MikroTik MikroTik hAP ax2 US Version (C52iG-5HaxD2HaxD-TC-US)

Easy to use. Everything you need is in the menu. You just need to know what to do. Could be stronger but it was ~$100 so it’s stronger than expected really.

Excellent performance as a router. Wi-Fi performance is average.

I love the gear from Mikrotik. It isn't necessarily the easiest to setup, but it is very powerful. With multiple ethernet ports and wifi, it can support a large number of clients. When integrated with other Mikrotik gear, security is increased by having centralized control. I plan to purchase more of these.

I've been using MikroTik devices and RouterOS professionally and personally for almost 20 years. If you're a typical home user and not involved in IT, strongly consider if this is the right device for you. Even with the newer hardware and MikroTik's out-of-box defaults, RouterOS takes some advanced knowledge and skills.RouterOS v7 is a flash hog. After upgrading to the last few v7 releases, the disk space on my hAP ac2 got to less than 400kb free. After upgrading to v7.13 and transitioning to the "new" wifi package, I was left with even less free disk space, under 100kb. I could no longer run User Manager which I use for wifi and VPN authentication.The hAP ax2 is faster, has more RAM (1GB) and a larger flash (128MB). I can run User Manager once again without any issues.Moved my hAP ac2 to another part of the house as an access point only.The only thing I've noticed is that the ax2 wireless seems to have slightly weaker coverage than the ac2. I'm almost wondering if the metal heat-sink is a contributor to this. However, MikroTik did improve the antenna design a bit on the ax2 and it has slightly more gain (~2dB) than the ac2.Another pro for the ax2 is extended 5GHz band support. MikroTik received FCC approval for up to 5900MHz, so you can run a 5885MHz channel center frequency. However, some older 802.11n or 11ac devices may not support the 5850-5900 band. It would be really nice if they came out with another version of the ax2 with wifi6e (6GHz) band support, but I just don't see that happening, at least not any time soon.One last con for the ax2 is the lack of a USB port. MikroTik says this was *not* cost-cutting but a heat issue. A USB 3.0 controller can dissipate a decent amount of heat, so I can understand that. Unfortunately that means adding something like a LTE or 5G USB modem for a backup internet connection is not an option. I would argue that they should've done at least a USB 2.0 port which would be a lot less heat yet still fast enough at 480Mbps for a modem.

By chance, I ended up with two internet providers in my home. Having worked all my life in IT and with network gear, I know that load balancing between two WAN connections can be expensive. However, MikroTik offers a solution that even their cheaper versions can handle.When I saw the MikroTik WiFi 6 router priced under $100, I bought it without hesitation to replace my slow Netgear, which was incapable of managing two WAN connections. The hAP ax2 is designed to handle multiple connections, so I made the switch.The configuration process is by no means easy, but there is ample documentation and guides available online. After some effort, I successfully set up a configuration that load balances traffic equally between my two connections, allowing me to use both ISPs simultaneously.Overall, I am very pleased with the performance of the MikroTik hAP ax2. It has significantly improved my network's efficiency and reliability. If you're looking for an affordable router that can handle multiple WAN connections, I highly recommend this one. Just be prepared to invest some time in the setup process!

This little guy sports a unified OS experience in a small yet powerful package. The router looks nicer in real life than it does in photos and works better than it looks.The only thing I'd warn people about is the (seemingly) weak wireless signal. It's to be expected of a unit with no external antennae, but the range seems even a bit worse than I anticipated even with that in mind. It's not a huge deal because it still gets the coverage I need, but I'd avoid this unit for larger spaces for sure. I'm in a rather densely designed ~1350 sq. ft. 3 BR and I can't get signal on the opposite side of the house, for reference.

The picture doesn't do it justice. It's a beautiful looking little router. I was testing the wifi propagation and throughput all morning. The range is very impressive, and if you have WiFiMan installed on your phone you can watch it seemlessly move you from the 2GHz to the 5GHz radio as necessary just like Wifi6 should. And can I just say Mikrotik doesn't get enough credit for their WiFi products? I know it's not their main thing, but the team or person who engineers their wifi products are absolute geniuses. The control you have over the radios are hands down unbeatable, and now that they have wifi6, they are back on top in my book. Now, for people looking for a normal router, please be advised Mikrotiks are kind of for the wireless geeks and network engineers. They're so powerful ISP's can use them as border routers, and they do. That said, don't let it scare you if you're not in I.T. Mikrotik has a nice WinBox phone app which has an easy "quick setup" tab that does all the work for you. There's a browser interface as well, and most routers for homes like this come with a basic setup already in there. This one surprisingly came with an admin and wifi password built in. Anyway, if you like to deep dive into the router and look at really neat stuff, and packet capture every device connected and stuff like that, then this is the router for you. As an I.T. professional, specifically I'm a wireless technician, I love Mikrotik. I hope they post more products on Amazon so people who just want a few items can get it without going through a distributer.