ASUS ZenWiFi XD4S AX1800 Wi-Fi 6 Mesh Router System (3-Pack) $249 (RRP $549) Delivered @ Amazon AU (2024)

Comments

• 

  OzBoganYeah on 15/04/2024 - 15:04

  Is this plug (into router/modem) and play?

  • 

    skegger on 15/04/2024 - 15:36

    +1

    One of the nodes is a router as well so you can use a standalone modem or turn off the WiFi on your ISP's modem/router.

  • 

    Twix on 15/04/2024 - 16:03

    +11

    For most the setups are;

    FTTN, FTTB = VDSL2 modem bridged (Wi-Fi off) + Asus XD4S router.
    FTTC = nbn NCD + Asus XD4S router.
    FTTP, HFC, Fixed Wireless = nbn NTD + Asus XD4S router.

    The setup changes if you use 4G failover or VoIP supplied by the big Telco's.

    • 

      OzBoganYeah on 15/04/2024 - 21:25

      +1

      Appreciate the info

    • 

      Given on 16/04/2024 - 10:48

      What about starlink?

• 

  Trenno on 15/04/2024 - 15:06

  Pricing aside, this or the TPLink X50?

  I have a current pair of Deco M5's in the house but moving into a new 2 storey and would like WiFi 6 as I use in-home streaming for gaming and the M5's are Ok but not quite cutting it

  • 

    Harsh Deep on 15/04/2024 - 15:16

    this will do, X50 3pack is nearly $500, but its up to you. i feel this one is much better value.

    • 

      Deals For Days on 15/04/2024 - 18:07

      X50 has been similar price to this before, around $300

• 

  incipient on 15/04/2024 - 15:22

  I'm a bit out of touch. Are there any notable things this is missing? Or any major issues?

  Did a quick search, and all I could see was lack of ofdma but that just seems to be a performance/number of devices thing, which I don't think will be a issue for internet browsing on a few devices.

  This will work with fttp but needs a modem for fttn?

  • 

    skegger on 15/04/2024 - 15:40

    This will probably work with FTTP and connect straight to the NBN NTD box with the login settings from your ISP.

    From the manual:

    WAN Connection Type: Choose your Internet Service Provider type. The choices are Automatic IP, PPPoE, PPTP, L2TP or xed IP. Consult your ISP if the router is unable to obtain a valid IP address or if you are unsure the WAN connection type.

    • 

      Twix on 15/04/2024 - 16:07

      Yeah the Asus XD4S router is compatible with FTTP.

      Not all ISPs use a PPPoE login. IPoE (Automatic IP) is used by Telstra, Aussie BB, Optus, Leaptel, Launtel, Superloop and others.

  • 

    Twix on 15/04/2024 - 16:05

    Yeah you need a VDSL2 modem for FTTN.

• 

  Bludger on 15/04/2024 - 15:33

  +1

  Check eBay for cheap XD6 setups also, much faster.

  • 

    Thiefsie on 15/04/2024 - 15:34

    How cheap are we talking?

    • 

      Bludger on 15/04/2024 - 15:43

      I picked up a set for $280, there is a pair ending shortly for $300

      • 

        Thiefsie on 15/04/2024 - 15:47

        I see what you mean. Thanks!

        • 

          incipient on 15/04/2024 - 16:01

          @Thiefsie: Given that this is a 3 pack, and OW Price match for ~$240 brand new, this seems like a much better deal unless there was some specific reason you needed the extra speed that made the XD4 not viable.

          • 

            Jake Pebbles on 15/04/2024 - 16:03

            @incipient: I think OW also have 2 pack for 199. If you don't need all 3.

          • 

            Thiefsie on 15/04/2024 - 16:11

            See Also

            WLAN-Router im Test: Kann der GigaCube in der Praxis als DSL-Alternative überzeugen?NBN Compatible Modems & Routers | Canstar BlueSelecting a Router/Mesh System for nbn FTTPSuperloop internet: Plans, prices and everything you need to know | Reviews.org

            @incipient: I'm probably more interested in better capabaility for more devices rather than straight speed if that makes sense. My current asus mesh system based around ac68U etc is a little flakey to say the least. Note my house is double brick with internal brick walls. I have a 3 point mesh at the moment (around 1800mbps speed) which is… passable). My wife complains a lot, whereas my PC etc are hardwired to the LAN.

