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If you like the recently released SURFboard mAX Pro but thought it was overkill, here’s some good news. ARRIS announced today at CES 2020 a new member of its SURFboard Wi-Fi 6 mesh family, the SURFboard mAX AX6600 Mesh Wi-Fi 6 system.
Update: The review of the SURFboard mAX AX6600 is available here.
The new system is not available for purchase until the second quarter of this year, so, for now, its details are still sketchy, but you can expect the following.
SURFboard mAX AX6600: tri-band mesh with dedicated backhaul
The SURFboard mAX shares the same cylindrical hardware design as its older cousin but comes in white, instead of black. It is also more compact.
The new system, too, includes two identical hardware units. Each is a tri-band router with two Gigabit network ports.
ARRIS says each router has a total Wi-Fi bandwidth of 6.6Gbps, and with two units, the system can deliver a total coverage area of up to 5,500 ft² (510 m²). Its third band, which is a 4×4 Wi-Fi 6 band, works solely as a dedicated backhaul.
Like the SURFboard mAX Pro, the new SURFboard mAX has simple but easy to use firmware and has a mobile app for setup and ongoing management. It features Alexa with a few commands, such as “Alexa, pause the Wi-Fi for 30 minutes” or “Alexa, turn off the Wi-Fi for Sarah.”
SURFboard mAX AX6600’s highlights
- Tri-band Wi-Fi 6 AX6600 system
- Up to 5500 sq. ft coverage (2-unit system)
- 16 spatial streams (8 per unit) for simultaneous 4K, VR, and HD video streams
- Four 1-Gigabit Ethernet ports (2 per unit)
- Quad-core ARM-A7 Cortex processor
- Alexa-enabled
Competitive pricing
The cost of the SURFboard mAX AX6600 Mesh Wi-Fi 6 system is not available at this time. But on this, ARRIS told me that it plans to price it competitively in the market.
That said, it’s safe to say the new SURFboard mAX is going to be significantly less expensive than the SURFboard mAX Pro, whether you get it as a single router or a pack of two.
Update: The review of the SURFboard mAX AX6600 is available here.
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