Customer Ratings & Reviews

Review: SETUP: This was probably the hardest Wi-Fi system I’ve ever set up. Part of that is through my own incompetence and part of that is due to the system/instructions. - I struggled to find the correct app. The QR code in the box failed to be recognized. iOS app store has 3 – 4 different Arris apps. The correct one is “Surfboard Central”. - I own a modem/router combo device. In order to get this to work to its best ability it needs to be in Bridge Mode. The instructions they give for this is very limited and not helpful. Best to go directly to your manufacture for this. Can’t blame them too much for this as I’m sure it varies a bit from device to device. - If you have a regular modem the last point won’t be an issue. Once you get the modem/router into Bridge Mode setup is relatively simple. Except I kept running into errors where I would have to refresh or try again in the app. Eventually I got through it. Mostly painfree. - Setting up the satellite is also easy. But getting the app to make up its mind isn’t. They give brief and not so helpful instructions on the best place to put it. Again with homes varying greatly this makes sense. But in the app it will say how strong/weak your “Link Rate” (the connection between the main router and satellite is). Mine was constantly all over the place. One second it would be poor the next it would be strong. Tried a dozen places for it. Nothing would be fully stable. And I’m well within the 5500 square feet. So, that’s frustrating. But I don’t think it matters as the coverage and speeds I’m getting are good across my entire home. More on that in a bit. - In the app it also says certain devices are getting a “poor signal”. Usually because it refuses to move those devices to the “Satellite” device over the “Main Router”. You have no control over this as it does it automatically. SPEEDS: I tested several different computers and devices ranging from desktops, laptops, iPads, iPhones, security cameras, smart TV’s, streaming boxes, etc. and they all came back with strong connections and the top speeds that I’m paying for all over my house. However, the signal once I got outside diminished a bit but was still strong. To the point I was able to easily use my phone in my Hot Tub without any interruptions like I was having with my previous Wireless Router. I did have several hiccups of getting slower speeds and spotty connection for a while until I made sure the network was setup correctly and it had been a couple of days and was able to sort itself out. As this device does everything automatically behind the scenes and sometimes that takes a while to get going correctly. As I was getting slow speeds on my Apple devices directly after setting it up but not with my Windows devices. But the next day that was resolved. GAMING: I have low ping times. Not as low or as good as I was getting with my Gaming Router. But close enough to the point I don’t have any complaints. However, it only comes with a SINGLE LAN port. Which is silly. So you’ll need to buy a Ethernet Switch if you plan on hardwiring more than one device. APP: - It works just fine. Layout is simple and easy to read. Navigation is easy. The amount of info you get is nice. As you can see how many devices are plugged into the “Main Router” or “Satellite” along with what Wi-Fi band they are on (2.4 GHz or 5 GHz) along with how strong that connection is. You can enable a “Guest Network” or “Parental” controls. You can also setup UPnP, Bridge Mode, Port Forwarding, and IpV6. So, while there is some customization it is very limited. You CANNOT separate the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands. You CANNOT select which band your device connects to. You CANNOT choose if you are connected to the main hub or satellite. It makes all the choices for you. Which is a bit frustrating to me. But to others will be appreciated. CONCLUSION: It comes with 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 w/ speeds up to 6.6 Gbps (hence the 6600 part of the name). Which is the newest standard. Both units are supposed to provide up to 5,500 square feet. I don’t really see how that is possible with a single satellite that is supposed to be 20 - 30 feet away. My house is about 2,500 square feet and I get good reception. But if I step outside that declines quickly. So, I’m not sure how something twice the size of my house would fare. Having only two Gigabit Ethernet ports is frustrating. I get that with Wi-Fi becoming faster that more people are using it. But only having the ability to plug in a single hardwired device is ridiculous. But this is easily rectified after buying an Ethernet Switch. I found the 3rd gigabit band for backhaul was hit or miss on speeds. As often I would get either a “good” or “poor” reception despite not changing anything. It was 50/50. The Self-Optimizing Mesh system is nice for those who just want to plug and play. But I found it to be hit or miss in accuracy. As rarely would it switch devices to my satellite even though it would clearly give it the better connection. There were also several times a device was on 2.4 GHz instead of 5 GHz connection. Then would randomly switch like it should. I also don’t like that I don’t have the ability to choose which network I’m choosing (2.4 GHz or 5 GHz) or what hub (Main or Satellite) I’m connecting to. I also don’t like that the entire device is controlled from an App and not a website like everything else. But that app is laid out nicely and easy to navigate and get things done on. I do like that the devices themselves are very low profile. I like that you can dim or brighten the lights on the devices. But you can’t turn them off completely which is a bummer. As I would like that option since it is in the room I sleep in. Having ports on the bottom makes for a clean look but if you don’t have the right cables, it can put a lot of pressure on them. My recommendation is if you want a system that is plug and play (even though the setup may be a bit frustrating at first) this is a solid choice. As the range and connection speeds along with ease of use is great. However, if you want to fully control your wireless system, by separating the 2.4/5 GHz band, or doing more things behind the scenes, then I’d look elsewhere. Personally, I’m more of the ladder.

