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All reviews on this website are based on thorough hands-on testing and real-world first-hand experience.
This category also includes previews and first-takes, derived from initial impressions, past experience, or preliminary assessments.
I always believed the ASUS RT-AX88U Pro would be my last Wi-Fi 6 router review. Then, the ExpertWiFi EBR63 happened. Unveiled in the first days of 2023 and available almost a year later, this new router represents an entirely different product line of ASUS, the ExpertWiFi. It’ll be the first … Continue Reading
On January 4, 2023, ASUS unveiled its new ExpertWiFi product line. After unsurprisingly missing the initial availability target, initially set for “the first quarter of 2023, ” the networking vendor is finally shipping the ExpertWiFi EBR63 standalone router. There will soon be more hardware options, including those supporting Wi-Fi 7. … Continue Reading
Amazon’s eero Max 7—its first foray into Wi-Fi 7—was available for purchase on October 26, 2023, months before the latest Wi-Fi standard itself became certified at the beginning of this month. Initially, I didn’t intend to review the new hardware, as I found it overpriced based solely on the specs. … Continue Reading
The new Samsung SSD 990 EVO—first announced on January 23, 2024—is a special PCIe 5.0 NVMe internal SSD that is actually more of a PCIe 4.0 drive. This dual-mode approach seems odd at first, but it makes quite a bit of sense. In fact, it’s great for the most part. … Continue Reading
Linksys’s first Wi-Fi 7 hardware, the Velop Pro 7 BE11000, sure is sexy. It comes in a legit “designer” look. I’ll be generous and call it gorgeous. The new hardware has enough to easily pass that “wife acceptance” requirement, often out-of-reach for nerds and geeks. (You know who you are!) … Continue Reading
It took me a while to evaluate the NETGEAR Nighthawk RS700S BE19000 Wi-Fi 7 router. The router’s actual model is RS700, as printed on its underside and shown in the mobile app and web interface. The “S” signifies that it comes with a one-year trial of NETGEAR Armor. At $699.99, … Continue Reading
First available in late September 2023, the Orbi 970 Series, NETGEAR’s first Wi-Fi 7 mesh system, proved complicated to test. For one, it’s stupidly expensive. A 3-pack (model RBE973S) that includes a router (RBE971) and two satellites (RBE970) retails for $2299.99. Alternatively, you can pick a 2-pack (RBE972) for $1699.99, … Continue Reading
The TP-Link Deco BE85 is the first Wi-Fi 7 mesh system on the market, and consists of multiple identical mesh-enabled routers. At the retail price of $1,299.99 for a 3-pack (or $400 less for a 2-pack)—the street price varies and often includes discounts—the TP-Link Deco BE85 is an excellent buy … Continue Reading
