ARRIS - SURFboard mAX AX6600 Tri-Band Wi-Fi 6 Mesh System (2 pack) Model W121

I got this device to replace our comcast modem. The original Purchase was the AX6600 Tri-Band system and an Arris S33 modem. Since we have replaced the setup my internet speeds have doubled. Pros: Easy Setup Small Form Factor Easy to use interface Easy device management and guest profiles Cons: Odd placement of network cord. It comes with a flat cable as it needs to flex at the connection point to go out the back. Bright blue light that you have to shut off in the web interface No physical WPS button only available in app Most of the cons are nitpicky as I deal with technology every day and know what to look for. Overall I would really suggest getting this and upgrading to an AX Tri-Band wifi system

I bought this because my current Wi-Fi equipment was slowing down. It was very easy to install. I increased distance and speed though out my home which is 3800 Square feet. Now I can sit on my porch and have wifi to work with. So now I have returned equipment that I replaced to internet provider.

Very good product and installation is confused. They need to up grade software can be easily to integrate all platforms

In recent years, the ubiquitous mesh system has seemingly gained in popularity, promising improved range, easy setup, and faster networking. Furthermore, the ability improve your network signal by adding additional units is certainly attractive. As such, with the advent of 802.11AX, or Wi-Fi 6 for short, I was certainly excited to test Arris Surfboard Max with my recently installed fiber connection. With coverage up to 5500 square feet and speed up to 6,600 Mbps, I was certainly looking forward to comparing this with my other mesh system, the Orbi AC3000. While setting up the Surfboard Max should be relatively straightforward as with other mesh systems, there were some notable observations. At the start of the setup wizard, the application will ask you to pick the scenario that best represents your system. For my system, I went ahead and chose the fiber based modem and gateway option. In addition, it will ask to optimize the placement of the satellite, but I declined and opt for manual install. While it searched for the device, I did have one instance of it failing, but it was successful after I clicked try again, though please note this process took a few minutes. Also, you will notice an SSID called Surfboard On-Boarding listed on your Wi-Fi devices. You may have to connect to that manually if it won’t find it automatically. Finally, once your account is completed and your SSID has been successfully updated, along with the password, you will be taken to the home page. It will also update your firmware accordingly. Once your satellite is installed, the application will ask you to optimize the connection. After completion and taping on the router, I was glad that you can see what part of the system your devices are connected to. For example, when I moved upstairs, I saw my laptop switch to the satellite as opposed to the main router. I also got see what particular band my device was connected to, rather if it was 5 GHz or 2.4 GHz. On the application, when you tap on either the satellite or main router, you can control the LED brightness or you have the ability to restart that unit. You can also edit the name of each unit. Additionally, the main system settings can be found if you tap network at the bottom, then touch the plus sign by network settings. You will then note three options: General, WLAN, and LAN. Under general settings, you can disable UPNP, enable bridge mode, or set up port forwarding. Under WLAN settings, you have WAN IP Configuration or DNS configuration. Lastly, taping LAN setting allows you to set IP reservation, configure the subnet and DHCP range, and DHCP lease time. Comparatively, the Surfboard did have more internet settings than the Orbi system, though compared to standard routers, your settings are still relatively limited. I still would have liked the ability to control the channels, such as enabling or disabling the 5 GHz or 2.4 GHz band or have the ability to split them. Fortunately, it did seem that all the devices that were 5 GHz compatible all connected that way. Connectively, the Orbi did have more testing features such signal tests that you can do per room as well as see a list of all the routers nearby and their respective channels. There was also a signal meter that I could use in real time that the Surfboard Max does not have. In addition, the Orbi also had more physical ports than the Surfboard. The Orbi router had three additional Ethernet ports and the satellite had four. Lastly, my last observation was that the Surfboard application requires you to have location