can anyone justify the price of wifi6 ax mesh

[pete y testing]

hi guys

been a while since i was here but ive been looking at mesh system of late and have become really astonished at the price the manufactures are asking for ax and ax mesh , when did we go from $300 being a top of the line wireless router to $500 , then $750 all in what i see as a fairly short space of time ( note prices in audas im an aussie )

lets be honest the tech production costs havnt risen that much and its more like they just pile more tech on top of more tech so charge more for it , hell the margin on an ax mesh like orbi ax mesh or linksys ax mesh and even that crazy ubiquiti amplifi alien ax thing

yes this is all bleeding edge stuff so should cost more but the more has become almost a bank loan or getting shop credit to afford it

most wont understand that wireless AX mesh is so total overkill for most standard sized houses but blindly buy it cause its the next thing in wifi tech , hell atm im even sharing my internet with the next door neighbor with an asus rt-ax92u in my house and the other in his house and it covers both and the wifi backhaul is still above the client side speeds

isnt it almost time we tell the manufactures enough is enough or am i just screaming into the wind and no one will hear me , are we just sheep blindly buying the next big thing

so can anyone justify the current cost of ax and ax mesh

pete

 

[L&LD]

Only justified if it's on sale, can sell your current router to put towards the new and you actually have the budget, ISP speeds and devices to use it.

Having said that, the RT-AX88U is easily the best router I've ever bought for myself. Obviously above the RT-AC86U and leaves anything below that back in the 'good old days' era, which is effectively another world in 2020.

To put a dollar value here: it cost me $165 to go from the 'AC86U to the AX88U. Still a lot of money over an already excellent router, but worth it for me for the extra performance I see with both AC and AX devices and symmetrical 1Gbps up/down ISP connection.

 

[pete y testing]

To put a dollar value here

so here , $1000 is the average weekly wage , and not something easily got , i prob can see the benefit of a single ax router but these ax mesh system is prob where im coming from 1K plus here and apart from better wireless coverage they do all the same thing as the last gen ac mesh systems

 

[L&LD]

I didn't make the switch to an AX router quickly. That was saving for over 8 months.

I also don't see anywhere close to $1K a week in income on a regular basis either.

 

[pete y testing]

I also don't see anywhere close to $1K a week in income on a regular basis either.

im in australia , so average wage is 1k and these ax mesh systems are 1k plus here , just seems like manufactures are screwing us over and making huge profits

 

[L&LD]

That is the same as everywhere else.

I wouldn't buy a mesh system. Rather just buy two or more routers that will be useful for much longer, instead.

Even if I intend to use them in 'mesh mode'.

 

[Maya]

What you think is exorbitant is all dependent on your disposable income and what you value...

As a student or someone starting out in their career, of course it's crazy to spend that kind of money. As a single professional with no debt, no kids and a high income though, a $5k handbag, $2k watch, $1k pair of designer shoes, which one could consider pieces of wearable art, seem reasonable enough. I mean, you work hard, those things bring you some joy in the little time you have between meetings and, genuinely, luxury does tend to equate to quality...

We all spend our disposable cash on the things we value...and we all value things differently. I don't care about cars - I drive an old Corolla - but I can appreciate why someone might buy a Jaguar, Ferrari or MG... It's not about getting from A to B - people value the form and expression....and for them, it's fun too. I value other things so I invest in those. Some people like drinks out with friends, nice holidays, going to the movies, fancy restaurants, botox, getting their hair done at a salon, massages, cigarettes, fancy wines...they might seem kind of wasteful to some, but other people enjoy that kind of thing. People said the Dyson hair styler was exorbitantly priced and unaffordable, but it flew off the shelves nonetheless... If someone values it, they'll save for it...and that's ok if that's what they care about, isn't it?

OK, a router is more of a functional item, but there's a range of income brackets out there. $600 might be someone's free cash for a week or they might be happy to save up for it...and it's less than a good sound bar for your TV and does a lot more. And what if someone has a huge house or three properties on acreage? There's all kinds of situations. If you have the money, think it might make your life easier and think you will get some value out of it in 3-5 years, I can see it making sense. I mean, I bought my first proper NAS is 2016 - just a 2-bay. It's less than 4 years later and I actually need and use a 9 bay Synology just for my personal media. I could have never anticipated 5 years ago having a 30 smart devices around my home either...or talking to my speakers all day. It's all moving at a rapid pace and, if a router lasts 5+ years... I can totally understanding getting the very best available at the time you're buying tech because your needs are growing rapidly and anything less will be obsolete in two years.

