I continue my reviews for Xiaomi Wi-Fi 6 routers with an exciting model: Xiaomi Mi AIoT Router AX3600. It has an interesting design, powerful hardware, a reasonable price, and a unique combination of strengths and weaknesses. If you want to know more about this model and whether it is a good purchase for you, read this detailed review:
Picture courtesy of chinaplanets.com
Inside the box, you find the usual items: the router itself and its power adapter, a network cable, the user manual, and the warranty details.
What you find inside the box
Unboxing the Xiaomi Mi AIoT Router AX3600 is a straightforward experience and inside the box, you find everything you need to get started.
The dimensions of the Xiaomi Mi AIoT Router AX3600
It looks more like a soundbar than a router. However, the seven external non-detachable antennas betray its function as a router. Otherwise, you wouldn’t guess what this device is. Of those seven antennas, six are used for Wi-Fi (two antennas manage the 2.4 GHz band, and four manage the 5 GHz band), while the seventh is used to connect other Xiaomi Mi devices to your network (AIoT antenna). It probably functions like a WPS function aimed only at devices from Xiaomi’s ecosystem. The LEDs on this router are only three in number: one for the router's status, another for the internet connection, and the AIoT status light on the middle antenna.
This router has an unusual design
Xiaomi Mi AIoT Router AX3600 is a dual-band Wi-Fi 6 router that delivers a maximum theoretical bandwidth split as follows: 574 Mbps for the 2.4 GHz band and 2402 Mbps for the 5 GHz. The total is 2976 Mbps, not 3600 Mbps, as the router’s name implies.
Another important technical aspect is that the Xiaomi Mi AIoT Router AX3600 offers 2x2 MU-MIMO transfers on the 2.4 GHz band and 4x4 MU-MIMO on the 5 GHz band. This specification already sends the message that this router is heavily optimized for performance on the 5 GHz band, while the 2.4 GHz band most probably isn’t that fast.
WPA3 encryption support and 160 MHz channel bandwidth are included when using the Wi-Fi 6 standard, which is excellent. Both should be enabled when setting up the router.
On the back of the router, you find four Ethernet ports at 1 Gbps, one of which is used for connecting the router to the internet. Therefore, you can connect only three devices using a network cable. You also find the Power jack and the Reset button alongside the Ethernet ports. One downside is that you won’t find any USB port on this router, nor a WPS button. Also, WPS doesn’t seem to be available in the firmware either.
Xiaomi Mi AIoT Router AX3600 - the ports on the back
Xiaomi Mi AIoT Router AX3600 is equipped with a powerful Qualcomm IPQ8071A quad-core processor, running at 1 GHz, 512 MB of RAM, and 256 MB of storage space for the firmware. Unfortunately, if you read the specs on the official product page, you may get the impression that this router has a 1.4 GHz or 1.7 GHz processor, depending on where you look. Qualcomm’s official specifications contradict this. Unless they have overclocked the SoC inside this router, I think Xiaomi should update the information published for this product to reflect reality better and not create false expectations. However, all this hardware needs cooling, and on the bottom of the Mi AIoT Router AX3600, you find many ventilation grids and some rubber feet for holding it into place. Unfortunately, there are no holes for mounting the router on walls.
There are no holes for mounting it on walls
Even though the official product page tends to inflate the Xiaomi Mi AIoT Router AX3600 and its capabilities, we’re dealing with a robust product with modern hardware that should be fully capable of managing a modern home or small-business network with plenty of devices.
The Mi Wi-Fi app is searching for Xiaomi Mi AIoT Router AX3600
No matter which route you choose, the setup wizard is brief: it requests the admin password you want to set, details about your internet connection, and basic Wi-Fi settings like the name and password you want to use for connecting to your network. As soon as the initial setup is complete, you can see if there’s any new firmware available. Unfortunately, the release notes are scarce in detail and available only in the Mi Wi-Fi apps. Speaking of firmware, Xiaomi doesn’t have a website from which you can download the latest firmware and view the release notes for each version individually. I think this aspect should be improved. Downloading older firmware is helpful if the newest version has a bug that users can’t fix.
