Choice, as a consumer, is a good thing, as it allows even the most frugal of us to study every datasheet, and compare models, benefits, features, and technologies against each other to make a buying decision.

However, for those of us who simply do not have the time, or the technical knowledge to decide on the information overload we need a review or a salesperson to give us the right solution, so hopefully, this is such a review.

I tested our ZTE Wi-Fi routers, especially to see how easy the MESH is to set up.  I have been working in the ICT sector for more than 10 years and have had the privilege to work with various Wi-Fi, Networking, and Wireless equipment.  As a Certified Trainer on Enterprise Grade Wi-Fi, I have to say, this has been by far one of the easiest MESH systems I have worked with, and at this price point, makes it our most affordable MESH Wi-Fi yet.

The first ZTE router was unboxed, and powered on and the LAN cable from the existing home router was connected to the ZTE H3601 External’s WAN port.

The next step was to grab my iPhone to install the ZLife Lite app from the App Store, which is also available for Android.  The app itself is very lightweight and installs in less than a minute.

Once installed, the App guides you through the setup procedure, especially to onboard the first unit.  This was achieved by connecting to the SSID underneath the unit, a little old school, but why break something that works?  From there, the router was connected to the Internet and the app instantly asked if I wanted to add a satellite node.  So, I proceeded to power up the second unit where Wi-Fi coverage is needed.  On the app, I selected the option of adding the satellite node (H3601P Internal) and was prompted to press the WPS/MESH button on the router.  The LED flashed red on the satellite node and once connected will stop flashing and turn a sold green.