Wi-Fi has come a long way in 20 years. The first 802.11 protocol formalizing wireless communication specifications was released in 1997. At the time, it only provided a maximum 2 megabit per second link speeds, glacially slow by modern standards. Over many years and many revisions, Wi-Fi grew from a slow, unreliable networking option of last resort into a blazing fast protocol essential to most of our electronics.

Unlike the past when Wi-Fi required special adapters or software, today smartphones, laptops, many desktop computers, and a plethora of smart devices have Wi-Fi embedded right out of the box. Many younger users have never even seen an Ethernet cable.

As much as Wi-Fi adds tremendous convenience to our devices and lives, it can cause tremendous frustration when it doesn’t work or has poor signal strength. Even as modern Wi-Fi equipment adds new features and technology, there’s no avoiding some simple facts. Consumer Wi-Fi devices have a mandated limited passed down by the government via the Federal Communications Commission, or FCC. These limits mean that although some routers certainly function better than others, a hard cap exists on all regardless of price.

In a small home or apartment, a single quality router may work well enough to achieve full coverage in every room. However, depending on home size, configuration, and building materials, you may find that your single router leaves numerous dead zones or slow connection speeds that prevent you from doing what you want to do. We’re far from the days of just checking email and chatting online. Today users expect to stream full HD video content from multiple devices in any room of the house.

Solutions involving multiple wireless access points have traditionally been complicated to configure with the potential for dropping devices or causing slow performance. The Nova MW6 True-Mesh Whole Home Wi-Fi System looks to solve this problem.

Mesh Wi-Fi

In an older, traditional Wi-Fi network, devices connect to a single wireless access point. If you needed to improve your coverage area, you simply expanded the number of access points or extended their reach through the use of devices known as repeaters or signal boosters.

This solution, while functional, has flaws. While repeaters can indeed spread the signal farther, your connection speed drops since your data must hop between multiple devices. Additional access points aren’t a bad solution for static devices, but with the popularity of laptops and especially smartphones and tablets, users today are constantly on the move. As you move in and out of coverage areas for different access points, your device can get confused and drop connections.

Mesh Wi-Fi looks to solve this problem with smart access points that work together instead of functioning as independent units. Instead of separate points requiring a “handoff” of moving devices, a mesh network can seamlessly route network traffic to the optimal connection path even as you move between access points.

Configuring a mesh network in the past was more complex and often required a server to manage the shifting connections. Now, with increasing processing power and more sophisticated software, it’s possible for manufacturers to create smart Wi-Fi equipment to manage all the complexities straight out of the box.

Nova MW6 Overview and Specifications

Tenda’s MW6 Nova Wave 2 True Mesh Whole Home Wi-Fi System consists of three pre-configured wireless access points. Each unit is a tiny cube measuring just 3.1 inches on each side and only weighs 0.9 pounds.

Aesthetically, the Nova cubes are clean, plain white with a grid pattern on each side creating the look of four smaller squares on each cube face. The two gigabit ports, power port, and reset button are located underneath the cube in an indentation with a notch for cables to pass through. Four rubber feet keep the cube slightly elevated and allow airflow to pass through the vent holes on the underside. A small LED on top shines blue for a strong connection, yellow for a fair connection, and magenta for a poor connection.

While some people may wonder and ask what they are, the Nova’s small size and clean look certainly appear less obtrusive with more elegant styling than the black boxes with flashing lights and antennas from other manufacturers. This focus on design in addition to technology is a nice touch from Tenda and shows understand that people will need to place access points at different locations in their homes.

Networking Specifications

Each MW6 Nova cube has two Ethernet ports. On the primary port, these function as WAN and LAN while on the additional mesh points both function as LAN. This can prove helpful to plug in a remote device that has Ethernet capabilities, like a smart TV or gaming console, for improved signal strength.

The Nova’s each have 2 3dBi external dual band antennas and support 802.11 ac/a/n on the 5 Gigahertz band and 802.11 b/g/n on the 2.4 Gigahertz band. 2.4 GHz enables a theoretical maximum transfer of 300 Megabits per second while 5 GHz increases that to 867 Megabits per second. It is rare if not impossible to actually achieve theses speeds, but it’s what the protocols are capable of in a theoretically perfect situation.

Additionally, the Nova devices support simultaneous dual band transmission, beamforming, and 802.11 v/r. Even if you’re familiar with Wi-Fi, you may not have come across some of these specifications. 802.11r utilizes a feature known as Fast Basic Service Set Transition, or FT, to allow devices to authenticate more quickly between access points on the same network. 802.11v allows a network to influence your device’s roaming behavior by passing information about the current load placed on network access points. This allows your device to choose the optimal access point based on traffic, since a nearby access point may have the strongest signal but be severely bogged down with existing connections.

From a security standpoint, the Nova uses strong WPA2-PSK security by default. It supports PPPoE, Dynamic IP, Static IP, and Bridge Mode internet connections and can function as a DHCP server. In includes a virtual server with port forwarding and UPnP, and VPN support with IPsec, PPTP, and L2TP pass through. Tenda allows users to activate parental controls and configure a guest network.

802.11ac Wave 2 vs Wave 1

While the 802.11ac standard brought huge improvements to Wi-Fi devices, many people are unsure about the changes between the newly names 802.11ac Wave 2 or Gen 2. Rather than changing the name completely, the newer standard builds off of previous Wave 1 technologies to make small but significant changes reflecting the needs of modern users.

First, while MIMO (multiple input, multiple output) technology has been used for years, the Wave 2 standard improves this to MU-MIMO, or multiuser, multiple input, multiple output. Aside from being a mouthful, MU-MIMO better supports improved connection speeds to a larger number of connected devices. A decade ago, the average home may have had only one or two Wi-Fi connected laptops. Today, between laptops, tablets, smartphones, smart TVs, game consoles, and a host of other devices, it wouldn’t be surprising for a family of four to have 15-20 devices.

Also, by adding 160 MHz channels and upgrading to 4 data streams from 3, Wave 2 further supports wider range and improved throughput to the multitude of devices that you may connect in your home. Utilizing this newest 802.11ac Wave 2 protocol, Tenda claims reliable whole-home coverage for up to a 6,000 square foot home with just three Nova mesh access points.

Installation and Usage

Though you can directly connect to the Nova for advanced configuration, this type of setup is usually best left to IT professionals. Tenda knows you may not have advanced IT experience and has designed the Tenda Wi-Fi app, available for Android and iOS, to get you networking like a pro.

First, all three units in the package come pre-configured to work together. Once we unpacked the box and plugged each device in, we were able to configure everything else right from the smartphone app. Honestly, though we usually prefer the manual configuration route, this worked so well we saw little reason to do it the hard way.

After adding all three mesh hot spots we could monitor total network upload and download rates, view all connected devices, and set user access and parental controls. As an added bonus, the app works even when you’re away from your home network.

While the technology certainly impresses, we needed to test to ensure the actual performance lined up with expectations. Fortunately, performance was very strong. While our test environment definitely doesn’t match Tenda’s 6000 square foot estimate, we do have trouble getting signal to all ends of the home with a single router.

Once the three MW6 Nova mesh points were configured, we tested by streaming HD content and running bandwidth tests on multiple floors and even in the backyard. Throughput stayed at high levels throughout the entire home even while walking between areas. Streaming video never stopped even changing floors or going outside. It wasn’t until we moved a significant distance outdoors that the connection finally struggled.

Conclusion

In the past, Wi-Fi configuration and security was best left to those with more IT experience. Logging into a router interface to adjust settings and security policies is enough to scare most average users. This hesitation only gets magnified with more complex configurations involving multiple pieces of network hardware.

Tenda’s MW6 Nova system demystifies the WI-Fi experience and ensures simple coverage even for larger homes. By pre-pairing the Nova units and utilizing an intuitive app for setup, Tenda makes advanced home networking something even a child or novice user could easily accomplish.

Beyond the simplicity of setup, the advanced tech loaded into these tiny cubes really makes the Nova a fantastic system. With the additional speed and better support for multiple devices, Nova leverages 802.11ac Wave 2 to deliver easy, high speed Wi-Fi to your entire home.

Whether you connect a couple devices at a time or have a house full of streaming, browsing, and gaming in every room, Tenda’s MW6 Nova True Mesh Wi-Fi system delivers exceptional performance. Best of all, even without much experience, it’s easy to do yourself. No nerds required.

The post Tenda MW6 Nova Wave 2 Whole Home Wi-Fi System Review appeared first on Nerd Techy.

A strong WiFi signal is one of the most important components to any living space. Considering how much we rely on our phones, laptops and smart devices to get us through the day, having a reliable router as well as a dependable internet service provider is key. However, sometimes even a well-made router can leave you with dead zones in your home or places in which the signal is out of range. This is especially prevalent in large homes with only one WiFi network.

It can be extremely inconvenient to be streaming a video on your phone or tablet, but then experience an interruption if you walk into another room or decide to head outside for a minute. The good news is that extending your WiFi range is possible with the use of something called a WiFi satellite.

A WiFi satellite adds WiFi coverage to your router’s existing zone and can be placed nearly anywhere in your home. They sync up easily to your home WiFi network and usually can be used under the same network name. The applications for a device like this are really endless; you can use them to add WiFi range in a basement, game-room, or even in a larger backyard where you may want to host guests.

The newly released Netgear Orbi (RBS50Y) Outdoor Satellite is designed to expand your existing WiFi range in the home, as long as you use it with your Orbi router. We got our hands on one of these satellites and checked out the design, ease of installation, performance, special features and also looked at any potential drawbacks to the unit. Considering how useful something like this could really be, we felt it was definitely worth a look.

Design

The Orbi (RBS50Y) Outdoor Satellite has a very basic layout, and looks almost identical to the Orbi Pro router with the exception of a few additional features. It comes in white, has a smooth rectangular design, a round indicator light on the top section, and on the front you’ll find the Orbi logo in plain view.

It’s a bit on the bulky side, but considering that it is both an indoor and outdoor device, this didn’t bother us too much. It measures at 12.21 x 9.22 x 6.66 inches and weighs in at 6.22 pounds. Yes, it is a little heavy too, but you won’t be carrying it around. It’s meant to be mounted or installed in one place and left there in order to expand your WiFi range.

The back of the satellite has a sync button, four Ethernet ports, a USB port, a power button, a DC power port, as well as a reset button. The back section is nearly identical to the Orbi router, with the exception of an additional Ethernet port. You’ll have to either position it near an outlet, or use an extension cord to keep it plugged in.

Ease Of Installation

The Orbi Outdoor Satellite is incredibly easy to sync and install. All you have to do is make sure both the satellite and the base unit are powered on and plugged in, and then press the sync button on the back of the satellite. Within two minutes the satellite and the base unit will connect and your WiFi range will be extended.

You’ll also know that the process is complete because the satellite unit will change from a pulsing white color to a glowing blue. The indicator light may also show amber or magenta, which indicates a weak connection and that you have to move the satellite closer to the base unit.

You can also use the Orbi app to guide you through the installation process. The app is available on both the App store as well as Google Play and is fairly easy to follow. You’ll be asked to select your configuration and then follow the detailed diagrams on how to properly install and connect the satellite. Also, when it came to mounting, the Orbi can be easily mounted on a wall or set up on a flat surface, depending on the layout of your home. The wall mount was actually included with the satellite, which we thought was an excellent addition.

Performance

Once we had it hooked up, we found that the Orbi Outdoor Satellite performed extremely well, and lived up to its claims. As long as it was relatively close to the Orbi base unit, we found the signal to be strong all the way up to the advertised 2500 sq. ft. Our streaming speed was also just as fast as if we’d been connected to the Orbi base unit. Orbi advertises that the wireless speeds are about 3 Gbps, and we found that to be pretty close to what we experienced when we streamed movies, music or downloaded files on a laptop.

The satellite also maintained the same signal strength and speed even when we had multiple wireless devices connected to it. This was especially impressive, because many base unit routers can slow down when they are congested, but the Orbi satellite showed almost no difference even when we had four connections at once. To our surprise, it also performed just as well outside. Even if there were walls obstructing the base unit from the satellite, we still found almost no effect on the signal strength, meaning the satellite could definitely be installed outside if need be.

Special Features

One of the most impressive features of the Orbi Satellite is that it is fully water-resistant. You can use the included wall mount to position it virtually anywhere, including the outside of your house, your patio, or even by your pool, as long as it is still within range of the base unit.

We found this to be an incredible feature that added a ton of versatility to the satellite. The range of the satellite was also excellent. With the satellite set up, you’ll get an extra 2500 square feet of WiFi coverage from the origin point of the satellite. We tested the range pretty rigorously, and it did hold up extremely well. However, you will notice an immediate drop in the signal as soon as you cross the 2500 square foot line.

We also really liked the fact that the Orbi Satellite didn’t require a second network name in order to connect to other devices. This made it easy to use for both the owner as well as any guests who want to connect. Some WiFi satellites do require a second network name which isn’t a major inconvenience, but is still a little tedious for someone connecting their phone or tablet for the first time.

Lastly, the Orbi is compatible with Amazon Alex and Google Assistant. It was a cool addition, and while not everyone who purchases it will have these two services, it was still nice to know that they were available.

Drawbacks

While we did find this to be an incredibly powerful satellite, with a very easy installation and intuitive design, we did find a few minor flaws worth mentioning. First and foremost, we would have liked for it to be universally compatible with a variety of routers, not just the Orbi base unit.

The Orbi would have been a lot more versatile if it could be used with someone’s existing setup rather than necessitate that they purchase an Orbi base unit and start from scratch. Considering that some may be interested in extending their WiFi range but may not be willing to purchase both a satellite and a new router to do so, the compatibility issues lost a few points for the Orbi.

Also, we would have liked for the sync range to a bit better. You’ll have to position the Orbi Satellite relatively close to the base unit. In some ways this reduced the overall range, because we were already somewhat close to the original WiFi signal. There was still a noticeable improvement, but we felt that the satellite would have really blown us away if it had both a longer WiFi range, as well as a stronger connecting range to the router.

Lastly, we had one minor issue with the design. To set the satellite up outside, you’ll have to mount it to the side of your house, but the only problem with this is that the components on the back are a bit hard to reach. It was great to have the four Ethernet cables and a USB port, but we found that they were obstructed quite a bit once we used the included wall mount. Of course, you could still set up the Orbi satellite in the included stand, but for outdoor use this didn’t feel like the best option. It would have been a bit more convenient for the Ethernet ports, power button and USB to be situated on the side of the unit to allow easier access, regardless of how it was installed.

Final Thoughts

Overall, we really liked the Orbi (RBS50Y) Outdoor WiFi Satellite. It performed extremely well and was as advertised when it came to its ability to significantly boost range at high speeds. It didn’t slow down even with several devices connected, and its waterproof capabilities made it incredibly versatile when it came to where it could be installed.

It had a few flaws, but nothing that severely affected our opinion of it. It would have been nice for it to have a larger connection range to the base unit and we found that the decision to place components like the power button and Ethernet ports on the back of the unit was a slight shortcoming in the design, depending on how you set it up.

That being said, we found it to be a perfect solution for those with larger homes or backyards or pool areas that could benefit from additional WiFi coverage. The easy installation and simplicity when it came to connecting a wireless device made us think that the Orbi Satellite could benefit not only homeowners but even professionals who want to expand their office WiFi network.

It’s definitely the kind of upgrade you’ll be seeing more and more, and based on our analysis, we give it a big thumbs up.

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How secure is your home? We’re not talking about the strength of your locks or the thickness of your window panes. I’m talking about your home’s cyber security. Even though so many smart devices and appliances have crept into our lives, many of us haven’t noticed how vulnerable we have become to potentially malicious security threats. With so many potential routes of invasion, hackers have their pick of the technological litter. Your house might be smart, but it’s almost certainly not secure.

Think of your smart home as a big, beautiful beach. All of your smart devices are the stereotypical bespectacled dweeb, constantly getting sand kicked in his face – his girlfriend snatched by the tall, hunky muscle-bound beach bully. It is common knowledge that all hackers are tall and hunky. Every single one of them. Coincidence? I think not.

It is our paralyzing fear of tall and hunky men that makes us so excited to take a look at the Akita, an Internet of Things watchdog device designed to keep your smart home safe from beach bullies looking to invade your Smart TVs. The Akita has created quite the stir on Kickstarter; at press time, the device had just about 8,500 backers with a total of $884k pledged, well over their asking total of $30k. A quick glance at the Akita’s features is enough to see why the product has caused such a stir.

Security System

The designers of Akita claim that their device uses military-grade security protection to keep your home and all your IoT devices safe from cyber-attacks. The Akita uses a combination of machine learning, behavioral analysis and threat intelligence to actively prevent and block any threats. To do this, the Akita keeps an eye out for any data irregularities and quickly takes care of them. It’s kind of like having a device that automatically throws pies at Jehovah’s Witnesses when they come knocking at your door.

Non-Intrusive Monitoring

The cool thing about the Akita is that it doesn’t use Deep Packet Inspection, which means even your watchdog doesn’t have access to your private information. Most competing devices use Deep Packet Inspection to keep tabs on the data flowing through your tubes. Even if they wanted to peek at your private data they couldn’t; Akita’s architecture just isn’t structured in a way that would allow it to be nosy.

So, if Akita doesn’t use Deep Packet Inspection, then how the heck does it protect my home network? Good question, young Padawan. Akita uses the high-level Intrusion Prevention system (or IPS, for the impatient) to keep the bad guys out before they even have a chance to take break in. Using IPS, Akita monitors all of the legitimate sources that your home devices normally communicate. By monitoring the connections that have a legitimate reason to be there, they’re able to spot any irregularities. Using a special WiFi sniffing system, any irregular or questionable data packets are sent to Akita to be analyzed. If the packets are determined to be malicious, the Akita servers warn your device that it’s time to act.

Akita vs. Firewall

What’s the difference between Akita and a firewall? Aren’t I already protected against most security threats? Unlike firewalls, which only alert you when there is a problem, Akita actually does something about it. Akita can even automatically disconnect your network if necessary. Try getting a firewall to do that. Akita is always being monitored in the background by their Axi.us service and help desk, which makes it much more efficient at keeping current with new and evolving threats.

Set-up

The Akita is super simple to set-up. It will take you about a minute. Literally one single minute. All you have to do is plug it in to one of your LAN ports (the Akita does not connect inline) and choose the correct network. That’s it. We can just feel it now, an instant wave of relief rolling over our normally tense and slightly-bloated bodies. Why had we waited so long to protect our home in the first place? What had those creeps lurking in the dark corners of the Internet already seen? *gasp* Did they look at our browser history?!