I should say upfront that I received the ARRIS - SURFboard mAX Pro Wireless-AX6600 Tri-Band Mesh Wi-Fi 6 System for purposes of providing an honest and unbiased review. So far, I have been impressed with the coverage and network speeds, but set up is restricted to a phone app which can be a bit buggy. Firewall and advanced software configurations are non-existent. On top of that, there are only two network ports: the WAN and 1 Lan port. But, if you're simply wanting fast WIFI 6 with great coverage, the SURFboard mAX Pro Wireless-AX6600 is a great option. The included satellite works well and the system can be expanded with additional satellite in the future. Unboxing: There isn't much in the box. The router with AC adapter and CAT cable and the included satellite are basically it. That means there wasn't much in the way of documentation. I had to set this up twice. First time, I tried to set it up in bridge mode behind an existing AT&T Fiber Modem. That didn't work too well. Second time, I set it up as its own router and everything connected pretty painlessly. The app walks you through steps of setting the device up, but occasionally the app would hang and suggest it couldn't find a device only for it to suddenly work when I hit "retry". Coverage has been very good. At the minimum, it has been much better than the WIFI that came with the AT&T modem / router. I recently added an outdoor security camera, and the SURFboard mAX Pro Wireless does a great job getting a strong signal out to the corner of the house where the camera is hanging. I have had good performance. Speed tests behind the network have been good. I just wish the router had more firewall options. I wish I could access the router from a computer and not just a phone. I should point out that my WIFI experiences may not be the same as yours. The more walls, the harder the time that the 5GHZ band will have getting coverage. I had good luck adding this mesh based system at my house, but if you try setting this up in an older building with many devices between the router and your device, you may not has as much luck. Speaking of router configurations, the SURFboard mAX Pro Wireless will set a subnet that does not conflict with an existing router. That seems to be their work around to keep the mesh system compatible with the widest range of devices possible and was a feature I appreciated. A few other observations: The LEDs on the devices are bright. They can be controlled via the APP. In addition, you can remotely check on your network from anywhere with the APP. The app includes limited parental controls that can be configured with the creation of user profiles. I personally wish there were more LAN ports. A lot of people are still working from home and the WIFI speeds are nice, but many employers are requiring employees work from a wired based LAN. As it is, you could always add a cheap switch to this, but that's just one more cog in the machine and device I have to plug-in. If you are seeking a quick way to add a mesh network to your home internet, the SURFboard mAX Pro Wireless Tri-Band Mesh system is a great option. App issues aside, I have enjoyed my time with the router and recommend it. Recommended 4/5

