AT THE END OF THE DAY
The Reyee RG-E5 is a low-cost dual-band router that leverages Wi-Fi 6 technology to give blistering 5GHz throughput speeds and wide-area wireless coverage.
PROS
- Priced reasonably
- Installation is simple.
- Excellent throughput capability
CONS
- Strong signal performance
- There are no USB ports.
- Doesn’t have a multi-gigabit WAN/LAN and doesn’t support WPA3.
- The channel bandwidth is only 160 MHz.
REYEE RG-E5 WI-FI 6 ROUTER SPECS
| Wireless Specification | 802.11ax |
| AC Speed | AX3200 |
| Number of Wired LAN Ports (Excluding WAN Port) | 4 |
| Number of USB ports | 0 |
| Number of Antennas | 8 |
| Number of Bands | 2 |
| Wireless Networking Security | WPA, WPA2 |
| MU-MIMO | Yes |
| IPv6 Compatible | Yes |
| Quality of Service | Yes |
| VPN Client Pre-Installed | No |
| Supports DD-WRT | No |
| Anti-Malware Tools | No |
| Wireless Parental Controls | Yes |
| Link Aggregation | No |
| Beamforming | Yes |
| Guest Networking | Yes |
The Reyee RG-E5 ($149.99) is a dual-band Wi-Fi 6 wireless router for up to 3,000 square feet of living space. It doesn’t have many extra capabilities, but it has some of the best 5GHz speed we’ve seen from a router under $200, and it provided a strong Wi-Fi 6 signal across our test home. That’s good enough for it to win the Editors’ Choice award for best midrange router.
The Silver and Black Finish Is Attractive
The RG-E5 has a silver and black finish that looks modern, and it measures 1.5 by 9.1 by 9.1 inches (HWD). On the top is a backlit Mesh pairing button, and below it is a system status LED. When the router is connected, the LED glows solid blue, and when the router is restarting, the LED blinks blue. The Mesh button allows you to construct a mesh network with the help of additional Reyee routers that you may purchase separately.
A dual-core CPU, 256MB of RAM, and 16MB of flash memory power the RG-E5, which has eight non-removable antennae (two on each edge). This router lacks multi-gigabit ports and does not enable link aggregation or USB connectivity, as does the TP-Link Archer AX50. The RG-E5 does, however, have four 1Gbps LAN ports and a 1Gbps WAN port on the back, as well as a Reset button and a power jack. Modern routers come standard with gigabit LAN and WAN connections.
This is a dual-band AX3200 Wi-Fi 6 router with theoretical maximum data rates of 800Mbps on the 2.4GHz band and 2,400Mbps on the 5GHz band. 4X4 MU-MIMO streaming, OFDMA data transmissions, 1024 QAM, beamforming, and BSS Color technologies are all supported. However, it does not support WPA3 encryption or a channel bandwidth of 160 MHz. These are advanced technologies that can increase security and reliability of connections, but we don’t expect to see them on routers at this price point.
A web console or the Reyee Router mobile app for iOS and Android smartphones can be used to install and administer the RG-E5.
The app’s Homepage screen displays your upload and download speeds as well as a small network map. To display router information, tap the map to see which ports are active, which clients are currently connected, and which Wi-Fi channels the network is using. A list of online clients appears below the network map. To ensure Quality of Service, tap any client to configure its upload and download speed limitations (QoS). You can also put the client on a blacklist, set parental restrictions, and see the client’s MAC and IP addresses as well as the connection type.
Parental Controls Are Included
Scenario and Settings screens are also available. The Parental Control, Guest Wi-Fi, Eco Mode, Smart Home, Xpress, and Blacklist panels are located on the Scenario screen. Parental Controls are a must-have feature. Allowable and blocked times can be set for each client, and one-touch buttons can be used to rapidly grant or deny access. The TP-Link Archer AX50 router, on the other hand, includes age-based web restrictions and browser history reports.
Guest Wi-Fi allows you to create a separate network with limited access to your personal information, while Eco Mode allows you to arrange Wi-Fi schedules to help save energy. The network security software that comes with the TP-Link Archer AX73 Wi-Fi 6 router isn’t included.
Create a separate 2.4GHz SSID for smart devices such as lighting, cameras, and door locks by tapping the Smart Home panel. The Xpress function allows you to choose Wi-Fi channels with the least amount of traffic and disturbance, while the Blacklist panel allows you to prohibit network access to any connected device instantaneously.
