Back in 2019, we had become jaded by the mesh Wi-Fi systems we had reviewed, mostly because they seemed to compromise on security, coverage, and/or speed and as such, we continued to search for that inevitable triple threat. When we initially reviewed the Gryphon AX Tower, we proclaimed it as the “best mesh system on the market and is one that should be in every home that cares about your digital wellbeing” and in the past 2 years, we still feel that to be the case. The team at Gryphon has now returned with their svelte Guardian true mesh system that promises excellent coverage, reliable speed, and malware security.
Marketed as the most affordable and secure mesh system, the first thing that strikes you about the Guardian is the small footprint each square puck seems to take up, they truly are tiny but mighty in their all-white unobtrusive appearance. Each unit features two backhaul capable ethernet ports and power input and offers simultaneous dual-band Wi-Fi with up to 300Mbps on the 2.4GHz band and up to 867Mbps on the 5GHz band or AC1200.
Each node delivers on powerful whole-home coverage up to 1,800 square feet which is made possible by a quad-core CPU and 512MB of flash memory that powers the two embedded high power internal antennas which work very well. In our testing, on a gigabit connection, we were easily able to hit advertised speeds, and even in notorious Wi-Fi black spots in my home, the connection was still very strong and stable which is a testament to Gryphons’ commitment to quality.
The Guardian also supports MU-MIMO simultaneous data streaming, direct-to-client signal beamforming, automatic band steering plus added intrusion detection with malware and content filtering provided by industry leaders ESET free for 60 days! We were also impressed by the regular security updates and intelligent machine learning that Gryphon is known for, as it recognizes each device connected to your network, analyzes its behavior, and alerts users to unusual activity and vulnerabilities that could be putting your security at risk.
Speaking of content filtering, the Guardian also establishes what they call an intelligent network firewall or sensible protection for your kids, with their parental controls and content management. The Gryphon app (which remains one of our favorite network managements apps to date) allows users to set age level restrictions for each device, approve or deny access in real-time, and even set internet time limits for each child as well. Users can also monitor browsing history, manage smart devices, enforce safe searches on the web and even completely pause the internet and spend more time with the family, which is a feature that should be on every router!
To sum up, Gryphon has once again delivered on a system that is unobtrusive, secure, and features excellent parental and network control all for less than $200 for three. You simply cannot get better value for a powerful mesh Wi-Fi system like this.