Thankyou Sir!. I am a new sub but I binge watched your videos because It is very informative and clear. I cant find it anywhere. Do you know when it is available in stores?
Thanks! Appreciate the sub and feedback! I got mine from Amazon (amzn.to/3eufXf6), looks like the current delivery is set for Sep 23-26 (if you click on the "New (6) from) Amazon pops up as the seller. Newegg has it as well: www.newegg.com/asus-et8-mesh-wifi-system/p/N82E16833320503
I really apreciate all the explanations not only router focused but situational examples so people can have more information overall. You just earned a subscriber. Keep it up 👌
Nice review, although this new model ET8 is not yet available in Europe / Netherlands, one piece of advise, you might want to invest in a good quality microphone for your videos, its clear to hear you talking but your voice has no depth in it and its like you talking in an empty room.
Thank you and I appreciate that feedback! I've done a decent amount of research, either going with a lavalier or going all out with that Shure SM7B, I'm leaning towards the Shure but just have to figure it out cause a part of me is worried about it getting in the way while I'm explaining stuff.
Great video. Can you also do a test where you hook up a lot of devices to this wireless mesh and then check whether you're getting drop offs/speed drops or not? The reason is these routers don't have much ram (512gb) and not a very powerful CPU. I'm not sure if they can handle lots of devices. I.e smart home gadgets.
Thanks! I have 40 or 50+ wireless devices (smart switches, speakers, plugs, ring alarm, security cameras, phones, tablets, laptops, etc) and adding more all the time, so far so good.
Ah crap, NOW I see this. (My ET8's are on the way right now from Asus warehouse!) My expensive RT-AC5300 can't cut it in my new house.. signal is a hair weak for some areas, and more importantly... I don't think it can handle the dozens of IOT switches, cameras, phones, laptops, home theater server, etc. I may have to keep all 3 routers going and spread things around! *crossing fingers these 2 can handle the job* (Hoping to ditch the dead-spider-robot looking router!)
@@CPng1N They probably will be strong enough but if they aren't for some odd reason, make sure you set the ASUS ET8 as the main router, not the RT-AC5300.
@@metsfaninct App provides a ton of options, setup was easy as well. Just plug them in and follow a few steps on the app. I'm going to do the setup video for this in the near future. I have a few other videos I need to do before that.
@landpet am about to order this mesh setup. I have been waiting for your long term review, but it hasn't been published yet. No dramas, just in a nutshell, are there any deal breaker or any type of flaws that you think I need to consider based on the time you have spent with this setup?
Your channel is absolutely truly superb!! Keep up the great work and reviews! Would you say this ASUS ET8 will be faster than the ASUS XT8 (which you seemed to like a lot in your review), or Netgear Orbi 6000? And is it possible to have 4 nodes overall to maximise coverage with this wireless 6/6E backhaul and try to get as close to Gigabit speeds as possible throughout a house (with a few rooms in between) for your devices? Also, could you clarify when you show us the real speeds, is that a high speed from the satellite (with the satellite node being some distance away from the router)? Be great to see a continuous comparison of the latest MESH wireless backhaul and which you think is the best/fastest/easiest to use for a large home setup and how to get the maximum speed on an iMac, TV, laptop etc (that are a distance from the router)! Honestly great channel, keep it up! Trying to get the maximum out of a a Gigabit connection and exploring wireless options!
Thanks! I haven't tried the Orbi 6000 but I think the ET8 should support the fastest speeds. Yes you can have 4 nodes with the ASUS or just about any mesh wifi, should give pretty good speed even over wireless backhaul, granted wired backhaul is always preferred if possible. Try to place the main router in the center point, that helps when the nodes can directly connect to the router over wireless without hopping from other nodes to get to it. When I show the speeds, it depends on the options I'm referring to, whenever there is a satellite as an option like options 3 and 4, then yes I'm doing a speed test on the satellite rather than the main router. But do keep in mind my speed tests are on a local speed test server, you will get slower speeds when going to the internet as I showed at the beginning of the video during the speed test demo on my phone. I think as of now, this is probably the best over wireless backhaul.
@@landpet Thank you for your reply! Yes great point. As far as a wireless backhaul goes, it sounds like the ASUS ET8 right now seems like the best way to go for Gigabit/900Mbps Internet. Trying to get as close to that as possible, though I understand it depends upon the receiving device as well. Seems like the ET8 might get as much speed as possible to the satellites. I'd like to try and place the main router in the middle, but it would tend to be on one end of the property given the way the internet is delivered from the ISP. Great review and definitely keep up this quality content on your channel!
@@darkjediknight2923 No worries. Yes I think ET8 is your best bet to get close to those speeds as possible but I would imagine since the router is on one side of your place because of the modem, the farther away you get, joining the other nodes, your speeds will suffer more and more because of the wireless hops the other nodes need to get back to the main router.
@@landpet Yes, that's a great point. It's a tricky situation, though these systems you review seem very impressive. The XT8 itself and the Orbi also looked really good. 1. Be great to see a general test comparison of each Brand/product in say a 3-4 satellite daisy chain topology to see which gives the best wifi speeds to clients around the house with wireless backhaul between the whole Mesh system. Trying to get the most out of a Gigabit connection (wired backhaul will have to wait for now). 2. Also any chance you might review the Orbi Pro 6 SXK80 Mesh system? Keep up the great channel man!
Moving into a new home that’s vertically “large” 4 stories. Do you know if you can connect 1 router to 3 nodes? Also also, assuming you use this ET8, can I use an older XT8 as my nodes? Thanks. This video was super informative! You got a new sub!
Yes, you can run 1 router to 3 nodes. Yes you can combo an ET8 with an XT8 because they both support AiMesh. I would recommend you use the ET8 as your main router. The main router is supposed to be the best one available. Thanks for subbing!
@@landpet I have a similar situation as @Matthew Tang. House is 4 floors vertically, (lowest floor is a garage) and 4200 square feet. If I have the 1 router and 2 nodes, can the 2 nodes be connected with ethernet (wired)?
Based on my post above, I would suggest you run comparison tests with your existing router before you install the new one. It did wonders for me in other areas of the house but I am not happy with what I get in comparison speed less than 10 feet away from the router.
@@franciscolozano1435 While they work, Asus has NOT fixed the problem. I have had at least a half dozen calls from tech service. They promise to call back in a day and weeks later I call them again. Personally, I wish I had not spent the money for them, I could have bought less expensive ones and probably got the same results.
@@dennismiller7605 yea, I’m thinking about just getting the AT8’s, but I thought that these using 6ghz as a back haul would be ideal as none if my neighbors would be on that channel (there’s a lot interference here - I live in a townhome)
Thanks! I did look a bit into that and didn't really see an option for that. It may still be possible and I just don't see it. The link aggregation option I did see was for WAN if you want to have two ISP connections and you can use it in failover mode where one ISP goes down, it switches to the other or you can do load balance mode where you can set certain devices to use one ISP vs another, etc.
@@landpet interesting ! I can't find it but I remember seeing a video that used link aggregation to the ISP box in order to max their 2Gbs download speed. I think it was an asus router, but I might be wrong. Looking forward to watching your next video, keep on the good work !
Awesome video! Only one question, do you have the max data rates of the throughput wireless backhaul? I think these two access points have 4x4 mu-mimo and 160Mhz bandwith in 6Ghz band, so that theorical max throughput woud be 4.8Gbps. Then real max throughput could be 3Gbps aprox, and that's amazing speed in wireless conectivity at home.
Thanks and excellent question. I think my phones use 2x2 mimo so they can go faster if u had a 4x4 device as you mentioned. I don’t have a 4x4 6E device but either way I like to use a cellphone for these tests since they’re so common to provide people with real numbers of what they can expect.
@@landpet Hi! I've considered a iperf test only with these two asus et8 devices in backhaul mode, using the 2.5G ports to saturate the interface, but this own interface will be as a bottleneck because theorical wireless interface is 4.8Gbs. I've found a video with this test I mean, but with 12ft distance (lossing the highest modulation) and using only one 2.5Gbps port in each device. If you perform the same test adding traffic plus in other port too for each device, and put so close the the devices to get the max modulation, would be the first channel to raise the max throughput wireless direct connection in the world for the home connectivity environment. I encourage you to perform it! th-cam.com/video/DGjJduHniIA/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for another great review. One quick question… given that ET8 uses 6GHz for the wireless backhaul, does this mean that the nodes cannot be quite as far apart as the XT8 which uses 5GHz for the wireless backhaul (5GHz having a slightly further range than 6GHz)? Therefore if you have to have your nodes quite far apart would you recommend the XT8 over the ET8? Also, if I were to find that I don’t get sufficient coverage in my home, can you add a 3rd node? My current mesh system has 5 nodes! Sorry, that wasn’t;t one question after all. :D
That's a very good question, maybe the XT8 might do a little better being farther away compared to the ET8 but I no longer have the XT8 to compare. I would probably get the ET8 and if it's not enough range, then get a 3rd one which answers your other question. You can get several, there must be some limit but I imagine it should be fine with 4 or up to 5 units (in my mind).