The Arris SURFboard max is not our first mesh wireless system, but it is our first system that utilizes a tri-band system with dedicated wireless backhaul channel. It is replacing our current WiFi 6 mesh system that has 1 router and 2 access points and no dedicated backhaul channel. I was a little bit skeptical that we would get full WiFi coverage in our home since the Arris system only comes with 1 additional satellite, and we live in a three-story home that typically needs a node on each floor in order to get full speed and complete coverage. We decided to place the router on the third floor, where the cable modem is located, and the satellite on the first floor, but in a new outlet near the ceiling to reduce its distance to the main router. In order to set the Arris AX6600 router up, you’ll need to download and install the SURFboard Central mobile app on an Android or iOS mobile device and create an account with an e-mail address, if you don’t already have one. Unfortunately, there’s no web interface for app-free setup. The app’s a bit strange too since you don’t need a password to “log in” though they do send you an e-mail with a verification code. In the app, you can follow the onscreen prompts to setup the router. While mostly straightforward, I did run into an issue where the app was unable to connect to the AX6600’s “Onboarding” WiFi network, so after several tries, I ended up manually connecting to the router’s network through my phone setting’s WiFi menu and was able to continue setup after that. The satellite needs to be set up separately, but the process is similar, and I had to use the manual workaround for connecting to its network as well. Be sure to use the included flat Ethernet cable to connect the router to your modem, as it has a shorter connector than a typical CAT5/6 cable in order to fit in the tight space underneath the router where the WAN and LAN ports are located. The Arris system allows you to link up to 3 devices together in its mesh network, including other AX6600 routers so you could add a second satellite or use three routers if you wanted to. The advantage to using another AX6600 router as an access point is that it gives you access to two LAN ports, whereas the satellite has none, however, it occupies less space than the router and doesn’t need a flat surface to sit on; both offer the same amount of WiFi coverage. In a side-by-side comparison of WiFi speed, I was surprised to find that the download speed of the Arris, compared to the mesh network it had just replaced, was consistently almost 50% faster, while upload speeds were the same on both systems. While we don’t get gig speed service from our ISP, the Arris system was able to deliver speeds close to the max bandwidth level that we subscribe to in almost all areas of the home. With this 2-node system, the AX6600 offered similar coverage of our three-story home (~700 sq ft per floor) to our previous 3-node system did, and in most cases, faster download speeds from the same locations in the house. Both the router and satellite broadcast 2.4GHz and 5 GHz signal that your devices can connect to depending on their capabilities and signal strength. One notable exception was a speed reduction in our second floor bathroom where our prior system had a 3rd node with a direct line of sight, whereas the Arris system had no node on the second floor and therefore more obstructions between the signal and two access points. We also experienced slower speeds on our front porch, due to the orientation and height of placement we chose for the satellite on the first floor. However, WiFi reach did extend outside of the home to our side and back patios where we had dead zones previously. Unfortunately, since our property is not flat and the house itself sits at the top of a hill while the rest of our yard is 15-20 feet lower in elevation, we still did not have WiFi signal in the backyard. A minor complaint that I had about this system is the bright blue LED ring at the base of both the router and the satellite. While the brightness can be dimmed in the control app for both, it cannot be turned off completely (only reduced to 10%); this is not ideal as we have the router setup in the bedroom and the light can be a nuisance at night, even at the lowest setting. It also would have been great is the satellite had LAN ports, but I suppose if you want that you could just get the router 2-pack. The app interface is clean and simple, and also offers more advanced setup features like UPnP, port forwarding, DNS configuration, and IP reservation. You can also test/check your download and upload speeds, setup a guest WiFi network, and enable parental controls to block access from certain devices on a schedule or at the touch of a button. You can even enable Amazon features like Frustration-Free Setup, which saves your WiFi network information to the cloud, attached to your Amazon account, for faster setup of new devices, and link the system up with an Alexa account to utilize voice commands. As of this writing, the Alexa voice commands are limited to enabling/disabling the guest WiFi (provided you set one up in advance) and checking the status of the internet connection. Overall, I’m pretty happy with the quick setup and fast performance of this mesh system. I may add a third node to this system to ensure a strong and reliable connection on our second floor so that the satellite has a closer node to communicate with, but even without it, the system works well for our home.

Great speed, security, and setup. Control the router from your phone for ease of use. Buy it!!

