I’m sure I don’t need to describe a router any further, because everyone knows that the Internet doesn’t just come out of the wall socket, but also needs to be distributed throughout the home in a manner that is as latency-free and high-bandwidth as possible. Since Wi-Fi 6E now enables real tri-band routers that can generate a lot of bandwidth, especially in simultaneous operation, MSI has finally followed suit and provides its own gaming gear. Certainly, you can’t reinvent technology at MSI either, because physics is also a serious science that can’t be outwitted. But you can at least belly-flop the target group of wireless gamers and their immediate surroundings a bit nicer with small gimmicks and technical tricks.
MSI had already attracted attention with the AXE6600 at CES 2022 and the next sign of life was at Gamescom 2022. But always just looking and watching, instead of testing and experiencing for yourself is also kind of bland. However, this has now come to an end and retailers can look forward to a new network product. Because not all routers are the same, even if the technology is more or less always the same. To find out, I also went to the lab, but I think we’ll just turn the tables this time!
We’re giving away the router pictured here (yes, it’s exactly THE one) exclusively in the community (courtesy of MSI), and I trust my readers enough that there will then be a real reader test of it being used in a gamer’s real life (but not only). Editors and marketing can tell a lot, of course, but life between ping and pong often looks quite different. But for the draw and the usual explanation, there is more on the last page. For now, here are the basics about the AXE6600, because it will be interesting to see what MSI has implemented to give gamers a certain advantage.
Crowding in the network? MU-MIMO, OFDMA and Wi-Fi 6E
The MSI RadiX AXE6600 uses three frequency ranges (bands), i.e. the 2.4 GHz, the 5 GHz and also the 6 GHz band. The keyword is high-density Wi-Fi, which requires the MU MIMO (Multiuser Multiple Input, Multiple Output) function used from Wi-Fi 5. This feature increases network capacity where you widen the channels between wireless access points and clients by splitting the available bandwidth of, for example, the AXE6600 into separate, spatial streams. In this way, the router is multitasking and can communicate with more than one client at the same time.
The development of MU-MIMO technology is also progressing more and more, and thus the new MSI router can even support up to eight spatial streams as part of the Wi-Fi 6 standard, which is especially effective for longer distances. It also supports OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access), the pedant in the form of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing. This is where the Adivision of a main frequency into several smaller subfrequencies (subcarriers) takes place in order to transmit different data streams for different users at the same time. OFDMA increases spectrum efficiency and reduces latency for small data packets.
Each of these sub-frequencies transmits different data per transmission interval and is assigned to a different user. The advantage is that several small data packets can be transmitted to diverse users per time unit instead of using all subcarriers for a single, exclusive user. Combining MU MIMO and OFDMA now opens up completely new possibilities for broadband and high-speed multi-user coverage.
Quality of Service (QoS) as handling for smart bandwidth utilization
Transferring different content at the same time is just one story, but coordinating the different users and their data packets in a meaningful way to optimize data traffic is a completely different one. The term QoS is not new, but it can certainly be elevated to a key feature in a gaming router. Prioritizing specific content or users is not new, but it always assumes a mostly static split up front. The RadiX AXE6600 can also solve this dynamically, which makes it quite interesting for simultaneously maintaining the smallest ping in gaming while your better half streams a movie, works or chats via video.
The peculiarities of different data connections or streams can of course also be captured and smartly evaluated. In addition to static prioritization of users or user groups, the RadiX AXE6600 can also dynamically detect certain content such as games or video streams and distribute them as optimally as possible. And so, in addition to the simple switches between gamimg, streaming and office, there is also an AI-controlled QoS implementation on the router that independently decides what has priority. This in turn worked quite well in practice with a suitable Wi-Fi-6 motherboard (MSI MEG X670E Ace).
Especially since there is another pretty nasty option that I don’t want to keep quiet about either: prioritizing MSI devices. Thus, those who play with an MSI motherboard in their PC and/or own a suitable MSI notebook can easily overtake the rest of the family including their Apple cosmos on the right. You can think that’s nice or not, but you have to come up with it first. From this point of view, this feature alone is a certain unique selling point for brand-affine buyers.
And yes, the eye also eats and so MSI has somehow remained true to its sharp-edged design language. Whether this then fits into a rather conservative living ambience, everyone must decide for themselves. But that and what else the router can do and what the specs look like are now on the second page. So please turn the page!
259 Antworten
Kommentar
Lade neue Kommentare
Neuling
1
Urgestein
Mitglied
Mitglied
Mitglied
Mitglied
Neuling
Mitglied
Veteran
Neuling
Mitglied
Neuling
Urgestein
Mitglied
Mitglied
1
Mitglied
Neuling
Alle Kommentare lesen unter igor´sLAB Community →