Best Wi-Fi 6 Mesh: 2022’s REAL Deals

You’ll find in this post the best Wi-Fi 6 mesh systems to safely bring home — those I consider the best among the many I’ve tested.

It’s worth noting that even if you have mostly Wi-Fi 5 or legacy clients, Wi-Fi 6 is still an excellent investment in coverage. Thanks to the high bandwidth backhaul link, you can place the broadcasters farther out to get a more extensive range without losing too much speed.

As the world is moving to Wi-Fi 6E, fewer and fewer new Wi-Fi 6 mesh options will be available. Those listed here will likely be the final best mesh systems of the standard.

A mesh is only necessary for a large home — more on that in this primer post about Wi-Fi systems in general. So those living in a medium or small home needing only a standalone router, check out this list of best Wi-Fi 6 routers.

Dong’s note: I first published this frequently revised post on May 13, 2020, and last updated it on September 12, 2022.

Best Wi-Fi 6 mesh Wi-Fi systems of 2022: The lists

All hardware is listed here in reverse chronological order with the latest reviews on top — the number in front of their name is just numerical.

You’ll find in the box below these mesh systems compared in performance and their quick shopping links. Or use the Table of Content underneath it to jump to your favorite hardware.

Fans of the Amazon eero take note: Neither of the new eero 6 mesh Wi-Fi systems made it to these two lists. Not even close.

eero 6 vs eero 6 Pro: How to get the best out of your Amazon mesh

Best Dual-band Wi-Fi 6 mesh systems of 2022: Excellent for a wired home (or one with modest Internet speeds)

These mesh systems have only a single broadcaster with one band per frequency (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz.) As a result, in a wireless setup, the speed of the satellite unit’s 5 GHz band is generally only half that of the router unit due to signal loss.

However, in a wired configuration, a dual-band mesh system will give you consistent performance throughout. So, if you have run your home with network cables, this type of mesh will deliver the best bang for your buck.

A Dual-band mesh system with wired backhauls makes more sense than a Tri-band alternative. Tri-band mesh hardware is generally tuned for wireless use cases and might have issues using network cables as backhaul.

Note, though, if you have modest broadband — one that has a download speed of 150Mbps or slower — a dual-band system will work out well, no matter how you plan to use it.

5. TP-Link Deco X4300 Pro: A sensible Dual-band mesh for a (wired) home with Gigabit broadband.

(In case you didn’t read the intro: This is the latest member on this list — the number is only numerical, not the ranking.)

The Deco X4300 Pro replaces the Deco X60 on this list. While there’s nothing “pro” about it — this is a simple canned system with little customizability — it’s clearly an upgrade to the previous Deco.

In testing, the new system proved reliable and fast enough for Gigabit broadband, and its affordable pricing didn’t hurt.

Like all dual-band systems, the Deco X4300 Pro is best used via wired backhauling — including the Mult-Gig option with a switch. However, if you have an airy home, a good hardware arrangement can also bring about excellent throughputs.

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4. ZenWiFi XD6: The XT8’s wired alternative

If you have a wired home, the Dual-band Asus ZenWiFi XD6 is an excellent buy, especially compared to the Tri-band XT8 below.

This new mesh system has no Multi-Gig port, and that’s the only thing disappointing about it. But it’ll work out great for anyone with a sub-Gigabit Internet connection. It’s a sizable upgrade to the XD4 mentioned below.

Picking the best AiMesh combo: The real-world experience

Note: Alternatively, there are many more Dual-band options with Asus’s AiMesh. Find your best combo in this post.

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3. Netgear SXK30 Orbi Pro Mini: A reliable business mesh for a home

The SXK30 Orbi Pro Mini is designed for an office, but it’ll work fine with a wired home.

That’s because its local web interface resembles that of Netgear’s Nighthawk home routers. This mesh doesn’t have top-notch specs, but it sure is a viable and reliable option if you have a wired home (or office.)

