This review first appeared in issue 352 of PC Pro.
The AT-AR4050S-5G from Allied Telesis targets SMBs and remote offices seeking a single solution that combines tough network perimeter security with total WAN redundancy. This desktop firewall appliance sports dual 5G SIM slots and offers WAN failover services for businesses that cannot tolerate any internet downtime.
You can add two 5G SIMs, which are automatically configured as primary and backup mobile network connections, and the appliance supports cards from different carriers. You can also use one of the appliance’s wired WAN ports as the primary internet link and back it up with a 5G connection.
The appliance teams up its dual gigabit WAN ports with an eight-port gigabit network switch for LAN systems. It has plenty of power on tap, with its quad-core 1.5GHz CPU claiming a maximum raw firewall throughput of 1.9Gbits/sec, dropping to 750Mbits/sec with the intrusion prevention service (IPS) enabled.
The appliance’s base license enables an SPI firewall with deep packet inspection and includes IPS, web filtering, built-in application controls, bandwidth management and support for IPsec and SSL VPNs. Free central management of five Allied Telesis TQ series of wireless access points is included, with a feature license extending this to 25.
Two optional security licenses are available, but you can only choose one as they can’t be run together. An advanced firewall option activates more extensive application and web controls, while the advanced threat protection version adds tougher IPS and IP reputation services, with each costing £521 per year.
The appliance has two gigabit WAN ports and an eight-port gigabit network switch(Image credit: Future)
Our system came with a Vodafone 5G SIM and we used this as the backup connection with the first gigabit WAN port providing the primary connection. Deployment is simple: the appliance’s browser interface provides a quick-start wizard that runs through choosing the primary WAN connection and assigning a DHCP server to the default LAN subnet.
In dual 5G SIM deployments, you set a failover interval in seconds for the primary SIM and, if it fails, the appliance automatically swaps over to the backup SIM. To test wired WAN redundancy, we removed the network cable but found the backup SIM would only step in after the appliance was rebooted, although we did note that after reconnecting the network cable it reverted back to this without any intervention.
The web console’s widget-based dashboard shows a graphic of the appliance along with tables and graphs for traffic activity, appliance hardware utilization, security service activity and the top applications. A minor complaint is that the graphic only shows active LAN ports and doesn’t highlight which Ethernet WAN ports and SIM slots are active.
The web console provides a traffic activity overview(Image credit: Future)
The appliance uses entities to define a logical map of the network, which can be zones, networks and clients. Top-level zones describe boundaries such as the WAN, LAN and DMZ, with each containing networks of IP subnets and addresses while clients are individual systems.
These come into play when you create firewall rules as they comprise a source and destination entity and an action that blocks or permits traffic between them. You can also add rules to manage bandwidth usage for specific applications and assign them to entities.
The advanced threat protection license enables IP reputation lists and stronger IPS courtesy of ProofPoint’s ET-Pro ruleset. The web console has options for anti-malware and antivirus, but we were advised that these Kaspersky-managed services are no longer available.
The built-in application library contains around 200 signatures, and the advanced firewall license activates the Procera app visibility library, which increases the signature count to nearly 2,000. Likewise with URL filtering, as the integral OpenText list can be upgraded to the Digital Arts service which offers around 100 web categories.
The AT-AR4050S-5G neatly integrates advanced network perimeter security with redundant 5G mobile connections. Failover for wired WAN connections isn’t perfect and some security features are no longer available, but this appliance will appeal to businesses and remote offices in rural areas with limited broadband services, and it’s offered at a very competitive price.
Back in the olden days of Wi-Fi 5, it was Asus’ ZenWiFi ‘mega mesh’ wireless routers that led the world. While regular mesh systems merely dribbled performance across numerous network nodes (like many still do), the ZenWiFi nodes innovatively used secondary 5GHz channels (plus, the nascent 6GHz channel) as fast backhaul to maintain peak performance at a distance. Nowadays, such advantages are built into the Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 standards, so where does that leave a Wi-Fi 7 version in the form of the ZenWiFi BT10? Let’s find out.