          • 

            krouton24 on 15/04/2024 - 20:11

            +1

            @incipient: The XD4's haven't had an update since July 2022. Don't hold much hope for these getting many/any updates.

            • 

              eddyah on 15/04/2024 - 20:55

              @krouton24: 2023 from my search https://www.asus.com/au/supportonly/zenwifi%20xd4s/helpdesk_…

• 

  Jebus on 15/04/2024 - 15:45

  Would using a mesh network with a satellite node connected via Ethernet to my PS5 improve my online gaming experience, compared to my current WiFi setup with a TP-Link AX3000 router? The router and ps5 are currently at opposite ends of a room, about 5 meters apart. A direct cable connection isn't an option.

  • 

    bisaya on 15/04/2024 - 16:05

    +1

    I think it would. I have the a 3x X68 (triband) mesh system now.

    Last week I setup a satellite next to my Dock. Then connected the satellite to the dock via ethernet
    The speed my laptop gets now is so much faster compared to just wifi.

  • 

    netsurfer on 15/04/2024 - 16:07

    Doubtful, because once the mesh is added via wireless, unless there is a dedicated band for backbone, part of the bandwidth needs to be allocated for mesh inter communications. However, if the satellite node could be positioned in a better location, then maybe there might be some benefit (i.e. lots of walls within that 5m). You are most likely going to run the mesh on 5Ghz WiFi, so with these cost effective mesh units, you are cutting bandwidth for longer range.

    I am assuming the satellite unit(s) and the base will still be wireless, rather than wired (because if you can wired from the base unit to the satellite unit and satellite unit to PS5, then you should be able to connect from the base unit to the PS5 using a wire).

    • 

      Maxi Pad on 15/04/2024 - 19:16

      Just noting the comment above - The whole point of mesh systems is they have a dedicated backbone so there is no loss of bandwidth.

      That aside at 5 metres I wouldn't perceived there would be any tangible benefit

      • 

        Beyond on 15/04/2024 - 22:55

        Unless I'm mistaken, I don't think you interpreted his message correctly in reference to your first paragraph.

        He was narrowing in on the part the user wrote about connecting his laptop to the (likely) satellite and how it's not achieving real wired speeds because the node the laptop is connected to is running wireless to the base. He also reiterated how his assumption was based on the node not being connected to the backbone and pointed out the common perception as to why it's likely that was the case in his final paragraph.

        I thought it was quite well written, though, it might have been a little hard to interpret for the user he was responding to that a summed-up version of his response was essentially saying that the user's speeds would have likely been identical had he used the 5Ghz band to connect to the node that he connected to his laptop via ethernet.

        Now, all my paragraphs are in the assumption that I comprehended the context of each message and as well as how the user interpreted the previous poster's post for the message pretext.

        • 

          Maxi Pad on 16/04/2024 - 07:42

          -1

          @Beyond: No, I interpreted it correctly.

          Mesh systems use different frequencies for backhaul - they don't use the same frequencies as their advertised speed (ie. AX1800). With a repeater bridge or simple wifi extender setup you give up half of your bandwidth for communicating with the base station. A mesh system does not which is the thing that makes it a mesh system.

          • 

            Jebus on 16/04/2024 - 10:07

            @Maxi Pad: Does this unit have the dedicated backhaul? Another poster mention it doesn't, and I can't seem to find it mentioned anywhere. I assumed that with my PS5 connected directed to a mesh unit via cable, that talks directly to another mesh unit connected to the modem, that it would improve latency over my current wifi only setup. As others have said though it may just not be the case.

            • 

              Twix on 16/04/2024 - 11:58

              +2

              @Jebus: Asus XD4S is dual-band so there isn't a dedicated backhaul. Anything that's tri-band or quad-band has a dedicated backhaul.

