Wi-Fi 7 AP Slashes Business Network Costs

The Tenda BE5010 i36 is a dual-band Wi-Fi 7 ceiling access point engineered for business environments, delivering speeds up to 5010Mbps across 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. A key advantage is its 2.5GbE PoE+ uplink, which overcomes the throughput limitations often found in more affordable ceiling APs. This device is purpose-built infrastructure, designed for clean ceiling or wall mounting and integration with Tenda's CloudFi management system.

Feature-wise, the i36 includes essential business-grade capabilities such as fast roaming, WPA3 security, VLAN tagging, MU-MIMO, and OFDMA, supporting up to 256 clients. Its most compelling aspect is its aggressive pricing, costing approximately $109.99, significantly undercutting comparable Wi-Fi 7 offerings from brands like TP-Link and Ubiquiti, which can cost two to three times as much. The unit comes with a PoE injector, adding to its value proposition.

A notable omission is the absence of a 6GHz radio, meaning it cannot leverage the uncongested channels offered by the upper tier of Wi-Fi 7. While this may not impact most deployments, it could be a consideration for extremely dense or high-demand environments. Despite this, the i36 represents a strong value proposition, offering significant performance and features at a price point that makes Wi-Fi 7 technology more accessible for businesses with budget constraints.