After some time now working with the ET8, unfortunately I've found this to be true. At least in my older home here made of "lath & plaster" construction, the 6 Ghz band signals are too weak for a reliable backhaul unless the nodes are within about 30 ft. of one another with no more than one intervening wall. Also keep in mind that the ET8 is a "genuine" tri-band system, which means there is only a single WiFi radio for each of the 2.4, 5, and 6 Ghz bands. So there can be no truly "dedicated" backhaul channel for wireless or else an entire band would thus be inaccessible to any clients! But then if you connect a client to the same band being used for wireless backhaul, your connection speed is naturally reduced since the channel must be shared between the two. Therefore I strongly recommend wired backhaul for the ET8, which again unfortunately led me to another problem. As my house is old and not wired for ethernet of course, but is easy to run coax cable almost anywhere. I had to drop another $150 for a pair of MoCA 2.5 gigabit rate adapters for the ET8's wired backhaul... 🤨 ...
Hello, I have the wifi 6 version of the router in the video. If I purchase the wifi 6e version and make it my router, will it work? How will it work? Any advantages or disadvantages?. I will be using the MA25 moca adapter for wired backhaul. Many thanks in advance. Appreciate what you're doing here!!!
Hey friend, hope you’re well. You helped us land on the ASUS for our mesh system. We initially ran it wireless backhaul but I recently ran some cables to up our speeds. I would be SO willing to pay you for your time and expertise to help me optimize my system. I don’t know what I’m doing and need someone to hold my hand through the process. Would you be willing to talk offline and consider talking it on as a side gig?
Check out this video: th-cam.com/video/c82erD-IaEo/w-d-xo.html I go into detail on how to connect it, the app should automatically detect it and things should work. I may do consulting in the future or might do live videos to answer questions but I have a lot going on right now. Hope the video above helps.
Actually one trivial note of correction here ... At about the 7:16 mark of the video, while things like computer memory capacity specs. are indeed based on the binary (or to base 2) K of 1024 bytes. Data transmission speeds like for internet connections or LAN speeds are usually quoted based on the decimal (or to base 10) K of 1000 bps. So a 1 gigabit/s internet connection is 1000^3 or 1000 to the 3rd power bps. equaling 1,000,000,000 bps ... 😁 ...
Right, others mentioned that as well. I learned about networks in powers of 2 from textbooks but I do see it being used similar to the metric system as well.
Cool,I ordered one as I need to use the wireless backhaul, using power line adapter right now, the local network speed is not very good when try to access an NAS in another room. Really too lazy to connect Ethernet cables.
Good video, i got the xt8 recently from your review and i’m very pleasen of how much it improved over my old orbi rbk23! just wanted to say your timestamps say XT8 and not ET8 ;)
Thanks! I really like the XT8, very good performance, I'm glad you're getting the same great performance out of it! Thanks! copy paste mistake, I fixed it.
hi there. Great video. I'm currently on a FTTP service with BT, 900 dowb 100 up . I've been looking for recommendations and wondered if this would be a good fit. I have an external building which I have my ps5 in and have struggled with speeds through the provided smart hub 2. Also, would the Asus router connect from the ONT directly?
Thanks! This thing has pretty good range, the Asus et12 pro has even better range. Yes you can connect any mesh system to your ONT directly, that's how mine is connected.
Could you connect, say a Linksys Velop (Wifi 5) system to this network, in an effort to expand the network? Or would it have to be 1) Wifi 6/6E compatible, and/or 2) an Asus product? I ask because, if I'm not mistaken, Linksys' new Velop (Wifi 6 version) allows you to connect previous gen nodes to it for further coverage. I currently have the Velop Wifi 5 version and it does make the new Velop, intriguing for the backward compatibility...but, I'm not sure that the performance or the price are worth it, compared to the Asus ET8? Great review and thanks for any info you can provide!
If you want it to work with the ET8 it has to be an Asus router that supports AiMesh. However you can run this ET8 in access point mode which would allow it to connect to any router regardless of brand. But in that access point mode, you have less options and even though it’s one network it’s more of an add on in my mind vs a complete solution. Plus you always want the best router in this case the ET8 to be your primary router. So if you bought this, I would make this your primary router and make the velop your secondary assuming the velop supports access point mode which it may not. Bottom line is if you want a solid network, I recommend getting the same brand that’s designed and tested to work with each other. Hope this helps
I just bought a tp link eap660hd ax3600 I think its called. Should ship Monday. Then I discover there is 6e. Thought about canceling my order. To get a 6e ap, but those are super expensive. But, I only have one wifi 6 device and that wifi 6 capable machine is hard wired currently so I never use the wireless except for its Bluetooth capabilities. Going to use the ap i ordered and turn off the 802.11ac ap built into my isp provided router. Anyway, im just entering a rabbit hole of wanting to upgrade stuff after getting a fiber internet connection. Also have an 8 port poe + switch now too. Im rambling Lol Good video.
Thank you for this comprehensive review ! I have a two story house that is only about 1500" ft, but loads of interference on 2.4 and 5GHz channels. I have a WFH office upstairs and down with my AP downstairs. I am thinking this could help since I could use 6GHz for backhaul and have WiFi upstairs overcome neighbouring interference. Is the admin UI similar to other ASUS products ? I love the traffic monitor on a per device basis.
@@landpet Very interested in the long term review of this. I have read lots of compliants of dropouts on the xt8 model. Would like to know if it's been worked out with this model
I'm adding more all the time, I have the TP Link smart switches, smart plugs, cameras, google, echo and apple speakers and a bunch of other stuff. No issues so far for the 1 month I ran it, this thing is solid. But I'm running another router (have been for the last week to test it out for my upcoming router video).
Would the ET8 be a good choice, using a wireless backhaul, if the satellite is on the floor directly above the router? I'm moving to a new house and my room will be within give or take 15 feet above the main router. I've heard the ET8's 6Ghz band has a fairly short reach, especially when walls or ceilings are involved and that speeds can significantly decrease as a result. To be clear, all my devices, except for my phone, will be wired in via ethernet to the satellite, and then riding the backhaul to the main router. My computer doesn't have wi-fi capability, which is why I'm opting for a mesh setup to get that ethernet connectivity without having to ask my landlord if I can drill holes in the floor and then snake unsightly cables down the wall that will annoy my family.
And the AP density for full 6e coverage is not usually needed for a home network. The channels are nice but full coverage distance is pretty poor unless you have enough AP's. It's not there yet for the home user in my view.
@@landpet Wall types and the number the of walls the rf has to penetrate are another concern. Every drywall sheet and framing, doors, panes of glass are also an area of signal loss and much more so a 6Ghz.
Hey I'm looking for a wifi 5 mesh device, and would really love if u did a 'best wifi 5 mesh systems' video. And what are your thoughts deco m9 plus, can you do a review on it?
I don't have the deco m9 plus, haven't played with that. Nest Wifi was great. TaoTronics worked well also, initial setup took some effort though. I imagine the deco m9 plus would be good, most of my experience with TP-Link routers have been great.
I’ll take it into consideration, I will mention that Asus has a ton of options and that parental controls are included as well. You can also turn off internet access to certain devices.
Excellent video, I currently pay for 1Gig internet with my isp provider, when I have my laptop hooked up via ethernet cable, I get close to the speed I pay for, however when I speed test my wifi, I rarely get over 280 mbps, although it's still fast, I wanna get close to what I pay for. I currently use Orbi Ax 4200 mesh system, comes with 1 satellite and router, my house is only 1400 sq ft, I currently have a iPhone 12 pro max that I use for wifi testing, any ideas of why I can't get faster speeds? I tried different mesh systems and I get the same speeds
Thanks! It should be slower but not 280 from gigabit. I would estimate it should be in the 600s for download and 300s for upload (assuming your upload is gigabit or near it as well). You’re doing these tests in the same room as the router? I would try to restart your routers, maybe modem too. Do you have a lot of WiFi devices (over 100)? That can slow it down or if you live in a place with a lot of wireless interference. Maybe go to orbilogin.com and select another channel. These are some of the things that come up. I had the Orbi RBK752 and that gave some good speeds.
Super helpful! How would I hook this up to our Verizon FIOS modem/router that sits in the basement of our large home, receiving 1 Gigabit. We have built-in Ethernet 5E cabling throughout house (1st and 2nd floor)........Q1) can I connect the ASUS using one of the available Ethernet wall plugs on the 1st floor and build a WIFI system...maybe using a second ASUS on the 2nd floor? Q2) Don't need any WIFI from the Verizon box, how to optimize that? Thank you
Thanks! You would need to connect one of these ET8's to your modem either through the in wall cat 5e (assuming this cat5e is connected to the modem) or directly to it via ethernet. Then connect the ET8 to the other ET8 either through the in wall cat5e or wirelessly, I recommend using the in wall cat5e. Now you would either have to disable the router portion of the modem/router combo by going to its settings (usually by going to a web or ip address in a browser, sometimes a sticker on the device specifies) and disabling the router portion or enabling bridge mode which essentially disables it. The other option which I don't recommend but should still work is if you leave the modem/router combo the way it is and go into the asus app or web address and set the asus to run in access point mode.
