When it comes to large homes or apartments, one would need to choose a mesh router that can handle both high-speed internet and offer stable wireless coverage. We take a look at the new ASUS ZenWiFi AX (XT8) mesh router.
Design
ASUS offers the new ZenWiFi AX (XT8) router in black and white colors, giving you the option to choose the model that suits your décor. The package comes in two units, each featuring a weight of 716g and dimensions of 160 x 75 x 161.5 mm.
While both the front and rear panels feature a clean hairline finish, there are specially designed air vents located on either side of the device. These vents are used for the role of air intake to cool the internal hardware.
ASUS mentions that the ZenWiFi AX (XT8) houses double heatsinks for maximum heat dissipation. And as a part of the design, the air exhausts are located on the top portion of the router.
On the port section, there is the power button, the DC-in port, one USB 3.1 Gen 1 port, the main 2.5G BaseT RJ45 for WAN connection and three RJ45 Gigabit BaseT LAN ports. The WPS button and reset button are located under the router.
While standard routers do come with individual LEDs to indicate the status of the main connections and different LAN ports, the ZenWiFi AX (XT8) only comes with a single multi-color LED indicator on the front panel.
The package includes two units of the ZenWiFi AX, one RJ45 cable, a power adapter, a quick start guide, and a warranty card.
Features
One of the most important aspects when it comes to mesh routers is the WiFi coverage that they can provide and this matters when it’s used in a large home, villa, or multi-room apartment. ASUS mentions that a single ZenWiFi AX is capable of offering coverage of up to 2750 sq.ft, which equates to an average of over four rooms. And when setting up the mesh configuration between both the router units, you get a coverage of 5500 sq. ft (6+ rooms).
The performance of the tri-band WiFi coverage is designed to be strong and stable in multi-story buildings, thanks to the 45-degree antennas. And in order to ensure that there is no signal interface from within, the six internal WiFi antennas and the circuit board are placed in a vertical fashion with space between them. The circuit board comes chipped with a 1.5 GHz quad-core processor and a dedicated WiFi chipset to handle the operations. The processor works alongside 256MB of flash memory and 512MB of RAM onboard.
The ZenWiFi AX (XT8) is based on WiFi 6 speeds, capable of handling a total bandwidth of 6600 Mbps. This kind of specification is 2.2X times faster than even tri-band AC3000 WiFi 5 routers in the market. With WiFi 6, users will be able to stream 8K videos, provided that you have an equivalent high-speed subscription and WiFi 6 certified smartphones and laptops.
While I do not have Etisalat’s fastest internet subscription, the router was able to easily handle high speeds for my PC, laptop, and even WiFi 6 capable smartphones such as the Sony Xperia Pro-I and the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra tablet. I was able to stream Netflix and other video services at the highest resolution and did not notice any buffering at the time of review.
Although ASUS does imply that setting the router is quite easy, it actually took a bit of trial and error for me to get the ASUS Router application to detect at least one of the devices and establish a new network. You can always connect the second router unit during the initial setup or at a later point as the node to establish a mesh network.
The application offers several options with respect to optimization of speeds based on the type of usage, adding different profiles based on age, enhanced security, and more. The router also is compatible with smart home services such as Alexa skills and IFTTT. For security, the router features AiProtection Pro with Advanced Parental controls that help you monitor the activity of your network from the application itself.
Verdict
The ASUS ZenWiFi AX (XT8) is a good choice for those looking for a stylish and fast WiFi 6 router with different color options. The device comes with a clean and straightforward design and features air vents on the sides for air intake and the top for exhausts. There is a double heatsink to help maximize the heat dissipation and the device has a total of six internal antennas under the hood.
The router uses a 1.5 GHz processor with 256MB of flash memory and 512MB of RAM to handle the operations, along with a dedicated WiFi chipset. The router is capable of handling speeds up to 6600 Mbps. The router has a total of three LAN ports on the rear side, along with a USB 3.1 Gen 1 port. And when combining both the router and node, you get total coverage of about 5500 sq. ft of area. The ASUS Router application also allows users to monitor network activity, optimize speeds based on the type of use, and more.