Details about the latest firmware version
The web-based admin interface is relatively friendly but lacks advanced features and settings. More advanced users will be disappointed by the level of control that they get. Also, the firmware doesn’t include any security tools like cloud-based antivirus and parental controls, and the VPN server functionality you find on routers from other brands is missing. The user interface is in English, but you can switch to any of the other eleven languages available (Spanish, German, French, Chinese, etc.).
The web-based admin interface looks good
Most settings on the Xiaomi Mi AIoT Router AX3600 are changed immediately, while others require a reboot, which takes around 60 seconds. Also, one aspect that’s lacking in Xiaomi’s approach is that some of their features are available only in their mobile app, while others are found only in the web-based admin interface. Therefore, I think that they should harmonize the two and make sure the web-based interface has all the capabilities available for their wireless routers.
In my two weeks of using the Mi AIoT Router AX3600, I noticed a couple of things:
The apartment in which I tested Xiaomi Mi AIoT Router AX3600
I evaluated the quality of the wireless network managed by Xiaomi Mi AIoT Router AX3600 through measurements made in three different places:
Signal strength on Wi-Fi 4 (2.4 GHz band)
When I switched to the Wi-Fi 6 standard on the 2.4 GHz band, the signal strength lowered slightly, but without becoming troublesome.
Signal strength on Wi-Fi 6 (2.4 GHz band)
I moved on to the SpeedTest app and used it to measure the maximum speed you get when transferring data to and from the internet on the 2.4 GHz band. The download speed offered by Xiaomi Mi AIoT Router AX3600 was excellent in the rooms closest to the router and rather disappointing in Room 2.
SpeedTest - The download speed on Wi-Fi 4 (2.4 GHz)
When measuring the upload speed, I noticed a decrease in all rooms. Also, in Room 2, Xiaomi Mi AIoT Router AX3600 couldn’t deliver a steady throughput, just like its smaller brother.
SpeedTest - The upload speed on Wi-Fi 4 (2.4 GHz)
When switching to the Wi-Fi 6 standard on the 2.4 GHz band, the downloads were generally faster than when using Wi-Fi 4.
SpeedTest - The download speed on Wi-Fi 6 (2.4 GHz)
The same was true when measuring the upload speed. However, Room 2 remained problematic, even though the situation improved compared to using the Wi-Fi 4 standard.
SpeedTest - The upload speed on Wi-Fi 6 (2.4 GHz)
For the next set of measurements, I used the PassMark Performance test to transfer data between two computers connected to the network. I was on the 2.4 GHz band with the Wi-Fi 4 standard turned on. Downloads were pretty fast in all rooms. However, other AX3600 routers can deliver more than the numbers you see in the chart below.
Network Wi-Fi downloads on Wi-Fi 4 (2.4 GHz)
When measuring the upload speed, things looked okay except for Room 2. In this test, Xiaomi Mi AIoT Router AX3600 managed to finish a network transfer but at a very low speed.
Network Wi-Fi uploads on Wi-Fi 4 (2.4 GHz)
When switching to the Wi-Fi 6 standard on the 2.4 GHz band, downloads were faster in most rooms.
Network Wi-Fi downloads on Wi-Fi 6 (2.4 GHz)
Uploads were generally slower than the downloads. Also, Room 2 proved to be a problem once again.
Network Wi-Fi uploads on Wi-Fi 6 (2.4 GHz)
My measurements have shown that Xiaomi Mi AIoT Router AX3600 doesn’t offer a large coverage area on the 2.4 GHz band. Also, this router won’t break any speed records on this frequency band, even though it is a lot faster than its smaller brother, Xiaomi Mi Router AX1800.
Signal strength on Wi-Fi 5 (5 GHz band)
As you can see below, the signal strength lowered a bit when switching to Wi-Fi 6 on the 5 GHz band.
Signal strength on Wi-Fi 6 (5 GHz band)
I switched to the SpeedTest app. When using the Wi-Fi 5 standard, I enjoyed super fast downloads in all the rooms of my apartment, including the infamous Room 2.
SpeedTest - The download speed on Wi-Fi 5 (5 GHz)
Uploads were fast too, sometimes by a significant margin, compared to the Xiaomi Mi Router AX1800.
SpeedTest - The upload speed on Wi-Fi 5 (5 GHz)
Moving on to the Wi-Fi 6 standard on the 5 GHz band, downloads improved even further in the entire apartment.
