Motorola has been synonymous with communication for as long as I can remember. I have owned several SURFboard modems and even more recently the MG8702 Gigabit Cable Modem Router. Their latest offering q14 WiFi 6E Mesh Router System follows on the heels of legendary reliability and stable performance.
The q14 is a mesh system which means it operates via devices/nodes that operate as one network. It essentially expands coverage and throughput by broadcasting your network from the various nodes. By placing them strategically around your home or office, dead zones or reduced speeds and increased latency associated with increased distance from your router can become a thing of the past. My three-device setup can cover up to 5400 sqft; my townhouse is about 1700 sqft for reference. The q14 also has tri-band connectivity; it operates on the 2.4, 5 and 6Ghz frequencies capable of speeds up to 574, 2,400 and 2,400 Mbps respectively. My current internet service is up to 800 Mbps and the q14 reports speeds of around 555 Mbps. WiFi6 is the newest IEEE 802.11 standard (ax) which is also backwards compatible with devices employing previous standards a, b, g, n and ac. My laptop, running Windows 10, alerted when it connected to the newer standard. Besides the higher speeds, operating on the newest standard, assuming you have compatible devices, reduces the likelihood of interference (until your neighbors catch up). My connection range has also drastically improved; I am able to stay connected to about 150ft outside the house. This was tested with my Samsung Note20 Ultra while connected via Wifi6.
For the mesh setup, one of the nodes connects directly to the router while the remaining two act as extenders. All three devices are identical and can function as either the Router or Extender. Each node weighs approximately 24 oz with dims of 6.3” x 6.1” x 4.75” (H x D x W). Their unobtrusive design is to help blend in with existing décor although that may be subject to debate based on individual preferences. I rather like them; my eight-year-old thought it was a speaker which is not so farfetched considering the fabriclike material that wraps majority of the device. Behind each device, from top to bottom is a WPS button (one touch connectivity for compatible devices), a 2.5GbE Ethernet WAN/LAN port, a 1GbE Ethernet LAN port, an AC power port and a reset button (10 second depression for factory reset). The front has a single status indicating LED (white, blue and amber). The light can be distracting at night in case you are wondering.
The minimalist packaging consists of three identical boxes with each box containing:
• q14 WiFi 6E Mesh device (x1)
• 1.5m Cat 6 Ethernet white cable (x1)
• Quick start guide (x1)
Setup is fairly straight forward. After downloading the moto sync (powered by MINIM) app, prompts literally walk you through the entire process. Each device has a QR code beneath it as well as a default SSID name and password. After the first device is connected as the Router, the subsequent devices are cleverly added as the Extenders. I am particularly pleased by the thought of adding additional devices in the future. For my setup in a three-level townhouse, I had my Router located in the middle floor with an Extender at upstairs and downstairs floors. In my previous setup with a Wifi5 tri-band router, I had two separate SSIDs: one for the 2.4Ghz and another for the two 5Ghz. I discovered that the q14 does not provide an option to separate the frequencies per SSID, meaning the two SSIDs I previously had each now has 2.4, 5 and 6Ghz frequencies. My rationale in the past was to separate the frequencies by SSID to ensure I had capable devices connecting to their optimal standards. With the three-level setup, the q14 attempts to, rather cleverly “follow” devices around the house; it connects and disconnects for optimal performance. There have been instances where my cellphone would stay connected to the Downstairs node while I may be closer to the Upstairs or Middle nodes but I have come to realize that if connectivity is still okay, there is nothing to worry about. The app also has ability to optimize frequencies based on your home type (i.e., apartment, townhouse or single family). I was able to get all my old devices to connect except an older HP 8620 printer. I am not sure if it has to do with the WPA2/WPA3 security or not but I have tried every trick to no avail. I intend to either replace it or eventually get another node in the future to hardwire the printer.
The moto sync app has potential but also has some quirks such as the lack of an exhaustive category list. I have a connected water heater and a refrigerator which all get categorized under appliance (microwave symbol); there is also only a “Computer” category with no distinction for laptops or all-in-ones. Some competitors have icons for almost all commonly used smart devices (i.e., locks, doorbells, cameras, refrigerators etc.) and I hope this can be accomplished in the future via updates. While the app makes setup and networking easy, it would be very much welcomed if there was an option to setup via the web for example in order to configure beyond the app. For example, I am not sure if the WPA3 protection could be the reason my older HP printer cannot connect; I would like the ability to turn that off if that would help? An option to assign specific bands to my SSIDs would also be great. On the plus side, moto sync can effectively pause devices, block sites and even brief you on content being accessed by connected devices. I have owned several routers from other manufacturers that promised and failed miserably at blocking devices. It can also provide connection speeds for each device via the “run speed test” button.
I see a whole lot of potential with the robust hardware and future improvements to the app. The devices are even touted to have some inbuilt surge protection according to Motorola. Standard warranty is two years which may potentially never be used given the brand’s reputation. In summary, I am very happy with the q14 WiFi 6E Mesh system thus far. Fast, stable and far-reaching all describe its performance very well and I wholeheartedly recommend.