              • 

                Jebus on 16/04/2024 - 12:12

                +1

                @Twix: Cheers, thanks Twix.

      • 

        rumblytangara on 16/04/2024 - 11:35

        +1

        The whole point of mesh systems is they have a dedicated backbone so there is no loss of bandwidth.

        I assume you're talking about wireless backhaul. In which case Ruckus Networks (at least the previous gen) stuff begs to differ. They don't even bother with it for the x20 generation. They do pure wired for backhaul, or use the same channel for wireless backhaul. And they're the guys who make gear for conference centres and hotels

        Wireless backhaul, imo, is another home-user buzzword. It's like writing 5400 or whatever (by adding up all theoretical throughputs on all radios) on the box.

        The whole point of a home mesh system is to have fast-enough wifi with full coverage and zero management. It's not about speedtest.net epeening.

        they don't use the same frequencies as their advertised speed (ie. AX1800).

        What does this even mean? AX1800 isn't a frequency indicator, they are operating in the 5GHz range. 1800 is a theoretical max that is achievable in some lab with an anechoic chamber. It's not a real life figure, just typical advertising BS.

        With a repeater bridge or simple wifi extender setup you give up half of your bandwidth for communicating with the base station. A mesh system does not which is the thing that makes it a mesh system.

        Just… no. A mesh has a very specific meaning in computing. It's about node connectivity and communication, intelligent routing and self healing. It is not about single client max throughput numbers.

    • 

      Jebus on 16/04/2024 - 10:09

      Yeah the setup I was thinking was 1 mesh unit next to my ps5 wired together, and another mesh unit next to my modem. I assumed with this setup the connection between mesh units would be far superior for latency (not worried about download speeds). Sound like my assumption may not be correct though.

  • 

    Agret on 15/04/2024 - 16:10

    +1

    Doubtful you will see any speed difference over such a short distance unless there is some sort of design flaw with the PS5 wifi antenna.

  • 

    DangerNoodle on 16/04/2024 - 07:35

    Can you run the network test on your ps5 and see what speeds it is getting?

    From what I can see on the Asus specs, there's no dedicated portion of bandwidth for the backhaul, so the wireless backhaul connection will sap away at the 1201+574mbps bandwidth. If you were to run it with your ps5 connected to the node via ethernet, it would show on the ps5 that there is a gigabit ethernet connection but the connection between the nodes will be 1201mbps less the backhaul and any other bandwidth consuming devices. You may be better off sticking with wifi to your current router.

    The other thing worth trying is checking the latency between your ps5 and the router. If latency is a concern, have you tried moving the router closer to the ps5 with a longer ethernet cable to the NTD?

    I've got the Asus xt8 and I run it with a dedicated wired backhaul to get the most out of the 6600mbps per node, otherwise I lose ~4800mbps to the dedicated backhaul. Downside with these devices is that some will allocate more bandwidth to the backhaul but some are more balanced.

    • 

      Jebus on 16/04/2024 - 10:06

      Interesting! I assumed they would all have had the dedicated backhaul. It was less about download speeds for me, and more about improving latency. I've got 15-20 devices on my wireless network, so I assumed wiring my ps5 to a mesh unit that talks directly to another mesh unit connected to the modem would improve my latency in online games. Sounds like it may not be the case. Thanks for your input.

      • 

        DangerNoodle on 16/04/2024 - 15:42

        There's not much consistency with the backhauls and how they're implemented. With Asus, you can free up the wireless bandwidth if you run a wired backhaul. With Netgear Orbi (at least the rbk50 I had), running a wired backhaul won't free up the dedicated wireless backhaul.

        It would be nice if manufacturers would standardise the naming of the routers so that consumers could easily tell how much of the bandwidth is allocated to the backhaul. Like with my Asus zenwifi xt8, there's 6600mbps of wireless bandwidth, ~4800mbps by default is allocated to the wireless backhaul so there's ~1800mbps of bandwidth (split over 2.4ghz and 5ghz) for devices to connect to per node. But my partner's TP Link Deco x68 is rated as an ax3600 but the dedicated backhaul is only ~1200mbps so there's 2400mbps of bandwidth (split over 2.4ghz and 5ghz) for devices to connect to.

