Power Consumption and conclusion

Power consumption 

We connected AX-compatible PCs directly towards the AP. We stressed the three PCs utilizing all available bandwidth. As you can see you can expect a power consumption of 15 Watts. I hugely stressed you could add a few watts at best. So in a low load or idle conditions, you're looking at 10 to 15 Watts of energy consumption. 

Thermals

When I picked up the unit, it felt warm during the operation. So that got me curious. Our thermal camera lets us take a peek at how hot the enclosure got. It remains warm but not hot, so no there won't be any thermal throttling under heavy usage of the device. 

Acoustics

None, there is no active fan present in the device.

Conclusion

There's a lot to like about this access point; first off, we're writing this review aimed at SOHO and prosumer users, a business-targeted solution. We absolutely appreciate the increased WIFI range provided by the ECW336; it also comes with a very effective cloud-based software suite. It offers lots of performance, and if you look attentively, you can even slightly boost the power and, thus, transmission ranges. With WiFi 6E, you can go up to a range of say 15 metres and maybe a wall or two. After that, you're back to 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz however the 6Ghz band absolutely worked better than expected once we configured it manually and thus optimally.

We believe EnGenius is offering additional value thanks to the free usage of their cloud-based software suite; nonetheless, a licence for some advanced features is required. But in all reality, all you need is available for free already. Security is also a thing for Engenius, the ECW336 features a Bluetooth antenna and an extra radio that is used to scan the region for both dangerous devices and to figure out how to improve the network. Once up and running, the device automatically upgraded its firmware, following which it presented us with so many monitoring options that we were perplexed. Once it's up and running, you'll never look back.

I certainly appreciate the expanded WIFI range the AP brings, but whether or not I deem the 6 GHz band very important is another question. In a bigger picture, you'll be very future proof of course, the 6 GHz frequency is relatively narrow and the further you get away passing through walls, the quicker performance will become an issue. However, performance did manage to shock us.

Initially, we passed through two walls and at a 7-meter distance, we reached only 200 Mbit/sec. That made us weary a bit. The AP seems to default towards a lower channel frequency; you should adjust the SSID settings for the 6Ghz radio to enable the 160MHz channel width. After that, we breached 1 Gbps on shorter ranges, and even at 7 meters passing walls, we'd sit at 600-700 Mbps. So yes, the hardware is sound but the configuration will require some exercise and expertise. power consumption surprised us positively as well, when peaking with heavy congestion, you're looking at ~15 Watts power consumption.

In the end, we feel the AP is on the expensive side with an MSRP at $699.00; next to that, a power adapter would have been nice. But considering the target end-user and market for this product, we also understand that the final clientele will be PoE-ready. Overall this is an outstandingly performing product that offers an excellent WIFI range occupying all frequencies that are allowed. EnGenius now manages most of our network needs as we've replaced switches and APs. As time has progressed, I have come to prefer it because of how reliable it has been; there however is a steep learning curve with the cloud-based GUI as you do need to know what you're doing. The EnGenius ECW336 is a high-quality access point that operates on the 6GHz spectrum to deliver speeds greater than 1 Gbps. With 6G compatible devices it'll relieve pressure on the more popular 5GHz frequency. I can not say whether or not small and medium-sized businesses or private households are prepared to upgrade to WiFi 6E due to reasons of cost all by itself, but if you have the means to do so, the EnGenius ECW336 is worth checking out for sure. We'll be using this device for further testing WIFI6 adapters and compatible motherboards, as the ECW336 offers incredibly good WIFI performance once properly configured, setting a new standard of what can be expected. Well, .. until WIFI7 comes out that is. 

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