ASUS ExpertWiFi EBG19P Review – A Wired Router Of Many Uses

Unboxing & Walkaround

ASUS’s ExpertWiFi series has a few models under its wired router lineup, and today we’re looking at the bigger brother – the 8-port ExpertWiFi EBG19P with PoE+ capabilities, plus built-in web protection features and more.

Here’s what you get in the box:
– Quick setup guide
– Wall mounting guide
– Warranty card
– Local login information
– RJ-45 (LAN) cable
– DC power supply (150W)
– AC adapter (Type G, UK/MY/SG)
– AC adapter (Type E, European)
– AC adapter (Type I, Oceania)
– ASUS ExpertWiFi EBP15 main unit

The EBG19P comes in a white metal box, and all ports sans DC-in are located in front, where you get nine RJ-45 ports, one acting as the primary WAN port, while two of them can function as both the WAN and LAN ports, plus another six standard LAN ports. All 8 LAN-capable ports also comes with PoE+ capabilities, up to 30W per port (while total budget is 123W).

The bottom part of the unit reveals what look like screw mounting holes next to each rubber legs, plus the hook mounting slots in the center. This gives you multiple ways of installation, including desktop or wall-mounted.

Specifications

ASUS ExpertWiFi EBG19P

Full specifications available on product page.

Product Type	Wired router (PoE+)
WAN Ports	1x GbE WAN + 2x GbE WAN/LAN
LAN Ports	8x GbE LAN (including 2x GbE WAN/LAN)
Power-over-Ethernet (PoE)	Port 2-9 30W per port 123W total PoE budget
Other I/O	1x USB 3.2 Gen1 (5Gbps)
Processor	1.8GHz dual-core ARMv8
Memory	512MB DDR3L RAM 256MB flash storage
Features	AiMesh Self-Defined Network Multi-WAN Access Control Preset IPTV support
Security	ASUS AiProtection Pro VPN support Site-to-site VPN VLAN Content Filter
Standard	IEEE 802.1p/q IEEE 802.3/802.3ab/i/u/x IPv4 IPv6
Power Supply	DC barrel jack, 150W output
Color	White
Dimensions	212 x 95 x 26 mm
Weight	520g

User Experience

The management interface can be accessed via IP or expertwifi.net, which gives you access to a large set of features laid out in various sub-pages. It’s pretty much what you get from the ExpertWiFi EBM68, sans the wireless functionality (which you can expand by simply connecting to any home router set as AP mode, or dedicated AP devices like the ExpertWiFi EBA63). Most of these features can be accessed and monitored via the ASUS ExpertWiFi app on mobile as well.

The Good

The ASUS ExpertWiFi EBG19P has a few upsides: first off, it has plenty of redundancy built into it, with up to 3 WAN ports, and a USB port that can act as a backup WAN port in a plug-and-play manner, which helps minimize downtime should the worst happens.

The PoE+ capabilities does give it the ability to power APs (access points) without the need of dedicated DC power supply, reducing the cabling needed; the 123W budget is relatively generous if you need to hook up several IoT devices as well. The chassis features no fans, so no worries on noise; we also find that it doesn’t generate too much heat during operation in general.

On the software side of things, the feature set is nothing short of robust – pretty much all bases is covered as far as a router goes, from security to quality-of-life features. Having a built-in security solution (provided by Trend Micro) should add an extra bit of peace of mind for users that don’t have access to large-scale security solutions, and the support for VPN protocol further adds on that as well.

The Bad

That being said, I think one small thing worth upgrading in the next iteration is the inclusion of 2.5GbE WAN/LAN ports. 2Gbps is already coming to home users, and it’s certain that commercial users most likely has the same, if not faster internet plans. Either way, the limit of having only Gigabit-level speed on WAN meant there will be limits on how fast the overall internet can get.

Verdict

The ASUS ExpertWiFi EBG19P is one very versatile router that can do a lot of things – the kinds of things you expect from a commercial-grade router, plus PoE+ capabilities and free internet security solution, of which should make it a compelling choice for SMEs that may not have the budget to go with dedicated endpoint security solutions. It’s a lot of things packed into one, and for the price of $179.99 with the 8-port option, I think it’s a solid choice for those who want to invest a little bit on something that can go a long way.

Our special thanks to ASUS Malaysia for providing the ExpertWiFi EBG19P for the review.