Before we started testing, we had to take a look at
Xiaomi AX1800 and perform initial configuration. The router doesn't deviate from current minimalist trends - it's a white box with rounded corners and four antennas distributed symmetrically - two at the back and two at the sides. No redundant elements, no ornaments. It is quite sizable, but thanks to that the heat generated by the systems is well dissipated, according to the manufacturer. Ethernet ports, reset button and power input are placed on the back, with status LEDs on the top of the device. The power supply included with the
Xiaomi AX1800 router is in standard size.
The tested device has
MiWiFi - Open-WRT based software in firmware version 3.0.34, which seems to have some disadvantages. Access is possible by using the web interface and a special Mi WiFi application for smartphones, available in Google Play store and Apple App Store. On the current version of the application there are some problems already, despite the Polish language being available there appear to be some untranslated fragments with Chinese characters.
The web interface does not provide the Polish language, which, with a well-made and quite intuitive and readable
webUI in English, should not be a major problem. Quick configuration can be done via an application in English, or step-by-step on the router's website. The device's manual and hints for the configured options make the task easier. The application provides the ability to send notifications about network events, such as connecting a new device. It also allows to implement simple parental control.
Despite the selection of the Poland region for WiFi frequencies, it is possible to set only channels 36, 40, 44, and 48. Probably due to underdeveloped elements of the software, this version for Poland lacks the whole 5470-5725 band, probably because of a lack of
DFS support. However, this is only problematic in places heavily crowded with other WiFi networks, for home use it does not play a significant role. Manual configuration of the operating channel for WiFi is not necessary for the router to work,
it is automatically selected by default. According to the tests, regardless of the selection, the device does not change the operating frequency range, so if there will be a lot of equipment used working in the 80MHz bandwidth, large interference may occur. The router itself, however, precisely transmits on the chosen channel, narrower on each side by about 1-1.5 MHz, so it does not generate unnecessary interference when other devices work on adjacent channels.
The router and app connect to the cloud, so accessing device information after authentication is quick and seamless. Xiaomi needs to refine the SSL certificates for servers, because they are not compatible with each other and cause problems reported by the security features on the computer or phone. When configuring the device for a longer period of time, there were also problems with stability - several times
the AX1800 router stopped responding and
needed a reset.
The AX1800 router defaults to
WiFi 6 Mode, but for efficient networking with devices that support the earlier
Wi-Fi 5 standard
- IEEE 802.11ac, Wi-Fi Mode 5 compatibility should be enabled. This may also be necessary if a specific piece of equipment cannot connect to the router. If it's going to support more legacy devices, it's a good idea to enable
MU-MIMO to ensure optimal simultaneous throughput for multiple clients.