Zyxel USG LITE 60AX: A Compact Niche Wi-Fi 6 Business Router

Today, Zyxel announced the official availability of its latest networking hardware for business users, the Zyxel USG LITE 60AX. From the name, you can tell it's a Wi-Fi 6 router, and you're right—it's an AX6000 Wi-Fi machine. And if you think because of that, it's already "dated", you're not wrong, either.

But this is more than a simple standalone Wi-Fi broadcaster. If you have multiple Zyxel Nebula access points, including those of the latest Wi-Fi 7, the USG LITE 60AX can be an excellent router to get. In this case, its Wi-Fi specs are only a minor point—there's more to it to be worthy of its friendly retail cost of less than $220. In a way, it's similar to the recently announced Wi-Fi 6 routers in Asus's ExpertWiFi family.

Zyxel USG LITE 60AX: A router for a Nebula-based mesh system

If you have read my piece on access points, you already know that you can use multiple access points of the same family to build a mesh system. Popular examples are those of the TP-Link Omada family or the EnGenius FIT. And Zyxel's Nebula access points are similar. They all have a feature called "Smart Mesh" that allows them to work together via the Nebula Cloud portal on top of any router, regardless of the hardware vendor.

However, when you use a third-party router, you'll have to manage the network in two separate areas: the router, which handles routing and other essential networking aspects, and the Wi-Fi network powered by the access points. In most cases, that's not a huge deal. However, things only get easier when you use all the hardware in the same ecosystem.

And that's where the new USG LITE 60AX comes into play for those with Nebular access points. Now they can manage everything in one place. It's a matter of convenience.

Zxyel says the new router features self-configuration and plug-and-play deployment via Nebula Cloud, which is managed via the web portal or the Nebula App. It includes subscription-free network security to protect the network from cyber threats such as ransomware, malware, and other vulnerabilities.

As a business router, the USG LITE 60AX supports advanced VPN. It can quickly establish a secure site-to-site or remote access VPN connection and feature VLAN for advanced network configurations. In short, it's a router that can be used for any business that uses Zyxel's Nebula ecosystem.

On the wired networking front, the new router comes with two 2.5Gbp Multi-Gig ports (one WAN and one LAN) and four Gigabit LAN ports. With the help of a switch, the entire network can be turned into an entry-level multi-Gigabit. The table below shows its detailed hardware specs.

Zyxel USG LITE 60AX: Hardware specifications

Name	Zyxel USG LITE 60AX AX6000 WiFi 6 Security Router
Model	USG LITE 60AX
Antennas	4x Internal
Wi-Fi Grade	Dual-band AX6000
1st Band (channel width)	4x4 AX: up to1148 Mbps (20/40MHz)
2nd Band (channel width)	5GHz 4x4 AX: up to  4804 Mbps (20/40/80/160MHz)
Hardware Role	Wireless Router Mode Access Point (Bridge) Mode
UNII-4 Support	No
Network Standards	IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n, IEEE 802.11ac, IEEE 802.11ax, IPv4, IPv6
VLAN	Yes
VPN	Yes
CPU	Quad-core 64-bit 2.00GHz CPU
Memory and Flash Storage	512MB Flash, 1GB RAM
Multi-Gig Port	1x 2.5Gbps WAN 1x 2.5Gbps LAN
Gigabit Port	4 x 1 Gbps LAN
USB Port	None
DC Power Adapter	12V DC, 3A
Dimensions	6.37 x 2.56 x 9.02 in (161.7 x 65 x 229 mm)
Weight	1.56 lbs (707 gram)
Release Date	June 25, 2024
Warranty	Lifetime
US Retail Cost (at launch)	$217

Still, Wi-Fi 6 is dated

Despite all the mentioned above, clearly, featuring Wi-Fi 6 is still the USG LITE 60AX's shortcoming. It might be a better idea for Zyxel to make it a non-Wi-Fi router and reduce the cost accordingly. Chances are you can turn off the Wi-Fi portion and use it as such, but in that case, it makes little sense to pay for the Wi-Fi portion without using it. Without Wi-Fi, the new router doesn't seem to have enough to justify its cost.

That said, the USG LITE 60AX is best suited for those only needing/wanting Wi-Fi 6, which, while on the way out, is still more than fast enough for most applications.

Availability

Zyxel says the USG LITE 60AX is available today. As mentioned, the suggested retail cost is $217, but, as usual, the street price will vary depending on demand. Again, this is a fitting router for those with multiple Zyxel access points. However, if you only need a single Wi-Fi broadcaster for a small office with average bandwidth needs, this new compact yet advanced router is also worth considering.