Thanks for the video. When you're using the 6Ghz for wireless backhaul, can 6E devices also connect to and use the 6Ghz band? Or is the 6Ghz used for backhaul only if you're not using wired backhaul?
@@landpet Even when 6e IS the backhaul channel? Usually the backhaul is dedicated because it has to support so much and it's set up with a crazy long name and key. Something you wouldn't want to type and I'm not sure are even given a chance to change.
@@CPng1N Feel free to rename the 6E (6GHz Band) WiFi Name (SSID). The backhaul portion has nothing to do with that, they are just operating at that same frequency.
@@landpet I have to say, I wasn't ready to accept the possibility of having 6ghz backhaul AND being able to connect to 6ghz with devices. Are you saying that IS true here? (Was not true on the older AC version with same look, at least not when I first set one up.)
@@CPng1N Yes the 6GHz channel is used for wireless backhaul and you can connect devices to it. It does have 7 of those channels. However important to note that the only devices that can connect to the 6GHz channel are WiFi 6E devices like the Samsung S21 Ultra, not too many other options around. Everything else can only connect to the 2.4GHz or 5GHz channels.
Is there any option in the wild available like a 'Quad' band type of mesh system with a dedicated 6ghz backhaul and another one for other devices to connect to? +2.4ghz +5ghz
Well the 6GHz has 7 channels of 160MHz so it should be golden and not many WiFi 6e devices anyways. Only WiFi 6e devices can connect to the 6GHz band. Everything else connects to the 2.4GHz and 5GHz which is on another SSID
which would you go for the et8 or the xt8 I live in a apartment only 1200 sq ft and I know their must be tons of interference but I stream everything and don’t want any buffing or blurry screen especially when I get a 4k tv. Do you think this will give me the 600mbs I’m paying for. Love the channel super informative thanks
I would go with the ET8 just cause that's the better of the two. I think you will get the 600Mbps with that assuming your wifi device can support 600Mbps. Thanks for the feedback!
Those would be great if they had two 5GBps ports on each node, for those of us with 2.5 or 5 Gbps switches with other devices on them. I only have 300Mbps/10Mbps available in my area, not gigabit, but I do have internal 2.5Gbps network with my NAS in a upstairs closet (with the main switch) but my office is in the basement. These would slow down my network compared to using switches.
Having a hard time deciding. Do I get the Asus ET8 with wifi 6e or the XT9 with just wifi 6? I will be using wireless backhaul. I currently only have 1GB ISP. Hoping 2.5GB comes soon. Which one would you buy?
None of those since you're planning on upgrading your Internet speeds to 2.5Gbps soon., I would get the ET12 Pro since you can run a full wired backhaul at 2.5Gbps since the ET12 Pro has 2 2.5Gbps ports.
For PC, what wireless adapter did you install that supports the 6GHz band? I'm having trouble getting the Ubit AX210 (intel chip) from Amazon to connect to 6Ghz (only connects to 5Ghz) with Windows 10 and latest drivers.
I got this router to use the wifi6. But I can only log on 2.4 and 5g channel. The 6g is on the app saying it’s there but when I check on my iPhone 13 pro max…. Only get the 2.4 and 5g.
The 6GHz band is for wifi 6E devices, iPhone 13 pro max is on wifi 6 so it will only see the 2.4 and 5GHz bands. The Samsung S21 Ultra is the only phone out now that has wifi 6E and can use the 6GHz band.
Is it possible to manually select channels with these routers? In my area, channels 34-64 are full, but channels 100-144 are wide open. I want to avoid the channels used by my neighbors.
I had the XT8 drop a few times but never the ET8 from my experience. I used the ET8 for a few months as my main setup, I’m not using it now cause I’m testing other ones
@@landpet very cool. I'm an original Asus guy (asus rt-68u) and used to their complicated interface. I love that they offer all the features for free (As they should) like parental controls. I'm thinking of getting ET8 and just be done with my stupid Google Nest Wifi which requires a restart every other week. Luckily I got it from Costco, so I'll be taking that back there.
Without making you wait for me to check (since I'm testing another router now) if you can block specific domains, I think you can but not 100% sure until I verify. I do know with certainty the Parental Controls are included (no subscription required).
@@landpet thank you! I've been trying to find a way to get information from them directly, but can't seem to find a place to ask product questions. Appreciate the help.
Security features are plenty, eero is secure as well. They both do a good job of security. Asus provides many more options compared to the eero. So if you want to customize anything, asus is the way to go. This Asus has better WiFi coverage than the eero Pro 6.
Since ASUS ET8 officially supports 'WAN Aggregation' unlike ASUS AX(XT8), does it support 'Link Aggregation' too? Can you connect the two routers (when in mesh mode) using two ethernet cable to gain theoretically 2000 Mbps speed - like we do with switches?
I believe for the set up you want you would need two separate Internet connection that are both a gig in download speed and a modem that supports lacp protocol. That protocol would allow two separate wan interfaces two combine into one for faster speed. But both the modem and the router have to support that. I believe the Motorola MB 8600 modem supports that feature.
Thanks for the great review as always, i live in a three story home, on a slight hill. My modem sits in the middle, 2nd floor. Unfortunately, I can’t do wired back haul (w/out opening ceilings and walls) - would you recommend this system (asus) or the eero pro 6? (I only have 400 mbps service - I currently have eero pro 2nd gen. But on my “node” i only get ~170 mbps) my node is where is my office sits, and where I’d like to get closer to the 400 mbps. TY
No worries, it's hard to say without knowing more specifics about your place. I'll answer generally, eero pro 6 is more than capable of delivering 400 Mbps but placement does matter. Maybe worth getting a 3 pack eero Pro 6 vs a 2 pack of the ET8 in your situation and have one on each level. This one is capable of going faster again depends on your placement, especially if you get 3 of these.
I have a 1,200 sq foot house, but I have cameras that need internet on both the front and the backyard. Do you think this system would be great for this or would it be too much since I have a smaller home?
Let me first say that the ASUS ET8 will do great there. A cheaper alternative would be the TP Link Deco X68 (amzn.to/3xWjP0m) . I did a review on that as well: th-cam.com/video/-copWVogcvI/w-d-xo.html At the end of the day, it depends on your internet speeds, how many wifi devices, number of walls and the placement of both mesh devices. If you want a good budget system, the deco x68 would be good, if you want the best, get the ET8
Anything that’s connected via Ethernet that somehow makes it all the way back to the router via Ethernet meaning if it goes through a node or another switch so as long as there is an Ethernet from one end to the router then it’s considered wired backhaul. The answer is yes
Can I connect an ethernet cable from the modem to two ET8 and this solution will create one network for me? I have a two-story house and the modem is upstairs. I have a cable routed to the ground floor coming out of the modem. I want to put ET8 on the first floor and connect to the modem and do the same on the ground floor, but I don't know if this way of connecting will create one network for me (which will not interfere). Do I have to connect the main unit to the node with a cable to create one network (I don't want the devices to connect wirelessly to each other)
So question. I bought this today hooked it up and when having 2 nodes I only get wifi 6e if I'm by the main node. When i walk out into the living room where my other node is I only wifi 6. Isn't it supposed to be be wifi 6e always on a compatible device?
WiFi 6e is much quicker but does have much shorter range. You can see that in my test results the farther I get from the router, the closer the WiFi 6e devices and WiFi 6 devices get for speed.
No, I would compare them but I don't have the XT8 anymore. I suspect the ET8 would have better wireless backhaul speeds. The other obvious difference is ET8 supports wifi 6e.
Hi ! I have an XT8 setup of two router and I guess I need to add extra since my backhaul connection is always unstable.. do you think I can add ET8 to the setup ?? I know they can’t connect via 6 ghz cuz XT8 routers don’t have it .. but what about 5 ghz band-2 ? Is it still available on ET8 can the XT8 and the ET8 backhaul on 5ghz-band2 ?? Thank you
The ET8 should work with the XT8 and I would assume it would use the 5GHz but I’m not 100% sure on that. If the backhaul connection itself is unstable can you move them closer or change the location somehow for the secondary XT8?
@@landpet thank you for your reply .. I can’t move them closer , they’re one room apart only 😅 I’m living in an apartment with thick concrete walls .. I want to add an extra satellite router and I’m in between the new ET8 and the XT8 ( current system is XT8) but I’ve read ( not sure if I misunderstood) that the ET8 stripped off the 5ghz-band 2 and replaced it with the 6ghz antennas ! If that’s true .. wireless backhaul-ing between wouldn’t be a good idea at all .. 8TX will prefer 5-band2 and ET8 will prefer 6ghz ! Meaning they will end up connecting in either 2.4 or ghz-band1 which are commonly used by Wirless clients.. do you have better info on this ?? I couldn’t reach to asus in my region to get answers 😅 as usual Thank you and keep the good work up ! This is my only technical reference TH-cam channel
@@thair Thanks for the info, in that case It's definitely safer to get the XT8. Yes the secondary 5GHz channel has been replaced with the 6GHz. Since I haven't tried it, I would assume that it would either use the the first 5GHz on the XT8 but it may also just default to the 2.4GHz or a combination of 2.4 and 5GHz. Either way in your situation, I would get another XT8.
