Zyxel WBE530 review: access point with 3 radio modules
We continue to get acquainted with the line of Wi-Fi 7 access points from Zyxel, and today's hero of our review is an expensive model with 3 radio modules, which is designed for those cases when the transfer of Wi–Fi to 6 GHz has already begun, but there are still many customers in the 5 GHz band, and it is necessary to achieve exactly the maximum speed. over a wireless network, for some demanding applications like VR and NVR. Therefore, there are relatively few spatial flows here, but they are wide, which emphasizes the focus on the point-to-client scenario. The access point has two 2.5 Gbit/s network interfaces, PoE power supply with up to 21 watts and 3 radio modules with 6 streams (2x2 for 2.4 GHz, 2x2 for 5 GHz and 2x2 for 6 GHz bands), channel widths of 160 and 320 MHz for 5 and 6 GHz bands are supported.
Wireless network speed:
- 2.4GHz: 688 Mbps (40 MHz channel width)
- 5 GHz: 4324 Mbps (channel width 240 MHz*1)
- 6 GHz: 5764 Mbps (320 MHz channel width)
The total bandwidth of the ZyXEL WBE530 is 10.8 GBit/s, but it is clear that it is achieved in ideal conditions when some customers "do not enter the wire", but exchange traffic via Wi-Fi.
The appearance of the WBE530 Zyxel access point immediately catches the eye – its elongated oval body seems more like an art object than a technical device. The company explains the unusual shape with improved noise immunity, which we will discuss later. In general, the device looks unusual, like a decorative wall element.
The internal structure is the true essence of the WBE530. The manufacturer focuses on the "RF first by design" philosophy, prioritizing the efficiency of the radio frequency and protection from interference. This is already a tradition for Zyxel, but in this case, the developers have moved on.
On the rear side, the motherboard is covered with a large heat sink, a curved aluminum plate that follows the contours of the case. Even without being connected to the ground, it acts as a shielding shield that protects the RF modules from external interference. Many brands save money by embedding antennas directly on the board, but Zyxel plays in a different key – its solutions work where others need to be replaced or fail, and shielding is only part of a complex system.
In the line of Wi-Fi 7 access points, Zyxel has implemented port protection against static voltage, which is usually found on expensive switches. The Zyxel WBE530 has both RJ45 ports equipped with such protection, that is, the following devices in the cascade circuit are also protected from static.
Judging by the placement of the radio devices inside, it is clear why the WBE530 has such an unusual elongated body. A processor with RAM is installed on the central part of the board. To the left of it is the 5/6GHz Wi—Fi module, to the right is the 2.4GHz module. Each component, including the processor and radio units, is wrapped in a separate shielded "cocoon". This design is due to the designers' desire to ensure that the radio modules are as far apart as possible. At the same time, their analog circuits and digital nodes are located on opposite sides of the board. However, such careful attention to noise immunity makes one wonder why the manufacturer did not use shielded cables to connect the antennas, because this could further enhance protection.
Interestingly, the oval shape allowed the antennas to be maximally spaced relative to each other without turning the access point into a bulky monster. The antennas here are metal, stamped, with a frontal orientation. The Zyxel WBE530 is designed for ceiling mounting in office spaces. The antenna pattern here is almost perfectly symmetrical:
As you can see, not only design solutions, but also engineering approaches are gradually being improved in the Zyxel generations. There is room for speculation here, but perhaps it's time to switch from hardware to software.
Hardware Controller management
The Zyxel WBE530 access points can be controlled by a separate hardware controller, which Zyxel has integrated into the USG Flex series gateways. This is a fairly voluminous topic, to which we will devote a separate article, but as part of this review, I just want to mention that there is such an opportunity.
Nebula Control Center
NWA210BE access points support two configuration methods: local control via the command line (CLI) or web panel, as well as centralized administration using the Nebula Control Center cloud system. We have already described in detail the capabilities of this platform, so let's just clarify that an AI chat has been introduced into the interface, which complements a simple documentation search. Its main advantage is its adaptation to Zyxel equipment, thanks to which it effectively solves management tasks without encountering limitations.
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... and once again, let's not repeat ourselves, I'll just note that now an AI chat has appeared in the Nebula interface, which is the next step after a simple search through the documentation and, more importantly, it is focused specifically on Zyxel equipment and is not stupid.
To enable operation in the 6 GHz band, you need to change the "Country" value in the Wi-Fi settings to Greece, Taiwan or Poland. The width of the radio frequency channel (40, 80, 160 or 320 MHz) is set separately at the discretion of the administrator for each access point and each frequency range used.
Testing
During testing, I evaluated two key characteristics: the stability of the wireless transition system between access points and the performance of the wireless connection during a direct review. The experiments involved the Mediatek MT 7925 Wi-Fi controller, which has a speed in the 6-gigahertz range limited to 2.8 Gbps.
The measurements were carried out in three scenarios: in line-of-sight conditions, behind a furniture wardrobe, and in the area of a drywall partition.
For a seamless transition between access points to work correctly, it is necessary to ensure the same authentication mode on all devices and activate the corresponding function in the settings of each access point. At Zyxel, it is convenient to control this procedure through the Nebula Control Center cloud system.
The estimation of the transition time between nodes was carried out using the WiFi Moho application from Ruijie Networks installed on the Poco X6 5G smartphone. Switching took place in the range of 30-90 milliseconds without data loss. This ensures stable operation even for demanding applications such as Google Meet video calls, Telegram and WhatsApp conferences, where data outages are unacceptable.
Conclusions
The Zyxel WBE530 reveals its advantages where both 2.4GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands are already completely clogged, and high-speed point-to-point transmission is needed right now. An additional radio module and an additional range that can be used along with traditional Wi-Fi 6 bands is a property that defines a whole class of access points with 3 radio modules. Under the case cover, there is a rich legacy of Zyxel hardware development in the field of Wi-Fi, and if you don't even need static protection on ETH, then just note that Zyxel has such chips, which means everything else is on the same level.
As for the price, yes, the WBE530 is almost 1.5 times more expensive than the NWA210, which we discussed earlier, and you need to understand that from the financial side of the issue, the fee for the 3rd radio module is, of course, huge, but this is the price for versatility.
Michael Degtyarev (aka LIKE OFF)
01/07.2025
