The Minions router gets shared around as a joke, but the joke is on the people who never read the spec sheet. The Davolink Minions Kevin is a tri-band WiFi 6E router with a 2.5 Gigabit WAN port, a 6 GHz band, mesh support, and WPA3 security. Under the yellow shell, it is a mainstream AXE5400-class router of the kind we cover all the time. This guide treats it exactly that way: what it does, what the numbers mean, where it falls short, and who it makes sense for.
What the Minions router is
The Minions routers are made by Davolink, a South Korean networking company, under an official license from Universal. They debuted at CES 2024 and come in two models shaped like two characters from the films:
- Kevin (model AXE-5400, hardware code DVW-632): the tall one. Tri-band WiFi 6E with a 2.5GbE WAN port.
- Bob (hardware code DVW-642): the short one. Dual-band WiFi 6 with Gigabit ports.
This article covers Kevin, the model behind the Amazon listing most people find first. Bob gets a comparison table further down because the two are built to work together as a mesh pair.
WiFi 6E and the three bands
Kevin broadcasts on three bands: 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz. The combined theoretical rating is 5.4 Gbps, which is where the AXE5400 name comes from. No single device gets that number; it is the sum of every band's ceiling at once.
The 6 GHz band is the reason WiFi 6E exists. It is a wide, mostly empty stretch of spectrum that only WiFi 6E and WiFi 7 devices can use, so a newer phone, laptop, or VR headset on 6 GHz does not have to share airtime with the smart plugs, older tablets, and neighbors' networks crowding 2.4 and 5 GHz. If you live in an apartment building or a dense neighborhood, that separation is the single biggest practical upgrade this router offers over a plain WiFi 6 unit.
The band also supports 160 MHz channels, which doubles the width of the pipe for compatible devices. That, plus OFDMA, MU-MIMO, and 1024-QAM (the standard WiFi 6 efficiency tools), is how the router keeps a busy household from stepping on itself. Davolink rates Kevin for up to 128 connected devices.
Ports: the 2.5GbE WAN and the one LAN
Kevin's WAN port is 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet. That matters if your internet plan is faster than 1 Gbps, because a standard Gigabit WAN port caps everything at roughly 940 Mbps no matter what you pay for. With a 2.5GbE WAN, Kevin can accept a multi-gig connection from a compatible modem or fiber gateway and pass it along to WiFi 6E devices on the 6 GHz band, which is the only band fast enough to use it.
The LAN side is the honest limitation: there is one Gigabit LAN port. That is enough for a desktop PC or a game console, but a household with a TV, a console, and a NAS all wired will need a small unmanaged switch plugged into that port. Most conventional routers in this class give you three or four LAN ports, so plan for the switch if you have several wired devices.
There is no USB port, so no plug-in drive sharing or printer hosting.
Four ways to use it
Kevin can run in four modes, which is more flexible than a lot of routers at its price:
- Router mode: the default. Plug your modem into the WAN port and Kevin runs your network, handles DHCP, and manages the firewall.
- Access point (bridge) mode: Kevin stops routing and becomes a WiFi 6E radio on an existing wired network. Handy if you already have a router or gateway you like and only want to add 6 GHz coverage. In this mode the 2.5GbE port becomes the uplink.
- Repeater (extender) mode: Kevin grabs an existing WiFi signal and rebroadcasts it into a room the main router cannot reach.
- Mesh mode: pair Kevin with a Bob (or a second Kevin) using the dedicated mesh button on the back, and the two form one network with one name that hands devices off as you move around the house. The Amazon listing bills this as EasyMesh-style pairing between compatible Davolink Minions units.
Security and management
Kevin supports WPA3, the current WiFi security standard, along with WPA2 for older devices that cannot do WPA3 yet. Setup and management run through a web interface, which independent owners describe as simpler and cleaner than the typical big-brand admin panel. The trade-off is depth: this is a home router interface without the VLAN and advanced routing options you would get from a prosumer brand. If you want to carve your network into separate VLANs per SSID, this is not the router for that.
A dedicated LED on/off switch on the back turns the status lights off, which is a small thing that a lot of routers still do not offer and that matters if Kevin is going to live in a bedroom.
Physical design, power, and what is in the box
Kevin stands upright at about 9.6 inches tall, 4.2 inches wide, and 4.8 inches deep, so he takes up about as much shelf space as a tall coffee mug. The antennas are internal; the design has no external adjustable antennas, which is normal for compact routers and mesh units. Rear panel: one 2.5GbE WAN, one Gigabit LAN, mesh button, LED switch, recessed reset button, and a 12V/2A barrel power input. The box includes the router, the power adapter, an Ethernet cable, and a quick start guide. Boxed weight is a little over three pounds.
Community teardowns report 512 MB of RAM on Kevin, double what Bob carries, and a Qualcomm-based platform, both of which line up with its higher spec and its role as the "main" unit in a Kevin-plus-Bob mesh.
