Step 2 was to choose my time zone (which was already correctly entered) and select whether I wanted the router to auto-update (I chose yes). Step 3 automatically configured my WAN connection type, while Step 4 allowed me to choose custom SSIDs and passwords for the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. After completing Step 4, a summary page displayed the options I had selected, and the router rebooted to apply them. The whole process took about two minutes, from initial setup to the router rebooting and being fully operational.
The General Settings tab allows you to configure your WAN mode, wireless settings (including the ability to enable Smart Connect, which combines the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands into a single SSID), enable VPN, set up a captive portal, and upgrade the router's firmware.
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware) (Image credit: Tom's Hardware) (Image credit: Tom's Hardware) (Image credit: Tom's Hardware) The Parental Controls tab offers comprehensive controls for curating content, and you can create individual profiles for multiple children. Once you've added your child's device, you can pause the internet for 5 minutes to 120 minutes. You can also assign each device a specific "window" of time to use during the day. There's also a web filter that lets you blacklist or whitelist specific sites.
Clicking each circle opens a pop-up window that lets you change the associated setting. On the plus side, there's a plethora of settings to adjust, including guest network, QoS, port forwarding, MAC filtering, Wi-Fi schedule, settings backup/restore, and LED control (for the front panel).
The final tab is Diagnostic Tools, which provides helpful network tools such as ping, traceroute, nslookup, and a system log.
With that said, our iPerf3 throughput tests are conducted at six-foot and 25-foot distances, with and without network traffic. In the congested traffic tests, we add six wireless clients streaming 4K YouTube videos across multiple wireless bands.
Generally speaking, the WR3600E performed poorly compared to contemporary dual-band Wi-Fi 7 routers that we’ve tested. The WR3600E has two things working against it: transmission power and maximum throughput. The lower transmission results in the WR3600E covering just 1,400 square feet, roughly half the area of the other assembled competitors. The maximum throughput on the 5 GHz channel is also half that of its competitors (2,882 Mbps versus 5,764 Mbps). Keep both of these shortfalls in mind when looking at the throughput results.
In our 5 GHz iPerf3 throughput test, the WR3600E pulled up the rear at short range (six feet), with 716 Mbps. However, the WR3600E managed to slip into second place (564 Mbps) at long range (25 feet), putting it behind only the Asus RT-BE86U(806 Mbps).
Switching over to the 2.4 GHz band, the RG-E6 came in last place at short range (82 Mbps), putting it behind the Archer BE400 (135 Mbps) and the Archer BE3600 (214 Mbps). At long range, however, the best the WR3600E could muster was 44 Mbps.
The rankings were similar with congested traffic; the WR3600E landed in last place at short range (716 Mbps) on the 5 GHz band. However, it managed to take first place at long range with a throughput of 540 Mbps. 2.4 GHz band congesting testing saw the WR3600E manage a last-place showing (63 Mbps) compared to the overachieving Archer BE3600 (205 Mbps) at short range. With distance testing stretched out to 25 feet, the WR3600E managed third place with 38 Mbps (although the rankings were relatively tight here).
Cudy is targeting the very bottom of the Wi-Fi 7 market with the WR3600E, as you can tell from its MSRP of just $79.99. However, the street price is even lower, with an instant coupon on Amazon right now taking it to just $66.39. That’s a remarkably low price for a dual-band router, but it comes with a couple of caveats.
You only get a GbE WAN and just three GbE LAN ports, while most of the competition give you one 2.5 GbE WAN and four GbE LAN ports. There’s also no USB 3.0 port for connecting external storage to your network. In addition, transmission power is not the WR3600E’s strong point, as evidenced by its small coverage area and generally weak performance compared to the competition. On the plus side, you do get relatively comprehensive configuration options for the router and a smartphone app that supports remote management (when using a Cudy cloud account).
However, the TP-Link Archer BE3600 offers a better bang for your Wi-Fi 7 buck. You'll get 2.5 GbE WAN and an extra GbE port. It also provides a USB 3.0 port and faster overall performance, especially on the 2.4 GHz band. In addition, the price difference between the two isn't significant, as the BE3600 can be had for $81. We consider the extra $15 money well spent.
Brandon Hill Social Links Navigation Brandon Hill is a senior editor at Tom's Hardware. He has written about PC and Mac tech since the late 1990s with bylines at AnandTech, DailyTech, and Hot Hardware. When he is not consuming copious amounts of tech news, he can be found enjoying the NC mountains or the beach with his wife and two sons.
HansSchulze What about testing BE mode? Thats what wifi7 is all about. I get 400Mbits on my BE3600 tplink at a few yards. Reply
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Reference reading
- https://www.tomshardware.com/networking/routers/SPONSORED_LINK_URL
- https://www.tomshardware.com/networking/routers/cudy-wr3600e-wi-fi-7-router-review#main
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