Comparison TP-LINK RE605X vs TP-LINK RE505X

The maximum speed provided by the device when communicating wirelessly in the 2.4 GHz band.

This range is used in most modern Wi-Fi standards (see above) - as one of the available or even the only one. The theoretical maximum for it is 600 Mbit. In reality, Wi-Fi at a frequency of 2.4 GHz is used by a large number of client devices, from which congestion of data transmission channels emerges. Also, the number of antennas affects the speed performance of the equipment. It is possible to achieve the speed declared in the specification only in an ideal situation. In practice, it can be noticeably smaller (often by several times), especially with an abundance of wireless technology simultaneously connected to the equipment. The maximum speed at 2.4 GHz is specified in the characteristics of specific models to understand the real capabilities of Wi-Fi equipment. As for the numbers, according to the capabilities in the 2.4 GHz band, modern equipment is conditionally divided into models with speeds up to 500 Mbit inclusive and over 500 Mbit.

The maximum speed supported by the device when communicating wirelessly in the 5 GHz band.

This range is used in Wi-Fi 4, Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E as one of the available bands, in Wi-Fi 5 as the only one (see "Wi-Fi Standards"). The maximum speed is specified in the specifications in order to indicate the real capabilities of specific equipment - they can be noticeably more modest than the general capabilities of the standard. Also, in fact, it all depends on the generation of Wi-Fi. For example, devices with Wi-Fi 5 support can theoretically deliver up to 6928 Mbit (using eight antennas), with Wi-Fi 6 support up to 9607 Mbit (using the same eight spatial streams). The maximum possible communication speed is achieved under certain conditions, and not every model of Wi-Fi equipment fully satisfies them. Specific figures are conditionally divided into several groups: the value up to 500 Mbit is rather modest, many devices support speeds in the range of 500 - 1000 Mbit, indicators of 1 - 2 Gbps can be attributed to the average, and the most advanced models in class provide a data exchange rate of over 2 Gbps.

- 160 MHz. The presence of a bandwidth of 160 MHz increases the throughput for data transmission and allows it to approach the maximum theoretical speed.

- 320 MHz. The bandwidth of 320 MHz was introduced in the Wi-Fi 7 standard (see the corresponding paragraph). It provides a significant increase in the speed of data exchange - twice as much compared to the width of the wireless channel of 160 MHz.

The total number of antennas in the router that can operate on both 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz frequencies. For details about the number of antennas, see "Total antennas", about the range — "Frequency range".

Power consumed by network equipment during operation. Knowing the indicator of energy consumption, you can, for example, calculate the battery life of equipment from an uninterruptible power supply or choose a suitable “uninterruptible power supply”. Also, with the support of PoE technology, it is worth considering the power consumption when choosing a PoE switch or PoE adapter.

Ambient air temperature at which the device is guaranteed to remain operational.

All modern Wi-Fi equipment can easily endure the conditions typical for use in apartments, offices, etc. So it makes sense to pay attention to this parameter mainly when choosing a model for outdoor installation (see above) or indoors , where the conditions are not very different from those outside. At the same time, the upper temperature limit is usually quite high, and even in the heat there are usually no problems with operation (of course, if the device is not installed in direct sunlight — which is not recommended anyway). But the lower temperature threshold can be different, not all "street" equipment is designed for frost. However, among frost-resistant models there are solutions where the minimum operating temperature is -10 °C and below, and sometimes even -40 °C and below.