services enabled, even after setup, which I did not like. The Orbi application did not require it. After testing both systems, I still wished they had provided an alternative setup method without using a smartphone. Overall, both applications do seemed to work, despite their limited design. Given the nature of networks, and certainly the varying degree in which they operate, I wanted to at least provide you with an idea of what you might expect. In addition, there are a number of factors that will contribute to the overall performance of any networking system. As such, it should not come to the surprise to anyone that my results will not be reflected on your end. Even with repeated tests, there were instances of inconsistency due to the nature of networks. With that said, I used two different laptops, each with a different internal wireless adapter. I had each computer plugged in with their respective adapters, with the power options set to maximum performance. I also did not modify any adapter settings. In addition, I placed my Orbi in the same exact place where my Arris was, but I disconnected the Surfboard before proceeding. I should also note that the Orbi is limited by the 802.11ac standard so it does not have Wi-Fi 6 capability, though it is still fast enough to be included. Connectively, each of my speed measurements were taken in same room as the router and the furthest room away from the main unit. The satellite was placed upstairs about half way in the middle of the house. Lastly, I monitored the speed a 60 GB download on the Surfboard Max in each room. For my first test, I used my HP Envy from 2017 that houses a Realtek RTL8822 802.11ac wireless card. I used the web based Speedtest for my results. My results are as follows: HP Surfboard Short Range: 439.38 MB/s DOWN / 556.76 MB/s UP HP Surfboard Long Range: 322.97 MB/s DOWN /453.49 MB/s UP HP Orbi Short Range: 423.79 MB/s DOWN / 449.12 MB/s UP HP Orbi Long Range: 301.63 MB/s DOWN /106.50 MB/s UP As one can see, the results were well within range of each other. On the Orbi long range test, I ran several passes to see if the upload speed would improve to no avail. I assumed that it could be server related, though nonetheless this could give you some can idea of what to expect. For my second test, I used my Asus laptop from last year that is enabled with Wi-Fi 6 connectivity. Inside, the wireless card is listed as an Intel AX201 802.11ax. Once again my results are as follows: Asus Surfboard Short Range: 515.78 MB/s DOWN / 626.34 MB/s UP Asus Surfboard Long Range: 230.18 MB/s DOWN /317.25 MB/s UP Asus Orbi Short Range: 373.61 MB/s DOWN / 423.44 MB/s UP Asus Orbi Long Range: 276.40 MB/s DOWN /298.22 MB/s UP As you can see the Surfboard Max did fairly well as it did with my HP. Both systems did naturally degrade in throughput on the long range tests, though that was to be expected. The Asus did score the highest on the Surfboard short range test. Overall, I was fairly pleased with the results. The upload speed on the Orbi long range test did improve a bit compared to my HP. Once again, these results will vary drastically so take them with a grain a salt. Nevertheless, I was still happy with the results. Switching tests, I monitored the performance of a 60 GB download using the Realtek RTL8822 802.11ac wireless card found inside my HP laptop. As one can imagine, the download did not disappoint. The Surfboard initially began the download around 20 MB/s, and eventually worked its way up to the low to middle 50s. Once it peaked, it hit a blazing 61 MB/s! However, I quickly noticed sudden drops down to the 20-30 MB/s range and eventually it would pause at zero until ramping back up. The culprit was quickly identified that the mechanical drive that I was downloading to held a constant 100% usage across the board and could not maintain the speed necessary to accept a consistent 50-60 MB/s for the whole duration of the download. Moving the download to my SSD, the results were immediately noticeable. I held much more consistent around the 48-53 MB/s range and no longer did I drop back into the 30s. I also noticed that I would hold the upper 50s and low 60s much more frequently. As opposed to my mechanical hard drive, my SSD usage range was a paltry 3-10%. I also hit a peak download of around 65.7 MB/s. Despite the wireless card not having 802.11ax, the performance was still pretty spectacular. Finally, my last test was using my Asus laptop that houses an Intel AX201 802.11ax wireless card. Connecting to the Surfboard Max, I began my 60 GB download to the SSD. As the download began, the Intel AX201 flexed its muscles, clocking around 60 MB/s consistently. Eventually, I was noticed that it was able to sustain up to 69 MB/s much more frequently than