Grandstream GWN7603 Wave-2 Wi-Fi 5 Access Point

The Grandstream GWN7603 is a compact 802.11ac Wave-2 access point with a four-port Gigabit switch built in — and two of those ports supply PoE onward. Up to 1.27 Gbps of wireless throughput, dual-band 2×2:2 MU-MIMO, 100 or more concurrent clients and around 100 metres of coverage.

It is the budget end of the same idea as the GWN7604: one cable arrives at the room and the room gets Wi-Fi, wired sockets and local power for a phone or a camera. For a small hotel, a guest house or a home office, that removes a switch, a power supply and a cable run from the job.

Wi-Fi 5, and priced accordingly. If the devices in the room are ordinary phones, laptops and a television, Wave-2 handles them without complaint. Buy the Wi-Fi 6 GWN7604 when the estate is standardising on Wi-Fi 6 or when client density is genuinely high — not because the number on the box is larger.

Key features

• Integrated 4-port Gigabit switch — wired sockets without a separate switch
• Two PSE ports supplying PoE — power a phone or a camera from the access point
• PoE/PoE+ uplink — one cable powers the unit and carries its traffic
• 802.11ac Wave-2, dual band 2×2:2 MU-MIMO — up to 1.27 Gbps aggregate
• 100+ concurrent clients — comfortably more than a room will present
• Up to 100 m coverage — an open-air figure; walls reduce it
• Compact body — sits on a wall or a shelf without a ceiling install
• GDMS Networking and GWN Manager — cloud or on-premise management, both free

Works with

• Grandstream GWN7604 — the Wi-Fi 6 version of the same idea
• Grandstream GWN7602 — the earlier AP with an integrated switch
• Grandstream GWN7661 — in-wall Wi-Fi 6 where a faceplate suits better
• GS-POE30W-MG injector — PoE+ where there is no PoE switch
• Grandstream GHP620 — a hotel phone to run from one of its PoE ports
• All wireless access points

Frequently asked questions

Can it really power other devices?

Yes — two of its four Gigabit ports supply PoE onward. What they can deliver depends on what feeds the uplink, so use a PoE+ source if you want headroom for two powered devices.

Is Wi-Fi 5 still worth buying?

For a guest room or a small office, yes. Wave-2 with MU-MIMO handles phones, laptops and streaming without difficulty. Move to Wi-Fi 6 for density or to match an estate standard, not for the label.

How is it different from the GWN7604?

Generation and capacity. The GWN7604 is AX3000 Wi-Fi 6 with 256 clients; this is Wave-2 Wi-Fi 5 with 1.27 Gbps and 100+ clients. Both have four Gigabit ports with two supplying PoE.

Does it replace a switch in the room?

For a handful of devices, yes. Four Gigabit ports covers a television, a phone, a computer and the uplink. It is not a substitute for a proper switch in a comms cabinet.

Can I power it from a mains adapter?

PoE or PoE+ from the switch is the usual approach and keeps it to one cable. Check what the site actually has before assuming either.

Can it be managed with the rest of our GWN kit?

Yes. GDMS Networking in the cloud or GWN Manager on-premise handle it alongside every other GWN access point and switch on the site.

Working out how many drops a floor of rooms really needs? Call 0333 242 1314 or email sales@clisecure.com and we will go through it.