Tenda MW6 Wireless Router Dual-Band (2.4 GHz / 5 GHz) Gigabit Ethernet White

We are a customer (or victim ) of Spectrum. We have a lot of internet issues. I use to be with roadrunner for years and we just recently switched. We have a lot of issues with inconsistency and etc. every time I called into Spectrum it is always the same thing that it is MY wireless router. It is never ever their stuff. I got so sick and tired of hearing this. I researched and went out and bought this new router system for our home. I want to eventually switch to GOOGLE Fiber when it’s available anyhow so I am just prepping myself to have everything the same. I like this router system but it is not without fault. The design is simpleand elegant.The 3-pack arrived in what I would describe as Google’s minimalist approach to packaging, devoid of clutter and waste – ... MoreWe are a customer (or victim ) of Spectrum. We have a lot of internet issues. I use to be with roadrunner for years and we just recently switched. We have a lot of issues with inconsistency and etc. every time I called into Spectrum it is always the same thing that it is MY wireless router. It is never ever their stuff. I got so sick and tired of hearing this. I researched and went out and bought this new router system for our home. I want to eventually switch to GOOGLE Fiber when it’s available anyhow so I am just prepping myself to have everything the same. I like this router system but it is not without fault. The design is simpleand elegant.The 3-pack arrived in what I would describe as Google’s minimalist approach to packaging, devoid of clutter and waste – or in other words – much like their packaging approach for mobile phones. The container securely holds the three pods and tucked away underneath each is a separate box containing the power wart and attached cable. No additional crud to store or throw away.The units are diminutive and feel solid in the hand, with great rubber pads and a centered, striped section that illuminates to show status and activity.Initial SetupSetup was so simple and presented nothing in the way of complication. This is what I expect from Google engineers. Brilliant. You simply plug the first unit into your modem or existing router via a CAT cable and then you connect the power wart and you’re off to the land of mesh by adding the next two pucks to the environment. I personally found the Android app to be completely straightforward, intuitive and brilliant in approach. The app sequences through a few steps that employ both wifi and Bluetooth functionality to communicate to the wireless ‘pucks’ and within no time at all – really – the mesh was complete, the firmware updated and the status clearly displayed within the app.I believe Google was aiming for simplicity and in my mind, they nailed it.The app just needs a few more bells and whistles to be able to compete with less expensive solutions but at this early stage of the game – it does everything it needs to do.Internal ConfigurationThese aren’t your standard faire routing devices and with that in mind, you’ll need to utilize the Android or iOS mobile apps to bring it all together and setup the particulars. From what I see – and I expect the features to expand with future firmware app updates – there’s not much to fiddle around with internally and more interesting, is that the minor set of advanced features that are present are managed through the Google cloud. Some folks may be put off by that. You can control family time via the app although it does fall short of providing comprehensive ‘scheduling’ control for the radios. That’s an oversight in my mind. You can also control the brightness of the indicator lights from the same app. That’s a cool feature.Each puck only has 2 Ethernet ports, so if you’re someone who has the need to do physical connections to more than 1 device nearby to the primary ‘node’ or puck or more than 2 devices down-stream, you’re going to need to pony up for some switches. Additionally, Google has chosen to not include any USB ports for localized storage enhancements. Just another ploy to push people into becoming dependent on the cloud. In my mind, these facets of the design limit the scope of this system to a wider audience.In a nutshell, the app configuration method is sure-fire easy and should appeal to the plug-and-play crowd that live through their phones – for what I believe is the intended market.PerformanceThe Google wifi mesh system quickly adapted to the existing network present in my home, automatically selecting channels ‘around’ those that were present accounted for by way of my Linksys router. When I went into my Linksys and forced different static channel assignments, even in the more congested bands, the Google mesh automatically reassigned without any overlap with competing channels. In other words, if you want to add the Google wifi mesh to your existing home setup – you can – and you need not worry about flipping some switches on either end of your hardware arrangement to enable ‘bridge mode’. These things bridge straight out of the box. Again – brilliant.As for overall performance, I do have to ding these critters for not being up-to-snuff vs. my existing wireless network arrangement. I didn’t experience any random disconnects or perceivable lost connections in 1 months’ worth of trials – but the speed was mediocre at best.My home has more challenging wall construction and I believe that this played a part in the reduced performance over ~3000 sq/feet of living space… so your mileage may vary.One thing I did notice is that although it has been stated that these bad boys support IPv6 addressing, when I checked numerous devices connected to the mesh only IPv4 was being supported. I’m not sure exactly why this was the case but in any event, it might simply be due to the fact that these are still maturing – or perhaps the bridge mode approach I used crippled their ability to do simultaneous IPv4 v6 routes. So if IPv6 functionality is critical to you, I’d research it more before purchasing.All in all I would say that this system should satisfy most people’s need for broadened coverage over a medium to large home with the least amount of hurdles.SummaryFor the price, there’s a compelling case to be made for selecting other hardware solutions over this mesh kit. Many of the newest MU-MIMO routers are a bit more sophistication in their channel beaming optimizations. Conversely, if a consumer is looking for a really simple solution to set up with a powerful mobile app to control their wireless universe … this will work beautifully.If I could, I would give this product 4 and a half stars but since it's "lacking" - I cannot round up to five stars.To conclude with my Spectrum complaints though, now when I call in and they inquire what kind of router I have they immediately start trouble shooting on their end when I tell them about my router... 😂. For that it makes the investment worth it totally.

