The best routers with MESH support

The Carrier KN-1711 is a relatively inexpensive, damn fancy AC1200 class router from Hong Kong manufacturer Keenetic, which was a sub-brand of ZyXel a few years ago. Despite the release in the winter of 2022, it does not support the new Wi-Fi 6 standard, which is inferior to some similar solutions from Xiaomi, Asus and Huawei. At the same time, a couple of convincing aces are hidden in its sleeve in the form of a dedicated file server, DLNA, Apple Time Machine backup service, a standalone torrent client and proprietary Keenetic OS firmware.

The router has four fixed antennas - two for each band: antennas located on the rear panel - for the 2.4 GHz band, on the sides - for the 5 GHz band. The data transfer rate in the 5 GHz band is 867 Mbps, in the 2.4 GHz band the device provides a minimum of 300 Mbps. The output is almost 1300 Mbps. The declared routing speed of VPN traffic reaches 95 Mbps. In general, by the standards of 2023, these are not the most impressive indicators, but Carrier KN-1711 takes at the expense of not quite the usual functionality.

First of all, the ability of the router to work in Mesh networks stands out. Unlike networks with a main router or repeaters, a system of several Mesh routers links the network into a single fabric, where all access points are equivalent, and the coverage does not have "dead zones". The router easily pairs with other Keenetic routers that support this technology, and the cost of such a set in most cases will be lower than the cost of an already assembled mesh system. It should also be noted long-range antennas that break through walls well, forming a stable coverage over a wide area, and 4 LAN ports at once for organizing a cable network. It is a pity that their bandwidth is limited to 100 Mbps, although many competitors offer 1 Gbps for the same money. And you can connect an external drive or a 3G / 4G modem to the built-in USB port.

Asus RT-AX1800U is a rather interesting and at the same time affordable AX1800 class router with rich features for building home Wi-Fi networks of the sixth generation. It is equipped with a class 2.0 USB port to which you can connect an external drive, flash drive or mobile modem with a SIM card. Connecting to a network using a cable allows you to transfer information at a speed of 1 Gb / s. The built-in Wi-Fi receiver supports outbred dual-channel connectivity. Plus, the router is friendly with Asus' seamless AiMesh technology and can pair with other company mesh routers to create a wireless network with a large coverage area.

For data transmission over the air, the Asus RT-AX1800U uses four external antennas: a pair for the 2.4 GHz band and a pair for the 5 GHz band. In the first case, we have a throughput of 574 Mbps, in the second, the speed rises to 1201 Mbps, which in total provides a throughput of around 1800 Mbps. During tests, the router proved to be as adequate and predictable as possible: speed drops when transmitting a Wi-Fi signal through several walls are quite standard, a mesh network is quite easy to configure and does not act up, MU-MIMO and OFDMA help a lot in distributing streams between a pack of connected to it smartphones, TV, laptop, tablet and other smaller gadgets.

In terms of software and extras, this model has almost all the most important elements of the show, including the ability to create guest networks, VPN, Amazon Alexa support, a built-in cloud service for data exchange and a set of AiProtection services powered by Trend Micro. The latter allows you to check the security settings of the router, block access to malicious resources, search for and block infected gadgets connected to the network, etc. At the same time, Asus RT-AX1800U does not have any obvious disadvantages for which you want to poke it with a stick. For complete happiness, I would like a dedicated 160 Hz band and a more modern USB port, but in general, it turned out quite well anyway.

Asus' network equipment range has a suitable offer for any wallet thickness. Take, for example, the RT-AX53U home model, an inexpensive dual-band router that supports Wi-Fi 6 generation of wireless communications.

The device belongs to the AX1800 class models - the router provides a theoretical throughput of up to 576 Mbps in the 2.4 GHz band and up to 1201 Mbps when using a 5 GHz carrier frequency. This supports the creation of up to three independent guest networks in each range. The network cable is connected to the router via a gigabit LAN connector. Also in the interface shelf of the model is a trio of WAN ports with a bandwidth of 1 Gb / s.