The two smart-looking nodes seem identical, but note the discreet sticker denoting one as the master. Failing to notice this may lead to hair being torn out, swearing for half an hour, decrying the powers that be and wondering why the dang thing won’t connect when you’ve obviously done everything right, repeatedly checked the password and #$@&%! drat. Otherwise, the setup process is simple via the phone app.
The app provides the usual monitoring and management settings on the first screen, and immediately asks if you want to reset the default password and set up a separate IoT network. You can assign devices to people, limit bandwidth, block them or assign them QoS optimizations for gaming, streaming or WFH. An ‘Insight’ tab provides suggestions for security and optimization. The Family tab enables you to set content filtering and on/off schedules (and, unlike some rivals, these settings are free).
Other features include Asus’ (Trend Micro-powered) AiProtection, which scans and protects your network as well as all the devices on it. The usual networking tools are available, including Google Assistant voice control. Ultimately, it’s well-featured and very intuitive. My main concern is that the QoS controls have a feature that tracks the websites used by everyone on the network. That raises some serious privacy issues.
Wired connections are the same on both nodes: there’s Gigabit WAN/LAN, 10G Ethernet WAN/LAN, and 10G Ethernet LAN. All the ports are color coded but that could be confusing to some users. There’s also a USB 3.0 port, which can be used for file sharing and media serving.
So how does it perform? On paper, the ZenWiFi BT10 is a tri-band router with 18,000 Mbps worth of throughput. Note, you can choose to reserve the 6GHz channel for backhaul, but leaving it at ‘Auto’ saw better results. I tested it by downloading video files from a Synology NAS to an HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 at close range, two rooms away (by the second node, at the front of the house) and 15 meters away in the back garden. It scored 1,661 Mbps, 614 Mbps and 370 Mbps, respectively, which is an excellent result.
All in all, the Asus ZenWiFi BT10 is a very appealing package that looks good, offers heaps of intuitive and useful features, plus fast performance to boot. Then there’s the price… Two nodes cost an eye-watering $900 / £779 / AU$2,799. Still, if you need high-end functionality and speed, it’s hard to beat.
Asus ZenWiFi BT10 review: Price and availability
(Image credit: Future)
How much does it cost? $900 / £779 / AU$2,799
When is it available? Now
Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia
Asus has a plethora of Wi-Fi 7 routers, but (like other vendors) it’s pushing the expensive premium models out first. I saw many of its budget Wi-Fi 7 routers at the Computex 2024 trade show and those will offer similar features at lower cost, but there’s no sign of them appearing in most markets, at least not at the time of publication.
Until then, we’re stuck with inflated price tags. It costs $900 in the US, £779 in the UK and AU$2,799 in Australia. For some reason, Aussies seem to be getting particularly hard done by in this case. Most regions sell single nodes, but only a few, it seems, sell the three-node kit.
A tempting alternative is the Asus ROG Rapture GT-BE98. While it’s not a mesh system, the powerful gaming behemoth can single-handedly rival the speeds, performance and features of the BT10, but at a cheaper price. As with most current Asus routers, older models or cheap ones can be used as nodes thanks to Asus’ AiMesh technology – a potentially affordable way of expanding the network into dead zones. However, it’s quite a confronting device and not everyone will want what looks like a giant robot spider in their home.
Value score: 4 / 5
Asus ZenWiFi BT10 review: Specifications
(Image credit: Future)
Asus ZenWiFi BT10 review: Design
Sleek enough for a stylish home
Simple to set up
App (and web-based firmware) are responsive, powerful and intuitive
The physical design of the ZenWiFi BT10 is not far from its predecessor, the ZenWiFi AX XT8. The grilles at the sides are more refined, but both will happily fit into a stylish home or office better than most on the market.
Setting it up is simple, thanks to the mature, intuitive and well-featured app. Just note that, despite the similarities, there’s a sticker on the primary node and you need to connect to that, as using the secondary node won’t work.
While there are many features accessible within the app, Asus has these and many more advanced options accessible via a web browser, and both interfaces are intuitive and responsive to use.
