320.5Mbps of throughput compared to the Orbi RBK852’s 670.1Mbps when the test system was elevated above the host router.

3.eero Pro 6 mesh router

With Verizon’s gigabit Fios service, I compared the performance of the Eero Pro 6 against the Wi-Fi 5 Eero Pro, Linksys’ Velop MX4200, and the Arris Surfboard Max Pro AX11000. This is a real-world home network, not a testbed, so there are 60 to 70 devices connecting at any one moment, with just a few of them supporting Wi-Fi 6 in its fullest form.

Not considerably, however Eero Pro 6 did outperform the previous Wi-Fi 5 edition. Wi-Fi 5 Eero Pro, on the other hand, averaged 300Mbps to my devices, which is around 10% to 15% faster than the Wi-Fi 5 Eero Pro. The upload and download speeds on several of my smaller Wi-Fi 6 devices (such as phones and tablets) were only capable of hitting around 200Mbps, which was quite frustrating.

The Wi-Fi 6 standard itself: New features of Wi-Fi 6 include the ability to handle more devices on a single Wi-Fi 6 network, higher theoretical peak speeds, and longer battery life for devices connected to a Wi-Fi 6 network. Wi-Fi 6. You’ll need a Wi-Fi 6 device, such as a current smartphone or laptop, to take benefit of many of the new capabilities, such as longer battery life and quicker maximum speeds.

As the number of devices on a home network grows, Wi-Fi 6 is particularly built to handle the increased traffic. However, in order to benefit from the enhanced network management and dependability, all devices must have Wi-Fi 6. It’s backwards compatible with Wi-Fi 4 and 5 technologies, so all of your devices will be able to connect to the new Wi-Fi 6 network. If you use a Wi-Fi 5 device on a Wi-Fi 6 network, you won’t be able to take advantage of everything that Wi-Fi 6 has to offer until all of your devices have been upgraded to support it. Check out my colleague Jake Kastrenakes’ overview of what Wi-Fi 6 has to offer for additional information.

4.ASUS ZenWiFi XT8 Best WiFi 6 Mesh Router

Although the Asus ZenWiFi AX costs more than other modern Wi-Fi 6 routers, it has an amazing mix of features and performance that justifies its price tag.

Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) is supported by both routers, with a combined speed of 6600Mbps on the 2.4GHz and two 5.0GHz bands (6.6Gbps). That’s quicker than many new Wi-Fi 6 routers, as well as most existing 802.11ac wi-fi routers.

It’s still possible to utilise 802.11ac Wi-Fi, so you won’t have an issue with your current PCs and mobile devices when you upgrade to Wi-Fi 6.

Although the app and setup process aren’t as simple as we’ve seen from other mesh systems, the app does provide an astonishing variety of functions once you’ve got everything operating.

The first mesh router is often connected to your internet router through an Ethernet connection, and the other mesh routers are then placed in different rooms around your house to create a mesh network of your own. Both routers must be connected and set up in the same room – ideally within three metres of each other – at the beginning of the process.

You next link your iOS or Android mobile device to the Asus software, which utilises a Bluetooth connection to set up your mesh network. And unlike many other routers and mesh systems, it asks you right immediately whether you want to build a single network that incorporates the 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz bands, or if you want to create two distinct networks with different names and passwords. Finally, disconnect the second ZenWifi router and relocate it to a new location so that your new network may be established.

Again, the app is unable to assist you in this situation, necessitating a flip through the paper instructions. If you’re not acquainted with mesh technology, you may not understand what “dynamic DNS” implies. Asus should do a better job of describing the set-up procedure for folks who are.

Once you’ve got your new mesh network up and running, the Asus app is much easier to use and contains a solid set of parental controls and other features. If you have children who are under the age of 18, you may set up separate profiles for them that are connected to the devices they are using. You may set a time limit for Internet access and use content filters to prohibit inappropriate information, such as adult content, gambling, or messaging applications, for younger children using these accounts.

