The Zyxel USG LITE 60AX is a great choice for small businesses and home offices looking for a super-secure solution. On the flip side, this router’s cloud interface is designed for corporate use, so you may end up defaulting to the local web interface if you don’t need multi-appliance support. It’s ideal for 2Gbps internet connections and slower.

Compare the Zyxel USG LITE 60AX to the competition

Our Zyxel USG LITE 60AX scoring breakdown

* out of 5 points

The USG LITE 60AX performed as expected during testing when using my iPhone 12 Pro Max (Wi-Fi 6), which is limited to 80 MHz-wide channels maximum on the 5 GHz band. The results showed good speeds at close range and across the street, which was my final testing checkpoint. Use a Wi-Fi analyzer to pick the best channel group to reduce interference and squeeze out the most throughput.

While this router doesn’t have a third 6 GHz band like the SCR 50AXE model, it does include a 2.5Gbps internet port, which lets me take full advantage of the wider 160 MHz channel support on my Google Pixel 6 (Wi-Fi 6E). I was surprised by the results, given how interference on DFS channels can reduce my speeds when using a 160 MHz bonded channel, but I managed to get great speeds from start to finish. My lucky day, I guess.

The USG LITE 60AX is part of Zyxel’s Unified Security Gateway family of firewall products targeting home offices and small businesses, so naturally, its biggest selling point is security.

This router has a lot going on, making it hard for me to list what it could do better. Feature-wise, I can’t find any fault with it: It has site-to-site VPN support, remote VPN connectivity, and malware protection. Yes, you can add loads of paid extras, but there are far more free features here than anything you’ll get from leading home router manufacturers.

So, if you run a small business from your home or in a separate building, this is a great way to set up your network, especially if you’re using point-of-sale devices—which you don’t want mingling with guest connections. In fact, you can create up to eight isolated Wi-Fi networks! Can your typical home router do that? Based on the ones I’ve tested? Probably not.

The internet port (WAN) uses 2.5Gbps Ethernet, which is good for Wi-Fi devices that support 160 MHz channels. Most Wi-Fi 6 and newer devices that use these channels have Wi-Fi speeds of up to 2,400Mbps, so a router relying on a slower Gigabit Ethernet WAN port caps its internet speed to around 940Mbps. Meanwhile, the 2.5Gbps LAN port allows compatible wired devices to use the internet port’s full bandwidth.

Technically, the USG LITE 60AX is an AX6000 router, so it supports four devices at full speed simultaneously (two per band), or eight at half speed (four per band). Additional devices create a bit of latency, but you may not even notice.

Finally, the console port is solely for repairing the firmware should an update fail and prevent the router from booting.

I used the Nebula app to set up this router. Whether there’s the traditional web browser setup is unclear, but Zyxel’s instructions lead you through the app-based process, so that was the path I took.

Because I used Nebula when reviewing other Zyxel equipment, all my settings carried over into this review, making the overall setup super quick. However, the process will take longer if this is your first Zyxel business product, as you’ll need to create the organization, the site, and the Wi-Fi networks you need.

I’m not a big fan of the Nebula Control Center, even after testing a handful of Zyxel devices (sorry, Zyxel)—and not much has changed since my last review.

In a nutshell, this one web interface targets organizations that use multiple Zyxel products in different locations. It manages security routers, switches, access points, and mobile routers installed in multiple buildings. Changing some settings can be tedious, given how it’s all mapped out, but I don’t know how else Zyxel can organize all the settings differently than it does now. That means there’s a steep learning curve if you’ve never accessed something like Nebula.

Meanwhile, the Nebula mobile app offers some relief through its more simplistic design, but like with any other router you can buy for residential or business, you’ll never get every setting in a mobile app (or I have yet to come across one that does). You’ll find yourself swapping between the two to manage your network fully.

Finally, this router does have a local, non-cloud-managed interface you can use. However, if you registered the router through Nebula, this second interface is limited to a handful of basic info and WAN settings. You can remove the router from Nebula (manually or via a factory reset) and unlock all the settings you need to manage your network, but I didn’t do that for this review since Nebula has the most features.

The Zyxel USG LITE 60AX has optional subscriptions

You get lots of features at no extra cost. But like with other Zyxel routers and access points, you can subscribe to premium packages for even more great features. The Elite Pack Zyxel advertised with this router costs $39.99 for one year or $99.99 for three years.

Our Zyxel USG LITE 60AX review: The verdict

The USG LITE 60AX is a great router for anyone, whether you run a business or not. The free security features are its biggest callout, backed by optional expansion packs if you need more security than what comes out of the box.

In addition to security, the router’s dual 2.5Gbps ports are great, especially if you have a 2Gbps internet plan. Moreover, the multi-gig internet port makes using 160 MHz bonded channels worthwhile, allowing compatible devices to reach multi-gig wireless speeds.

The only caveat I see is with the Nebula Control Center. It has a steep learning curve and has more features than a small business or home office needs. Yes, the router has its own local interface, but I didn’t use it for this review, given that the router registered with Nebula during the setup.

I recommend this router for homes and businesses, but be prepared for a unique experience if you’ve never purchased a router like this one before.

Zyxel USG LITE 60AX FAQ

Methodology

We test router speed by setting up each router in an office and connecting it to a local test server. Then, we transmit test data between our wireless devices and the server, taking numerous measurements to account for fluctuations in Wi-Fi speeds.

The first tests occur close to the router, without obstructions—so the Wi-Fi is as strong and fast as it’s gonna get. We repeat the process straight out at 10, 20, and 30 feet, with only a glass door obstructing our view of the router. The same glass door and an exterior door blocks our path when we test outside at 40 and 50 feet.

We also run tests in a hallway to the left of the TV room and office—where there’s a glass door, three walls, and an air handler unit blocking our view of the router. The dining room, another testing point, sits to the right of the kitchen, TV room, and office—two walls and a glass door block the path in this test.

To test video streaming, we connect a fast storage device to the router and stream a 4K video to six wireless devices simultaneously—two phones, three tablets, and a laptop—connected to the same wireless band.

Client devices used in testing

Disclaimer