Design score: 5 / 5
Asus ZenWiFi BT10 review: Features
(Image credit: Future)
Security and Parental controls are included (without subscription)
Has almost every consumer networking feature under the sun
10G Ethernet LAN and WAN ports
The Asus router app has been around for some time now and it’s well laid out, intuitive and packed full of features. The opening screen displays a wireless network map and provides a button to manually run a wireless-optimization cycle. There’s a real-time traffic monitor, CPU and RAM monitor, and an at-a-glance display of what type of devices are connected wirelessly and via cables.
The second tab breaks down which devices are connected along with their IP addresses and the resources they’re using. You can easily block them or assign them to family members to provide parental controls. There’s also the ability to configure Asus' AiMesh feature which lets you do things like turn the LEDs off, prioritize the 6GHz channel for backhaul or client connection, and see details like the IP address, MAC address and firmware version. The Insight tab offers smart recommendations regarding using secure connections, intrusion prevention and setting up family groups.
The built-in network security is called Asus AiProtection and it’s powered by Trend Micro. In addition to providing network security assessments, it offers malicious site blocking, two-way intrusion prevention and infected device isolation. It also powers the parental controls and (mercifully) doesn’t require a separate premium subscription – unlike other rivals.
The Family tab lets you add people and their devices to customizable and preset groups. This can provide web filtering that’s suitable for different children’s age groups (plus adults), setting up both online and offline schedules for each day of the week. Again, I’m very pleased to see Asus provide these features without asking for a subscription fee.
The final tab offers access to other standard router features, including QoS and VPN. While the analysis features that come with this are useful, I am concerned about the website history logging, which enables people to spy on the online activity of everyone on the network. You can also set up a USB port as a SAMBA media server or FTP file server, and there’s the ability to add Alexa and Google Assistant integration.
Accessing the firmware via a web browser provides access to all of the above along with functions like adding Dual WAN, 3G / 4G LTE USB WAN, Port Forwarding, Port Triggering, DMZ, DDNS, IPTV, automatic BitTorrent downloading, VPN management; Apple Time Machine compatibility, Shared Folder Privileges, among other high-level, network-admin features. Just note that many of these are available on Asus’ lesser routers, so don’t splash out on an expensive model just because one catches your eye.
Physically, each node has Gigabit WAN, 10G Ethernet LAN, and 10G Ethernet WAN/LAN network ports, plus a USB-A 3.0 connection. It’s also worth mentioning Asus’ AiMesh feature which can use most current (and many older), cheap and premium Asus routers as nodes to further extend a network.
Features: 5 / 5
Asus ZenWiFi BT10 review: Performance
Tri-band Wi-Fi 7 for blistering real-world speed
One of the best performers at long range
10G Ethernet for fast wired connections
Asus ZenWiFi BT10 benchmarks
Close range: 1,661 Mbps Medium range: 614 Mbps Long range: 370 Mbps
The tri-band (2.4GHz, 5GHz and 6GHz) router promises 18,000 Mbps of theoretical performance, but that only exists in lab conditions and certainly can’t be achieved in the real world where every network’s situation will be different. It’s possible to reserve the 6GHz channel for backhaul only, but leaving it set to ‘Auto’ saw better results.
I ran my tests, which included downloading large video files from a Synology NAS (with a wired, 10G Ethernet port) connected to the router, to a Wi-Fi 7-equipped HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 laptop at three different ranges.
Up close, it managed 1,661 Mbps, which I’ve only seen beaten by Netgear’s Nighthawk 7 RS700S Wi-Fi router. Two rooms away, at the front of my single-story home (by the second node), it managed 614 Mbps. While that’s a significant drop, it’s still impressive, although other premium routers and mesh systems can be a bit faster. More impressively, the BT10 managed 370 Mbps, 15 meters away, outside the home in the garden. Only top-tier three-node mesh systems have rivaled that (and not all do).
In short, it’s very fast indeed, and I happily edited 4K video on my laptop from across the network with no issues at all.
Performance: 5 / 5
(Image credit: Future)
Should you buy the Asus ZenWiFi BT10?
Buy it if...
You want fast Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 7 really is a game-changer in that it offers superlative performance for old and new devices alike. I never like calling anything future-proof, but the fact that only cutting-edge clients can come close to accessing its full performance is telling. It will be a very long time before it feels slow.