Asus’ AiProtection functions are also included in the app, which monitors your home network for harmful websites, spyware, and other outside efforts to penetrate it. This is a nice perk for Asus, since many other routers and mesh systems need an extra membership cost for security features and parental controls like these. Although a web interface is available for more advanced users, the majority of the app’s features may be accessed directly through the app itself.

5.Netgear Nighthawk MK63 whole home mesh

The MK63 is Netgear’s first gaming router in black, a colour usually reserved for the company’s more specialised gaming routers.

Since the routers are small enough to fit on a window sill or other low-hanging ledges, they’re straightforward to set up, and the power and Ethernet cables given by Netgear are each 2 metres long, making it simple to move them about as needed.

The Nighthawk MK63 implements the latest Wi-Fi 6 standard, also known as 802.11ax, which provides dual-band Wi-Fi on the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, with a total throughput of 1800 megabits per second. However, the distinctions between the Nighthawk and Orbi go deeper than simply black and white (Mbps).

Wireless 6 provides new technologies like OFDMA (orthogonal frequency division multiple access) that concentrate not only on speed, but also on delivering quick and reliable Wi-Fi to a large number of connected devices.

Netgear claims that the MK63 can effectively broadcast to 25 devices at the same time, however capabilities like OFDMA will only work with desktops and mobile devices that also support Wi-Fi 6.

To make use of the Netgear Nighthawk MK63, you don’t need to acquire any new laptops or mobile devices that support Wi-Fi 6, since Wi-Fi 6 is backwards compatible with 802.11ac devices.

Even though you’ll need one of the two Gigabit Ethernet ports for your current broadband modem or router, you still have the option of connecting a games console or smart-TV to the two satellite routers through a connected connection.

Simply scanning a QR code on your smartphone or tablet is all it takes to join to your new Wi-Fi network using Netgear’s Nighthawk app for the MK63 system. Creating a password for the app itself and setting up a few security questions in the event of an emergency are all you need to do.

Nighthawk’s app is a bit simplistic, but that’s the only gripe we have with it. There is an option for more skilled users, such as gamers, to build distinct networks for each frequency band, although this is not required to make things easy for those who wish to keep things simple.

A built-in speed test and a network map let you keep tabs on all the devices connected to your network. You can even create a guest network. Only an On/Off button controls the Internet access for individual devices; there are no further parental controls available.

How to choose the best Wi-Fi 6 router for you

Wi-Fi 6 router purchasing isn’t much different from shopping for any other networking gear. Only two critical questions need to be answered in order to understand the jargon.

To begin, what kind of internet connection and gadgets will you be using? Second, how much insurance do you need for your home?

Speed:

Wi-Fi 6 is better for high-speed connections than 802.11ac because of the newer standard’s increased throughput. Gigabit internet services, which may be available in your region, are particularly well-suited to it.

However, even average broadband speeds will benefit from Wi-Fi 6, as the standard offers better efficiency for sharing your bandwidth among many devices.

Compatibility:

Similarly, if you want to get the most out of Wi-Fi 6, you should use laptops and cellphones that have Wi-Fi 6 built in. As long as you have an earlier Wi-Fi-enabled gadget, you should be able to use the new standard. But if you don’t, you won’t be able to take use of some of its capabilities, such as longer battery life for linked devices.

A Wi-Fi 6 router is the greatest method to ensure that your home network is ready for the future, since most modern laptops, desktops, cellphones, and tablets have Wi-Fi 6 capabilities, and some even support Wi-Fi 6e.

Price:

Finally, pricing is the most important consideration for many consumers when making purchasing selections. A few reasonably priced Wi-Fi 6 devices are available, and some even support Wi-Fi 6e.

Despite the fact that many Wi-Fi 6 products cost $300 or more, there are solutions in both standalone and mesh devices that are less expensive. While Wi-Fi 6 does provide many of the advantages of Wi-Fi 5, it does so at a lower device handling and coverage level. For for $150, you can get a good Wi-Fi 6 standalone router, and a mesh system costs less than $300.