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Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols, also known as sjvn, has been writing about generation and generation business since CP/M-80 was the next-generation PC operating system; 300 bps was a fast web connection; WordStar was the word processor; and we enjoyed it.
A friend of mine recently told me that while he appreciated that he could use the incredible speed of Netgear Orbi Wi-Fi 6E, he may never justify his purchase. I get it. The high-end Orbi (see my review) is for other people who want to have the fastest Wi-Fi possible. For everyone else, there’s the Motorola MH7603 mesh router, which is much more affordable.
The three-unit MH7603 mesh router uses Wi-Fi 6, also known as 802. 11ax, to deliver 692 Mbps speeds in the same room. At a distance of 10 meters and a wall, it provided a fair 287 Mbps. Cut off the breath?No. Very well?your bet
To check it out, I used Ixia’s IxChariot network benchmark and my Galaxy S21 Ultra smartphone. This was supported via my 1 Gigabit Charter cable web connection.
Now, in theory, this 2. 4 and five GHz dual-band AX1800 formula can achieve speeds of up to five 74 Mbps on 2. 4 GHz and up to 1200 Mbps on five GHz. In practice, no one reaches those speeds on any Wi-Fi hardware.
These are maximum Wi-Fi 6 technologies, hence their speed. However, it does not have WPA3 encryption or for 160 MHz channels. For home users, this is not a big deal.
The mesh network also has diversity and intelligent penetration. This is necessary for me. I have a historic home, with 3,000 square feet and the thick walls that accompany a early 20th century home, and a modern 1,000-square-foot office. The MH7603 can cover up to 5,000 square feet. The main router can cover 2,000 square feet, while each mesh node can take care of 1,500 square feet. It took a bit of positioning, but the Motorola unit was able to cover any of the buildings when I finished. If you don’t want this type of canopy, you can buy a single router node for $129. 99.
Under the hood, a quad-core 1. 5GHz ARM processor, 256MB of DDR3 RAM, and 128MB of flash memory. Each unit also has a pair of internal antennas.
Now, MH7603 would possibly not win any Design Awards from Jony Ive. These are 3 equal white boxes, measuring 2. 6 inches at the top and five inches wide. Inside there are two internal antennas. At the top, there is a Motorola “M” logo. To give an understanding of what is going on in the box, a small LED indicator only on the front. When all is well, it presents a false white light. When there is a bad connection. , shown in orange. If you see a blue indicator flashing slowly, it’s in setup mode. Does it flash blue quickly? The unit updates its firmware. But, while it’s possibly not pretty, it works well, and when it comes to Wi-Fi devices, that’s all I want.
The sets come with two Gigabit Ethernet ports. You can use either port as LAN ports or you can use one for the Gigabit Ethernet backhaul. Personally, I use the cable for my backhaul whenever possible. it can’t beat the cable because of its natural speed and low latency.
Unlike high-end mesh Wi-Fi devices, the MH7603 does not have a web-based control UI or command-line interface. Instead, you want to use an Android or iOS motosync mobile app. It is a very undeniable application. It starts with a network screen that features icons for each node and its connected devices. Tapping the icons allows you to see which devices are connected, signal strength, and bandwidth usage. You can also restart the assemblies and run a test speed. It is a network interface as undeniable as it has ever been seen.
In it, you’ll also find scrolling through security symptoms, full house filter, connection, and more productive use of data. Again, they are all very simple. The security panel tells you if your network is secure, while the full home filter panel blocks adults and malicious to all or some users. It also comes with ad blocking.
Now, for me, a former NASA network administrator, it’s not enough control. But this mesh network is not for me or anyone else that manages even a fundamental corporate network. The Fi network, and for people, works very well.
Setting it up is also incredibly easy. You connect them, create an account, and click “Set up a new device” on the home screen. That’s all. Just follow the instructions. The most “technical” thing you’ll want to do is scan the QR code at the base of the node.
The news? For this easy-to-use, forged, and fast Wi-Fi mesh, the MH7603 will set you back $238. 97. You won’t find its cheaper equivalent.