Packaging

The Akita is going to ship in three colors: white, black and navy blue. They had originally planned for a neon green option, but production issues have put the kibosh on that for now. Inside the box you’ll find the Akita itself, a network cable, a power adapter and the Start Guide. It might seem like a light package, but that’s really all you need. We’d rather have a lean, mean virus-fighting machine, than a device that comes with unnecessary bloat.

Technical Specs

Let’s take a look at some of the Akita’s technical specs. The device features a Qualcomm QCA9531 650 MHz processor, 64 MB of DDR memory storage and 16 MB of flash storage. The Akita only weighs 0.64 lbs. (0.29 kg) and measures 100 x 100 x 500 mm; in other words, about 20 inches by 4 inches. The hexagonal design is both sleek, unique and modern. It sort of makes you feel like you’re living in the future.

Constant Updates

The makers of Akita aren’t just going to sell you a device and send you on your way. They understand that security threats are an ever-evolving and perpetually growing problem. In response to the rapid pace at which security threats adapt, the Akita provides free security updates for life. The Akita is regularly updated with the newest security events, so you never should feel like you are at risk. Akita makes your home’s cyber security just another stressor you can wipe from your plate.

Machine Learning

Let’s forget about the practical features of the Akita for a second. When you look beyond its security features, what you have is just a really smart and sleek device. The machine learning capabilities on this thing are insane. The Akita uses learning algorithms to actively adjust to impending threats. The longer you use Akita, the smarter it gets, which is why you have to beat it semi-regularly to keep its ego in check. But seriously; over a period of several weeks Akita learns and adapts your habits, which allows it to better do its job and, to ultimately, complete its prime directive.

Support

Unless you’re a security expert, a lot of what Akita does behind the scenes might seem like magic, but that’s because the Akita has a team of security professionals working in the background. With a small subscription fee, Akita even lets you harness some of their expert power. The security subscription provides additional help center features which include everything from help with the device’s set-up to advice on how to keep your network safe.

Testing and Device Security

When we were checking our Akita’s website we were also excited to see that they even take the security of their own device seriously. Akita has hired an Israeli cyber security company called CyberInt to actively attempt to penetrate the Akita device security systems. CyberInt has had a full team of hackers trying to hack the Akita for the past several months. Whenever the hackers find any potential security issues, the problem is reported to Akita’s Research and Development team to be fixed. These guys mean business.

Smartphone App

Akita has a smartphone app, available for both iOS and Android. The app allows you to manage all of your Akita devices and all of the Internet of Things devices that your Akita devices protect. The Akita app will even shoot you a notification when the Akita detects a potential threat. Trust us, you’re going to want to know about any security issues as soon as possible. If you feel like you need more information or assistance, the app allows you to directly contact the Akita help desk.

The Competition

What makes Akita so attractive when compared to its many security competitors on the market? When you take a look the Akita’s technical capabilities, even asking that question starts to seem a little silly. The Akita is not only one of the least expensive options, it is also one of the most feature-filled. None of their competitors offer cyber support for IoT devices, and almost all of them rely on invasive data monitoring procedures, which as far as we’re concerned defeats the purpose of keeping people away from our private information. We believe that Akita’s sensitivity and respect of their customer’s privacy will be a real selling point.

Release Details

The makers of Akita are looking at a May 2018 release, with mass production beginning in February. Backers of the Akita’s Kickstarter and Indiegogo campaigns can expect to have their Akitas delivered in July 2018.

Washing machines, dishwashers, TVs, doorbells, door locks, cameras, smoke detectors, light switches, coffee makers, 3D printers; these are the devices that are now available in some sort of IoT form. With such a large chunk of our appliances headed towards cyber territory, protecting our home’s network has never been more important. Think about it; do you really want to risk having the locks of your smart doors hacked?

Final Thoughts

With its non-intrusive security detection, low price point, sleek design, constant updates and expert support, the Akita is the best smart home watchdog device available on the market. Its integration with their mobile app and constant Axi.us monitoring makes the Akita a great choice for people who want to ensure their home network is secure, but don’t have the technical know-how to do it themselves.

We live in exciting, and yet dangerous, times. The more devices we add to our homes, the more open to security breaches we become. Our privacy and security are very much at risk. Even if your deepest, darkest secret is something as silly as once Googling “giraffes mating video”, it’s still your secret and your secret alone. What you do on Google should be between you and yourself (and maybe the giraffes).

The post First-Look Review of AKITA: Instant Privacy for Smart Homes appeared first on Nerd Techy.

There came a time, about ten years ago, when we found, to our great dismay, that our love for PC gaming had soured. The problem for MMORPG fans like ourselves is that winning, especially in a PVP setting, can become far too reliant on your computer hardware and network speed. If one player has professional gaming-level hardware, and one player barely has enough bandwidth to lag through a level, the player with the worse equipment is going to find it very hard to keep up. The graphic technology had outpaced the average consumer hardware. Gaming had become too expensive and too reliant on technical know-how. We feel that it was this general modern gaming malaise that helped launch the retro game renaissance.

PC gaming is back. A few years ago, with the popularity of Steam and Twitch, functional PC gaming has inched its way back into affordability. The availability of modern networking technology has improved and the price of adequate technology has decreased. Even if lag so bad that it makes a game unplayable is becoming a thing of the past, serious gamers know that latency is still a matter of great importance. That is why hardcore gamers are so focused on optimizing their home network. They know that having good networking equipment is a way for serious PC gamers to have a one-up on their competitors.

Netgear’s new Nighthawk Pro Gaming XR500 Router is built for the serious gamer from the bottom to the top. The Nighthawk uses a combination of state-of-the-art hardware and software to optimize your gaming network experience. Netgear’s router focuses on stabilizing pings, reducing painful lag and making sure your connection is reliable amidst a sea of smart devices, all of which are begging for previous data packets. The software included with the Nighthawk offers unprecedented customization. It provides the user with a tremendous amount of networking options, and lets the user decide how involved they would like to be with their network management.

Design

The first thing you’re going to notice about the XR500 is its stunning design. Let’s not ignore the fact that the Nighthawk Pro Gaming router just oozes beastly strength. Its design reminds us of something out of a comic book. In fact, if you pulled the antennas off and told us that it was the design concept for the next Batmobile, we’d probably believe it.

With a design that looks more like a high-tech piece of military equipment straight off of a black site assembly line, rather than a gaming router, the obvious first question is whether or not the router performs as good as it looks. We have been distracted by good looks in the past, only to be disappointed in the overall performance. We were able to take an in-depth look at Netgear’s newest gaming router to decide for ourselves whether its performance measured up to its fierce appearance.

Hardware

The XR500’s hardware provides a powerful supplement to its state-of-the-art software. The dual band WiFi router includes 5 Gigabit Ethernet ports (4 LAN ports and 1 WAN port), all with maximized wired speeds, which is so essential for keeping up in a fast-paced gaming environment. The device also includes 2 USB 3.0 ports for connecting third-party devices, such as printers or media devices. A dual-core 1.7 GHz processor keeps the router moving speedy, helping to manage heavy traffic and streamline wired performance. The router’s four antennas are designed to produce faster speeds and to decrease interfering signals, positioned in a way to optimize the signal.

Speed

Netgear’s pro gaming router is 802.11ac WiFi compatible, which means it is reliably turning out speeds of 2.6 Gbps. If there is one thing we can attest to, it is the XR500’s speed. As my grandfather would say, it performs as fast as a dog can lick a dish. Though keep in mind, my grandfather also considers rotary phones to be a modern piece of technology, so I wouldn’t pay him much attention. No seriously, don’t even look at him. He’ll never stop talking about the war. And just for the record, if you have a dog that can lick a dish at 2.6 Gbps, you better get your dog checked out, because it is clearly transforming into a networking device. Rover… router… coincidence? Conspiracy confirmed.

Software

The XR500’s killer feature is its software integration. Netgear’s router is powered by Netduma’s super powerful and customizable DumaOS, a router operating system that is undeniably heads and tails above the competition. Netduma seems to be working in a different dimension. They have taken router management to a completely new level of awesome and have streamlined it into a user-friendly application.

DumaOS provides the XR500 with an amazing set of Quality of Service tools. The anti-bufferbloat feature prevents any queueing from taking place on your home router, regardless of if you are downloading or uploading. The reduction of queueing results in much less lag for each user on the network.

The OS also allows you to allocate the bandwidth for every single device on your network. This means that you can direct bandwidth towards devices you consider more important. Don’t worry, your smart fridge will get over it. The XR500 utilizes DumaOS’s enterprise-level deep packet inspection feature to automatically detect low-latency issues. The software can then automatically prioritize the web traffic, which means your significant other’s Candy Crush Saga binge is going to have to take a backseat to your Overwatch marathon, whether they like it or not.

The QoS toolkit is so powerful that it can instantly detect any online gameplay and will automatically prioritize the gaming device, providing a stable and lag-free gaming environment. You can even single out each individual device and manage the maximum upload and download speeds at the device level. If you like to be in full control of your network, we can’t stress enough how much you would love this software.

Geographic Features

The software also lets users eliminate lag by using its Geo-Filter, which allows you to limit the distance to servers or the distance between you and other players. That might seem amazing all on its own, but the geographical features go so much deeper than that. The Nighthawk’s software guarantees the user a local connection, and even allows the gamer to whitelist friendly connections and blacklist notoriously laggy opponents. So if Putin thinks he’s going to punk us again, he’s got another thing coming. No oligarch is going to gank this bad boy. Gank me twice, shame on me.

VPN and Security

If you’re hesitant to play on your PC because of any potential security risks, the XR500 will help soothe that big ole brain of yours. The DumaOS supports secure connections through their VPN client. You’re going to need an existing VPN service, but once you have a VPN all set-up, you can easily and seamlessly browse and game in complete anonymity. Gaming using a VPN allows you to conceal your identity while also protecting yourself against any DDoS attacks. You’d be surprised at how sophisticated network penetration (giggity) has become. If your network is not protected, even a novice hacker can find their way inside (giggity) of your network. The VPN feature made us feel much more confident throughout our networking conquests.

Extendibility and User Friendliness

One of the coolest features of the XR500’s software management is its ability to be extended. Since the software is isolated it allows each router app to run independently of each other. This makes it super simple to install new software and features without interfering with the on-board firmware.

With such advanced networking tools, it would be understandable for some users to feel a bit intimidated. Not every gamer is a networking genius. Luckily, Netgear’s version of DumaOS provides plenty of tutorials and lessons to help even the most unknowledgeable gamer understand their software. We think the biggest issue is that it sounds a lot more complicated than it actually is. Once you have all of the basic terminology down, it’s pretty easy to understand. The slight learning curve is completely worth it. There is no other router in this price range that provides gamers with such advanced networking tools.

Final Thoughts

The reality is that most consumer routers stink. The routers provided by your internet service provider are a joke – and barely functional. They have no customization and they require frequent resets just to keep them functioning. They provide the user with zero control over the allocation of their home network’s traffic, which is a big gyp if you ask us, which you didn’t, but we’re going to force it in your eye holes anyway. We’re not trying to squeeze more data from our ISPs coffers, we just want to be able to control the bandwidth that we do get. It’s really not much to ask, and with the Nighthawk XS500, it’s not even that complicated.

As we said earlier in our review, Netgear and Netduma are operating on another planet. We meant it then and we mean it now. The interplay between its powerful hardware and sophisticated software is astounding. There is nothing quite like the XR500 in the same price range and certainly no router that provides this level of micro-management. It really changed the way we game. In the past there were numerous times that we would become so fed up with our network issues that we would just stop playing games. When something that is supposed to be fun winds up causing you more anger than anything else, it’s time for something major to change. The XR500 provided us with the change we needed.

Instead of feeling like a bunch of gaming losers, our new router makes us feel like gaming gods. No matter how hard we try to stop it, we still feel an element of schadenfreude when all of the players around us start to lag behind. Sometimes you just want to grab someone by the shoulders and yell in their faces, “The technology you need is right here in front of you, dumb-dumbs!”. Unfortunately for our enemies, now is not one of those times. Eat our dust, losers!

The post Netgear Nighthawk XR500 Pro Gaming Router Review appeared first on Nerd Techy.

When it comes to gaming, your network speed is just as important as skill. Even if you have the world’s best hand-eye coordination, it won’t do you a lick of good if your network can’t keep up with your controls. Even the leaps and bounds that networking speeds have made in the past ten years hasn’t been able to keep up with the advances in graphical and gaming technology. The Internet gets faster and the games get more memory-hungry.

Gaming rage is real thing. If you’ve ever played a networked multi-player game, there’s a very high chance that you’ve experienced it. Symptoms include bulging neck veins, holes in walls, demon-like howls, scared families, broken homes, bloodshot eyes and shattered screens. While we don’t have any stats to back it up, we’d be willing to bet that game lag is one of the main reasons that PC and TV displays wind up shattered. There’s nothing quite as embarrassing as showing up to the hospital with shards of TV glass in your knuckles. “How did this happen, sir?” “Uh… Overwatch?”

Some people fail to realize that slow network speeds aren’t necessarily your internet provider’s fault. Sometimes it’s your fault. Scratch that. Most of the time it’s your fault. You might be asking yourself, “How can I be at fault for something I have no control over?” Let’s put it this way: did you really think an off-brand low-cost budget router would allow you to keep up with the hardcore gamers? Use some common sense, man (or woman)!

First Impressions

With the Linksys WRT32XB Wi-Fi gaming router, the networking hardware giant has engineered a router engineered and optimized for gaming, specifically for Microsoft’s Xbox One gaming console. Linksys offers the WRT32XB as an Xbox-focused upgrade for last year’s WRT32X, which featured similar features and specs, but is now optimized for Xbox users. Using a combination of auto-detection, prioritization and some killer hardware, the WRT32XB significantly reduces peak ping, vastly improves bandwidth and improves security.

Prioritization

Linksys has partnered with Rivet Networks to include their Killer Prioritization Engine. Linksys’s newest router will automatically detect and prioritize incoming and outgoing Xbox One data. The result is vastly reduced lag while playing Overwatch, Forza, Halo, Destiny, GTA or any other of your favorite Xbox One games. The WRT32XB reduces peak ping by as much as 65%. Most modern multi-player games require precise timing. A few milliseconds could spell the difference between life and death. Linksys’s Xbox One focused router provides you with a major advantage over other players. We’re willing to take any advantage we can get.

Software

With firmware and a user interface engineered specifically for the Xbox One, the router keeps your network speed fast even if all of your friends are using a large chunk of bandwidth, or if you are hosting a LAN party. The user interface dashboard allows you to monitor all of your connected devices, manage advanced networking options and settings and conduct on-demand speed tests to ensure that your network is keeping up with the competition. The user interface also allows you to manage VPN and network storage, check on the status of the Killer Prioritization Engine, and manage any port-forwarding.

Data Distribution

The advancement of MU-MIMO technology has been one of the most significant networking changes in the past decade. Ten years ago, routers were provided a certain amount of bandwidth, and divided that allotted bandwidth accordingly. The result was that when there were multiple devices being used on the same network, the network speed suffered, sometimes severely. The modern day next-gen multi-user AC3200 MU-MIMO technology inside of the WRT32XB allows multiple devices to access the network without jeopardizing network speed. Each device receives its own unique data stream, so users aren’t competing for bandwidth. That translates into less interference and faster network speeds. The WRT32XB’s AC3200 MU-MIMO distributes data intelligently and consistently, making sure everyone gets a fair crack.

Frequency Range

If we told you that the Linksys WRT32XB is DFS certified, it might not mean much to you, but it’s actually a very significant improvement over the previous AC1900 class. Being DFS (dynamic frequency selection) certified by the FCC allows access to frequencies up to 160 MHz. This means that the new router is enabled with Tri-Stream160, tripling the channels that are available at 80 MHz. The wider frequency range allows the router to work on much clearer frequencies than other routers. The result is less signal competition and interference, and much faster speeds.

Design and Dimensions

The WRT32XB design features that modern gaming aesthetic: black, geometrical, angular and matted black. The device’s blue LED lights add an added dose of slick techy goodness. The dorm and lights almost make the WRT32XB look like a sports car. The device measures 9.68 inches x 7.63 inches x 2.04 inches and weighs 28 ounces, so it has a rather slight and stealthy form factor despite its massive speed improvements over standard routers.

Dual-band Frequencies

The new Linksys router features simultaneous dual-band Wi-Fi bands, meaning that both the 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band are both active at the same time. The router signal strength is perfect for large homes, though sometimes the 2.4GHz band is stronger depending on how many walls are between you and the router. The router is compatible with the industry-standard IEEE 802.11 media access controls, and features the a, g, n, and ac protocols for improved WLAN throughput for both wireless bands. In English, that means less lag.

Hardware

Internally, the WRT32XB features a speedy 1.8 GHz dual core CPU processor which will keep the hardware keep up with your gaming needs. Four external dual-band antennas with four powerful amplifiers provide your home with reliable, wall-to-wall connectivity. Linksys says that the signal strength is fit for a “rather large household”, which we assume is enough coverage for the vast majority of you. If you live in a medieval castle, you might want to consider checking out some other options.

Temperature Control

One of the biggest problems with modern gaming networking technology is its penchant for overheating if left unchecked. The massive amount of hardware power required for keeping up with fast speeds can produce a tremendous amount of heat. The router’s high-efficiency heatsink helps ensure that your router doesn’t fry itself into oblivion.

Auto Updating

One of our favorite features of the WRT32XB is Linksys’s auto firmware updating. We know, we know; it’s kind of silly that we choose one of the least exciting features to be so enamored with, but auto updating truly makes a big difference. The truth is that most people set-up their router and then never touch it again. When smartphone updates are pushed out, people install them immediately, but for whatever reason, people don’t think about updating their router firmware. Out of sight, out of mind, we suppose. Linksys consistently improves their devices through firmware rollouts. Not updating your router firmware can result in significantly decreased production. It can also leave you open to security risks. Linksys rolls out their updates overnight and automatically pushes them out to your device.

External Ports

The WRT32XB also features a pro-grade Gigabit Ethernet switch, which includes four Gigabit LAN ports and one Gigabit WAN port. This makes it super easy to connect multiple gaming computers to your powerhouse router. The switch is also makes LAN parties much easier, since you can connect all of your consoles into one centralized location. Next to the ethernet ports you’ll find a USB 3.0 port, perfect for connecting hard drives or memory sticks, and an eSATA port for sharing networked storage devices at super-fast speeds.

