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Access points are excellent options for a wired home to deliver the best Wi-Fi coverage. This post includes the top five best Wi-Fi access points you can bring home today and their alternatives among those I’ve reviewed.
Depending on your situation, you might need just one or a couple of units. For more on access points and how to pick one, check out the post below on the matter:
Top five best Wi-Fi access points for different use cases
These access points are sorted in the recommended order, with #1 being the best. Still, depending on your situation, any of them can be the most applicable.
I’ll explain each one and the case you should use it in. One might be more applicable to a particular situation than others, and by that, I mean a home or small office. Advanced users who want multiple units should consider this list of advanced mesh systems instead.
It’s worth noting that to make it to this list, these access points need to satisfy two things:
- You can use them as a single unit or multiple units to form a mesh system.
- They must not cost extra to operate—there must be a free option for cloud-managed hardware. This requirement means those requiring a subscription, such as Netgear’s Insight Manage family, will not be considered.
Top 5 best Wi-Fi access points
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| Name | Asus ExpertWiFi EBA63’s Rating | TP-Link Omada Wi-Fi 6 Access Point (via EAP670 and EAP610)’s Rating | EnGenius EWS850-FIT (formerly EWS850AP) Access Point’s Rating | Ubiquiti U6 Enterprise’s Rating | Zyxel WBE660S Wi-Fi 7 Access Point’s Rating |
| Price | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rating | |||||
| Description | |||||
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5. Zyxel WBE660S: A formidable Wi-Fi 7 AP to represent Zyxel’s Nebula family
The Zyxel WBE660S is the only Wi-Fi 7 access point on this list, and it’s a heavyweight both in hardware specs and physical size. If you’re looking to upgrade your network straight to the fastest and latest, it’s an easy recommendation.
The access point can work as a standard standalone AP via built-in local web management or team up with other units within Zyxel’s Nebula family to form a cloud-based mesh system.
Looking for the same effect with a slightly smaller budget? The NWA130BE is also an excellent buy.
Zyxel WBE660S Wi-Fi 7 Access Point's Rating
Pros
Wi-Fi 7 support with reliable Gig+ sustained performance; excellent coverage
10Gbps PoE++ network port, extra Gigabit port
Excellent design, ready to mount; full local web user interface; generous free-tier cloud-based management
Cons
No power adapter or PoE injector is included
Wi-Fi 7 performance could comparatively be better
Daunting amount of features; Nebula Control Center is sluggish and can be confusing
4. Ubiquiti U6 Enterprise: Representing the UniFi family
The U6 Enterprise is the first UniFi access point with Wi-Fi 6E. Similar to the case of the TP-Link Omada below, UniFi is a family of hardware that a central controller can manage.
In UniFi’s case, the controller can also be the router, such as the UDR, and the system can do much more than host Wi-Fi access points. However, a desktop application can also turn any computer into a controller.
As a standalone access point, the U6 Enterprise (as well as any other UniFi access points) is simple to set up and delivers the Wi-Fi coverage a home needs. It can also work with any existing router.
Ubiquiti U6 Enterprise's Rating
Pros
Top-tier Wi-Fi 6E support, excellent performance; part of the robust UniFi family with lots of features when hosted by a controller
2.5 Gbps PoE network port
Simple setup and management via helpful UniFi mobile app, lots of features
Cons
No PoE injector included; no power adapter option
No local management or web user interface; UniFi app requires vendor login; limited features and settings as a standalone AP
Runs hot
3. EnGenius EWS850-FIT (formerly EWS850AP): An excellent outdoor Wi-Fi 6 access point representing the EnGenius FIT family
Each EnGenius EWS850-FIT can work as an individual access point with a responsive local web user interface.
Designed for outdoor use, it has excellent performance and can handle the weather exceptionally well. I’ve used the previous variant of the same hardware, the EWS850AP, for over a year, and it proved reliable in any weather.
As part of the new FIT family, this access point can also work with others in the same ecosystem to form a robust mesh system. If you need to extend Wi-Fi coverage for a large backyard, it’s a perfect fit.
