"affordable Wi-Fi 6 compatible mesh router" is the strongest winner!

For those who are thinking about upgrading around the router

Devices that require Wi-Fi in our homes, such as smartphones, laptops, Netflix, Alexa, and smart home devices, are increasing year by year.If this is the family of a single house, one smartphone per person is almost natural, and if each plays games or watches videos, the net will be slow in no time.If you have a pandemic in a way that is overwhelmed, and most of your family is at home, you may feel the limit of the setup so far.

So this time, Gizmodo's Florence Ion tested the latest mesh router, tested a reasonable and good performance router and chose the best rotor.

However, as the reporter wrote, the performance of the router is greatly affected by the situation of each family (the location of the router, the number of surrounding walls, etc.), so this is not necessarily the best in all homes.It may be, but please read it as a reference.

Looking back on this year, I was just complaining about the internet environment.I upgraded the Internet environment at high speed to improve my life that has changed completely with pandemic, but since the setup of the important Wi-Fi device is at the limit, my home is not connected only to my home.I feel it.

The recent internet environment in the home must make a TV streaming, video conferences with multiple people, online classes, and devices such as security cameras and digital assistants always have to make them feel delayed.Mesh Wi-Fi is suitable for this, which is a category that has become popular recently.With the appearance of Wi-Fi 6 compatible devices approaching and faster internet environments are becoming more and more popular, new mesh Wi-Fi routers are appearing one after another.

So, this time, I looked for a system that could make full use of my faster environment and distribute the bandwidth into devices in the house.Also, this time, we are testing around Wi-Fi 6 mesh routers (despite my devices are not compatible) in anticipation of the increase in Wi-Fi 6 compatible devices.The following is the router tested.

The great thing about the mesh Wi-Fi system is that each manufacturer is trying to increase the added value by equipping smart home antennas, security functions, and other functions that make it easier to manage the internet of the house.Therefore, the price is quite different for each system.

This time, we are conducting multiple tests to find out which mesh router is most powerful in our home.Since my home is a two -story building, I checked the upload and download speed in various places, such as offices, entrance, dining room, bedroom, backyard, and garage (because I download the media just before going out by car).I use OOKLA SpeedTest for testing.In addition, I downloaded a lot of music files from Dropbox shared folders, pinged the Elder Scrolls Online (game) that I sometimes appear, and used tasks that I often do at home.

The evaluation target is 4 points: "Design" because you have to stay in the house and look at it, so you do not want to take time to manage on the Internet even though you are busy elsewhere, "Easy operation", the whole house.Since I want to use a fast internet, "Other functions" are installed in order to get out of competitors, such as "performance", smart home support and malware protection.

Best design mesh router

The mesh router has a variety of sizes, and some are so big (LinkSys Velop AX M10) and some are easy to get smaller (EERO 6).As can be said to all products, the larger the size, the more rich in routers and satellite functions.

EERO 6 is an Amazon product, so it is a popular design.It matches the interior of various styles, and can be installed anywhere with a power supply.It is ideal for those who want to set quickly and return to life, but there is no Ethernet port, so you can not connect with a cable.High -end game consoles, laptops, and computers can only be connected wirelessly, so it is a major restriction for those who have high -speed Internet.If you are playing online cooperation or streaming high -quality videos, you want to reduce the latency.

In terms of shape, I think that the TP-Link Deco X20, which is not noticeable even on the bookshelf, is the most convinced.It is less than 5 inches (about 12.7cm) than EERO, but each node has two Ethernet ports.And DECO X20 and EERO 6 are the only three sets of this lineup and dual band routers.

The size of the mesh router is larger as the function is added.Both ASUS ZENWIFI AX (XT8) and NetGear Orbi Wifi 6 are both triband routers, each of which is 6 inches (about 15.24 cm) and 10 inches (about 25.4 cm).So, no matter where you put it, there is an atmosphere of "something for the Internet".

Both have enough ports, Zenwifi also has two 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet ports for each unit and a USB 3.1 port for connecting hard drive.

NetGear Orbi has one Gigabit WAN port, three Gigabit Ethernet ports, and two more Gigabit Ethernet ports.