You have weak Wi-Fi in some areas Some premium routers do a great job of distributing a strong signal across a large area. But there are plenty of larger buildings that have dead spots due to size or thick walls. If that’s the case, the BT10 will likely help you out, and you can still add additional nodes via Asus’ AiMesh technology.
You hate subscriptions It’s been disappointing to see that some premium-brand routers now come with core features that you have to pay even more for. In some cases, that means paying for both parental controls and security software, separately. Asus deserves credit for keeping it all free.
Don't buy it if…
You want to save money The BT10, like many premium Wi-Fi 7 kits, is incredibly expensive. While it’s nice to have a future-proof setup, you can still buy last-gen Wi-Fi 6 and 6E models, with similar features for substantially less. You can also add cheap nodes using old and cheap Asus routers that are AiMesh compatible.
You live in Australia Australians appear to be the victims of price gouging when it comes to premium Wi-Fi 7 networking devices. The price here is anomalously high compared to other regions, even with the usual tax and shipping issues.
You only want basic features Some people just want to access the internet without much fuss. If that’s the case, then the BT10 is overpowered, over-featured and overpriced for your requirements. You can save a massive amount of money on a lesser device that will still fulfill your needs.
Also consider
If you're undecided about investing in the Asus ZenWiFi BT10 router, I've compared its specs with three alternatives that might suit you better.
Netgear Nighthawk RS700S The elder sibling of the RS300 is twice as expensive, but it provides Wi-Fi 7 with an even faster speed of 19 Gbps, and has 10G Ethernet, so is great for high-speed broadband connections.
Asus ROG Rapture GT-BE98 This giant robot spider is the ZenWiFi BT10’s big, gamer-oriented brother. If you can get past the looks, it features similar features and performance in one, less-expensive package.
TP-Link Deco BE63 It’s more mature in the market and the price has dropped even more. You also get three nodes to spread the signal even further. It’s a great-value Wi-Fi 7 mesh kit.
We pride ourselves on our independence and our rigorous review-testing process, offering up long-term attention to the products we review and making sure our reviews are updated and maintained - regardless of when a device was released, if you can still buy it, it's on our radar.
Back in the olden days of Wi-Fi 5, it was Asus’ ZenWiFi ‘mega mesh’ wireless routers that led the world. While regular mesh systems merely dribbled performance across numerous network nodes (like many still do), the ZenWiFi nodes innovatively used secondary 5GHz channels (plus, the nascent 6GHz channel) as fast backhaul to maintain peak performance at a distance. Nowadays, such advantages are built into the Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 standards, so where does that leave a Wi-Fi 7 version in the form of the ZenWiFi BT10? Let’s find out.
The two smart-looking nodes seem identical, but note the discreet sticker denoting one as the master. Failing to notice this may lead to hair being torn out, swearing for half an hour, decrying the powers that be and wondering why the dang thing won’t connect when you’ve obviously done everything right, repeatedly checked the password and #$@&%! drat. Otherwise, the setup process is simple via the phone app.
The app provides the usual monitoring and management settings on the first screen, and immediately asks if you want to reset the default password and set up a separate IoT network. You can assign devices to people, limit bandwidth, block them or assign them QoS optimizations for gaming, streaming or WFH. An ‘Insight’ tab provides suggestions for security and optimization. The Family tab enables you to set content filtering and on/off schedules (and, unlike some rivals, these settings are free).
Other features include Asus’ (Trend Micro-powered) AiProtection, which scans and protects your network as well as all the devices on it. The usual networking tools are available, including Google Assistant voice control. Ultimately, it’s well-featured and very intuitive. My main concern is that the QoS controls have a feature that tracks the websites used by everyone on the network. That raises some serious privacy issues.
Wired connections are the same on both nodes: there’s Gigabit WAN/LAN, 10G Ethernet WAN/LAN, and 10G Ethernet LAN. All the ports are color coded but that could be confusing to some users. There’s also a USB 3.0 port, which can be used for file sharing and media serving.
