Overview
Is Arris SURFboard Max Pro W133 good for business? With their tri-band design and dedicated backhaul data channel, the towering Arris Surfboard Max Pro W133 towers shout high-performance, able to send data as fast as 11Gbps throughout the house. Discover more in Arris SURFboard Max Pro W133 review forum.
Arris SURFboard Max Pro W133 review YouTube video review
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Three-band functionality
- parental restrictions
- Every node has four ports for Ethernet.
- Superb Wi-Fi coverage
Cons
- Security software is not included.
- Features of the app are limited
- Not compatible with wall mounting
Arris SURFboard Max Pro W133 Specs
- Full Name ARRIS SURFboard mAX Pro Mesh AX11000 Wi-Fi 6 AX Router
- Dimensions 9.64-inch (245mm) tall, 5-inch (127mm) wide
- Weight 2.21 lbs (1kg)
- Total Hardware Unit in a Mesh Up to three routers
- Dedicated Backhaul Band Yes
- Wi-Fi Technology Tri-Band Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) AX11000
- Wired Backhaul Future firmware
- 5GHz Wi-Fi Specs 2 x 5GHz AX: 4×4 (Tx/Rx) 1024 QAM 20/40/80/160MHz, up to 4.8Gbps
- Regular Network Ports Three Gigabit LAN port ports, one Gigabit WAN port
- 2.4GHz Wi-Fi Specs 2.4GHz AX: 4×4 (Tx/Rx) 1024 QAM 20/40MHz, up to 1.2Gbps
- Backward Compatibility 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi
- Web User Interface No
- Mobile App ARRIS SURFboard mAX Manager
- Bridge Mode No
- AP Mode No
- USB Port None
- Link Aggregation Yes (WAN + LAC Port)
- CPU 64-bit quad-core 1.8GHz CPU, 512 MB of RAM, 1 GB of flash
- Multi-Gig Port None
Price
Two devices, AC adapters, and a flat networking cable are included in the $650 Surfboard Max Pro set; additional units cost $400 apiece. That is comparable to the $700 Orbi RBK852 two-pack, but other options, like as the TP-Link Deco X20, offer three devices for a more affordable $270.
Compare Arris SURFboard Max Pro W133
| Mesh Wi-Fi Routers & Systems | Best for Internet Speed Plans | Wi-Fi Speed | Wi-Fi Coverage | Gigabit Ethernet Ports | Dedicated Backhaul Band |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W133 | Up to 1 Gbps | AX11000 Wi-Fi 6 | Up to 6,000 sq ft | Eight (4 per router) | 4×4 W-Fi 6, up to 4.8Gbps |
| W31 | Up to 1 Gbps | AX11000 Wi-Fi 6 | Up to 3,000 sq ft | Four | Single Unit |
| W130 | Up to 1 Gbps | AX7800 Wi-Fi 6 | Up to 6,000 sq ft | Eight (4 per router) | 4×4 W-Fi 6, up to 4.8Gbps |
| W121 | Up to 1 Gbps | AX6600 Wi-Fi 6 | Up to 2,750 sq ft | Four (2 per router) | 4×4 W-Fi 6, up to 4.8Gbps |
| W21 | Up to 1Gbps | AX6600 Wi-Fi 6 | Up to 2,750 sq ft | Two | Single Unit |
| W122 | Up to 1 Gbps | AX6600 Wi-Fi 6 | Up to 5,500 sq ft | Two (main router only) | 4×4 W-Fi 6, up to 4.8Gbps |
| W161 | Up to 2.5 Gbps | AXE6600 Wi-Fi 6 | Up to 5,500 sq ft | Four (1 – 2.5G and 1 – 1G per router) | 4×4 Wi-Fi 6E, up to 4.8Gbps |
| WC4S | Up to 800 Mbps | AC3800 Wi-Fi 5 | Up to 5,500 sq ft | Four (2 per router) | 4×4 W-Fi 5, up to 1.7Gbps |
Arris SURFboard Max Pro W133 review forum
Design
The tall units, gray and black. This substantial hardware item has a compact size, measuring 5.inch (127mm) in width and 9.64 inches (245mm) in height. It is a cylindrical box. larger by a small margin than the Netgear Orbi RBK852 units.Because it can support up to 255 connections at once, it’s perfect for people who have big digital houses. With an AX1100 rating, it is almost twice as good as the Netgear Orbi RBK852 kit.