        The backhaul difference would come into play depending on how you use it. For file transfers between devices on the same node, you'd want more wireless bandwidth available at that node. For file transfers between nodes, you'd want more bandwidth in the backhaul.

  • 

    rumblytangara on 16/04/2024 - 08:10

    Probably not.

    5M is very close already, the PS will have a decent antenna, the mesh node as a wireless bridge will add little or nothing of value here.

    If youb wanted to do this, you could just add a single old/secondhand router as a wireless bridge. You don't need an entirely new three pack mesh system to do so.

    • 

      Jebus on 16/04/2024 - 10:03

      I assumed the wireless connection between the units themselves would be far superior, so wiring my PS5 to one would improve latency. Sounds like that may not be the case though?

      • 

        rumblytangara on 16/04/2024 - 10:10

        See Also

        Kogan Internet: Plans and prices

        At 5M it's really unlikely to make any difference. Especially to latency- any differences are going to be first to max throughput.

        You could even test this- just move your PS5 halfway closer to the router and see if latency increases.

        (If you're doing latency tests, you just ping your local router and not some destination out on the internet.)

  • 

    remz22 on 17/04/2024 - 12:08

    I feel like you can run a cable five meters to connect a same room ps5. Get creative.

• 

  Lingnoi on 15/04/2024 - 16:02

  Need a mesh with static ip functionality.

  Current have a tenda setup in bridge mode.

  • 

    Broomstick on 15/04/2024 - 17:03

    TP Link x68

• 

  raybies on 15/04/2024 - 16:08

  I paid $370.29 back in Nov 2001, so good deal I guess.

  • 

    wangsk on 15/04/2024 - 17:14

    Wi-Fi6 from 2001?

    • 

      raybies on 15/04/2024 - 21:47

      lol, oops 2021.

    • 

      rumblytangara on 16/04/2024 - 08:12

      802.11b FTW.

• 

  bestbarginever on 15/04/2024 - 16:13

  +1

  For Wifi6, you want Tri-band if going for a full wireless setup.

  • 

    netsurfer on 15/04/2024 - 16:16

    You need WiFi 6E mesh units normally. Otherwise, you need to get WiFi 6 with 2x 5 Ghz bands type of tri-band setup.

    • 

      rumblytangara on 16/04/2024 - 08:17

      WiFi 6 with 2x 5 Ghz bands type of tri-band setup.

      Serious question - what's the problem with that vs using 6GHz in addition?

      Most of Oz is so spaced out that using two bands on 5GHz doesn't seem like an issue to me.

  • 

    Agret on 15/04/2024 - 16:16

    That's the major benefit of moving up to Wifi6E is that the mesh network can use the extra frequency for backhaul traffic.

    • 

      boretentsu on 15/04/2024 - 16:50

      I have an Asus AX86U with mesh network setup with an old AC68U as satellite. If I theoretically added a 6E capable unit to the mesh, would this be pointless given the ax86u is not 6e capable?

      • 

        netsurfer on 15/04/2024 - 17:41

        Generally pointless, assuming the mesh backbone is 5Ghz, but you have a 6E client device and your NAS is connected to that 6E router, when using the 6Ghz band (assuming the device and the 6E router has a good range), you may still get some benefit to the NAS.

        AX86U is Wifi 6 only.

• 

  mon4rkh on 15/04/2024 - 16:20

  I'm lagging in games when using the ethernet ports in the walls of my house to extend from the modem to my PC. Not sure if the cabling for those is bad or maybe my NBN provider is bad? I configured the modem with QoS and other stuff that was recommended. Just wondering if mesh could potentially reduce the lag if maybe the house's ethernet cables are causing issues?

  BTW the lag I'm facing is that in games the ping displayed would be low, but often the game would randomly freeze completely and sometimes DC. On the other hand, Discord shows the lag spikes (5000 ms).