If one of the main problems is the download speed of your internet or modem range it seems to me that this Arris Tri-band mesh can be of great help, however I think it is important to mention and warn that the configuration, one of the important stages of the installation will require patience and a little knowledge of what you are doing, at least in the section of the Router, Modem or simply how to connect or configure a new router in this case mesh. The unboxing is very simple as everything is in sight ready to be removed from the box, connect and start configuring. Well speaking of the most complex as I mentioned is the configuration, you have to download the app Surfboard central as it is not the only one available but is the one required for this product, once making the registration and follow the steps to configure there are many times that presents errors and you need to try again, you must correctly identify the type of router and / or modem to choose the ideal configuration, if you manage to follow the steps with great patience and manages to install and connect correctly, download speeds are noticeably higher and to some extent more stable, I think that in comparison with the devices that internet companies provide if an improvement is perceived even having home and mobile devices connected and browsing at the same time, at least in my case where having a 400mbps internet barely exceeded 300mbps now I can reach with my PC, tablet and phone just over 390mbps, the use in gaming seems good, no extreme improvement but it does maintain more stability in the connection and the ping despite not being the lowest does not rise as when using my previous router, the range it seems to be more large and have less hiccups than before, I liked that. Regardless of the specifications, I think one of the factors, which in my opinion are important for some users, is the number of Ethernet ports as there is only one, of course, you can add a switch but it will depend on the needs of each person, however, I feel that having at least three compensates for the obvious shortcomings of this product that if it fulfills its function but to achieve it can be a headache, I am not sure if I can recommend it to anyone, it seems to me that if you require simplicity in the installation and connection this is not that kind of product, but if you have a little knowledge about it and have the patience I think it can be worth it.

This is a plug & play only system for people that want to set it & forget it. It has decent range. Set up is easy with the extremely limited app. After you are done, if you had hopes of doing some self configuration & customization to your network you can just forget about that. There is no web GUI & the app doesn't offer any kind of useful customization at all. Disappointing. Returned.

The Surfboard Max Pro mes does what it set out to do, but the cost is speed. Our house is 3200sqft, 2 stories, so deadzones are a given. I've used mesh type wireless networking for the last 15 years since living here. There was a lot of reading and flashing custom firmware to get it working and back then it didn't have the ability to make you drop a weak signal and hop on the stronger one. So here we are now with these easy to set up devices that do everything for you with just a small amount of input from you. Great for "regular" users but for someone like me it's a big letdown. Set up actually to me over 60 minutes. Nearly every minute was trying to connect...fail...connect...fail...connect...fail during the set up. I manually connected to the ad hoc wifi that the Surfboard put out and still no success. After a bunch of resets of the device, reboots, clearing data on the app, etc I finally got through. First thing I wanted to do is to see how strong the signal was. I went all around the house and the base was strong enough to get a useable signal on its own. But the speed was 1/2 about 30ft and downstairs from the base. Outside, roughtly 60ft, and it was down 1/5. 20Mb/s is still darn good though. For comparison, my Wifi5 router's speed only drop 80% at 30ft, but useable signal outside. It did better in shorter range, but worse further out. I put the satellite 30ft from the base station and on the first floor. After 15 of firmware update I finally got to test it and while it did make the signal stronger around the house and outside - speed was 1/2 outside - it was cut in 1/2 as if I were connected to the base station at 30ft. But it extended the 1/2 speed performance in areas I couldn't acheive before. Even in the garage behind a huge stone fireplace I was getting 50-60Mb/s. The app said the satellite was whining because it wanted to be 40ft or closer. Any closer and I would have been better off just using a hardwire backhaul...even 40ft I'd have hardwired. But the satellite doesn't have an ethernet port. Configurare is pitifully minimal. It won't be an issue for most, but for guys like me and up it's kinda sad. All that hardware underneath and you barely get to do anything nice with it. No VPN, no AP mode (only bridge), no control over bands, no control over ANYTHING when you put in bridge mode. You can't even select the signal percentage of when the AP's do a handoff when the signal gets weak. That's only available if you allow the Surfboard to do all the routing. And EVERYTHING has to be done through the buggy, slow app. What's wrong with a good embedded web config? It's decent system. Nothing really great stands out. But without even a mediocre config, this is not a device for me.

The first thing you'll notice is that when you open the box there's no manual. You get the two units, and that's about it. The entire process for setup occurs with the app, which did have some hitches. When you go through the process, the units are not available except locally, but instead of connecting via Bluetooth the units generate their own local wifi you work through. On my iPhone I had to manually switch to that local setup wifi during the process each time, which for people who are not familiar with how to do so may get lost. I will say that once I did get it setup (had to reboot my cable modem to get the new unit to properly grab an IP), the range was awesome. I have one unit in the basement, and the satellite on the 2nd floor - the two had no issue with signal strength during setup. In fact, the coverage has been much better than the LinkSys Mesh system it replaced. Covers the 3k sq ft in my house without issue. The SURFBoard app is serviceable, allowing the normal things like Speed Tests, but also shows connections speeds and signal strength. The unit will try to properly ID connected devices and is usually accurate, but you do have the option to manually label them. There are also Parental Controls you can take advantage of. No other built in protection that is obvious, outside of standard firewall functionality. I did not take advantage of Alexa abilities - that's just not a thing in our house. People strictly using the units for wireless can stop reading here. This will be a great unit for your needs. Those needing wired connections though, you're going to want to invest in a GB switch of some sort, because the units only come with 1 LAN port. Still old school here, and want my gaming PC and XBox wired, and since they're on the same floor, could only do so with the switch. The LinkSys Mesh had 4 ports on it...