SpeedTest - The download speed on Wi-Fi 6 (5 GHz)
The upload speeds delivered by the Xiaomi Mi AIoT Router AX3600 were very fast everywhere.
SpeedTest - The upload speed on Wi-Fi 6 (5 GHz)
For the next set of measurements, I used the PassMark Performance test to transfer data between two computers connected to the network. When using the Wi-Fi 5 standard, I measured some impressive numbers, especially in the room where the router was placed.
Network Wi-Fi downloads on Wi-Fi 5 (5 GHz)
The same was true for the uploads, even though they were slightly slower than the downloads.
Network Wi-Fi uploads on Wi-Fi 5 (5 GHz)
The Wi-Fi 6 performance was brilliant in the whole apartment. Even in Room 2, I’ve managed to get impressive results from Xiaomi Mi AIoT Router AX3600.
Network Wi-Fi downloads on Wi-Fi 6 (5 GHz)
Uploads were super-fast, too, absolutely everywhere.
Network Wi-Fi uploads on Wi-Fi 6 (5 GHz)
Xiaomi Mi AIoT Router AX3600 performs brilliantly on the 5 GHz band, both when using Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6. However, Wi-Fi 6 does unlock this router's maximum potential, and you should be using this standard instead of the older one.
SpeedTest on wired connections
Xiaomi Mi AIoT Router AX3600 has no problem handling 1 Gbps Ethernet connections.
AIoT Intelligent Antenna Automatic Scan
Xiaomi Mi AIoT Router AX3600: Who is it good for?
This wireless router is a suitable choice for:- People who want a fast Wi-Fi 6 router
- Two or three-bedroom apartments
- Users looking for a mid-range router at a reasonable price
- Those who want to control their router from a mobile app
Pros and cons
Here are the things we like about Xiaomi Mi AIoT Router AX3600:
- Reasonable price
- Excellent performance and coverage on the 5 GHz band
- WPA3 encryption support
- 160 MHz channel bandwith
- The firmware is easy to use and configure
- You can control it remotely with a mobile app
- Mesh Wi-Fi support
- Small coverage area on the 2.4 GHz band and average performance
- No USB port
- No WPS button
- The firmware needs a bit more polish and more features
- The official product page presents some misleading information
Verdict
Xiaomi Mi AIoT Router AX3600 is a product you can call a “One-Trick Pony.” It doesn’t have many features, it lacks a USB port, its 2.4 GHz band performance and coverage are a bit underwhelming, and the firmware is not as advanced as on routers from other brands. But… the Mi AIoT Router AX3600 is reasonably priced, and its performance on the 5 GHz band is superb. It doesn’t matter if you’re using the Wi-Fi 5 or Wi-Fi 6 standard; the 5 GHz band is fast and has a wide coverage area. So, if you are not interested in the advanced features found on other AX3000 wireless routers, and all you care about is the price and the router’s speed on the 5 GHz band, then Xiaomi Mi AIoT Router AX3600 is one of the best choices you can make.Unboxing the Xiaomi Mi AIoT Router AX3600
The test unit I received for this review has been heavily used, and its packaging was severely damaged. Therefore, I couldn’t make the traditional unboxing pictures I usually do. However, Xiaomi Mi AIoT Router AX3600 comes in a white/orange cardboard box like the one from the image below, taken from China Planet.Hardware specifications and design
Xiaomi Mi AIoT Router AX3600 has a rather unusual appearance: it’s relatively thin (at 134 mm or 5.2 inches in width) and long (410 mm or 16.14 inches). Its height is 177 mm or 6.96 inches. The router also weighs approximately 940 grams or 33.15 ounces.Setting up and using the Xiaomi Mi AIoT Router AX3600
Setting up the Xiaomi Mi AIoT Router AX3600 can be done from a computer, using a web browser, or a smartphone/tablet with the Mi Wi-Fi mobile app for Android and iOS.- The coverage for the 2.4 GHz frequency band was lacking and had similar issues to the previous router that I tested: the Xiaomi Mi Router AX1800.
