The ASUS ZenWiFi XT9 (AX7800) is a whole home mesh Wi-Fi 6 system. Its six antennas and tri-band design bring a strong, consistent wireless network to your home. In this review I’ll discuss the XT9’s design, set-up, connectivity, performance, mobile application, and share my final thoughts.
ASUS ZenWiFi XT9 design and set up
The ASUS XT9 has a simple and minimalist design making it blend seamlessly into any home environment. The XT9 comes in two colours, black and white. The test units that I received are entirely white with gold ASUS lettering on the front. Below the ASUS lettering there’s a small LED status indicator. In terms of size, the XT9 is small and slim measuring in at 6.3 (W) x 6.36 (H) x 2.95 (D) inches.Â
Setting up the ASUS XT9 is incredibly easy thanks to ASUS’ Router application. In the box there are two XT9 routers, a main router, and a satellite node. Both routers are identical in every way except for a sticker indicating that one router is the satellite. To get started, plug the main router into your ISP’s Ethernet cable, power on both routers, and download the ASUS Router application. The application will then walk you through the steps to set up your Wi-Fi mesh network. I was surprised to find that the app finds the satellite and automatically sets-up the mesh network. Overall, unboxing and setting up the ASUS XT9 took about 20 minutes.
ASUS ZenWiFi XT9 connectivity
The ASUS XT9 has a moderate number of connection ports, especially when compared to other modern routers. Along the back of the ASUS XT9 you’ll find a 2.5Gbps RJ45 Ethernet WAN port, Three 1Gbps LAN ports, a USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 port, and a DC power port. Many modern mesh network routers rely on wireless connectivity having only one input and one output Ethernet ports. I was happy to find that the XT9 provides multiple LAN ports allowing for multiple hardwire connections. Because both XT9 routers are identical, you have the option of a hardwired or wireless backhaul connection to your satellite, which gives you a dedicated band with no other devices connected to it.
Impressive technology and performance
Technology for the best mesh network
The ASUS ZenWiFi XT9 comes with some powerful technology putting it ahead of other Wi-Fi 6 routers. The router has six internal antennae with specialized placements allowing for the strongest connections and speeds up to 7800Mbps. The XT9 also has a unique third UNII-4 spectrum (5.9GHz) 160MHz channel that increases the mesh backhaul capacity leading to a more reliable and high performance network. This third band ensures that the mesh network can stay strong and consistent without interference from the devices connected to the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. The XT9 uses ASUS’ AiMesh technology to create its mesh network. This means that you can also mix and match with other ZenWiFi with AiMesh compatible routers.
My home internet is a fiber optic 250Mbps connection, so I wasn’t able to fully test out the ASUS XT9’s max speeds of 7800Mbps. However, what I can say is that even with a 250Mbps connection the XT9s performed well. I streamed 4K videos to four devices throughout my home. All devices were able to flawlessly stream 4K videos without any stuttering or buffering.Â
Wide and strong wireless coverage
The mesh technology of the ASUS XT9 is impressive. According to the ASUS website just two ASUS XT9s can provide wireless coverage up to 5700 sq. ft. The strength of the XT9’s mesh network also depends on the blocks in your living space such as walls, doors, and materials such as brick, concrete, and metal. The layout of my living space is such that my ISP’s wireless router and repeaters can’t provide a strong enough signal through all my walls. When it comes to the ASUS XT9, I’m blown away at just how strong the Wi-Fi signal is. No matter where I am at home I have a consistent, uninterrupted signal.Â
To test the coverage of the XT9’s signal I decided to go for a walk outside. I was able to pass two houses before I lost connection to the XT9 network. Being this far outside of my living space speaks to the strength of the XT9 network, especially with only two routers in the mesh system.
Overall, I can say that I’m happy with the quality and strength of the ASUS ZenWiFi XT9 mesh Wi-Fi system.
ASUS Router app
The ASUS Router application is an absolute must have for the XT9 Wi-Fi system. This application gives users complete control over their home network. In this app, users can prioritize connected device activity, adjust parental controls, control the network remotely, and monitor network security.
One of my favourite features of the ASUS Router app is the ability to manually control the priority of connected devices. For example, with my laptop I’m able to prioritize network speeds for activities like gaming, media streaming, working from home, and file transfers. This ensures that my laptop will always have the appropriate network connection for the activity that I’m doing.Â
Final thoughts on the ASUS ZenWiFi XT9 mesh system
The ASUS ZenWiFi XT9 is a fantastic whole home mesh Wi-Fi system. I love its max speeds of 7800Mbps, 5700 sq.ft. coverage, and incredibly easy set up. During my testing I had complete and uninterrupted coverage no matter where I was at home. I liked how much control I had over my network with the ASUS Router application. Being able control my network remotely, and having real time network protection gave me a sense of security. If you’re in the market for a whole home mesh system I highly suggest checking out the ASUS XT9.
Find more ASUS routers and mesh networks for gaming and for the home at Best Buy.