The LinkSys Velop AX M10 is a large size, which is 10 inches (about 25.4 cm), which is 10 inches (about 25.4 cm).However, there are four Gigabit Ethernet ports on both the router and the satellite, and one USB3.0 port.It is tall and square, and looks like a router, but the most beautiful point of the M10 is the LED status indicator that changes color.

The M10 was the largest AC adapter size.By the way, NetGear Orbi is the second size.DECO X20 and ZENWIFI are in the size of the adapter, and the latter is taken over from the ASUS laptop.The smallest was EERO 6, and because it is a USB-C, it can be used for charging Android mobile when not in router.

Winner: TP-Link DECO X20

Router that is the easiest to use app

Thanks to the companion app that makes general tasks of networking relatively easy, it is one of the major advantages of mesh Wi-Fi that is easy to use.

All routers were quick and easy, except for LinkSys Velop AX M10.Regarding AX M10, I did not notice the problem of DNS routing until one day after the test started.However, when the LinkSys app's Advanced Settings tab was converted from the Google DNS setting, the problem was solved immediately.ASUS ZENWIFI was a bit strange, and during the setup, the satellite had to be placed within a few feet of the router, and after completion, I had to install it in my favorite place.

Each companion app allows you to easily see the IP addresses, MAC addresses, and how much data are coming and going for each connected device.In addition, all apps have guest mode and can always switch on and off.ORBI, DECO, and EERO apps could block the Internet access of a specific device, and to set priorities on the connected device in all apps.This is to determine how the device such as TV, smartphones, and laptops can use the band as needed.

In addition, each mesh router has its own QOS (quality of service) function.This is an optimization of network traffic and is useful if there are multiple users in the house.EERO, TP-Link, and ASUS have a variety of presets, such as videostring or online games.

The Zenwifi app had a preset for bittrent.NetGear Orbi has dynamic QOS.However, it is necessary to set the maximum bandwidth for each device to use.

If you are a network administrator at home, you may want to access the router from a web browser.In that case, we cannot recommend EERO.Some people may say, "That's why EERO is simple and user -friendly," but if you want to access from a browser, DECO X20 also provides a browser access to a simple app operation and when the Internet is in bad condition.

Pair rental control is a common mesh Wi-Fi function.My child is still a baby, but I'm looking forward to the day when she can limit her Internet access.The ASUS Zenwifi, TP-Link DECO X20, and LinkSys Velop AX M10 have a free parental control that can be easily set and accessed in the app.In the case of EERO 6, you need to buy an EERO Secure of $ 3 (about 310 yen) every month.NetGear Orbi is encouraged to download a Circle app that can use the feature of the content filter and the net for free.This can be used for $ 50 per year (about 5,171 yen), and can also use the time limit, bedtime mode, and meters used for each device.

In this field, I think the LinkSys app that can cover everything is the winner.I don't like the rugged interface, but even beginners can easily navigate and feel easier to understand than Zenwifi apps.The operation of the parental control is easy, and you can activate the kill switch for each device.If you have a hard drive or USB drive on the USB port, you can access it from the app.

The Orbi app is second with similar functions.Also, if you want to do a speed test when a complaint comes if the Internet is slow from your family while going out, or if you want to keep any of your home devices from connecting to the Internet, you can log in to the mesh system.increase.However, I thought it would be a decisive mistake that it was quite a price but not with parental control.

Winner: LinkSys Velop AX M10

Best performance mesh router

Mesh Wi-Fi needs to provide internet connection anywhere in the house, regardless of the distance to the router.I thought the triband ASUS ZENWIFI AX6600 (XT8), NetGear Orbi Wifi 6, and LinkSys Velop AX M10 would compete for the top.The triband router has three types of radio waves.The 2.4GHz band and the 5GHz band are used for traffic, and the other 5GHz band is used to exchange data between devices without affecting the former two.However, the best performance was the dual band router.

That said, the TP-Link Deco X20 was the fastest among them, or the speed was worth the price paid to the Gigabit Internet.However, DECO X20 was the most stable performance, including the garage.I felt the limit when I went out to the backyard and left about 20 feet, but I still got 40Mbps on the descent.In this case, you can listen to Spotify or make a video phone while watching the sunset.Elder Scrolls Online's ping test has also performed the highest performance.