- I connected all my devices to the Wi-Fi without problems, except for one: my new Samsung Galaxy S22 (the European version, with an Exynos processor) had several moments when its internet connectivity would just hang. The smartphone reported being connected to the Wi-Fi emitted by the router, but it had no internet connectivity. Every time this happened, I had to switch to my mobile plan and then reconnect to the Wi-Fi. However, other devices such as laptops, smartphones from other brands, wireless printers, smart TVs, and so on did not encounter the same connectivity problems.
- I was impressed with how fast and stable network connectivity was when using the 5 GHz band, both on Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 5. Also, Xiaomi Mi AIoT Router AX3600 had no problems providing efficient coverage in all the nooks and crannies of my apartment.
Wireless network performance
The apartment where I review the routers we receive for testing is set up similarly to the diagram below. As you can see, I’ve placed the Xiaomi Mi AIoT Router AX3600 in a central position to provide good coverage in all the rooms where I tend to spend most of my time.- I record the maximum speeds in the room where the router is placed.
- Room 1 - is separated by one wall from the router. The wireless signal and the Wi-Fi speed I get are lower here.
- Room 2 - is separated from the router by two walls absorbing the wireless signal. Also, the wall between Room 1 and Room 2 is twice as thick as the one between the router’s room and Room 1. Because of that, this room is a challenge for all the routers I review.
How the Xiaomi Mi AIoT Router AX3600 performs on the 2.4 GHz band
I always start my analysis by measuring the signal strength using NetSpot. When using the Wi-Fi 4 standard, this router delivered good signal strength in all the rooms of my apartment.How the Xiaomi Mi AIoT Router AX3600 performs on the 5 GHz band
I switched to the 5 GHz band, and I started by measuring the signal strength with NetSpot. When using the Wi-Fi 5 standard, the signal strength was within normal parameters in all the rooms of my apartment.Wired network performance
Let’s evaluate the performance you get when using Ethernet network connections. My internet connection offers a maximum of 1 Gbps for the download speed and 800 Mbps for the upload. When using SpeedTest, Xiaomi Mi AIoT Router AX3600 reached the maximum potential of our internet connection: 928.44 Mbps for the download and 810.52 Mbps for the upload. I wish my internet service provider offered 1 Gbps uploads too so that I can better differentiate the routers I review.Extra features
The firmware on the Xiaomi Mi AIoT Router AX3600 is less complex than on competing routers from other brands. For a router in its price range (100 to 120 USD) this is a downside because other brands deliver more features. With that being said, here’s what you get in terms of advanced features:- Wi-Fi Optimization exists only in the Mi WiFi mobile app, not in the router’s web interface. It scans the signal strength of your network and the quality of your connection, and it improves the router’s settings. This should be added as a standard feature to the router’s firmware.
- Firewall - another mobile-only feature that makes it easy to evaluate the security of your network, set up blocklists for unwanted guests, and improve the password strength and WiFi security.
- IPv6 - the router can connect to the internet using IPv6 addresses, use IPv6 DNS servers, and assign IPv6 addresses to the clients connected to its network.
- QoS - an intelligent Quality of Service bandwidth allocation algorithm that prioritizes network traffic based on its type (gaming, web browsing, video, etc.). Unfortunately, it is designed to work only for 50 Mbps internet connections, rendering it unusable for people with fast internet connectivity of 100 Mbps and above.
- DDNS - enables you to connect to the router from the internet, even if your internet provider assigns you a dynamic public IP address. Xiaomi Mi AIoT Router AX3600 can use the following DDNS services: Oray DDNS, PubYun, DynDNS, and No-IP.
- VPN - the router can connect to VPN services using the PPTP and L2TP protocols, but it cannot function as a VPN server. You also set which services or devices can use VPN traffic. In contrast, many competing routers can be set to work as VPN servers too.
- Guest Wi-Fi - can be enabled only from the Mi WiFi app, not from the router’s firmware. Also, you can turn on only one guest network, and you can’t set the band it uses, only its name, password, and encryption.
- Mesh Wi-Fi - you can add the router as a node in a mesh Wi-Fi network composed of other Xiaomi wireless routers. It is a valuable feature when you need to increase the coverage of your Wi-Fi network.
- AIoT Intelligent Antenna Automatic Scan - automatically discovers Xiaomi Mi smart devices that have not been initialized and quickly connects them to the network through the Mi Home App.
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