So how does it perform? On paper, the ZenWiFi BT10 is a tri-band router with 18,000 Mbps worth of throughput. Note, you can choose to reserve the 6GHz channel for backhaul, but leaving it at ‘Auto’ saw better results. I tested it by downloading video files from a Synology NAS to an HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 at close range, two rooms away (by the second node, at the front of the house) and 15 meters away in the back garden. It scored 1,661 Mbps, 614 Mbps and 370 Mbps, respectively, which is an excellent result.
All in all, the Asus ZenWiFi BT10 is a very appealing package that looks good, offers heaps of intuitive and useful features, plus fast performance to boot. Then there’s the price… Two nodes cost an eye-watering $900 / £779 / AU$2,799. Still, if you need high-end functionality and speed, it’s hard to beat.
Asus ZenWiFi BT10 review: Price and availability
(Image credit: Future)
How much does it cost? $900 / £779 / AU$2,799
When is it available? Now
Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia
Asus has a plethora of Wi-Fi 7 routers, but (like other vendors) it’s pushing the expensive premium models out first. I saw many of its budget Wi-Fi 7 routers at the Computex 2024 trade show and those will offer similar features at lower cost, but there’s no sign of them appearing in most markets, at least not at the time of publication.
Until then, we’re stuck with inflated price tags. It costs $900 in the US, £779 in the UK and AU$2,799 in Australia. For some reason, Aussies seem to be getting particularly hard done by in this case. Most regions sell single nodes, but only a few, it seems, sell the three-node kit.
A tempting alternative is the Asus ROG Rapture GT-BE98. While it’s not a mesh system, the powerful gaming behemoth can single-handedly rival the speeds, performance and features of the BT10, but at a cheaper price. As with most current Asus routers, older models or cheap ones can be used as nodes thanks to Asus’ AiMesh technology – a potentially affordable way of expanding the network into dead zones. However, it’s quite a confronting device and not everyone will want what looks like a giant robot spider in their home.
Value score: 4 / 5
Asus ZenWiFi BT10 review: Specifications
(Image credit: Future)
Asus ZenWiFi BT10 review: Design
Sleek enough for a stylish home
Simple to set up
App (and web-based firmware) are responsive, powerful and intuitive
The physical design of the ZenWiFi BT10 is not far from its predecessor, the ZenWiFi AX XT8. The grilles at the sides are more refined, but both will happily fit into a stylish home or office better than most on the market.
Setting it up is simple, thanks to the mature, intuitive and well-featured app. Just note that, despite the similarities, there’s a sticker on the primary node and you need to connect to that, as using the secondary node won’t work.
While there are many features accessible within the app, Asus has these and many more advanced options accessible via a web browser, and both interfaces are intuitive and responsive to use.
Design score: 5 / 5
Asus ZenWiFi BT10 review: Features
(Image credit: Future)
Security and Parental controls are included (without subscription)
Has almost every consumer networking feature under the sun
10G Ethernet LAN and WAN ports
The Asus router app has been around for some time now and it’s well laid out, intuitive and packed full of features. The opening screen displays a wireless network map and provides a button to manually run a wireless-optimization cycle. There’s a real-time traffic monitor, CPU and RAM monitor, and an at-a-glance display of what type of devices are connected wirelessly and via cables.
The second tab breaks down which devices are connected along with their IP addresses and the resources they’re using. You can easily block them or assign them to family members to provide parental controls. There’s also the ability to configure Asus' AiMesh feature which lets you do things like turn the LEDs off, prioritize the 6GHz channel for backhaul or client connection, and see details like the IP address, MAC address and firmware version. The Insight tab offers smart recommendations regarding using secure connections, intrusion prevention and setting up family groups.
The built-in network security is called Asus AiProtection and it’s powered by Trend Micro. In addition to providing network security assessments, it offers malicious site blocking, two-way intrusion prevention and infected device isolation. It also powers the parental controls and (mercifully) doesn’t require a separate premium subscription – unlike other rivals.
The Family tab lets you add people and their devices to customizable and preset groups. This can provide web filtering that’s suitable for different children’s age groups (plus adults), setting up both online and offline schedules for each day of the week. Again, I’m very pleased to see Asus provide these features without asking for a subscription fee.
