When it comes to networking devices like routers, ASUS is one of the leading manufacturers. Since it has been providing dependable and performance-based networking products for many years, the company has developed a loyal customer base. The company released the very capable ZenWiFi Pro XT12 to join the Mesh Wi-Fi bandwagon. Tri-Band WiFi 6 AX11000 wireless technology powers this whole-home mesh WiFi device from ASUS. You can get up to four times the capacity and two times the speed of WiFi 5 with the ZenWiFi Pro XT12’s support for WiFi routers. All of this is made possible by cutting-edge technologies like 160 MHz MU-MIMO, uplink and downlink OFDMA, and BSS Color. also, you can check our article on Asus ZenWiFi Pro XT12 review.
Asus ZenWiFi Pro XT12 review: Design
The ZenWiFi Pro XT12’s components were crammed by ASUS into a boxy, rectangular shell. Instead than resembling a wireless router, it appears more like a gaming console (hint: Xbox Seriex X). We like the design because it is made of premium materials and has a sturdy construction, much like all ASUS routers. We especially appreciate the ZenWiFi Pro XT12’s use of numerous heatsinks for passive cooling. This means that in a few years, we won’t have to deal with noise or dust problems. Even after a week of use, the system is barely warm to the touch, which is perfectly adequate. However, there aren’t many ports available in this place. A fair trade-off for the two 2.5G Ethernet WAN/LAN connections, according to us, is that ASUS deleted the USB ports. We are certainly being picky, but given that this product is made for heavy users, I wish there may be an additional 2 LAN ports.
Features
The software has a lot of features and is easy to use. It provides thorough information on network and client status, and a tab called Insights makes suggestions on topics like what’s available but hasn’t been used and configuration upgrades. There are the customary parental controls in addition to an Advanced tab that permits the connecting of additional Asus AiMesh devices, QoS settings, custom voice assistant setup, and standard router capabilities like Port Forwarding. The XT12’s Instant Guard feature allows you to direct traffic from any public Wi-Fi hotspot you connect to so that its AiProtection screening may look for viruses and other online dangers. Although the app is helpful, it’s worth using a web browser to set up the more complicated settings because it has so many options. For the duration of the router’s life, the AiProtection Pro service offers continuous security updates and real-time malware detection for every device connected to the network. Along with basic vulnerability checking, it can block dangerous websites and stop infected devices from connecting. The parental/user controls give the device timers for off-time, scheduling, and internet usage. It can also block messaging services, P2P and file transfers, streaming and entertainment websites, as well as a variety of inappropriate content (although this is never 100% reliable). you can read our article on Asus ZenWiFi Pro XT12 review. There are many QoS options available, allowing anything from web conferencing to video streaming to gaming to be prioritized on different devices. The ability to divide users and devices into several network segments, each with varying levels of access, will appeal to businesses and prosumers. In contrast to Synology, which provides multiple, IoT-optimized firewall and sharing configurations for each network, the access controls for these segments are relatively broad. Nine of the SSID networks resemble guest networks in some ways.
Asus ZenWiFi Pro XT12 review: Connectivity
With an iPhone 13 Pro Max and MacBook Pro M1 Max placed close to the main node/router, we were able to connect to the internet at a speed of about 700 Mbps, which is about average for the many systems we’ve tested. In contrast, the speeds dropped by just 25–30% when we connected to the second node, as opposed to 40–60% on the other mesh systems. This was only tested on the 5Ghz-1 band. In contrast, 2.4 GHz devices will cover a larger area, but at much slower speeds. Unfortunately, our testing revealed that using the 5Ghz-2 band resulted in slower connection speeds than using the 5Ghz-1 band. Perhaps there aren’t many devices using this frequency just yet, but ASUS may have done this to future-proof the XT12 system.
Asus ZenWiFi Pro XT12 review: Performance
Since you probably clicked on this review because you were interested in mesh WiFi performance, let’s start there. Be not alarmed; it is quite good. ASUS makes use of the best hardware on the market to achieve the highest WiFi performance. We can easily achieve speeds of more than 800Mbps over short distances with the ZenWiFi Pro XT12. There is nothing to be proud of considering that the majority of WiFi 6 routers can provide more than 800Mbps over close ranges. We can achieve speeds of more than 800Mbps when connected to the mesh node two walls away from the main unit. That is truly amazing! The new RangeBoost Plus technology is truly revolutionary, offering performance that is unrivalled in its class. The performance is consistent across all speed tests, which is hard for us to believe. In the ultimate test, where we had simultaneous conference calls running at home and streamed multiple 4K HDR videos on YouTube with all ASUSWRT capabilities enabled, the ZenWiFi Pro XT12 was able to completely saturate our full Gigabit Internet connection with all devices connected to the WiFi network. It is consistently dependable and consistent, even in the most trying situations, ensuring a seamless WiFi connection for all connected devices. ASUS has greatly improved the device’s optimization to handle even the most challenging situation. The ZenWiFi Pro XT12 also has two 2.5 Gbps Ethernet connections. This will be excellent for those with a 2 Gigabit Internet connection. The ZenWiFi Pro supports adding 2.5G Ethernet backhaul to the mesh node for even faster speeds. Roaming has significantly improved since ASUS added 802.11k/v roaming assistance to their AiMesh products. All of our devices seamlessly switch between the mesh points’ coverage as we move around the house. The switching is hardly noticeable as we move around, and our WiFi calls are unaffected.
Price
The Asus ZenWiFi Pro XT12 costs a staggering $800, £699, or AU$1,499 and is currently offered in the most of important regions. As a result, it ranks as one of the priciest Wi-Fi router/mesh packages available. It belongs to a relatively untapped sector for prosumers and small and medium-sized businesses that Synology’s RT6600ax recently brought to light. also, you can learn our article on Asus ZenWiFi Pro XT12 review. The issue is that, despite being significantly more visually offensive, the Synology provides even more features, comparable performance, and costs (gulp) around one-third less than the XT12, depending on where you are in the world. When additional units are linked, the Synology is also intended to function as a mesh, so you can get two of those and still save a lot of money compared to the Asus ZenWiFi Pro XT12’s regular twin-pack.
Conclusion
The ASUS ZenWiFi Pro XT12 costs RM3998, which is somewhat expensive, but considering the performance it offers, I think it’s worth it. Amazingly, a single unit can provide full Wi-Fi 6 performance over a distance of 30 metres. Additionally, it has Tri-Band Wi-Fi, which means more bandwidth and can support a large number of devices, making it suitable for Enterprise-level users. It is nice to have for home users and would offer future-proofing when Gigabit internet becomes more prevalent in every Malaysian home.
