A dual-band Wi-Fi 6 router designed for hardcore gamers, the Reyee E6 AX6000 ($229.99) has a feature set ready to serve up snappy play. It packs multi-gig connectivity, gamer-centric QoS settings, and a dedicated gaming LAN port to help bring your online gaming experience up to speed. The router is simple to set up and manage, and it is mesh-ready, but it lacks USB ports and anti-malware protection. Nevertheless, its gamer-friendly features and stellar throughput in our performance tests earn the Reyee an Editors’ Choice nod for gaming routers.Design: Lucky EightThe octagon-shaped E6 stands 2.5 inches high and 9.5 inches wide and flaunts eight adjustable antennas. It can be placed on a desktop or mounted on a wall. The top of the matte black enclosure holds a Mesh button for pairing the E6 with other compatible Reyee routers to create a mesh network; a Game Turbo LED that glows purple when the gaming LAN port is in use; and a smaller white diagnostic LED. The last glows steadily when the router is functioning properly, blinks slowly when the device is forming a mesh network or isn’t connected to the internet, and blinks rapidly when starting up.
All of the I/O ports are around back. Here you’ll find a 2.5GbE WAN/LAN port, a 1GbE WAN/LAN port, and three 1GbE LAN ports, one of which is a dedicated game port that automatically grants bandwidth priority to whichever console or PC you plug into it. All the ports support link aggregation. Notably absent are USB ports for connecting flash drives, external SSDs, or other peripherals.
(Credit: Reyee)
The E6 is a dual-band AX6000 router that can hit theoretical data rates of up to 1,148Mbps on the 2.4GHz band and up to 4,804Mbps on the 5GHz band. Powered by a quad-core CPU, it uses Wi-Fi 6 technologies including 160MHz channel transmissions, WPA3 encryption, MU-MIMO data streaming, direct-to-client beamforming, and Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA).
When you first install the E6, it creates not only the usual 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks but also a “5GHz Game” network that you can dedicate exclusively for wireless gaming. Also aboard is a settings option that lets you create an IoT network that gives all of your smart home devices the same SSID.The E6 can be managed using a smartphone or via a web-based console. The mobile app makes it easy to manage the router, but you’ll get a few extra options if you use the console, including network (ping) diagnostics, port mapping, static routing, and advanced LAN settings. Reyee provides basic parental controls that allow you to block devices and schedule block times, but you won’t find age-appropriate web filters. Again, no anti-malware software is included.
(Credit: Reyee)
The top of the mobile app’s home page displays the router’s current status (offline, normal, boost) and the latest upload and download speeds. Below this is a network map that shows the router and the number of devices currently connected to it. Tap the client icon to see which devices are connected and which bands they’re using.Below the map are tabs labeled Game Port, Game Wi-Fi, Priority Devices, Auto Bandwidth Control, and Console Booster. When you tap the first, you can see which client is currently connected to the dedicated LAN game port, and when you tap the Game Wi-Fi tab you can see which clients are using the dedicated Wi-Fi band. Tap the Priority Devices tab to see which clients are at the front of the bandwidth queue or to assign a device priority, and the Auto Bandwidth Control tab to give bandwidth priority to gaming apps. Finally, the Console Booster tab is the place to download and configure the GearUp Booster subscription service, which re-routes your network traffic to reduce latency and provide more stable connections to gaming servers.At the bottom of the screen is a button that that takes you back to the opening screen, along with Scenario and Settings buttons. The former opens a screen where you can enable parental controls, configure guest and IoT networks, enable Healthy Mode (Wi-Fi scheduling), and block devices from accessing the network. The Settings button lets you opens a screen where you can configure Wi-Fi and LAN settings, check Wi-Fi signal strength, configure OpenVPN, schedule periodic reboots, and configure port aggregation.Testing the Reyee E6: The Speed You NeedInstalling the Reyee E6 was a piece of cake. I downloaded the mobile app, created an account, and powered down my cable modem. I connected the E6 to the modem via the 2.5GbE WAN/LAN port and used the router’s 1GbE gaming LAN port to connect it to my desktop PC iPerf server. I tapped “Add a Reyee Unit” in the mobile app, selected the E6, and used my phone to scan the QR code on the bottom of the router. When the router’s LED began blinking slowly, I tapped Next to have the app search for the router, which took just a few seconds. I then selected the internet connection type (DHCP) and waited another 30 seconds for the device to connect to the internet. I gave the Wi-Fi bands names and passwords, then tapped Finish to complete the installation.
The Reyee E6 delivered class-leading scores in our throughput tests. Its 139Mbps in the 2.4GHz close-proximity test outperformed the Synology WRX560 (134Mbps), the TP-Link Archer AX5400 Pro (132Mbps), and the Asus ROG Strix GS-AX5400 (128Mbps). Results were similar in the 30-foot test: the E6 managed 82Mbps to the Synology’s 62Mbps, the TP-Link’s 45Mbps, and the Asus’ 44Mbps.The E6 also led the pack in our 5GHz close-proximity throughput test with a score of 942Mbps. The Synology WRX560 was next at 931Mbps, the TP-Link Archer AX5400 Pro delivered 877Mbps, and the Asus ROG Strix GS-AX5400 trailed at 846Mbps. At 30 feet, the Reyee managed 613Mbps, again beating the Synology (576Mbps), the TP-Link (445Mbps), and the Asus (424Mbps).
2.4GHz Wi-Fi coverage map for the Reyee E6 AX6000 router (Credit: Ekahau)
We test wireless signal strength using an Ekahau Sidekick Wi-Fi diagnostic device and the company’s Survey mobile app to generate heat maps that show 2.4GHz and 5GHz signal strength throughout our test home. (Note: Ekahau is owned by PCMag’s parent company Ziff Davis.) The colors on the maps represent signal strength, with dark green representing the strongest signal and yellow representing a weaker one. Gray indicates a very weak or no detectable signal, and the circle on the map shows the location of the router. As shown, the E6 did a good job of broadcasting 2.4GHz signals throughout the house, though 5GHz became weaker in the far corners.
5GHz Wi-Fi coverage map for the Reyee E6 AX6000 router (Credit: Ekahau)
Verdict: A Back-to-Basics Contender for GamersClass-leading throughput, multi-gig connectivity, and a handful of features designed to enhance your online gaming experience are all good reasons to consider the Reyee E6 AX6000 for your gaming-oriented home network. It’s a cinch to install and manage, and you can press it into service as a node in a Reyee mesh network when it comes time to expand your coverage. You don’t get any USB ports or anti-malware tools with this Wi-Fi 6 router, so if the former is a deal-breaker, the Synology WRX560 is a worthy similarly priced alternative.
Reyee E6 AX6000 Gaming Router
Pros
Multi-gig connectivity
Speedy performance
Gamer-friendly features
Mesh-ready
View
More
Cons
No USB port
Lacks anti-malware tools
The Bottom Line
The Reyee E6 AX6000 Gaming Router offers class-leading throughput speeds, game-enhancing settings, and mesh networking capabilities.
Like What You’re Reading?
Sign up for Lab Report to get the latest reviews and top product advice delivered right to your inbox.
This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.
