Customer Ratings & Reviews

I have mixed feelings about the Motorola AX1800. I was impressed with the packaging and how easy it was to get started setting up using the Moto Sync mobile app. All 3 of the routers are exactly the same. It doesn’t matter which one you use as the main router and which one as the extender. Connecting and setting one of them as the router was quick and easy. I was able to scan the QR code at the bottom of the device using the app, and it was connected within seconds. However, connecting the remaining two as extenders is not nearly as fast. It takes up to 10 minutes, and at times more than 10 minutes for them to connect. After connecting each one, they are required a firmware update, which also took a while for it to complete the setup process. The system was working, but wasn’t working as smoothly as I’d like, so I decided to do a factory reset for each device and set it up all over again. This was very frustrating because the after I setup one of them as the router, the other two would never reconnect as extenders. After over 10 minutes waiting for each one to connect, I would receive an error message saying my extenders were too far way. I decided to bring each one inside the same room as the router, and I continued to get the same results. I wasn’t sure if the firmware update had anything to do with it not connecting, because they connected fine prior to the update. I tried connecting them numerous times for over 2 hours. I was finally about to give up, then decided to delete the Wifi network I created using the app. Since the app will not allow you to delete the app if it’s the only one, I created a new one. I was then able to delete the old wifi network. The newly created wifi network allowed me to finally reconnect my extenders. Now that everything was setup and working again, I was able to connect my devices. The wifi speeds of the router that was connected to my cable modem via ethernet was fast. I wasn’t receiving fast speeds from the extenders, despite them being a room or two away. I was getting far better speeds from my mesh network that’s made by another manufacturer. There are times when the light on the front of the extenders will turn yellow, which mean I’m not getting a good signal and the extender is too far from the base unit. I’m not sure why since they’re only a room or two away, and they claim you can get over 5,000 square feet of coverage. Sometimes I’ll unplug the extender and plug it back up. It’ll then turn solid white and say the connection is fine, only to turn back yellow after a day or so. If the system performed as well as it did on paper, it would be an awesome system. Unfortunately , it’s lacking and I feel there are better options out there.

Setup was pretty straightforward and easy. I ran into no issues either time I set these up. I ended up redoing the config because the one node hung during setup. The app is pretty well designed and intuitive. It allows you to set up profiles and assign users to devices. This is handy if you are setting time limits, but also lets you know if a new device is online. I have some devices that are Wi-Fi 6 that take advantage of the faster speeds. Most of my non Wi-Fi 6 devices are actually seeing slower speeds coming through the AX1800 network. Right now I am running two (actually 3) Wi-Fi networks. Out modem has built in Wi-Fi that I leave up if anything is not working it allows me to get to the modem interface for a restart from inside the GUI. My next issue I need to restart my Wi-Fi on portable devices to connect to the closer node. There is no true mesh handoff that happens. On my older network I would hand off as I walked through the house. If I test I see I get less than 5 mbps down and up until I disconnect and reconnect to the network. Even then, sometimes this does not fix the issue. My last issue, randomly one node will disconnect or restart, since there was not a node naming during the configuration I need to figure out which node is which The range on each node is very good, maybe too good causing the devices not to do a handoff. These are nice looking devices that are almost unnoticeable in most places. The LED light is not too bright and won't function as a nightlight. I think there could be some improvements on the install and reconfiguring the nodes. Some things in the app are hard to find. Luckily you only do these things once in a great while. The other issue I have at the moment, there does not seem to be a web interface for these. Connecting to the main router only brings up a page showing a QR code and telling you to download the app. Final thought, if you have a lot of Wi-Fi 6 devices, this might be worth it. The speed gain is considerable for Wi-Fi 6 devices, but if you have more devices that are not Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ac and lower) then you won't see the gains and maybe even slower speeds. The range on these are quite good, but I am still finding areas in the house that have slow speeds even though I am laid out to maximize the 5000 square foot advertised area of coverage for the 3 node. I probably need to add a 3rd extender to get to one corner of the house, brick walls seem to be every routers kryptonite. I would recommend if you have the devices to take advantage of the speed, but not worth and upgrade if you don't have enough devices to actually gain from it.

For a mesh network it is as advertised. I installed all three boxes by creating a router first and then the other two as extenders. Setup was relatively straight forward. I did have a couple challenges with the first extender not joining the network initially and had to remove it and then re-add it. I was able to get all three up and running and put them in different areas of my house. My house is a modest size at just about 2250 square feet so I was slightly surprised when my coverage wasn't as good as it was before I started. I am continuing to manipulate placement along with setting changes, which are minimal, to see if I can increase stability and coverage. The advertisement on the box and online claims that the three pack can cover up to about 5000 square feet. I'm simply not seeing that kind of signal strength or coverage to this point in a much smaller area. I am going to keep trying to modify my placement and see if I can make it a stronger solution. There are some nice features via the app. You use it for setup which was simple when it worked. There are also some minor configuration changes within the app that most people won't need to touch. A must have for me in a home with kids is the ability to limit usage, block certain types or traffic such as ads, malicious and adult websites. Overall, I feel like there are other, more robust options for a similar price. At this point, I don't recommend it but will modify this review if I'm able to make improvements with placement and / or working with customer support.