EnGenius EWS850-FIT (formerly EWS850AP) Access Point's Rating
Pros
Reliable performance, excellent coverage, fast 2.5 Gbps PoE+ network port with included injector
Full web interface that's responsive and comprehensive; helpful FitXpress cloud-based management
Includes all parts and accessories to work right out of the box; IP67 weatherproof
Cons
Midling Wi-Fi 6 specs with no 160 MHz channel width support
Bulky, no separate power port
2. TP-Link EAP670: Representing the Omada family of managed access points
The EAP670 is one of the latest APs in TP-Link’s Omada family. It’s one of my favorites due to its excellent combo of cost, performance, and features. Each Omada access point can be managed locally as an individual unit, or you can get multiple units—of the same model or a mix—to create a robust mesh system via a controller.
Omada offers local management and advanced cloud-based management without requiring additional subscription costs. So, as a standalone access point, the EAP670 is a safe, high-end choice, but you can pick any Omada AP, including the entry-level EAP610, that fits your needs and budget.
TP-Link Omada Wi-Fi 6 Access Point (via EAP670 and EAP610)'s Rating
Pros
Excellent Wi-Fi 6 performance and coverage at a low cost
Lots of settings and features, including Wi-Fi captive portals and mesh function
Power adapter included
Easy to mount with included accessories
Cons
The EAP670 is bulky, and the EAP610 has no Multi-Gig port; both could be more user-friendly for home users
Controller required for mesh-related features
No Smart Connect; PoE injector not included
1. Asus ExpertWiFi EBA63: Representing consumer-grade business access points
The EBA63 is the first access point in Asus’s all-new ExpertWiFi family. It bridges general consumer and business usage.
The AP can work as a standalone unit with any existing router, or you can couple it with an AiMesh-enabled router—virtually any Asus router of Wi-Fi 6 or newer standards—to form a mesh system. In this case, you can use many units together. Asus also released its first non-Wi-Fi router to match, the ExpertWiFi EBG15.
Alternatively, you can pick the non-PoE RP-AX58, which shares the same hardware specs.
Asus ExpertWiFi EBA63's Rating
Pros
Reliable and fast Wi-Fi (for the specs) with good coverage
Part of the ExpertWiFi family with lots of advanced features, including Guest Network Pro, VPN, VLAN, and more
Convenient design, helpful ExpertWiFi mobile app, excellent web interface
Cons
Modest 2×2 Wi-Fi 6 specs; no Multi-Gig Port or 6GHz support; single LAN port
No PoE injector included; mobile app required for the initial setup as a standalone AP
The final thoughts
Getting a non-Wi-Fi router and an access point or two is the best way to build a network with optimal Wi-Fi coverage. However, this option is only available when your home has already been wired—MoCA can work if you intend to place the AP close to a wall socket.
That said, getting your place remodeled? Consider running network cables all around!
Using your guides, I recently setup MOCA in my home as Ethernet backhaul isn’t possible. I used your suggestion of an RP-AX58. The MoCA plan I designed worked and the Ax58 was getting excellent signal. However, everything assigned to the Ax58 had poor connection comparatively speaking.
I tried many, many troubleshooting steps but nothing helped. Finally I turned off AImesh and made the AX-58 an access point instead broadcasting its own ssid and the performance is great! I guess the only downside is that not using mesh means I have more than one admin to login and manage. Have you heard of issues like this with aimesh Dong?
PS love the site
This depends on how you set up the AiMesh with which router as the primary node, Adam. My guess is previously, the 2.4GHz band was used as the backhaul (or fronthaul).
More on mixing AiMesh hardware in this post.
More on how to set up AiMesh in this post.
The primary router was an GTAX11000. I didn’t ever confirm what signal was being sent though. It was excellent, green and said 1gbps wired. I guess that’s something to look into but it just seemed weird to me. I’ll check out your guides again. Thanks
Separate the two bands and you’ll see, chances are devices was connecting to the satellite using the 2.4GHz band. Note though, that you need to keep the Wi-Fi settings on the main router at the level supported by the satellite—Auto is the safest. When working in the AP mode, there’s no way you can configure the satellite’s Wi-Fi with a setting that’s NOT supported by the hardware.