my HP. For a couple of minutes, it altered back and forth and never once dropped below 60 MB/s. After a few minutes, the Arris Surfboard Max eventually hit a peak download of 76.8 MB/s. It could hold 70 MB/s or higher for a bit but quickly dropped back into the middle 60s. Overall, the 60 GB download was complete in roughly 25 minutes and was every bit as fast as I expected. It was also interesting to see that both adapters performed similar to each other. Thus, while the AX adapter was faster in spurts, it still averaged similar speeds as my previous adapter. Naturally, it would be misleading for me to say it was faster just by nature of its wireless standard. Nonetheless, the Surfboard Max easily performed to expectations. In conclusion, the Surfboard Max performed as it was designed to do. It is certainly a viable option for those who are looking to increase the range of their Wi-Fi, especially in large homes. With fairly easy setup, the Surfboard Max integrated nicely with my new fiber connection. As for the application, I was hoping to see more control over wireless settings, though it did have more than the Orbi. I was also not a fan of requiring location services, even after the initial setup. As for performance, the results were pretty exciting. Every download was blazing fast on any device I had connected to it. Everything was instantaneous. Overall, the Surfboard Max is certainly capable of high performance. It maintained the speed of my fiber connection, while extending exceptional range throughout the house. Thus, the Surfboard Max comes recommended.

If you have not yet installed a mesh Wi-Fi system in your house, not only do I recommend that you do that as soon as possible, but this is a great one to do it with! Mesh Wi-Fi is the best solution to get maximal coverage in your house without the annoying work of adding extenders to your current router or trying to buy a single ultra-expensive router to cover your whole house. The fact is, no two houses are built the same with the same Wi-Fi signal reception, therefore no single router in my opinion is going to give a lot of modern customers what they need in the way of signal strength and speed. The SURFboard mAX AX6600 Tri-Band Wi-Fi 6 Mesh system is a really well-designed system that was one of the easiest router setups I have ever done. Set up required the download of the SURFboard Central app. The app guided me through the setup of my main router and the included satellite router. Within 30 minutes, I had my whole house blanketed with the fastest wifi speeds I have ever experienced with such consistency. I am paying for 400mbps speeds and I am getting that all over the house with my 5ghz connected devices. I currently have 20 devices connected to the wifi, and I have more to hook up still. What impressed me with this set up is that each device connects automatically to the respective router that will provide them the strongest connection. Thus, I can see through the app which devices are connected to which router. I live in a 1500sq ft condo and I have Wifi security cameras set up on the perimeter of the house, so prior to this mesh system, I had to have a wifi extender within 5 feet of each of the cameras to get them to work reliably. Not anymore! This system gives 100% signal strength at all times to each camera. Someone might tell me this setup is overkill for my needs, but I don’t plan on living here forever and I like that this wifi system will scale to provide for the needs of a larger home; including adding an additional SURFboard mAX satellite router if need be! Not to mention, these are capable of Wifi 6, so there is future proofing built into these as Wifi 6 becomes more common. My only criticisms of this mesh system are as follows. The position of the ports is really annoying. If you are using large ethernet cables to plug in directly to the ports, routing them is really difficult and requires them to be bent precariously to fit into the port. Arris included one ethernet cable with these two modules (that in itself is kind of weird) that is completely flat and routes nicely, but other cables are tough to get to fit into this. Another annoyance of this system is that Arris advertises that there are four ethernet ports on these, but what it means is that there are four between the two modules, one of which is immediately occupied when you plug your modem in. I would have liked more ports, positioned in a better place on each router. Overall, for the price and quality, I can highly recommend these to you. My house has no more arguments about streaming 4K video on one device while someone else is playing video games online etc. We are now completely covered and getting the full strength and signal we are paying for.

