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I wasn’t overly impressed with the Mercusys Halo S12. While it is incredibly cheap, the overall specification and performance reflected the price.
The Mercusys Halo H50G is a significant upgrade in specification and what I would personally recommend as the minimum specification you want from a Wi-Fi mesh system.
With many homes being able to access Internet speeds well over 100Mbps, I don’t think 100Mb Ethernet ports are acceptable. I appreciate this may not be that important to everyone, but as far as my recommendations go, I think Gigabit Ethernet is essential.
The Halo H50G has this important upgrade, it has three gigabit ports vs two 100mb on the H12.
The Halo H50G also upgrades the Wi-Fi speeds to 1300 Mbps on the 5Gh and 600 Mbps for 2.4 GHz. I would therefore assume the Wi-Fi radio is 3×3 rather than 2×2. It is unlikely you will ever connect at 1300 Mbps, but it gives you a bit more headroom and could possibly help with the backhaul.
Of course, all this comes at a cost. The Mercusys Halo H50G is £120 vs £50 for the Mercusys Halo S12
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercusys AC1900 Mesh WiFi, Whole Home Mesh WiFi Extender... |
£74.99 | Buy on Amazon |
Specification
- Wi-Fi Standards:
- Wi-Fi 5
- 802.11 a/n/ac 5 GHz
- 802.11 b/g/n 2.4 GHz
- Speeds:
- 1300 Mbps on 5 GHz
- 600 Mbps on 2.4 GHz
- Operation Modes: Router, Access Point
- Management: Local Management, Remote Management, Multi-Managers
- Ethernet: 3× Gigabit Ports per Halo Unit (WAN/LAN auto-sensing)
Set-Up
I set this up using the Mercusys app. When I reviewed the Halo S12, everything was via the local web interface, so there has been a bit of improvement, but not lots. The set-up was a relatively unpleasant process compared to most Wi-Fi devices.
It took multiple attempts to detect the first Halo H50G device. Then when it had detected, it wouldn’t connect to it, forcing me to hit retry. Eventually, it advised me to connect my phone to the open Mercusys SSID that was being broadcast, and I was finally able to set it up.
The app has some appalling reviews online, so it is not just me that has experience issues.
Thankfully, once I had the initial router set up, everything else worked without issue. Within the app, there is a little plus button that can be used to identify the satellite devices. It took a while for them to be found, I was expecting it to fail, but it found them both the first time.
Performance
I have a moderately large 4-bed brick built semi with internal brick walls, like many UK homes. The main device is in my office, which is central to the home and upstairs. I then have a satellite in the front living room and one in the kitchen, the two rooms furthest away from the primary router.
I first tested the main Halo H50G router by itself with no satellites attached to get an idea of the maximum speed and overall range.
Connecting to Speedtest.net on my desktop PC in close range to the Halo H50G I was able to achieve a download speed of 461Mbps, and my Pixel 6 managed 443mbps.
Using iPerf on the desktop, I achieved a throughput of 627 Mbits/sec. This is actually a very good result as far as Wi-Fi 5 devices go, being higher than many of the recent systems I have reviewed.
For comparison, the Mercusys Halo S12 managed 70Mbps with Speedtest, which was slow enough that it wasn’t working testing with iPerf.
Moving around the home, I was surprised to find it provided a reasonably good signal throughout my entire home. In the kitchen, this was 199Mbps, and in the front room, this was 112Mbps.
Connecting the satellites improved the speed a bit, but not massively so. One issue here is that this is a dual-band mesh system, so the backhaul is shared, causing 50% signal loss.
In the front room, this speed increased from 112Mbps to 184Mbps
In the kitchen, the signal was extended far enough that I was able to connect in my garage/gym, which is across the garden. In here I achieved 158Mbps
Price and Alternative Options
The Mercusys Halo H50G is priced at £120 on various sites, such as Currys, for the triple pack. Unusually, Amazon is the most expensive at £150.
The triple pack Google Wi-Fi is discounted at just £135, though it is frequently at full RRP for £190
The Tend MW12-3 tri-band system is currently £160 but £214 at full RRP. It costs more, but the tri-band design will offer significantly better performance.
The Tenda Nova MW6-3 is £95, or £117 RRP. It has a lower Wi-Fi spec than the Halo 50G and only 2 gigabit ports.
The TP-Link Deco M4 is almost identical to the Tenda MW6-3 is specs and is priced at £116.93 but it regularly sells for under £100
Overall
The Mercusys Halo H50G is vastly better than the Mercusys Halo S12 I previously reviewed. A dual-band Wi-Fi 5 system with gigabit ports is the minimum I’d ever recommend.
The Android app and set-up process are below average, but once set up, I had no issues with the app, and you shouldn’t need to use it often.
The Wi-Fi performance was far better than expected. Connecting to the main Halo H50G, I was able to achieve speeds faster than many other Wi-Fi 5 routers or mesh systems I have used in the past, with most of those costing considerably more. The dual-band mesh performance is about average, there is a significant drop off in speed, but it provides good range and a very usable speed of over 150Mbps in every location on my property.
At £120, I have struggled to find anything that is better priced with the same specification and the Wi-Fi performance easily justifies the price.
Mercusys Halo H50G Whole Home Mesh Wi-Fi 5 System Review Rating
Summary
Initial impressions of the Mercusys Halo H50G were not great, with a troublesome setup. It made up for it with superb Wi-Fi performance in relation to its cost.
Overall
78%-
Overall - 78%78%
Pros
- Superb WiFI performance for the price
Cons
- Poor app and setup process
- Dual band mesh systems suffer from significant signal loss meaning you want the device that’s connected to your internet as central as possible to your house
I am James, a UK-based tech enthusiast and the Editor and Owner of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Passionate about all things technology, my expertise spans from computers and networking to mobile, wearables, and smart home devices.
As a fitness fanatic who loves running and cycling, I also have a keen interest in fitness-related technology, and I take every opportunity to cover this niche on my blog. My diverse interests allow me to bring a unique perspective to tech blogging, merging lifestyle, fitness, and the latest tech trends.
In my academic pursuits, I earned a BSc in Information Systems Design from UCLAN, before advancing my learning with a Master’s Degree in Computing. This advanced study also included Cisco CCNA accreditation, further demonstrating my commitment to understanding and staying ahead of the technology curve.
I’m proud to share that Vuelio has consistently ranked Mighty Gadget as one of the top technology blogs in the UK. With my dedication to technology and drive to share my insights, I aim to continue providing my readers with engaging and informative content.
Last update on 2024-10-13 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