@@landpet I just set everything up and I have a new Killer 6E wireless adapter on my MSI z16 windows 10 pro laptop and the 6Ghz Wi-Fi 6E SSID is not showing up under available networks. Do you know why I can’t see or connect to the 6E SSID Network?
The Amazon reviews I read complained about dropouts. Are you having dropouts? Can I ask why is the wired back haul better then the wireless backhaul? Thank you for your review. I thought you did a great job!
Yes if you ran this in access point mode but I wouldn’t recommend that. Better to stick with other nest WiFi router or nest WiFi point or completely replace your nest wifi
i have a 1G connection... pulls 900 down but im limited to 20MB UP idk why!!! i have the Netgear Nighthawk a7800 X4S its a 2in1 Cable Modem Router, my provider is over COAX Cable!!! which Router n Modem do you recommend me to get? or which Cable Moedm with this ASUS ET8?
UpDate, i got Fiber connection 1G Down 1G Up! they provided me with their Nokia Beacon! i dont like it!! im planning to get the new Asus axe11000 wifi 6e! what do u think?
I have a question I kept my 2.4 ghz and 5 ghz separate. Please tell me how to get the 6 ghz I don’t see it on my Wi-Fi networks. How do I name it and set password for 6 ghz I can’t figure it out. Thanks
@@landpet thanks I’m pretty sure none of my devices are 6E. I didn’t think of that. So most things now are not Wi-Fi 6E like Roku ultra or apple 4k Tv am I correct. So how does the 6E help most homes if you can’t connect to it. I’m not too tech savvy just want to be informed
Really appreciate your reviews! I had initially bought XT8 but later got ET8 refurbished for a competitive price, obviously can keep only one. Still undecided, I can't do wired backhaul with the current setup. With a 6GHz wireless backhaul on ET8, my node shows "OK" connectivity over XT8's "GOOD" connectivity in the same setup. Given additional channels on 6GHz on ET8, does it triumph XT8? Please advise which one to keep. Thanks in advance. Cheers!
Thanks! Very good question, the simple answer is to test them out in your case to see which is better. 6GHz is faster but has less range so with same placement you’re getting an ok baby good on the XT8 because of the 5GHz. With ideal placement the ET8 should be better.
@@landpet Thanks! Have gone through below comments, seems like ET8 is better contender and I’m inclined towards the same. I will test out ET8 for a couple more days before making a decision.
17:03 I suspect your option 3 has the satellite router placed with very minimal physical blocking, like walls/doors...etc, from the main router. Because if they talk using 6G, this high freq will easily bounce off walls/doors so your satellite router will mostly not get great signal strength from the main router
For hardwired, I recommend dual band setups, so yes you can get potentially similar speeds for around $200 for hardwired. This shines more in wireless backhaul, provides greater range and provides much faster connections for wifi 6e devices (granted wifi 6e devices are limited as of now but will be more available in the future)
@@landpet so I kept digging. Windows 10 doesn’t support 6ghz yet. You have to alter the reg editor. Then it uses wpa3 with hse for using security. And windows 10 doesn’t support that yet. So you can’t use a password only open. So I hid the ssdi and connected that way.
I didn't know that, thanks for the heads up. I will mention that a hidden SSID is not exactly secure but I do realize that's the only way it will work. I'll definitely have to research it in the future as well, hopefully by than, there's a windows update :)
I just wont understand why companies do that... why would you have a 2.5 WAN and then all LAN gigabit ports, it's so dumb. Why would you even buy a WiFi 6E if you your 2nd 3rd and 4th mesh "repeater" only will get gigabit speeds cuz of all the gigabit ports on the main router. So why would you spend a lot of money for the best 6E mesh system if you will go down to gigabit on the secondary router... They should start getting all 2.5g LAN ports so you can backhaul your mesh system and more if WiFi 6E backhaul it is not an option. They only I have found its the ASUS ZenWiFi Pro AXE11000 with a 2.5g WAN and LAN port so you can backhaul via LAN with a real 2.5g connection. I mean in a scenario where you have more than 1gigabit internet service. The other option its if you have a really really big house and you want more than gigabit conection in all of house, its to buy a ROG Rapture GT-AXE16000 and this Asus ET8 pack and then use the the 2 x 10 gigabit LAN ports on the Rapture and then use ethernet all the way to the Asus ET8 and use the 2.5g ports on each one, and only and only in that case you will have 3 spots inside your house with real 2.5 gigibit conection.
Congrats... you are the ONLY person with Asus ET8 review :). Keep up the good work. Question: Hows the stability of the unit. I heard mixed opinions
Thanks! so far so good
Thankyou Sir!. I am a new sub but I binge watched your videos because It is very informative and clear. I cant find it anywhere. Do you know when it is available in stores?
Thanks! Appreciate the sub and feedback!
I got mine from Amazon (amzn.to/3eufXf6), looks like the current delivery is set for Sep 23-26 (if you click on the "New (6) from) Amazon pops up as the seller. Newegg has it as well: www.newegg.com/asus-et8-mesh-wifi-system/p/N82E16833320503
I really apreciate all the explanations not only router focused but situational examples so people can have more information overall. You just earned a subscriber. Keep it up 👌
Thank you! Appreciate you subscribing!
This is definitely the best review I’ve seen on this, I happily purchased via your product link.
Thank you! Appreciate it!
Nice review, although this new model ET8 is not yet available in Europe / Netherlands, one piece of advise, you might want to invest in a good quality microphone for your videos, its clear to hear you talking but your voice has no depth in it and its like you talking in an empty room.
Thank you and I appreciate that feedback! I've done a decent amount of research, either going with a lavalier or going all out with that Shure SM7B, I'm leaning towards the Shure but just have to figure it out cause a part of me is worried about it getting in the way while I'm explaining stuff.
very impressive performance with 6G wireless backhaul, nice review!
Thanks!
You are my go-to Mesh Wifi Router reviewer. Keep it up!
Thanks!
Good review, I got a XT8 after viewing your review
Thanks! It's a good router.
Great video. Can you also do a test where you hook up a lot of devices to this wireless mesh and then check whether you're getting drop offs/speed drops or not? The reason is these routers don't have much ram (512gb) and not a very powerful CPU. I'm not sure if they can handle lots of devices. I.e smart home gadgets.
Thanks! I have 40 or 50+ wireless devices (smart switches, speakers, plugs, ring alarm, security cameras, phones, tablets, laptops, etc) and adding more all the time, so far so good.
Ah crap, NOW I see this. (My ET8's are on the way right now from Asus warehouse!) My expensive RT-AC5300 can't cut it in my new house.. signal is a hair weak for some areas, and more importantly... I don't think it can handle the dozens of IOT switches, cameras, phones, laptops, home theater server, etc. I may have to keep all 3 routers going and spread things around! *crossing fingers these 2 can handle the job* (Hoping to ditch the dead-spider-robot looking router!)
@@CPng1N They probably will be strong enough but if they aren't for some odd reason, make sure you set the ASUS ET8 as the main router, not the RT-AC5300.
+1 for checking the power plug input!
Thanks
Can't wait for the follow up video would love to learn more before buying.
The long term review or the setup video?
@@landpet I would like to see the setup and the app. Seems like this is where it might fall short compared to the others in the market.
@@metsfaninct App provides a ton of options, setup was easy as well. Just plug them in and follow a few steps on the app. I'm going to do the setup video for this in the near future. I have a few other videos I need to do before that.
@landpet am about to order this mesh setup. I have been waiting for your long term review, but it hasn't been published yet. No dramas, just in a nutshell, are there any deal breaker or any type of flaws that you think I need to consider based on the time you have spent with this setup?
Your channel is absolutely truly superb!! Keep up the great work and reviews! Would you say this ASUS ET8 will be faster than the ASUS XT8 (which you seemed to like a lot in your review), or Netgear Orbi 6000? And is it possible to have 4 nodes overall to maximise coverage with this wireless 6/6E backhaul and try to get as close to Gigabit speeds as possible throughout a house (with a few rooms in between) for your devices? Also, could you clarify when you show us the real speeds, is that a high speed from the satellite (with the satellite node being some distance away from the router)? Be great to see a continuous comparison of the latest MESH wireless backhaul and which you think is the best/fastest/easiest to use for a large home setup and how to get the maximum speed on an iMac, TV, laptop etc (that are a distance from the router)! Honestly great channel, keep it up! Trying to get the maximum out of a a Gigabit connection and exploring wireless options!
Thanks! I haven't tried the Orbi 6000 but I think the ET8 should support the fastest speeds. Yes you can have 4 nodes with the ASUS or just about any mesh wifi, should give pretty good speed even over wireless backhaul, granted wired backhaul is always preferred if possible. Try to place the main router in the center point, that helps when the nodes can directly connect to the router over wireless without hopping from other nodes to get to it. When I show the speeds, it depends on the options I'm referring to, whenever there is a satellite as an option like options 3 and 4, then yes I'm doing a speed test on the satellite rather than the main router. But do keep in mind my speed tests are on a local speed test server, you will get slower speeds when going to the internet as I showed at the beginning of the video during the speed test demo on my phone. I think as of now, this is probably the best over wireless backhaul.