I have Xfinity (Comcast) 400 mbps service and have been using their latest (white tower) Modem/router. That device utilizes WIFI 6 (AX) and has worked well for me in a 2 story with a basement, approx 3800 sqft. On occasion, I had some wireless speakers drop off now and then but otherwise it worked pretty well for the other devices. I decided to try this ARRIS Mesh system and see how well it worked in comparison. Because I had a combo modem/router I needed to “stop or disconnect” the router in the Xfinity device. I did that by going into its setup menu and putting it into “Bridge” mode which deactivates the internal router. Then I used the Ethernet Jack on the Xfinity device which has a red line by it to connect to the yellow jack on the new Arris Device with the supplied Ethernet cable. Using the Arris App on my IPhone I was able to easily set up one of the New Arris devices (they are both the same so you can use either) as my new Router and WIFI access point. Be sure to power off the modem first, and then restart the modem and then the new Arris Router as the app tells you. The app is pretty good and if you take your time and wait for it things will progress. If not, then back up a screen or two and try again. I was up and running in about 30 minutes for the first Arris device. The app asks if you want to set up the second device and if you do, it will give suggestions for placement within your home. I have the modem and main unit on my first floor to one end of the house so I placed the second one on the second floor towards the other end of the house. Arris recommends about 30 feet apart which is about right in my home. Again setup for the second unit was easy. Each time the app checks for updates and will do a software update right then on the devices. I had 4 Ethernet cables (hardwired) connected to my Comcast router. Because it’s now in Bridge mode, I can’t use those ports. I needed another Ethernet switch to be use between those cables and the single Arris LAN connection on the bottom of the first unit. Not a huge deal, but I do miss the additional Ethernet jacks and the location on the bottom of the Arris makes it look good, but does make it a little tricky to connect as well as not having the space for additional jacks on the unit. Those hardwired devices easily connected to the internet and those devices also show up on the App under devices. The app is great for the install, but after everything is up and running you can visually “see” all your devices and their type of connection; Ethernet, 5 ghz and 2.4 ghz. In the end I have about 9-10 devices that connected to the Satellite and 17-19 that connected to the Main unit. The names the app sometimes applies to some devices is weird, but by verifying IP addresses and MAC addresses you can single out connections and rename them in your own terms so you can easily refer to them later. Overall the system rocks! I have a new Asus laptop that utilizes WIFI 6 and I can easily get between 395-455 mbps on it when it’s connected to the 5ghz band. On my IPhone 11 which doesn’t utilize WiFi 6 I still can get 247-475 mbps when it’s utilizing 5Ghz. These figures were obtained using Speedtest.net. Coverage is good throughout the house and my WiFI speakers (Musicast) work very well with no drops. All this is an improvement from the single WIFI 6 Comcast Router I was using. The mesh system does seem to achieve better and more consistent coverage than my single location Comcast router. Additionally no matter which node you are connected to, the speed is fast and consistent. The only downsides I have found is you can’t direct your device to 5ghz from the 2.4 ghz connection as it’s done automatically. You only have one SSID for both 2.4 and 5 Ghz bands. The system seems to choose based on reception and distance from the respective router. Moving closer to a satellite will of course give you a faster connection and I can see that it sometimes goes from a 2.4Ghz to a 5 connection on my device or on the app. This type of automatic selection does make it easier for the basic user and more seamless, but I sometimes like to choose my own WiFi SSID based on what I’m doing. . I have a new HP laser printer that suggests using WPS (Wifi Protected Setup) to set up the WIfi. Since these new units don’t support WPS I had to connect a laptop to the printer with a USB cable to get the WIFi setup done. I do wish WPS was available on these new Arris devices but it’s not. I would still recommend this system to a friend. It’s easy to set up, it’s fast, and it’s stable. The app is easy to check and easy to see what’s going on. I forgot to say, the app allows parental control and the ability to block devices by screen time or bedtimes. Something many parents may want. This is a great system out of the box that solves quite a few of your WiFi problems. Being AX (Wifi 6) this is the latest technology for WiFi! Compared to other Mesh Wifi 6 systems this one is priced very competitively. I don’t think you will be disappointed with this choice.