Connection & buttons
Together with a power jack, the base houses two gigabit LAN ports, one of which doubles as a WAN port for the primary router. Although the Asus ZenWiFi AX XT8 components have multi-gigabit connections and USB connectors, the LAN ports can be used for wired backhaul. The Home, Network, and Parental buttons are located at the bottom of the screen.
The Network button brings up a screen where you can enable guest networking and view the general options indicated above, while the Home button returns you to the home screen. Additionally, you may access period Zone settings, LAN settings (IP reservations, DHCP range, and DHCP lease period), and WAN settings (IP and DNS setup) here.
Color indicator
An angled LED ring that can be adjusted in brightness is built into every Surfboard Max Pro tower via the app. When the light is amber, the system is just getting started, and when it’s ready to pair, it cycles between blue and white. It’s solid blue when everything is in order. The absence of a red light, which is often used to indicate that a device is offline, is concerning.
Processor & storage
Devices make use of the BCM43684 Wi-Fi chip from Broadcom, which has a 1.5GHz and 1.8GHz CPU for each band. There are 12 inbuilt antennas, 512MB of RAM, and 256MB of flash storage on each Surfboard Max Pro device; however, none of them can be adjusted or changed. Two 5.0GHz 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) networks and a 2.4GHz network are created by the tri-band configuration; one of these networks is used for backhaul communications from the satellite to the host.
Transfer speed
With a maximum speed of 820.3 Mbps at 15 feet, the Surfboard Max Pro got off to a great start and was just slightly slower than the Netgear Orbi RBK852’s 883.6 Mbps record.The bandwidth that the Surfboard Max Pro supplied decreased to 208.1Mbps when we extended the receiving system to 50 feet. This was still significantly faster than the Orbi RBK852 (124.4Mbps) but not as fast as the TP-Link Deco X20 (255.4Mbps).
The Surfboard Max Pro’s 16.6Mbps signal at 75 feet lagged much behind the TP-Link Deco X20’s 112.7Mbps, and it was close to the bottom of the WiFi-6 mesh systems we evaluated. Its 80-foot range was less than that of the TP-Link Deco X20 (95 feet) and the Netgear Orbi RBK852 (85 feet).
Room coverage
This mesh router 2-pack provides Wi-Fi coverage up to 6,000 square feet. Bigger homes may wish to add one or two more units, which are available separately as the Surfboard Max Pro W31 and have a 3,000 square foot coverage area each, to increase the area they are covered in. That surpasses the 5,000 square feet of Wi-Fi coverage provided by the Netgear Orbi RBK852.
Setup
It was similarly simple to install the satellite node. When asked, I choose the node device from the list, hit Install Now, and then followed the app’s plug-in and unpacking directions. After the node was powered on, I made sure its LED was shining white and green. Then, I tapped Next, and the node connected in less than 30 seconds. The installation was finished and the node was connected after a 60-second network optimization process.
Arris SURFboard Central app
The host router, linked satellites, internet speed right now, and the number of connected devices are all displayed on the app’s home screen.There are options to check the network settings, parental controls, and Internet speed at the bottom of the home page. The app features side tabs for conducting a Speed Test, adding a new satellite, testing the Alexa voice control connection, getting Help, and finding out what firmware version the devices are running if you hit on the menu icon in the upper left corner of the screen. The Settings option offers a location to sign out as well as the name and account information.
Privacy
It has this Parental Control, which is a simple Internet access restriction that works on a schedule. You can’t use it to block any website, nor can you filter any content or applications.
Power consumption
The Surfboard Max Pro router and its satellite consumed 15.4 watts each when switching between data and connecting clients, which is the same amount as the Asus Zen WiFi XT8. The Surfboard Max Pro pair should cost about $35.10 if used continuously at the average US electricity rate of 13 cents per kilowatt-hour.
Arris SURFboard Max Pro W133 consumer review
Makes WiFi so instant!
Electronic stuff is not my forte but all I know is I needed our WiFi to work better for us. With two boys that love TV and video games, it doesn’t take much for our internet access to get skippy and lag. The ARRIS SURFboard mAX was so EASY to install with nearly plug-and-play ability. I downloaded the app and had better visibility at managing my internet speeds so I knew right away if it was my connectivity or my devices that needed attention. As soon as I hooked it up I noticed a huge improvement! Internet searches were seamless, multiple devices could load their content lighting fast! This has been the best electronics purchase I have made in a long time.
By Michelle Y. at surfboard
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