The SURFboard mAX is a great system with remarkable range and blazing fast speed. Starting with the setup, the Surfboard Central app makes it a breeze. The only place you may run into a glitch is that the app does not say to restart your modem, then your router, after connecting. So you read it here - once you've got it set up, recycle the power on your modem, then your base router, and everything should work like a dream. Speed on this Tri-band Wi-Fi 6 router is simply amazing. Transfer between devices feels instantaneous, and you'll get WiFi speeds that match being directly connected to the modem. Coverage is great. ARRIS claims the base router and the wall-plug extension can cover up to 5,500 SF, and that seems about right, depending on your layout. I have 3,600 SF across three floors built down a hillside, and I have coverage throughout the house and all but the farthest corner of the exterior. There is no drop in speed or dead spots anywhere. So, what's missing? In the name of a sleek design, there's only one Ethernet port on the base station. If you have Gig-E devices to plug in, you'll definitely need a hub. There are no family settings to prevent the kids from accessing content (not an issue in my house). Overall, a fast router with fantastic range and simple setup. This is a winner.

I was excited for the opportunity to upgrade my existing mesh Wi-Fi setup, but I’m going to have to wait longer. [Pro: The system does provide a wide area of coverage.] I live in a 2400 sq. ft. residence, and one device out this system is stated to cover 2750 sq. ft. (with 5500 sq. ft. covered in total). In theory, I shouldn’t need a mesh system, but signals and speed get weaker the further the device is away from the router. With the Arris Surfboard, I received good coverage throughout my backyard and in my driveway. [Con: I experienced several errors when attempting to setup the system.] Physical setup was simple, but I encountered issues when trying to use the Surfboard Central app. The app guide was easy to understand, but my device failed multiple times to connect to the internet. I would have to restart my modem (which was a Arris Surfboard), connect directly to the device through my phone, or press the retry button at whatever step I was stuck on. [Con: Speeds are inconsistent and poor.] With this mesh system, I had rare moments of getting high-end speed of 800 mbps which is really great. Unfortunately, the system would constantly give me speeds of 65 mbps even after optimizing my connection through Surfboard Central. After moving my extender to several locations as suggested by the app, my speeds still stayed on the low end of the spectrum to below 75 mbps. What makes this more disappointing is that I only had 2 devices connected during testing. [Con: The design of the device can be an inconvenience.] Because the ethernet ports are located on the bottom of the device, you must use a flat ethernet cable to link the router to the modem. An ethernet cable that met the requirement was already included, but I use a switch which meant that I would need to purchase another similarly styled cable in order to use it without damaging any cable ends. [Con: No ethernet ports on extender.] Although most devices are Wi-Fi enabled, there are still performance benefits to using a wired connection when using a television, computer, or gaming console. In conclusion, the Arris Surfboard Max doesn’t reach the potential listed in the description. It hits the target in coverage, but doesn’t provide the speed performance consistently to be effective.

I upgraded from a 3 unit mesh WiFi system to this two unit one. I was a little worried about loss of coverage. But after setting this up I was glad to find I had the same if not better signal throughout the house. And blazing speed to boot. I did have one issue when setting up. The main unit setup went good but I couldn’t add the satellite unit. I had to reset the satellite unit and then it worked just fine. I used the same WiFi name as I had before and all my stuff joined the new WiFi with out any issues. I haven’t had this system that long yet but so far I have not had to reset the units at all. I have had good signal without any hiccups. I do wish I could turn off the led light on the Satellite unit. I have this in our bedroom and even with it adjusted to the lowest setting it is still very bright. But nothing a little tape couldn’t fix. I have just over 80 different things connected to this WiFi from tv’s, to locks, to light switches and more. And it hasn’t slowed down at all. So far I’m very happy with this setup and switching over to it was very easy.