Speed Tests

As we mentioned earlier, the Killer Prioritization Engine is the killer feature, especially when your Xbox One is concerned. The Killer engine reduces peak ping time by 65% — from 103 milliseconds to 45 milliseconds, when using an Xbox One that is using 10 Mbps down and 2 Mbps up on a network juggling multiple devices at once. So theoretically, it’s capable of reducing peak ping by even more time. If you’ve ever completely raged out because of split-second lag, then you’ll understand just how important those extra 50 milliseconds are. It can literally make the difference between character life and death.

User Interface

Linksys’s web-based user interface has been overhauled to focus on gaming traffic control and prioritization. The on-board firmware interplays with the web interface by monitoring application-level stream detection. The stream detection can pinpoint the data that is being used for gaming devices (whether it be PC, console or mobile) and can prioritize that data to ensure a seamless, lag-free gaming experience.

Final Thoughts

Gamers don’t play around when it comes to their internet connection. No other group of people demands so much out of their home networks, and for good reason. Modern multi-player gaming is completely dependent on internet speed. A player with less skill, but a faster internet connection has an instant advantage. Skill is something you can improve through practice, but Internet speed is something out of your control. The best you can do is equip your home network with the best gaming gear.

The Linksys WRT32XB is a solid gaming router which features awesome prioritization features through the Killer Prioritization Engine, speedy hardware, an overhauled user interface, a solid yet stealthy design and enough ports to satisfy almost all of your networking needs. If you’re an avid Xbox One gamer who is plagued by lag and latency, the WRT32BX is a no brainer. Even if you are not an Xbox One user, this Linksys router is a great choice and is perfectly capable of handling your non-Xbox related gaming needs.

Do you want lag rage to be a thing of the past? Who doesn’t, right? If you’ve had your fill of projectile-inflicted shattered displays, broken controllers, knuckle bruises and dented walls, the Linksys WRT32XB is the dual-band gaming router for you. Also, psychiatry is always an option.

The post Linksys WRT32XB Gaming Router for Xbox Review appeared first on Nerd Techy.

Mesh routers aren’t exactly a new technology. For years, they’ve been used in physically large areas where network security is paramount. From hospitals and universities to military applications, mesh routers have proven to be an essential asset for providing secure Wi-Fi to large areas. For people with large homes spanning at least 3,000 square feet, people with interior stone walls, or people with buildings that are several stories tall, mesh routers can be just as essential.

Anyone who’s tried to connect a large area can tell you it’s difficult to avoid the creation of Wi-Fi dead-zones. That’s precisely the problem that mesh routers can help solve. But it’s only been a handful of years since mesh routers have been available to ordinary consumers. Consequently, many people aren’t quite certain how to find the right mesh router, and how to spot one that won’t matchup with their needs.

ASUS Lyra Trio

The Lyra Trio is ASUS’ first true entry into the world of mesh routers. But to their immediate credit, it’s a major brand backed by an excellent reputation. The Lyra is similar to Netgear’s ever-popular mesh router, especially in its ability to provide both a web and smartphone interface, making it easier to help you tweak your network settings. But the Lyra Trio interface is generally more accessible and provides a much deeper range of options. For more advanced users, those options include some noteworthy things like support for OpenVPN servers, PPTP, AiProtection security features, and others.

Build & Design

Physically the Lyra Trio is based on a circular design with a modest 5.5” diameter. Aesthetically, it looks like a fire detector that’s been pulled off the wall. For better or worse, that’s become the standard mesh node design for all similar routers. On the backside of the Lyra, you’ll find two gigabit Ethernet ports and the DC power port. You may also notice there aren’t any USB ports, which means the Lyra Trio isn’t going to ever offer printer sharing or storage options.

With a close examination, you’ll also find the reset button on the bottom side of the Trio. As with most routers, the reset button can be held for 3 seconds to restore Lyra Trio to factory settings. Adjacent to the reset button are three screw slots that can be used to mount the Lyra to the wall, helping conveniently get it out of the way, or into a better position for transmitting the signal. On the side of the device, you’ll find a pairing button. Like with the reset button, you hold the pairing button for three seconds to connect your Lyra to another Lyra on the same network.

Along its top, the Lyra Trio uses a multi-color LED to help let you know the status of your network. A breathing light with random colors indicates Lyra is booting up or making changes to your settings. A cyan blue light indicates everything is working, and a red light indicates loss of connection. When you first plug in Lyra, you’ll get a solid white light, indicating it’s ready for setup. And the orange light indicates you’ve lost connection to the internet. Although it takes a minute of memorization, that simple light system makes it easy to identify what’s happening with your Lyra Trio at a glance.

Setup & Configuration

Unfortunately, the fact you can access settings through both the web and app interface can make for a somewhat disjointed experience. In the best of all worlds, it would be nice to be able to do every bit of your network management in one place. But with the Lyra, some features are only available in one interface. Most notably, the web interface tends to be lacking several features present on the app, but the disparity isn’t totally one-sided. You’ll end up toggling settings through both platforms at one time or another.

Fortunately, initial setup is more-or-less easy. One possible complication exists, in that setup requires an initial connection through Bluetooth, at which point Wi-Fi can be initiated after you’ve set up a network name and password. But that’s not exactly a smooth experience, and it would be understandable if novice users were confused for a few minutes during installation.

Security

The Lyra Trio is well up to the task of keeping a large network secure. As far as firewalls go, you’ve got access to user accounts, content filtering, threat protection, port forwarding, and essentially every other security-oriented feature a router can possible have. The Lyra Trio’s security is essentially the best you can do short of military-level equipment, at which point you’re adding a new level of expense and inconvenience in exchange for little additional protection.

Unlike some Wi-Fi devices, the Lyra doesn’t rely on companion cloud services for support, apart from its malicious content blocking features. Whether that’s a good thing or bad thing depends entirely on your outlook on security. Some people don’t like the idea of handing over detailed information about all their web traffic to some company. If you’re not shy about handing over your data for analysis, that kind of information can often be used by router manufacturers to help provide bug fixes and performance tweaks. Nearly all of the Lyra’s competitors make use of a user’s data to help provide those kind of performance improvements, but the security-minded Lyra Trio doesn’t have those kind of interactions with the cloud.

Significant Features

Exploring submenus within the Lyra Trio app is mostly intuitive. If you’ve ever opened a router to configure its settings and immediately had your eyes glaze over, you’ll appreciate the friendlier-looking interface employed by ASUS. Many of the options inside the app are somewhat standard and expected features. For example, you can set guess access and limit how long someone can be on the network. But the Lyra’s signature style is to add a layer of customization to common features. In the case of network access, you can set each feature with its own password extra levels of control.

There’s also a neat feature called “Share this Wi-Fi”, which can distribute the credentials of your network through half a dozen different communication options. That makes it very easy to help authorized people get on your network in a moment’s notice. And Lyra is easily integrated with Alexa. If you’re watching a streaming video on your couch, and you find yourself encountering lag, it’s easy to fix with a simple voice command. Just Alexa to have the Trio switch over to a new mode that prioritizes streaming services!

Within the web manager it’s possible to change the order of traffic importance, and set network priority of devices on the network. Unfortunately, the web manager isn’t quite as intuitive and attractive looking as the smartphone app. It’s much more in-line with what you expect from an ordinary router, with its dry menus giving novice users few indications of what any particular setting might mean. Fortunately, most of these controls can be utterly avoided.

And as far as family friendly features go, the Lyra’s content blocking function is quite good at targeting specific types of activities. Whether you’re trying to stop blogging, chat services, Internet voice calls, or totally prevent downloading files, it’s easy to do from within the Lyra network. One area in which Lyra does use cloud-based updates is in that content blocking function. In order to keep an updated list of malicious sites that need to be filtered, staying in touch with the cloud is required.

For those who are more hands-in with their network management, it’s possible to look up the usage statistics for the member profiles you’ve created, seeing details statistics about their web traffic. Unfortunately, almost none of those features are available on the web app, so all that management has to be done through your smartphone. By contrast, the web app focuses on security features, like blocking malicious websites and infected devices from affecting your network.

Performance

Speaking of performance, the Lyra Trio can offer a stable connection spanning up to 5,200 square feet. That’s essentially the size of a large, multistory home. Broad support of that kind is possible through the use of redundant radios. Specifically, the Lyra Trio is composed of three Wi-Fi radios, supporting both 2.4 and 5.0 GHz. It also has two Bluetooth Radios, the impressive Artheros AR3012, and the equally strong ISSC IS1768.

With throughput tests, the Lyra Trio is capable of supporting about 529 Mbps. If you disable AiProtection or Adaptive QoS you can get throughput closer to 620 Mbps. For downlink and uplink, the 2.4 GHz connection provides an excellent signal, but does strain somewhat when enduring exceptionally high throughput of data. In other words, the Lyra Trio isn’t ideal for a network that’s going to be regularly experiencing more than 500 Mbps of traffic.

The Lyra Trio’s CPU is based the Qualcomm IPQ4019 quad-core infrastructure. It has 256MB of RAM and 128MB of flash memory, which is roughly four times higher than most of its competitors. If you’re not familiar with the importance of flash memory and RAM within routers, they’re what protect the network from poor network communication. Having more allows you to expand your network without the increased bandwidth causing a problem for the entire network.

In other words, for a dozen different devices, you can expect excellent and steady performance across every device. But 256 and 128 aren’t numbers befitting of a massive public network. The Lyra’s performance will noticeably start to dip once you’ve pushed it its bandwidth towards the upper limits of its capacity. For a large home or even a small community, the Lyra Trio is well equipped to provide expansive and reliable Wi-Fi access. But placed under heavy strain, it does show that it’s not industrial-tier equipment.

Fortunately, another hallmark of the Lyra Trio’s performance is its triple Ethernet backhaul, which allows you to use network cables to connect several nodes together for communication. The result is a stable Wi-Fi connection no matter if you’re in the center of your house or on the edge of your yard. And the Lyra Trio’s special antennas are designed to help transmit through floors. That’s largely thanks to its unique triangular design that allows signals to bounce both vertically and horizontally.

Who Should Choose the ASUS Lyra Trio?

We live in a time when Internet connectivity allows products to get better even after you’ve bought them. In some cases, totally new features can be added that weren’t present at the time of your purchase. And there’s no doubt that the Lyra will see a slew of bug fixes and performance improvements in the weeks and years to come. A number of features that aren’t present during launch will be gradually added.

The Lyra Trio doesn’t have the ability to handle as much traffic as some of its competitors. It’s not the choice for someone who is pushing their router to its absolute limits. If you’re someone with massive gigabit internet connection, you’d need two Lyra Trio units working in conjunction to handle that kind of throughput. And making that connection still isn’t technically possible for the time being because the Lyra Trio is being launched without an AP mode.

But few people actually push 500 mbps on a regular basis. As long as you’re not trying to provide Internet service to the library of a major university, the Lyra Trio will be up to whatever tasks you can throw at it. It’s a good choice for anyone who’s trying to bring internet connectivity to a large area, and eliminate Wi-Fi dead-zones within their network. It has deep customization options that are easy to appreciate, and get easier to appreciate with each new person you add to the network.

The post Review of the ASUS Lyra Trio Home WiFi System appeared first on Nerd Techy.

It can be overwhelming and quite frustrating to deal with an old, outdated router. If you’ve been thinking about upgrading simply because you want more speed, range, and reliability, an AC1900 Wireless Router is an excellent choice.

Capable of providing up to 1900 Mbps (megabits per second) of 802.11ac fully wireless speed, we’ve spent the last few days testing, determining, and reviewing the top four best AC1900 WiFi routers for 2018-2019. All of the options that we’re going to cover are easy to install, fully compatible with all Internet Service Providers, and both Windows and Mac Operating Systems.

Linksys MAX-STREAM EA7500 Next Gen MU-MIMO Smart WiFi AC1900 Router

• As a brand new release for 2016, the Linksys MAX-STREAM EA7500 provides Next-Generation WiFi with the latest in MU-MIMO (multi-user, multi-input, multi-output) technology to deliver consistently fast speeds for every single connected device on your network. It ensures that multiple devices will have the same speeds at the same time – a real advancement for WiFi.
• Designed specifically for providing up to 1900 Mbps (1.9 Gbps) of dual-band speed, it’s effective for just about anything you throw at it – 4k high-def video streaming, console gaming, PC gaming, laptops, or for several simultaneous users downloading large files.
• Comes included with the new Linksys Smart WiFi Software that gives you easy access and full control over your home network from anywhere in the world. It combines the latest key features to keep you constantly informed, connected, and up to date regarding the status and users who are using your network. It even lets you setup and configure guest access.

• Uniquely designed with plenty of ventilation and internal cooling to keep it operating as efficiently as possible for all duration of the day. Through peak traffic times and when you’re not around, it works around the clock to make sure accessible WiFi is always ready.
• Security and encryption settings are preset and automatically integrated when you complete the installation process. No CD required. This process doesn’t take anymore than 5 to 10 minutes and can be completed by anyone of any experience level – no tech experience required.
• Equipped with three external, detachable antennas and built around a sleek, simple, yet stylistic design that looks just as great as it functions.
• Using Linksys’s latest advancements in Beamforming technology, each individual device is given a concentrated signal, rather than the typical wireless signal that’s emitted in all directions. This makes for increased range, better speeds, and a more reliable connection.
• Comes included with a USB 3.0 and a USB 2.0 port for connecting printers, hard drives, or other peripherals that you may want to share between multiple devices. Additionally, the four Gigabit Ethernet ports provide a solid wired connection for any devices or computers that don’t connect via WiFi.

NETGEAR Nighthawk R7000 Dual Band AC1900 WiFi Router

• Capable of providing true AC1900 speeds using dual bands, the NETGEAR Nighthawk R7000 WiFi Router is the ideal choice for those who want to excellent wireless coverage that’s ideal for video streaming, online gaming, multi-file downloading, and uninterrupted web browsing.
• An easy upgrade, even if you’re not tech-savvy and you don’t have a networking background. Right out of the box it’s ready to go as it has an automatic installation process that’s entirely straightforward.
• Comes included with NETGEAR Genie, a web, tablet+-+ or smartphone based application that allows you to access, control, and configure your wireless network from literally anywhere in the world. You’re even given a live Network Map that gives you a clear picture on which devices and clients are currently connected to the network.

• Utilizes NETGEAR’s latest Beamforming Technology that’s designed specifically to provide more reliable connections in more locations in your home. By focusing the WiFi signal to specific devices, rather than having spotty coverage in a poor area. Using automatic signal management, the signal is always kept in it’s most ideal form to make a strong, secure, and reliable connection between your device and the router.
• Equipped with a powerful 1 Ghz dual-core processor that makes for quick data processing and more consistent speeds with multiple users online at the same time.
• Since it has Advanced QoS, your gaming is prioritized so that you experience the best frame rates without any lag or bandwidth issues. It does this automatically by recognizing that you’re in-game at the moment.
• USB 3.0 port located on the front in order to provide quick transfers or connections to network attached printers, storage, or other peripherals.

TP-LINK Archer C9 Dual Band Wireless AC1900 Gigabit Router

• The TP-LINK Archer C9 AC1900 Wireless Router uses dual bands – 2.4 Ghz (600 Mbps) and 5 GHz (1300 Mbps) for providing excellent reliability with a massive amount of coverage, for a fraction of the price of any Netgear or Linksys brand router.
• Using a unique, stand-up design, it’s propped upright in order to provide extra reach for the three detachable antennas. Giving it a sleek and modern look, it’s designed to appear clean and simple while providing a reliable, fast connection to all areas of your home.
• The internal 1 Ghz dual core processor makes it efficient and incredibly quick at processing data on the fly. Ideal for high-bandwidth uses like 4k high definition streaming, massive online multiplayer gaming, multiple users, and families who are constantly connected to the web.

• On the exterior of the router are four Gigabit Ethernet ports with one USB 3.0 and one USB 2.0 port. The USB ports are essential if you plan on adding a centralized storage drive to backup, access, and remotely save your files to. The Ethernet ports are great for providing non-wireless computers with a solid, Gigabit connection.
• Using the free TP-LINK Tether App, you can login to your router from anywhere with your phone or tablet, and access the control panel to adjust your settings, make changes, or configure users.
• Backed by an industry-leading 24 month warranty period. This 2 year time-frame offers a wealth of assurance that it’ll perform just as well as the first day you bought it, for a long time down the line. Great from an investment standpoint since it’s already priced well.

Amped Wireless Titan RTA1900 High Power AC1900 WiFi Router

• Ideal for both larger homes and office workplaces, the Amped Wireless Titan RTA1900 is a high-powered AC1900 wireless router that’s designed a bit differently than the other three we’ve mentioned above.
• With a combination of 3 transmitters with 4 receivers and 4 antennas per frequency, it covers an area more freely than any other standard router. It’s unique design provides unparalleled reliability with the performance and range you need for a frustration-free connection.
• Built with a 1 GHz dual core processor, 128 MB or DDR3 Memory, and four high-gain 5dBi external antennas, it promises ultimate coverage and performance for 4k high definition television, file sharing, downloading, online gaming, and more.

• 4 Antenna-Rx Technology is ideal for online gaming with the most recent video games. The unique transmitter and receiver arrangment is what they’ve done to combat lag-spikes and poor frame rates.
• Optimizing your network can be done remotely with the Analytics App from Amped Wireless. It’ll give you a true insight into your network and let you adjust the settings as you please.
• Amped Wireless is well-known for their excellent customer support that’s based in the United States – it’s completely free and accessible for help at anytime.
• Equipped with one USB 3.0 and one USB 2.0 port for attaching printers, hard drives, or anything else you’d like to share among clients on your network.

Final Thoughts

We’ve given you three of the best options for AC1900 wireless routers that make the best choice for the year. Linksys, NETGEAR, Amped Wireless, and TP-LINK have all gone above and beyond by creating exceptionally well-built wireless routers that utilize the latest in a wide range of technologies. Remote monitoring, USB 3.0, 1.9 Gbps speed, multi-platform compatibility, and more. All of these have it, it’ll ultimately be up to you to select the right one for your specific home or office – which one will you be choosing?

The post Best AC1900 Wireless Routers for 2018-2019 appeared first on Nerd Techy.

