Technical Tips & Guides

Which are the best Wi-Fi Routers for ISPs?

We have done extensive lab tests on our range of remotely manageable ISP Wi-Fi routers to help ISPs decide which is the best router that will keep their customers smiling.

Fibre-to-the-Home has allowed ISPs to provide 1Gbps subscription packages to their residential users, and while the ONU (Optical Network Unit) and OLT (Optical Line Terminal) can easily support multiples of these subscribers, the question is - can your current selection of home/SMB Wi-Fi routers support these speeds?

The experts from our R&D department have done some extensive testing on our range of ISP Wi-Fi routers and below is a rundown of our findings. 

LAN Testing 

Our first test is checking the LAN port throughput on our Wi-Fi routers. The MikroTik CCR1009 is connected directly to LAN 1 on the router being tested. LAN 2 is then connected to a MikroTik RB5009. The Ethernet cable used is an Acconet CAT6 UTP, 24AWG and we ensured that the ports on both MikroTik's are set to Auto-Negotiate to 1Gbps. Once the connection was complete, we used the MikroTik CR1009 to initiate a bandwidth test to the MikroTik RB5009 to check the maximum throughput available. The diagram below indicates the setup.

Wi-Fi 5 Wave 2 Results: 

Mercusys MR50G

  • The MR50G is a powerful Wi-Fi 5 Wave 2 router that provides 600Mbps at 2.4GHz and up to 1300Mbps at 5GHz.  6x High gain antennas, 1 x GbE WAN port and 2 x GbE LAN ports and supports ACS / TR-069 Management
  • At 10 seconds Max Burst = 1084.7Mbps
  • 2 minutes average = 955.7Mbps 

Grandstream GWN7052

  • The Grandstream GWN7052 is a Wi-Fi 5 Wave 2 router with 4 external antennas, 1 x GbE WAN port and 4 x GbE LAN ports.  The router can be managed either with the embedded controller that allows up to 30 additional Wi-Fi Access Points to be managed through GWN.Cloud
  • At 10 seconds Max Burst delivered 1081Mbps
  • At 2 minutes average delivered 956Mbps
Mercusys AC1900 Dual-Band Wi-Fi Router | MRC-MR50G
    01|Wi-Fi|Mercusys|Indoor Wi-Fi

    Mercusys AC1900 Dual Band WiFi Gigabit Router | MRC-MR50G

    Mercusys
    MRC-MR50G
    R906.20 (Incl. VAT)
    The MR50G is a powerful Wi-Fi Router to support a robust and extremely fast wired network. One Gigabit WAN port and two Gigabit LAN ports provide up to 10× faster speeds than standard Ethernet connections, helping your devices reach peak performance for smooth HD streaming and gaming.
    View

    Wi-Fi 6 Results: 

    TP-Link EX141

    • The TP-Link EX141 is an AX1500 Wi-Fi 6 router that supports TR-069 Aginet management with 1 x GbE WAN port and 3 x GbE LAN ports.
    • At 10 seconds max burst it delivered 1080.4Mbps
    • At 2 minutes average delivered 959.0Mbps 

    TP-Link EX511

    • The TP-Link EX511 is an AX3000 router that supports TR-069 Aginet management with 1 GbE WAN port and 4 x GbE LAN ports.
    • At 10 seconds max burst it delivered 1082.2Mbps
    • At 2 minutes average it delivered 953.3Mbps 

    Grandstream GWN7062

    • The Grandstream GWN7062 is Wi-Fi 6 router with 4 x integrated antennas supporting up to 256 Wireless connections and has 5 x 10/100/1000 autosensing Ethernet ports supporting WAN / LAN configuration.  Management either through embedded controller or GWN.Cloud
    • At 10 seconds max burst delivered 1081.5Mbps
    • At 2 minutes averages delivered 958.4Mbps 

    Tenda Nova MX3 – TE-MX3-1/2/3

    • The Tenda Nova is an AX1500 Wi-Fi 6 units that supports TR-069 management through ACS and is available in either a 1 pack, 2 pack or 3 pack, and with a meshing capability of up to 12 units in a single network.  Each unit has 1 x GbE WAN port and 1 x GbE LAN port.
    • At 10 seconds max burst, delivered 1070.5 Mbps.
    • At 2-minute average delivered 958.0 Mbps 

    ZTE H3601 External

    • The ZTE H3601P external is an AX3000 Wi-Fi 6 router with 4 external antennas and supports TR-069 ACS management with 1 x GbE WAN port and 3 x GbE LAN ports.
    • At 10 seconds max burst, delivered 1080.7Mbps.
    • At 2 minutes average, delivered 957.9Mbps 
    TP-Link AX1500 Aginet ACS Easy Mesh Wi-Fi 6 Router TP-Link AX1500 Aginet ACS Easy Mesh Wi-Fi 6 Router 2
      01|Wi-Fi|TP-Link|Indoor Wi-Fi

