With the holidays approaching, right now is the perfect time to upgrade your home network. When your friends and family are visiting, you want them to have an easy, hassle-free connection, no matter what room they’re in. And when you or your loved ones are checking out your new presents — be they smartphones, laptops, smart TVs, consoles, tablets, smart home devices — you want your network to provide a seamless experience. It’s time to stop putting up with dead zones, dropped connections, and poor bandwidth. This holiday season, upgrade your home network with a ZenWiFi mesh WiFi system.
We offer a wide range of ZenWiFi systems tailored for any user. Whether you’re a PC enthusiast with a need for high-end hardware, a homeowner who’s tired of the poor signal you get in the family room, or simply someone who’s never upgraded from the barebones router you rent from your internet service provider, we have a mesh WiFi system that will give you a much better experience. In this guide, we’ll introduce our latest options and help you find the best one for your home.
Our mesh WiFi systems stand out from the pack with their rich feature set and long-term value, but you don’t have to take our word for it. Our ZenWiFi mesh routers have won a coveted PC Magazine 2023 Readers’ Choice Award. This authoritative publication reported that “ASUS takes a clear lead in this category,” with the highest scores “for both overall satisfaction and likelihood to recommend.” PCMag added, “ASUS scores exceptionally high for mesh coverage, WiFi speed and network management.”
ZenWiFi tackles the challenges of providing WiFi to any home
Unlike traditional routers, which use one central unit to provide an internet connection to all your devices, a mesh WiFi system uses two or more nodes spaced strategically around your home to manage a single network. This makes it easy to eliminate internet dead zones. Some folks try to use repeaters or range extenders to solve this problem, but these typically come with a penalty to performance and convenience.
ASUS mesh WiFi systems also go above and beyond to give you long-term value for your investment with their generous warranties and included bundle of free features. These ZenWiFi systems enjoy robust AiProtection network security features, a commercial-grade suite that leverages powerful cybersecurity solutions and cloud data centers from Trend Micro to shield your smart home and all connected devices from cyber threats. You get free automatic security updates, malicious site blocking vulnerability protection, and built-in tools to detect and block infected devices — all without a subscription fee. And it’s all easy to set up and use with the ASUS Router app.
Parents will appreciate the robust, common-sense, hassle-free parental controls they get with a ZenWiFi system. These free parental controls takes the guesswork out of protecting your kids. In the ASUS Router app, you’ll find preset profiles based on age that will automatically apply filters for inappropriate content and set suggested daily screen time schedules for your kids’ devices. Through the included internet activity dashboard, you can easily keep tabs on your kids’ browsing behaviors.
Advanced security features and parental controls are just the start — you’ll get built-in VPN features, the Instant Guard mobile app for secure browsing on public WiFi networks, and more. Click here to learn more about the suite of features you get for free with an ASUS mesh WiFi system.
The best mesh WiFi systems with WiFi 6E
Let’s get to our specific suggestions, starting with our best WiFi systems that feature WiFi 6E. Folks everywhere are turning to WiFi 6E devices and routers to ensure that their highest-priority devices get exceptionally stable, interference-free networking. How does WiFi 6E make this happen? Its not-so-secret weapon is access to the wide-open 6GHz band in addition to the often-congested 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands.
Your premier WiFi 6E option is the ZenWiFi Pro ET12 mesh WiFi system. As WiFi 6E router, it can connect your compatible smartphones, laptops, and desktop PCs with the freshly opened 6GHz band for interference-free networking. Since it’s a tri-band router, you can still connect all your older devices to the 5GHz and 2.4GHz bands. This combination ensures that you have a fast lane for your latest devices, and reliable access for everything else.
The ZenWiFi Pro ET12 is also fully ready for a multigigabit internet connection. Since it has both a 2.5Gb LAN port and a 2.5Gb WAN port, you can enjoy full 2.5 Gbps speeds all the way from a compatible ISP to your compatible wired devices.
With 11,000 Mbps of total bandwidth on tap for your wireless devices, the ZenWiFi Pro ET12 is a great choice for any home with many connected devices. You won’t have to worry about a poor networking experience even with a household full of people firing up bandwidth-hungry tasks like video streaming, gaming, or teleconferencing. It’s also one of our best solutions when it comes to range, as well. Offering up to 6000 square feet of coverage, the ZenWiFi Pro ET12 mesh WiFi system can easily provide great coverage in almost any home out there.
Not every region has opened up access to the 6GHz band. If the ZenWiFi Pro ET12’s feature set fits what you’re looking for, but you can’t take advantage of WiFi 6E, take a look at the ZenWiFi Pro XT12. It’s broadly similar to the ET12, but it’s a tri-band WiFi 6 router instead.
ZenWiFi Pro ET12 | ZenWiFi Pro XT12 | |
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Availability (US) | ASUS Best Buy Newegg Walmart | ASUS Newegg Amazon B&H Micro Center |
Availability (CA) | Amazon Amazon Best Buy Newegg |
The best mesh WiFi systems for connected homes
You don’t need our absolute best mesh WiFi system to get a great home networking experience. As a WiFi 6 mesh WiFi system, the ZenWiFi XT8 is a great choice for today’s connected homes. WiFi 6 introduced a host of features for managing a household full of internet connected devices, so this mesh WiFi system is fully prepared to offer a great signal to all your laptops, smartphones, smart home devices, and more.
If you need a backup plan for those moments when the internet connection provided by your ISP fails, the ZenWiFi XT8 has your back. It includes a USB port that you can configure for mobile tethering. After a quick setup process, all you’ll have to do for a backup internet connection is connect your smartphone to the ZenWiFi system with a USB cable so that your devices can get online using your 4G LTE / 5G mobile connection.