  • 

    Agret on 15/04/2024 - 16:22

    +2

    Ping your modem from your PC by opening command prompt and type in

    ping -t 192.168.0.1

    or

    ping -t 192.168.1.1

    (or whatever other IP your modem is, these are the 2 most common though)

    The -t will make it just keep going nonstop until you press CTRL+C to stop it so you can see if it starts dropping out.

    The fix could be as simple as updating or downgrading the driver for your ethernet adapter in device manager under "Network adapters".

    • 

      mon4rkh on 15/04/2024 - 18:16

      I will try what you suggested, thanks

  • 

    Twix on 15/04/2024 - 16:25

    +1

    Wireless mesh won't reduce your ping. Who is your nbn provider?

    • 

      mon4rkh on 15/04/2024 - 18:18

      More, the 50 Mbps tier. I know it's pretty slow but no other devices are connected, not streaming etc. from other devices when playing games.

      Also I know mesh probably will have higher average ping, but what about stability? I'm just concerned about the quality of the CAT cables in the walls.

      • 

        Sendthegoods on 15/04/2024 - 21:42

        +3

        Hey man, I'm with More NBN and they are horrible with online gaming with myself as well. Only happened when I switched from abb to them. I've logged 3 support tickets and logged a TIO complaint due to these lag spikes. Im using ping plotter to gather evidence of the issue, it's the upstream provider Vocus, who is experiencing massive packet loss and causing my extreme latency spikes, ranging from a few hundred ms to 50,000ms.. the issue is more, so switch if you want better performance.

        • 

          mon4rkh on 15/04/2024 - 22:22

          @Sendthegoods: Damn that sucks man. Thanks for letting me know! I wonder if services like exitlag will help? Sounds like gimmicks but if we can get better routing maybe it will work? I'm not too sure

        • 

          tassietigermaniac on 16/04/2024 - 14:32

          @Sendthegoods: Hey, do you have more details for me? I work at Vocus in the network area and our ping times are pretty good generally. What games are you playing when the ping spikes occur? And is it only during particular hours?

          There's heaps of things that can cause ping spikes but as an upstream provider we provide a really stable experience (avid online gamer myself) so I'd love to see a traceroute to one of the affected servers from your machine so I can look into the root cause. If there's something to fix within the Vocus network I should be able to do it

  • 

    Sensei888 on 15/04/2024 - 20:54

    I had a similar problem. Turns out it was my wireless USB mic drawing too much power that would cause the game to freeze. I now use a USB hub.

• 

  iuseozb on 15/04/2024 - 16:42

  If i have an existing mesh (netgear, 2 devices, 1 modem, 1 satellite) can I use this as an additional mesh? Can I continue netgear’s modem calling the ISP whilst have this just work as a mesh?

• 

  WwDesi on 15/04/2024 - 16:59

  Will it work on HFC

  • 

    Twix on 15/04/2024 - 17:36

    +2

    Yeah it does. HFC = nbn NTD + Asus XD4S router.

    • 

      WwDesi on 15/04/2024 - 20:41

      +1

      Thanks my man

• 

  jonathant1 on 15/04/2024 - 17:04

  Hello tech newb here, we plan to have nbn HFC installed in coming days.

  • Modem: ASUS AX3000 Dual-Band
  • Provider: Aussie Broadband
  • House type: Double storey town house
  • Modem location: To be installed on 1st level/base

  Will these significantly help for coverage upstairs/around the house? Necessary to purchase?

  • 

    netsurfer on 15/04/2024 - 17:44

    Coverage, yes, max speed will drop (but it depends on what kind of NBN you are using, if it is 50/20, then it is not a challenge to get that speed over WiFi for a mesh kit). However, since this is a mesh network kit based on AX1800 (even if on 5Ghz), that bandwidth needs to be cut in half since the mesh needs to communicate with each other and you are looking at lowest common denominator.

    Whether you need to purchase mesh depends on where the router will be placed. If it is not in the middle of the house and you have a big house, you will likely need to get a mesh kit. Getting reliable WiFi connection is quite important nowadays.

