If you've not heard of EnGenius, it's a brand that specializes in networking equipment, be it an affordable unmanaged switch or something such as the EnGenius ECW536. I'll be reviewing this flagship Wi-Fi 7 access point (AP) today, showcasing its performance and why it costs north of $1,000. This is EnGenius' first quad-band access point supporting the new 802.11be standard and promises super-fast and reliable wireless connections. To ensure no bottlenecks will be present, EnGenius included two 10GbE connections (one supporting PoE) and 4x4 MIMO for each band.

As well as the new quad-band Wi-Fi 7 access point, EnGenius also launched the more affordable ECW526 with about half the bandwidth. So who is the EnGenius ECW536 designed for? The ECW536 offers features and capabilities that facilitate the connection of hundreds of clients, which is ideal if you're a power user at home with multiple devices hitting the wireless LAN hard or need to deploy new equipment at a medium to large office. EnGenius states both the ECW526 and ECW536 can handle up to 512 clients and through my extensive testing, I can confirm the ECW536 is one monstrous access point.

About this review: EnGenius provided XDA with a sample but had no input into its contents.

Price, specs, and availability

Coming in at $1,200, the EnGenius ECW536 is not an affordable access point. It's one of the most expensive networking APs I've seen outside of a full mesh setup with multiple extenders. What makes this Wi-Fi 7 AP so expensive is all the tech within the large chassis. It's a huge device, measuring 230 x 230 x 37 mm, and comes with all the necessary components to mount the ECW536 to a wall or ceiling. The ECW536, a Wi-Fi 7 AP, supports the 802.11be wireless standard and operates on 6 GHz, 5 GHz, and 2.4 GHz frequency bands.

It can handle up to 11.6 Gbps, 5.8 Gbps, and 1.4 Gbps on the 6 GHz, 5 GHz, and 2.4 GHz bands, respectively. This is why EnGenius provides not one but two 10GbE ports, one doubling up as a possible power supply through Power over Ethernet (PoE). A single DC input jack is available for a compatible 12V DC adapter with an output of 3A — EnGneius does not support a DC adapter with the ECW536 and I utilized PoE for the purposes of this review. The AP can suck up to 35W of power, so make sure your switch or router has enough capacity.

The access point is powered by the Qualcomm Networking Pro 1220, which makes it possible to have up to 512 clients connected. With these specs, the EnGenius ECW536 is a heavy-duty networking point of access for numerous wireless clients, taking the load off an existing router or less capable infrastructure.

Set up and management

EnGenius cloud platform is excellent

Wi-Fi routers and access points are typically larger than their Wi-Fi 6 counterparts, and while the ECW536 is certainly the largest AP it sells, the company still made it possible to mount it to a wall or ceiling with a revised bracket. If you've used an EnGenius wireless networking device before, you'll be familiar with the design of the ECW536. This isn't a negative as the company is responsible for some good-looking devices, including its catalog of access points. The EnGenius ECW536 looks clean with a small logo on the top.

The top half is white plastic and the lower portion of the base is uncoated metal. Two 10GbE ports are available, one an uplink and another a spare for local devices. A Kensington lock can be used for physical security. That's about it for the EnGenius ECW536. It's a simple device with plenty of features once online. Included with the packaging are required mounting brackets and screws for attaching the AP to the wall or ceiling. The 10GbE port with PoE is the uplink port and should be connected to the LAN. The second 10GbE port can be used as a daisy chain for a wired device.

Getting online with the EnGenius ECW536 is simple, fast, and convenient.

Connecting the uplink port to our EnGenius ECS1112FP, the AP came alive within moments. The firmware was updated automatically and I could quickly add the ECW536 to the cloud inventory by scanning the QR code using the mobile app. If this is your first EnGenius device, it is possible to locally manage an AP or switch using the available admin web UI, but I recommend using EnGenius Cloud. This cloud-based platform for viewing and managing your network is free with an optional paid upgrade for additional features and functionality.

Another bonus to managing your network through EnGenius Cloud is the ability to check and change settings when away. After creating an account and logging in, you can add all your EnGenius products and create a network. This lets you swap out devices, and activate, remove, and manage each network point from this UI. You can view connected clients, manage throughput, set limitations, alter channels, configure security, and more. It's a vast collection of tools and I recommend spending an hour playing around to grow accustomed to the layout.

Wireless performance

The fastest AP I've tested yet

There's no contest with the EnGenius ECW536, compared to more affordable Wi-Fi 7 routers and access points. I ran three tests (five times each for 30 seconds) using a smartphone, desktop PC, and laptop. On the 6 GHz band, I achieved 3.2 Gbps within a meter of the AP. To put this into context, that's just higher than three times the bandwidth of a 1GbE wired connection. A reduction in performance was observed at a distance of 3 meters in an adjacent room to 2.6 Gbps, which is unbelievably fast for such coverage on the 6 GHz band.

On the 6 GHz band, I achieved 3.2 Gbps within a meter of the AP. To put this into context, that's just higher than three times the bandwidth of a 1GbE wired connection.

Outside the premises and around 10 meters from the AP, speeds were still north of 1Gbps at 1.6 Gbps. The power of Wi-Fi 7 and other technologies included by EnGenius ensures you'll have a reliable wireless connection wherever you may be located. Although the EnGenius ECW536 is a powerful AP, it's a good idea to connect a few APs as a mesh if you primarily connect devices without cabling. Other EnGenius APs such as the ECW220 would complement this Wi-Fi 7 beast, especially when working with solid walls and other obstacles and over greater distances.

You will need a network with at least 2.5Gb hardware to make the most of this AP, else you'll encounter bottlenecks.

Should you buy the EnGenius ECW536?

You should buy the EnGenius ECW536 if:

• You don't mind spending more than $1,000 on an access point.
• You need the performance and reliability of Wi-Fi 7.
• You have many simultaneously connected clients on the network.

You shouldn't buy the EnGenius ECW536 if:

• You're not a power user or running a busy office environment.
• You don't have more than $1,000 to spare for network equipment.
• You don't have a LAN with 2.5Gb hardware.

The EnGenius ECW536 is an interesting device as it's one I would wholeheartedly recommend after witnessing how fast this AP is, but it's priced out of reach for many. This is understandable as it's new technology and one of the fastest APs on sale from EnGenius. A flagship networking device such as this will command a premium. Designed for busier offices and power users who can make use of the available bandwidth, the ECW536 has everything you'd need to create a super-fast and reliable wireless network.

The EnGenius ECW536 is one of the fastest access points on the market right now and deserves our best award.

EnGenius continues to offer one of the best cloud management platforms with mobile apps available. There will be a relatively steep learning curve for those who may be transitioning from local web admin GUIs to a managed cloud platform but once you're familiar with how everything works, it quickly becomes a powerful tool to oversee not only the AP but everything else on the network. I recommend picking up other EnGenius networking equipment, including switches, if you plan to fully utilize the backend systems.

Yes, $1,200 is a tall order, but this is one of the fastest access points on the market right now and deserves our best award.