WiFi 7 routers (including WiFi 7 routers without 6GHz band support)

[xiaofan]

Thank you.
Just to check if I have a switch? Then I can convert from 1 input to 4 output at the DB box right?

Yes, but most likely your existing switch is capable of only 1Gbps so that will limit the second HB710 and other room LAN ports to 1Gbps.

You can of course upgrade to 2.5G switch (say around S$79 for TP-Link TL-SG105-M2 when on offer), which will limit the second HB710 and other room LAN ports to 2.5Gbps.

Or you can get mixed 2.5G/10G switch (at least S$100 with dual 10G RJ45 ports and quad 2.5G ports). In that case, probably it is easier to use EB810v as main router (10G WAN, 10G LAN, three 2.5G ports).

 

[xiaofan]

Amazon now has three eero WiFi routers.

eero Max 7 --> dual 10G ports
eero Pro 7 --> dual 5G ports
eero 7 --> dual 2.5G ports,

Dongknows review of eero Max 7:
https://dongknows.com/amazon-eero-max-7-wi-fi-7-mesh-router-review/

Dongknows' quick take of eero Pro 7 and eero 7:
https://dongknows.com/eero-7-vs-eero-pro-7-entry-level-wi-fi-7-routers/

Two main issues with Amazon eero.
1) Slightly more advanced features will require subscription, including Parental Control, DDNS, VPN and QoS.
2) Cannot seperate 2.4GHz/5GHz/6GHz SSID, only single main SSID which combines all the bands; then you have another guest network.

 

[xiaofan]

Netgear Nighthawk WIFi 7 family:

Dongknows review of Netgear Nighthawk RS700S
https://dongknows.com/netgear-nighthawk-rs700s-wi-fi-7-router-review/

Dongknows review of Netgear Nighthawk RS100
https://dongknows.com/netgear-nighthawk-rs100-review/

Dongknows review of Netgear Nighthawk RS200
https://dongknows.com/netgear-nighthawk-rs200-dual-band-router-review/

Dongknows review of Netgear Nighthawk RS300
https://dongknows.com/netgear-nighthawk-rs300-wi-fi-7-router-review/

Dongknows quick take of Netgear Nighthawk RS200, RS500 and RS600
https://dongknows.com/netgear-unveils-three-new-nighthawk-wi-fi-7-routers/

landpet Youtube comparison:
NETGEAR Nighthawk WiFi 7: The ULTIMATE Router Showdown! (RS200 vs RS300 vs RS500 vs RS600 vs RS700)
https:// youtu.be/ LRHqNaLa0lU?si=7UhTatFUTjMT_aEn

 

[windwaver]

Yes, but most likely your existing switch is capable of only 1Gbps so that will limit the second HB710 and other room LAN ports to 1Gbps.

You can of course upgrade to 2.5G switch (say around S$79 for TP-Link TL-SG105-M2 when on offer), which will limit the second HB710 and other room LAN ports to 2.5Gbps.

Or you can get mixed 2.5G/10G switch (at least S$100 with dual 10G RJ45 ports and quad 2.5G ports). In that case, probably it is easier to use EB810v as main router (10G WAN, 10G LAN, three 2.5G ports).

Hi @xiaofan , can buy this dumb switch?

 

[xiaofan]

Hi @xiaofan , can buy this dumb switch?

No idea of this brand.

IMHO no need to save a few SGDs and go with unknown brand. Better to go with more well known brand like TP-Link China, Hasivo or Siri-vision.

But if you want, then just go ahead. This has kind of become commodity and the chipset is rather mature.

Example from Hasivo, managed switch (can be used as unmanaged switch out of box).
S600W-5GT-1SX-SE, RMB 214.62; five 2,5G ports, one 10G SFP+ port
S600W-4GT-2SX-SE, RMB 214.62; four 2,5G ports, two 10G SFP+ ports
S600W-4GT-1SX-1XGT-SE, RMB 391.02; four 2,5G ports, one SFP+ port, one 10G RJ45 port
S600W-4GT-2XGT-SE, RMB 489.02; four 2,5G ports, two 10G RJ45 ports

【淘宝】退货运费险 https://e.tb.cn/h.6X3DDqL5xGl7ZdX?tk=LlpfetCkulV CZ057 「hasivo 2.5G万兆上行POE轻网管交换机企业办公猫棒VLAN猫棒网管型」
点击链接直接打开 或者 淘宝搜索直接打开

BTW, because of the chipset used, no much price differences between managed and unmanaged switch version. Hasivo does not seem to sell unmanaged version. Some other vendors may sell the unmanaged version slightly cheaper than the managed version.

