Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsGreat Wifi Mesh for different mix of usage with 3rd band back-haul
Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2020
****5/30/2020 update review: New FW added QoS on the app for easy settings for priorities. Due to shelter in place, WFH has change my ways using the network. I love the new features that I can prioritize meeting calls over network on daytime and switch back to normal use for the family at night time, given I already have fast internet but that quick QoS changes do matters. I also added more cameras as the mesh reaches more places now. Working well for me still
***Update review 3/20/20: New FW released for both GT-5300 and Zenwifi made mesh more stable on 3rd band backhaul. Connection speed is more smooth and faster on transfers.***
I had been looking and studying Mesh technology for the past 2 years as my main router cannot provide stable speed to some of my devices on certain location. Google Wifi is one of my first pick. However, Google mesh cannot manually split the bands in diff SSID which will cause incompatibility to some of my smart devices at home. Then out of no where ZenWifi got announced, which in my surprise can mesh into my GT-AC5300. This is a big plus for me as it also can take advantage of the 3rd band for dedicated back-haul.
My usage at home is consist of 2x NAS, 2x diff sets security cameras, plus more than 15 diff mixed devices. Took me a while to get the proper location set on the ZenWifi to balance coverage as my main router is positioned on end of the lower house. I also run full 7 days to test them all out.
Pros:
- Can mesh to my existing Asus GT-AC5300.
- App is a breeze to use and easy to setup (Android based user).
- Each of the ZenWifi has full function of router including LAN ports I utilized.
- FW can be updated thru app.
- PC can now transfer to NAS at 50+MB/s and up which is better than before at 15~20MB/s. Back haul plays a big role here. This is a major change for me using wireless connection to access NAS.
- Wife and Kids devices now has stable connection and can maintain network for games and TV streaming on any side of the house.
- Streaming to the NAS from any Wifi devices can now run without hiccups even from any side of the house and backyard.
- My security cameras and smart devices can now easily get wifi signal if i reboot them.
Cons:
- Power connector orientation blocks power switch. It does not affect function but just inconvenience to power-cycle the router.
- It takes a while to finish booting before you can use on each power cycle on the ZenWifi, so far it minimal impact my usage as I don't usually reboot my routers.