@@landpet Thank you for your reply! Yes great point. As far as a wireless backhaul goes, it sounds like the ASUS ET8 right now seems like the best way to go for Gigabit/900Mbps Internet. Trying to get as close to that as possible, though I understand it depends upon the receiving device as well. Seems like the ET8 might get as much speed as possible to the satellites. I'd like to try and place the main router in the middle, but it would tend to be on one end of the property given the way the internet is delivered from the ISP. Great review and definitely keep up this quality content on your channel!
@@darkjediknight2923 No worries. Yes I think ET8 is your best bet to get close to those speeds as possible but I would imagine since the router is on one side of your place because of the modem, the farther away you get, joining the other nodes, your speeds will suffer more and more because of the wireless hops the other nodes need to get back to the main router.
@@landpet Yes, that's a great point. It's a tricky situation, though these systems you review seem very impressive. The XT8 itself and the Orbi also looked really good. 1. Be great to see a general test comparison of each Brand/product in say a 3-4 satellite daisy chain topology to see which gives the best wifi speeds to clients around the house with wireless backhaul between the whole Mesh system. Trying to get the most out of a Gigabit connection (wired backhaul will have to wait for now).
2. Also any chance you might review the Orbi Pro 6 SXK80 Mesh system?
Keep up the great channel man!
Best router videos in the world
Appreciate the feedback! Thank you! I just answered your other question lol
Moving into a new home that’s vertically “large” 4 stories. Do you know if you can connect 1 router to 3 nodes?
Also also, assuming you use this ET8, can I use an older XT8 as my nodes?
Thanks. This video was super informative! You got a new sub!
Yes, you can run 1 router to 3 nodes. Yes you can combo an ET8 with an XT8 because they both support AiMesh. I would recommend you use the ET8 as your main router. The main router is supposed to be the best one available.
Thanks for subbing!
@@landpet
I have a similar situation as @Matthew Tang. House is 4 floors vertically, (lowest floor is a garage) and 4200 square feet. If I have the 1 router and 2 nodes, can the 2 nodes be connected with ethernet (wired)?
@@_GR1T_ Yup, best way to get full speeds.
Great review, thank you... getting my ET8's next week, can't wait.
Thanks! It's an amazing router!
Based on my post above, I would suggest you run comparison tests with your existing router before you install the new one. It did wonders for me in other areas of the house but I am not happy with what I get in comparison speed less than 10 feet away from the router.
How did they turn out for you ?
@@franciscolozano1435 While they work, Asus has NOT fixed the problem. I have had at least a half dozen calls from tech service. They promise to call back in a day and weeks later I call them again. Personally, I wish I had not spent the money for them, I could have bought less expensive ones and probably got the same results.
@@dennismiller7605 yea, I’m thinking about just getting the AT8’s, but I thought that these using 6ghz as a back haul would be ideal as none if my neighbors would be on that channel (there’s a lot interference here - I live in a townhome)
Cool review 👍. Can you do link aggregation for the Ethernet backhaul and get 2Gb/s speed ?
Thanks! I did look a bit into that and didn't really see an option for that. It may still be possible and I just don't see it. The link aggregation option I did see was for WAN if you want to have two ISP connections and you can use it in failover mode where one ISP goes down, it switches to the other or you can do load balance mode where you can set certain devices to use one ISP vs another, etc.
@@landpet interesting ! I can't find it but I remember seeing a video that used link aggregation to the ISP box in order to max their 2Gbs download speed. I think it was an asus router, but I might be wrong. Looking forward to watching your next video, keep on the good work !
Thanks for the detailed review
No problem
Awesome video! Only one question, do you have the max data rates of the throughput wireless backhaul? I think these two access points have 4x4 mu-mimo and 160Mhz bandwith in 6Ghz band, so that theorical max throughput woud be 4.8Gbps. Then real max throughput could be 3Gbps aprox, and that's amazing speed in wireless conectivity at home.
Thanks and excellent question. I think my phones use 2x2 mimo so they can go faster if u had a 4x4 device as you mentioned. I don’t have a 4x4 6E device but either way I like to use a cellphone for these tests since they’re so common to provide people with real numbers of what they can expect.
@@landpet Hi! I've considered a iperf test only with these two asus et8 devices in backhaul mode, using the 2.5G ports to saturate the interface, but this own interface will be as a bottleneck because theorical wireless interface is 4.8Gbs. I've found a video with this test I mean, but with 12ft distance (lossing the highest modulation) and using only one 2.5Gbps port in each device. If you perform the same test adding traffic plus in other port too for each device, and put so close the the devices to get the max modulation, would be the first channel to raise the max throughput wireless direct connection in the world for the home connectivity environment. I encourage you to perform it!
th-cam.com/video/DGjJduHniIA/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for another great review.
One quick question… given that ET8 uses 6GHz for the wireless backhaul, does this mean that the nodes cannot be quite as far apart as the XT8 which uses 5GHz for the wireless backhaul (5GHz having a slightly further range than 6GHz)? Therefore if you have to have your nodes quite far apart would you recommend the XT8 over the ET8?
Also, if I were to find that I don’t get sufficient coverage in my home, can you add a 3rd node? My current mesh system has 5 nodes!
Sorry, that wasn’t;t one question after all. :D
That's a very good question, maybe the XT8 might do a little better being farther away compared to the ET8 but I no longer have the XT8 to compare. I would probably get the ET8 and if it's not enough range, then get a 3rd one which answers your other question. You can get several, there must be some limit but I imagine it should be fine with 4 or up to 5 units (in my mind).
After some time now working with the ET8, unfortunately I've found this to be true. At least in my older home here made of "lath & plaster" construction, the 6 Ghz band signals are too weak for a reliable backhaul unless the nodes are within about 30 ft. of one another with no more than one intervening wall.
Also keep in mind that the ET8 is a "genuine" tri-band system, which means there is only a single WiFi radio for each of the 2.4, 5, and 6 Ghz bands. So there can be no truly "dedicated" backhaul channel for wireless or else an entire band would thus be inaccessible to any clients!
But then if you connect a client to the same band being used for wireless backhaul, your connection speed is naturally reduced since the channel must be shared between the two.
Therefore I strongly recommend wired backhaul for the ET8, which again unfortunately led me to another problem. As my house is old and not wired for ethernet of course, but is easy to run coax cable almost anywhere.
I had to drop another $150 for a pair of MoCA 2.5 gigabit rate adapters for the ET8's wired backhaul... 🤨 ...
Very good review indeed. Thx man!
No problem
Hello, I have the wifi 6 version of the router in the video. If I purchase the wifi 6e version and make it my router, will it work? How will it work? Any advantages or disadvantages?. I will be using the MA25 moca adapter for wired backhaul. Many thanks in advance. Appreciate what you're doing here!!!
Hey friend, hope you’re well.
You helped us land on the ASUS for our mesh system. We initially ran it wireless backhaul but I recently ran some cables to up our speeds. I would be SO willing to pay you for your time and expertise to help me optimize my system. I don’t know what I’m doing and need someone to hold my hand through the process. Would you be willing to talk offline and consider talking it on as a side gig?
Check out this video: th-cam.com/video/c82erD-IaEo/w-d-xo.html
I go into detail on how to connect it, the app should automatically detect it and things should work. I may do consulting in the future or might do live videos to answer questions but I have a lot going on right now. Hope the video above helps.
@@landpet Thx! Appreciate you.
Actually one trivial note of correction here ...
At about the 7:16 mark of the video, while things like computer memory capacity specs. are indeed based on the binary (or to base 2) K of 1024 bytes.
Data transmission speeds like for internet connections or LAN speeds are usually quoted based on the decimal (or to base 10) K of 1000 bps.
So a 1 gigabit/s internet connection is 1000^3 or 1000 to the 3rd power bps. equaling 1,000,000,000 bps ... 😁 ...
Right, others mentioned that as well. I learned about networks in powers of 2 from textbooks but I do see it being used similar to the metric system as well.
Cool,I ordered one as I need to use the wireless backhaul, using power line adapter right now, the local network speed is not very good when try to access an NAS in another room. Really too lazy to connect Ethernet cables.
ET8 is very good for the price. Ethernet backhaul will make the connections optimal but this thing does fairly well even over wireless backhaul
Great video, very informative. Thank you
No problem
Good video, i got the xt8 recently from your review and i’m very pleasen of how much it improved over my old orbi rbk23!
just wanted to say your timestamps say XT8 and not ET8 ;)
Thanks! I really like the XT8, very good performance, I'm glad you're getting the same great performance out of it!
Thanks! copy paste mistake, I fixed it.
hi there. Great video. I'm currently on a FTTP service with BT, 900 dowb 100 up . I've been looking for recommendations and wondered if this would be a good fit. I have an external building which I have my ps5 in and have struggled with speeds through the provided smart hub 2.
Also, would the Asus router connect from the ONT directly?
