Linksys and StarHub launch the affordable yet capable Atlas 6 WiFi Mesh router

Linksys will be offering its affordable Atlas 6 WiFi Mesh router exclusively through StarHub starting today Aug 18 till February 2023 before it goes on public sale.

Built around Qualcomm's Immersive Home 214 Platform, the Atlas 6 (aka Smart WiFi MX2) is an entry-level, dual-band (2×2 MIMO) WiFi 6 mesh system with one particularly enticing feature: it can access the 160Mhz channel, potentially avoiding congestion if your devices support it.

Linksys benchmarked the Atlas 6 (in a two-node configuration) against its Dual-Band Mesh WiFi 6 Router (AX1800) and the Atlas 6 was better "in all test points" and performed 58 per cent better on average in download and upload tests.

The tests also showed that the backhaul performance of the Atlas 6 is 98 per cent better. Linksys' new router also performs considerably better than the Velop Mesh WHW03.

Understandably, given the budget nature of the device, Linksys did not include the flexibility of a USB port, but it does have three 1GbE ethernet ports if you need a wired connection.

The Linksys Atlas 6 (MX2001, single unit) will be available exclusively to StarHub customers from Aug 18 2022 till February 2023. New customers signing up for StarHub's two-year 1Gbps Broadband plan will receive a unit and have the option to add additional nodes (additional units) for another $8 monthly.

Re-contracting customers can also get their hands on an Atlas 6 and enjoy an additional $48 discount, allowing them to add it on at $6 monthly. They can also purchase additional units for an extra $8 monthly per unit.

If you are happy with your ISP but are interested in the router then the Linksys Amazon store in the US is one option.

Linksys and StarHub did not disclose the retail price of the Atlas 6, but the math works out to $192 for a single unit, which is pretty close (and slightly cheaper) to the listed Amazon price of USD149.99 (S$207.33)

The prices are on par for two units (approx. $384 in SG vs $386 via Amazon) but Amazon is cheaper (approx. $576 in SG vs $482 via Amazon) if you get a third unit; that's without factoring in shipping, by the way.

ALSO READ: Travel Wi-Fi router rental guide (2022) - ChangiWiFi vs Y5 Buddy and more

This article was first published in Potions.sg.