Tl;dr: Nice app marred by configuration issues within Motorola’s servers. Limited configuration options may prevent your use-case in more advanced networking situations. Motorola has a long history with radio communication. That history has, unfortunately, not translated well to their AX1800 mesh networking kit. The set up started easy. Motorola requires you to install their app, but mainly so that you can connect to the kit using QR codes printed on the bottom of each “puck”. Connecting to the first puck went smoothly. After that, things went downhill. Following the steps in the app, I added the 2nd node. The app told me it was synching with the original node. It noted, this could take 10 minutes. Unfortunately, that process never completed. I tried again with the 3rd node and had a similar experience. I ended up chatting with Motorola’s support team. They also had an option of calling, but I chose chatting as I thought it would be easier to understand each other. The process they had me walk through involved connecting each expansion node to the main node (one at a time) and having the support tech initiate a synch request. In total this took about 1 hour to complete. After it was complete, I was receiving suboptimal speeds. The tech suggested I set my PC’s WiFi adapter preference for 5Ghz frequency range vs. 2.4GHz to assure the fastest speeds. While this worked, I have not had this issue with any other routers I’ve used. After I got the mesh network set up, I discovered it has very limited configuration options. I have a number of wired devices in my house, including a printer, a DVR, and a network hard drive. I was hoping to use the Motorola mesh system to extend access in the house to all devices. This would have required setting up the Motorola system as a subnet. I’ve been able to do this in my network configuration with nearly every router for various reasons as my home network has grown to include cameras or previously to accommodate Verizon’s cable boxes. Unfortunately, Motorola does not allow for this configuration, which meant my devices on the mesh network couldn’t access the devices from the wired network. My only option would have been to reconfigure my existing network, which I could do, but would also require resetting all the static IP addresses I’d configured. If the main node had 6 ethernet ports, I could have done with a single set up, but unfortunately it has only one LAN port. For me, it was much easier to set up another mesh system without that limitation, like TP-Link’s excellent Deco X60.

. Let’s cut to the quick. Maybe you’ve been hanging on to your old single point router and it just can’t reach all corners of your house for fast streaming, and you are tired of the kids complaining. You want to join the mesh revolution, but you don’t want to take a college network course or pay a lot. So, you are interested in the Motorola - AX1800 for value and simplicity of use. It delivers on both. But value and simplicity require compromises (always). It is easy to point out what you do not get because you did not pay for, things such as no USB connection for distributed printers, or no IP/net level control via browser (you have to use the App). But surprisingly, you do get 2 gigabit ethernet ports on ALL three nodes so you can hardwire them in for increased speed (some manufacturers cut costs but providing those on only one node. You also get ease of set up, took me less than 15 minutes with zero cursing, and a very robust security system that allows you to customize by client, scan for bad agents, even set up a guest network. That’s IF (big IF, if you are a cloud conspiracist) you trust cloud management of your security. You do ALL of this on your smartphone or pad. For some that’s a plus, for others they rather use their computer browser. Oh, and you get decent WIFI 6 speeds and good coverage. The advantages of any mesh system over a single point WIFI node are real, and this one delivers on range. I found the speed to be acceptable, it’s not as fast as costlier models, but gets the job (streaming multiple devices) done. So, who is this for? Maybe not the person that upgrades their WIFI to fast gigabit speeds, they want to show off every bit of speed they can. But if fast enough is what you want, if easy of use if your thing, and you like the control of checking in on things from your phone, plus the idea of saving a buck or two appeals to you, then this could be the mesh system for you. With those caveats in mind, I give it 5 stars. If it was more expensive, then it would be only 4.

This system is amazing. SUPER easy to install. To get started you will need to download the companion mobile app. Once you sign in to the app, you are ready to start the install. Just follow the instructions and you will be up in a few minutes. I had to turn off my router, then plug in the Motorola to the router with the ethernet cable and plug the power into the wall. Then power on the router and then power on the Motorola. You get three hubs in the box, and any one of them can be the primary. Once it picks up the internet signal from the router it will connect with the app on your mobile phone. Connecting the nodes to the app is as easy as scanning the QR code on the bottom of each unit. Once the main unit is connected and working, you can connect the other nodes. I suggest doing this nearby the original for the best signal and then moving them to other locations in the home as needed. I did notice that right after each node was connected and working, they wanted to download the latest firmware. I would skip that step if prompted. It took forever and then they would time out. So I left them overnight and then when I got up the next morning the firmware was up to date. The primary unit is in our front entrance and our home is made of stucco with sliding glass doors to the lanai. I have had issues with signal strength in the very front of the house and the very back. Now with this system I am getting strong reliable signals throughout my home. At the main unit I can get around 300 mb download and at the ends of the home I am still getting 100-150 mb download on our devices. I really like the app and all the information I get for each device that connect to it. I like being able to see which node a device is connected to as well. You can set up parental controls and other limits as well. I really am enjoying exploring all that I can do within the app and all the data I get for the devices connected and their use.