The final tab offers access to other standard router features, including QoS and VPN. While the analysis features that come with this are useful, I am concerned about the website history logging, which enables people to spy on the online activity of everyone on the network. You can also set up a USB port as a SAMBA media server or FTP file server, and there’s the ability to add Alexa and Google Assistant integration.
Accessing the firmware via a web browser provides access to all of the above along with functions like adding Dual WAN, 3G / 4G LTE USB WAN, Port Forwarding, Port Triggering, DMZ, DDNS, IPTV, automatic BitTorrent downloading, VPN management; Apple Time Machine compatibility, Shared Folder Privileges, among other high-level, network-admin features. Just note that many of these are available on Asus’ lesser routers, so don’t splash out on an expensive model just because one catches your eye.
Physically, each node has Gigabit WAN, 10G Ethernet LAN, and 10G Ethernet WAN/LAN network ports, plus a USB-A 3.0 connection. It’s also worth mentioning Asus’ AiMesh feature which can use most current (and many older), cheap and premium Asus routers as nodes to further extend a network.
Features: 5 / 5
Asus ZenWiFi BT10 review: Performance
Tri-band Wi-Fi 7 for blistering real-world speed
One of the best performers at long range
10G Ethernet for fast wired connections
Asus ZenWiFi BT10 benchmarks
Close range: 1,661 Mbps Medium range: 614 Mbps Long range: 370 Mbps
The tri-band (2.4GHz, 5GHz and 6GHz) router promises 18,000 Mbps of theoretical performance, but that only exists in lab conditions and certainly can’t be achieved in the real world where every network’s situation will be different. It’s possible to reserve the 6GHz channel for backhaul only, but leaving it set to ‘Auto’ saw better results.
I ran my tests, which included downloading large video files from a Synology NAS (with a wired, 10G Ethernet port) connected to the router, to a Wi-Fi 7-equipped HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 laptop at three different ranges.
Up close, it managed 1,661 Mbps, which I’ve only seen beaten by Netgear’s Nighthawk 7 RS700S Wi-Fi router. Two rooms away, at the front of my single-story home (by the second node), it managed 614 Mbps. While that’s a significant drop, it’s still impressive, although other premium routers and mesh systems can be a bit faster. More impressively, the BT10 managed 370 Mbps, 15 meters away, outside the home in the garden. Only top-tier three-node mesh systems have rivaled that (and not all do).
In short, it’s very fast indeed, and I happily edited 4K video on my laptop from across the network with no issues at all.
Performance: 5 / 5
(Image credit: Future)
Should you buy the Asus ZenWiFi BT10?
Buy it if...
You want fast Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 7 really is a game-changer in that it offers superlative performance for old and new devices alike. I never like calling anything future-proof, but the fact that only cutting-edge clients can come close to accessing its full performance is telling. It will be a very long time before it feels slow.
You have weak Wi-Fi in some areas Some premium routers do a great job of distributing a strong signal across a large area. But there are plenty of larger buildings that have dead spots due to size or thick walls. If that’s the case, the BT10 will likely help you out, and you can still add additional nodes via Asus’ AiMesh technology.
You hate subscriptions It’s been disappointing to see that some premium-brand routers now come with core features that you have to pay even more for. In some cases, that means paying for both parental controls and security software, separately. Asus deserves credit for keeping it all free.
Don't buy it if…
You want to save money The BT10, like many premium Wi-Fi 7 kits, is incredibly expensive. While it’s nice to have a future-proof setup, you can still buy last-gen Wi-Fi 6 and 6E models, with similar features for substantially less. You can also add cheap nodes using old and cheap Asus routers that are AiMesh compatible.
You live in Australia Australians appear to be the victims of price gouging when it comes to premium Wi-Fi 7 networking devices. The price here is anomalously high compared to other regions, even with the usual tax and shipping issues.
You only want basic features Some people just want to access the internet without much fuss. If that’s the case, then the BT10 is overpowered, over-featured and overpriced for your requirements. You can save a massive amount of money on a lesser device that will still fulfill your needs.
Also consider
If you're undecided about investing in the Asus ZenWiFi BT10 router, I've compared its specs with three alternatives that might suit you better.