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2. Netgear Nighthawk MK63: The beginning of EasyMesh

The Netgear Nighthawk MK63 is an entirely new type of Wi-Fi 6 mesh system. It’s the first on the market based on the EasyMesh initiative. As a result, you might be able to use it with supported hardware from other networking vendors in the future.

For now, it’s an excellent choice if you have a modest broadband connection or have wired your home with network cables. Similar to the case of the Asus ZenWiFi AX Mini below, you do need a switch if you want to link all of the MK63’s hardware units together using network cables.

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1. Asus ZenWiFi AX Mini: Representing the plenty of dual-band AiMesh options

(In case you didn’t read the intro: This is the oldest member on this list — the number is only numerical, not the ranking.)

The ZenWiFi AX Mini is more than just a miniature version of the ZenWiFi AX. It’s the first purpose-built AiMesh system that includes two distinct hardware types: a router and two satellites.

Most importantly, it’s the first among its peers to feature a fully functioning Guest networking feature, something that had been amiss from the get-go in Asus’s AiMesh ecosystem.

On the downside, this little mesh system is dual-band and has modest hardware specs.

Note: Alternatively, there are many more Dual-band options with Asus’s AiMesh. Find your best combo in this post.

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Best Tri-band Wi-Fi 6 mesh system of 2022: Expensive but convenient for those without wiring

These are mesh systems that include three internal Wi-Fi frequency bands within each of its hardware units.

Specifically, they all have one 2.4GHz band and two 5GHz ones. In a wireless setup, one of the latter can work as a (dedicated) wireless backhaul.

Dual-band vs Tri-band vs Quad-band: What’s the deal?

The dedicated backhaul’s idea is one band takes care of the job that links the hardware units leaving the other two to work only for clients. As a result, even when it’s impossible to use network cables to connect the hardware units, you can still achieve fast throughputs in most cases.

A Tri-band system is a must for a large home or even a medium one with thick walls, and you want to get the fastest possible Wi-Fi speeds without running network cables. However, most of them still perform at their best via wired backhauling.

9. Asus ZenWiFi Pro XT12: The ultimate Wi-Fi 6 purpose-built home mesh system

(In case you didn’t read the intro: This is the latest member on this list — the number is only numerical, not the ranking.)

The ZenWiFi Pro XT12 is the souped-up version of the XT8 below. As the latest in Asus’s ZenWiFi family, it has everything to deliver top performance in a fully wireless or wired setup.

In the former, the support for UNII-4 guarantees the top wireless backhaul speed. And in the latter, you can daisy-chain the units via a 2.5Gbps wired backhaul.

If you live in a large home with Gigabit or faster Internet, the ZenWiFi Pro XT12 is a sure bet.

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8. Synology RT6600ax as a mesh: A genuine pro mesh system

Unlike the Deco X4300 Pro above, the Synology RT6600ax is real material for a pro mesh system. Available as a standalone router, you can get two units to form a Wi-Fi system — similar to the case of Asus AiMesh — that delivers the best feature set and excellent performance.

For the best performance, you should also use a Synology mesh set with wired backhauling, but the RT6600ax uniquely supports the 5.9GHz portion of Wi-Fi 6 and can deliver exceptionally good throughputs even with wireless backhauling.

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7. ARRIS SURFboard mAX AC6600: Easy, reliable, but limited

The SURFboard mAX AX6000 is a minor improvement of the higher-tier mAX Pro that used to be part of this post — it’s more reliable right out of the box and is less expensive.

Still, it’s a spartan Tri-band mesh system that lacks even the most basic network settings. There’s no wired backhaul support, either. And you need to use a mobile app for the setup and ongoing management.

In return, it’s relatively easy to use and reliable. The performance was also quite good in my testing.

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6. Deco X5700: TP-Link’s best Wi-Fi 6 Mesh system to date

The TP-Link Deco X5700 has almost everything to be an excellent wireless mesh system. Among other things, it’s the only one in this list that supports the venerable 160MHz channel bandwidth and has a multi-gig port. It’s fast!

