TAIPEI—Woeful Wi-Fi speeds in coffee shops, gyms, and home offices could finally be a problem of the past. That's thanks to a new crop of networking products catering to the post-pandemic remote work set, as well as small businesses looking for easy network setup without hiring a consultant or a local geek.
Among the new offerings are two that Asus launched at Computex 2023 here this week, the ExpertWiFi EBM68 mesh system and the ExpertWiFi EBR63 Wi-Fi router.
The mesh system is a tri-band AX7800 package, which means it offers up to 7,800Mbps of Wi-Fi 6 throughput, plenty for most users. The EBR63 is an AX3000 router that Asus is targeting at cafes or small offices, offering up to 3,000Mbps of Wi-Fi 6 bandwidth. The router body actually has a handy flipout stand for placing in space-strapped environs; it can also be wall-mounted.
Easy Wi-Fi for Businesses Without Support Resources
While the names of the new Asus networking products aren’t so trendy, the implications of the launch for a once-sleepy corner of the networking market—the small office/home office (SOHO) segment—definitely are. Both the router and the mesh system are designed for people who don’t have their own network administrator to plot out a robust system that won’t crash when many people connect to it at once, a common problem for trendy independent coffee shops.
Both the router and the mesh system promise improved reliability over devices aimed at home users, thanks to what Asus says are streamlined management tools. Using the Scenario Explorer in the ExpertWiFi app, you can choose a scenario that best fits your business, and the app will automatically select and adjust advanced features to complete the setup process.
That way, coffee shop owners could end up with a polished internet portal for customers (perhaps one that kicks them off if they stay too long?) and a separate network for employees and IoT devices like smoke alarms and leak detectors. Up to five separate networks can be created this way, Asus says.
Other software features for the router and mesh system will be more familiar to anyone who’s set up an Asus home router before, including AiProtection Pro network security, support for multiple VPN protocols, and the option to add a backup internet source, such as your smartphone's wireless connection, if your primary ISP connection goes down. (Asus demonstrated the function by tethering a sample smartphone via USB to the main mesh unit of the router, as you can see below.)
Asus will also offer a pair of Power over Ethernet (PoE) solutions for situating routers and notes in spots where it's impossible to run power cables. The PoE devices will comprise a PoE module (EBP15) and a PoE module with an integrated access point (EBA63).
Asus did not announce pricing or availability for the EBM68 or EBR63, but expect them to be priced somewhat higher than existing Asus networking products for home use, which typically range from $100 to $500.