MSI Roamii BE Lite Mesh Router Review

The MSI Roamii BE Lite is a mesh router system designed to offer high speeds with the WiFi 7 standard while streamlining connectivity by offering massive coverage across the home. With the arrival of AMD X870 motherboards and the imminent launch of Intel’s 15th-Gen platform, WiFi 7 has become a hot prospect. However, most of these routers come with a significant price premium compared to previous-gen WIFi 6E options, which puts into question the value proposition of WiFi 7 routers. That’s why we’ve decided to test the MSI Roamii BE Lite mesh router to see how it compares to alternatives on the market.

One of the big caveats of WiFi 7 is that while general performance is better with this new standard, few devices support it. Unless you’re buying all of the latest hardware (laptops, motherboards, phones, and more), WiFi 7 is a relatively niche technology. This means prospective buyers will likely face diminishing returns until the WiFi 7 standard has saturated the market more.

We’ve compiled a dedicated review of the MSI Roamii BE Lite mesh router to determine whether this is the case. We’ll examine the specs, design, setup process, and features to see if it’s worthwhile.

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Specification

The MSI Roamii BE Lite is a dual-band router that supports the WiFi 7 standard. One of the main design premises of WiFi 7 is that it brings better speeds and efficiency by increasing throughput and bandwidth. This means your home network can support more devices but also minimises bandwidth restrictions to and from those devices for better speeds.

It does this through various technologies, such as 4K QAM (quadrature amplitude modulation), which increases the number of bits that can be carried over a radio signal. Alternatively, MLO (Multi-Link Operation) supports multiple bands, increasing bandwidth and reducing congested traffic. Strangely, the MSI Roamii BE Lite only supports 2.4GHz and 5GHz signals, which limits the maximum theoretical speeds. However, speeds across the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands are generally more robust than WiFi 6E options.

The rest of the WiFi features on this router are pretty standard for a WiFi 7 option. MU-MIMO (multi-user, multiple input, multiple output) and OFDMA (orthogonal frequency-division multiple access) provide greater bandwidth for those with multi-device households. This reduces congestion, freeing up vital packet space for those who need it.

On the security front, the MSI Roamii BE Lite uses the WPA3, one of the latest standards. WPA3 drastically improves encryption algorithms and uses longer keys than WPA2 and WPA1, ensuring your home network isn’t easily breached.

IO is slightly weak compared to other routers that we’ve reviewed. The MSI Roamii BE Lite has a relatively limited set of ports, with one 2.5 Gigabit WAN and two Gigabit LAN ports. It’s a shame that there are no USB or additional Ethernet ports, but MSI has likely done this to keep costs down. Plus, as this router uses a mesh framework, adding additional routers or access points with more ports is designed to be incredibly simple, opening up choices for those needing more ports.

Finally, onto pricing. This has an MSRP of $299.99. I don’t think this is an unfair asking price. Considering that most WiFi 6E-compatible routers have launched at this price or are more expensive, the Roamii BE Lite isn’t unaffordable. You are losing out on the third 6GHz band, but considering the speeds and bandwidth of this router are very strong, this isn’t the most significant caveat.

MSI Roamii BE Lite Mesh Router Design

Compared to the MSI RadiX AXE6600 we reviewed in 2024, the Roamii BE Lite moves away from the gamer aesthetic. There are no edgy RGB or odd-looking antennas, giving the router almost a drone-like look. Each router measures 118mm long, 108mm wide, and 233mm tall.

The entire router is white from head to toe and is shaped like a prism (essentially a big Toblerone). There’s not much ventilation on the top, but you’ll find a couple of grilles towards the side and top that allow hot air to escape.

The overall design is pretty sleek. Nothing will blow you away aesthetically, as MSI has kept things relatively simple with the white chassis, but it looks nice when mounted on a white wall or matching a white desk/T.V. setup.

A couple of strips on one of the sides showcase the number 7, indicating that this router uses the WiFi 7 standard, which is one of its primary qualities.

All of the ports and buttons are on the back. As we’ve touched on in the specs, the MSI Roamii BE Lite is pretty limited regarding its ports. There is one 2.5 Gigabit WAN port and two Gigabit LAN ports. For power, the Roamii BE Lite uses a barrel connector, which is relatively standard across most routers, even for ISP (internet service provider) routers. There is also a tiny reset button, which can be used if the router isn’t working correctly.

Router Setup & Additional Settings

Like most modern routers, the Roamii BE Lite utilises a mobile application to control all settings. While you can still change things using the default gateway via an admin password, the mobile app provides the most seamless experience, especially for first-time users.

The mobile app guides you through the entire setup. It tells you what cables need to be plugged in and what the LED indicator does. Upon startup, it lets you set up passwords and various other settings.

Once the router has finished its initial setup, the application opens up more, providing a more comprehensive range of configuration options. You can easily turn on security and parental controls and share the WiFi info through a QR code, which is handy if you have guests. There are also extra settings for VLANs (virtual LANs), ways to change the SSID and password, VPN server configuration and much more.

Overall, the setup was straightforward. It took about 8 minutes from when the router was plugged in, to when it was set up and connected to the internet. After this, changing any of the additional settings was very easy. MSI has made this incredibly simple for a first-time user, and because the app is pretty well designed, adding extra routers to the mesh network is hassle-free.

Features We Like

Simple Setup Process

Getting a home network set up can often be convoluted and quite time-consuming, but with the MSI Roamii app, there’s minimal hassle during the setup and configuration. The app guides you through all the steps, making the process incredibly straightforward. It is very beginner-friendly and simple to use!

Easy to Integrate More Devices

The Roamii BE Lite is based on a mesh framework that allows you to integrate multiple devices. If coverage is lacking, grabbing another router and adding it to the network will eliminate dead zones, allowing you to enjoy high speeds anywhere in the home. Adding these devices using the Roamii app is simple, saving considerable time and hassle.

Features We Don’t Like

Limited IO

Unfortunately, one of the larger caveats of this router is that it has a minimal selection of IO. There are three usable ports: two for LAN and one for WAN. There are no additional USBs for storage or to act as a network drive. Additionally, it’s a shame to see only two LAN ports. Most modern routers tend to have four as a minimum, which opens up options for those looking to enjoy high-speed wired networking.

Only Uses Two Signal Bands

One significant benefit of WiFi 6E is that it uses a 6GHz band designed to increase throughput and bandwidth. This feature is also available with the WiFi 7 standard, but for some reason, MSI hasn’t offered any 6GHz compatibility with the Roamii BE Lite router. This is likely to save on costs, but it will limit efficiency and speeds to a degree over WiFi, as 5GHz and 2.4GHz are considerably slower by comparison.

Conclusion