Asus is best known for their premium notebooks and their top end gaming machines, recently we took a look at another ASUS product in the form of their Asus ZenWifi XD6 Dual Band Mesh Wi-Fi 6 System which is selling at JB Hi Fi for $699.
For those who are naive about networking and routers Wi Fi 6, is an advanced standard for high-speed networking, but more importantly it’s a standard that is specifically designed for today’s busy household where broadband connectivity spans TV view, SmartHouse connectivity, 4K security camera streaming and multiple people being on the network.
Instead of slowing down broadband as happens with previous networking technology as more devices are activated on a Wi Fi network, W6 smooths out and balances traffic to devices in the home or a business.
The Asus ZenWifi XD6 Dual Band Mesh Wi-Fi 6 System (2 Pack) is a pretty consistent, high performance and reliable router, that I tested it on the Telstra network where I was achieving over 300Mbs via an NBN connection without too much fluctuation in broadband speeds as multiple devices were bought online.
The router provides a total bandwidth of up to 5400 Mbps, which is up to 2.2X faster than WiFi 5 routers.
The router is also compatible with WiFi 6 devices 1, it’s also well designed with simple and easy to manage controls with only physical buttons being reset and Wi-Fi (WPS) buttons, which are positioned on the base of the router node.
The system consists of a pair of ASUS AX5400 WiFi 6 routers, featuring Asus develop networking technologies that allowed me to easily stream content to multiple TV’s, streaming 4K content while watching Live Foxtel 4K sports shows.
The device is described as being ideal for homes with 4+ rooms or 500 square metres.
As for setup had the XD6 system up and running very quickly.
I then connected one of the two nodes to my modem Telstra modem for an internet feed.
I then chose the Asus ZenWiFi from the list, and the router was quickly discovered what was needed and powered me through the setup process.
After finding the room where I wanted to set up the satellite node, I pressed the button on the satellite node and the WPS on the master router and within seconds I had the node set up.
One tip that may be useful is that I set up the second node behind my TV and then ran an ethernet cable from the node to the TV, this allowed me to re set up the TV for an Ethernet connection, the same applies to a gaming console of PC which I found delivered faster speeds to my TV.
If you do want a larger and more expensive router ASUS has the ZenWifi XT8.
The XD6 router is designed to provide a seamless and hassle-free experience.
The app is easy to use with owners able to create a WiFi network name and an admin account in seconds, setup, and the polling of the network to get information can take a couple of minutes.
This is not a Chinese router, as ASUS is a leading Taiwanese Company that has an excellent reputation when it comes to PC products, monitors and network gear that is often used by large Companies around the world.
Backhaul options spanning Ethernet and WiFi are built in with the Asus ZenWifi XD6 router able to work out the most reliable method to deliver an NBN connection based on connection quality.
You have to remember that you still need your NBN box into the house and your carrier’s router with the ASUS router deliver much stronger connectivity than a carrier supplied router.
Built into the device via the software, is AiProtection Pro with Advanced Parental Controls, which is free for life.
One owner claimed on the JB Hi Fi comment page that the device delivers speeds better than the equivalent Orbi which costs significantly more than the ASUS network offering.
The XD6 is a dual-band system, and the XT8 offers more advanced connectivity options, including multi-gigabit WAN ports and USB 3.1 connectors for plugging in printers or external hard drives.
The XD6 is limited to a 1Gbps WAN port and three 1Gbps LAN ports, all of which are way beyond what the NBN is delivering to Australian homes.
On the back are LAN ports, that you can use for wired backhaul communications between the two nodes.
In addition, 5GHz Wi-Fi band is available and this comes in handy for mobile phones with 5G W6 chips as well as PC with the same W6 chipset.
You will also discover that the device automatically can toggle between the two networks on the fly.
If this is your first Asus router, you’ll have to download the mobile app and create an account first.
With the XD6 satellite node speeds only dropped slightly especially during peak hours like 6.0pm when people are coming home, and more people are on the internet.
Conclusion
This is a solid piece of kit that will significantly lift your Wi Fi performance when upgrading to Wi Fi 6.
It’s easy to configure and because of the neat design it’s not going to look ugly when you place the nodes for maximum performance.
For an average household or an apartment, you won’t do much better than the Asus ZenWifi XD6 Dual Band Mesh Wi-Fi 6 System
It also delivers good throughput speeds on a premium NBN connection, and I suspect will do the same with entry level packages.
PROS:
You can trust Asus products as they are manufactured by a Taiwanese Company with a great name in the PC and gaming PC market. The product is ideal for a family home that wants good solid performance from a network Wi Fi router, especially when you find yourself watching more streamed content than ever befor or have two 4K programs being streamed at the same time.
CONS:
I would have liked to see a USB port so that I could attach storage or other USB attach devices.
RATING:
9/10