Most Americans only have one option for an Internet provider. Some are lucky enough to be able to choose between two, although more often than not, both are cable networks. For someone who lives in a major metropolitan area with a fiber optic network, it can make sense to purchase a router and modem separately. After all, if you decided to switch from cable to DSL, Satellite, or a fiber optic network, you’re not going to need that cable modem anymore.

But in America, those options are the exception, not the norm. The vast majority of homes with Internet service choose cable. So for the vast majority of people, there’s essentially no reason to have your router and cable box separate. Unless you love having extra cords and black boxes scattered around your home, it only makes sense to package them together. It’s a cleaner install, and it’s definitely friendlier to novice users who are trying to setup a network.

Choosing a Modem and Router Combo

Another benefit of having a modem and router packaged together is you don’t have to worry about compatibility between two different units. For example, if you had a Belkin router and a NETGEAR modem, you might encounter conflicts and small errors. When both are rolled into the same device, those concerns go out the window.

However, you do still need to be concerned with basic compatibility between the Wi-Fi modem router combo and Internet service provider. Fortunately, most major modem manufacturers will be compatible with your ISP. But it’s important to check and be sure, especially if you’re using a more obscure provider.

Knowing Standards

When you’re looking for specific Internet standards or types of Wi-Fi connectivity, you’ll want to pay attention to the kind of antennas used. The Wi-Fi global standard is known as 802.11. Following those numbers, you’ll also see letters like a, b, g, n, and AC. The additional letters help show the specific version of Wi-Fi being used.

The latest standard is AC, which is capable of carrying some of the biggest and most powerful Internet connections through the wireless space. A huge number of consumers still use N-series routers, and will continue to do so for years to come. That’s because even though N-series are less than a third as capable as AC, the N-series is still quite capable of handling the network speeds enjoyed by most Americans.

While any version of the 802.11 standard will share compatibility with other 802.11 devices, later versions have been expanded to accommodate higher bandwidths. In other words, if you’re not using one of the higher standards, you won’t be able to take advantage of higher speeds from your ISP.

But if you’re using a basic 10Mbps package or something similar, then you don’t have to concern yourself because even older generations of Wi-Fi technology will be adequate. The current version is AC, but the N-version is very common and still powerful enough for most types of modern use.

On the other hand, ensuring you’ve got an AC router does provide some degree of future-proofing for your connection. AC router speeds are fast enough to almost certainly see continued reliable use for the next decade, and plausibly far beyond that.

2 GHz Band vs. 5 GHz Band

Most Wi-Fi connections take place on the 2.4 GHz band. It’s great for sending the signal through walls, and it’s great for bouncing a signal around a room. But the popularity of the format has backfired. In many parts of the world, the airwaves are literally overcrowded with Wi-Fi signals using the 2.4 GHz band. So an increasing number of routers are providing support for the 5 GHz band as a supplement.

The 5 GHz band has a higher speed limit for data, but it’s also carried on wavelengths that are physically different than the 2.4 GHz band. One result is the waves are less able to penetrate obstacles. Naturally, larger homes can have issues with Wi-Fi, especially if you’re trying to use the higher band frequencies.

To resolve problems like these, you want to pay attention to if the Wi-Fi modem-router combo you choose has features like beamforming, or the ability to join a mesh network. Wi-Fi extenders are often necessary for people who have high standard for their connection, and many areas where they want to send that connection to. With the help of features like MU-MIMO, families with 8+ devices connecting to the router can see pretty drastic improvements in latency and response time from their connection.

Look at your Top Speeds

The best router in the world isn’t going to make your Internet any faster than your ISP is sending information to you. A router is a little box that allows several computers to join the same network, by routing their communications through one central hub. And a modem is simply a device that facilitates a connection to your ISP.

If you’re paying for a faster 500+Mbps connection, you’re going to want to pay close attention to the speed capabilities of a cable modem Wi-Fi router combo. You need hardware that can keep up with whatever plan you choose.

But if you’re using a more basic plan, and are receiving below 50 Mbps download speeds, then you generally don’t need to worry about being bottlenecked by your modem or router. It’s a problem which can still happen in a variety of ways, but you don’t have to concern yourself with looking for high speeds. Your focus should be more on ease of use, reliability, and lasting power.

NETGEAR Nighthawk C7000

The NETGEAR Nighthawk C7000 is actually a three-in-one device rather than simply a two-in-one cable router combo. It includes a full-fledged DOCSIS 3.0 cable modem and an AC1900 Wi-Fi router. But it’s third leg is an impressive 4 Gigabit wired switch. For anyone with a seriously fast Internet connection the C7000 is built to keep up.

It’s worth noting the Nighthawk has been certified for use with Comcast XFINITY, Spectrum, Cox, and a handful of other major Internet service providers. But the C7000 isn’t compatible with voice services which come bundled with your cable. That’s unfortunately a reality which comes along with escaping the rental fee from your modem. When you’re not using a cable company’s proprietary equipment, your voice services won’t work from that coax access point.

Build & Design

Holding the C7000, you’ll notice it weighs a hefty 3.3 pounds. And it stands at 11.6 x 11 x 3.9 inches, making it clearly intended to be sitting stationary on a desk, or mounted to the wall. Superficially speaking, it resembles almost any other NETGEAR router, with the sole exception of the stylish crosshatch texturing across each face of the device. Internally, you’ll find a 1.6 GHz processor, which doesn’t sound impressive, but compares favorably with what you’ll find in high end smartphones.

Connectivity

The NETGEAR C7000 makes use of standard 802.11 AC Wi-Fi connections. Using the modern AC format ensures the C7000 can provide up to 960Mbps of bandwidth, supported across either the 2.4 GHz or 5GHz wireless connectivity. As a DOCSIS 3.0 modem, the C7000 supports 24×8 channel bonding, which is how it manages to deliver on those 960Mbps speeds even when you’re connecting on several devices. That makes the C7000 perfectly suited for streaming 4K content, playing games without latency, and getting consistent performance out of similarly bandwidth intensive tasks.

Setting up the C7000 is about as simple as plugging in the coax cable, and connecting to your modem through your computer. Depending on your ISP, you may also have to call them and provide the serial number of your router. But if you’ve ever plugged in a DC power plug before, you should have all of the skills you need to successful setup the C7000.

ARRIS SURFboard SBG7580AC

ARRIS isn’t a giant name in networking hardware like NETGEAR, but their router/modem combo provides a unique approach both aesthetically and technologically. They’re a relatively new entry to the modem market, with ARRIS’ earliest releases around 1997. But like NETGEAR, the ARRIS SURFboard SBG7580AC is prepared to work with major cable providers like Cox and Xfinity. It’s further equipped to support Spectrum networks like Charter, Time Warner, and Brighthouse.

Build & Design

The SURFboard SBG7580AC uses a simplistic 7.7 x 2.2 x. 9.5-inch build, weighing about 2.5 lbs. Aesthetically, its combination of professionalism and stylish yet functional colored textures. Along the backside of the ARRIS SURFboard, you’ll find each of the major plug-in connections has been clearly color labeled, and labeled with a symbol. You can easily identify the blue connection for the coax cable, the red panel for the Ethernet ports, and so forth.

On the front side of the device, you’ll find a number of informative LEDs that give you information about the status of your connection. If it ever becomes necessary to start doing troubleshooting, you’ll be able to know where to begin with the help of one of five signals indicating the status of your connection, wireless connectivity, and power. While these LEDs aren’t labeled, it’s pretty simple to figure out what they represent by looking at each symbol.

Connectivity

Like the NETGEAR C7000, the SURFboard SBG7580AC uses standard 801.11 AC Wireless. That’s facilitated over an AC1750 2.4/5.0 GHz dual band router, boasting four Ethernet ports. And the beamforming Wi-Fi provides extensive coverage for a variety of different types of large and compact environments.
The cable modem portion of this device supports an impressive 32 channels, which is equipped for both high bandwidth Internet connections and numerous devices connecting to the network. For people with huge data plans, this can be critical. The SURFboard can deliver 1.4Gbps and beyond.

But here comes one of the bigger splits between ARRIS and SURFboard. NETGEAR has their own proprietary software for setting up a network. Whether or not you like NETGEAR’s approach is a matter of taste. By contrast, ARRIS is setup through the included McAfee Whole Home Internet app. You end up with essentially the same services, but the addition of McAfee is worth noting for anyone who favors that brand. The SURFboard also includes a two year limited warranty, and unlimited tech support.

Choosing Between Two Great Modem Wi-Fi Router Combos

If you’re paying for a Gigabit Internet connection, you want the NETGEAR Nighthawk C7000. It’s got the hardware necessary to handle the best cable connections in the world. It uses every modern standard, and can integrate well with other NETGEAR devices to extend your connection as needed. Without surpassing ridiculous levels of redundancy, most people will never need a router stronger than the C7000.

One of the thing that keeps brands like NETGEAR ahead is constantly updating and revising their firmware and security. In short, what that means is even years after you’ve had one of their products, you might see minor improvements in performance, and you’ll definitely see security keep pace with the times. The popularity of NETGEAR products also means if you don’t plan on using their support staff, you can still find the answer to basically any question online from other users.

The ARRIS SURFboard SBG7580AC has many of the same features as the Nighthawk C7000. But its maximum bandwidth slightly outranks that of the C7000, approaching nearly 1. For the vast majority of people in the United States, the C7000 will provide everything you need and more. But if you’re using a particularly fast Gigabit+ connection, the SURFboard is a great selection. The SURFboard also is a prime choice for people who use networks like Charter, Time Warner, and Brighthouse.

The post Best Cable Modem WiFi Router Combo (2018-2019 Reviews) appeared first on Nerd Techy.

The majority of network faults in a data network aren’t the result of someone spilling coffee on the mainframe. It usually comes down to faulty cabling. That’s why the lines need to be tested for faulty connections, damaged fibers, splices, issues with data transfer, and so on. And that’s precisely what a network cable tester is for.

Network cable testers are the go-to instrument for testing strength and connectivity within a line or measuring the performance of a high speed cable. Network technicians use them like a carpenter uses a hammer. Homeowners can use them to resolve network problems without having to get help from professionals. And just about anyone with an Internet network consisting of more than one cable will benefit from these kind of tests.

Choosing a Network Cable Tester

The most basic type of network cable testers offers little more than essential verification about the physical status of each wire. They’ll let you know if each cable is connected and paired properly, but they’re not going to give you any more detailed information about potential problems. And they certainly won’t give you any insights into the data communication taking place on the cable. They’re basic verification testers, and useful only for essential testing.

And then you’ll find some testers do more than the basics. They may be able to determine if a cable is properly setup, helping you determine problems easily. They may be able to give you a better read of data transfer going on within the cable. And they may be able to give you a much better idea of precisely where problems in the line are taking place. But whether or not you need all these added functions depends on individual factors, like the types of cables you need to test.

Some of the most expensive network cable testers are what are known as qualification testers. These are designed for technicians doing repair or maintenance on huge systems of cables. They’re packed with all the features you’ll find in verification testers, but they add in far more detail about the transfers supported by the cable. Certification testers are essentially the best network cable testers you can buy, providing the sophisticated features necessary for professionals who install and maintain large networks.

Ease of Use

Anytime you’re selecting an instrument, ease of use is probably one of your biggest concerns. For carrying out extensive measuring, you’ll want a network cable tester with a higher resolution display, allowing you to see everything without the need to toggle between various screens. Even the weight and build of the tester can play into ease of use, especially when you’re physically handing it for lengthy periods of time.

Technician skill is another thing to think about. Some network cable testers are built so that you can get intelligible results even if you don’t know the first thing about data cables. Others provide you only the raw data you need to make your own analysis, or require you to have a familiarity with network cable testing equipment to begin with.

Physical Construction & Compatibility

Like with nearly all tools, the physical construction of the network cable tester another point of contention. Even if you’re sitting in air conditioned rooms all day, occasionally dropping whatever’s in your hand is bound to happen. Cell phone repair is a billion-dollar industry for a reason.

Fortunately, cable testers generally have few moving parts, which make them not too difficult to build sturdy. But sturdy can mean many things. Some network cable testers provide protective straps to prevent drops, while others provide strong waterproofing for testing in the field.

And finally, there are basic compatibility issues. You’ll want to make sure all the cable formats you want to test are supported by the cable tester, or if you’ll need to deal with add-ons. Most network cable testers will provide some combination of RJ11, RJ45, and Coax connectors. But be sure to check that they’re native to the device, and not something you’ve got to purchase a separate adapter to use.

Fluke Networks MS2-100 Cable Tester

For decades, Fluke has long been a top choice for network technicians. Their network connectivity tools are industry renowned for both high quality and accuracy. While the MS2-100 carries a hefty price tag, it’s actually one of the least expensive of Fluke’s testers. As a full-fledged qualification tested, the MS2-100 has far-reaching support for testing around data, voice, and video.

Features and Build

The MS2-100 is constricted with a fairly compact 1.4 x 3 x 6.4-inch build, weighing just short of 13 ounces. Carrying the unit is easy due to a magnetic strap, which is useful for helping technicians remain hands free. A rubber mold over the body of the device makes for a steady grip, and adds a small degree of additional ruggedness. All in all, it’s a design that is lightweight and easy to hold in your hand.

The external body of the device is a tad minimalistic, but consistently durable. On the front of the tester you’ll find an oversized display that’s quite readable. While it doesn’t compare to the aesthetics of a modern smartphone, its bright LCD screen does look sharp by the standards of other digital instruments. Moreover, the MS2-100 uses a backlit display, which makes it easy to read and retain your results in any range of testing conditions.

Testing Details

With each of its testing modes, MS2-100 displays its results on a clear and readable LCD. They include details about pair lengths, cable ID, distant to fault, and even a graphical wire map you can follow on the display. The MS2-100 also supports testing of low voltage cables without the necessity of added adapters, thanks to the inclusion of an integrated coax cable. And naturally, you’ll also find RJ11 and RJ45 ports for routine cable testing.

The MS2-100 will test 1500 feet of cable at a 0.3m resolution. It detects media services for 10/100/1000 Ethernet, while supporting POTS and POE. If you detect an issue, locating it within the cable is easy. That’s thanks to the use of IntelliTone Digital analogue testing, which can help you hunt down even small problems at their source.

Other Considerations

Technicians tend to be in environments with more than just one or two cables. Tools oriented towards basic consumers are often inadequate for people working in more hectic environments. The MS2-100 is perfect for locating elusive cables within a chaotic environment.

But in spite of the price tag, the MS-100 isn’t a top-shelf tester. Consequently, you’re not going to find the slew of convenience features you’ll see on premium tools, like being able to save and export test results. With realistically tempered expectations, the Fluke MS2-100 can truly wow you.

Klein Tools VDV Scout Pro 2

Klein Tools is another big name in network electronics, with a history reaching back to 1857. Klein actually constructs a huge array of tools, but they’ve made a name for themselves in recent years with several formidable network cable testers. One of their more recent creations is the VDV Scout Pro 2, a versatile data, voice, and video cable tester. For regularly monitoring coax, data, and phone cables, you can scarcely do better.

Features and Build

The VDV Scout Pro 2 feels in your hands. That’s partially because it weighs only 10.6 ounces, which is light relative to its large 12.5 x 6.8 x 0.5-inch build. But it’s also because the VDV Scout 2 isn’t built to take a beating. The plastic isn’t particularly sturdy, and the build doesn’t inspire confidence in your hands. Provided that you’re not putting it in grave danger, you won’t be disappointed with its functionality.

The VDV Scout Pro 2 includes five separate remotes that can be set up to remotely monitor the performance of a cable. For instant diagnosis and routine checks, the Scout 2 can save you quite a bit of time. Klein also offers kits with 8 or more remotes, but those are generally suited towards larger industrial applications.

Testing Details

The VDV Scout Pro 2 supports testing across RJ11/12, as well as data RJ45. You can also test video content through the included F-connector. That makes the Scout 2 a fairly versatile testing kit. Using the LCD display, you can take advantage of 5LanMap and CoaxMap location remotes to help you trace the paths of long running cables. The Scout 2 remotes are self-storing, so you don’t have to worry about losing them. And of course, the Scout 2 offers basic safety features, like voltage warnings and shield detection

Other Considerations

You’ll also find a handful of ease of use features, like a low battery indicator, and an automatic power-off function. Klein Tools VDV Scout Pro 2 is easy to use once you understand it, but it can be hard to reach that point. The included manual is terrible. If you’re not experienced with these tools, you’ll have to dig around online to get better information about how to actually use the Scout Pro 2.

NetScout LinkSprinter 300

For a pocket-sized tester, you can’t do better than the NetScout LinkSprinter 300. And for ease of use, you can do no better. That’s because the LinkSprinter 300 offers end-to-end testing over your network with the support of cloud-based reporting. With the press of a single button, you can initiate a request for professional technicians to review your data and supply you with an analysis of what’s gone wrong.

Features and Build

Not much can be said for the physical build of the LinkSprinter 300, it’s a highly compact 5.4 x 3.6 x 1.6-inch build that fits neatly in your pocket. Weighing only 4.2 ounces, it’s easy to forget you’re carrying it on you. That’s because the LinkSprinter 300 isn’t doing analysis on its own, its merely taking measurements and sending them off to be analyzed. The result is one-button operation, supported by a simple a collection of LEDs for basic readouts.

Testing Details

Connect an Ethernet Cable to the end of the LinkSprinter 300, and in under 10 seconds, you’ll get an LED color-coded readout giving you the status of the line. You can test power over Ethernet, DHCP, Internet connection, Gateway, and diagnose the link to the switch. Test results are sent to Link Live Cloud service and then processed for your email.

The Link-Live Cloud service is NETSCOUTs testing service, where technicians annotate tests and data for you. Only seconds after sending your results, you’ receive an email with detailed results, and expert troubleshooting techniques are provided to you via color-graded LEDs displayed straight on the LinkSprinter 300. That means you don’t have to be sitting on your email account to actually make use of the 300.

Other Considerations

The LinkSprinter 300 has an extremely durable build that will easily survive many drops. That’s largely because there’s not much inside the device to get banged up to begin with! Much of the heavy lifting done by this tester is done off-site, through the cloud.

The LinkSprinter 300 is powered by either two AA batteries or POE. Using the NETSCOUT testing service has no annual service fees, and the first 4 months of reporting is free. But after those initial months, you only receive 10 reports free per month, with each report after that costing ten cents.

Choosing Between 3 Versatile Network Cable Testers

The Fluke MS2-100 is a fully loaded option for technicians who are overlooking massive networks, and technicians who are doing their own analytics and diagnostics. It gives you more data than you can shake a stick at, provided only that you know what to do with it. For high-end networking cable testing equipment, you can scarcely do better. any.

