Page 3 - Configuration and User Interface
Nowadays, many general consumers do not buy routers, but rather get them directly from their internet service provider, as those ones are carefree routers with little hassle to set up. However, this leads to a lot of options being locked down. On the other hand, those who buy routers separately often look for ones with open-source firmware support, especially for those that can be flashed with the Linux-based DD-WRT firmware. There are some who even avoid a router altogether if DD-WRT cannot be installed on it. The ZenWiFi XD6 is one of those devices, but what does ASUS have to offer with their own firmware?
To start off, connect your device to the ASUS ZenWiFi XD6. While it is not necessary to have internet access, you will need it to ensure you have the latest firmware updated. You can then navigate to the device's web configuration interface on your computer through your browser of choice. Upon first login, you will go through a quick setup, which allows you to set initial settings. Alternatively, you could download the ASUS Router App from Apple App Store or Google Play. The ASUS Router App generally provides the same basic configuration settings, but we will be stepping through the web browser option in this review.
After you finish your initial setup, you will be greeted with the main screen where you can access the essential settings. The home page is called Network Map, which shows you how devices are connected. Details can be expanded by clicking on various parts of the map. On the right, there is a box with two tabs, where the Wireless tab for quick wireless settings configuration is shown. The Status tab shows information like CPU, RAM, and Ethernet port usage along with fancy live graphs.
After Network Map is AiMesh for adding ZenWiFi XD6 nodes or compatible ASUS routers to form a mesh network system. AiMesh supports both wireless and wired backhaul, which the user can configure. Devices can be blocked from roaming between nodes.
The next section, Guest Network, not shown is where you can set a separate SSID for guest users with restricted access to your local network. You can even limit the guest network bandwidth. The AiProtection section is Trend Micro's integrated protection software that can automatically assess your router security, block malicious sites, Two-Way Intrusion Prevention System, and infected device prevention and blocking. Parental Controls with automatic web access category blocking can be set in the next section.
The Adaptive QoS section deals primarily with your internet performance for your local network. There are four subsections, as shown in our screenshot above. These include Bandwidth Monitor, which has live graphs showing the total bandwidth usage for the entire network as well as utilization by individual clients. QoS has options for adaptive QoS, traditional QoS, and bandwidth limiter. Web history shows what websites connected devices have visited. Internet speed, which is in the screenshot above, is where you can run a speed test.
The next section, Traffic Analyzer, is where you can find network usage statistics. There are more fancy graphs and charts, updated hourly, to show how your network is used and by which devices or apps, shown in the above screenshot. The Traffic Monitor tab is where you can monitor incoming or outgoing traffic on different physical interfaces.
The Wireless section is where wireless settings are configured. The above screenshot shows all the options for the General tab, where standard Wi-Fi settings such as SSID, wireless mode, encryption settings, and channel settings can be customized. Other tabs include WPS or Wi-Fi Protected Setup, WDS or Wireless Distribution System, Wireless MAC Filter, RADIUS Setting, Professional, and Roaming Block List. Other than Professional, all of them should be self-explanatory.
For the nerds among us, the Professional tab under the Wireless section is quite interesting, as shown in the screenshot above. Some of these options include modulation scheme, transmit power adjustment, explicit beamforming, and universal beamforming. A lot of these options are not commonly found in consumer-grade firmware, so I am happy to see them for those who are inclined to tinker with them.
The next section is LAN, not shown. LAN has five tabs, which include LAN IP, DHCP Server, Route, IPTV, and Switch Control. These are standard features for pretty much any router and their names should be self-explanatory.
The WAN section allows you to configure how your router interacts with your internet service provider. The above screenshot shows the Internet Connection tab. Other tabs include Dual WAN, Port Trigger, Virtual Server/Port Forwarding, DMZ, DDNS, and NAT Passthrough. ASUS provides their own DDNS service and can be configured directly from this user interface.
Amazon Alexa is the next screen, not shown. You can pair your router to your Amazon account and control it with voice commands using the Amazon Alexa ASUS Router skill. The IPv6 section that follows is where you can configure the IPv6 Internet setting of the ZenWiFi XD6.
The next section I want to highlight is the VPN section. The VPN section has VPN Server, VPN Client, and Instant Guard tabs. The ZenWiFi XD6 has native support to be PPTP, OpenVPN, and IPSec VPN servers, shown in the above screenshot. VPN Client allows you to connect your entire network to a VPN server on a router level. Instant Guard allows you to monitor who is connected to the VPN server on the router, which can be created using the ASUS Router App.
After the VPN section is the Firewall section, which includes four tabs, General, URL Filter, Keyword Filter, and Network Services Filter, not shown. The General tab is where you can enable or disable the firewall as well as setting options like DoS protection and ping request response. The rest are what their names suggest them to be.
The above screenshot is the Administration section, which includes six tabs: Operation Mode, System, Firmware Upgrade, Restore/Save/Upload Setting, Feedback, and Privacy. Operation Mode sets the ZenWiFi XD6 in either wireless router mode/AiMesh router mode, access point mode/AiMesh router in AP mode, repeater mode, media bridge, or AiMesh node. The above screenshot contains the System tab. The Privacy tab has the option to stop sharing information with Trend Micro for the AiProtection, Traffic Analyzer, Apps Analyzer, Adaptive QoS/Game Boost, and Web History functions. The rest of the tabs should be self-explanatory.
The System Log section, not shown, contains seven tabs for General Log, Wireless Log, DHCP Leases, IPv6, Routing Table, Port Forwarding, and Connections.
Lastly, we have the Network Tools section, which includes the Network Analysis, Netstat, Wake on LAN, and Smart Connect Rule tabs. The above screenshot for the Smart Connect Rule tab is where you can fine-tune how the router automatically steers clients to the most appropriate wireless band.
Overall, the ASUS firmware is very good in the options and configuration choices available to users. Unless you like to dig into the very specific features, you may not miss DD-WRT at all, given how user-friendly and feature-loaded the OEM interface provides out of the box. I do not expect DD-WRT support for consumer mesh wireless routers anyway. The user interface is very well-designed, visually appealing, and easy to navigate, with the sections being logically laid out for quick access, making it intuitive to navigate from the beginner to enthusiast user.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Hardware
3. Configuration and User Interface
4. Performance Tests
5. Conclusion