Fiona's review of Nova MW3 Whole Home WiFi System - Triple Pack

Pros: This was bought to solve the issue of inconsistent WiFi across our house. We had an extension built two decades ago and had problems getting the WiFi across the cavity wall into the office. We had tried using a ring main booster and a second router with limited success. These boxes have eradicated the issue. I don’t know how they get through the cavity wall, but they do! We get the same top speeds across the whole house now. Also, we have no issues with our gaming son sucking the system dry. He has reported some packet loss in gaming, but I’m told this is variable and may be due to the distance from the server. I’m going to upgrade the cable from the wall socket to the modem to a twisted, shielded CAT6 one to eliminate any interference causing problems there ... MorePros: This was bought to solve the issue of inconsistent WiFi across our house. We had an extension built two decades ago and had problems getting the WiFi across the cavity wall into the office. We had tried using a ring main booster and a second router with limited success. These boxes have eradicated the issue. I don’t know how they get through the cavity wall, but they do! We get the same top speeds across the whole house now. Also, we have no issues with our gaming son sucking the system dry. He has reported some packet loss in gaming, but I’m told this is variable and may be due to the distance from the server. I’m going to upgrade the cable from the wall socket to the modem to a twisted, shielded CAT6 one to eliminate any interference causing problems there (our WiFi was so dodgy before that we probably couldn’t see these issues!). The system was super easy to set up (scan the qr code to get the app, plug in the boxes and orientate to get a green light). An additional benefit is the enhanced security of a customised password, guest network and basic parental controls! Fantastic product, especially given that our internet provider just recommended a new router and was going to charge £12 per month for it, with no guarantees of solving the problem. Very happy customer.Cons: The box by the TV had to be moved to prevent interference with the TV picture. The parental controls are extremely basic (I can only turn one user off overnight really, when I would prefer to be able to set several periods of use/inactivity and different settings for different users) and easily circumvented by him cloning his computer! Also, oddly, there is no password on the app itself. However, I guess that if you want these features you can always buy the Orbi system for six times the price!

