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This year it looks set for Wi-Fi 6 to start becoming widely adopted in both client devices but also the number of routers able to provide this new ultra-fast Wi-Fi technology.
Wi-Fi 6 promises to do a lot more than just increase speed, and a significant focus of it is for congestion and dense deployments. However, when it comes to consumers, all the marketing focusses on the speeds.
With the Intel AX200 found in many new laptops like the Acer Swift 5, motherboard, and PCIe adaptors, one of the limiting factors has become the speed of the Ethernet.
The Intel AX200 has a theoretical speed of 2.4Gbps, and in my testing, it has been possible to achieve over 1413 Mbits/sec, but that is only possible if the devices providing the Wi-Fi has a multi-gig ethernet port.
So if you are thinking about getting a Wi-Fi 6 router or another solution to provide Wi-Fi, you are limited to a smaller selection of devices, most of which come with a high price tag.
Wi-Fi 6 Routers
ASUS GT-AX11000
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 Tri-Band WiFi 6 Extendable... | £294.97 | Buy on Amazon |
I have not reviewed this, but on paper, it looks like the best option available. This has a 2.5Gbps LAN port, there are options for link aggregation and can pair it up with other Asus AiMesh routers to create a mesh Wi-Fi network.
TP-Link Archer AX11000
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TP-Link Next-Gen WIFI 6 Gigabit Tri-Band Wireless Cable... | £249.99 | Buy on Amazon |
I have reviewed the TP-Link Archer AX11000, and it was superb, the first time I have ever achieved proper multi-gig speeds over Wi-Fi, the router itself is fantastic too. The only reason I would consider the Asus GT-AX11000 over this is the fact that uses the 2.5Gbps on the LAN port whereas this has it on the WAN port, so if you want to use it for your LAN, you need to use the router in access point mode.
Netgear Nighthawk AX12 RAX200
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NETGEAR Nighthawk Wifi 6 Router (RAX200) | AX11000 Tri-Band... | Buy on Amazon |
Crazy expensive even for Wi-Fi 6 standards but this has a 2.5G Multi-Gig port that can be used for whatever you want, you can also aggregate WAN and LAN ports but it doesn’t offer much over the other two to justify the cost.
Netgear Nighthawk AX12 RAX120
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NETGEAR Nighthawk Wifi 6 Router (RAX120) | AX6000 Wireless... |
£247.91 | Buy on Amazon |
You lose a 5GHz AX band to make this more affordable than the RAX200 but in reality, I can’t see many people noticing a difference in performance, unless you live in a large household or if this is for office use. This technically makes this the affordable multi-gig solution coming in at around £20 cheaper than the TP-Link or Asus
D-Link AX6000 DIR-X6060
This was announced at CES in 2018 and it was sold for a short time, but now appears to be none existent. Wi-Fi 6 popularity still isn’t great, so I guess this was a bit too early to the party.
Wi-Fi 6 Mesh Systems
Netgear Orbi RBK852
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NETGEAR Orbi Mesh WiFi System (RBK852) | Wifi 6 Mesh Router... |
£299.98 | Buy on Amazon |
We saw a lot of W-Fi 6 mesh systems announced at CES 2020 from Netgear, D-Link and TP-Link, then there is the Ubiquiti Amplifi Alien which has come out to many favourable reviews.
However, it is only Netgear with the Orbi RBK852 that has a multi-gig ethernet port. There is a bit BUT though. It is only the primary router with the 2.5 Gbps port, and it is on the WAN, so again, you would have to switch to AP mode to use it.
TP-Link Deco X90
Not available to buy yet but this was announced at CES 202 and should be a lot more affordable than the Orbi RBK852 with a claimed RRP of $450 and will be available from April 2020. No word on UK pricing or availability.
Wi-Fi 6 Access Points
With access points being more business orientated devices, the current options with multi-gig ethernet come in at a premium price. I think it will take a couple of years before we see highly affordable solutions.
EnGenius EWS377AP
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EnGenius EWS377AP Mouse | Buy on Amazon |
I have reviewed the more affordable EnGenius EWS357AP which has a gigabit port and max speeds of 1,200 Mbps. It is the EWS377AP where you will see multi-gig speeds with the 5GHz channel capable of 2400Mbps and a 2500 NBASE-T ethernet port. You can even get multi-gig POE via the just-announced EnGenius ECS2512FP. While this is not cheap for home or SOHO use, it is still the cheapest Wi-Fi 6 AP capable of proper multi-gig performance
Meraki MR55 (multiple options)
If you are reading this post in the first place, the Meraki MR55 probably isn’t for you. The big boy in cloud-managed networking, Meraki is designed strictly for business, and prices to match. The Meraki MR55 AX5900 is over £1200 for the AP itself, then another £80 per year for the licence to use and manage it. This actually has a 5Gbps Ethernet port, so it sort of justifies the cost.
Cisco Catalyst 9120 (Multiple options)
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cisco Catalyst 9120AXE-E Wireless Access Point, Wi-Fi 6,... | £950.75 | Buy on Amazon |
More affordable than Meraki, the cheapest model is around £500, but this jumps up to £720 and more dependant on the antenna design.
Zyxel WAX650S
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zyxel Nebula 802.11ax Access Points with built in BLE, 4x4... | £499.99 | Buy on Amazon |
I have been a big fan of Zyxel Nebula products in the past, they offer a similar sort of UI and feature set you see on the extraordinarily expensive Meraki range, but at home and SOHO friendly prices.
The Zyxel WAX650S will sit at the top of their access point options, and therefore the price is very much business-focussed it costing around £650
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 2025-01-23 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
