We first spotted the new RG21 router earlier today in the broadband section on Astro’s website. Draped in black, the new device has a rather clean design which is generally in line with the design that the company has implemented on Astro Ultra and Ulti connected boxes. The Huawei OptiXstar K562e was Astro Fibre’s default Wi-Fi 6 router since it was launched in March. [Image: Astro.]We tried to scour through Astro’s website as best as we can but we could not find in-depth information regarding RG21. Aside from the sole product photo, the only other information available on the website is the quick guide on how to set it as a mesh Wi-Fi device [pdf]. We did reach out to the company to seek further information and that was exactly how we know Astro is rolling out RG21 to new customers starting from 1 October onwards. The company has also informed Lowyat.NET that aside from being a mesh Wi-Fi device, the RG21 is also a dual-band Wi-Fi 6 router that supports 2GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi frequencies. The new device has also been equipped with four Gigabit Ethernet ports. Naturally, one of them is being reserved just for the fibre modem. Side profiles of the Astro Fibew RG21 mesh Wi-Fi 6 router. [Image: Astro.]For those who want to add another RG21 to their subscription as a Mesh Wi-Fi device, it currently has a monthly fee of RM10 to RM25 per unit depending on their Astro Fibre plan. Each customer can obtain up to five units for Mesh Wi-Fi purposes. While having a self-branded router may not look like much, it is still an interesting decision by the company considering Astro Fibre was just launched around six months ago, even though Astro may have dabbled in the broadband market for quite some time through various IPTV collaborations. In a way, it can be seen as another sign that the company is really committed to its journey towards becoming the next major Internet service provider in our market.