      TP-Link AX1500 Aginet ACS Easy Mesh Wi-Fi 6 Router

      TP-Link
      TP-EX141
      R673.90 (Incl. VAT)
      The TP-Link AX1500 is a MiRO ACS Approved Wi-Fi 6 router that has all the features to deliver a seamless user experience at home, including speeds of up to 1.5Gbps, Easy Mesh capability that ensures you can expand your coverage with mesh technology, comprehensive coverage with beamforming and 4 antennas, and more. As the next generation of Wi-Fi...
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      TP-Link AX3000 Agile Configuration Wi-Fi 6 Router TP-Link AX3000 Agile Configuration Wi-Fi 6 Router 2
        01|Wi-Fi|TP-Link|Indoor Wi-Fi

        TP-Link AX3000 Agile Configuration Wi-Fi 6 Router

        TP-Link
        TP-EX511
        R1,178.75 (Incl. VAT)
        The TP-EX511 is a MiRO ACS Approved Wi-Fi 6 router capable of speeds of up to 3 Gbps. It is also Wi-Fi Certified EasyMesh which means it can mesh with other Certified EasyMesh routers in order to create a seamless whole home Wi-Fi network with no dead spots. You can also set up multiple SSID's and have parental controls to block inappropriate content and...
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        Tenda Home Wi-Fi 6 Mesh System | Nova MX3 - 1-Pack Tenda Home Wi-Fi 6 Mesh System | Nova MX3 - 1-Pack 2
          01|Wi-Fi|Tenda|Indoor Mesh Wi-Fi

          Tenda Home Wi-Fi 6 Mesh System | Nova MX3 - 1-Pack

          Tenda
          TE-MX3-1
          R1,288.00 (Incl. VAT)
          View
          ZTE Dual-band AX3000 WiFi 6 Indoor Router | ZTE-H3601P-EXT
            01|Wi-Fi|ZTE|Indoor Wi-Fi

            ZTE Dual-band AX3000 WiFi 6 Indoor Router | ZTE-H3601P-EXT

            ZTE
            ZTE-H3601P-EXT
            R602.60 (Incl. VAT)
            The ZXHN H3601P offers dual-band 11ax Wi-Fi with 5 antennas for strong signal and wall penetration. EasyMesh compliant for whole home coverage and optimized QoS.
            View

            The second test was aimed at measuring the Wi-Fi performance. We connected a MikroTik CCR1009 directly to the first router on LAN 1.  From there the second router is configured to MESH with the first router which after the MikroTik RB5009 is connected to the second router on LAN 1.

            All wireless tests were done using only the 5GHz band, on an 80Mhz channel, with the routers spaced 5m apart.  Once the wireless connection between the two routers was established, we used the MikroTik CCR1009 to initiate a bandwidth test to the MikroTik RB9005 to check the maximum wireless throughput available. The diagram below indicates the setup. 

            Wi-Fi 5 Wave 2 Results:

            MRC-MR50G

            • At 10 seconds max burst, the unit delivered 790.5Mbps
            • At 2 minutes average, the unit delivered 647.4Mbps

            Grandstream GWN7052

            • At 10 seconds max burst, the unit delivered 546.8Mbps
            • At 2 minutes average, the unit delivered 406.3Mbps 

            Wi-Fi 6 Results:

            TP-EX141

            • At 10 seconds max burst, the unit delivered 804.8Mbps
            • At 2 minutes average, the unit delivered 685.3Mbps

            TP-EX511

            • At 10 seconds max burst, the unit delivered 970.6Mbps
            • At 2 minutes average, the unit delivered 953.3Mbps

            GS-GWN7062

            • At 10 seconds max burst, the unit delivered 1086.5Mbps
            • At 2 minutes average the unit delivered 957.0Mbps

            Tenda MX3

            • At 10 second max burst, the unit delivered 713.6Mbps
            • At 2 minutes average, the unit delivered 691.5Mbps

            ZTE H3601-P

            • At 10 seconds max burst, the unit delivered 1088.8Mbps
            • At 2 minutes average, the unit delivered 948.8Mbps 

            For the Wi-Fi 6 router shootout the ZTE H3601-P, Grandstream GWN7062 and TP-Link EX511 delivered exceptional results for both LAN and Wi-Fi tests.

            For the Wi-Fi 5 router shootout, the Mercusys MR50G took first prize in both Wi-Fi and LAN testing.

            Our conclusion: Due to the performance differences being very small in some cases, ISPs should remember to also consider the following factors when selecting their high-bandwidth Wi-Fi router solution.

            • Ease of management – all routers offer central management either through an ACS solution or Cloud Management in the case of Grandstream.
            • Cost Efficiency – the price point of the router vs. performance is something that needs to be taken into consideration, not forgetting the costs associated with support calls.
            • Ease of Mesh capability – Most devices support Mesh or the new EasyMesh protocol allowing the devices to mesh with 3rd party units, which will make expanding the customer’s Wi-Fi range simple. When Mesh is required, it’s advisable to use a manageable mesh system that is easily connected with minimal remote support intervention.
            • Having a reliable local distribution partner is paramount to delivering great customer service. With stock availability, financing options, fair and stable pricing, and reliable pre and post-sale support, it allows ISPs to focus on their core business.

             If you are still not sure about which router is best for you. why not get in touch with us at sales@miro.co.za

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