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The EnGenius EWS850AP, first announced in early 2020 is a standalone outdoor Wireless Wi-Fi 6 access point (WAP) and, therefore, differs significantly from the previous cloud-based ECW230. And that’s a good thing.
Indeed. The new Wi-Fi 6 access point has everything to work right out of the box, is much more affordable, and was faster in my testing.
The new AP is also a rugged device that can handle the elements and, most importantly, doesn’t require a login account with the vendor to work.
On the downside, it has relatively subdued Wi-Fi specs. But at the current cost of some $330, it’s well worth the investment for those needing to blanket a large outdoor area with reliable Wi-Fi.
Table of Contents
EnGenius EWS850AP: A simple and effective approach to outdoor Wi-Fi coverage
After reviewing the ECW230 that doesn’t include a power adapter or a PoE injector, I found the EnGenious EWS850AP a pleasant surprise. Indeed, you won’t have any issue with getting this new access point up and running, at least in terms of hardware parts.
Convenient but bulky design, lots of amounting options, weather-proof
The AP doesn’t have an AC port — the only way to power it is via Power over Ethernet. And that’s fine — you’d need to use a network cable with an access point, anyway.
Supporting all existing PoE standards, the EWS850AP will work with any PoE switch. Just make sure you have one with a Gigabit (or faster) PoE port.
But it’s OK if you don’t have such a switch. Out of the box, the access point has everything you’d need, namely, the passive (proprietary) 38-Watt Gigabit PoE injector (model EPA5006GR). You’ll also find accessories for any mounting surface — a fence, a wall, or even a pole.
The EWS850AP sure is bulky, though, as you’ll see in the photos below. It comes with four detachable antennas, two on top and two on the bottom. When assembled, the antennas make the whole package even bulkier.
On top of that, the AP is heavy, too, at 3.96 lbs (1.8kg), thanks to the metal housing. Keep that in mind when finding a mounting place.
To make up for physical size, the AP is P67-compliant. It can handle any weather.
EnGenius EWS850AP: Hardware specifications
The EnGenius EWS850AP features dual-stream (2×2) Wi-Fi 6 without supporting the 160MHz channel width.
As a result, its 5GHz band caps at 1201Mbps when working with a Wi-Fi 6 client or 867Mbps with a Wi-Fi 5 one. On the 2.4Hz band, it has a ceiling speed of 576Mbps.
| Models | EWS850AP |
| Standards | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax |
| Roaming | 802.11k & 802.11r |
| Frequency | 2.4 GHz & 5 GHz |
| Channel Widths | 20/40/80MHz |
| Streams | 2 x 2 |
| 2.4 GHz Data Rate | 574Mbps (Wi-Fi 6), 300Mbps (Wi-Fi 4) |
| 5 GHz Data Rate | 1201Mbps (Wi-Fi 6), 867Mbps (Wi-Fi 5) |
| 2.4GHz RF Output Power | 23 dBm |
| 5GHz RF Output Power | 23 dBm |
| 1024QAM Support | Yes |
| SSIDs | 8 (4 on each band) |
| Wi-Fi Security | WPA3/WPA2 Enterprise/PSK |
| Ethernet Ports | 1 x 2.5Gbps BASE-T RJ-45 Port |
| Power-over-Ethernet | IEEE 802.11af/at/11e, Passive 48V to 54V PoE injector (included) |
| Power Consumption | 12.6W |
| External Antenna | 2x 5 dBi @ 2.4 GHz, 2x 5 dBi @ 5 GHz |
| Dimensions (without antennas) | 9.2 x 11.18 x 5.67 in (234 x 284 x 144 mm) |
| Weight | 3.96 lbs. (1.8kg) |
| Ruggedness | P67-rated |
| CPU | Qualcomm Quad-Core 1.8GHz CPU ARM Cortex A53s |
| Operation Modes | Access Point, Client Bridge, Mesh, WDS |
| BSS Coloring | Yes |
| MU-MIMO / OFDMA | Yes (Uplink and Downlink) |
The access point comes with a total of eight virtual SSIDs (Wi-Fi network names), four for each band. You can customize each with lots of options. In other words, it’s excellent for those needing to segment their networks.
EnGenius EWS850AP: Detail photos
You can also mount it on a wall, and mounting screws are included.
Note the mounting grooves and the Management SSID.
The straight forward setup process, helpful mobile app, convenient web interface
Setting up the EnGenius EWS850AP typifies that of any PoE access point.
Hardware setup
- Mount the AP using the included accessories. Pick a place that’s as close to the center of the area you want to blanket with Wi-Fi as possible.
- Connect a network cable (CAT5e or higher grade) to its only port. (Note: This port, on the AP’s underside, is recessed for weather-proofing purposes, making it a bit hard to remove the cable. That said, make sure you use a cable of the desired length the first time around.)
