TechRadar Verdict
The WBE660S lives up to the expectations brought by the arrival of Wi-Fi 7.
With three radio channels, the unit supports legacy standards such as Wi-Fi 2.4G and 5ac.
With an aggregated bandwidth of over 22 Gbps, the AP is no longer the bottleneck around the office.
Wi-Fi 7 technology increases power consumption.
In fact, with its 1.4kg, it is one of the heaviest units weve seen at TechRadar Pro.
The mobile app makes integration into Zyxels cloud infrastructure straightforward.
The AP supports up to 8 SSIDs with over one thousand simultaneous clients.
The WBE660S is on special right now onAmazon for $499.
An Iperf Linux server connected to the AP through the 10Gb interface tested clients' throughput at one meter.
The white oblong-shaped unit has a gray metal back, which doubles as a heatsink.
The mounting kit includes a backplate that secures the AP to a wall or ceiling.
A 10G Ethernet port supplies power over PoE and the necessary bandwidth to drive such a high data rate.
A single multicolored LED on top of the case provides information about the APs operation.
Full green means clients are connected, while blue indicates that the AP is boot-up.
Connected devices can reach throughputs of 500Mb/s at ten meters or more.
The WBE660S features a Qualcomm Pro 1220 chip, which includes a quad-core A73 CPU clocked at 2.2GHz.
The platform offers up to 12 spatial streams to sustain the 22 Gbps bandwidth.
The AP boots in less than two minutes when connected to a 10G Ethernet port.
The front LED slowly blinks green if everything goes well, indicating that clients can connect.
With one client connected, the AP consumed only 17W.
We had no linkup issue using a five-meter Cat-5 cable connected to a Zyxel 10G switch.
Configuration can be done using Zyxels mobile app by scanning a QR code on the back of the unit.
Adding the access point to the app is recommended before performing the hardware installation.
The Nebula portal allows users to configure and update other Zyxel connection devices besides the WBE660S.
This results in an upper limit of 46 Gbps, more than four times Wi-Fi 6 aggregated bandwidth.
At one meter, the maximum throughput was 2.5Gbps downstream and 3.7Gbps upstream.
At $239, it is one of the cheapest APs available.
However, if one invests in Wi-Fi 7 technology, one will likely favor throughput over monetary savings.
The Ethernet connection is also slower at 2.5Gbps instead of 10Gbps.
With three radio channels, the unit supports legacy standards such as Wi-Fi 2.4G and 5ac.
The 6GHz radio sets it apart with four simultaneous streams, each having a higher bandwidth than Wi-Fi 6.
Using the WBE600S is straightforward, thanks to its flawless integration into the Nebula ecosystem.
Having an extra channel with higher bandwidth comes with its challenges.
The WBE600S uses much power, about twice as much as previous generations.
As a result, the metal case is much bigger and heavier.
The higher power will also hurt the wallet and increase the electricity bill.
This access point remains an excellent tool for applications requiring high bandwidth, such as augmented reality and8Kvideos.
Buy if …
you need fiber-like throughput without any strings attached.
Do not buy if …
you are on a strict budget.
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