The VDV Scout Pro 2 is great for technicians monitoring a single network. By setting up the various remotes, the Scout Pro 2 makes regular monitoring and diagnosis of network problems a breeze. To validate everything is working within a cable, it’s an inexpensive and powerful choice.

The NetScout 300 offers Fluke-quality testing gear with a lesser price. It’s a great choice for less experienced technicians, or people with minimal testing expertise. The 300 is small enough to stick in your pocket and forget about, but powerful enough to test with the best. It’s also a highly economical choice, provided only that you don’t perform hundreds of tests on a regular basis.

The post Guide to the Best Network Cable Tester appeared first on Nerd Techy.

Wi-Fi dead zones are annoying. What’s worse is knowing the quality of your signal is actually improving or decaying from one room to the next. Whether you’re at home or out getting coffee, Wi-Fi woes are almost universally a miserable experience. Mesh routers were made to solve those types of problems, by extending your Internet connection to new spaces, and strengthen the signal where it already was present.

Moreover, mesh routers are typically equipped to help handle higher throughput. Not just in terms of data, but in terms of the number of people who are connecting to the router and contributing to network congestion. Choosing the right mesh router can make these problems go away, but it’s quite easy to unknowingly pick the wrong router and waste a ton of money in the process.

NETGEAR Nighthawk X6 EX7700

NETGEAR recently released the Nighthawk X6 Tri-Band Wi-Fi Mesh Extender EX7700. It’s the third of NETGEAR’s Nighthawk mesh extenders, which is an important detail. Before the release of the EX7700, NETGEAR offered only the introductory-level Nighthawk EX7500, and the high-end Nighthawk EX8000. People who were looking for a middle ground had no choice at all within the NETGEAR brand. And considering how ubiquitous NETGEAR is as a brand, that’s been particularly unfortunate for people who strongly prefer their networking products.

But the EX7700 fills that gap. Compared to its cousins, the EX7700 is right in the middle. It doesn’t have the same incredible range and throughput as that of the 8000 series, but it’s certainly a clear step above smaller mesh routers which are built for moderately large homes. The Nighthawk X6 supports two 802.11AC antennas, supporting 866Mbps on the 5GHz band and 400Mbps on the lower 2.4GHz band.

Moreover, the EX7700 operates as a triband extender, giving it the capability to dedicate one of its antennas solely to handling back-end networking tasks. The remaining bands are free to provide Wi-Fi that doesn’t start to slow down the moment too many people log-in to the network. Whether you’re running a giant Internet café, or you’re simply trying to stream 4K in your garage, the EX7700 is built to perform well.

Build & Design

From a superficial standpoint, the Nighthawk X6 EX7700 appears about average amongst mesh routers. Through the triangular angles on either side of the device does give it a distinctive look, which visually separates the Nighthawk X6 from its less impressive non-mesh counterparts. Unfortunately, the X6 EX7700 doesn’t include the ability to mount the unit on the wall. But that’s a feature more likely to be used on an industrial tier router than the Nighthawk X6, so it’s easy to forgive.

Additionally, size shouldn’t be a grave concern because the highly compact 7.8 x 6 x 2-inch build, which is no more or less intrusive than any other router you’ve ever owned. Weighing slightly more than one pound, the Nighthawk X6 is about as easy to move around as any other router as well.

On the backside along the base of the X6, you’ll find a WPS button, two Ethernet ports, the on/off button, reset button, and DC power-in port. The presence of the on-off button is noteworthy for someone who is thinking about posting the X6 in a public place. But beyond that, this is the standard setup you’ve probably come to expect on any router.

Ease of Use

The NETGEAR Nighthawk X6 uses a push-button setup. Whether it’s your first time setting up a network, or you’re an experienced technician, it only takes a few minutes to complete the entire process. And it’s just as easy for integrating the X6 into an existing network. That makes the X6 great for generating a seamless Wi-Fi network with as little signal loss as possible, without needing to replace an existing router.

Setting up the network isn’t the only easy part. On the backside of the EX7700 you’ll find two gigabit auto-sensing network ports. These are a kind of smart-port which prevent you from having to spend hours troubleshooting the reason why you can’t get your electronics to find your network. They’re as much a feature that helps the NETGEAR brand as much as it helps consumers because NETGEAR will have fewer technicians tied-up helping people with trivial installation problems. And it certainly makes things easy on you.

NETGEAR isn’t exactly a new name in the router business. This may be only their third mesh Nighthawk router, but they’ve been making these kinds of devices for decades. And during that time, they’ve made an endless series of small refinements that make it easier and easier to setup your network.

Best of all, this ease of accessibility hasn’t come at the cost of higher customization. You can still adapt the X6 to serve the unique needs of your network, whether you’re a highly skilled technician or an ordinary user browsing through setup wizards. For both basic users who barely know how to name their network, to users who are manually opening ports on their PC, the X6 services both.

Technical Specifications

Like all of the Nighthawk mesh extenders, the EX7700 uses standard 802.11AC Wi-Fi. With its slew of onboard antennas, the X6 is capable of extending the radius of a network out towards 2,000 square feet. And compared to the 7500 and 8000 series, that’s about right in the middle. If you’re to fill a warehouse with Wi-Fi, you might want to consider switching to the EX8000. And if you’re in a smaller home with a smaller Wi-Fi problem the EX7500 might be your best bet.

But most people will want the EX7700. Even if you don’t need 2,000 extra feet of connectivity around your home, the increased signal strength you’ll get from having that kind of power is what it takes to keep a signal steady. As the 2.4Ghz and especially 5Ghz band connection deals with obstacles like insulated walls, those connections suffer. In the absence of perfect Wi-Fi conditions, you don’t want to use 49 feet of a 50-foot connection.

Where the X6 starts to diverge from an ordinary router is in the Wi-Fi bands. The tri-band AC2200 is about as adaptable as a router can be. The first band is a 400 Mbps connection over 2.4 GHz, while the second and third bands are a pair of 5GHz, 866 Mbps connections. Whether you’re right next to the Nighthawk X6, or if you’re pushing the boundaries of your network, you end up with steady performance from one band to the next.

One more thing to note about the performance of the X6 is its use of a secure boot feature. Software signed with NETGEAR is required to run the device. In short, what this means is that tampering with the EX7700 from the outside is extremely difficult if not impossible. By contrast, for authorized users, the X6 supports a convenient access point mode. That allows you to connect multiple wired devices through one shared access point, keeping the X6 speedy and safe without sacrificing network performance.

But what really boosts network performance is the onboard quad core processor. The Nighthawk E6 is pretty clearly made for 4K streaming and lag-free gaming environments. Whether you’re currently using 4K content or not, it’s built with a forward-looking design that’s ready to solve whatever Internet bandwidth concerns might come along over the next decade.

Entertainment Performance

Someone joins your network and starts using the Internet. Your game starts performing worse. How can this happen? Surprisingly, you don’t need someone to start a huge download for their presence on a network to ruin your connection. Bandwidth isn’t the only place that a router can run into difficulties. As more and more people join a network, routers become less and less capable of handling each individual interaction in a timely manner. In the world of gaming, that can translate into palatable differences in performance.

That means even if you’re not using a Gigabit Internet connection, you may be able to see advantages in implementing the NETGEAR Nighthawk X6. For example, suppose you’re connecting with a more pedestrian 10Mbps connection. Having eight devices on occasionally pinging your router can create network congestion every bit as much as starting a massive download, or streaming from several PCs simultaneously.

Avoiding Router Traffic Problems with MU-MIMO

As more and more devices connect to a router, the router will start to slow down. Even if every device on the network is only using a small amount of data, performance can go through the floor. As most routers can only communicate with one device at a time, it’s much harder to serve six people than it is one. And these single-user routers basically work on a first-come first-serve basis.

But relatively recently, a new standard was build called MU-MIMO. It’s stands for multi-user multiple-input multiple-output. Putting aside that mouthful of a name, it’s a feature which allows routers to communicate with several devices at the same time in a more efficient way.

Each device has to wait less time to access the network. In a household with 8 devices struggling for the attention of the router, the difference is something you can feel immediately. For streaming and gaming, where latency and bandwidth can be critically important, these differences can be night and day.

Other Considerations

The NETGEAR Nighthawk X6 AC2200 has a manufacturer suggested retail price of $149, making it a fairly competitively priced mesh router. If you’re trying to add more than 2,000 square feet of additional coverage, you’ll want to try the more powerful NETGEAR Nighthawk EX8000 or a similarly equipped mesh router.

NETGEAR being such a big brand has its advantages. Their software support is continually updated, their security protocols are continually being improved, and those benefits are being passed right along to anyone who owns one of their products. Additionally, NETGEAR offers a standard one-year warranty on their equipment.

If you were to graph the failure rate of electronics, the graph would look like a bathtub. In other words, stuff tends to break either within the first few days, or after a decade of heavy use. Although a one-year warranty doesn’t sound terrifically impressive given the lifespan you can expect from the Nighthawk X6, it’s actually more than enough protection from a statistical point of view.

Who Should Choose the NETGEAR Nighthawk X6 EX7700?

The X6 offers the very best of a tri-band Wi-Fi connection. It has one band specifically designated to the role of signal extender, ensuring your bandwidth doesn’t get tanked as you connect to multiple devices. It can cover an impressive 2,000 square feet, making the Nighthawk X6 EX7700 a good choice for people who are trying to extend their connection to virtually anywhere except giant warehouses.

And the X6 it uses a one-name Wi-Fi connection to ensure you your network doesn’t get any more complicated once you’ve joined a mesh network. For its pure simplicity, the X6 is easy to recommend to essentially anyone, with any level of technical ability. For bigger networks and bulkier bandwidth, the onboard quad core processor can help ensure your streaming and gaming go on without a hitch. And the added layer of security through the NETGEAR Secure Boot feature is nothing to scoff at.

All in all, the X6 is a good choice for almost anyone. As long as you’re not using exceptionally large or exceptionally small spaces, it should fit just right. If you’ve had problems with Wi-Fi dead zones or frustrations with weak connections towards the edges of your network, then the X6 can definitely help.

The post Review of the NETGEAR Nighthawk X6 EX7700 WiFi Mesh Extender appeared first on Nerd Techy.

The Internet used to be easy. If you’re only watching low-resolution videos and checking your email, then you don’t need that much bandwidth from your Wi-Fi connection. But these days, we have much greater expectations. We expect our connections to be able to stream Netflix in one part of our home while downloading a game in another. And even though the data burden is getting bigger, we expect those connections to stay stable

Which is why mesh networks are the latest big trend in Wi-Fi. People don’t want to have to sit six feet from their router to get a steady connection to their network. They don’t want to hit waves of buffering on their video every six seconds. Even casual Internet users have come to understand the difference between being connected to the Internet, and having that connection be worthwhile.

TP-Link Deco M9 Plus

The TP-Link Deco M9 Plus is one of a hundred different mesh routers on the market, but the M9 Plus is amongst a select few that are actually worth using. Within its bright frame, the M9 offers a AC2200 tri-band Wi-Fi connection. That makes it ideal for streaming 4K video content and other bandwidth intensive tasks.

And the M9 Plus has a handful of convenience features that you can feel in day to day use. For example, it will automatically identify the best connection and path for every device, providing uninterrupted Wi-Fi as you move from one space to another. And it offers far greater backhaul than similar mesh routers, which is useful for networks that have more than a dozen devices connected.

Build & Design

Physically speaking, the Deco M9 Plus looks like an un assuming white disc, which might rest unseen on a coffee table. To identify the M9 Plus as an electronic device of some sort, the only clue you have is the one LED on its topside. Hidden away on the backside, you’ll find a pair of Gigabit ports, far from sight. Having to only manage the two Gigabit ports makes physically setting up the Deco M9 Plus quite easy.

The disc is built with a 6” diameter, standing about 3.5” tall. And the white is a particularly bright pearl white, which roughly resembles the high-end Apple aesthetic. As far as the internal guts of the router goes, the Deco M9 Plus keeps to the highest standards at every turn. Within the M9 you’ll find a quad-core CPU paired with 4GB of flash memory. And it uses three Wi-Fi bands dedicated to backhaul, offering support for more than 100 separate devices to connect to the network.

Ease of Use

Of course, plugging in your Ethernet cable is just the beginning. The software side of your network setup is taken care of through the included free app. Luckily, using the Deco M9 Plus app is about as easy as plugging in the Ethernet cable. And you might end up spending more time than you think browsing through the app because it can serve as sort of a central nervous system for your network. For instance, you can use it to limit or monitor Internet usage on your network.

One problem with extending your network to a mesh is that things can get complicated quick. You don’t want to end up in a situation where you’re having to log-in to two separate networks, or micromanage two separate passwords. And you certainly don’t want to deal with reconnection issues anytime you walk across some invisible line in your connectivity.

But it doesn’t have to be complicated. The Deco M9 Plus is built such that the network requires just one name and password. You don’t have to deal with added issues when you move from one side of your home to the other. And that’s the kind of ease of use the TP-Link Deco M9 Plus tries to offer at every point, which is why it’s so clearly oriented towards people who aren’t experts are setting up a network.

More Ease of Use

The M9 uses self-healing network technology. That fancy name basically means if your connection gets disrupted by something that happens in your environment, then the network will be rebuilt. You don’t need to start resetting the router or changing the options every time someone turns on a microwave, or every time your neighbors come home and start crowding the 2.4Ghz band.

And then there’s more. The Deco M9 Plus is also a ZigBee smart hub, which allows you to control smart devices through the M9. It’s compatible with most ZigBee devices, including thermostats, lights, and so forth. If you’re not familiar with the technology, it’s similar to how many products are now specifically built to work with Amazon’s or Google’s voice assistant machines. Some people are now building “Google homes” or “Amazon homes” around just one of these technologies.

By contrast, ZigBee is a standard that’s not strictly controlled by one brand. That allows for a wider range of developers to create ZigBee products, including big brands like Samsung. Whether or not you’re currently using a ZigBee device, it’s nice that the Deco M9 Plus is forward-thinking enough to include that kind of support.

Network Security

Although few people seem aware of it, another thing a router is responsible for is helping administrate network security. And the TP-Link Deco M9 Plus offers top notch security, having dictated those tasks to the HomeCare software suite. It provides protection for malware, antivirus, and a wide safeguard for all devices on the network. Even devices that don’t have their own layer of protection, like a DLSR smart camera, can get protection through the M9.

Moreover, these protective systems are kept updated through Trend Micro updates. So as new threats emerge, you’re protected without having to even think about it. That’s important because network threats and exploits are discovered all the time, and once it’s common knowledge they exist, they those weaknesses only become more dangerous.

You need protection hours after the fix is available, not weeks, and certainly not whenever you remember to get around to doing it yourself. And the M9 extends this kind of protection beyond individual computers. Simply being able to block malicious sites can protect everyone on the network.

Technical Specifications

On the technical side of things, the TP-Link Deco M9 Plus uses 802.11 AC wireless connectivity. That’s the latest and greatest Wi-Fi format, with bandwidth capabilities that put many wired connections to shame. Whether you’re currently using a massive Gigabit Internet connection or not, having 802.11 AC prepares you for speeds to come.

Over individual bands, wireless speeds reach 400Mbps on the 2.4GHz band, and 867Mbps for the 5GHz band. All in all, there are six Wi-Fi antennas, one Bluetooth antenna, and one ZigBee antenna within each Deco M9 Plus. Those antennas help provide high performance connectivity over roughly 4,500 square feet. At least, that’s what you get when you’re able to position two separate units in the Deco M9 Plus 2-pack. The M9 is also available in a 1-pack, which has all the same essential features, but supports about half as much square footage.

Like many mesh routers have started to do, the TP-Link Deco M9 Plus has uses dedicated 5Ghz backhaul for your network traffic. But unlike many mesh routers, additional backhaul throughput can be issued to unused Wi-Fi bands, depending on network demand. So as the backhaul needs of your network get bigger, the M9 adapts to ensure the performance of the network doesn’t start dropping into oblivion.

Other Considerations

The Deco M9 Plus control app has wide support for both iOS and Android. It’s also compatible with Alexa and IFTTT. Along with ZigBee support, the M9 is truly a triple threat. Whether you’re looking to do something a little applied, like setting up a public network for a small library, or you’re just looking some convenience at home, the M9 Plus has plenty to offer.

One of the best features of the Deco M9 Plus is almost too obvious to say. But there’s a big difference between spending $200 on a 4,500 square foot mesh router, and spending $200 on a pair of routers which can achieve 4,500 square feet. In the case of the single router, your connection is anchored around one physical point, the router. When you’re using two separate units, in placing the second unit, you have the ability to more carefully draw the lines of your network connectivity.

Of course, this also means you’ve got another electronic box sitting around, and for some people that’s going to be a drawback. But if the network you want to create doesn’t fit neatly within a circle around your router, having two separate units offers some advantages that can easily go overlooked.

Who Should Choose the TP-Link Deco M9 Plus?

The TP-Link Deco M9 Plus certainly has style on its side. It looks nothing like most mesh routers, or indeed, like a router at all. If you like to keep a minimalistic aesthetic around the home, and you don’t want one more electronic box crowding up your room, you might be impressed with how well the M9 Plus can blend in. If you’re not, it’s still small enough to hide-away.

When you look at the performance of the hardware within the M9 Plus, it’s easy to be impressed. Ordinarily, one of the simplest ways to access your network settings involves typing in the IP address to your router directly into a browser. And within an intentionally intimidating-looking window, you then make adjustments to your network. The Deco M9 Plus makes it easier, simpler, and less intimidating to manage your network.

I’s got wide support for voice assistance, impressive architecture for network backhaul, and a price that’s easy to swallow. People with countless devices connected to their network will find the M9 Plus a welcome savior for their bandwidth speeds. And anyone who does tons of downloading or streaming content will find just as much available to them. The M9 Plus is a good choice for virtually anyone, but is a particularly good choice for PC novices who want more control over their network.

The post In-Depth Review of the TP-Link Deco M9 Plus appeared first on Nerd Techy.

Garage door openers are nothing new. But being able to open them from your smartphone? That’s about a thousand times better than having to use a separate remote. Even if you’re not home, Wi-Fi enabled garage door openers can help you keep total control over your garage. In a world that’s increasingly dominated by Wi-Fi enabled lightbulbs, water heaters, and thermostats, having a Wi-Fi enabled garage door seems to be the next logical step.