And people equate high price with high quality and something that's going to last - in a lot of areas, that holds true. Buy one luxury couch that lasts 15 years or buy cheap, disposable stuff that you throw away after 2...you might end up spending about the same and the former will probably be more enjoyable along the way.

Each to their own, I say. I challenge you to find anyone who doesn't spend money on something that someone else deems unnecessary or excessive. If you don't see the value in it, I suspect you're not the target market...but there's obviously a market because they're selling...

 

[Val D.]

isnt it almost time we tell the manufactures

To tell them what? That they don't need to make that much money? No chance.

talking to my speakers all day

I will never spend a dollar for the ability to talk to a... speaker. This same speaker is someone else's ear in your home.

 

[Maya]

To tell them what? That they don't need to make that much money? No chance.



I will never spend a dollar for the ability to talk to a speaker. The speakers I have talk to me and only when I allow that.

Haha!I still say please and thank you to my sonos one. I was raised right.
Really, if anyone can stand listening in to a house-bound disabled woman who lives alone constantly asking to turn the lights on and off, adjust the volume, pause, convert feet to metres, checking the weather, asking to play a move or the news, they deserve an award. Likening it to an ear in the home kind of makes it sound better, not worse! I'd appreciate an ear

 

[Val D.]

I'd appreciate an ear

Got it. This technology is helping in your case. Most people buy “smart” things with no real need to have them.

 

[Maya]

Maybe so... But I figure live and let live. Before I became disabled, I had a busy job, 7 days... Anything that freed up time or made life easier was always welcome. A choice each person has got to make, I guess, about the trade offs

 

[COBOL-Coder]

Kind sir, I read "Most people buy “smart” things with no real need to have them". It seems to me that your imposing your view of the world on everyone else. I strongly disagree, most people that buy those devices should be able to buy them for whatever reason they want, it's not anyone else's business but theirs. As far as manufactures building & selling equipment at whatever prices, they create jobs, pay taxes, increase productivity, etc., it's capitalism, it provides the highest living standard for it's citizens. If you think it's too expensive, don't buy it but if John Doe doesn't, he shouldn't be criticized as someone who buy's with no real need? How does one define "real need" anyway?

 

[thiggins]

People should buy what they want, but know what they're buying.

Right now, the consumer Wi-Fi industry is touting features they are not delivering in Wi-Fi 6 routers, primarily OFDMA and AX MU-MIMO. Although most buyers are not going to see significant benefit from either of these features, it's still deceptive advertising.

Wi-Fi 6 router buyers today are buying what amounts to AC routers that support about 2X higher 2.4 GHz throughput and link rate under best-case signal conditions and 160 MHz 5 GHz channel bandwidth and DFS channel support.

 

[COBOL-Coder]

It would be obvious to most that you are far more experienced in this realm then I am , however, I determine my buying choices on criteria far Less technical then say someone like you use. I would be happy to enjoy "AC routers that support about 2X higher 2.4 GHz throughput...", etc., and the increase in the 5ghz band alone. As a less sophisticated buyer I elected to not invest in the AX trend yet simply because I have only one client that supports AX and as I accumulate additional AX devices I will certainly buy one. As far as MU-MIMO, I'm still not convinced my RT-AC5300 is functioning with MU-MIMO? My 1st 5300 was advertised on AMAZON as having MU-MUMO capability where ASUS told me that it didn't so as far as advertising, ypu might agree, it's the same old $#@**&T.

 

[thiggins]

One correction to my post above: Higher 2.4 GHz link rates and throughput is available only to Wi-Fi 6 devices.

Also note that the two Wi-Fi 6 smartphones available in the U.S. do not support 5 GHz 160 MHz bandwidth.

 

[pete y testing]

Right now, the consumer Wi-Fi industry is touting features they are not delivering in Wi-Fi 6 routers, primarily OFDMA and AX MU-MIMO. Although most buyers are not going to see significant benefit from either of these features, it's still deceptive advertising.

and still asking a price that in no way reflects the technology , sure ppl can buy what ever they want whenever they want and some may have deep pockets and can afford to spend up big but like the new cell phones its start to become a bit of a shock at the price they are asking for a "phone / router"

 

[pete y testing]

because I have only one client that supports AX and as I accumulate additional AX devices I will certainly buy one.

and until you get rid of all your none wifi 6 clients they will continue to make the wifi 6 platform perform poorly and not reach its potential , never mind the missing or yet to be enabled features that wifi 6 make up

plus as tim has pointed out ofdma doesnt even work until there are at least 4 wifi 6 ofdma compatible client connected to the router

 

[Cara]

I don't mean to be rude but it seems like you started this thread because you have a particular view and just wanted to be validated... You're just dismissing perfectly reasonable opinions as if they have no merit...

