Six dual-band Wi-Fi 6 systems on test

Group test M Reviewed by CLIFF JOSEPH

ON TEST…

> Amazon Eero 6+

> Asus ZenWifi XD5

> Devolo Magic 2 WiFi 6

> D-Link Eagle Pro AI M32

> Linksys Atlas 6

> TP-Link Deco X55

Most people still rely on the Wi-Fi router that was provided by their Internet Service Provider (ISP) to handle their home Wi-Fi network. That’s probably fine if you live in a smaller home with just one or two bedrooms, but if you have a larger home with more bedrooms, or rooms located on upper floors, then you may find that some rooms have a ‘dead spot’ where your Wi-Fi signal can’t quite reach.

A mesh Wi-Fi system could be the perfect upgrade that provides ‘whole home Wi-Fi’ capable of reaching into every corner of your home. Rather than using a single router, a mesh Wi-Fi system comprises a router, plus one or more ‘satellites’ that link – or ‘mesh’ – together to reach much further than a single router on its own. That’s more expensive than just using a single router, of course, but the cost of mesh systems has fallen recently, so we’ve tested some of the more affordable two-piece mesh systems that should be suitable for most medium-size homes. Most mesh Wi-Fi makers also provide three-piece systems suitable for larger homes as well.

How we tested

Our building is a good candidate for a mesh upgrade, as we have an office at the back of the building that always suffers with weak Wi-Fi. We tested each mesh system by connecting the first mesh router to the main office router that provides our broadband connection. The second mesh satellite was placed in a hall just outside that back office so that we could compare the speed of each mesh system with the speed provided by our normal office router. Remember though that every home is different, so the speeds we got on test may not reflect the speeds you will get in their own home.