If you’ve used a garage door opener in the past, you probably know that you’ve got to wait to be within range of your door to open things up. And when you finally get close enough, there you sit, waiting for the doorway to get out of your way. With a Wi-Fi garage opener, you can start opening that door before you even pull up. But that might just be the beginning, if you know how to find the right door opener.

Choosing a Wi-Fi Enabled Garage Door Opener

Finding the right garage door opener isn’t that tough. But you’ve got to ask some basic questions. The first thing to consider is what’s included in the kit. People who do not have an automatic garage door opener will require a full door system, including the rails and motor necessary to draw their garage door. People who already have garage door openers may be able to make a simpler adaptation, connecting their current opener to an existing Wi-Fi network.

If you’re someone who needs a full system, including a motor to haul your door, you’ve got a slightly more complicated task on your hands. You’ve got to be concerned with the difficulty of installation, the power of the door, safety features, and still face many of the same compatibility questions as someone who is upgrading an existing garage door system.

Garage Compatibility

If you’re adapting from an existing garage door opener, the good news is that it’s not hard to find widely shared compatibility between virtually all major brands of garage door openers. But it’s worth taking the time to check each product, ensuring it’s compatible with your system. If your door system is more than two decades old, there’s a fair chance you’ll be unable to upgrade the existing system, and a replacement system would be necessary.

Garage Connectivity

The simplest forms of wireless connectivity may be made through Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Wi-Fi is the better choice for most people because it allows you for remote monitoring of the door. Before leaping into Wi-Fi solutions, it’s worth taking a moment to check the strength of your Wi-Fi signal in your garage.

By contrast, Bluetooth models are scarcely better than typical remote-based garage door openers. It allows you to open doors from your phone, which is great, but you’ll need to be within roughly 30 feet of the garage for that to happen. But having the extra option can be useful for people who are unable to channel Wi-Fi to their garage, for whatever reason.

Of course, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi aren’t the only way you want to open your garage. As you start adding on Wi-Fi peripherals, you should stop and ask, can you still open the garage with a regular remote? Can you interconnect other peripherals, like having your garage door or garage lights integrated with motion detection? The answer to these questions can have a firm bearing on your ultimate selection.

Nexx Garage

The Nexx Garage Wi-Fi opener is a ridiculously versatile, multi-user approach to garage door openers. Like you might expect, it allows you to open and close a garage door through your Wi-Fi network. But the wide integration and ease of use, extending to any mobile device your own, provides a rather extensive ability to control and monitor your home anywhere you’re online.

Build & Design

The Nexx Garage central hub sits at 3.5 x 1 x 1.5-inches, weighing about half a pound. It’s constructed with a simple white body that would be hard to identify if it wasn’t labeled with the Nexx Garage logo. To actually use your door, you can access control through the free Nexx app. The app also allows you to issue voice controls to Google Assistant or Alexa.

The Wi-Fi network is made over a typical 2.4Ghz connection. That allows for easy installation, which is as simple as installing a router. Using the app is just as simple, either one tap or one voice is all you need to manage your garage door. With your phone providing location data to the Nexx app, you can even program your garage door to automatically open as you pull up.

Other Considerations

Those personalized customization features are extended beyond just you, however. It’s possible to setup multi-user access, allowing you to authorize different people to access your garage. For example, you can set things up so your door will open or close as an authorized guest arrives. And you can receive notifications about whether or not you remembered to close the door, and if the door is opened or closed.

Those comings and goings are all kept track of within a history of the doors use, accessible through the app. The Nexx Garage app also support for IFTTT for near endless integration options. You could use IFTTT to have your door close at precisely 9pm every night, get an email when the door opens, and so forth. This kit includes the controller, sensor, and a handful of mounting gear.

Chamberlain MyQ Smart Garage Door Opener

The MyQ Smart Garage Door Opener allows you to open and close your garage door anywhere you’re connected to the Internet. Like with similar garage door openers, you can configure it to send you alerts when your door opens or closes, helping you keep tabs on security. But with their included MyQ Smart Garage Hub app, you have near total control of your garage door.

Build & Design

The Chamberlain MyQ Smart Garage hub is a constructed into a tiny 4.5 x 1.5 x 4.5-inch device, weighing about 8 ounces. Both the hub and Wi-Fi receiver use an ordinary square black body, stylized only by the large sensor. Among even the most orderly workshop or garage, these routers blend in with relative ease. And with good reason.

The MyQ Smart Garage Door opener enjoys wide compatibility with nearly all major garage door openers, from Craftsman to Genie. But if you’re using a 20-year old unit from a manufacturer like Build Mark or Garage Access, then you may want to check for manufacturer compatibility more carefully.

Other Considerations

Overall, setup is as simple as checking Wi-Fi signal in your garage, then installing the door sensor at a place that receives the signal. From there, you’ve got to power on the Wi-Fi hub and download their app. Easy so far, right?

But this is where people tend to lose their way. To get through setup, you’ll need to go through their website. That step isn’t as clearly indicated as it should be, which can provide a frustrating hiccup in the installation for people who aren’t paying close attention.

The Chamberlain MyQ Smart Garage Door Opener kit includes the Wi-Fi hub, door sensor, power adapter, and some mounting hardware that lets you stick everything out of the way. It also includes the necessary battery for the remote. One more thing to note. If you want to link MyQ account to Google Assistant for IFTTT, you’ll need to endure a subscription fee. But that’s only something that you’ll have to think about if you want to use some highly specific programming for the behavior of your door.

Chamberlain B970

The Chamberlain B970 is a complete garage door opener system, including the motor-and-belt system necessary for hauling doors out of your way. Along with the basic door opening it provides, the B970 includes a number of handsome extra features, including a reasonably powerful battery backup system.

Its lifting power is equivalent to 1.25 horsepower, which is roughly twice as much horsepower as the first stationary automobile constructed by Carl Benz in 1879. It’s enough to haul around a modestly sized engine, and it’s certainly enough to open some sturdy garage doors.

Build & Design

The most important thing to know about the lifting belt, apart from its steel-reinforced construction, is how quiet it is during operation. Much of that quiet operation is because of the B970 using anti-vibration feature, keeping your garage door silent enough to not disturb someone sleeping in an adjacent room.

You’ll notice the Chamberlain B970 includes a pair of 3-button remotes. Each remote can be individually programmed to operate the door, or any number of accessories attached to the B970. It also includes a motion detection control panel. The controls on this panel allow you to program the remotes, any lighting accessories you might pick up, and to further establish parameters around the use of motion detection.

But extra remotes are only the beginning. The B970 also includes smartphone control through Chamberlain’s free app. Within the app, you can add on lighting to the Chamberlain B970 and control those lights alongside scheduling for opening and closing your garage door. The Wi-Fi features include support for real-time alerts if the door has been opened or closed.

Redundant Access and Safety

Moreover, the B970 includes a wireless keypad you can affix to your garage, allowing access without a remote. It’s an alphanumeric keypad, similar to a telephone. Between the keypad, smartphone app, and remote, you’ve got more ways to program and control your garage than you can shake a stick at.

And it’s all topped off with two safety sensors, projecting an infrared beam across your garage floor. They’re made to automatically reverse the door if the beam is interrupted while the door is descending. So if any person or object makes contact with the door, these sensors are there to kick-in and save the day.

Other Considerations

Remember that backup battery? You can use one of your remotes to access that battery, ensuring you can never be locked out of your home. If your phone is out of power and you’re unable to charge, the remote is like an electrically-independent key to your garage. Even if the power is out, the backup battery can help you inside. In short, it has the best security and flexibility features of every garage door opener all wrapped into one.

As far as installation goes, Chamberlain includes access to online installation videos, pre-programmed remote settings, a snap-and-lock rail system to make sure things are as simple as possible. They also provide live tech support in case you need help with connectivity or installation.

Choosing Between 3 Great Smartphone Enabled Wi-Fi Garage Door Openers

The Chamberlain MyQ Smart Garage Door Opener is a good choice for someone trying to upgrade their existing garage door opener into a Wi-Fi network smart device. It has wide compatibility with essentially all major garage door openers constructed in the past two decades, and often beyond that. For taking your old garage door opener and adapting it to have many of the same powerful features as the Chamberlain B970, the MyQ Smart Garage Door Opener is a great choice.

If you need a complete garage door opening kit, including track and motor, then you’re looking for the Chamberlain B970. It’s got an exceptionally powerful yet quiet motor. It has half a dozen connectivity features, and even supports a full-fledged battery backup. Unless you’re trying to raise a 3-inch steel door, the B970 is just about the best Wi-Fi garage door opener that you can find.

The Nexx Garage kit is a good alternative to the Chamberlain MyQ. They’ve got the same broad feature set thanks to mutual support for IFTTT. But the Nexx is somewhat easier to use due to native support for voice assistants like Alexa. The intuitive nature of the Nexx Garage Door opener makes it the best choice for people who aren’t exceptionally tech-minded, but don’t mind having the options to use more advanced features later on.

The post Best Smartphone Enabled WiFi Garage Door Openers appeared first on Nerd Techy.

Many people with cable Internet are being ripped off. Anyone who’s been renting a modem from their service provider is paying a monthly fee. For most people, that fee is at least $10 per month. Over the course of just two years, it can amount to $240 or more. Whether you’re using a budget Internet plan or something a little faster, anyone renting a modem will find their bill significant higher as a result.

And here’s the weird thing. Modems aren’t expensive. Modems aren’t hard to install, difficult to setup, or even hard to use. Even if you have exacting standards and you’re looking for an incredibly high quality modem, having your own modem pays for itself after about a year. Will you still be using the Internet in one or two years?

Technology can advance quickly, but Internet speed standards don’t change that often. In other words, you generally don’t have to worry about replacing a modem unless it dies. Choosing a good modem has the potential to last you for an entire decade. Compared to renting a modem from your ISP, you’re looking at potential savings which total in the thousands.

Choosing a Fast, Reliable DOCSIS 3.1 Modem

Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS) is the standard used to transmit Internet signals to cable modems. The latest and greatest standard is DOCSIS 3.1, which supports some of the best speeds available anywhere. And even if you’re not getting an incredible amount of bandwidth out of your Internet plan, you may be able to see Internet performance improvements by escaping the DOCSIS 2.0 platform. In other words, older modems can be worth upgrading.

Internet speeds are measured through both download speeds and upload speeds, which are constructed into separate channels within a router. DOCSIS 3.0 allows a router to use the download stream for uploading, and the uploading stream for downloading. In other words, both can occur in the same lane, which can greatly improve Internet speeds in a variety of common circumstances.

These upload and download screams are numerically depicted in the format of 8×4, 16×4, or similar. An 8×4 configuration indicates 8 downstream channels, and 4 channels for upstream. And the number of channels present will give you information about the maximum speed of the modem.

For instance, a 16×4 modem usually reaches about 680MBps. The 8×4 counterpart gets closer to 340Mbps. If you’re using an especially fast Internet plan, a 24×8 modem may be necessary. DOCSIS 3.1 can make use of up to 32-downstream and 8-upstream connections. It’s also backwards compatible to DOCSIS 3.0, so you don’t have to worry about compatibility, and you can future-proof your Internet connection in the process.

Basic Compatibility

Choosing the right cable modem can be challenging because different Internet service providers provide different service from one region to the next. At the very least, you’ll need to be assured the DOCSIS 3.1 modem you choose is compatible with your current provider and plan. Luckily, nearly all reputable DOCSIS 3.0 or 3.1 modems will be compatible with every major US cable company. You could consider it a silver lining to Americans only having a few options for cable providers.

Lifespan

Most modems will include at least a one-year warranty. Even if a modem dies one day out of warranty, it would still be more cost effective than renting a modem in virtually every case. But the majority of electronics that break either do so within a few days of use, or only after decades of abuse.

For selecting a DOCSIS 3.1 cable modem, which has no movable parts, a one-year warranty is more than adequate. This is a rare instance where you shouldn’t weigh a 2-year warranty as being significantly better than a 1-year warranty. When you look at the numbers, a 1-year warranty provides nearly the same amount of protection for consumers.

Exceptions

But not everyone should invest in a cable modem. If you switch Internet providers to use a fiber-optic network or a DSL network, then your cable modem will start collecting dust. Those networks require their own special equipment. Any person who foresees switching to a non-cable Internet service provider in the next year or two should be wary about investing heavily in a cable modem.

Getting What You Buy

One quick note. When you’re upgrading to a DOCSIS 3.1 cable modem like the CM1000, you’ll want to make sure the Ethernet cables you use between your modem and router are CAT6 or CAT5E categorized. Without adequate cabling, you won’t be able to get all the speed the DOCSIS 3.1 can provide. With all the right equipment in place, the CM1000 can be configured to support 6Gbps of connectivity.

NETGEAR CM1000

NETGEAR is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of cable modems and routers. Whether you’re in the tech industry using thousand-dollar equipment, or you’re choosing a cable modem for home, NETGEAR is staple of the industry.

And the CM1000 is one of their most powerful devices. It’s equipped to take on every tier of cable Internet speed, including Gigabit Internet streams. In other words, you’re covered up to 1,000Mbps. It also supports DOCSIS 3.1+ standard, offering as much as 10 times faster download speed relative to a 3.0 modem.

Build & Compatibility

The NETGEAR CM1000 uses a compact 5.4 x 5.9 x 8.8-inch build that remains unobtrusive and easily tucked away near your router. The 0.8-pound weight can seem stunningly small in your hands, but the CM1000 is nevertheless well built and sturdy.

This modem isn’t compatible with CenturyLink, Verizon, AT&T services. It’s also not compatible with any voice services you’ve got bundled with your cable. To make use of the NETGEAR CM1000, you’ll need to be on Comcast XFINITY, Cox, Mediacom Cable, or a handful of their subsidiaries.

Added Performance

Compared to a rental modem, and depending on where you live, the CM1000 can produce some pretty stark improvements in latency. Some people switching to the CM1000 have noticed they can ping their local Google server with a 5ms response time, about three times faster than they would get from a rental modem.

Differences amounting to 10ms may not sound like much, but they can affect gamers and streamers the most. These seemingly small delays can be exaggerated to greater depths in a dozen different ways, from your network being too close to another network, to your network having too many devices asking for attention. Long story short, with subpar network conditions, minor delays produced by rental modems can become major delays in responsiveness.

Other Considerations

It’s important to note the CM1000 isn’t a router, and it’s not a modem-router combo. You’ll need a router to help distribute its Internet connectivity. You’ll also want to be sure your router can handle greater speeds as well. Many decent routers will cap you around 400 Mbps with basic protective router features enabled. Anyone who’s actually pushing a DOCSIS 3.1 modem to its limits, like someone who may be using a Gigabit Internet connection, will need to pay close attention to the capacity of all their network equipment.

ARRIS SURFboard SB8200

The ARRIS SB8200 is the first DOCSIS 3.1 modem among the popular SURFboard series. It provides 32 lanes for downloading and 8 for uploading, making it a great companion for 4K content, VR gaming, and other high-bandwidth activities. And with a maximum 5Gbps throughout, the what the SURFboard lacks in bland professional presentation, it makes up for in results.

Build & Compatibility

The SB8200 uses a small, standard build for a modem. It sits around 5.1 x 1.7 x 5.2-inches, and is intended to be stored upright as though placing a book on a shelf. Like any SURFboard modem, the SB8200 would rest invisibly in a room if wasn’t for its bright and colorful build. Along the front of the modem you’ll find color-coded LED lights to give you information about the status of your network.

Added Performance

And on the backside of the SB8200, you’ll find the power port and coax cable port. Both have been conveniently color-coded for an added layer of simplicity during installation and troubleshooting. The backside of the SB8200 also features two Gigabit Ethernet ports, which allows you to create two separate networks using only one modem.

The SB8200 is compatible with Cox and Xfinity. They’re not yet approved by Brighthouse, Time Warner, or Charter, but have pending approval. The SB8200 is outright incompatible with CenturyLink, AT&T, and Verizon. And it won’t carry voice services which may be bundled with your cable.

Other Considerations

The main feature here is the dual Gigabit Ethernet ports. People who are looking for a barebones router aren’t going to find it with the SB8200. The SURFboard doesn’t have the same recognition of a brand like NETGEAR, but their equipment is every bit an equal to such brands.

Motorola MB8600

The Motorola MB8600 is yet another recently released DOCSIS 3.1 modem. And true to the standard, the MB8600 provides the 32×8 download/upload connectivity that makes previous DOCSIS 3.0 modems look slow by comparison. If Motorola knows one thing, it’s modems, and that becomes clear with a quick look at the MB8600.

Build & Design

The MB8600 looks more or less like an ordinary modem, from the simple yet descriptive LEDs on the front of the device, to the equally simple three-plug backside. The single Ethernet port makes setting up to a router foolproof. It’s actually slightly bulkier than similar modems, sitting at 7.2 x 2.2 x 7.9 inches.

The Motorola MB8600 is compatible with Xfinity, CableOne, and Cox. And it’s not compatible with satellite services provided by companies like CenturyLink and Verizon.

Added Performance

The MB8600 is built to take on every type of cable modem speed, from the simplest 10Mbps plan to the most expensive 1,000 Mbps plan. Within the MB8600 is a Broadcom modem chipset, the same chipset used by ARRIS and NETGEAR. It’s a golden standard for protecting yourself from DDOS attacks and similar cyber security threats, and it’s a great indication of what else you can expect from the MB8600.

Other Considerations

The MB8600 also has three masked Gigabit ports. The additional ports aren’t for connecting several Wi-Fi devices, they’re for connecting to router to bond several Ethernet ports together. It’s this bonding which allows the MB8600 to surpass 1Gbps speed, at least for people with plans offering speeds beyond Gigabit connectivity. In such a scenario, the MB8600 can reach up to 3.8Gbps.

Choosing Between Three Fast, Reliable DOCSIS 3.1 Cable Modems

Each of these DOCSIS 3.1 cable modems share a number of essential features. They share wide compatibility with the major cable providers and DOCSIS 3.1 connectivity speeds. Compared to renting a modem, all three all priced to where they pay for themselves after about 18 months.

The Motorola MB8600 is a great choice for someone who’s Internet plan is making the most of DOCSIS 3.1 and achieving speeds in gross excess of 1 gigabit per second. The MB8600 can support a stunning 3.8Gbps, provided you’ve got it connected to a router that’s ready to handle that kind of digital heat. It doesn’t include the same level of protection features as the NETGEAR CM1000, but anyone with an existing firewall won’t notice the difference.