I agree these things are expensive - no one would argue with that...but also no one's forcing you to buy them.
If it were an essential item for living, yes, be upset...but this isn't something you strictly need to live. I'm in Australia too and there's a range of wages here so characterising us as not able to afford a router is a little unfair...and I don't understand what the median wage has to do with this topic anyway. If you're talking about bread or tampons, sure, they have to be reasonably priced relative to wages. But the latest AX router? Newest phone? Well, they don't exactly fall into the same category of essentials! I think that line of thinking is out of place. This is a luxury, cutting edge item and priced as such.

An AX router is obviously out of reach for a lot of people right now and that's completely understandable. So it's good that there's enough range and choice in routers so people of various financial means can get their hands on something functional...or use the one they get for $10 with a new ISP sign up. Or people can wait and get this technology when it's becomes cheaper. On the other hand, there's a market for people who want the best and latest technology and enough people who are clearly willing to pay what the companies are asking so they've set that price point.

You're talking about it like they're somehow screwing you over by making the product available. That's ridiculous. It's a little entitled to be banging your fists on the table and demanding that a luxury item be made cheaper because you personally can't afford it, or criticising people's choices and calling them "sheep" for being able to when they've assessed their needs.

I bought an AX router last year. I didn't necessarily need it or buy it for 2019; I bought it because it's going to last me 5-7 years and, within that time period, I think I'll get value out of it. Maybe my gamble will pay off, maybe it won't, maybe I'll never use all of the features...but I'm happy to pay a couple of hundred $ more to have the functionality there. Price wasn't a huge consideration for me - I wanted something that I was sure would last me the distance.

As other people have correctly pointed out, our needs are changing rapidly... I didn't "blindly [buy] the next big thing" - it seemed like a reasonable choice. And, a few months on, I already have four wifi 6 capable products in my home and that number will no doubt grow...

When I have to purchase something, I tend to research, anticipate my needs and get the best technology and quality that's available at the time. My TV stopped working and I bought one of the best OLED 4k TVs available a few years ago - they had just come out. I posted a question about whether it was worth it on a forum just like this, and the general response back then was just like what I see here...that it was bleeding edge, waste of money, get something cheaper, yada yada. But I bought it and don't regret it for a second. I still have that TV, it still looks incredible and I still don't feel the need to upgrade it... I'm sure people thought I was some "sheep" buying bleeding edge nonsense at that time too but now there are 4K OLEDs everywhere... I anticipated my usage, it was a good choice for me and I was happy to pay the premium to be an early adopter.

I think you're only thinking about the right now, rather than the life of the product, and overall being too judgemental.

(Also, I'm not the most technical individual and maybe I'm missing the point, but I don't understand what's "deceptive" about advertising features if that product actually has them....unless you're saying the product doesn't...? It's up to the purchaser to decide whether a feature will benefit them or not - it's not deceptive if the product has the feature to say it's there.)

 

[thiggins]

(Also, I'm not the most technical individual and maybe I'm missing the point, but I don't understand what's "deceptive" about advertising features if that product actually has them....unless you're saying the product doesn't...? It's up to the purchaser to decide whether a feature will benefit them or not - it's not deceptive if the product has the feature to say it's there.)

The features I cited earlier, OFDMA and AX MU-MIMO are not enabled in most Wi-Fi 6 consumer routers. In the ASUS RT-AX88U, OFDMA is supported only on 5 GHz. See https://www.smallnetbuilder.com/wir...what-s-missing-from-your-wi-fi-6-router-ofdma for more details.

 

[Klueless]

Myself I appreciate and salute any and all early adopters who buy leading edge products. Without their support these products would never make it to mainstream to become affordable commodities for trailing edge type guys like me.

For example it was so not me to rush out and buy a $1,300 Apple II in 1977 but, three years later, it was me to buy a $300 Radio Shack CoCo (knowing full well it was the Apple II buyers who made this bargain possible.)

That said I'm not always cheap. In 1985 I laid out $2,500 for a 512K Fat Mac(intosh) ... even though the ol' CoCo was still working just fine.

The thing is to dig deeper than the marketing hype. This site and the @thiggins reviews are most helpful. Paying for Wifi 6 can make sense. You like to play with the latest and greatest? Future proofing? (For a little more money now you've a product with a longer remaining life cycle.)

That said staying with WiFi 4 can also make sense. It's paid for, it still works and it's still delivering the speeds and performance that you need?

In my case I'm thinking of upgrading a site to an AC86U for about $150. For about a hundred more I just might go for the AX88U. It seems to have better ratings and, by the way, holds the promise of WiFi6.