With the introduction of the Mesh WiFi systems, dead spots have been a thing of the past. Not only have they introduced greater wireless coverage, but the speeds have increased that benefit your devices and your LAN when it comes to local streaming by DNLA. Of course, this technology comes at a hefty price but is well worth it for those that are struggling with their current setup due to coverage and speeds. Set up was a breeze via the mobile. Unfortunately, there is no web-based set up so downloading the app is a must. Just connect the power adapter and the ethernet cable to your modem. There are two one-gigabit ports available one is the wan port (goes to your router) and the other LAN port for your device. The thin led light changes color to show you the current status. Blue means everything is working well, red means the connection is down. During the setup process, it will blink green until a connection has been established. You do get some general settings to enable/disable UPnP, bridge mode, and enable/disable IPv6 and port forwarding rules. Some of the more advanced stuff missing is firewall settings, port triggering, and VPN settings which is a bummer for those that like to use VPN for privacy. You still get your basic settings like IP and DNS configurations, IP reservations, DHCP Range, and lease time and time zone settings. The app does show you stuff like your current downloads and uploads speeds, a network map of your router and node, and devices that are connected to your network. You do get some basic parental controls like creating profiles that allow you to schedule internet access time, block users, and pause internet access too. One missing feature that I was disappointed not to see was the ability to set device prioritization. This feature for example allows you to set a device (for me was my work laptop) as a priority when it comes to internet bandwidth. Living on a 2-floor townhome not only was I having issues keeping a solid connection upstairs due to interference from the walls and network congestion. A good router is able to automatically adjust the channel to a less congested one. The Arris W122 did a good job of automatically choosing the most optimized channel available and having the node upstairs helped out a lot on keeping a stable connection upstairs. Speeds we’re also great for all of our connected devices. Overall the Arris W122 is a great mesh system for the majority of the users out there. If you’re an advanced user the lack of features will leave you disappointed. If you’re just looking for a router that works well and doesn’t require much to get it up and running the W122 is an excellent option.

I had been using an older modem that left us with spotty coverage in some rooms that were furthest from the modem. I was quite excited to install and use this new Surfboard Max Pro tri-band moden/router. The installation was simpple and easy but getting the system to work was very confusing as there are several smartphone apps to choose from. Once I figured out the correct app to use, setup was done and I am quite pleased with the speed and signal strenth of this unit. The main and satellite units give us coverage to all parts of the house where coverage used to be a problem.

Living in a large home, having WiFi coverage around the whole house can be an issue, especially in a multi-floor home, especially when there are multiple people and multiple devices requiring a connection to function simultaneously. This product by Arris helps expand WiFi around larger homes and does so perfectly to where I have not noticed a drop in Internet speed among my WiFi devices. Right out of the box, there isn't really much to set-up. You have the router with it's power cord and a short ethernet cable, and one "satellite" or extender, which can be plugged directly into a three-prong (GFCI) outlet. To set it up, you will need the companion app, which can be downloaded via Android or Apple device. Setting it up is fairly straightforward with the app, so you will need to be somewhat "tech savvy" to do so. However, I would say that if you can operate a smartphone moderately, you should be able to set this up without much issue. Since I've had this product up and running for a few days, I haven't noticed any drop in coverage and have multiple things connected to it, including a few "smart" devices, a couple of gaming consoles, my smartphone, and a couple televisions. All have been connected simultaneously without no drop in coverage or speed. While gaming, I also haven't noticed any lag issues or any trouble with download speeds. Overall I have loved this product so far. While I haven't tested this product within it's maximum range, I will say that I haven't had issue in my home of almost 3,000 square feet, which I will say is impressive based upon my subjective experience of using other brand of routers before. If there is one issue or "con" that I have with this product, it's that I wish the router had more ports, as it only has one open after using the other for my cable Internet modem. But other than that, this product by Arris does exactly as advertised. Awesome job, Arris!