The NETGEAR CM1000 is fully loaded, whether you’re using a massive Gigabit-plus Internet connection now, or you will be in the future, it’s prepared for either scenario. Even if you’re not using an incredibly high speed connection, you’ll probably get some small latency improvements from using the CM1000. It’s a great choice for anyone who wants quality and is willing to pay for it.

Finally, the ARRIS SURFboard SB8200 isn’t quite as heavily loaded as the CM1000, but still supports a 5Gbps cable platform. And the inclusion of dual switches makes it a great choice for someone looking to setup multiple home networks. The SURFboard is definitely the choice for anyone who’s primarily concerned with ease of use. Every modem on this list is easy to setup, but the SURFboard could just about be setup by a child. If you’re worried about ease of use, give it a look.

The post Best, Fastest and Most Reliable DOCSIS 3.1 Cable Modems for 2018-2019 appeared first on Nerd Techy.

Routers can be a bit inscrutable. But it doesn’t have to be difficult to pick one, and these days, you certainly don’t need to be a network technician to setup a router. But if you want to choose the right router, it does help to have some basic knowledge about the kind of things you expect your router to do, and about your current Internet speeds.

The stakes aren’t trivial. If you choose an inadequate router, even things you hadn’t thought about can devastate network performance. For example, there’s as big difference in how routers perform as more and more devices connect to your network. Equipment that holds up well with 4 devices may not do as well with 12.

It’s these kind of oversights that can cause you to make a mistake in choosing a router. Luckily, a closer look is all you need to determine if routers can provide match or exceed the Internet services you expect to receive.

TP-Link Archer A7 AC1750 Smart Wi-Fi Router

As its name suggests, the Archer A7 AC1750 uses a dual-band Gigabit network that’s well suited for basic web surfing, response-intensive online gaming, or bandwidth-intensive 4K content streaming. Its black casing is a no-nonsense design that anyone can quickly identify as a router. That’s in part due to the device being paired with three tall-standing, high-gain antennas. Together, those antennas provide Wi-Fi signal for spaces as broad as 2,500 square feet.

Build & Design

The TP-Link AC1750 measures 9.6 x 6.3 x 1.3-inches, which is marginally larger than typical home routers. Along its face, a collection of ten individual LEDs provide insight into the status of the network. While they’re only labeled with symbols, these lights are nevertheless a fairly simple way of diagnosing problems with the network, should they occur.

Within the glossy black exterior, there’s more than a few elements of special note. There’s a Qualcomm processor, which is there to help keep network traffic from becoming congested. But most of its significant discernable features are only revealed when you turn to its backside.

Backside Connections

On the backside of the TP-Link Archer A7, you’ll find well labeled and color-coordinated ports. The first section is a DC power port, followed by an on/off switch, and a reset switch which is recessed into the backside of the structure. The USB port, followed by an Ethernet input port, and four Gigabit output ports. Each can achieve speeds roughly ten times greater than regular Ethernet connections. At the very end, there’s a WPS-Wi-Fi on/off button.

Signal Strength and Speed

The TP-Link Archer A7 AC1750 provides Wi-Fi speeds up to a maximum of 1750Mbps. That comes from a 1300Mbps 802.11ac antenna, and an additional 450Mbps 802.11n antenna. The 1300Mbps portion of that total figure comes from the 5 GHz band, while the 450Mbps portion uses the standard 2.4 GHz wireless streaming band. And the difference between those two will be important depending on the position of devices within your network.

As much as possible, 4K streaming content should be done over the 5 GHz band. That means you want your screens to have as much line-of-sight as possible with the router. With reasonable positioning, the TP-Link AC1750 is excellent at providing those high-bandwidth connections, so you can avoid annoying stream buffering.

But if you’re in an environment where there are thick concrete walls, or you’re trying to transmit signals through half a dozen different barriers, then a single router isn’t going to be able to solve those kinds of problems and you’ll have to think about adding a mesh router to the network. The 2,500 square feet provided by the TP-Link A7 is nothing to sneeze at, but the 3-antenna design does focus more on bandwidth provision than total square footage.

Network Control

Setting up and maintaining your network is fairly simple, once you’ve got the ball rolling. Within the web console, you’ll find an updated graphical version of the interface formerly used on the TP-Link Archer A7. The updated version is easier to use and navigate, but there’s still noticeable lag between the moment you issue a change to the network, and the time at which that change is implemented. For example, you may have to wait nearly 30 seconds to make a variety of changes.

With the settings open, there’s an almost overwhelming number of things that you can adjust. You can view traffic statistics, make individual adjustments to LAN, Wireless, or WAN portion of your network. You can also easily integrate WPS Security for WPA/WPA2. And there’s and a QoS bandwidth option you can use to prioritize different forms of content.

For example, you might prioritize certain games to receive signal before streaming content, or to make sure that your downloads don’t slow down your web browsing by giving a priority to web traffic. For gamers who are interested in making sure their play isn’t interrupted, or video streamers who want to avoid buffering when their roommates get home, that kind of adjustability can be incredibly convenient.

Security and Customization

Within the Guest Network settings, you’re able to create separate networks that guests can use, and then accommodate those networks with specific bandwidth limits and schedules. More common settings include bandwidth control, port forwarding and triggering, VPN pass-through, firewall configuration, Dual-Band selection to enable or disable one of the bands. There’s also a System Tools section to adjust time settings, run a diagnostic of your network, get updated firmware from Archer, or otherwise review use of your network.

With respect to security from other varieties of external threat, the TP-Link Archer A7 provides basic support for WPA and WPA2 networks. There’s also the standard range of parental control options that have come with nearly all routers made in recent years. Those parental control options are further made accessible through their web interface and smartphone app.

Network Speeds

The 1750Mbps capacity of the TP-Link Archer A7 is more than virtually anyone needs. But what really provides limits to router performance are things like multiple devices making connections. That’s because what a router does isn’t as simple as moving data from one device to another. The countless connection requests on a router have to be ordered, managed, or otherwise sorted. And when that sorting isn’t don’t well, connection speeds suffer.

The A7 offers connectivity for up to 50 devices using simultaneous connections. If you actually reach out towards the upper limits of that figure, network performance does slouch. And with what’s on the market currently, avoiding those kind of issues is really only possible by pushing on towards the $200 price point for routers.

Setting Up a Network

Router setup for even basic home networks used to be something that literally required experienced technicians. The process was so obtuse that many ordinary people stood no chance of success. Luckily, those days are largely gone, and routers have become virtually plug-and-play. Features that used to be prominent and even important to advertise, like automatic network detection, have become trivial and expected.

With that in mind, the TP-Link Archer A7 is about average with respect to the difficulty of setting up a network. It’s something just about anyone can do within a few minutes, and it really doesn’t get harder from there unless you expect to exercise some of the more advanced network control options. That’s not to say that changing advanced options is difficult, simply that it does take several minutes to get anything done.

Other Considerations

The Archer A7 includes a single USB 2.0 port, which can be used to distribute content across the wireless network. Just plug in a thumb drive to the back of the A7 and you can move data through every device on the network. While this kind of feature has typically been slow in the past, moving files through a USB drive across the router provides an excellent write speed of about 21.5Mbps.

It may also be worth noting that the Archer A7 supports IPv6 Internet protocol, the latest and greatest standard. It’s backwards compatible with older technologies, and whether or not you need it presently, having it does prepare your router for years of service beyond the foreseeable future.

The TP-Link AC1750 is further compatible with Alexa and IFTTT. Depending on which option you choose, you’ll be able to use or customize voice controls in response to devices connecting or disconnecting from your network. It supports virtually every platform. That includes Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, UNIX, and NetWare. And it includes a two-year warranty from IP-Link, along with 24/7 tech support.

Who Should Choose the TP-Link Archer A7 AC1750 Smart Wi-Fi Router?

Based on its features and performance, it’s hard to tell that the TP-Link Archer A7 costs what it does. The pairing of 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands give excellent performance in a variety of circumstances. Its close proximity performance is much better than other budget-oriented routers. The 5 GHz band in particular has amazing performance within this price range.

The user interface could use more improvements. It’s not inscrutable or particularly difficult to make changes, it’s just comparably not as streamlined as some of its competitors. But unless you’re a professional network administrator, you probably don’t spend much time interacting with those settings. Once you’ve got them in place, you may only make one or two adjustments per year, if that.

The 2,500 square foot range of the connection is adequate for most homes and small businesses, but it doesn’t provide much of a leash if you expect to use the router while out in your yard. But with that in mind, for a router that costs under $100 you can scarcely do better. The TP-Link Archer A7 is as good choice for someone looking for a modern router that performs to modern standards, without a bunch of unnecessary costs and frills attached to the price.

The post TP-Link Archer A7 AC1750 Smart Wi-Fi Router Review appeared first on Nerd Techy.

What’s the difference between one router and another? Much of that comes down to you. How many people are going to connect? How much bandwidth are you getting from your ISP? And for choosing a gaming router, what kind of games do you play?

It’s by going through these questions that you can find the right router appropriate to your needs. Another good place to start is with one of the major brands. When it comes to developing technology, big brands have some big advantages.

Which is part of the reason why, among all people using Wi-Fi in the world, about half of them do so with a TP-Link product. The ubiquitous nature of the brand ensures even the most basic TP-Link router is somewhat formidable. And it allows their higher-end products to become that much more impressive.

TP-Link Archer C5400X Tri Band Gaming Router

From an engineering perspective, the TP-Link Archer C5400X is like a sports car. From the in-your-face aesthetic to the hardware inside, everything about the C5400X has been fine-tuned to precision. And it’s this collection of apparently small differences that separate routers like the C5400X from entry-level equipment.

The Archer C5400X is powerful. It provides deep support for the latest network standards, impressive internal hardware, and everything you need to connect dozens of devices. It’s also gaming-oriented. That means features which ensure latency is driven down during your matches, and bandwidth is prioritized where you want it to go.

Build & Design

Most routers are made to look low-key, discreet, and tucked away out of sight. But gamer-oriented products are rarely that subtle. And the TP-Link Archer C5400X Tri Band Gaming Router is unquestionably one of the more distinct looking routers on the market. The base body is actually a fairly simple black rectangle, similar to almost any other router. But sprouting up from each side, you’ll notice a grand total of eight antennas, reaching outward like bladed wings.

With those antennas in place, the C5400X measures 9.1 x 9.1 x 1.7-inches, clearly one of the larger routers on the market. The majority of its height is the result of those blades standing upwards, if you’re looking to slide your router into a shelfed area, you may be able to angle the blades downwards and gain an additional inch or two.

In addition to its large size, the Archer C5400X Tri Band Gaming Router has a fair amount of heft to it, weighing about 3 pounds. While this isn’t a mesh router, the inclusion of eight antennas does provide virtually the best performance you can get from a single device. The eight antenna design is further aided with a RangeBoost feature, and beamforming with the antennas to send more targeted Wi-Fi signals for devices at greater distances.

Adaptable Hardware Inputs

The gamer-oriented features are reflected in the hardware, inside and out. From a glance at its backside, you can tell the C5400X has twice the number of Gigabit ports as a typical router. Having a wealth of ports available allows you to plug in all your devices, this allows you to connect everyone and everything, and not have to worry about having space for whatever the next Internet-based gadget you add to your household.

These ports also provide the room necessary to double-up your connection, from 1 Gbps to 2 Gbps. You can use link aggregation, combining two of eight Gigabit Lan ports with one of the WAN/LAN ports to double your connection speed. By combining a WAN port and a LAN port with DOCSIS 3.1, the TP-Link Archer C5400X Tri Band Gaming Router can facilitate speeds which are among the best you can buy from any Internet service provider.

Each port is clearly labeled, and the Internet port is both labeled and color-coded for ease of use. Apart from that, the rest of the backside of the C5400X is somewhat standard. There’s a power button, DC power port, two USB ports, and a standard reset button. As you might expect, the reset button is recessed within the chassis, so you need a pin to access it.

Network Power Capacity

The TP-Link AC5400 Tri Band Gaming Router operates around a 1.8Ghz 64-bit quad core CPU. If you’re not well versed with the importance of processing power in your router, the bottom line is having more power is good for loading speeds. Being able to handle more processes per minute also allows you to take advantage of dynamic optimization, prioritizing traffic more efficiently, and hammering down latency.

The 1.8Ghz 64-bit processor is further aided with the help of 3 additional co-processors. Those spare processors are there to manage and moderate Wi-Fi demand across the network. This cooperative process within the hardware helps support smoother gameplay. The TP-Link Archer C540X also offers 1 GB of RAM, a strikingly high amount, which is equally important for network traffic administration.

With respect to bandwidth, the AC5400 Tri-Band Gaming Router delivers Wi-Fi in two places. The first is with the help of the 802.11b/g/n 2.4GHz band. The second is with two separate 802.11 ac/n/a 5GHz connections. Those signals are carried with the help of the previously mentioned antennas, providing up to 5,334 Mb per second of total potential bandwidth.

Play-Nice Connection Features

You might think of your router as doing everything simultaneously because it works so fast, that’s often what it seems to do. But in reality, ordinary routers are playing a waiting game. The requests passing through their gates are treated in a way that resembles a first-come first-served basis. In other words, the router can only talk to one device at a time.

That can be a problem when you’ve got a roommate streaming Netflix in their room, half a dozen mobile phones making regular check-ins, and so on. Which is why top-end routers like the C5400X come equipped with features like MU-MIMO and Airtime Fairness. In short, these features allow for the router to better communicate with itself, resulting in a magnitude of greater efficiency when multiple devices are vying for its attention.

Whether you’re a gamer or not, these services can combine for higher throughput capabilities and response rates. Offering three connection bands to work with, you could dedicate one band to gaming while the others are dedicated to other services. You can even determine how the TP-Link Archer C5400X Tri Band Gaming Router distributes dedicated services to devices on a case by case basis, or based on time of day.

Gaming Friendly Design

Behind any gaming router you’ll find traffic prioritization. And the same is true here. The TP-Link C5400X provides fairly impressive traffic optimization to drive down latency. It allows you to prioritize your games above other types of processes, which can be ideal for competitive gaming.

For someone playing first person shooters, latency above roughly 50ms can create concrete performance issues. While those issues are somewhat smaller and more difficult to notice around 50ms, most experienced players will be able to see or experience the difference as it creeps towards 150ms.

So when a router like the TP-Link Archer 5400X Tri Band Gaming Router comes along and shaves off 30ms of latency off your gaming, that’s kind of a big deal. In some circumstances, it means you can play on servers you couldn’t have reasonably played on before. If you’re somewhat talented at a game, it will probably mean a small improvement in your play.

And if nothing else, it certainly means your gaming experiences will be slightly smoother. But these kinds of benefits aren’t exclusive to games. This type of traffic prioritization can be applied to equal effect with 4K content and video streaming services. It all depends on how you decide to setup your network.

Ease of Use

For essentially three decades, routers have been getting easier and easier to install. But it’s starting to get difficult to make these things any simpler. The TP-Link Archer C5400X is a good example of this trend in action. It provides support for Bluetooth specifically for the purpose of helping users setup quickly. It’s essentially as simple as pushing a button.

As with many feature-rich routers these days, the TP-Link Archer C5400X Tri Band Gaming Router provides you with the ability to create a guest network. But interestingly, you’ve got many choices in how you do so. You could dedicate the 2.4GHZ band, or even both of the 5GHz connections. Again, this provides for circumstantial control of your network.

Because TP-Link is an industry giant, they can provide things that you generally only get from bigger companies. For example, the TP-Link C5400X provides wide compatibility with MAC OS, NetWare, UNIX, Linux, and Windows. They also have impressive online support videos, including router setup videos. The information is made pretty accessible for the do-it-yourself crowd, too.

Other Considerations

The TP-Link Archer C5400X is forward-looking with respect to smart-home compatibility. It provides deep support for Alexa and IFTTT, allowing you to help connect all your smart-home devices together in highly programmable ways.

As with any major router manufacturer, TP-Link Home are fairly powerful cyber protection. And that protection continues to become updated without your need to get involved. As new types of threats emerge, your router is learning to block them before the general public even knows they exist.

If it wasn’t obvious from looking at the C5400X, there aren’t any compelling mounting options you can use. This router was intended to be set on a flat surface. That aside, the router includes its power supply, one short Ethernet cable, and a quick installation guide. TP-Link also provides a two-year warranty.

Who Should Choose the TP-Link Archer C5400X?

All in all, the C5400X is a highly sophisticated piece of technology. Whether you’re a gamer or not, this router represents some of the best networking gear money can buy. It’s certainly not the right choice for someone looking for the bare essentials. Just as well, it’s almost certainly the right choice for high-bandwidth households or organizations.

Whether or not you appreciate the unique aesthetic, the C5400X has plenty of features that make it easy for gamers to love. Competitive players and streamers will like the performance. And non-gamers don’t have to force bad traffic on their neighbors. In other words, you don’t start getting fragged the moment someone on your network starts a download.

Even if you can’t make use of its massive capacity, it does provide room to grow. And it provides support for recently-improved network standards that ensures the TP-Link Archer C5400X will be just as impressive in five years’ time as it is today. If you’re looking for the best, it should certainly be among your considerations.

The post Review of the TP-Link Archer C5400X Tri Band Gaming Router appeared first on Nerd Techy.

When it comes to online games, whether for console or PC, your entire system is only as responsive as your Internet connection. If you wanted to undermine the performance of the best gaming PC machine in the world, all you’d have to do is pair it up with a weak router.

In an increasingly always-connected world, just about any game these days can require a stable Internet connection. But for competitive gamers specifically, finding the right gaming router can be a matter of digital life or death.

NETGEAR Nighthawk XR700 Pro Gaming WiFi Router

Yet another in the long series of Nighthawk routers, the NETGEAR Nighthawk XR700 Pro Gaming WiFi Router is fairly close to the epitome of a gaming router. Nighthawk routers are designed to offering a tier of performance a full step above what you find inside a basic household router.

In practice, what that means is you can avoid situations where you’re gaming or streaming, and suddenly a download causes you to rubber-band, lag, or endure a death from disconnection. Ignoring the possibility of ISP failure, solving these lag-issues forever is as simple as limiting bandwidth as it’s delivered to various in your network.

Build & Design

It might be vanity. But when you buy something high end, you want it to feel high end. And the NETGEAR Nighthawk Pro Gaming Wi-Fi Router is a high end piece of equipment, so it makes sense they put so much work into making this router aesthetically beautiful.

