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EnGenius ECW230S Review Ratings
generalize
The EnGenius ECW230S is another great access point. Like the more affordable ECW220S, it offers a relatively unique feature set that is very attractive to many businesses looking to maximize their network security.
advantage
- High-end capacity access point with outstanding throughput
- Advanced security features that competing brands lack
shortcoming
- Business-focused features mean premium prices
EnGenius ECW230S Yes ECW220S I am reviewing at the end of April.
Both access points are designed with additional security features using the WIPS radio and zero DFS radio detection interface, which can be used to enhance network security through the AirGuard feature in the EnGenius Cloud interface.
The main difference is the underlying radio hardware.Although this is ECW230I reviewed it last year.
As such, nothing in this review will be particularly new. The EnGenius ECW230S will inevitably make an excellent high-end access point, ideal for commercial applications where security is important.
EnGenius ECW230S vs ECW230 vs ECW220S Specifications
EnGenius has a handy product comparison table, and I just added safety data. It’s an easy-to-understand product line.
| ECW230S | ECW230 | ECW220S | ECW220 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| wireless network standard | Wi-Fi 6 (11ax) | Wi-Fi 6 (11ax) | Wi-Fi 6 (11ax) | Wi-Fi 6 (11ax) |
| radio | 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz | 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz | 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz | 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz |
| maximum. Data rate (2.4 GHz) | 1,200Mbps | 1,200Mbps | 600Mbps | 600Mbps |
| maximum. Data rate (5 GHz) | 2,400 Mbps | 2,400 Mbps | 1,200Mbps | 1,200Mbps |
| maximum. Data rate (6 GHz) | – | – | – | – |
| radio link | 4×4:4 | 4×4:4 | 2×2:2 | 2 x 2:2 |
| Transmitter power on (2.4 GHz) | up to 23 dBm | 23 dB | 22 dB | 22 dB |
| Transmitter power on (5 GHz) | up to 23 dBm | 23 dB | 22 dB | 22 dB |
| Transmitter power on (6 GHz) | – | – | – | – |
| antenna | 4 x 5 dBi (2.4 GHz); 4 x 5 dBi (5 GHz) | 4x 2.4 GHz: 3 dBi; 4x 5 GHz: 3 dBi | 2 x 3 dBi (2.4 GHz); 2 x 3 dBi (5 GHz) | 2 x 3 dBi (2.4 GHz); 2 x 3 dBi (5 GHz) |
| Bluetooth Low Energy | Yes | Do not | Yes | Do not |
| WIDS/WIPS radio | Yes | Do not | Yes | Do not |
| Power over Ethernet | 802.3af/at | 802.3af/at | 802.3af/at | 802.3af/at |
| Ethernet port | 1 10/100/1000/2500 Ethernet port (PoE+) | 1 10/100/1000/2500 Ethernet port (PoE+) | 1 Gigabit port (PoE+) | 1 x 10/100/1000 Ethernet port (PoE+) |
| installation type | wall/ceiling | wall/ceiling | wall/ceiling | wall/ceiling |
| aspect | 205 x 205 x 33.2 mm | 205 x 205 x 33 mm | 160 x 160 x 33 mm | 160 x 160 x 33 mm |
| mesh technology | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Local (ezMaster) | – | – | – | – |
| Cloud To-Go App | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| EnWiFi app | – | – | – | – |
Basically, the higher end ECW230S and ECW230 have 4 x 4:4 radios and 2.5Gbe, while the ECW220 and ECW220S are 2 x 2:2 gigabit.
All access points are limited to 80Mhz channel width. So even though the maximum data rate on the ECW230S is advertised as 2,400 Mbps, the client will see a maximum speed of 1,200 Mbps.
For consumers, this may be less appealing, but commercial applications will be able to handle more users. The 160Mhz channel width is also problematic in denser environments.
set up
As usual, if you already have an Engenius Cloud account, setup is easy. Using the Cloud to Go app, I just choose to add a new device, scan the QR code and add it to my network.
The new access point will then adopt all the settings pre-applied to the system.
EnGenius Cloud and AirGuard
EnGenius Cloud and AirGuard are the same as previous reviews.With this review, I have two AirGuard-equipped access points running, I also have two POE switches I reviewed running on the network, small 8 ports ECS1008P and 8+4 port ECS2512FP 2.5GbE switch.
I covered AirGuard in more detail in a previous review. Basically, both access points have specialized hardware to scan for rogue SSIDs, evil twins, malicious attacks, and radio frequency interference.
Evil twins can be one of the main problems. Evil twin attacks make rogue APs look almost identical to legitimate APs. Evil twins are rogue access points that can pretend to be legitimate networks, simulating the same SSID and MAC address. Therefore, if employees are connected to the evil twin, they will face a serious data breach.
WiFi performance
As mentioned earlier, only 1200Mbps connections are possible due to the channel width limitation of 80Mhz. However, it maintains high throughput for more people, which I cannot test.
The performance was excellent. The ECW220S is a little worse, but it scores at 80Mhz with the best WiFi 6 access points and routers.
Using iPerf, I’ve consistently been able to achieve speeds in excess of 900Mbit/s at close range. Then in the room below, I hit 629 Mbit/s.
On 5Ghz WiFi 5, the speed drops to 610Mbit/s, which again is significantly better than the ECW220S as well as many competitors.
For 2.4Ghz, things are less impressive, at around 110Mbit/s.
Unsurprisingly, these results are very similar to the EnGenius ECW230 I reviewed earlier.
Price and Alternatives
The MSRP for the EnGenius ECW230S is $547.70, although I think it’s a tax deduction since I found the listing says $699.00.
In the UK, BroadBandBuyer is backordering for £532.69 (incl VAT).
The EnGenius ECW220S is also available through BroadBandBuyer for £382.01 (incl VAT).
The standard ECW230 without AirGuard is £409.70 (incl VAT).
As I highlighted in my ECW220S review, the competition isn’t fierce. Fortinet has an access point with a dedicated security scan, but it’s twice the price of EnGenius. Ubiquiti did too, but they haven’t released a WiFi 6 model.
comprehensive
The EnGenius ECW230S is another great access point. Like the more affordable ECW220S, it offers a relatively unique feature set that is very attractive to many businesses looking to maximize their network security.
While this isn’t a cheap access point, I think it offers relatively good value compared to the ECW220S, offering more capacity for environments with a lot of users.
While I appreciate the trend that some people don’t like cloud management, I like the convenience of it. As I continue to use the Engenius Cloud, I’d say I like it more and more over the Zyxel Nebula. Other competing brands have some sort of price associated with cloud management, which gives both Engnius and Zyxel a competitive advantage, especially for small businesses.