Netgear Nighthawk RS700S The elder sibling of the RS300 is twice as expensive, but it provides Wi-Fi 7 with an even faster speed of 19 Gbps, and has 10G Ethernet, so is great for high-speed broadband connections.
Asus ROG Rapture GT-BE98 This giant robot spider is the ZenWiFi BT10’s big, gamer-oriented brother. If you can get past the looks, it features similar features and performance in one, less-expensive package.
TP-Link Deco BE63 It’s more mature in the market and the price has dropped even more. You also get three nodes to spread the signal even further. It’s a great-value Wi-Fi 7 mesh kit.
We pride ourselves on our independence and our rigorous review-testing process, offering up long-term attention to the products we review and making sure our reviews are updated and maintained - regardless of when a device was released, if you can still buy it, it's on our radar.
This review first appeared in issue 361 of PC Pro.
Netgear has traditionally offered an outstanding range of the best network switches and wireless access points (WAPs) for small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs), but routers have always been conspicuous by their absence. Not any more: the PR60X Pro fills this void in Netgear’s product portfolio by delivering a 10GbE-ready solution offering plenty of routing capabilities, dual WAN failover, support for up to 30 site-to-site IPsec VPNs and an integral firewall.
Powered by a 2.2GHz quad-core ARM A73 CPU partnered by 2GB of DDR4 memory, this slimline 1U rack unit offers a 10GbE copper port configurable for LAN or WAN duties, a 2.5GbE WAN port and three 2.5GbE LAN ports, all of which are the multi-gigabit variety. You get a 10GbE SFP+ uplink port for long-distance connections over fiber, and a neat touch is its status LEDs are presented front and back so you can rack-mount it in either orientation.
Deployment scenarios are manifold since the PR60X Pro can be used to head up a small office network and provide secure internet access to all connected devices. Larger businesses with regional offices can place a router in each location and link them together over site-to-site VPNs.
The PR60X supports a standalone mode plus Insight cloud management and includes a one-year Insight subscription in the price. The pricier PR460X is exactly the same, but this model is aimed exclusively at integrators, has a four-year Insight subscription and a more generous five-year hardware warranty.
We started testing in standalone mode and followed the router’s quick-start wizard, which sensibly requested an admin password change and upgraded its firmware to the latest version. The console is nicely designed and presents an informative dashboard, with a topology graphic showing connected devices along with status views of the system, each network port and all VPNs.
The fifth port defaults to LAN duties but you can change this to a WAN port and team it up with the other one for failover duties. You can decide which are primary and secondary connections and apply a policy so that if one fails, the second takes over; the router doesn’t support load balancing.
The slimline PR60X offers a 10GbE copper port for LAN or WAN duties(Image credit: Future)
The firewall is enabled out of the box and provides basic SPI (stateful packet inspection) services, along with port scan and denial of service protection. It can be customized with rules that specify connection directions, source and destination addresses, protocols and allow or deny actions.
The router comes with a set of predefined IPsec VPN profiles for services such as Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services, to which you can add custom profiles. Along with site-to-site VPNs, the router supports client-to-site VPNs and the third-party OpenVPN service.
Quality of service (QoS) configuration for the WAN ports is simplified by the router’s Smart Queue Management (SQM) feature. Run an internet speed test from the web console and it will automatically configure itself with the discovered upload and download speeds to ensure that latency and congestion are kept to a minimum.
It can be managed locally or remotely via Netgear’s Insight web portal(Image credit: Future)
Adding the PR60X to our cloud account was simple enough, as we used the Insight iOS app on an iPad to scan its QR code and assign it to a site. It duly appeared as a new device on the portal’s router section, and we noted that you can still manage it from the local interface.
The Insight portal provides access to all the same settings, so you can remotely configure the WAN ports, firewall traffic rules, port triggering and forwarding, IPsec VPNs and the like. A topology map shows how your devices are linked to each other, you can view connected clients and keep an eye on hardware stats such as operating temperatures and cooling fan speeds.
The PR60X Pro neatly fills a gap in Netgear’s networking armor and provides a powerful set of routing, VPN and WAN failover features. It’s an affordable option for SMBs, can be easily managed locally or in the cloud, and its 10GbE WAN port is ready and waiting for ultra-fast broadband.