Edit to add: at least the shop oamlink has a Tmall Flagship shop, so should not be a big issue to buy.

 

[windwaver]

No idea of this brand.

IMHO no need to save a few SGDs and go with unknown brand. Better to go with more well known brand like TP-Link China, Hasivo or Siri-vision.

But if you want, then just go ahead. This has kind of become commodity and the chipset is rather mature.

Example from Hasivo, managed switch (can be used as unmanaged switch out of box).
S600W-5GT-1SX-SE, RMB 214.62; five 2,5G ports, one 10G SFP+ port
S600W-4GT-2SX-SE, RMB 214.62; four 2,5G ports, two 10G SFP+ ports
S600W-4GT-1SX-1XGT-SE, RMB 391.02; four 2,5G ports, one SFP+ port, one 10G RJ45 port
S600W-4GT-2XGT-SE, RMB 489.02; four 2,5G ports, two 10G RJ45 ports

【淘宝】退货运费险 https://e.tb.cn/h.6X3DDqL5xGl7ZdX?tk=LlpfetCkulV CZ057 「hasivo 2.5G万兆上行POE轻网管交换机企业办公猫棒VLAN猫棒网管型」
点击链接直接打开 或者 淘宝搜索直接打开

BTW, because of the chipset used, no much price differences between managed and unmanaged switch version. Hasivo does not seem to sell unmanaged version. Some other vendors may sell the unmanaged version slightly cheaper than the managed version.

Edit to add: at least the shop oamlink has a Tmall Flagship shop, so should not be a big issue to buy.

Do we need SFP+ ports?

Can managed switches from different brands be mixed in a network?

 

[TheAlphaLion]

MediaTek Filogic AI, Xtra Speed and Xtra range are interesting, especially Xtra range. Unfortunately you need MediaTek chipset based router and end device to support the feature.

XTra range 3.0 enabled device: Dimensity 9400
https://www.mediatek.com/tek-talk-blogs/mediatek-xtra-range-3.0-for-wi-fi-7

XTra range 2.0 enabled device: Dimensity 9300/9300+
https://i.mediatek.com/hubfs/MediaTek Assets/Pdfs/White_Papers/HowToSpeedUpWiFiwithAi_V3.pdf

My TUF AX-6000 has xTra range 2.0 and I'm very happy with the device's range (although I did not bother comparing with the feature enabled/disabled). Is there a list of Wifi 7 devices (preferbly Asus) that have xTra range feature?

 

[xiaofan]

My TUF AX-6000 has xTra range 2.0 and I'm very happy with the device's range (although I did not bother comparing with the feature enabled/disabled). Is there a list of Wifi 7 devices (preferbly Asus) that have xTra range feature?

1. Probably none from Asus if you need WiFi 7. Asus has two WiFi 6 routers based on MediaTek Filogic 830 chipset (Asus TUF-AX6000 and TUF-AX4200, or one more if you count China version TUF-AX4200Q).

Asus WiFi 7 routers are mostly using Broadcom chipset (BCM4916, BCM6765/6764L) and Qualcomm (IPQ5322).

Even from TP-Link (Global version), it seems to me only TP-Link Archer BE805 is based on Mediatek Filogic 880. But somehow the spec of Filogic 880 does not seem to mention xTra Range.
https://www.mediatek.com/products/broadband-wifi/mediatek-filogic-880

2. If you are willing to explore China WIFi 7 routers, then you have two choices.

a) Filogic 860 chipset --> Ruijie BE72 Pro (锐捷天蝎BE72 Pro), Ruijie BE68 Ultra (锐捷天蝎龙勃版), TP-Link TL-7DR7230/7260
https://www.mediatek.com/products/broadband-wifi/mediatek-filogic-860

b) Quite some lower end ones are based on low end Airoha AN7563PT (dual core 1GHz, Mediatek subsidiary) which does support xTra Range 2.0.

Examples: Xiaomi BE5000, Ruijie BE50, TP-Link TL-7DR5130/5160.

