With the NWA50AX, Zyxel offers a compact access point with which you can easily expand and manage your network.
The Zyxel company should be unknown to most, but they are a fixture in the network sector. With the NWA50AX, Zyxel offers an access point with super-fast WiFi 6 for small businesses and the home office.
An access point can be used to connect wirelessly to a network. It serves as a buffer between the end devices and a router and offers countless management and security functions. It can also improve WiFi coverage in distant corners of a building.
While such networking stuff is mostly technical and boring, Zyxel makes it easy to do thanks to the Nebula interface. You have the choice between setting up and managing via the cloud, a stylish app (iOS and Android), or – very traditionally – locally on the device itself.
Scope of delivery
The Zyxel NWA50AX can be purchased individually or as a pack of two. The scope of delivery is quickly explained: one or two access points, a mounting plate with suitable screws, a power supply unit with EU and US sockets, and the usual paperwork (brief instructions, warranty card).
Zyxel gives a two-year warranty and software support for the access point.
Design and operation
The design is deliberately unobtrusive and therefore fits into any environment. Due to the white color and soft shape, the eye even blurs with the wall at some point. Zyxel is particularly proud that the access point’s design allows it to be installed almost anywhere.
On the front, there is a Zyxel lettering, a status LED, and air holes for cooling. The light gray frame gives the otherwise white device some shape.
On the back, there is an Ethernet port and a console port. The compact access point can be powered via a 12V power connection or PoE+. There are also recesses for the mounting plate.
But the real hero is the “NebulaFlex” used by Zyxel. The access point can thus be managed either via the local user interface or via the Nebula cloud management interface. The latter allows for easy customization of multiple APs from anywhere. There is even a smart smartphone app for Android and iOS.
Setup via the Nebula app
The easiest way to get the Zyxel NWA50AX ready for use is to set it up using the Nebula app. The app is available free of charge in the Google Play Store or in the Apple App Store. However, the access point can also be set up via the web interface (nebula.zyxel.com) or locally.
Once downloaded you should log in with a Zyxel account. Alternatively, you can create an account here or use the demo function. A fictitious account and interface will be created there and you can take a closer look at the settings.
If the Zyxel account is there, you should give your management interface (here called the page) a name. You can then link Zyxel devices to your site either manually or via a QR scanner. It’s super easy and quick.
Now there is only one step left before you get to the finished page: Create a WLAN (with name and password). Visitors can then connect to the access point via this WLAN.
If you would like to see the whole thing as a video tutorial, you can watch the official video from Zyxel here.
Nebula surface
First of all praise to Zyxel: The Nebula app is one of the most beautiful apps for network components that I have ever used.
The home screen is the dashboard with an overview of all important information on the selected page: devices (online, offline), connected clients (wireless, wired), and the data usage of each client. Several organizations and pages can be entered and managed here. Handy for admins!
The second menu item “WiFi” shows the created networks of the access points. The name, the password, and the visibility (private, public) can be set here.
The next menu item “Devices” shows an overview of all network devices used (from Zyxel). Here, precise information about the network components can be viewed (location, status, ports, use, etc.) and firmware updates can also be initiated. It all sounds complicated, but everything is presented very clearly. There’s even an interesting location map, but it only makes sense if you’re using many devices in multiple locations.
The penultimate point is “Clients” and is a list of all connected end devices (smartphones, notebooks, consoles, etc.). Here, precise information can be displayed and unwanted devices can be blocked or removed.
Finally, there are the settings. Here you can find settings for the license plan, admins, sites, and many other little things.
In addition to the app, there is also the web interface, which can be accessed with a browser at nebula.zyxel.com. In addition, Zyxel devices and networks can also be managed from anywhere.
The website works mostly like the app, but devices then have to be added manually, for example, and not via a QR code. There is a guide to the web interface on the Zyxel YouTube channel.
As a third option, the access point can also be managed completely locally, without a Nebula account. However, this type is aimed more at network administrators and tech-savvy users.
There are more details and setting options here than via the app or the web interface. Of course, there are also good video instructions on the Zyxel YouTube channel.
Upgrade Wi-Fi 6
In its product description, Zyxel emphasizes that the access point is also ideal for retrofitting older routers/networks with Wi-Fi 6.
Wi-Fi 6 (IEEE 802.11ax) is the successor to Wi-Fi 5 and offers around 37 percent more bandwidth. In addition, it can deal much better with many connected devices at the same time, since it uses the frequencies 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz at the same time. The slightly improved variant Wi-Fi 6E, which uses a frequency of 6 GHz, is currently catching on.
Basically, Wi-Fi 6 is a huge leap forward, especially for older devices. As routers are not easily swapped out in many companies or large workplaces, Zyxel’s NWA50AX is a good idea.
Conclusion: great access point, easy management
I’m positively surprised. The last time I dealt with access points was a few years ago and it was a little difficult to set up and manage. The Zyxel NWA50AX in combination with the Nebula interface, on the other hand, is simple and tidy.
The entire setup took 10 minutes in total and management via the app worked well – even when I wasn’t at home. Of course, I wasn’t able to test the access point with hundreds of devices as it was originally intended. Nevertheless, it performed excellently and worked without any problems in my test phase.
Contest
Zyxel was so kind and also packed two NWA50AX in the box. To win one, all you have to do is tell me your best network joke. Much luck!