ASUS ZenWiFi Pro AXE11000 – ET12 1PK

Overview

Asus is less renowned for its networking products than its laptops and components. Still, for several years now, it has been offering convincing networking products equipped with the latest innovations in the field. The ZenWiFi Pro ET12 mesh kit is a 6E mesh Wi-Fi system that uses the 6 GHz frequency band and the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. It also features RJ45 Multi-Gigabit ports that are perfect for tapping into fibre and creating a robust local network.

As a reminder, a Wi-Fi mesh system allows you to deploy a wireless network in a home with optimal coverage, thanks in particular to the use of several terminals that will enable the signal to be repeated.

The wireless part of the ZenWifi Pro ET12 complies with the Wi-Fi 6E standard (802.11ax) with a theoretical throughput of 1148 Mb/s on the 2.4 GHz band and 4804 Mb/s on the 5 and 6 GHz bands, i.e. a total throughput of 10,756 Mb/s.
For communication between the modules, Asus does not dedicate a band and leaves the choice to the user: either each band does its backhaul, or the 6 GHz band is dedicated to this backhaul. In the absence of 6E Wi-Fi compatible products, dedicating the 6 GHz bands for this purpose may be a wise choice to improve the throughput of the repeater module on the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands.

The wired modules are identical and have four RJ45 ports with two Gigabit LAN ports and a third Multi-Gig with 2.5 Gb/s. The fourth port is an exclusive WAN port (connection to the box or modem) with 2.5 Gb/s. The Ethernet Backhaul function is obviously supported by the modules, which frees up bandwidth on the Wi-Fi, especially since it can be done at 2.5 Gb/s.

Asus has provided a WPS button for pairing, an operation switch and a reset button to control the modules. These are located on the back of the module, right next to the RJ45 ports. A bright logo on the translucent block houses the antennas on top of each module. This changes colour depending on the status of the network and can be disabled in the application.

As for the design, Asus has not been half-hearted, and this one has been particularly worked on. Each module is composed of a black vertical rectangle – airy in places – topped by a transparent cage housing the antennas and the luminous logo, which is reflected in the transparent edges.

Despite their bold design, the ZenWifi Pro ET12 modules are particularly imposing, weighing no less than 1.47 kg on the scale and measuring 24.3 cm in height and 11.5 cm on each side.

Speeds

To evaluate the performance of the Asus ZenWiFi Pro ET12 mesh system, we connected the router to our provider’s box and connected a laptop via an adapter to the 2.5 Gb/s socket. We transfer a file (a disk image) of 4.73 GB from the first laptop to a second one equipped with an Intel AX210 Wi-Fi 6E chip, but also to a fixed desktop PC located upstairs and connected to a Gigabyte GC-WBAX200 PCIe card with an external antenna, and updated with the Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX210 chip.

On the 6GHz frequency band, maximum throughput is close to 1.5Gb/s download – transferring our 4.73GB disk image takes just over 24 seconds. Once connected to the repeater module, the bandwidth is logically halved to just under 700 Mb/s. Note that our 5th measurement point – the furthest away – shows that the coverage starts to run out of steam at 6 GHz and that you have to switch to the 5 GHz bands to get more throughput.

The 5 GHz band of the ET12 is less speedy than 6 GHz but more consistent. The ET12’s 5 GHz band is not as fast as the 6 GHz bands, but it is more consistent, so we get just over 740 Mb/s, whether reading or writing, while at our farthest points (4 and 5), the data rates are much better (450 Mb/s).

The 2.4 GHz band delivers speeds of around 250 Mb/s. This is below what a mesh system of this stature could offer, but it is still satisfactory. Now only older devices and connected objects use this frequency band, and these do not need very high bandwidth.

CONCLUSION

The Asus ZenWiFi Pro ET12 represents the best in 6E Wi-Fi. It stands out for its first-rate performance, supported by multi-gigabit connectivity. The only regret is the large size of the modules and the transformers.