 

[xiaofan]

Do we need SFP+ ports?

Can managed switches from different brands be mixed in a network?

I beliveve it may not be a good idea to mix together if you are going with lower cost China brand switches. No idea about the compabilities of the VLAN handling.

Whether you need SFP+ ports will depend on your choices of devices. SFP+ network adapter and switches are cheaper than RJ45 and consume less power.

But you may only have one or two 10G capable devices. In that case, it is probably easier to get 10G RJ45 network adapters and 2.5G/10G mixed switches.

 

[thiamhui]

Amazon now has three eero WiFi routers.

eero Max 7 --> dual 10G ports
eero Pro 7 --> dual 5G ports
eero 7 --> dual 2.5G ports,

Dongknows review of eero Max 7:
https://dongknows.com/amazon-eero-max-7-wi-fi-7-mesh-router-review/

Dongknows' quick take of eero Pro 7 and eero 7:
https://dongknows.com/eero-7-vs-eero-pro-7-entry-level-wi-fi-7-routers/

Two main issues with Amazon eero.
1) Slightly more advanced features will require subscription, including Parental Control, DDNS, VPN and QoS.
2) Cannot seperate 2.4GHz/5GHz/6GHz SSID, only single main SSID which combines all the bands; then you have another guest network.

I brought a set from SIMBA last year as a backup for my dying TP-Link Archer AX11000.

A decent router for average user who doesn't need total control of the router due to point 1 and 2 above. My devices were assigned to use the fastest WiFi band they support.

The initial FW supporting MLO released earlier this month didn't work really well. When enabled, all my non-MLO devices end up using the 2.4GHz only. They have subsequently released another 2 FW which I have yet to test.

The number of LAN ports are quite sufficient. Dual 10G and dual 2.5G ports, all auto-sensing.

 

[natyllek]

Hi xiaofan,

My friend is super appreciative with the advice you have previously provided, but after discussing with her, she didn’t like Starhub’s support - so am checking in with you on which plan should she be getting on MyRepublic? 3 or 10? Will the speed be faster on each node if she gets 10gbps? Or should she just sign a 3gbps no frills plan and get BE85s outside?

Also, is it possible to try with 3 BE85s first and if the connectivity drops, then we consider adding another BE85? Which room set up would you recommend to try 3 BE85s with?

Thank you for your advice!

 

[froztheart]

Hi xiaofan,

My friend is super appreciative with the advice you have previously provided, but after discussing with her, she didn’t like Starhub’s support - so am checking in with you on which plan should she be getting on MyRepublic? 3 or 10? Will the speed be faster on each node if she gets 10gbps? Or should she just sign a 3gbps no frills plan and get BE85s outside?

Also, is it possible to try with 3 BE85s first and if the connectivity drops, then we consider adding another BE85? Which room set up would you recommend to try 3 BE85s with?

Thank you for your advice!

If you are asking this question, then 3Gbps will be sufficient.
Normal users will not utilise 10Gbps, so save the money.

 

[xiaofan]

If you are asking this question, then 3Gbps will be sufficient.
Normal users will not utilise 10Gbps, so save the money.

I agree.

 

[xiaofan]

I brought a set from SIMBA last year as a backup for my dying TP-Link Archer AX11000.

A decent router for average user who doesn't need total control of the router due to point 1 and 2 above. My devices were assigned to use the fastest WiFi band they support.

The initial FW supporting MLO released earlier this month didn't work really well. When enabled, all my non-MLO devices end up using the 2.4GHz only. They have subsequently released another 2 FW which I have yet to test.

The number of LAN ports are quite sufficient. Dual 10G and dual 2.5G ports, all auto-sensing.

Indeed the HW spec and Wireless performance are pretty decent.

MLO seems to work with Amazon eero Max 7 now but probably not really provide real benefits now, as per the following YouTube video.

 

[tsammyc]

Hi xiaofan,

My friend is super appreciative with the advice you have previously provided, but after discussing with her, she didn’t like Starhub’s support - so am checking in with you on which plan should she be getting on MyRepublic? 3 or 10? Will the speed be faster on each node if she gets 10gbps? Or should she just sign a 3gbps no frills plan and get BE85s outside?

Also, is it possible to try with 3 BE85s first and if the connectivity drops, then we consider adding another BE85? Which room set up would you recommend to try 3 BE85s with?

