There’s an extensive choice of items if you remain in the marketplace for a great Wi-Fi 6 mesh router The majority of the items have a robust feature-set, are simple to establish and utilize, and provide whole-home protection. While mesh systems have actually gotten a great deal of momentum over the last few years, I’m not a fan of them as they frequently tend to be restricted when it pertains to sophisticated functions and network configurability. That’s why I relied on Ubiquiti’s UniFi gain access to points and switches for my own house a couple of years back.
EnGenius is another brand name that deals with networking lovers, providing gain access to points, network switches, and security entrances that are managed by its cloud-based EnGenius Cloud service. I utilized the ECW220 Wi-Fi 6 gain access to point and the ECS1008P Gigabit handled switch for my house network 2 years back, and slotted in the beefier ECS2512FP 2.5 GbE switch in 2015 into my house network facilities.
Like Ubiquiti’s UniFi controller, the EnGenius Cloud controller is simple to get going with, and it uses an extensive list of functions for network management. If you’re wanting to go this path, understand that while EnGenius uses an excellent choice of switches and gain access to points, it does not have a routing service like Ubiquiti’s UniFi Dream Maker Pro– you’ll need to utilize a standalone wired router. The very best method to do it is construct a customized pfSense service or get your hands on the MikroTik RB5009UG (opens in brand-new tab) for routing.
Here’s a quick summary of what EnGenius needs to provide with its items, and whether you ought to select the brand name in lieu of Ubiquiti or TP-Link Omada.
Gain access to points
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Provided the increased prosumer need over the last few years, EnGenius now uses hardware customized for house users in its Fit portfolio. The EWS357-FIT needs to be the perfect item for the majority of house users; it’s powered by a quad-core Qualcomm platform with Cortex A53 cores, has high-gain omnidirectional antennae that are concealed in the real estate, and requires 12.5 W over PoE.
The 2×2 Wi-Fi 6 style provides up to 1,200 Mbit over the 5GHz channel and 574Mbit at 2.4 GHz, and is preferably matched for house environments. It loses out on the larger 160MHz channels, and like all of EnGenius’s items, there’s no licensing cost here. The EWS357-FIT retails for simply $115 on Amazon (opens in brand-new tab), which remains in line with what Ubiquiti and other brand names charge for comparable hardware.
If you require a bit more grunt, you ought to have a look at the EWS377-FIT. This gain access to point has a 4×4 MIMO Wi-Fi 6 modem, and provides up to 2,400 Mbit over 5GHz and 1,148 Mbit at 2.4 GHz. The 2.5 GbE Ethernet port works over the 802.3 at basic, and like the EWS357, it requires to be powered over PoE and has a power budget plan of 19.5 W. The EWS377-FIT is offered for $200 on Amazon (opens in brand-new tab), and although you will not discover any 160MHz channels here either, the included bandwidth needs to be more than appropriate for house users.
Both gain access to points can be installed on the ceiling, and are handled utilizing the EnGenius Cloud software application. If you require Wi-Fi 6e, you’ll require to take a look at EnGenius’s business-focused items like the ECW336, however I would not recommend it as it costs an outrageous $850.
Changes
Changing is where EnGenius handles Ubiquiti and TP-Link, with the brand name offering 8-port, 24-port, and 48-port switches that can be slotted in for house usage. I have an 8-port ECS1008P that I have actually been utilizing for over a year now, and it has actually been a trustworthy workhorse. I likewise have a 10GbE switch that’s focused on companies, however a much better option for house usage would be the EWS2910P-FIT. This is an 8-port Gigabit switch with a 55W PoE power budget plan and 2 SFP uplink ports, offering it a 20Gbps changing capability. The switch costs $179, however is costing simply $149 on Amazon (opens in brand-new tab), making it an outstanding worth.
If you desire something with more ports or a greater PoE power budget plan, the $ 329 EWS7928P-FIT (opens in brand-new tab) needs to be the perfect choice. This is a 24-port switch with Gigabit ports and 802.3 at/af PoE+ connection with a 240W power budget plan throughout all ports, and with 4 SFP uplink ports. you get an overall of 56Gbps changing capability.
Much Like with the gain access to points, the switches are manageable through the EnGenius Cloud software application, and there’s lots of configurability available.
EnGenius Cloud controller software application
While EnGenius has a great deal of attracting hardware alternatives, its most significant differentiator is the EnGenius Cloud management software application. Comparable to UniFi, you can manage the gain access to points and changes through a web user interface, and there are mobile customers for Android and iOS that have an excellent user interface and let you gain access to all the modification alternatives.
You’ll require an account to utilize EnGenius Cloud, and it does not operate in an offline-only mode. I would have liked to see this function, however the majority of brand names are going this path, and for what it deserves, there’s two-factor authentication to protect your account. The EnGenius Cloud control panel offers you a summary of your network, and you’ll have the ability to see the gain access to points and switches and all the gadgets linked to either gadget.
You can alter IP projects, established VLANs, set up PoE scheduling, and see what ports remain in usage in real-time for the switches. When it comes to the gain access to points, you can appoint SSIDs, established a visitor network, choose radios, set up DHCP, and handle VLANs. I like the ease of usage integrated with the customizability, and there suffices here for users simply starting with a do it yourself house network in addition to lovers wanting to fine-tune every element of their network.
Should you purchase it?
In general, I like what EnGenius needs to provide with its hardware, however it isn’t as comprehensive as Ubiquiti. The UniFi network has actually worked actually well for me over the last 18 months, and the very best part about Ubiquiti is that it has a variety of security video cameras that plug into its hardware and shop video in your area.
After the Eufy ordeal and the security vulnerabilities fundamental in cloud-based security video cameras, I desired a regional storage service, and UniFi Protect has a lot to provide in this location. Ubiquiti has indoor and outside security video cameras in addition to video doorbells, and they work perfectly with the UniFi Dream Maker Pro
While EnGenius has good gain access to points and switches, it does not (yet) have a security cam portfolio, which’s a constraint for my own usage case. There’s likewise the matter of routing, and while the existing hardware is a good option to Ubiquiti and TP-Link Omada, EnGenius requires to present a routing service to complete its portfolio.
The hardware is a little more economical than Ubiquiti and you get a great deal of alternatives with EnGenius Cloud, so if you’re attempting to upgrade your house network and require gain access to points and changes that work dependably, there is a lot to like with EnGenius.