Acer Predator Connect W6 review: a Wi-Fi 6E router designed for gamers

The Acer Predator Connect W6 wants to break into our best wireless router guide – although it actually supports Wi-Fi 6E as well, so is quick as it gets until Wi-Fi 7 arrives – and in our review we're going to give you all the information you need to decide if it's the router for you.

It's certainly a router built with gamers in mind, as you can tell by the Predator label that Acer has attached to it, and the rather aggressive design. There are also optimisations for the Nvidia GeForce Now streaming service, as we'll get into further on in this review.

If you're looking for a substantial upgrade on the router that your internet provider has supplied you with, then the Acer Predator Connect W6 might fit the bill. If you've got a greater area to cover, then it's also worth considering one of the best mesh Wi-Fi systems instead.

Acer Predator Connect W6: price & availability

You can buy the Acer Predator Connect W6 now, direct from Acer itself. Check the widgets embedded in this page to see if there are any better deals currently available on the web, but at the time of writing this router is going to set you back just under £300 / $300, and you can pick it up direct from Acer.

Acer Predator Connect W6 review: design & setup

The Acer Predator Connect W6 is quite a sight, and is definitely designed to appeal to gamers, with the slits that are cut into the casing and the lights that glow through from underneath (blue for a good connection to the internet, red for no connection, orange for a firmware update). It's more than likely to attract comments from visitors to your home, which isn't something you can say about many routers.

It's a rather bulky device too, measuring 265 x 260 x 111mm, so you'll either need to clear a bit of table space somewhere or use the integrated mounting holes to get it up on the wall. There are six chunky antennas attached, which each come with a fair amount of flexibility in terms of positioning, and there's also a 2.5Gbps WAN port, four 1Gbps LAN ports, and a USB-A 3.0 port for attaching storage.

Setup couldn't be much simpler: just plug it in and you're good to go, with the Wi-Fi settings printed underneath the router. These settings can be tweaked via a comprehensive web interface, which gives you access to device management and prioritisation options, plus a few basic parental controls (for blocking certain websites for example), and extras like a guest Wi-Fi network option.

There's also an accompanying app for Android and iOS you can use as well, but this doesn't offer the full range of router settings and asks you to sign up for an Acer account before you can use it. Most people are probably going to be fine sticking with the web interface, though the convenience of the mobile app is there if you want it.

Acer Predator Connect W6 review: performance & features

The Acer Predator Connect W6 is capable of reaching speeds of 7.8Gbps across three bands – 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz – and it's fully Wi-Fi 6E compatible. With Wi-Fi 7 only just beginning to appear, you're well covered for years to come with this router, and you get on-board features such as traffic optimisation to make sure all of your devices stay online and connected, even in busy households.

In our tests, the router showed impressively high levels of speed and impressively low levels of latency, although the technical limitations of the fastest 6GHz band mean it struggles through walls and floors. As far as range goes, we could comfortably connect to the router across a two-storey semi-detached house with no problems, but if you've got a bigger property or more floors then one of the best mesh Wi-Fi systems may be better suited for your needs.

There are a few features worth mentioning. Each antenna comes with tiny colour-coded LED lights next to it, which can be used together with a tool on the web interface to maximise signal strength through the way the antennas are positioned – it's a neat trick that seems to work well, and takes some of the guesswork out of working out where the router and its antennas should be pointing.

The Acer Predator Connect W6 is also officially certified for use with Nvidia's GeForce Now gaming streaming service, as mentioned earlier – making it a great choice if you're a regular user of that platform – and comes with Trend Micro Home Security Engine software for keeping a close eye on network security. With a lot of routers asking for an extra monthly subscription for additional security features, it's a welcome addition.

Acer Predator Connect W6 review: verdict

There's quite a lot to like about the Acer Predator Connect W6, whether it's the cloud gaming optimisations, the bundled security software, the USB-A 3.0 port that lets you connect storage to your network, or the antenna signal configuration utility. The web console you use to control everything is a level above what we've come to expect too, and offers plenty of features as well.

High speeds and low latency were noticeable when connecting devices to the network, and it's suitable for busy households that need to get a lot of different gadgets online. It's not the best router we've ever tested in terms of range, or the speeds you're going to get further away from it, but there are no major problems here – just don't expect it to have the extended coverage of a mesh system.

Those mesh systems can cost significantly more than the Acer Predator Connect W6 does of course, and if the main gaming machine in your home is in reasonably close proximity to where you'll be putting the router, then we'd highly recommend considering this as an option – especially if you're a regular Nvidia GeForce Now player.

Also consider

If you're looking for a different Wi-Fi 6E router with very decent speeds and performance, then the Asus RT-AXE7800 is certainly worthy of your consideration. It's around the same price as the Acer Predator Connect W6, you get the same tri-band coverage, and there's not a huge amount to choose between them.

Also in the same sort of price range and with Wi-Fi 6E support we have the Linksys Hydra Pro 6E. We were impressed with its solid performance and simple setup, and you might prefer its more straightforward design to the flashy Acer Predator Connect W6. It's fair to say the Linksys app is a little more polished than the Acer one too.