- Connect the other end of the network cable to the PoE port to the PoE switch or the included injector. In the latter case, connect the injector’s other network port to an existing network, such as a router, then plug it into power.
And that’s its mission accomplished. Now you need to set up the AP’s Wi-Fi.
Wi-Fi setup
This part can be done via the EWS850AP’s web interface, just like you do any standard Wi-Fi router. Out of the box, the AP has an open “Management SSID” — a Wi-Fi network — as shown on the label on its backside — that you can use for the setup process.
The only tricky part is accessing this interface. That’s because, like all APs, the EnGenius EWS850AP gets an IP address from the network’s router, so this address varies depending on the existing network. That said, you’ll first need to find out what it is via the existing router’s web interface, as I detailed in this post on IP addresses.
Alternatively, and probably the easiest, you can use the EnWiFi mobile app. First, connect the mobile device to the existing Wi-Fi network or the Management SSID of the EWS850AP as mentioned above.
Now, launch the app, and it will detect the AP within the network — assuming your mobile device is and show its IP address. You then use it to access the interface with a computer.
(The app is a handy local tool — it doesn’t’ require a login account with EnGenious — that allows for setting up some of the AP’s settings. I always prefer the web interface, however.)
And that’s now, from a connected computer, navigate a browser to the IP address, which was 192.168.88.243 in my case as shown in the screenshot, and log in with the default account, which is admin for both username and password. The rest is self-explanatory.
Lots of Wi-Fi and network options, no web portal for guest sign-in
Like all business APs, the EnGenius EWS850AP comes with lots of Wi-Fi settings and other options for users to customize each of its eight Wi-Fi networks to the max.
These include the ability to set up band steering, client isolation, VLAN, limit the download/upload speed of each band, so on and so forth.
There are also all available options regarding wireless security and authentication methods. And when multiple units are in use, you can also make them work together as a mesh. (I had only one unit and didn’t test this feature out.)
But the EnGenius EWS850AP doesn’t have everything. For example, I was disappointed to see it has no option for a guest Wi-Fi web portal, where a client needs to agree on specific terms before getting connected.
The web sign-in portal is a popular and valuable option if you want to provide a public hotspot, and the much cheaper TP-Link Wi-Fi 5 access point has this option.
EnGenius EWS850AP: Excellent performance
I tested the EnGenius EWS850AP for over a week, most of which was out in the rain, and I was happy with it. The AP handled the wet weather very well and proved to be reliable. I had no issue with it at all, even during rough weather.
When indoors, the access point had about the same range as that of a high-end router, like the Asus RT-AX86U. Outdoor, though, its range was much better. I was able to get a good connection from some 150 feet away. So, conservatively you can expect it to blanket about 5000 ft2 (465 m2) of open space.
As for throughput speeds, the EnGenius EWS850AP performed as expected for a 2×2 broadcaster without the support for the 160MHz channel width.
(Note: The AP does have a 2.5Gbps port. However, the included is a Gigabit PoE injector. As a result, it connects to the existing network at 1Gbps at best.)
I stacked it up against other standalone Wi-Fi 6 routers, and it proved to be quite formidable. Most interestingly, it was faster than the more expensive ECW230AP, averaging between some 515Mbps and 770Mbps up to 40 feet (12 m) away on a 2×2 Wi-Fi 6 client.
The access point did well with Wi-Fi 5 clients, too. My 3×3 test device registered a sustained speed of some 547Mbps at a close range of fewer than 10 feet (3 m). At 40 feet away, it still got some 520Mbps.
And finally, on the 2.4Ghz, the EnGenius EWS850AP did comparatively the best, among the top five Wi-Fi 6 broadcasters I’ve tested. It’s safe to say if you have a 250Mbps broadband speed, this AP can deliver it in full for a large outdoor area.
EnGenius EWS850AP Access Point's Rating
Pros
Reliable performance, excellent coverage
Full web interface that's responsive and comprehensive
Includes all parts and accessories to work right out of the box
Weatherproof
Convenient mobile app
2.5 Gbps PoE network port
Cons
No 160 MHz channel width support
Included PoE injector caps at 1Gbps
No web portal sign-in option for Guest Wi-Fi
Bulky, no separate power port
Conclusion
EnGenius EWS850AP is a simple Outdoor Wireless Wi-Fi 6 Access Point that gets the job done. If you’re looking to blanket a large outdoor area, like a small park, a motel, or a huge backyard, it will make an excellent investment for the current price of less than $350. Get it.
Hey there!
I’m trying to set up a security camera at our barn which is approximately 1000 feet away from our house thus not in range of our indoor router.