Thanks! This thing has pretty good range, the Asus et12 pro has even better range. Yes you can connect any mesh system to your ONT directly, that's how mine is connected.
Could you connect, say a Linksys Velop (Wifi 5) system to this network, in an effort to expand the network? Or would it have to be 1) Wifi 6/6E compatible, and/or 2) an Asus product? I ask because, if I'm not mistaken, Linksys' new Velop (Wifi 6 version) allows you to connect previous gen nodes to it for further coverage. I currently have the Velop Wifi 5 version and it does make the new Velop, intriguing for the backward compatibility...but, I'm not sure that the performance or the price are worth it, compared to the Asus ET8? Great review and thanks for any info you can provide!
If you want it to work with the ET8 it has to be an Asus router that supports AiMesh. However you can run this ET8 in access point mode which would allow it to connect to any router regardless of brand. But in that access point mode, you have less options and even though it’s one network it’s more of an add on in my mind vs a complete solution. Plus you always want the best router in this case the ET8 to be your primary router. So if you bought this, I would make this your primary router and make the velop your secondary assuming the velop supports access point mode which it may not. Bottom line is if you want a solid network, I recommend getting the same brand that’s designed and tested to work with each other.
Hope this helps
Thanks!
Awesome video. Does this router support wpa3? Do you have any dead spots? How many units do you have in your setup ? Thanks
Thanks! Yes it supports wpa3, no dead spots. I have 2 in my setup.
I just bought a tp link eap660hd ax3600 I think its called. Should ship Monday. Then I discover there is 6e. Thought about canceling my order. To get a 6e ap, but those are super expensive. But, I only have one wifi 6 device and that wifi 6 capable machine is hard wired currently so I never use the wireless except for its Bluetooth capabilities. Going to use the ap i ordered and turn off the 802.11ac ap built into my isp provided router. Anyway, im just entering a rabbit hole of wanting to upgrade stuff after getting a fiber internet connection. Also have an 8 port poe + switch now too. Im rambling Lol Good video.
Thanks! Yeah if you don’t have too many 6E devices, going with a wifi 6 is a good choice.
@@landpet i agree. Because I have 0 6e devices.
Thank you for this comprehensive review ! I have a two story house that is only about 1500" ft, but loads of interference on 2.4 and 5GHz channels. I have a WFH office upstairs and down with my AP downstairs. I am thinking this could help since I could use 6GHz for backhaul and have WiFi upstairs overcome neighbouring interference.
Is the admin UI similar to other ASUS products ? I love the traffic monitor on a per device basis.
You're welcome! Yes the ASUS UI looks very similar to other ASUS products I've tried, ton of options
@@landpet Very interested in the long term review of this. I have read lots of compliants of dropouts on the xt8 model. Would like to know if it's been worked out with this model
@@prettysheddy I don't have the XT8 anymore, I do have the ET8 and that's been golden
If it will get from the 1st to the 2nd. Distance is limited for full coverage on 6Ghz.
Great video! Do you recommended separating SSID 2.4 5 and 6? Or combining 2.4/5 or Tri mesh
Thanks! I combine the 2.4 and 5 and keep the 6 separate
Great review, thanks! Does wired backhaul reduce latency/jitter?
Yes, wired backhaul should provide you with the best possible signal. Thanks!
They come out with a Black version I’m definitely getting one.. Can’t stand White lol
They probably will, seeing as how the XT8 has a black and white version
@@landpet Ya I’m sure they will soon as they do I’m getting one Hopefully they will come with black soon
Thanks for the review. Do you have many smart devices such as lights on your network? If so, have you had any connectivity issues yet?
I'm adding more all the time, I have the TP Link smart switches, smart plugs, cameras, google, echo and apple speakers and a bunch of other stuff. No issues so far for the 1 month I ran it, this thing is solid. But I'm running another router (have been for the last week to test it out for my upcoming router video).
Would the ET8 be a good choice, using a wireless backhaul, if the satellite is on the floor directly above the router? I'm moving to a new house and my room will be within give or take 15 feet above the main router. I've heard the ET8's 6Ghz band has a fairly short reach, especially when walls or ceilings are involved and that speeds can significantly decrease as a result. To be clear, all my devices, except for my phone, will be wired in via ethernet to the satellite, and then riding the backhaul to the main router. My computer doesn't have wi-fi capability, which is why I'm opting for a mesh setup to get that ethernet connectivity without having to ask my landlord if I can drill holes in the floor and then snake unsightly cables down the wall that will annoy my family.
Hmmmm, yes 6GHz is fast but shorter range. I haven't tried it on multiple floors but I suspect it should be fine if it's directly above.
And the AP density for full 6e coverage is not usually needed for a home network. The channels are nice but full coverage distance is pretty poor unless you have enough AP's. It's not there yet for the home user in my view.
Sure, the 6GHz band is short but fast, so yes extra AP's will help but they are quick! Possibly my favorite mesh from all that I've tested
@@landpet Wall types and the number the of walls the rf has to penetrate are another concern. Every drywall sheet and framing, doors, panes of glass are also an area of signal loss and much more so a 6Ghz.
Hey I'm looking for a wifi 5 mesh device, and would really love if u did a 'best wifi 5 mesh systems' video. And what are your thoughts deco m9 plus, can you do a review on it?
I don't have the deco m9 plus, haven't played with that. Nest Wifi was great. TaoTronics worked well also, initial setup took some effort though. I imagine the deco m9 plus would be good, most of my experience with TP-Link routers have been great.
Thanks for the video
Is the 6e better and faster than the 6, specs says that the 6e since is 6600 is slower, is that true? wireless overhaul
XT9 was better from my testing
Can you go over the other features that are available with this device? I'm interested in knowing more about QoS and parental controls.
I’ll take it into consideration, I will mention that Asus has a ton of options and that parental controls are included as well. You can also turn off internet access to certain devices.
Excellent video, I currently pay for 1Gig internet with my isp provider, when I have my laptop hooked up via ethernet cable, I get close to the speed I pay for, however when I speed test my wifi, I rarely get over 280 mbps, although it's still fast, I wanna get close to what I pay for.
I currently use Orbi Ax 4200 mesh system, comes with 1 satellite and router, my house is only 1400 sq ft, I currently have a iPhone 12 pro max that I use for wifi testing, any ideas of why I can't get faster speeds? I tried different mesh systems and I get the same speeds
Thanks!
It should be slower but not 280 from gigabit. I would estimate it should be in the 600s for download and 300s for upload (assuming your upload is gigabit or near it as well). You’re doing these tests in the same room as the router? I would try to restart your routers, maybe modem too. Do you have a lot of WiFi devices (over 100)? That can slow it down or if you live in a place with a lot of wireless interference. Maybe go to orbilogin.com and select another channel. These are some of the things that come up. I had the Orbi RBK752 and that gave some good speeds.
Super helpful! How would I hook this up to our Verizon FIOS modem/router that sits in the basement of our large home, receiving 1 Gigabit. We have built-in Ethernet 5E cabling throughout house (1st and 2nd floor)........Q1) can I connect the ASUS using one of the available Ethernet wall plugs on the 1st floor and build a WIFI system...maybe using a second ASUS on the 2nd floor? Q2) Don't need any WIFI from the Verizon box, how to optimize that? Thank you
Thanks!
You would need to connect one of these ET8's to your modem either through the in wall cat 5e (assuming this cat5e is connected to the modem) or directly to it via ethernet. Then connect the ET8 to the other ET8 either through the in wall cat5e or wirelessly, I recommend using the in wall cat5e. Now you would either have to disable the router portion of the modem/router combo by going to its settings (usually by going to a web or ip address in a browser, sometimes a sticker on the device specifies) and disabling the router portion or enabling bridge mode which essentially disables it. The other option which I don't recommend but should still work is if you leave the modem/router combo the way it is and go into the asus app or web address and set the asus to run in access point mode.
@@landpet What is the disadvantage of running the ET8 in access mode? (My internet provider does not allow me to access to the router settings).
Great video!
Thanks!
Thanks for the video. When you're using the 6Ghz for wireless backhaul, can 6E devices also connect to and use the 6Ghz band? Or is the 6Ghz used for backhaul only if you're not using wired backhaul?
No problem. 6E devices can connect to the 6GHz band while it's in wired or wireless backhaul mode.
@@landpet Even when 6e IS the backhaul channel? Usually the backhaul is dedicated because it has to support so much and it's set up with a crazy long name and key. Something you wouldn't want to type and I'm not sure are even given a chance to change.
@@CPng1N Feel free to rename the 6E (6GHz Band) WiFi Name (SSID). The backhaul portion has nothing to do with that, they are just operating at that same frequency.
@@landpet I have to say, I wasn't ready to accept the possibility of having 6ghz backhaul AND being able to connect to 6ghz with devices. Are you saying that IS true here? (Was not true on the older AC version with same look, at least not when I first set one up.)
@@CPng1N Yes the 6GHz channel is used for wireless backhaul and you can connect devices to it. It does have 7 of those channels. However important to note that the only devices that can connect to the 6GHz channel are WiFi 6E devices like the Samsung S21 Ultra, not too many other options around. Everything else can only connect to the 2.4GHz or 5GHz channels.
