Best devices for Work: Tech Awards 2021 Editor's Choice Results (Part 3)

Best Wi-Fi 6 Mesh Networking System

Best Wi-Fi 6 Mesh Networking System

The adoption of Wi-Fi 6 has been swift. Nearly every new smartphone, tablet, and notebook worth buying today supports it. Wi-Fi 6 improves overall networking performance in two ways. The first is by increasing data transfer rates by increasing the maximum amount of data that can be carried by each stream. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, it enables routers and compatible devices to communicate with each other simultaneously – something that cannot be done using the older Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) technology. Do check out this Wi-Fi 6 (Wireless 802.11ax) guide for more details.

To make the cut for this year’s awards, the mesh networking system must have been released in the past year and it must be the company’s flagship tri-band system.

Nominees:

• ASUS ZenWiFi AX (XT8)
• Linksys Velop MX5300
• Netgear Orbi RBK853
• TP-Link Deco X90

And the winner is...

The ASUS ZenWiFi AX (XT8) was our undisputed winner in this category. It’s a very strong all-round system. To start, it’s the most compact mesh networking system. And while it may be small, it doesn’t skimp on connectivity. It’s packed with features and backed by a strong router management system, making it easy to it set up and configure options like port forwarding and parental controls. It also supports ASUS’ AiMesh technology so you can create a mesh network if you have other compatible ASUS routers. Performance was top-notch too, especially in mesh networking mode. Lastly, it’s reasonably priced and considerably more affordable than some of its rivals. With these in mind, it’s easy to see why it’s the winner.

For more details on how we selected our winners, check out the full reviews and articles listed in the References section below.

References

• Wi-Fi 6 mesh networking shootout - coming soon