Table of Contents
The Asus ZenWiFi ET8 is now the best in the growing Wi-Fi 6E class. It can send more data farther than other mesh networks and does so more quickly. The tri-band mesh kit comes with two units that set aside the 6GHz band for communication between the router and satellites. This frees up a huge amount of bandwidth for everything else.
Its router and satellite are more than enough for most homes, but you can’t buy an ET8 unit by itself right now. The ET8 lets you change the network settings and uses Asus’s AIProtection technology to block online dangers. The best part is that AIProtection is free, doesn’t need to be installed, and is easier to use than Netgear’s similar Armor software.
The ET8 is great at a lot of things, but it falls short in one area: it only has three downstream networking ports. If your network is complicated, you might need a networking switch to connect everything. At $530 for two devices, the ET8 is much cheaper than its competitors. This makes it close to our ideal mesh networking kit, which is cheap, fast, and has a wide range.
Asus ZenWiFi ET8 review: Setup and Design
Like Asus’s ZenWiFi XT8, the white ET8 units have heavily rounded walls and cooling vents on the sides, but they don’t have any chrome accents. The units are the same and can be set up as either a router or a satellite. Each one is 6.6 inches by 6.3 inches by 2.9 inches, which is half the size of an Orbi RBKE963 unit.
The ET8 is one of the few Wi-Fi routers that looks good and should blend into the background. It can be hidden on a bookshelf, desk, or kitchen counter. Unlike Netgear, Asus doesn’t sell its own wall brackets for the ET8, but you can buy them online for about $15 each.
The ET8 doesn’t have blinking LEDs; instead, it has a small white LED bar that lights up when it’s online and working. If it’s yellow, the satellite is too far away, and if it’s red, there’s a bigger problem. Each ET8 has a Broadcom BCM6755 Wi-Fi chip that can send and receive data.
The devices have a 1.5GHz quad-core processor, 512MB of RAM, and 256MB of flash memory for firmware and settings. Each one has six antennas that can be turned up. The ET8 router creates networks that use the 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz Wi-Fi bands once it is set up. You can buy this wifi from its official website.
Software and performance
On paper, moving the backhaul to 6GHz makes a lot of sense because a mesh system can use the new spectrum right away and pass on the benefits to 5GHz devices that are connected to the mesh. This is easily one of the best Wi-Fi 6E routers you can buy.
The hardware is all there for a great home networking experience, and as long as Asus’ software can keep up, its performance lives up to the specs in almost every way. The suggested price for this mesh system in the United States is $529.99. This is the cheapest Wi-Fi 6E mesh kit and one of the cheapest Wi-Fi 6E routers overall.
You can buy it on Amazon and Asus’s website. This router comes in and out of stock often, so you may have to wait a few weeks for shipment, at least until the stock catches up later in the year. If you live outside the United States, you might not be able to get a Wi-Fi 6E router yet.
Even though a few countries have given the go-ahead for some 6GHz spectrum, there haven’t been any other wide-scale launches of Wi-Fi 6E yet. Keep in mind that each country must approve these kinds of wireless devices before they can be sold there. In time, more countries will be able to buy them.
Asus ZenWiFi ET8 review: Competition
The TP-Link Deco X90 is a Wi-Fi 6 AX6600 tri-band mesh system with wide coverage, great software, and an attractive design. Even though it’s quite a bit bigger than the ZenWiFi ET8, it looks modern enough that most people won’t mind. Each node only has a single gigabit Ethernet port and a 2.5Gbps port for hardware. There is also no USB port.
This mesh system’s Wi-Fi 6 version is the ZenWiFi XT8. Theoretically, they should work about the same, but the backlink speeds will be slower on the 5GHz band. Still, people with only Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6 devices will find this router and its wider 5GHz band more useful. Also, it costs a little less. You’ll also get the same design and AiProtection features. You can get the XT8 in both black and white.
Asus ZenWiFi ET8 review: Price
This mesh system can be bought in the US for $529.99, which is the suggested retail price. This is the least expensive Wi-Fi 6E mesh kit and one of the least expensive Wi-Fi 6E routers in general. It can be bought on Amazon and on the Asus website. The number of this router in stock changes often, so you might have to wait a few weeks for delivery or until the supply catches up later in the year to get one.
If you don’t live in the United States, Wi-Fi 6E routers might not be available yet. Wi-Fi Alliance says that while a few countries have approved some spectrum at 6GHz, there haven’t been any other wide-scale launches of Wi-Fi 6E yet.
Asus ZenWiFi ET8 review: Final words
The ZenWiFi ET8 is not as good as the biggest and best mesh systems on the market in a few ways, but it is still a very strong performer in the big picture. Regarding price, it’s hard to find a standalone Wi-Fi 6E router, let alone a mesh network with two nodes and all the features you’d expect from a mesh router and more.
Notable features include the ability to access more advanced settings and the ability to turn off Smart Connect. Most people still think buying this router is overkill, but the ZenWiFi ET8 is a great choice for people who want to use gigabit connections, especially if they live in a busy area.
FAQs
Is Asus ZenWiFi good?
Asus ZenWifi AX (XT8) may not be suitable for all users. Nonetheless, this Asus router should be at the top of the list for those willing to pay a little more than average for a mesh router that offers top-tier performance, an equally outstanding interface, and some solid security features. And for those reasons, it ranks first on our list of recommended routers.
What is the maximum coverage of the ZenWiFi ET8?
The ZenWiFi ET8 is a WiFi 6E whole-home mesh system, providing coverage for up to 5,500 square feet while offering lightning-fast speeds and rock-solid reliability in your wireless network.
What is Asus ET8 WiFi speed?
As many as eight wide 160MHz data channels can be set up, and the router’s MU-MIMO technology makes it possible to support a huge number of devices. The ET8 can transmit at speeds of up to 574 Mbps on its 2.4GHz band, 1.201 Gbps on its 5GHz band, and 4.804 Gbps on its 6GHz band. All together, it earns an AXE6600 grade.
Does mesh WiFi slow down internet?
For each “hop” between routers in a mesh network, the available bandwidth is halved. Because wireless connections can only send or receive data, this phenomenon occurs. Connectivity between nodes in a long “chain” of mesh networks is consequently painfully sluggish.
Asus ZenWiFi ET8 Ratings