Always on sale: TOP-5 routers for gigabit Internet

No matter what anyone says, but the appearance of inexpensive smartphones with good characteristics and good build quality is largely due to Xiaomi. Xiaomi brand is also famous for cheap portable batteries and Wi-Fi equipment. So the Xiaomi Mi Wi-Fi Router 4A Gigabit Edition, presented in the summer of 2019, seems to be the perfect router for undemanding lucky people with a gigabit provider.

The formula for success from Xiaomi is as follows: "price + dual-band mode of operation + Gigabit connection + ease of setup." To start connecting the Mi Wi-Fi Router 4A Gigabit Edition, the user needs to read the QR code out of the box, install a proprietary application, turn on the router and select the desired configuration option from the guide. That's the whole story. The only problem is that, like all other models of the company, the interface has no Russian-language localization, only Chinese. In this case, the browser's "translate page" function helps out a lot, the translation from Google turns out to be surprisingly correct.

Now about the network capabilities. The device creates two wireless networks at frequencies of 2.4 and 5 GHz, which provide connection speeds of up to 300 and 867 Mbit/s, respectively. Two antennas of about 17 cm in length are provided for each frequency range . Thanks to them, the signal effectively penetrates through the walls and finishes off to all corners of the apartment. There are only two LAN ports, but considering the price, this can hardly be considered a problem. We have no complaints about the quality of communication, this is just the case when I turned it on, set it up and forgot where it stands.

The young Chinese brand Mercusys recently entered the east european market of network equipment and was remembered by many with an interesting model Mercusys AC12 Price from 799 up to 1 799 ₴, which has become one of the most affordable dual-band routers on the market. Its only problem was ports with a limit of 100 Mbit/s. The company heard the buyers and in 2019 released an updated version of the Mercusys AC12G with full gigabit ports. It is about him that we will talk today.

Mercusys AC12G belongs to the AC1200 class when four external antennas are used for stable coverage: a pair for the 2.4GHz band and a pair for 5 GHz. In the first case, we have a bandwidth of 300 Mbit/s, in the 5 GHz band the speed rises to 867 Mbit/s, which gives a total theoretical Wi-Fi bandwidth of about 1200 Mbit/s. With real Wi-Fi usage, you can count on 150 – 160 Mbit/s on a 2.4GHz network and up to 600 Mbit/s for 5 GHz. In the second case, the signal quality and coverage was almost perfect, but at 2.4 GHz the signal occasionally sagged and even got lost.

There are no additional buns here at all. No Beamforming, no USB ports, no MU-MIMO or built-in VPN. Everything was put under the knife to keep the price at the level of the previous model. But it looks great and adjusts quickly. Therefore, we can recommend Mercusys AC12G primarily to those users who need a simple and inexpensive router that can work in two bands and uses the full power of a gigabit connection.

TP-LINK Archer A6 is a stylish and functional mid—range dual-band router that belongs to the AC1350 class, which means that the theoretical threshold for data transfer rate is 1.3 Gbit/s (1317 Mbit/s, to be more precise). So, in the 2.4 GHz band it is 450 Mbit/s, and in 5 GHz it is 867 Mbit/s. With a wired connection, you should count on 1 Gbit/s. Taking into account the price of $60, the Archer A6 has a very developed functionality. This is manifested in the support of MU-MIMO technology with the Beamforming function, which ensures simultaneous data transmission to several connected devices and optimizes wireless network coverage taking into account the location of customers.

The model is configured and managed via the web interface or using the convenient and functional TP-Link Tether mobile application. At first, you are offered to choose one of several configuration options — from a simple turn on and let's go, to a more sophisticated one aimed at advanced users. If the most advanced third level is not enough, then you can dive into the abyss of web interface settings. Also, using the application, you can monitor incoming and outgoing traffic on the network, view the list of connected devices, block unwanted connections, set parental controls, remotely update the firmware and restart the router.

The stylish design enhances the pleasant impression of the model: TP-Link Archer A6 is made of glossy plastic on top with a relief pattern and a slight bend of the entire panel. There are no sharp corners. It all looks good, but fingerprints will remain on the gloss, and over time everything will just be covered with dust. However, no one canceled the cleaning of the apartment. Otherwise, it is a high-quality and affordable model that will provide stable high-speed coverage in an apartment, house or small office. At least during the tests, we did not encounter problems like speed drawdowns or jumps in the level of the wireless signal.

Tenda AC18 is a very interesting gaming solution that provides decent wireless and wired connection speeds, as well as providing stability that players need no less than speed as such. The gamer/streamer essence of the router manifests itself in two things.

The first is the possibility of flexible traffic priority settings, so that you can set exactly what channel width you need to leave for the video stream, which one for the game, and how much to leave to other users. The second is in the design of the router, which is definitely not classic. Chopped sharp outlines, in the style of a stealth bomber or a Lamborghini, make the device really unusual and catchy in appearance. For an ordinary router, this could be a disadvantage, but for a gaming router, it is quite an advantage.

In terms of connectivity, the flagship router from Tenda boasts four gigabit LAN ports and USB 3.0 for connecting flash drives, external drives, network printers, etc. The antennas are non-removable, the power of each is 3 dBi, which is slightly lower than that of top-end competitor models, so in a large house with a lot of rooms, walls and blind but the quality and uniformity of the signal are not the best. Well, I would like to get MU-MIMO support for this money. But there is a repeater mode andBeamforming, which improves the operation of the network and increases its quality.

Like many modern routers, Tenda AC18 works with two bands — 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac standards are supported. The total access speed when using MIMO technology reaches 1900 Mbit / s, of which 1300 Mbit / s can be obtained at a frequency of 5 GHz and 600 Mbit / s for 2.4 GHz. To configure the network, there is both a classic web interface and a mobile application with simplified configuration. Both have an intuitive interface in Russian, so debugging the network will not create problems for inexperienced users.

D-Link DIR-882 is a rather interesting dual—band router that offers a decent set of functionality at a very reasonable price: it is equipped with gigabit LAN ports and a pair of USB, has high bandwidth and boasts knowledge of a variety of useful tricks. In addition, it looks pretty nice, although not too original.

The "horns" of four antennas stick out of the case of the device. Two of them are responsible for communication in the 2.4 GHz band, and a couple more are responsible for transmitting a signal at a less "noisy" frequency of 5 GHz. In the first case, we have a bandwidth of 800 Mbit/s, while in the 5 GHz band the speed rises to 1732 Mbit/s. If there are obstacles in the way of signal propagation (for example, two thin walls), the speed subsides by about a third, but given the overall high speed, even with drawdowns, traffic is spread between devices as quickly as possible.

This is not the cheapest model, so the quality of communication is appropriate here — D-Link DIR-882 works stably, and problems with hanging and disconnection are of a single nature. The list of flattering words about the model is expanded by support for MU-MIMO and Beamforming. The first minimizes lags when broadcasting to several wireless clients, the second provides an opportunity to focus data retransmission in the direction of Wi—Fi devices. In terms of additional functionality, we have a built-in SmartQoS, a torrent client, the ability to work in repeater mode, a VPN and a Wi-Fi off button. Plus, the LAN port turns into a WAN for a backup connection, and the USB port can be used not only with a USB flash drive or an external hard drive, but also with a 3G/4G modem.