Motorola Q14 Wireless Mesh Router Review

A few months back, we had the opportunity to look at the Motorola Q11, their entry into home mesh networking. While that platform was entry-level, we did run into instability issues in daily use, and the tested performance was a bit lackluster. This moves us into today's review of the Motorola Q14.

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The Q14 is an AXE 5400 class platform that supports 574 Mbps on the 2.4GHz band, 2400 Mbps on the 5GHz band, and that same 2400 Mbps on the 6GHz band. It offers 2.5Gbe WAN and a single 1Gbe LAN to expand your wired network with a switch.

The Q14 platform is offered in both a 2-pack configuration and a 3-pack. Pricing is $429.99 for the two-pack and $649 for the three-pack, and both have a one-year warranty.

Packaging and the Hardware

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The Q14 arrived in its retail packaging. Motorola branding is at the top left, and model identification is at the bottom left.

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On the back, you will find the platform features listed along with what's inside the box top right.

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Removing the outer sleeve, all three nodes are packaged separately.

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Inside, we find the power adapter and ethernet cable alongside reading materials and the node.

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All the nodes are identical, all looking like smart speakers despite not being speakers. The top of the node has a mesh cutout to allow air to flow through, with the Motorola logo centered.

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I/O is rather simple, 2.5Gbe WAN up top and 1Gbe LAN at the bottom.

Motosync App and Setup

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The app above, Motosync, is needed to set up and manage the Q14.

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Setup takes just a few minutes, from which the app will detect the nodes installed and ask you to optimize the network for your home type.

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The dashboard offers devices and nodes connected at the top, and it allows you to manage and add networks just below.

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The connection menu allows you to manage your ISP speed and performance, giving you an idea of what your network can handle at the top.

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Advanced options include web filters, users, and time zone configuration; You can get a bit deeper into the advanced menu.

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Advanced options include port forwarding, UPnP, and Optimization.

Test System and Results

• System: Lenovo ThinkStation P360 Ultra
• OS: Microsoft Windows 11 Pro (buy from Amazon)

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We began our testing with the 2.4GHz band with the Q14 pulling in a touch more performance than the Q11. At 30ft, we see 148 Mbps.

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5GHz was a bit better with the Q14 offering up 641 Mbps.

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6GHz was even better, with a clear line of communication. The Q14 pulled in 783 Mbps at 30Ft.

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The backhaul was good but not enough to support the 6GHz band. At 30ft, we saw 523 Mbps.

Final Thoughts

We didn't have nearly the issues we had with the Q11 when testing the Q14, and I was able to use this unit for almost a month. That doesn't mean we didn't have any issues because we did.

Our first was random reboots of the unit that seemed to happen when we were streaming to multiple devices at once. We would get the blue light flashing which appears to be when the unit is looking for the other nodes, which then would resolve and would normally work for a few days.

Our second issue was a nitpick with the router firmware more than anything. Its smart connect feature doesn't correctly identify and place devices on the network in the correct bands. For me, it was my Xbox One X. The Moto Q14 consistently put it on the 2.4GHz band, which is easily the most congested of all bands on my home network. This would be easily resolvable if there were more than one Gbe port on the back of the router.

As for performance in testing, the Q14 is a touch better than the Q11 in both 2.4GHz and 5GHz operations. In 6GHz, it was still bottom of our charts, and backhaul was quite poor and not enough to sustain its front haul connections.

In operation, the Q14 works quite well and offers a solid range with each node. We hope Motorola supports and continues to update this platform moving into the future.