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ASUS ZenWiFi Whole-Home Tri-Band Mesh WiFi 6E System (ET8 2PK) review

No. 10 of 10 in our mesh wifi systems ranking · Updated · How we rank

Our verdict: The ASUS ZenWiFi Whole-Home Tri-Band Mesh WiFi 6E System (ET8 2PK) ranks 10th of the 10 mesh wifi systems we compare, with 7.3 out of 10.

ASUS ZenWiFi Whole-Home Tri-Band Mesh WiFi 6E System (ET8 2PK)

7.3/10

The ASUS ZenWiFi ET8 is a two-unit tri-band Wi-Fi 6E mesh rated for up to 5,500 sq ft. It suits larger homes, especially ones wired for Ethernet backhaul, and anyone who wants to build on ASUS AiMesh.

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Why it's here

  • Tri-band with 6 GHz as a backhaul option, plus Ethernet backhaul
  • The 2-pack is rated for about 5,500 sq ft
  • A 2.5 Gbps port on each unit and AiMesh support
  • Lifetime free security and parental controls

Keep in mind

  • Owner ratings are mixed, with complaints about firmware quirks and support
  • A 2021 design, and Wi-Fi 7 systems are now close in cost
  • Only one 2.5 Gbps port, and the other ports are Gigabit

Why the ASUS ZenWiFi Whole-Home Tri-Band scores 7.3

Each bar shows where it places among the 10 mesh wifi systems in this guide, so a full bar is 1st of 10. How happy owners are counts for most of the score.

  • How happy owners are10th of 10
  • How many rated it8th of 10
  • How new it is9th of 10

Why it sits behind the NETGEAR Orbi 970 Series Quad-Band WiFi 7 Mesh Network System (RBE973S)

The NETGEAR Orbi 970 Series Quad-Band WiFi 7 Mesh Network System (RBE973S) (7.5) beats the ASUS ZenWiFi Whole-Home Tri-Band Mesh WiFi 6E System (ET8 2PK) (7.3): owners are about as happy with both, and it is the newer design.

About the ASUS ZenWiFi Whole-Home Tri-Band

The ET8 2-pack is a pair of identical AXE6600 routers. Either unit can act as the main router. Each has three bands: 6 GHz, 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz. ASUS rates the system at up to 6,600 Mbps total and 5,500 sq ft for 6 or more rooms, with 2,750 sq ft listed for 4 or more rooms. It dates from July 2021.

The units link to each other over 6 GHz wireless, 5 GHz wireless or Ethernet. The system picks automatically, and you can set it by hand. ASUS recommends 6 GHz. Independent reviewer Dong Knows found that this band also serves client devices and has short range, so the system falls back to 5 GHz when a wall is in the way. A wired link between units gave the best results in that review.

Setup runs through the ASUS Router app in three steps. You can use one network name for all bands or a separate name for each. AiMesh lets you add other compatible ASUS routers later. AiProtection Pro, Instant Guard VPN and parental controls come with it, and ASUS describes AiProtection Pro as free for life. In the box: two routers, two power adapters and one network cable, per Dong Knows.

Each unit has one 2.5 Gbps/1 Gbps WAN port, three Gigabit LAN ports and a USB 3.2 port. There is no multi-gig LAN port and no link aggregation. Dual-WAN and access point mode are supported.

What owners report about the ASUS ZenWiFi Whole-Home Tri-Band

We found little owner feedback for this exact model that we could open and read, so we make no claim about what owners report.

Who the ASUS ZenWiFi Whole-Home Tri-Band suits

The ET8 fits a large home that can run Ethernet between the two units, or an ASUS user who wants a pair that grows through AiMesh. Its settings are deep, the built-in security needs no subscription, and each unit has a 2.5 Gbps WAN port for a fast internet plan.

Look elsewhere if you need several multi-gig ports: the TP-Link Deco BE63 and the NETGEAR Orbi 770 Series offer more. If you want Wi-Fi 7, the ASUS ZenWiFi BT8 is the newer ASUS pair. For the simplest setup, the Google Nest WiFi Pro 6E is built around an app. Do not count on the wireless 6 GHz backhaul alone across walls.

Questions about the ASUS ZenWiFi Whole-Home Tri-Band

When did the ASUS ZenWiFi ET8 come out?

July 2021. Dong Knows lists that as its release date, so it is an older Wi-Fi 6E design.

Is the ASUS ZenWiFi ET8 tri-band?

Yes. Each unit has 6 GHz, 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz radios. The 6 GHz band can carry the link between units, but it also serves client devices.

Does the ASUS ZenWiFi ET8 support AiMesh?

Yes. ASUS says you can mix it with compatible AiMesh routers and add more at any time.

Does the ASUS ZenWiFi ET8 have multi-gig LAN ports?

No. Each unit has one 2.5 Gbps/1 Gbps WAN port and three Gigabit LAN ports, and there is no link aggregation.

What is in the box with the ASUS ZenWiFi ET8 2-pack?

Two identical routers, two power adapters and one network cable, according to Dong Knows. ASUS's page lists only the pair of routers.

Other mesh wifi system picks

The other badge winners in our mesh wifi systems ranking.

All 10 mesh wifi systems, compared

  1. 1 TP-Link Deco X55 AX3000 WiFi 6 Mesh System (3-Pack)Best Choice 9.0 Check Price
  2. 2 Amazon eero 6+ dual-band mesh Wi-Fi 6 system (3-Pack) 8.7 Check Price
  3. 3 Amazon eero 7 dual-band mesh Wi-Fi 7 router (3-Pack) 8.5 Check Price
  4. 4 Amazon eero Pro 7 tri-band mesh Wi-Fi 7 router (2-Pack) 8.4 Check Price
  5. 5 Google Nest WiFi Pro 6E Mesh Router (3 Pack, Snow) 8.3 Check Price
  6. 6 TP-Link Deco BE63 Tri-Band WiFi 7 BE10000 Whole Home Mesh System (3-Pack) 8.1 Check Price
  7. 7 NETGEAR Orbi 770 Series WiFi 7 Mesh System (3 Pack, RBE773) 7.9 Check Price
  8. 8 ASUS ZenWiFi BT8 WiFi 7 Mesh Router (Tri-Band, 2 pack) 7.8 Check Price
  9. 9 NETGEAR Orbi 970 Series Quad-Band WiFi 7 Mesh Network System (RBE973S) 7.5 Check Price
  10. 10 ASUS ZenWiFi Whole-Home Tri-Band Mesh WiFi 6E System (ET8 2PK)This review 7.3 Check Price
See the full mesh wifi systems ranking

The ASUS ZenWiFi Whole-Home Tri-Band on Amazon

ASUS ZenWiFi Whole-Home Tri-Band Mesh WiFi 6E System (ET8 2PK)

The ASUS ZenWiFi ET8 is a two-unit tri-band Wi-Fi 6E mesh rated for up to 5,500 sq ft. 7.3 out of 10.

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How we score it

Every score here comes from our ranking model; no editor sets the order. We haven't read the review sites for this guide yet, so for now it is led by owners. It ranks products by how happy owners are, holding back any product few owners have rated until more agree. How many rated it and how new it is only settle close calls, and value for money earns its own badge rather than a higher place. We compared 16 models for this guide before settling on these ten.

Brands can't pay to be included or to move up. We last checked these picks in November 2026.

How we rank, in full

Where these facts come from