Kevin vs Bob
| Spec | Kevin (AXE-5400) | Bob (AX1800) |
|---|---|---|
| WiFi standard | WiFi 6E (802.11ax) | WiFi 6 (802.11ax) |
| Bands | Tri-band: 2.4, 5, and 6 GHz | Dual-band: 2.4 and 5 GHz |
| Combined rating | Up to 5.4 Gbps | Up to 1.77 Gbps (573 Mbps + 1.2 Gbps) |
| WAN port | 1 x 2.5 Gigabit | 1 x Gigabit |
| LAN ports | 1 x Gigabit | 1 x Gigabit |
| Device capacity | Up to 128 | Up to 100 |
| RAM (community reported) | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Modes | Router, AP, repeater, mesh | Router, AP, repeater, mesh |
| Best role | Main router | Mesh satellite or small-space router |
The short version: Kevin is the one to put at your modem. Bob is the one to put down the hall. If you only have room in the budget for one and your internet plan is under a gigabit with no WiFi 6E devices in the house, Bob covers a small home fine on his own.
Check the Minions Bob router on Amazon
Full specifications: Minions Kevin
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer / model | Davolink, AXE-5400 (DVW-632), Kevin design |
| Licensing | Officially licensed Minions design (Universal) |
| WiFi standard | WiFi 6E, backward compatible with WiFi 6/5/4 devices |
| Bands | 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz (tri-band) |
| Rated speed | AXE5400 (up to 5.4 Gbps combined, theoretical) |
| Channel width | Up to 160 MHz |
| Efficiency features | OFDMA, MU-MIMO, 1024-QAM |
| Ethernet | 1 x 2.5GbE WAN, 1 x Gigabit LAN |
| USB | None |
| Operating modes | Router, access point (bridge), repeater, mesh |
| Mesh | Pairs with Davolink Minions Bob or Kevin via mesh button |
| Security | WPA3 (WPA2 fallback) |
| Device capacity | Up to 128 connected devices |
| Controls | Mesh button, LED on/off switch, reset |
| Power | 12V / 2A external adapter |
| Dimensions | Approx. 4.2 x 4.8 x 9.6 in (10.7 x 12.2 x 24.4 cm) |
| Boxed weight | Approx. 3.4 lb |
| Country of manufacture | Vietnam |
| Released | Late 2023 (shown at CES 2024) |
Does it work with your internet provider?
Kevin is a router, not a modem, so it works with any provider once you have the right modem or gateway in front of it. On cable service (Xfinity, Spectrum, Cox, Optimum, and the rest), you connect a cable modem to Kevin's WAN port. On fiber, the provider's ONT or gateway plugs in the same way. If your ISP gave you a combined modem-router gateway, put that gateway in bridge mode or run Kevin in access point mode so you are not running two routers back to back.
If your cable plan is over 1 Gbps, make sure the modem has a 2.5GbE LAN port too. A DOCSIS 3.1 modem with only a Gigabit port will bottleneck the connection before it ever reaches Kevin's 2.5GbE WAN.
Who should buy it, and who should not
A good fit if you:
- Want WiFi 6E and a multi-gig WAN port and would rather have something with personality than another black box
- Run a wireless VR headset (Quest 3 owners in particular have adopted Kevin for PC VR streaming over 6 GHz)
- Live somewhere congested where a clean 6 GHz band will make a noticeable difference
Look elsewhere if you:
- Need three or four wired LAN ports and do not want to add a switch
- Want VLANs, a VPN server, USB storage, or other prosumer features
- Have a large multi-story home and plan to cover it with a single unit; Kevin's standalone range is fair, not exceptional, and it is at its best as the anchor of a Kevin-plus-Bob mesh
- Want a router that disappears in a home office or a professional setting
Check the Minions Kevin router on Amazon
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Frequently asked questions
Is the Minions router dual-band or tri-band?
Kevin (AXE-5400) is tri-band: 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz. Bob is dual-band. The Amazon listing has at times mixed Bob's AX1800 dual-band copy into Kevin's page, which is why some write-ups call Kevin a dual-band router. Check the model name on the box: AXE-5400 is Kevin and tri-band.
Can I use the Minions router as a WiFi extender?
Yes. Kevin has a repeater mode that picks up your existing network and rebroadcasts it. It also has an access point mode if you can run an Ethernet cable to it, which will always outperform wireless repeating.
Do Kevin and Bob mesh together?
Yes, that is the intended pairing. Set Kevin up as the main router, then press the mesh button on both units to add Bob as a satellite. They share one network name and hand devices off between them.
Does it need a modem?
Yes. Kevin is a router only. On cable internet you need a separate cable modem; on fiber you plug into the provider's ONT or gateway.
How many Ethernet ports does it have?
Two total: one 2.5 Gigabit WAN and one Gigabit LAN. For more wired devices, add an inexpensive Gigabit switch to the LAN port.
Is it good for VR?
It is one of the more popular budget picks for wireless PC VR because the 6 GHz band gives a Quest 3 or similar headset a clean, low-latency channel. Put the headset on 6 GHz and keep everything else on 2.4 and 5 GHz.
