The coolest Wi-Fi 7 router I’ve ever seen

Recently, I woke up to a message from our editorial team asking if I’d like to test a new router from HUAWEI. That was all I knew, and while I’m no stranger to networking gear, the only thing I could be sure of was getting my hands on a HUAWEI router, which would very likely be a good-looking, premium model… but I had no idea what I was in for.

The HUAWEI Wi-Fi Mesh X3 Pro (€169 at Amazon) arrived at my doorstep about a week later, and this thing looks incredible — just look at it. As someone who lives in a mountain town, the light-up summit is very fitting. My cabin has never looked cooler, and I found out it is also a pretty competitive router, with awesome capabilities and features.

Not to sound like a broken record, but this thing looks absolutely stunning. I usually lean toward minimalist, sleek-looking routers. You kind of want them to blend into the environment and not stick out like a sore thumb. I now realize this is because most routers don’t really look good, though.

The HUAWEI Wi-Fi Mesh X3 Pro is the first router I feel proud to show off. It’s a statement piece that can sit proudly in plain view.

The truth is, HUAWEI made sure of this because I feel like most of the main router is there for aesthetics. The top part is mostly a dome that seems to protect a mountain peak inside. I feel like most of the electronics are at the bottom, but the router does hide a transparent antenna inside the mountain.

This mountain glows and can light up my whole cabin with soft, warm light at night. It can also turn white when it’s cloudy outside, which is a nice touch. Essentially, the unit provides ambient light. It’s pretty much impossible to ignore it. I happen to love it, but my girlfriend thinks it is too bright to sleep comfortably. Luckily, I can turn off the light in the app when she stays over.

I got the HUAWEI Wi-Fi Mesh X3 Pro Suite version, which includes one main router (the mountain one) and a smaller satellite mesh unit. We’ll talk more about options later, but this one is suitable for covering 120 square meters. More than enough for my small cabin.

The smaller satellite unit is much simpler, but it still offers a bit of flair with the ambient light that matches the main one. It’s not as bright, but I keep it in my bathroom, where it serves as a nice night light. You can also turn off the light in the app. It’s a matter of preference. I happen to love the soft, warm light they add to my cabin during dark nights.

Looks aren’t the only thing the HUAWEI Wi-Fi Mesh X3 Pro has going for it. It’s actually quite a capable router, and the €169 (~$199) price isn’t bad considering all it offers. We’re talking about a Wi-Fi 7 unit with dual-band capabilities, after all.

It supports the 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz bands, with speeds up to 3.6 Gbps. The 2.4GHz band can reach speeds of up to 688Mbps, while the 5.0GHz band can reach 2,882Mbps.

Honestly, both of those are far more than my internet speeds reach. I live with a 500Mbps connection, and most American households use much less than that. I am far from taking this router to its limits.

All that said, plenty of more affordable routers can reach my internet speeds and needs just fine. I think, in most cases, what matters most is the number of simultaneous connections a router can handle. Cheaper routers tend to support a very limited number of simultaneous connections; usually about 10-15 on the lower end.

This number becomes easier to reach once you start using multiple phones, tablets, TVs, and smart home products, such as light bulbs. Reach the limit, and performance will quickly tank. The HUAWEI Wi-Fi Mesh X3 Pro supports up to 128 devices, so you’ll have a hard time reaching that number. I’ve never used a router that supports this many connections. Obviously, it handles my 18-30 connections flawlessly.

Another important factor is the coverage area of the HUAWEI Wi-Fi Mesh X3 Pro. The good news is that this is a mesh system, which means you can add units to cover more space. I personally tested the HUAWEI Wi-Fi Mesh X3 Pro Suite, which includes one main router and one mesh extender for a price of €249 (~$293). It covers up to 120 square meters of space (about 1,292 square feet).

Again, that coverage space is far beyond my needs, considering I live in a small cabin. My phone actually connects to my network as soon as I reach my parking spot, which is about 50-60 feet away from the front door. I am pretty much enjoying full Wi-Fi coverage anywhere in the cabin and around it, in my yard.

I would probably do just fine with the master router alone, which is optimized to cover about 100 square meters (1,076 square feet), which is still a bunch. If you have a large home and need ample coverage, you can also use the main router plus two extenders, which are said to cover up to 300 square meters (about a whopping 3,229 square feet).

While nothing out of this world, the HUAWEI Wi-Fi Mesh X3 Pro has a nice set of features, and a pretty nice app to match. I like that you can create a little map of your home and then mark where the router and satellite mesh units are. This can create a coverage heatmap to ensure the important areas are covered. Just tap the pencil button to start editing sizes, adding floors, setting up rooms, labeling them, and more.

If you tap the Smart diagnosis button, the system will analyze your setup, tell you how everything is running, give you recommendations, and provide a score. Mine is “Excellent”, which is to be expected given my cabin is pretty much a small studio.

The Parental controls section lets you set schedules for specific devices and block specific URLs. I tested these features, and they work fine. I live alone, so I have no need for these, so I removed the limitations soon after. Wi-Fi management lets you dig deeper into some settings. You can also go into the Guest Wi-Fi button to enable, disable, or customize a separate network for visitors.

Now, let’s dig into the cooler features. First, there is Game acceleration. This is actually quite interesting. When you enable the feature, the router will recognize game traffic. It will then enable Game Turbo, which reduces gaming latency by about 37%. It currently supports over 90 games.

There’s also HarmonyOS Connect. It is a HUAWEI service that allows for seamless connections between supported devices and routers. It allows for simpler connections, and it works as a smart home hub.

I couldn’t do much with this because I don’t really own any other HUAWEI products that I use on a daily basis, and my smart home devices work perfectly with Matter and smart assistants. I suppose it could be nice if you are all about the HUAWEI ecosystem. Move to the Devices tab; the main feature here is Firewall, with some security features.

All things considered, the app is pretty easy to use and has a few, but helpful features. The big buttons help make navigation easy. Either way, the whole point of a good router is that you won’t need to use the app very much.

There is one huge caveat with this router. I like it very much, so I am disappointed to see that it is not readily available in many markets. Most importantly, it is not available in the US, though that’s not too surprising given the ongoing legal issues HUAWEI faces in the States.

You could import one, but be aware that I had some issues connecting to the internet during the initial setup. I don’t know, for the life of me, what might have caused this, but it just started working for no reason after some time. I was endlessly restarting the modem and router, looking through the settings, etc. I then factory reset the router and kept battling with it until it just started working. I’ve never had a problem since.

The ambient light can also be annoying for those who like sleeping in total darkness, too, but you can turn it off if you want.

The HUAWEI Wi-Fi Mesh X3 Pro is quite special. The brand is known for its great designs, and this mesh router is a pure testament to that. It’s also not too expensive, at least compared to most other higher-end Wi-Fi 7 routers.

Not only does it look amazing and unique, but the HUAWEI Wi-Fi Mesh X3 Pro performs great. It is fast, can support a bunch of connected devices, and comes with a nice set of features. Honestly, I will continue using it, as it has become a great conversation starter in my cabin. I just love looking at it, too.

Sadly, as awesome as the HUAWEI Wi-Fi Mesh X3 Pro router is, its limited availability will mean that, even if I recommend it, you might struggle to buy one. If you can get your hands on one, though, it’s an awesome router you can be proud to show off.