EnGenius Mesh Smart Router ESR530 Review

The EnGenius Mesh Smart Router ESR530 ($129.99 for the two-pack) is a mesh Wi-Fi system that offers convenient features including robust parental controls, one-touch device priority (QoS), and support for MU-MIMO data streaming.

It's also very easy to install and configure, but its long-range throughput performance falls a bit behind the competition.

It may seem like a lot to shell out an extra $170 for the Editors' Choice TP-Link Deco M9 Plus, but that system offers wider coverage, better performance, and anti-malware software.

Demure Design

The ESR530 mesh system can be ordered as a single unit ($69.99) that provides up to 1,500 square feet of coverage, or in a two-pack kit ($129.99) that contains two identical nodes that provide up to 3,000 square feet of coverage.

(I tested the two-pack.) You can add up to eight nodes to a single network.

To compare, the Deco M9 Plus two-pack covers up to 4,500 square feet.

The ESR530 kit uses the same low-profile white 4.9-by-2-inch (HW) puck-shaped enclosures as the the Engenius EMR3000 kit.

Each node offers the same selection of I/O ports, including two gigabit LAN ports, a power jack, and a USB 2.0 port (a rarity for Wi-Fi systems).

An LED indicator on the top of the router glows white when the nodes are connected and running correctly, flashes red when there is a connectivity issue, and flashes orange when the mesh signal is weak, which means you have to move the satellite node closer to the router node.

The ESR530 system uses 802.11ac Wave 2 wireless technology with support for MU-MIMO simultaneous data streaming, direct signal transmissions (beamforming), and automatic band-steering.

The nodes are 2x2 dual-band AC1300 routers that can reach maximum data rates of 400Mbps on the 2.4GHz band and 867Mbps on the 5GHz band.

They are powered by a quad-core CPU, 256MB of RAM, and 128MB of flash memory.

The ESR530 can be managed with a user-friendly EnMesh mobile app (iOS and Android) or with a web console.

The app opens to a home screen that contains a small network map with connectivity status, an Internet Speed Test with the most current upload and download results, and buttons for Wi-Fi, Devices, Diagnosis, and Parental Controls.

Tap the Wi-Fi button to change the network SSID, password, and encryption type.

Here you can also enable guest networking and access advanced settings where you can configure channel and bandwidth settings.

The Devices button takes you to a screen where you can view IP and MAC address information for each node and see which clients are connected to them.

Tap the gear button next to the node to run an Internet Speed Test, turn the LED indicator on or off, enable SAMBA file services for attached external storage, and enable WPS.

The Diagnosis button takes you to a screen where you can run an Internet Speed Test and Mesh Speed Test that tells you the speed (in Mbps) of transmissions between mesh nodes.

Tap the Parental Controls button to assign QoS priority to individual clients and to set Rules for each client or group of clients.

Rules allow you to set weekly access schedules and apply web filters to block websites that offer Social Media, Search Engines, and Video Media.

You can also create a custom filter by entering URLs of sites you want to block.

Missing are the anti-malware tools you get with the TP-Link Deco M9 Plus and the Asus Lyra systems.

Mixed Performance

I had the ESR530 system up and running in no time.

I started by downloading the mobile app and tapping the Create New Network wizard.

I followed the on-screen instructions to connect my router node to my modem and powered it up.

After a minute, the LED went from flashing white to flashing orange and I confirmed this by tapping the orange button in the app.

Next, I scanned the QR code on the bottom of the router, joined my phone to the ESR network, and tapped Next.

I gave the router a name (Office), selected a country, and was immediately connected to the internet.

I tapped Next, created an account with a user name and password, and changed the SSID and Wi-Fi password.

I applied these new settings and tapped Add More Devices to install the satellite node.

I powered up the node, selected it as the device to be installed, and waited about 90 seconds for the node to pair with the router.

Once the app confirmed the node was added to my network, the installation was complete.

See How We Test Wireless Routers

The ESR530 turned in mixed results on our throughput performance tests.

The router node's score of 430Mbps on the close-proximity (same-room) test was faster than the Linksys Velop Plug-In router but not quite as fast as the D-Link COVR 2202 or the TP-Link Deco M9 Plus routers.

At a distance of 30 feet, the ESR530 router's score of 107Mbps was the slowest of the bunch.

The TP-Link Deco M9 Plus led with a score of 230Mbps.

The ESR530 satellite node's score of 140Mbps on the close-proximity test was slightly faster than the Linksys Velop Plug-In, but was no match for the D-Link COVR 2202 (385Mbps) and the TP-Link Deco M9 Plus (386Mbps) scores.

It's score of 108Mbps trailed the pack: The Linksys Velop Plug-In satellite scored 118Mbps, the TP-Link Deco M9 Plus scored 297Mbps, and the D-Link COVR 2202 took top honors with a score of 340Mbps.

Better in Close Quarters

If your current wireless router is leaving you with Wi-Fi dead zones in your home, a whole-home Wi-Fi system such as the EnGenius Mesh Smart Router ESR530 can help.

Easy to install and configure, the ESR530 comes with strong parental controls built into the user-friendly EnMesh mobile app.

While the ESR530 router node delivers relatively good close-range performance, its long-range abilities, as well as the satellite node's overall performance, are middling.

The two-piece TP-Link Deco M9 Plus will cost you an extra $170, but it offers wider coverage, superior speeds, and anti-malware software.

It also doubles as a home automation hub.

As such, it remains our Editors' Choice for mesh Wi-Fi systems.