Are we connecting to fewer devices? Of course not! Arris SURFboard mAX AX6600 Tr-band Wi-Fi 6 2-pack Mesh Router System is a worthwhile upgrade to any single router system, offering up to full coverage in homes up to about 5,500 square feet. Yes, you read that right! With just two of these that communicate with each other wirelessly, all your devices will probably communicate with ease. Wi-Fi 6 is the next level wireless performance built into an increasing number of devices, and of no consequence in devices that do not have this built-in. **WHAT’S IN THE BOX** • TWO Arris SURFboard mAX AX6600 wireless routers, two power supplies, one ribbon-type Ethernet cable • Warranty and other documentation **THE SETUP** As is common today, setup is through a downloaded mobile app called SURFboard Central at your phone’s App store. I use iPhone. For this test, I also installed Android software on another phone. After downloading, establish an account and password. Following the prompts, the first router, the main one, is installed and connected to the consumer’s modem. If you already have a combination modem/Wi-Fi router from your ISP, this can still work, but the setup will be a little bit different. I suggest that your modem be unplugged from power for about 15 seconds, reconnected and then, once fully restarted, connect the first of the mAX AX6600s to the modem using the ribbon-type Ethernet cable provided by Arris. This is necessary because of the design of the AX6600, with a narrow opening through which to fish the Ethernet cable and then bend it to plug in to the yellow port under the router. The process is unfortunately geek-speak named “onboarding” instead of simple-folk language. Nomenclature aside, once the first, the main router is set up, the user is asked if there is another one to set up. There is! Do this wirelessly while in the same room as the main router. No Ethernet cable is needed. Once the second device is successfully “onboarded,” it can be unplugged from power and moved to its intended location in the area that will provide the best opportunity for full-house or apartment wide signal coverage. When the setup process is complete, users can customize and rename the routers’ SSID, that is, the name they are seen as when looking in the Wi-Fi settings of the mobile device or computer. For those interested in enabling a Guest Network for visitors, this is an option. Tri-band routers consist of a 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz band for devices. There is one SSID. Devices connect to whichever band is needed. The third band is 5 GHz and is used for communication in the mesh signal surrounding each router and between each router. They need to talk to each other and send signal transparently as if each router was hard wired. Ah, it is a wonderful thing! Fortunately, ARRIS offers excellent tech support for those in need of extra help. I also suggest that if your modem is more than two years old, and not at least meeting DOCSIS 3.0 standards, it is time to upgrade. I fall into that category, so I upgraded to the new, high performance and state-of-the-art DOCSIS 3.1 ARRIS S33 modem, the perfect companion to this leading-edge tri-band mesh router system. From Best Buy, as well, it is $200 and will serve me (and you) for years to come even as we upgrade Internet speeds and add more and more devices. I prefer to own my own modems and routers, and advise the same to you, to get equipment typically better than ISPs offer and to eliminate monthly fees for ISP equipment rental OR for their wireless service. There is little point in upgrading Wi-Fi if the modem is old. This is a 3,000+ square foot home. The main unit is upstairs in the same room as the modem. It is also important that wireless routers be placed as high as possible in the rooms where they will do their jobs. The second unit was placed downstairs next to the entertainment center, almost on the diagonal from the main unit upstairs. In that area, there are many devices that should be connected directly to the Internet, that is, wired, not wirelessly. Though the second “node” of this system is wirelessly connected in a mesh to the one upstairs, it is considered to be wired for the purpose of the network. In order to connect directly to the TV, Roku, DirecTV box and have room for one of more game systems, I bought a $30, 5-port Internet switch, also from Best Buy, a NETGEAR GS105NA. This plug-and-play expansion switch is to Ethernet similar to a USB hub, is as easy as plug in and connect CAT-6 Ethernet cables from the switch to devices. Ethernet cables are also available in