Arris SURFboard MAX Pro Wireless WiFi 6 Mesh System AX6600 Review

Arris SURFboard MAX Pro Wireless WiFi 6 Mesh System AX6600 Review

Buy it at Amazon: Arris SURFboard MAX Pro Wireless WiFi 6 Mesh System AX6600 [Affiliate Link]

Takeaway: Simple and Straightforward setup, fast download speeds, great coverage, reliable/stable connection.

Thank you to Best Buy for sending me this product for free to try.

The Arris Surfboard Max mesh system comes in two versions. There’s the W122 model which includes a primary router and plug-in satellite node and W121 model which is simply a two pack of routers. You can also purchase the router in single packs though oddly, the satellite cannot be purchased separately on its own. The maximum number of nodes you can mesh together is 3, as long as one of them is a router.

The routers each come with a wall adapter and each set comes with an Ethernet cable. The router measures 7.5” tall with a 4” diameter. It has rubber feet on the bottom of its metallic base to prevent the unit from sliding. Just above the metal base is the LED status ring. At the top and back are vents for heat dissipation, and you’ll notice that there are no external antennas on this router. On the bottom are the inputs for power, LAN, and WAN, marked in yellow which you’ll connect to your broadband modem, and reset pinhole. One thing to note is that the clearance under the unit for the cables is pretty low, and you’ll need to use flat Ethernet cables with short connectors, like the one that is included. If you use a standard size RJ45 connector, you’ll find that it protrudes too far and won’t allow the modem to sit flat while also pinching the cable, which is a bit inconvenient.

The satellite node doesn’t need a power adapter because the plug is built-in. It has vents on top and bottom as well as the back and sides and a reset pinhole is on the right-hand side. There are no Ethernet ports on this unit, so it can only broadcast a wireless signal.

In order to setup the mesh system, you’ll need to download and install the SURFboard Central mobile app on an Android or iOS mobile device, then create an Arris account, if you don’t already have one. Unfortunately, there’s no web interface for app-free setup. In the app, you’ll follow the onscreen prompts to setup the router.

The Arris SURFboard Max uses a tri-band system with a dedicated wireless backhaul channel. The two-node system covers up to 5500 sq ft, but is expandable by adding one additional node, as the system maxes out at 3 nodes. That means one of these units can’t be used. If you want wired Ethernet ports at each access point, then I’d recommend using multiple routers as each child node would give you two Ethernet uplinks, while the plug-in satellite would only support wireless connections.

In a side-by-side comparison of WiFi speed, I was surprised to find that the download speed of the Arris, compared to my previous WiFi 6 network, it was consistently almost 50% faster for downloads. Even though we aren’t on the 1 gigabyte plan from our ISP, the Arris system was able to deliver speeds close to the max bandwidth level that we do subscribe to in almost all areas of the home. Both the router and satellite broadcast 2.4GHz and 5 GHz signals that your devices can connect to depending on their capabilities and signal strength.

However, the one thing I didn’t like about this system is the bright blue LED ring at the base of both the router and the satellite. While the brightness of these lights can be dimmed in the app, it cannot be turned off completely, only reduced to 10% brightness. That means it might not be a good choice in sleeping quarters since it’ll create some light pollution at night, even at the lowest setting.

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 like blocking internet access on a schedule or on demand for specific devices.

There are even integrated features like Amazon’s Frustration-Free Setup, which saves your WiFi login information to the cloud for fast and convenient setup of new devices purchased through your account and a couple of Alexa voice commands for enabling a guest WiFi network or verifying the status of your internet connection.

Overall, the setup for this WiFi 6 Mesh system was quick and straight forward and its performance speed-wise has been great. The signal throughout the home is strong and reliable and we’ve had no issues connecting our smart home device or mobile devices to it even when roaming about the house.

Buy it at Amazon: Arris SURFboard MAX Pro Wireless WiFi 6 Mesh System AX6600 [Affiliate Link]