For even higher performance with a similar feature set, we offer the ZenWiFi XT9. As an upgrade to our award-winning ZenWiFi XT8, the ZenWiFi XT9 offers faster speeds of up to 7800 Mbps. It stakes its claim as one of the first mesh WiFi systems on the market to support the newly opened UNII-4 spectrum, also known as the 5.9 GHz band.* With this third, interference-free 160 MHz channel, the ZenWiFi XT9 fully harnesses the power of WiFi 6, delivering improved wireless backhaul performance and even more reliable connections for your wireless devices.
ZenWiFi AX (XT8) | ZenWiFi XT9 | |
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Availability (US) | ASUS Amazon B&H Newegg | ASUS Best Buy B&H Newegg |
Availability (CA) | Amazon Canada Computers Newegg | Amazon Best Buy Newegg |
The best budget-friendly mesh WiFi systems
Even if you’re working with a limited budget, you can still get high-quality home networking. We offer a variety of ZenWiFi systems ready to upgrade your network to WiFi 6 at a price that won’t break the bank.
Perhaps your bandwidth needs are more modest, but you need a home network with plenty of range. Consider the budget-friendly ASUS ZenWiFi XD5, ASUS ZenWiFi XD4, or ASUS ZenWiFi XD4 Plus. These dual-band mesh WiFi systems offer high performance and extended range through their 5GHz and 2.4GHz bands. The ZenWiFi XD4 and XD4 Plus offer up to 1,800Mbps of aggregate bandwidth, while the higher-end ZenWiFi XD5 offers up to 3,000Mbps of aggregate bandwidth.
The standout feature of these three mesh WiFi systems is their range. They’re a strikingly affordable way to get up to 4800 square feet of network coverage. And since we sell them in an affordable three-pack, they’re a great way to make sure you have excellent internet not only in your primary living spaces, but in an attached garage and backyard patio. (You can also pick up one node as a standalone purchase or in a two-pack, as well.) Whatever option you pick, the nodes come with mounting holes and a screw pack that make it easy to position the units right where they’re needed.
If you’re able to stretch your budget just a bit further, you’ll appreciate the long-term value that you’ll get out of the ZenWiFi XD6. This dual-band mesh WiFi system offers up to 5400Mbps of aggregate throughput, a substantial boost in bandwidth that will make a difference as you add more internet-connected devices to your home.
ZenWiFi XD6 | ZenWiFi XD5 | ZenWiFi XD4 | ZenWiFi XD4 Plus | |
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Availability (US) | ASUS Amazon Newegg | ASUS | ASUS | ASUS |
Availability (CA) | Staples | Newegg |
The best mesh WiFi systems
For larger homes, homes with multiple stories, or buildings with thick and dense walls, a traditional wireless router might not have what it takes to deliver a reliable, high-speed signal to every room. While wireless repeaters and extenders are an option, they’re often frustrating to use on a daily basis. For most people, a mesh WiFi system just makes more sense.
ZenWiFi mesh wireless systems make it easy to set up a home network that delivers the bandwidth you need to every floor and every room. They offer elegant style that coordinates easily with your home decor. And the free and easy-to-use ASUS Router app offers hassle-free setup and robust security options. If you’re struggling with internet dead zones in your home, upgrade your home network with a ZenWiFi mesh WiFi system to enjoy high-bandwidth, reliable wireless connectivity in every room of your house.
ASUS ZenWiFi mesh WiFi systems: a quick comparison
Model | Key Features | Availability (U.S.) | Availability (CA) |
---|---|---|---|
ZenWiFi Pro ET12 | Tri-band WiFi 6E, 11000 Mbps Dual 2.5Gb ports Up to 6000 sq. Ft (2-pack) Subscription-free security Advanced parental controls Wide VPN support | ASUS Best Buy Newegg Walmart | Amazon Amazon Best Buy Newegg |
ZenWiFi Pro XT12 | Tri-band WiFi 6, 11000 Mbps Dual 2.5Gb ports UNII-4 (5.9 GHz) mesh backhaul Up to 6000 sq. Ft (2-pack) Subscription-free security Advanced parental controls Wide VPN support | ASUS Newegg Amazon B&H Micro Center | |
ZenWiFi XT9 | Tri-band WiFi 6, 7800 Mbps UNII-4 (5.9 GHz) mesh backhaul 2.5Gb port 4G/5G mobile tethering Up to 5700 sq. Ft. (2-pack) Subscription-free security Advanced parental controls Wide VPN support | ASUS Best Buy B&H Newegg | Amazon Best Buy Newegg |
ZenWiFi XT8 | Tri-band WiFi 6, 6600 Mbps UNII-4 (5.9 GHz) mesh backhaul 2.5Gb port 4G/5G mobile tethering Up to 5500 sq. Ft. (2-pack) Subscription-free security Advanced parental controls Wide VPN support | ASUS Amazon B&H Newegg | Amazon Canada Computers Newegg |
ZenWiFi XD6 | Dual-band WiFi 6, 5400 Mbps Up to 5400 sq. Ft. (2-pack) Subscription-free security Advanced parental controls Wide VPN support | ASUS Amazon Newegg | |
ZenWiFi XD5 | Dual-band WiFi 6, 3000 Mbps Up to 5000 sq. Ft. (3-pack) Subscription-free security Advanced parental controls Wide VPN support | ASUS | Staples |
ZenWiFi XD4 Plus | Dual-band WiFi 6, 1800 Mbps Up to 4800 sq. Ft. (3-pack) Subscription-free security Built-in parental controls Wide VPN support | ASUS | |
ZenWiFi XD4 | Dual-band WiFi 6, 1800 Mbps Up to 4800 sq. Ft. (3-pack) Subscription-free security Built-in parental controls Wide VPN support | ASUS | Newegg |
*Access to UNII-4 spectrum not available in every region.