NetGear Orbi WiFi 6 and ASUS Zenwifi have a faster speed of 636Mbps to 859Mbps, respectively.The ORBI has a high performance within the radio waves, recorded 341 Mbps down and nearly 42Mbps even in a cheap laptop based on Core i3.Orbi was the fastest in the Dropbox test, downloading 2.6GB compressed audio in a minute and a half.Conversely, Zenwifi has a high performance at the last minute where radio waves reach, and recorded 160Mbps in the backyard and 453Mbps in the garage.

In the case of my Gigabit Internet, LinkSys Velop AX M10 was not overlooked.In the office where the router is placed, we released 905Mbps, and 823Mbps was released in the front room with security cameras and other devices.The AX M10 is the highest speed away from the router.However, in the backyard, only the speed of Zenwifi appeared.

It was not surprising that EERO 6 was the lowest performance in terms of performance.EERO's official announcement promised a maximum of 500Mbps throughput, which is half the maximum speed of my internet environment.Still, the grades were not bad, but it was the lowest speed among the products I tried.I read the Gigabit Internet that EERO 6 Pro has better performance, so if you really want EERO in an environment similar to me, it is better to pay an additional $ 300 (about 31,000 yen).I think.

Winner: TP-Link DECO X20

Mesh router with the best additional function

All mesh router manufacturers have added a convenient "bonus" function to increase added value.These features are, for example, digitally assistant, to turn on guest mode or protect from malicious websites and attacks.

Start with a cheaper mesh router in dual band, EERO 6 and TP-Link Deco X20. EERO 6 can join the subscription system, an EERO Secure Plus service for $ 10 per month (about 1,000 yen). This includes 1Password and Encrypt.me VPN services, and the sub -schools on the antivirus by Malwarebytes. As I wrote in the review of EERO 6, the service of Encrypt.me and Malwarebytes is honest, but this sub -school is worth only for 1 password. If you want to minimize the money you pay for EERO 6, you can get parental control, advice, and dangerous detection scan functions with $ 3 per month. In addition, EERO 6 also has a built -in ZIGBEE radio, so you can connect smart home devices such as lighting and lock without a special smart home hub, and it is an Amazon product, so it is of course supported by Alexa. I am.

For TP-Link and ASUS, many of these functions, including Alexa, are free of charge.The DECO X20 comes with a permanent subscription to the Pair Rental Control, Anti-virus, and the TP-Link Homecare with WPA3 encrypted.On the other hand, ASUS's free service is called AIPROTECTION, which also monitors malicious websites, malware, and hacking.The only drawback is that TREND MICRO, which offers these functions, must accept scanning your network.I am particularly worried about the fear of data mining, but at least ASUS will tell you clearly in advance, and it is not compulsory, so if you do not need function, you do not have to use it.

I use Google Assistant all over the house, so I liked the only corresponding NetGear Orbi.However, it was troublesome to sign up to NetGear Armor, which paid $ 100 (about 10,000 yen) per year for the antivirus provided by BitDefender and data theft.In addition, you have to install the bitdefender app on all devices you want to apply.

LinkSys Velop AX M10 has no functions that protect from malware or other attacks.If it was not a high price of $ 700 (about 72,000 yen), that would have been fine ...For the time being, it supports Alexa.

Winner: TP-Link DECO X20

The king was far below $ 700

Just like buying a car, buying a mesh router is a subjective experience.The walls of your house may be thicker than that of my house, and it may be a material that may be difficult to pass through radio waves, and various elements are involved in the performance of the Internet environment.The size of the place where you live is also related.The mesh Wi-Fi system is effective for large buildings such as a single house, but in the case of apartments, one router may be enough.

All routers I tried this time were able to get more than 500Mbps, except for EERO 6.However, if you are not such an environment, you do not need to give a mesh router of $ 500 (about 51,000 yen) or $ 700 (72,000 yen).

If you live in a large house and want to cover the entire building with radio waves, TP-Link Deco X20 is the most stable.It is a bargain of $ 280, and the same price range mesh router also comes for free services that require a separate subscriber.If you need more Ethernet ports, you can cover $ 450 (about 46,000 yen) for two sets and to cover up to 5500 square feet (about 510 square meters) -Zenwifi AX6600 (XT8) is the second best.In search of the Gigabit Wireless Internet and only those who can endure the price of $ 700 in two sets, consider LinkSys Velop AX M10 and NetGear Orbi Wifi 6.