Thank you for your advice!

The BE85 might be overkill for MR 3Gbps. I took their 3Gbps plan and paid $50 for the BE230. I then picked up another two BE230s BNIB from Carousell for $100ea. The BE230, having 2.5Gbps ports works very well in Easymesh with wired backhaul and allows me to get the full 3Gbps all over the house

 

[JB_King]

Should enable WiFi Agile Multiband?

Currently single router.. tri-band..single SSID

 

[xiaofan]

Should enable WiFi Agile Multiband?

Currently single router.. tri-band..single SSID

Which router?

https://www.wi-fi.org/discover-wi-fi/wi-fi-agile-multiband
https://www.asus.com/sg/support/faq/1042471/

If you are using an Asus router, I believe the default setting for this option is "Disable". If you want to try, you can always enable it to see if you have any problems or not. No problems then you can keep the setting as "Enable".

 

[xiaofan]

One of the common complaints in this forum is that triband WiFi 7 routers (with 6GHz band) are big, especially 10G capable ones.

1) TP-Link
For example, Starhub issued HB710 is the same size as Singtel issued HB810, and TP-Link consumer modeles like Deco BE85. They actually belong to the relatively smaller ones: 5.04 × 5.04 × 9.29 in (128 × 128 × 236 mm).

Starhub issued EB810v is the same size as TP-Link consumer models like Atcher BE800, They are indeed quite big :11.9 × 10.3 × 3.8 in (302 × 262.5 × 96 mm).

M1 issued Archer BE805 is also very big: 4.1 × 11.7 × 10.4 in (104.3 × 297 × 264.5 mm).

2) Asus

Asus ZenWiFi BQ16 (quad-band): 214*174.2*72 mm
Asus ZenWiFi BT10: 159 x 72 x 186 mm
Asus ROG GT-BE98 (quad-band): this is huge, 350.41 x 350.41 x 220.6 mm.
Asus RT-BE92U (only one 10G port): 247.18 x 101.59 x 287.47 mm / 9.73 x 4.00 x 11.32 inc

 

[xiaofan]

Reasons of the large size of triband 10G capable WiFi 7 routers may have to do with the higher power dissipation, the CPU, the WiFi chipsets, 10Gbe PHY, etc.

Currently the WiFi 7 chipsets from Qualcomm, MediaTek and Broadcom are still not using leading edge process.

CPU:
Qualcomm: IPQ9574/9570/9554/9550, 14 nm process
Qualcomm: IPQ5322/IPQ5312, 14nm process
MediaTek: MT7988A (Filogic 880 CPU) and MT7988DV (Filogic 860 CPU), 12 nm process
AIROHA (MediaTek subsidiary): AN7563PT, 6nm. This one is usually on lower end dual band BE5000 WiFi 7 routers, without 6GHz band, with only 2.5G port(s).
Broadcom: BCM4916, 16 nm process
Broadcom: BCM6765/BCM6764L, 28nm process

Reference:
https://mao.fan/socpk.html

 

[haiyata]

One of the common complaints in this forum is that triband WiFi 7 routers (with 6GHz band) are big, especially 10G capable ones.

1) TP-Link
For example, Starhub issued HB710 is the same size as Singtel issued HB810, and TP-Link consumer modeles like Deco BE85. They actually belong to the relatively smaller ones: 5.04 × 5.04 × 9.29 in (128 × 128 × 236 mm).

Starhub issued EB810v is the same size as TP-Link consumer models like Atcher BE800, They are indeed quite big :11.9 × 10.3 × 3.8 in (302 × 262.5 × 96 mm).

M1 issued Archer BE805 is also very big: 4.1 × 11.7 × 10.4 in (104.3 × 297 × 264.5 mm).

2) Asus

Asus ZenWiFi BQ16 (quad-band): 214*174.2*72 mm
Asus ZenWiFi BT10: 159 x 72 x 186 mm
Asus ROG GT-BE98 (quad-band): this is huge, 350.41 x 350.41 x 220.6 mm.
Asus RT-BE92U (only one 10G port): 247.18 x 101.59 x 287.47 mm / 9.73 x 4.00 x 11.32 inc

if I use the Starhub tp-link hb410 on a 3Gbps line, if I need a mesh (2 additional nodes), are there any recommended nodes to get?