This is my first foray into a MESH system. I live in a home built in the 1800's with plaster and lath walls, so wifi signal in most places around my home is lacking. I consider myself an intermediate user when it comes to technology maybe just above average. First off, all the units are identical, so it does not matter which gets set up first. It's a good idea to set them up close together at first. My mistake was setting the first one up, then going to another room for the second one. Definitely caused some frustration. Once I was close to the original, setup was a breeze. Someone with little to no tech background should be able to set this system up. You will need the minim app on your phone in order to set this up. There is no PC based setup or management. I'm pleased with the wifi service. I'm able to get useable wifi signal in all of my home now, despite the wall issues. I do not have fiber or GB service to my house. Currently service is rated for 100Mbs. Pre-mesh I had areas that would not connect to wifi. Now I get service in every corner of my home, and out into my detached garage. Pre-mesh, even near my router I averaged 77-91Mbps down and 18-24Mbps up. In low signal I would get less than 3Mbps down/ 1Mbps up. Now I'm consistently getting 62-70Mbps down and 16-19Mbps up. Stress tested the system with 2 desktops, 4 laptops, 4 tablets, 4 security cameras, 2 smart TVs, 1 Xbox on a non smart tv, and 11 phones (Thanks friends) all streaming at the same time. No issues or buffering for anyone. Thw Motorola AX1800 set should pretty much handle anyone's Wifi needs. Having ethernet ports is a bonus for those who need to use an ethernet cable on a desktop PC or other item to connect to the network. Total setup time for me was just over an hour and a half. My cons are - Setup could be more intuitive and easy. There are no detailed instructions or setup guide. The only instructions are a glorified quickstart guide. I was unable to locate instruction to do any advanced setup. The setup instruction in the app are vague as well. There is no way to hang them on a wall. You'll need a shelf or table to put them on. I ended up running a small wire through the bottom vents to make a loop for hanging. Very inconvenient and not good looking at all. It would have been easy to include a snap on wall hanger as an option. These are why it gets 4 stars.

This is my 3rd mesh wifi system setup, so I am well experienced with how to set them up, configure them, etc. That said, the Motorola unit was *extremely* easy to get going and configured. The app walked me through everything needed to complete the setup successfully without any hiccups. Once I got the units placed throughout my house, though, it was a different story. Before getting this router I had simply used the modem provided by my ISP. In my kitchen - near "worst case" scenario for coverage - I was able to get ~300mbps download per speedtest.net on my mobile phone, despite paying for 1200mbps from my cable company. So, not bad but not what I am paying for. After setting up the motorola - including an extender right in my kitchen - I decided to do a test, hoping my speeds would improve. Alas, it was not the case. With the motorola points I got only 120mbps! There's no telling what the culprit may have been as I am unable to configure the channels, bandwidth, etc of the units with the rudimentary app provided. A Wifi Analyzer app showed a *very* crowded spectrum, despite open channels elsewhere, and the motorola mesh was right in the mix with them (so it doesn't do a good job of picking an open channel, either).

I had high hopes for this mesh system in a 3,000 square foot two-story home. But ultimately, wireless speeds were disappointing, and the coverage was not as good as my current tri-band router with an extender. Set up took a while. You have to install a phone app to set up. Each satellite took almost 10 minutes to sync up. The Motorola AX1800 Mesh system does not automatically give you the option to have 2 and 5 GHz networks during initial set up. It defaults to a 5 GHz network, which makes setting up alarm system cameras and doorbells that rely on a 2.4 GHz network impossible. Fortunately, there was an option in the settings that allowed me to create a second network and make it into a 2.4 GHz one. I got lucky and found it. However, even with all three satellites in place and working, the cameras located on the outside of the house would not connect to my alarm. I had to keep moving the satellites further away from the base, which slowed down their streaming speed, but at last I was able to get the cameras to connect to the alarm via Wi-Fi. The next challenge was getting them to stream. The Motorola was not giving me enough wireless bandwidth to stream video. I had to turn the cameras down to 480 to get them to work. Not good… Wondering how the wireless performance of the Motorola could be so bad, I started doing speed tests all around the house to see if I could find the optimal distance from the satellites. This is where the weakness of the Motorola really shines through. I have a 500 Mbps connection via a cable modem, and with my current Netgear router and extender, I can get that easily no matter where I am in my house. With the Motorola, I was lucky to get 200 Mbps at certain locations in the home. I set the laptop right next to the base unit and tried a speed test. It only came in at 140 Mbps. Then I walked into the next room, in between the base unit and one of the satellites, and the speed increased to 200 Mbps. I couldn’t understand how I could have more speed further away from the base than I do near it. Thinking maybe there was an issue with the unit I had, I performed a factory reset and tried again. No difference. Performance and bandwidth was subpar and won’t work in my home. I gave up and packaged the Motorola AX1800 Mesh System up and put my Netgear router and extender back in place.