varying lengths at Best Buy. This follows the accepted basic rule of connecting everything directly, that is, WIRED, wherever possible and WIRELESS only where necessary. Within the Arris SURFboard Now all set up and time to . . . **PUT IT TO THE TEST** With the routers in place, time to connect all the devices; smart thermostats upstairs and downstairs, video doorbell, several wireless security cameras, three wireless printers and a wireless scanner, whole-house security system, Wi-Fi garage door opener, one desktop and six laptop computers, a half dozen smart speakers, two more Roku devices, an internet-connected robot vacuum, an internet-connected stick vacuum, three smart bulbs, three game systems, and three mobile phones. I know I’ve left out some of our devices. It takes time to join these devices to the network, but it is oh, so rewarding when it is done. There is not much else to do or say here. Once everything is set up, it just works! And that is the beauty of the system. Highly recommended! **CONCLUSION** If you are upgrading your home Internet hardware for better coverage and more devices, this is a great way to go. **WARRANTY** Arris provides a two-year warranty.

I had just come back from vacation when this arrived and my former WiFi router decided to die, so I had to install the new one in a hurry. Honestly, I had a few issues setting the new one up, but I'm very glad I stuck with it. Initial setup was fairly easy. I went in through the app and set up the base station. So far so good. Then I had to set up the satellite... At first, Ihad set it up too far away from the base, which is my fault. It did connect at first, but throughput was terrible and after a day or so it lost connection with the base. I then moved it closer (from the second floor to the first, with the base in the basement) and all was well for a few minutes. Then it lost connection again and seemed to have forgotten all of it's paramenters. I had to set it up as it if was new again, except that the base wouldn't recognize it at all. I then did the full reset by putting a paperclip into the reset hole on the bottom (really, a recessed button would have been better, why make me find a paperclip?) and set it up again. Again, all was well until a few minutes later when I got a flashing red light and a message in the app that network optimization had failed. One more reset later I was in buisness. This time things held and have so for for several days. I'm not sure what the issues was, I can only guess it was failing trying to update firmware or something. Here's where it gets good; my house has been very difficult to cover for some reason. It's not particularly huge (2800 sft with the modem in the basement and two floors above) but I've struggled with several mest systems. I've had 2, 3 and 4 node systems and usually can't get decent throughput in the family room (even with a node in the room with me) and in the master bedroom. Not so with the AX6600! The first thing I tried was my Samsung S7+ tablet since it has WiFi 6. The WiFi icon immediately showed a tiny "6" so I knew I was on AX. Throughput in my family room, usually 50 mbps on a good day was 600 now! Up in the master bedroom it was 200-300. I wandered around the house and had pretty consistent results throughout. My phone, a Samsung Z Flip does not have an AX chipset but was still getting around 200 mbps. Outstanding! Even my Ring cameras all seem to load much faster. Other than the original setup, I am really impressed, and I'm thrilled withe the throughput. Either node can be the base or satellite, and both have a WAN and LAN port. I wish there were more LAN ports. My old router had 4, so I had to also purchase an unmanaged switch to incorporate the new one into the network. The LAN port on the satellite can be used as a bridge to connect another device with a wireless backhaul. The mobile software, unfortunately, is very bad. On Android I've had several times when the app just sits on the splash screen. Only deleting it and re-installing fixes it. It's also very basic. You can set up port forwarding, but nothing advanced like VPN, Quality of Service or Dynamic DNS. The help section just pulls in a very disorganized FAQ directly from the Arris support site. I needed to look up what the different status lights mean and couldn't find that information. It should be top and center. Speaking of lights, burried in the app is the ability to control the brightness, which is good because it will light up a dark room pretty well. I'm glad I gave these a chance once I ran into trouble, because the results so far have been amazing!