The presence of a USB 2.0 port allows you to use modems, printers and external HDDs with the router. So, in the absence of the Internet from the provider, you can “start up” the device using a 3G / LTE modem. The status of the router is displayed by LED indicators on the top panel of the case. In the dark, they blink too brightly, but, fortunately, the indication can be turned off in the settings. Asus RT-AX53U operation management is tied to the web interface or the ASUS Router mobile application.

The model incorporates support for MU-MIMO and Beamforming technologies to improve the performance of wireless networks, Firewall, NAT, DHCP, FTP, file and print server functions are implemented. In addition, Dual WAN technology enables efficient redundancy and network load balancing. A separate plus goes to the router for the pre-installed AiProtection Classic cyber protection service, which checks settings from a security point of view, blocks access to malicious resources, detects and blocks infected devices on the local network. On the whole, the Asus RT-AX53U gives the impression of a well-balanced product without obvious flaws.

Huawei was one of the key developers of the Wi-Fi 6 standard, so it is not surprising that it was one of the first to launch a pack of new generation routers on the market. Moreover, if other manufacturers looked at the new protocol with caution and limited themselves to the release of rather expensive and niche models, Huawei immediately went to the people. So the new AX3 Dual Core is a terribly stylish and very fast router with Wi-Fi 6 and support for seamless MESH systems. And they ask for only $70. Are you already interested? We are very.

Routers are rarely seen by their clothes. Rather, it is a product from the category, connected, put on the table and forgot. But not at this time. Huawei turned out to be one of the most stylish and unusual routers in our memory. Wide and flat antennas are connected to a flat and thin body made of matte plastic, which stick out like horns when open, and when folded they fit snugly against the body. Aesthetically, this is something very close to the golden days of Apple. By the way, plastic does not collect fingerprints at all and, as far as one can judge from a weekly test, is scratch resistant.

On the other fronts, the AX3 Dual Core is not inferior to competitors with a price tag twice as high. Its theoretical throughput reaches almost 3000 Mbps (574 Mbps in the 2.4 GHz band and 2402 Mbps in the 5 GHz band), which is very cool in itself. It supports MU-MIMO and Beamforming, like any self-respecting mid-range router. But more to come. Firstly, it is support for MESH networkswhen several identical routers create a seamless coverage indoors without separation into a master and slave router. Secondly, this is the Dynamic Narrow Bandwidth feature, which can boost signal transmission in the 2 MHz narrowband mode, improving signal penetration through walls and floors. Thirdly, the delights of Wi-Fi 6, such as a dedicated 160 Hz bandwidth and OFDMA technology, which provides high bandwidth and more efficient network operation. Well, the new processor will withstand the simultaneous connection of 128 devices. For complete happiness, there would also be a USB port here and it would be completely incomprehensible why even look in the direction of other routers.

In the shelf of household routers of the AX3200 class, the wireless router model of the same name from the Chinese company Xiaomi is very attractive in terms of price and functionality. It is simply called Router AX3200.

The device is assembled in a rectangular case with a “striped” back, in the center of which a small Xiaomi logo proudly flaunts. Six antennas protrude from the rear and side ends of the router case to create the most extensive area of high-quality coverage. The router distributes the Internet in two bands: 2.4 GHz with a bandwidth of up to 800 Mbps and 5 GHz with a speed of up to 2402 Mbps. Also at the user's disposal is a trio of gigabit LAN ports. A total theoretical speed of up to 3200 Mbps is made possible by 1024-QAM modulation and MU-MIMO 4x4 multi-channel data transmission.

OFDMA technology increases the efficiency of information transfer to several connected devices. Another useful feature in the assets of the model is Beamforming technology, which determines the position of client devices within the network being deployed. If the strength of the router is not enough to cover the entire serviced perimeter, you can use the router to scale the coverage area as one of the links of seamless MESH networks.

In total, up to 128 client devices can work in the Wi-Fi network of the router. The model perfectly copes with the assigned tasks both in a relaxed home atmosphere and in a relatively small office. The wireless router captivates with increased data exchange rates, Wi-Fi 6 support, simple setup and stable coverage.