Wiz’s mission to Democratize the fledgling modern home with jaw-droppingly affordable appliances that match more expensive rivals on features. Its indoor and outdoor security cameras and video doorbell have won all of our recommendations, but this is the first time Wise has released a Wi-Fi mesh router.
It comes in two flavors: the Wyze Mesh Router is a dual-band Wi-Fi 6 mesh system ($174 for a 2-pack) and the Wyze Mesh Router Pro is up to three-band Wi-Fi 6E ($274 for a 2-pack).
After spending a few weeks with both systems, I’m pleased with the performance they offer for the price. But Wise is still a fledgling router manufacturer, and it has time to show. High speed and robust coverage should be balanced with bare-bones software and the occasional jittery element. And while both Wiz systems are relatively affordable, the brand doesn’t undercut other competitors like it does with its security cameras.
A quality clone.
The Wyze Mesh Router and Router Pro easily blend into their environment. Both are rounded squares with curved tops and an LED to indicate status, and both come in matte black or white plastic and have two Ethernet ports. Pro units are slightly larger. While the Wyze cameras have some personality, the routers are plain and remind me of Aero systems. But I was disappointed to find out that you can’t mix and match the Wise routers the way you can with the Aero.
A standard Wyze Mesh router provides 1,500 square feet of coverage for at least 50 devices and contains two 1-Gbps Ethernet ports. Each Pro unit covers up to 2,000 square feet, can connect 75 Plus devices and has two 2.5-Gbps Ethernet ports. The dual-band Wyze Mesh Router offers connections on the 2.4-GHz and 5-GHz bands, while the tri-band Mesh Router Pro adds the 6-GHz band (which is a big plus, since it has multiple antennas inside). Our Wi-Fi 6E guide covers this topic in more detail, but the 6-GHz band is faster and more efficient than the familiar 2.4- and 5-GHz bands when covering shorter ranges.
Setup is easy and done through the existing Wyze app. For most people, it only takes about 15 minutes. Wyze routers should be relatively close together (think of them as Wi-Fi backbones for the family). This is especially true for Pro systems, where you need line-of-sight to use the 6-GHz band as a backup. I had some connectivity issues with my regular Wyze router until I moved it, which shows the need for assignment. Since you cannot see or adjust the antennas, it is worth trying to find the best locations. Be careful because these routers run hot and need a clear flat surface to dissipate the heat from the grid below.