For 'normal users' this is a great option

It's not very often I write reviews as most things I buy are what I expect, but the Tenda Nova MW6 has really exceeded my expectations. Before deciding on the Tenda units I did quite a lot of reading around mesh products, watched YouTube videos of reviews and so on. I decided on the Tenda MW6 as it seemed to have the best balance of power/coverage to price and owner reviews were mostly positive. When it was delivered I followed the simple instructions and downloaded to app first. You then plug the first unit into your existing router, follow the set up instructions and then plug the other 2 units in around your house. I live in an old 3 storey property and now have fast, secure and full wi-fi coverage throughout. The reason I have titled this review as 'normal ... MoreIt's not very often I write reviews as most things I buy are what I expect, but the Tenda Nova MW6 has really exceeded my expectations. Before deciding on the Tenda units I did quite a lot of reading around mesh products, watched YouTube videos of reviews and so on. I decided on the Tenda MW6 as it seemed to have the best balance of power/coverage to price and owner reviews were mostly positive. When it was delivered I followed the simple instructions and downloaded to app first. You then plug the first unit into your existing router, follow the set up instructions and then plug the other 2 units in around your house. I live in an old 3 storey property and now have fast, secure and full wi-fi coverage throughout. The reason I have titled this review as 'normal users' is to help the majority who just want better wi-fi strength. Whilst the app allows you to control various settings, features and so on I have no real I interest in what these units can or can't do compared to more expensive models, I am just a normal user and these were a cinch to set-up. I wish I had got them years ago and recommend you give them a go.

Good but know it’s network design limitation

This unit can handle speeds of 400Mbs easily. However because this mesh system (like many other lower cost units) is only dual radio. To optimize its effectiveness it is best to use Ethernet backhaul (Ethernet cable between units). I have installed 20 of these units for clients looking for an inexpensive mesh solution and the Tenda MW-6 works great. If you want better wireless backbone solution and performance look at a tri radio solution. More expensive. But less wiring needed

Great upgrade from a single router system

I've been looking for an upgrade to my existing wifi situation for my 4k sq ft 2-level house because my centrally-located router just barely reaches the corners (including my bedroom where I like to stream TV and such). I've tried a couple of different extender/bridge/repeater configurations with different hardware, but it hasn't been reliable. I'd had good luck with an old Tenda router I'd found and was using as a wireless bridge for a desktop upstairs, so I thought I'd give this mesh system a shot since it was a fraction of the price of other systems. It has fixed every single problem I had, and has been running like a champ now for about a week now. I had a few wired devices plugged into my existing router, and there's only one open LAN port on the node that ... MoreI've been looking for an upgrade to my existing wifi situation for my 4k sq ft 2-level house because my centrally-located router just barely reaches the corners (including my bedroom where I like to stream TV and such). I've tried a couple of different extender/bridge/repeater configurations with different hardware, but it hasn't been reliable. I'd had good luck with an old Tenda router I'd found and was using as a wireless bridge for a desktop upstairs, so I thought I'd give this mesh system a shot since it was a fraction of the price of other systems. It has fixed every single problem I had, and has been running like a champ now for about a week now. I had a few wired devices plugged into my existing router, and there's only one open LAN port on the node that replaced it, but that was solved with a small inexpensive switch. I could have used my old router for that, probably, but I didn't want to change any of the settings on it in case I needed to revert back to my old setup. I don't expect I'll be doing that now though. This system has exceeded my requirements and expectations. Hopefully, it'll last a long time. **UPDATE** - after about a month and a half, one of the nodes stopped connecting. I tried all the troubleshooting steps, but the node just wouldn't respond. I was outside the Newegg return period, so I contacted Tenda support directly through their website. After a couple of emails back-and-forth, they issued a RMA for the faulty node, and I shipped it back to them. They sent me a replacement that worked fine, but I did have to connect it as a separate network initially to update the firmware to the same version as the existing nodes. It wouldn't connect otherwise. Once I did that, the network is back at full strength. Fortunately, even with two nodes, the wifi in my house was better than it had been previously.

Must have item for solid, reliable and full speed wifi throught the home.