This has been my experience, both with receiving the shipment and product performance! Upon removing the product from the carton, I discovered the Satellite had a rattle noise inside (something broken during shipping) never the less I proceeded to perform the set up by downloading the Surfboard app. The Max router had a difficult time connecting to my Spectrum modem, Performed resets and finally connected. Then attempted to pair to the satellite with no success. (broken ?). Contacted support and Kudos to ARRIS support! The support agent hung in to the end and after various resets and sequences, we had a solid set up. I then unplugged the satellite and relocated to another room fingers crossed and presto, the satellite reconnected immediately and I was impressed. I proceeded to test speeds and found the Max and Satellite were seeing my IP speeds down 450 mbps, up 23 mbps. My AC wireless device speeds to the routers had the 866 mbps that I was looking for and streaming services worked well, no buffering. The Max router does equip a ethernet connection to add a cloud device or switch. The Satellite has no extra connections so, limited in that sense. The Surfboard app home screen gives a good combo of information at a glance. There is no offer of a router UI for tweaking, however, you do have the option of band steering devices to the 5ghz radio. There are also alerts if things go awry. Both units are nice looking with a small footprint in the home. I feel this system is really meant for the individual who relies on a simple, yet powerfull up-to-date system with very little tweaking needed.

I think that this is simply the best option to maintain my internet speed in each place of my (medium size) house. Over the last few years, I’ve been increasing the speed of my home internet almost at the same speed that I’ve been adding internet-connected devices. When I moved to my current house I realized that some of the devices (the back door camera) were too far to connect. Arris changed it, the specs are impressive and I can confirm that it meets the specs (and my expectations!). I installed before wireless mesh networks at home and I am convinced that a system of nodes interconnected in a network is the easiest and more efficient method to cover the size of my three floors plus garage house. One router plus the satellite extender (both included in the box), they deliver the fastest wireless speeds, improved coverage, and reliable connections. You can do multiplayer gaming, HD streaming, file transfers, video chat, email, and web surfing all at the same time. However, a part of the beauty of this equipment is that installation doesn’t require any previous IT experience. Just need to download the Arris app software to your phone and create your account. It’s true that in the google play store you have a few arris apps, just a look into the box you can find the right app to download: Surfboard central app. Directly in the app, the router once connected to the modem allows you to set your entire network, I counted three self-explanatory steps before the one device network was functional. Installing the node (called here satellite extender) is as easy as plugging it into the power outlet and activating it into your network from the app. Once the installation is over, you can start to see the different options that the app will provide you to manage your network. Identifying the devices connected to the network that allows you to block potential threats or unwilling visitors. It also allows you to manage the screen time of your kids by blocking their devices during homework time. Parental control, add also peace of mind by creating profiles of your users. The final great option is coming with the functionality that allows you to set up a guest network for your visitors. This basically allows you to reserve speed for yourself and create access without sharing your main password. Two final comments about the specs: .- My house is smaller than the 5.500 sq in specs but wide enough to need the node. After testing the speed, I see that the speed delivered is uniform. .- At this moment I have 35 devices connected to my network. Knowing that the system can handle up to 150, it’s awesome. A final note based on my own experience, sometimes the problem is not necessary your internet speed of your internet provider, the right equipment can make a difference in securing powerful and fast access to all the devices that progressively you are adding to your home network. A final note that always needs to be indicated while talking of new technology: the manufacturer is betting on its own product offering a two years guarantee.

Review for ARRIS - SURFboard mAX Pro Wireless-AX6600 Tri-Band Mesh Wi-Fi 6 System First, this router does a great job with coverage! I have the main unit in the lower level of our our tri-level house and the satellite amplifier unit on the ground floor. Together, they cover not only the floors they’re on, but the upper level and most of our entire yard - front and back. It’s great to sit outside and not lose connection or to walk around with my phone on Wifi without a dropped call. Second, these units use Wifi 6, which is rarely talked about, but is a big deal. It is to Wifi, what 5G is to cellular — the next big thing. I ran a speed test on my (older) iPad, and also on my wife’s new iPad Pro and couldn’t believe the difference. Hers is setup to use Wifi 6, whereas, mine is too old to take advantage of it. Of course, the router is backward compatible and works great with a huge number of devices connected at the same time. It’s especially exciting to know that as new devices that are compatible with this higher speed get added to our home network, they can take advantage of the improved speed. Finally, a note on setup and maintenance. The SURFboard app used to install the router is clean and straightforward. The initial setup took me about a half hour, and truth be told, much of that time is the software sorting itself out without my help. Each step is clearly spelled out, although the time it takes from one step to the next can seem long. (Think little spinning disc…) I understand at a high level the amount of stuff going on, and to let the app figure it our for me is worth the wait not to have to understand IP addresses and such. It all just works!