Finally, you may customize Wi-Fi and LAN settings, run upload and download speed tests, troubleshoot network difficulties, update the firmware, and switch off the LED indicator on the Settings screen.
The RG-E5 was a breeze to set up. To add a new device, I downloaded the mobile app and tapped the Add symbol. I was asked to set up a Reyee and a Ruijie Cloud account (the Reyee brand is owned by Fuzhou, China-based Ruijie Networks). Then, using the provided LAN cable, I tapped Add Network and followed the onscreen directions to plug in the router and connect it to my modem. I tapped Next, connected to the router’s SSID using my phone, and then tapped Configure on the Welcome screen. I selected Next and established a management password and a new network password after the Wizard screen automatically configured my DHCP settings. Finally, I tapped Add to connect the router to the app, and the setup was finished.
The Reyee RG-E5 is put to the test to see if it can deliver best-in-class throughput.
In our throughput tests, the Reyee RG-E5 outperformed the competition. In the 2.4GHz close-proximity (same-room) test, it outperformed the TP-Link Archer AX73 (88Mbps), the D-Link DIR-LX1870 (100Mbps), and the TP-Link Archer AX50 with a score of 112Mbps (109Mbps). With a score of 46Mbps at a distance of 30 feet, the RG-E5 once again earned first place. The TP-Link Archer AX73 had a speed of 37Mbps, the D-Link DIR-LX1870 had a speed of 40Mbps, and the TP-Link Archer AX50 had a speed of 42Mbps.
The 5GHz throughput of the RG-E5 was exceptional. It outperformed the TP-Link Archer AX50 (689Mbps) and the D-Link DIR-LX1870 in the close-proximity test, delivering a blistering 882Mbps (569Mbps). Even though the TP-Link Archer AX73 came in second with 701Mbps, it was still 181Mbps slower than the RG-E5. The RG-E5 scored 525Mbps on the 30-foot 5GHz test, which was more than twice as fast as the competition: The TP-Link Archer AX50 achieved a speed of 231Mbps, the D-Link DIR-LX1870 achieved a speed of 200Mbps, and the TP-Link Archer AX73 achieved a speed of 215Mbps.
With an Ekahau Sidekick Wi-Fi diagnostic equipment and Ekahau’s Survey smartphone app, we measure Wi-Fi signal strength. Heat maps of the router’s 2.4GHz and 5GHz signal strength across our test home are generated using this combination. (PCMag’s parent company, Ziff Davis, owns Ekahau.) The router’s location is shown by the circle on the maps, with dark green colors indicating the greatest signal and yellow hues indicating a weaker signal. No quantifiable signal reception is indicated by gray hues.
The RG-E5 had no issue generating relatively strong 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi signals across the entire house, as evidenced by the heat maps.
There aren’t many extras, only blistering speeds.
The Reyee RG-E5 doesn’t come with many accessories, but it does include a dual-band Wi-Fi 6 router that is simple to set up and provides excellent performance. In fact, the RG-E5 surpassed every other Wi-Fi 6 router in its price bracket, with 5GHz performance and signal range comparable to those found in higher-priced routers.
There is no anti-malware security, and there are no high-speed Ethernet or USB ports. If you need dependable, robust Wi-Fi, the RG-performance E5’s places it at the top of its class, earning it an Editors’ Choice award for midrange routers.
Reyee RG-E5 Wi-Fi 6 Router
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Eirik Johansson a writer who is always seeking new ways to explore the world around continue us and to understand the fundamental laws that govern it. I believe that writing is not just about expressing oneself, but about exploring the natural world and the mysteries of the universe. I strive to create stories that are both informative and engaging, that educate readers and inspire them to think differently about the world around them. I believe that writing has the power to change the way we see the world, and I am honored to be a part of that tradition.
Leif Andersson, a writer who is driven by a desire to inspire and educate through my work. I believe that writing is not just about putting words on a page, it's about using those words to make a positive impact on the world. I strive to create stories that are both entertaining and enlightening, that inspire readers to think differently and to take action. I believe that writing has the power to change the world, and I am honored to be a part of that tradition.
Hello, my name is Zephyrine. I am a writer with a passion for storytelling and a love for the written word. I have always been fascinated by the power of words to transport us to different places, to make us feel different emotions, and to connect us with others. I strive to create stories that are both thought-provoking and entertaining, that challenge readers to think in new ways and that leave a lasting impression. I believe that good writing has the power to change the world, and I am honored to be a part of that tradition.