Though far from perfect, this new Deco is an easy recommendation for those needing a plug-and-play Wi-Fi solution that delivers performance. You’ll like the speed no matter how you plan to use it, wirelessly or via a wired backhaul.

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5. Netgear Orbi AX4200 (RBK752): Possibly the most rounded Orbi to date

You can think of the Orbi RBK752 as the soft “replacement” of the RBK852 below. No, it’s not all better, but it sure is a lot more affordable.

In fact, if you live in a big home with a sub-Gigabit connection and are looking for a fully wireless solution, this one is an excellent canned system to get.

Keep in mind, though, that all Netgear Orbi mesh variants are made to work wirelessly. Even though you can use wired backhaul with them, one of the two 5GHz bands is permanently the dedicated backhaul band and is never available for clients to connect to.

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4. Linksys Velop MX4200 (MX12600): A totally well-priced mesh for a large home

Available at around $500 for a pack of three identical hardware units, the Linksys Velop MX4200 Tri-Band AX4200 Mesh Wi-Fi 6 System (model MX12600) is an excellent buy when you live in a large home and need an easy, full wireless sub-Gigabit system.

The new mesh also works great with wired backhaul, thanks to the fact it uses Linksys’s dynamic backhaul band technology — all three wireless bands are now available for clients to connect.

With reliable performance, relatively fast speeds, and, most importantly, reasonable pricing, the MX12600 has taken the place of the MX10 on this list. It’s the new best Velop to date. Get it, and chances are you won’t regret the decision.

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3. Asus ZenWiFi XT8: Representing the plenty of tri-band AiMesh options

The ZenWiFi AX XT8 is Asus’s first Wi-Fi 6 system built around the company’s popular AiMesh feature.

Though not the fastest on the market, nor is it the one that gives you everything an Asus router has to offer, the XT8 has an excellent combo of performance, features, and cost.

If you’re looking for a system that can deliver a sub-Gigabit Internet connection (almost) with a ton of features, the ZenWiFi AX is the one to get.

Like all AiMesh hardware, the XT8 support wired- and wireless- backhauling, but it works better with the latter.

AiMesh: Here are the best combo with Multi-Gig wired backhauling

Note: Alternatively, there are many more Tri-band options with Asus’s AiMesh. Find your best combo in this post.

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2. Netgear Orbi RBK852: The expensive Wi-Fi 6 mesh that delivers

The Orbi Wi-Fi 6 AX6000 (model RBK852) is not for everyone since it’s so expensive. But if you’re looking for a sure and easy way to blanket a large property with fast Wi-Fi that can deliver Gigabit-class Internet, it won’t disappoint.

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1. Ubiquiti AmpliFi Alien Mesh Kit: An Odd Pair of Wi-Fi 6 Tango

(In case you didn’t read the intro: This is the oldest member on this list. Again, the number is only numerical, not the ranking.)

The AmpliFi Alien Kit includes an Alien router and an Alien MeshPoint. The pair is permanently synced. Consequently, this kit is excellent for a home that needs a 2-pack system. You’ll have to get another Alien router if you need more than that.

Despite that odd hardware configuration, the high price, and other oddities, this mesh system has enough to make almost anyone happy, whether they go entirely wireless or wired backhaul.

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Quick tips on getting a mesh

If you want to learn more about how to pick the best Wi-Fi system, check out this comprehensive post on the topic. But here are a few quick tips:

• Any mesh system will do if you don’t care about the speed. Otherwise:
  • For the best performing setup, wired backhauling is a must. In this case, you only need a Dual-WAN Wi-Fi 6 (or Tri-band Wi-Fi 6E) hardware.
  • In a fully wireless setup, it’s best to use Tri-band hardware with a dedicated backhaul band.
• Multi-Gig backhaul is a must if you want a Gigabit or faster network.

Like a router, a mesh system is the foundation of your home network. Even the fanciest gadget is useless if your Wi-Fi network is not doing well. So invest where it matters.

Looking for a single broadcaster solution? Check out this post on the best Wi-Fi 6 routers!