ASUS - ZenWiFi XT9

I'm using a set of ASUS ZenWiFi Xt9. I bought it a few years ago and it works well with SimpliSafe. There may be better options now.

I’m testing a set of 770’s right now and it’s probably one of the best mesh systems I’ve had in the house! Massive issues at first - but I was having that with every system I was testing due to a faulty ONT. After that was swapped out, it’s been smooth. Might keep them, not sure yet, replaced a set of XT9s that started having lots of dropouts.

I’ve tried google/nest and eero mesh networks. Google was decent but I had the old pre wifi6 ones, so I shifted to eero and wasn’t impressed really - constant upsell for features that I believe should be standard and issues with devices moving from one mesh outlet to another while walking around. Finally I got ASUS zen WiFi XT9’s - had one issue where I needed to factory reset after a firmware update, but overall they are rock solid, I get 500mbps (that’s my plan max speed) download via WiFi everywhere in my house and run security cameras and smart lights outside, definitely recommend them.

dedicated wireless backhaul? buy something with 2 5ghz band, or 2 6ghz band asus bq16, bq16pro, xt9,xt12,xp4 if you know for sure you are using same phase. xt8 cheapest.

Amazing deal. Wish these went on sale for this price a few months ago before I bought my XT9’s for $350

both the asus zenwifi xt9 and the netgear orbi 850 series are excellent tri-band wifi 6 systems, but they each have their pros and cons depending on your specific needs. since you’re prioritizing ease of setup, great performance, and reliability in a 3500 sq. ft. 2-story brick house, here’s how they compare: the asus zenwifi xt9 is a strong contender for someone who isn’t super tech-savvy but still wants robust performance. it’s generally easier to set up, thanks to the asus app, and it includes lifetime access to asus’s ai-protection (built-in security and parental controls), which is a nice bonus without ongoing subscription fees. asus routers also tend to be more flexible with settings, which could be useful down the road if you want to tweak things or expand the system. its range and speed are excellent for a home of your size, especially with only one satellite. the netgear orbi 850 series is another great choice but leans toward a “set it and forget it” approach. it’s incredibly reliable and performs well in larger homes with its strong signal propagation through walls and floors. however, its app setup can sometimes feel clunky, and many features, like parental controls and advanced security options, are locked behind a subscription to netgear’s armor service. while its performance is slightly better at long distances, that $100 premium may not be worth it unless you really need the extra reach. for your situation—a brick house with 500mbps internet (possibly gigabit later)—the asus zenwifi xt9 is probably the better fit. it’s easier to use, has fewer hidden costs, and delivers more than enough speed and range for your current and future needs. the orbi is great, but it feels more at home in very large spaces or homes with heavier network demands. since cost isn’t a big concern for you, the zenwifi xt9 offers the best balance of performance, features, and simplicity without locking you into subscriptions. go with the xt9—it’s a win.

Hmm, I guess I'll be waiting. Was going to get the BQ16 Pro two pack, but it sounds like they have some kinks to work out still. I'm running a pair of ZenWiFi XT9 AX7800 which is fine when it works, but I've been having to reboot the system more often then not which has been kind of annoying.

I'm on eero in... 6 households (parents, siblings, etc). Some have 1st gen that are still working (no updates) and some have Max 7. It's still the easiest and best I've used. Velop drove me mad, Orbi was ok but sometimes unstable and an eyesore. Asus XT something (I forgot) I used for 3 days and returned due to frequent lost of wifi. I'm a power user and I now ended using pfsense for the router aspect because I needed somethings on the firewall side that the eero couldn't do but most users won't ever need in a home environment.

Asus with Ethernet back haul. Router + 2 APs. Works great, gigabit access all over the house!

You must have gotten a dud. Deco BE95 system. Simply amazing. Had it for 12 weeks now. Zero drops. 5800 sq ft home. ISP 6 Gig up and Down. Wired backhaul. 121 connected devices. Wired devices that can handle multi gig speeds - 6 GIG WiFi 7 - 2.5-4.3 GIG WiFi 6E - 1.8-2.4 GIG WiFi 6 - 1.1-1.6 GIG WiFi 5 - 600 mbps - 900 mbps WiFi 2.4 - 200-500 mbps The consistency, reliability and speed blow every simple competitor out of the water in my experience! Amazing system and have tried them all! Eero Max 7, Orbi 970s, Asus ZenWifi

I had a lot of issues with the google nest wifi- for the past year or so I have used an Asus ZenWifi which works better for me, and I do have usable network access from my shed which is about 100 Ft away from the house. My biggest issue is getting a signal past the walls/siding in our house- there is 'double' siding because the house originally had asbestos siding, and a former owner put vynil over it. I get by this with a small enclosure holding one node just out side the walls of the house.

I'd avoid TP-Link out of security concerns, Asus ZenWifi or Alta Labs AP's with the Route10 is the way I'd go.

I don't think any of the products out there have an upper bound limit you would run into. The only one I saw was ASUS ZenWiFi with a limit of 9+router, and that's still plenty for your setup. What made you think there were low maximum node limits?