Is there any option in the wild available like a 'Quad' band type of mesh system with a dedicated 6ghz backhaul and another one for other devices to connect to? +2.4ghz +5ghz
Well the 6GHz has 7 channels of 160MHz so it should be golden and not many WiFi 6e devices anyways. Only WiFi 6e devices can connect to the 6GHz band. Everything else connects to the 2.4GHz and 5GHz which is on another SSID
which would you go for the et8 or the xt8 I live in a apartment only 1200 sq ft and I know their must be tons of interference but I stream everything and don’t want any buffing or blurry screen especially when I get a 4k tv. Do you think this will give me the 600mbs I’m paying for. Love the channel super informative thanks
I would go with the ET8 just cause that's the better of the two. I think you will get the 600Mbps with that assuming your wifi device can support 600Mbps.
Thanks for the feedback!
Thanks should I combine the 2.4, 5, and 6ghz together or keep them separate which do you recommend
Those would be great if they had two 5GBps ports on each node, for those of us with 2.5 or 5 Gbps switches with other devices on them. I only have 300Mbps/10Mbps available in my area, not gigabit, but I do have internal 2.5Gbps network with my NAS in a upstairs closet (with the main switch) but my office is in the basement. These would slow down my network compared to using switches.
I definitely agree, the only one that offers that now is the Orbi RBKE963 but that definitely costs a few bucks more
Having a hard time deciding. Do I get the Asus ET8 with wifi 6e or the XT9 with just wifi 6? I will be using wireless backhaul. I currently only have 1GB ISP. Hoping 2.5GB comes soon. Which one would you buy?
None of those since you're planning on upgrading your Internet speeds to 2.5Gbps soon., I would get the ET12 Pro since you can run a full wired backhaul at 2.5Gbps since the ET12 Pro has 2 2.5Gbps ports.
Recommendations for wired backhaul?! Thanks!
TP Link Deco X20 would be one good option for wired backhaul. There are many others.
@@landpet thank you!
@@SaxiAxi np
Should I buy this or wait for more 6e systems. There’s a TP-Link x96 coming out soon supposedly.
Up to you, this is really good. I will definitely get some of the new wifi 6e routers to test in the future.
Great video 👍
Thanks!
Very good video.
thank you
For PC, what wireless adapter did you install that supports the 6GHz band? I'm having trouble getting the Ubit AX210 (intel chip) from Amazon to connect to 6Ghz (only connects to 5Ghz) with Windows 10 and latest drivers.
I use ethernet for my PC. The only device I have that supports the 6GHz band is the Samsung S21 Ultra.
Interested to know Xt8 vs Et8 in terms of wireless backhaul
I don't have the XT8 anymore. My assumption would be that the ET8 can go faster
Can you hook up both Mesh devices wired instead of the devices piggy backing wirelessly?
Yes
Have you tried the Linksys Atlas 6e? Which 6e mesh system do you recommend?
I haven’t tried it. I do like this one. The Atlas s as you know is pricey so I would expect more out of it
I got this router to use the wifi6. But I can only log on 2.4 and 5g channel. The 6g is on the app saying it’s there but when I check on my iPhone 13 pro max…. Only get the 2.4 and 5g.
The 6GHz band is for wifi 6E devices, iPhone 13 pro max is on wifi 6 so it will only see the 2.4 and 5GHz bands. The Samsung S21 Ultra is the only phone out now that has wifi 6E and can use the 6GHz band.
Is it possible to manually select channels with these routers? In my area, channels 34-64 are full, but channels 100-144 are wide open. I want to avoid the channels used by my neighbors.
The answer with asus is typically yes for changing options, you can see an example here www.asus.com/support/FAQ/1011432/
Another question, what about from switch to these two units. How do they decide who is going to be a router and which one is a satellite
the one connected directly to the modem/ONT is the main router.
I think I'm oing to bridge the gap between my two et12's with two extra et8's.
Should work fine
Amazon reviews are not giving much love to this and is making me think twice. How has it held up for you? People say they get jitters and drops often.
I had the XT8 drop a few times but never the ET8 from my experience. I used the ET8 for a few months as my main setup, I’m not using it now cause I’m testing other ones
@@landpet very cool. I'm an original Asus guy (asus rt-68u) and used to their complicated interface. I love that they offer all the features for free (As they should) like parental controls. I'm thinking of getting ET8 and just be done with my stupid Google Nest Wifi which requires a restart every other week. Luckily I got it from Costco, so I'll be taking that back there.
If I have a NAS hooked up to my modem at the moment, should I hook up my NAS to the new mesh system, or leave it hooked up to my modem?
Question. Can you block specific domains in the app and are parental controls available without a subscription? Thanks!
Without making you wait for me to check (since I'm testing another router now) if you can block specific domains, I think you can but not 100% sure until I verify. I do know with certainty the Parental Controls are included (no subscription required).
@@landpet thank you! I've been trying to find a way to get information from them directly, but can't seem to find a place to ask product questions. Appreciate the help.
How’s the security features and app? Better than the eero pro 6? Also WiFi coverage better than eero pro 6?
Security features are plenty, eero is secure as well. They both do a good job of security. Asus provides many more options compared to the eero. So if you want to customize anything, asus is the way to go. This Asus has better WiFi coverage than the eero Pro 6.
@@landpet did you use ax210 intel. Seems like I can’t see the 6GHz channel on 4 compatible devices.
Since ASUS ET8 officially supports 'WAN Aggregation' unlike ASUS AX(XT8), does it support 'Link Aggregation' too? Can you connect the two routers (when in mesh mode) using two ethernet cable to gain theoretically 2000 Mbps speed - like we do with switches?
I haven't played with that, not sure if that's possible
I believe for the set up you want you would need two separate Internet connection that are both a gig in download speed and a modem that supports lacp protocol. That protocol would allow two separate wan interfaces two combine into one for faster speed. But both the modem and the router have to support that. I believe the Motorola MB 8600 modem supports that feature.
Thanks for the great review as always, i live in a three story home, on a slight hill. My modem sits in the middle, 2nd floor. Unfortunately, I can’t do wired back haul (w/out opening ceilings and walls) - would you recommend this system (asus) or the eero pro 6? (I only have 400 mbps service - I currently have eero pro 2nd gen. But on my “node” i only get ~170 mbps) my node is where is my office sits, and where I’d like to get closer to the 400 mbps. TY
No worries, it's hard to say without knowing more specifics about your place. I'll answer generally, eero pro 6 is more than capable of delivering 400 Mbps but placement does matter. Maybe worth getting a 3 pack eero Pro 6 vs a 2 pack of the ET8 in your situation and have one on each level. This one is capable of going faster again depends on your placement, especially if you get 3 of these.
I have a 1,200 sq foot house, but I have cameras that need internet on both the front and the backyard. Do you think this system would be great for this or would it be too much since I have a smaller home?
Let me first say that the ASUS ET8 will do great there. A cheaper alternative would be the TP Link Deco X68 (amzn.to/3xWjP0m) . I did a review on that as well: th-cam.com/video/-copWVogcvI/w-d-xo.html
At the end of the day, it depends on your internet speeds, how many wifi devices, number of walls and the placement of both mesh devices. If you want a good budget system, the deco x68 would be good, if you want the best, get the ET8
@@landpet thanks!
Can you change the 2.5 WAN port to a 2.5 LAN port in the settings?
well the secondary ET8 is using it for the LAN
Heck I get in the 900's mb up and down $70 a month on a crappy Night Hawk....way more than I need....
Great speeds
Do you have any recommendations for cheap 10gig switches, 5 port and up
I couldn't find anything cheap. I was in the same boat and finally went with the Netgear 10GBe (8 port): amzn.to/3ezpCkx
@@landpet thanks
Can you use multiple ethernet for wired backhaul?
Anything that’s connected via Ethernet that somehow makes it all the way back to the router via Ethernet meaning if it goes through a node or another switch so as long as there is an Ethernet from one end to the router then it’s considered wired backhaul. The answer is yes
Hi, can you connect the wired backhole through the 2.5 port?
yes for the one receiving the wired backhaul
@@landpet Thanks, would it work at 2.5 speed for the ethernet?
Can I connect an ethernet cable from the modem to two ET8 and this solution will create one network for me? I have a two-story house and the modem is upstairs. I have a cable routed to the ground floor coming out of the modem. I want to put ET8 on the first floor and connect to the modem and do the same on the ground floor, but I don't know if this way of connecting will create one network for me (which will not interfere). Do I have to connect the main unit to the node with a cable to create one network (I don't want the devices to connect wirelessly to each other)
No, that won't work. You need to connect the modem to the ET8 via Ethernet and from this ET8 run an Ethernet to the other ET8
@@landpet Thanks a lot for answer
So question. I bought this today hooked it up and when having 2 nodes I only get wifi 6e if I'm by the main node. When i walk out into the living room where my other node is I only wifi 6. Isn't it supposed to be be wifi 6e always on a compatible device?
WiFi 6e is much quicker but does have much shorter range. You can see that in my test results the farther I get from the router, the closer the WiFi 6e devices and WiFi 6 devices get for speed.