Oh mesh where have you been all my life! I moved into a 6 bed decent sized house, which is the most solid house I have ever seen and lived in. Great, except those lovely concrete floors that block out the children screaming, so seemed to make the router I had fail badly. Especially with the 2nd floor! So I went down the route of powerline. In theory this should have been great, but in practice is was flaky. Very flaky. I was getting drops all the time, some rooms were better than others. You couldn't walk around without it dropping and having to reconnect to the nearer access point and only certain areas were ever close to being reliable. So I decide I had to go mesh, but I didn't want to pay 300 quid. Especially as I didn't even know if mesh would be good with my ... MoreOh mesh where have you been all my life! I moved into a 6 bed decent sized house, which is the most solid house I have ever seen and lived in. Great, except those lovely concrete floors that block out the children screaming, so seemed to make the router I had fail badly. Especially with the 2nd floor! So I went down the route of powerline. In theory this should have been great, but in practice is was flaky. Very flaky. I was getting drops all the time, some rooms were better than others. You couldn't walk around without it dropping and having to reconnect to the nearer access point and only certain areas were ever close to being reliable. So I decide I had to go mesh, but I didn't want to pay 300 quid. Especially as I didn't even know if mesh would be good with my house, due to the concrete ceilings etc. So then I saw this product pop up on my radar and the seller had it up for an even more reasonable price than recommended. FANTASTIC. Solid, full speed wifi throughout the house and garden. No dead spots. No drops. Reliable. Easy to set up. Easy to manage. Some say it isn't as featured as the more expensive mesh systems out there, for me that isn't a problem, but they are adding features all the time. Seriously, this has transformed my experience of the internet at home andI also owe TalkTalk an apology for blaming them for my flaky experience before. Well I don't, because they supplied the weak router that originally wasn't up to the job, but you know what I mean. Anyway, if you want proper solid wifi in you medium to large house, this is definitely the way to go!

Perfect Home WiFi

Got these as my Vodafone router in my living room was not giving me adequate signal strength in my upstairs office. Was getting somewhere between 10/20mbps download speeds before installing the Tenda Nova MW6 mesh system. I am now getting 59mpbs! Only slightly slower than a direct connection to my router. I no longer have any dead posts and I even get good WiFi in my driveway and garden which is very handy considering I dont have great 4g coverage in my area. The app isnt the best, something Tenda need to work on, but it is a very easy to set up. Does the same job as some more expensive kit but great value for money and easy to use, pretty much plug and play. 10/10 would most definitely recommend.

WORTH PAYING ATTENTION TO MY EXPERIENCE, BEFORE BUY!!

Ive done some extensive performance testing with this product, compared with other 4 modems i have. Also tested this with 4G home broadband router as well as fibre to the premises internet packages. Here are my findings: Pros: The wifi coverage/signal from these units is very powerful, even two tenda mw6 units cover a large 4 bedroom house including garage and back lawn with full bars!!! Cons: for any house larger than 3 bedrooms, although the coverage is full at all corners of the house but the speed decreases noticeably the further you get from the primary node/router. You get about 100% (in my case, avg 45Mbps) speeds at the primary node/router, about 70-75% (30Mbps) at the secondary router and the last router decreases to around 55-60% (25Mbps) speeds of the ... MoreIve done some extensive performance testing with this product, compared with other 4 modems i have. Also tested this with 4G home broadband router as well as fibre to the premises internet packages. Here are my findings: Pros: The wifi coverage/signal from these units is very powerful, even two tenda mw6 units cover a large 4 bedroom house including garage and back lawn with full bars!!! Cons: for any house larger than 3 bedrooms, although the coverage is full at all corners of the house but the speed decreases noticeably the further you get from the primary node/router. You get about 100% (in my case, avg 45Mbps) speeds at the primary node/router, about 70-75% (30Mbps) at the secondary router and the last router decreases to around 55-60% (25Mbps) speeds of the primary router. Conclusion: So the ability of this product to retain wifi speed is not as good as one of the more premium nest solutions available online. Having said that, its still a good bang for your buck and wont be an issue for most users. Finally, If i had more money to spare, i would still pay a bit extra and get a premium nest solution just to retain speeds at all rooms.