We have a strong DSL internet connection. There are some trees about midway between the house and the barn, but it’s not terribly thick. We cannot see the barn from the house.
Is this a good option for us?
Thanks so much!
1000 feet is far, Christi. Generally, PoE limits the cable length to 300 feet. After that, you still have another 700 feet to cover, and that’s too far for the Wi-Fi signal to be reliable if it can even reach the camera at all (unlikely). Your only solution is to run a long network cable from the house to the barn and use a regular (non-PoE) access point there — you need a power socket at the place. Alternatively, you can use a cellular hotspot there, like this one, if there’s reception.
If you can clear a line of sight between the source and destination, there are some line of sight bridges, like Ubiquiti Nano beam (https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-NBE-5AC-GEN-Dedicated-Management/cp/B07NGHC8RC/)
Hi Dong, I have a question on the two types of outdoor APs. EWS850AP vs WAX610Y. Unless I am mistaken, both are spec’d similarly and outdoor rated although EWS850 has slightly better IP ratings and WAX610Y has POE+ – DO you recommend one over the other. My requirement is to use the AP outdoors and the wifi transmit is about 150-200 feet radius from the AP location
I haven’t reviewed the WAX610Y, Rama, but the EW850 is excellent. That doesn’t mean it can handle your requirement in terms of coverage, though. That depends on the environment and there’s only one way to find out.
Hi Dong,
On your recommendation we purchased the ASUS RT-AX86U router and ZenWiFi hubs. We need to extend the range on our property to our generator (~150 feet away from the house) and entrance gate (~300 feet away). We cannot economically run ethernet cable to these locations.
What do you recommend for a high-quality outdoor extender? Is it enough to have one which is 150 feet away which would also reach to the 300 foot location? Or do we need two units?
Thank you…
Sorry, one more question:
– Will this outdoor extender slow down our existing network?
Generally, there’s no good outdoor extender, Matt. This access point is your best bet.
I’ve worked with dozens of EnGenius products in the past. For Mathew’s proposed application, I recommended implementing a bridge setup using a pair of ENH500v3‘s or EnStationAC (with PoE Pass Through). You can essentially beam your internet signal via 5Ghz to your remote location, up to 5 miles away direct line of site. These devices are all rated for outdoor climates, IP55.
Thanks for the input, Cal. I added the Amazon links for the products you mentioned.
Hi Dong,
Thanks for all the great articles and reviews! I am far from being a tech genius but your articles are clear and informative. I’ve been looking for an outdoor and indoor coverage solution for my home in the mountains that is situated on a large rectangular lot (100’x450′). The house is 2,700 sq.ft., two story. I was originally thinking of installing the Asus AX XT8 for the house and putting a satellite unit outside in a weatherproof enclosure. However, it looks like the EnGenius EWS850AP is a better solution for the exterior. Would the AX XT8 be a good match or do you recommend a different mesh system or router for the interior?
Thanks,
Mike
Yes, this AP is excellent for the outdoor, Mike. Since it’s PoE, you’ll need to run a network cable to it. And in this case, having a tri-band router is not necessary. I’d recommend a dual-band one, like the RT-AX86U. More Asus options in this post.
Thanks Dong. Yes, I will run direct burial Cat6e between the two. Will the RT-AX86U be enough to cover a 2,700 sq.ft house? (I will probably try just this first.) If not, what do you recommend to add to build an AIMesh?
Mike
Check out this post, Mike. https://dongknows.com/best-aimesh-routers-and-combos/
Hi Dong
I have an Ax86u in my brick house. But I’d like WiFi outside too. I’ve tried another 86u near the back yard exterior wall and it created interference issues inside the house (but coverage outside was good).
What AP would you recommend to use outside with an Ax86u inside? Would this one be good?
And would you keep the SSID the same or different?
Thanks!
Same SSID, Shawn. As for which hardware, check out the RP-AX56. (By the way, I assume you know what an AP is.)
Thanks Dong. But I don’t believe a RP-AX56 can go outdoors.
For outdoor placement, this AP is the only Wi-Fi 6 choice for now. You can place the RP-AX56 by the edge of your home, under a roof.
I found 1024 Concurrent users can handle.
How about Surge protection? or what is the best way to survive at thundering?
Check out this post on PoE, Rais. https://dongknows.com/whats-poe-and-why-power-over-ethernet-is-cool/
I have more queries. Does it support IpV6? For cloud management does it need Sky Key? Thanks in advanced.
Check the manual or the vendor for that, Rais. Also, heres the post on IP address. It depends on your router. https://dongknows.com/ipv4-vs-ipv6-lan-wan-ip-address/
How Many Concurrent users supported?
That’s a matter of bandwidth and it also depends on the router, Rais. This one is just a Wi-Fi broadcaster. More on that and a lot more this post about the router.