I spent the last ½ hour installing the Motorola MH7603 Wi-Fi System (3 pack) and it wasn’t great, but it wasn’t as bad as other systems I’ve installed. So, I downloaded the Android app, and the first choice is to set up a new network or join an existing one. Well, I want to join my existing one as a bridge, but that’s not going to work. First off, it won’t let me join my existing network because it’s not a Moto network or something to that effect. So, I set out to start a new network and know I won’t be able to bridge the Moto to my current network. No biggie, just another password to remember. From there, the MotoSync app walks you step by step. I zap the QR code on the first unit, connect it to my router and plug it in. The app says to unplug all other routers and the modem, but in my case, that didn’t happen just for your info. The light blinked white for a while and the app showed a progress bar, then it turned to a flashing blue and finally a solid white. Proceeding through the app, it asks if you want to add another unit, I do so I repeat the steps with the QR code for the second and third units. As expected, there’s a firmware update and I hit it between the 2nd and 3rd install. It didn’t matter. After the firmware update, I was asked if I wanted to add another unit, I did and then it said to do a firmware update again. I wondered if it would take forever like the first, but it only needed to update the last unit and took half the time. Once that was done, it asked if I wanted to use the default name and password…ah no, or if I wanted to create my own…ah yeah! So, I did so on the next screen, and it connected and finished. Now what? I have all three units next to each other and need to move them. No instructions so I unplug the two wireless ones and off we go. I put one in the garage (it shares a wall with my office) and the other in the den, up high on the entertainment unit. I go back to the garage to find the app red and rebooting. I wait quite a bit, but I believe it’s because the wired unit has to go solid white, then the other two can reboot. After that bit, the app when blue and said the system was terrific. So, all is well, but of course, I need to see a few things. I wanted to see the WPA2 security settings, but I can’t find them on the app. I go to my Windows 11 machine and try to connect to the network, and it does in fact ask for a password. I try an incorrect one and none and it doesn’t connect, so that’s good. I enter the correct password and it connects. I still would feel better if I saw somewhere in the app the security status. For now, the system has been up for about 15 minutes and looks to be working (as it states…terrific). My only complaints are not being able to use it in bridge mode (maybe my fault), the need for a firmware update out of the box (I guess doing a firmware update is better than a manufacturer that doesn’t offer one when it’s needed) and some gaps in the installation instructions. Overall, it’s a really good system and should be easy enough for most users to install themselves or with a bit of help from a knowledgeable person. I’d gladly recommend this kit to my friends.

Motorola – AX1800 Mesh Wi-Fi Router/Extender 3 pack White The Motorola AX1800 Router/Extender 3 pack came packaged in a nice-looking box with plenty of packaging to keep the products safe. In the box was 3 Router/Extenders 3 Power Cords 1 Ethernet Cable 1 Instruction Guide The instructions tell you to download the “motosync app” from your store. Downloading and installing went off with out any problems. Follow the on-screen pictures and text to install the first device. First you scan the QR Code from the bottom of the device. Then you follow the instructions step by step to install this device. The first one installed acts as the router. If you need to install another one elsewhere in the home, you plug an Ethernet Cable on the Lan Port on the back of the Router and the other end into the Network port on the second unit. This can be repeated once more for the third unit. After setup is complete you will notice a better Wi-Fi signal around the new devices. The farther away the less of a signal. In the farthest room from the Modem, I have another Router set up to get a signal in my shed in the back yard. I was getting a good signal to the shed. I unplugged the Router and plugged in the new AX1800 Mesh. I was getting a weaker signal to the shed which is 100 feet outside the window. I also noticed that the main AX1800 I had set up at the Modem would not penetrate red brick walls of the room. I liked some of the other features available on the application, so I install all three of the units. 1 in the main computer area. 1 in the living room for the TV. 1 in the end bedroom. This now gives me Wi-Fi through-out the house. The best feature of this system is a breakdown of the usage for each device connected to the unit. I would recommend the Motorola – AX1800 Mesh Wi-Fi Router/Extender to family and friends.