Does anyone experience this router dropping connected device. What good is speed if it drops your connection.
O sinal cai porque o modem da operação e fraco e por isso o sinal cai eu recomendo trocar o modem da operadora e vc mesmo comprar o seu
Do you have comparison between XT8 and ET8 ?
No, I would compare them but I don't have the XT8 anymore. I suspect the ET8 would have better wireless backhaul speeds. The other obvious difference is ET8 supports wifi 6e.
Does this model allow for a 3rd+ node to be added to the setup? Or is the max number 2?
Yes, you can do 3+. There is a limit eventually but you can do 4 comfortably.
What's the max number of units that can be linked together?
I don't know, probably 4 or max 5 in my opinion.
Hi ! I have an XT8 setup of two router and I guess I need to add extra since my backhaul connection is always unstable.. do you think I can add ET8 to the setup ?? I know they can’t connect via 6 ghz cuz XT8 routers don’t have it .. but what about 5 ghz band-2 ? Is it still available on ET8 can the XT8 and the ET8 backhaul on 5ghz-band2 ??
Thank you
The ET8 should work with the XT8 and I would assume it would use the 5GHz but I’m not 100% sure on that. If the backhaul connection itself is unstable can you move them closer or change the location somehow for the secondary XT8?
@@landpet thank you for your reply .. I can’t move them closer , they’re one room apart only 😅 I’m living in an apartment with thick concrete walls .. I want to add an extra satellite router and I’m in between the new ET8 and the XT8 ( current system is XT8) but I’ve read ( not sure if I misunderstood) that the ET8 stripped off the 5ghz-band 2 and replaced it with the 6ghz antennas !
If that’s true .. wireless backhaul-ing between wouldn’t be a good idea at all .. 8TX will prefer 5-band2 and ET8 will prefer 6ghz ! Meaning they will end up connecting in either 2.4 or ghz-band1 which are commonly used by Wirless clients..
do you have better info on this ?? I couldn’t reach to asus in my region to get answers 😅 as usual
Thank you and keep the good work up ! This is my only technical reference TH-cam channel
@@thair Thanks for the info, in that case It's definitely safer to get the XT8. Yes the secondary 5GHz channel has been replaced with the 6GHz. Since I haven't tried it, I would assume that it would either use the the first 5GHz on the XT8 but it may also just default to the 2.4GHz or a combination of 2.4 and 5GHz. Either way in your situation, I would get another XT8.
Worth getting over the XT8? @landpet?
Yes
@@landpet thank you. Great channel from an IT professional
@@landpet I just set everything up and I have a new Killer 6E wireless adapter on my MSI z16 windows 10 pro laptop and the 6Ghz Wi-Fi 6E SSID is not showing up under available networks. Do you know why I can’t see or connect to the 6E SSID Network?
The Amazon reviews I read complained about dropouts. Are you having dropouts? Can I ask why is the wired back haul better then the wireless backhaul? Thank you for your review. I thought you did a great job!
Thank you! No dropouts so far, it's been solid. Wired backhaul gets better speeds on the secondary ET8 compared to wireless backhaul.
Does anyone know if you get the instant guard protection on the XT8 wifi 6 model?
Can this connect with my existing Google Nest wifi? Sorry but I'm a NOOB
Yes if you ran this in access point mode but I wouldn’t recommend that. Better to stick with other nest WiFi router or nest WiFi point or completely replace your nest wifi
Does ASUS ET8 use the same power supply as the ASUS XT8?
I don't have the XT8 anymore so can't say for sure, probably the same if I took a wild guess
i have a 1G connection... pulls 900 down but im limited to 20MB UP idk why!!! i have the Netgear Nighthawk a7800 X4S its a 2in1 Cable Modem Router, my provider is over COAX Cable!!!
which Router n Modem do you recommend me to get? or which Cable Moedm with this ASUS ET8?
I had spectrum in the past, you can get good download speeds but their upload speeds are slow.
@@landpet don't have other choice....
I just need to sort thing out with this mode, cuz i have limited functions on it
UpDate, i got Fiber connection 1G Down 1G Up! they provided me with their Nokia Beacon! i dont like it!! im planning to get the new Asus axe11000 wifi 6e! what do u think?
I have a question I kept my 2.4 ghz and 5 ghz separate. Please tell me how to get the 6 ghz I don’t see it on my Wi-Fi networks. How do I name it and set password for 6 ghz I can’t figure it out. Thanks
You should see it in the Asus app or in the browser settings. Only wifi 6E devices can see that band, no other devices will see it.
@@landpet thanks I’m pretty sure none of my devices are 6E. I didn’t think of that. So most things now are not Wi-Fi 6E like Roku ultra or apple 4k Tv am I correct. So how does the 6E help most homes if you can’t connect to it. I’m not too tech savvy just want to be informed
Is it worth waiting for the ET8 to arrive or should I just bite the bullet now and get the XT8?
I personally would get the ET8 between the two
@@landpet thanks so much for your reply and great review.
Can I mic thre ET8 and Rt8 together. i.e, the router is ET8 but the satelites are XT8
Yes
@@landpet Great because rhe old XT8 is cheaper and Amaazon onlu sells the new RT8 as a pair only.
what is your provider and your speed package ?
I have fiber optic internet by Frontier. 940Mbps down, 880Mbps up
@@landpet so whats your opinion! to keep this Modem i have, cuz their app is buggy. or what modem n router should i get
Really appreciate your reviews! I had initially bought XT8 but later got ET8 refurbished for a competitive price, obviously can keep only one. Still undecided, I can't do wired backhaul with the current setup. With a 6GHz wireless backhaul on ET8, my node shows "OK" connectivity over XT8's "GOOD" connectivity in the same setup. Given additional channels on 6GHz on ET8, does it triumph XT8? Please advise which one to keep. Thanks in advance. Cheers!
Thanks! Very good question, the simple answer is to test them out in your case to see which is better. 6GHz is faster but has less range so with same placement you’re getting an ok baby good on the XT8 because of the 5GHz. With ideal placement the ET8 should be better.
@@landpet Thanks!
Have gone through below comments, seems like ET8 is better contender and I’m inclined towards the same.
I will test out ET8 for a couple more days before making a decision.
@@johnmfunk8291 sounds like a plan
17:03 I suspect your option 3 has the satellite router placed with very minimal physical blocking, like walls/doors...etc, from the main router. Because if they talk using 6G, this high freq will easily bounce off walls/doors so your satellite router will mostly not get great signal strength from the main router
Not to many walls in between them
I don't need no stinking 6e, I can do the same with two wifi 6 and hardwired them together for under $200...
For hardwired, I recommend dual band setups, so yes you can get potentially similar speeds for around $200 for hardwired. This shines more in wireless backhaul, provides greater range and provides much faster connections for wifi 6e devices (granted wifi 6e devices are limited as of now but will be more available in the future)
What would you recommend for less than $200?
Can you use this mesh , with Verizon fios?
yes
I set up my et8 and my computer won’t connect to the 6ghz channel. Any thought? Yes my motherboard supports 6e.
My phone had no issues connecting. Hmmmmm, what’s your motherboard model number? Did you check bios, made sure 6E is enabled?
@@landpet so I kept digging. Windows 10 doesn’t support 6ghz yet. You have to alter the reg editor. Then it uses wpa3 with hse for using security. And windows 10 doesn’t support that yet. So you can’t use a password only open. So I hid the ssdi and connected that way.
I didn't know that, thanks for the heads up. I will mention that a hidden SSID is not exactly secure but I do realize that's the only way it will work. I'll definitely have to research it in the future as well, hopefully by than, there's a windows update :)
Has anyone tried the ET8 with starlink? With any success?
you can always run this in access point mode as well, meaning you can use the starlink provided router and it will just extend that network.
Can you add a 3rd for range?
Yes
Too bad they didn't include a white power chord for these
Yeah, would've matched
I just wont understand why companies do that... why would you have a 2.5 WAN and then all LAN gigabit ports, it's so dumb. Why would you even buy a WiFi 6E if you your 2nd 3rd and 4th mesh "repeater" only will get gigabit speeds cuz of all the gigabit ports on the main router. So why would you spend a lot of money for the best 6E mesh system if you will go down to gigabit on the secondary router... They should start getting all 2.5g LAN ports so you can backhaul your mesh system and more if WiFi 6E backhaul it is not an option. They only I have found its the ASUS ZenWiFi Pro AXE11000 with a 2.5g WAN and LAN port so you can backhaul via LAN with a real 2.5g connection. I mean in a scenario where you have more than 1gigabit internet service. The other option its if you have a really really big house and you want more than gigabit conection in all of house, its to buy a ROG Rapture GT-AXE16000 and this Asus ET8 pack and then use the the 2 x 10 gigabit LAN ports on the Rapture and then use ethernet all the way to the Asus ET8 and use the 2.5g ports on each one, and only and only in that case you will have 3 spots inside your house with real 2.5 gigibit conection.
Where I can download that speed test own server software?
openspeedtest.com/speed-testing-application-for-your-website.php