Pro: -Simple setup -Good coverage Con: -Only one ethernet port -Parental control is lacking -No web portal The router doesn’t take up that much space and is aesthetically pleasing. It’ll blend in with any decor. All the wires are routed at the bottom, with only the power, and two ethernet ports (one for the modem). There’s no USB port or power button, but the power cable is easy enough to pull out for a quick reset. The satellite is about the size of an energy drink can. It simply plugs into an outlet. It does take up a good bit of space and may get in the way of the other outlet. Setting up is simplified and all done within the app. The app walks you step by step from setting up, connecting directly with the router, and switching over to the wifi. It took a couple of tries to establish the direct connections, but nothing difficult. The app is required since there’s no web portal to access the router. The satellite was as easy to set up, going through the same steps. After going through the setup, and updating the firmware, it takes a few minutes for it to finish up and ready to go. The coverage is good, with stable connections about 30ft to 40ft from either the router or the satellite. With the router and satellite combo, I get strong connections throughout my house. This router lacks some features that other routers commonly have. Firstly, there’s only one usable ethernet port. If you have any wired connections, you’ll probably need an additional switch. Router settings are also a bit lacking. It’s missing some advanced network settings and parental control is bare. The parental control only allows you to block the internet per profile, either by devices or scheduled time. You can’t block individual websites. Advanced network settings like security and vpn settings are not available. And no web access, so everything must be done with the app. While it’s a good performing router, it’s lacking common features that other routers have, especially at this price point. Having only one ethernet port was a big negative for me. The network settings and parental control is also more barebones. The setup process was, however, very simple. I think this router is good for people who need a simple setup and just have it work.

Working from home, my wi-fi signal on the 2nd floor is less than optimal - enter the ARRIS SURFboard mAX Pro Wireless-AX6600 mesh system. Setup starts by scanning the QR code in the box to install the SurfBoard Central app, setup an account and follow the steps. My router is connected to my FIOS by CAT6 cable, making setup pretty simple, I just moved the cable from their router to the Surfboard. While setup with the app was successful, I did need to repeat a couple of the steps a few times to get setup to complete. There was a firmware update right out of the gate that took a couple of minutes and connecting the satellite extension took another few minutes but connected right away. Overall it took less than 15 minutes to get the router and satellite working. Once everything was setup connecting my devices to the new router was quick and painless. You choose your network name and password during setup. If you are replacing a router, simply use the same name and password and things should move to the new network without issue. Signal strength is now greatly improved on my 2nd floor and speed maxes out everywhere in my home. Unlike all the other routers I've had, the only way to set the ARRIS up is by using their app. There is no web-based control panel option. The app allows you to set up basic network settings and IP configurations, set parental controls which allow you to manually shut down users and schedule available time, and turn a guest account on or off. You can also see all the connected devices and their signal. There is only one additional Lan port to connect a wired device and there is no USB port.The SURFboard also does not have a WPS button to press to connect devices. There are Amazon Alexa skills you can add that allow you to control some of the features like disable the guest account. A nice touch but I personally don't see myself using this feature. I like the SURFboard mAX Pro mesh system. The strong signal is much better than the provider's equipment and setup was a breeze. I give it four stars because I don’t believe it lives up to the “pro” name and price, however, for a basic mesh system it does everything it claims to do. I would recommend it to a friend.

Setup with the mobile app was fast and easy. The base unit has a small footprint and has a modern look. The extender paired easily as well and the app assisted with the best placement. The WiFi 6 speeds are blazing fast and I have over twenty-five devices connected with no bottlenecks. It would be nice if there were more available ethernet ports, but this will not be an issue for most since virtually all modern internet devices use WiFi. I like that it has one 2.5 mhz and two 5 mhz bands. You can set one of the 5 mhz bands dedicated for streaming or gaming if desired. This will be a router that has the latest technology and will not need replacing for several years.