    • 

      jonathant1 on 15/04/2024 - 21:17

      Thank you for the info! We're jumping on the 100/20

• 

  wangsk on 15/04/2024 - 17:25

  This or Tenda AX3000? similar price

  • 

    Maxi Pad on 15/04/2024 - 19:19

    +1

    The Tenda AX3000 is a great price on AliExpress at the moment ($70 per unit delivered) I bought it two nights ago and awaiting delivery. However if I hadn't purchased already I would absolutely go this instead. Much, much better brand.

• 

  kemorg on 15/04/2024 - 18:11

  Bit of a noob here, I'm going to move into a double story place that has FTTC: assuming I have one of these plugged into the nbn box at one end of the house, and I have one of these upstairs, can I run an ethernet cable from the secondary one to my pc? and is there any benefit to doing so?

  Trying to decide on attempting to run ethernet through the place myself or just settling on some kind of mesh setup like this.

  • 

    Agret on 15/04/2024 - 20:17

    +3

    Yes you plug the router one into the NBN box and then the others will communicate with it over wireless.

    Benefit to plugging ethernet from the secondary one to your PC is you don't have to buy a wifi card for your PC.

  • 

    Twix on 15/04/2024 - 22:26

    Ethernet is faster and the most stable. See if you can change from FTTC to FTTP.

• 

  Hickintown on 15/04/2024 - 18:48

  Just in case any of you don't want to bother running ethernet cables or won't be able to do so due to the existing structure, I made up my mind to get a Deco PX50 around two months ago and it worked like a champ!

  Typical 1 storey garage + rumpus (NBN HFC connection point) attached to a main 2 storey house, both of them are brick veneer. The wireless singal just won't penetrate the walls that well, but that powerline thing is a beast. Sometimes the AI got dodgy by assigning my working laptop (on the 2nd floor) to other nodes, but all sorted with an ether cable plugged into the nearest node itself. Now running full speed of my HFC (only 100MB though…), which used to be a shabby 30MB ish

  Highly recommended.

• 

  chartparker on 15/04/2024 - 20:15

  Does this have the option of setting up a separate IOT network like the AMPLIFI HD has?

• 

  aa909 on 15/04/2024 - 21:39

  Thanks poster looks like mixed post. Anyone buy this ?
  I need a set of 3 due to house setup and distance.

  Keen to know if anyone got this and real experiences

• 

  syousef on 16/04/2024 - 01:07

  Picked up 3 older RT-AC68U Wifi 5 ASUS routers yesterday on FB marketplace for $160. Man the ASUS firmware was a buggy mess and a pain to deal with. Merlin fixed some but not all of it. I've already thrown my hands up and flashed FreshTomato on all 3. Thank goodness for that project or I swear I'd have just sold them on. The AI mesh isn't worth it deal with things not working properly. Having seen what it's like, I wouldn't buy ASUS routers again. Pity because the hardware is solid, but when the software just doesn't do what it should and you have to spend hours trying to find workarounds it just isn't worth the effort.

  • 

    Thiefsie on 16/04/2024 - 09:04

    +1

    Kind of the position I'm at having rocked a mesh system like this for a good number of years. Time to upgrade I think.

• 

  urahara on 16/04/2024 - 13:58

  This vs TPLink X50 or X75 ?

• 

  aa909 on 16/04/2024 - 14:39

  I bought them and bloody awesome 🤩 getting 205mb of a 205mb download from isp.

• 

  WillKillfor5Cents on 16/04/2024 - 15:17

  Ozbargained. Out of stock

• 

  Deals For Days on 16/04/2024 - 21:42

  Was able to get this price matched at JB Hi Fi. Picked up today.

  Compared to the old TPG sh*tty provided router (Archer 1600 V2 I think) it's fantastic. Upstairs we had super shoddy wifi and that's been fixed. great speeds and though the app sometimes reports the furthest node has weak connection sometimes, we haven't noticed a speed dip.

  Happy purchaser.