Bingo. So many of us are essentially engineers either by profession or by hobby, so a general list on popularity or even satisfaction is going to be worthless. I love my ZenWifi, but I also chose my particular model based on the availability and features of open source firmware (Merlin). I considered Eero with the thought that I'll give up the tinkering, but found the feature set too limiting.

Asus Zen wifi is trash. I've tried everything and can't get the node to maintain a connection. I'm not the only one, plenty of people report the same issue.

I've had success with Asus Zen Wifi and Amplifi; but I think Asus is a better product personally. I have Ubiquiti in my home right now and don't particularly like it.

EERO is popular because of cost - that is it. I tested them out and they are HORRIBLE in a highly dense area (ie Lots of neighbors with Wifi). UniFi is the best mesh- its what businesses use, but more complex to setup and maintain; not friendly for the consumer market. Depends on your requirements Out of the others I have tested: Orbi - easy to get started; great mesh; CON: Subscription for parental or added security; Not the best speeds (but generally good). Netgear - Same as orbi ASUS ZEN - Fantastic speed; Unbelievable configurability/features; No subscriptions for parental or added security; CON: Milage varies because of quality. Asus notoriously has issues with their firmware and new products. ASUS ROG - Same as ZEN; has more Gimmicks I ended up with the ASUS ZenWiFi BT10 - replaced the Orby Mesh. Very happy . I needed parental and added security; Needed VPN; Needed 10gig / 2.5gig WAN

To echo what plenty of others are saying, but also provide links to specific items to Do-It-Yourself and save money but still get good finished product. Assuming you have roof/attic access above the rooms and can run power to the attic: * buy bulk CAT6 cable, shielded twisted pair, not CCA (CCA stands for copper coated aluminum). [Get good shielded copper wire, like this](https://a.co/d/ijNWYa0). * buy a [crimper toolkit like this](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C7GRX9DW) * watch a few youtubes on terminating Cat6 cable. * buy a mesh wifi system like Amazon Eero, tp-Link Deco, Asus Zen Wi-Fi, etc. [Here's a good article / review of mesh systems and what to look for](https://www.cnet.com/home/internet/best-mesh-wifi-routers/) **NOTE:** mesh wifi is the consumer grade solution. If you can afford it, you're better off getting Wifi Access Points (APs) - the business grade solution - Ubiquiti is the best known of the AP options. Connection works similarly, with one key difference -- APs require power over ethernet (POE) instead of an electrical outlet / power supply. There are pros and cons of installing either Mesh or APs. * buy at least one [Unmanaged Ethernet Switch like this](https://a.co/d/88WLwNn) - this one is 8 port (1 connection in, 7 out). * You'll run an ethernet cable from your Comcast box to your wifi mesh router. Then you'll run a **long** ethernet cable down toward your L-corner dead zone. You'll plug that long ethernet cable to the Unmanaged Ethernet Switch. Then you'll run another ethernet cable from the Unmanaged Ethernet Switch to one of your mesh wifi satellites. BAM! Good internet within reach of that mesh satellite. You'll need to estimate/experiment with how many satellites the system needs (get multiple people to watch netflix on iPads, and spread them along rooms close to the mesh satellite -- see how many people / how many rooms you can cover before you need to add another mesh wifi satellite). I did a low-key simplified version of this at my house. Reply here if you have questions / need help. # You can do this yourself.

Upgraded our RT-AC68U router to a Wifi 6 capable RT-AX86U Pro.  Ran an ethernet cable for wired backhaul, put the AC68U as a mesh node.  The Asus mesh system works really well. 

I've been using AiMesh since the beginning, and it was rocky at first, but now I'm currently quite happy with it. One solid main router and two APs outside. What unifi did you get to replace your setup and do you think it was worth the cost?

Older ASUS AiMesh user here, and similar story. Portal plays shockingly well, and my PS5 isn't even hardwired.

Most mesh systems will support as many nodes as you wish. But not all nodes are created equal. You’ll obviously need fewer nodes with a high powered node vs a cheap node with little range. I would HIGHLY suggest wired backhaul if possible, no matter the hw you ultimately decide upon. Ubiquity has a good solution for your use case at attractive price points. Asus’ AIMesh setup also works well, allowing you to easily tailor the hw for your home’s needs

Asus AiMesh can be configured without an app and uses local credentials for management.

100%. Just make sure you reboot the doorbell once your mesh is set up. It will then hop on to the WiFi node with the strongest signal. You should be able to configure your mesh so that the doorbell remains connected to that node, probably by assigning its MAC address to that node. I have two regular ASUS routers that have their own proprietary mesh called AiMesh. I’ve connected them to each other via an Ethernet cable that runs up through the attic (single story home). It also supports a dedicated WiFi connection between nodes, but hard wired is the way to go if at all possible.

I went from DD-WRT for years to ASUS AiMesh and have been on Unifi equipment for a good four years now. I never have any issues with roaming (3600+ home) and I can fine tune whenever necessary (rare). I love the Unifi and don't plan on moving away any time soon. If you want peace of mind, I definitely also recommend Unifi.

Avoid tp-link and any other CCP networking equipment. Don't intentionally put stuff with backdoors in them just to save a few bucks. Unifi is great but it's expensive and you really should use it wired. If you're just looking for plug and play mesh Asus has good offerings. Their AI mesh system works well