Measuring 15 x 12.5 x 5-inches, the NETGEAR Nighthawk XR700 Pro Gaming WiFi Router is nothing if not unique looking. The somewhat bulky body weighs about four pounds, giving a real heft to the device. Once you look past its antennas, the base of the router itself is somewhat ordinary looking. It’s just another elongated black box with connection terminals on its backside. But it’s hard to see past those antennas.

Reaching up from each side of the Nighthawk XR700’s body are four menacing antennas. Each one is a large square obelisk, highlighted with red LEDs along its edge. Initially this might seem like a fairly low number of antennas for such a high-end router. But the XR700 isn’t built to create 10,000 square feet of coverage, it’s built for gamers. Though if you did happen to need 10,000 square feet of cover, the XR700 Pro pairs excellently with a variety of mesh routers.

Connection Terminals

Along its face, the NETGEAR Nighthawk XR700 Pro gaming Wi-Fi Router is constructed with about a dozen and a half beautifully well-lit LEDs. That’s about three times as many LEDs used on a typical router. The extra lights are actually quite useful after you’ve had an introduction because each gives you an indication of specific parts of the network. Is the fourth connection switch acting up? You can narrow down the problem by looking at the XR700 for about three seconds.

On its backside, the very first switch can turn on-or-off the antenna LEDs. Next to that, there’s a standard reset switch recessed within the chassis. And along the center of the device, six Ethernet ports. The Internet port to connect with your modem has been color-coded a bright yellow, a near foolproof design. Finally, there’s a 10G SFP port, the power button, and a single DC power port.

Network Capabilities

Remember that wide set of LAN connection ports from earlier? Those seven Gigabit Ethernet ports, and the additional WAN port? You can aggregate two of them to get even more ports. And the SFP+ Port provides faster access to NAS and ultimately faster streaming and backup.

Internally, the guts of NETGEAR Nighthawk Pro Gaming Wi-Fi Router work to support 802.11ac Wi-Fi through the AD7200 Quad Stream Wave2 platform. That quad core processor keeps network speeds consistent, and allows you to get a reliable connection across every device. And the network efficiency of every device on the network is improved as a consequence.

Plex Media Server

Built-in support for Plex Media Server is another big feature worth keeping in mind. It’s essentially a subscription service that allows you to sync your content for constant offline use. It works by incorporating an additional layer of content options and parental controls, helping your network to be just as useful whether you’re online or not.

And that allows you to stream all your content, from any of your devices, whether you’re online or not. You don’t have to worry about transferring a movie or file from one PC to another. You can just stream, record, and share your content effortlessly. Plex Media Server provides support for services like Roku, Chromecast, Amazon Streaming, gaming consoles, and so forth.

Connection Features

Traditionally speaking, one of the more daunting aspects of setting up a router has been entering into its settings window. Frankly, these windows are intentionally designed to be somewhat intimidating. If they weren’t, you’d have more novice users poking around with settings they don’t understand. They’d create network problems for themselves that would ultimately spill over into NETGEAR tech support.

For the most part, PC gamers aren’t intimidated by the prospect of having to setup a router. But it helps when things are easy. And installing the NETGEAR Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router is about as difficult as plugging it in. One of the ways they’ve achieved that is with the Nighthawk XR700 Pro Gaming Router making use of its own dashboard software.

Many essential router controls are still inside those daunting networking windows, but the most important game-facing control options have been made accessible through this new interface. It allows you to make real-time changes in bandwidth utilization, and those changes can be ordered by device, response time, and several other accessible network parameters.

Additionally, there’s a geo-filter that’s helpful for keeping down lag. It works by limiting the distance between yourself and the servers to which you can connect. By whitelisting or blacklisting preferred and allowed or allowable servers, it helps guarantee you get a local connection.

Bandwidth Prioritization & More

If gaming routers do one thing above all else, it’s help prioritize bandwidth allocation. And they make it easy to prioritize games. And the NETGEAR Nighthawk XR700 Pro Gaming WiFi Router does that quite well. Their navigational menus make it easy for even novice users to quickly set things up exactly how they want.

You can use QoS (quality of service) to dictate the upload and download speeds which are allowable in the network, to mitigate lag spikes while playing games. You can establish highly specific parameters around your connection, targeting specific machines on the network, or even specific times of day.

Those time-specific settings can be exceptionally useful for anyone using a cable Internet connection because those connections have speeds which are linked to community use. In other words, how many of your neighbors are trying to use the net when you are? In most regions of the US, the highest period of Internet use tends to be around 7-8 pm, as people are coming home from work. Being able to adjust around those times can help patch-over those types of cable-specific issues.

Gamer-Specific Design

What kind of benefits do gamers end up with? A lot of the difference plays out in seemingly small figures, like the difference between 30ms and 5ms. With respect to competitive gaming, this can make a palpable difference. It’s huge for players around competitive MOBA titles and the FPS genre, where reaction times can be measured in fractions of a second.

Of course, these advantages are considerably less significant for slow-paced games. But even there, the NETGEAR Nighthawk XR700 delivers reliability. And if you’re playing an online-based PVE game, crawling through some dungeon, reliability can be as important as anything.

Plus, games aren’t the only thing you can fine-tine with bandwidth prioritization. The XR700 Pro is just as useful for helping to prioritize streaming services. Anytime there’s a bandwidth intensive activity, or a latency-sensitive task, equipment like the Nighthawk XR700 is the only way to speed things up.

Other Considerations

While this router does have just about every bell and whistle you can name, there are one or two missing. MU-MIMO isn’t present, meaning this router isn’t well equipped to “talk to” two dozen devices at once. It’s better equipped to handle what a medium sized household can throw at it.

With respect to security, the Nighthawk XR700 router performs as well as any NETGEAR Nighthawk router. That’s because it helps maintain high standards of security across all web interactions. There’s an automatic layer of protection for your identity, some simple ways to keep yourself safe from DDoS attacks, and even native support for VPN clients.

Who Should Choose the NETGEAR Nighthawk Pro XR700 Gaming Router?

You don’t need to be a gamer to appreciate the power of this router. Many of its best features perform just as well with a general audience. But the majority of its features and development has been made towards making a gamer’s life easier. With bandwidth propitiation, aggregate port-linking, and similar features, this router can deliver gamers a far more powerful Internet connection.

If you’re a hands-on network administrator, it allows you to maintain a high degree of network control with minimal knowledge or effort. If you’re more of a hands-off user, the Nighthawk Pro XR700can help bring down your latency by simply plugging it in. And streamers will find it to be a particularly excellent choice.

Its wide set of abilities help enable VR gaming, 4K streaming, and virtually any other bandwidth intensive multimedia activity you can throw at it. While this isn’t the right choice for a bargain-hunter, it’s the right call for someone who’s got a powerful Internet connection, someone who wants their router to have room to grow in the future, and someone who really values rapid and reliable connectivity for their gaming.

The post Review of the NETGEAR Nighthawk Pro XR700 Gaming Router appeared first on Nerd Techy.

A business router is concerned with slightly different things. When you’re at home, a short hiccup with the internet is a minor inconvenience. When you’re at work, it might reflect on your professionalism, get in the way of accepting payments, halt productivity, or worse. With more on the line, performance gets held to a higher standard.

Which is probably a good thing. In an increasingly interconnected world, the health of your network and the health of your business can also be interconnected. A security breach might leak tax information, customer data, and everything else necessary to steal the identity of every employee in your business.

Of course, it’s not all about security. Business routers have to deliver on more immediately practical concerns. And in doing so, providing you with all the information necessary to make informed decisions about the health and status of your network.

NETGEAR Insight Instant VPN Business Router

NETGEAR produces half a dozen product lines of specialized routers. The Insight series is about worry-free management in the interests of business. Concerning yourself with the day-to-day happenings of a network, you don’t want the process to be tedious or time consuming. And whether you’re primarily focused on network storage, data backup, or security, the Insight series can deliver in impressive ways.

The recently released NETGEAR Insight Instant BR500 VPN Business Router is a pretty good example. Its name might be somewhat confusing at first, but a closer examination reveals equipment that’s actually a bundle of smartly designed business-oriented features. From its clean, professional aesthetic, to redundant layers of security protection, the Insight Instant VPN Business Router has quite a bit to offer.

Build & Design

Insight measures 7.4 x 1.7 x 12.4-inches. It’s been constructed of aluminum alloy, allowing its chassis to feel sturdy in your hands. Insight has a bright white body, looking professional, if a bit sterile. That helps it match up quite well with Apple equipment specifically. In most respects, the Insight Instant VPN Business Router resembles any other router. Most of the big differences are unseen.

Weighing about 3.4lbs, this router definitely has some heft to it. The casing uses a feet-free design. While capable of sitting flat on a shelf, it’s somewhat transparently designed to be wall-mounted. If you do go that route, you’ll need to do a secure job mounting this kind of weight. Discard the possibility of using sticky-pads entirely, it won’t work out well.

Physical Control

Along its front facing side, you’ll find the standard array of networking LEDs. They indicate if the power is on, the internet is connected, the Cloud connection is live, and if a VPN is being used. They also give you information about the network status of each of the four Ethernet jacks. With intuitive labeling a little color-coding, the entire presentation is easy to use.

Along its backside, there’s a small reset button that’s been recessed within the chassis. You’ll need to grab a pin or needle to access it. Adjacent to that, four Ethernet jacks. There’s also a single yellow WAN port to connect with your modem. Having the port color-coded is a nice touch.

Rounding things out, there’s the power button and D/C power port, and a Kensington locking mechanism. If you don’t happen to have a Kensington locking cable sitting around, adding an aftermarket locking cable to secure the Insight Instant VPN Business Router will cost in the neighborhood of $20.

VPN Security

For consumer grade routers, being protected behind a VPN mostly about remaining anonymous. People tend to use them for things like illegal file downloading, or for privacy concerns. But those same tools can be used to protect business data, prevent the duplication of data, and locate all devices on the network with ease.

Physical security is one thing; cyber security is another. The NETGEAR Instant Insight Business Router has quite a few cyber security options. The most prominent is your ability to create a VPN network. Whether you’re a tech savvy large business, or a smaller business with simpler needs, creating a secure VPN for your business takes about 90 seconds.

Within the NETGEAR control apparatus, you can get VPN access constructed in essentially one step. That can help facilitate secure site-to-site access for business-to-business collaboration, and department-to-department communication. You can setup secure channels to your home, office, or wherever you’d like. Keep in mind, Insight’s site-to-site VPN service is restricted to three total VPNs. For client sites, the service is restricted to ten.

Network Security Adaptation

Suppose you buy a $60 consumer-grade router. The security you get from even a basic NETGEAR router is already close to cutting edge. Going the extra mile for security is one of many was a business router can distinguish itself. And the Insight Instant VPN Business Router does just that, starting with VLAN in VLAN support, helping you create a private VLAN.

In addition to standard protections, you receive an additional firewall against unauthorized access. A packet inspection firewall, with rule settings to help instantly protect you against intrusion. Instant Insight works to be proactive about providing instant warnings for any questionable attempts to connect.

The firewall supports DDoS prevention, stealth mode, Block TCP Flood, Stateful packet inspection, port forwarding, NAT Traversal. Configuring the rules of these settings can be done through Cloud Portal or the Insight app. From there, you can establish trusted domains, setup web-based keyword blocking, or otherwise create content filtering appropriate for your business.

Network Speeds

The 802.1Q compliant hardware keeps speeds high for both wired and wireless connections, with the LAN to WAN throughput reaching a peak of 924Mbps. Provided only that you’re not expecting to move more than a Gigabit of connectivity through a single router, that makes the Insight suitable to most businesses.

Network traffic is managed with the assistance of a 1.7 GHz processor, working with 128MB flash memory and 1GB RAM. It’s really only in unusual circumstances that internal hardware that strong will begin to falter. When’ve got 90-people on the network simultaneously, and half of them are streaming video, that’s when you’re going to encounter problems.

The Insight Premium Service

The Insight software suite provides insight into the status of your hardware, including port speeds, the temperature of the device, current CPU load, and the utilization of memory. It also gives insight into the status of VPN networks, the people who are connected, the means by which they authenticated, the location of traffic at any given moment, the volume of your data, and so forth.

You can try the Insight Premium service for free because there’s a 30-day trial included with the router. Whether or not you’ll want to monitor your network remotely from the cloud really depends on the unique needs of your business. But whether you’re concerned about security or employee productivity, just about all the data you need is available within Insight.

Insight Service Pricing

If you decide that you need the Insight service after the trial, NETGEAR has highly economical subscription plans. Up to two Insight devices can be managed for free. For about $5 a month, their basic plan extends the number of devices out to accommodate a small business. And the premium plan extends support for $1 per device, per month.

Whether or not you actually end up using the Insight service, having it to setup the router actually makes things incredibly simple. After you’ve given the router power, and after you have installed the Insight app on your phone, you’re about 95% done with the entire installation process.

Other Considerations

It should almost go without saying, but the Instant Insight VPN Business Router stays up to date through the cloud. That helps you keep your network protected against the latest threats, long before they’re in the headlines, and long before you ever knew there might have been a danger.

The Insight Instant VPN Business Router includes an impressive 5-year warranty. NETGEAR includes 90-days of tech support by phone or e-messaging. The already impressive warranty is further backed by the promise of next day business replacement.

That’s a good thing because when you build 1,000 routers, two or three are going to come out bad. The problem might not become transparent until a year of use. But if your router suddenly croaks, you don’t want the hole in your network to hold-up business.

In addition to a 5-year warranty, NETGEAR offers next business day replacement. If you’re not familiar with these types of services, the way they work is quite simple. You tell NETGEAR your router is dead. They help you confirm it’s actually toast. After that, they immediately mail you a replacement.

Before they’ve even received your busted router, your new gear is on its way. It does require NETGEAR place a temporary charge covering the replacement. But it’s automatically refunded once they receive the broken unit you mail back. Exceptionally useful for businesses who rely on the Internet.

Who Should Choose the NETGEAR Insight Instant VPN Business Router?

Who’s on your network? What are they doing? Insight can give you a complete picture of your network. It’s a router built to scale-up along with the growth of a business. Delivering flexibility, reliability, and security, this router provides even amateur users complete remote access over the management of traffic.

The information you get from Insight comes through an easy to use interface, which can be used on essentially any device that has a browser and a screen. Of course, ease of use isn’t the only thing Insight Instant VPN Business Router has going for it. With additional firewall protection, and a wide bundle of instant VPN options, this router can deliver quite a few extra layers of security and network isolation.

NETGEAR happens to be among the most trusted names in cloud security. Providing bandwidth support suitable to the majority of small and medium-sized businesses, just about any business with a serious interest in security will want to take a close look at the NETGEAR Instant Insight BR500 VPN Business Router.

The post NETGEAR Insight Instant BR500 VPN Business Router Review appeared first on Nerd Techy.

Not all businesses have the same network needs. Nevertheless, there are a handful of things just about any business will want. Reliability, speed, adaptability. Features you generally need on any router are needed in even greater measure when applied to business.

Then there are things almost unique to business routers. Extra layers of security, more comprehensive control over monitoring network usage, automatic data backup features, and so forth. Features like these can sometimes make-or-break a router selection, especially if you’ve got special network needs.

These days, a little room for future growth built-in has become a part of almost any business-facing network equipment. Most small businesses typically don’t need network capabilities which greatly exceed the capabilities of a decent entry-level business router. These factors combined, it’s actually not that tough for most people to select a reliable router for their business.

Linksys Business AC1200 & AC1750 Dual-Band Cloud Wireless Access Point

Linksys has made business class equipment for about as long as the Internet has been around. And in that time, they’ve become one of the more reliable names within the networking niche. Recently releasing their new Dual Band-Cloud Wireless Access Point in both the AC1200 and AC1750 format, one thing is clear. Linksys has no intention in giving up an inch of their market share.

Comparing one to the other, these two routers actually share far more in common than not. They’re installed and controlled in the same way. They have essentially all the same hardware and essential features. They really only differ when it comes to maximum internet speeds, as implied by their name.

But the Linksys Business Dual-Band Cloud Wireless Access Point is more than merely a router. It’s full functionality actually comes closer to something like a network hub, bringing you control over the network from one central place.

Build & Design

Intended to be mounted in the wall, the Linksys Business Dual-Band Cloud Wireless Access Point measures 9.2 x 9.6 x 1.8-inches. It’s got a hexagonal shape, loosely resembling a smoke detector. The mounting process is quite simple for any number of reasons, the most important being the entire body weighs only one pound.

One thing you’ll find is missing from the Linksys Business Cloud Wireless Access Point is the typical array of LEDs you may find on the front of a router. Generally built with anywhere between six and eighteen LEDs, intended to give you all kinds of detailed information about what’s going in inside the network, such lights are almost entirely absent from this wireless access point.

Ports & Cabling

Linksys has moved all that diagnostic information to the software side, giving you all the same information in a more presentable digital format through their control app. This difference also gives you a more direct access to tech support and resolution, should it become necessary. As a result, the topside of the Linksys Business AC Dual-Band Access Point features only one solitary LED.

Turning to the bottom of the Linksys Business Dual-Band Cloud Wireless Access Point, the only prominent port is the Ethernet jack. Tucked away out of sight, there’s an optional 12v DC power port, and four small anti-slip pads.

In addition to two tiny feet positioned towards the backside of its base, there’s a little extra space carved out for the cables intended to slip out the backside of the router. That helps the device sit flush against the wall. It makes for a professional-looking installation you can fit almost anywhere.

Power & Setup

One more thing that helps make everything a bit easier to setup. The Linksys Business Dual-Band Cloud Wireless Access Point is fully PoE+ compatible. That compatibility is really at the heart of what makes it so easy to mount this device — you don’t have to worry about running a separate power cable.

PoE+ draws 25.5 watts, and carries additional support for camera features like panning, tilting, zooming, as well as alarm systems. Even if you’re not currently using equipment where you can take advantage of PoE+, the inclusion of a future-proofed standard is a nice addition. You never know what kind of device will find its way on your network over the course of a few years, and POE+ helps make this equipment a bit more adaptable.

Managing a network can be difficult by design, especially if you want to make minor technical changes. But if your business is like most others, the health of your business and the health of your network are fairly intertwined. You need to be able to do some basic things to protect your network, and if you’ve got to set them up yourself, it would be nice if you didn’t need to get a degree in the learning process.

Linksys helps make things a bit simpler with browser-based management of the network, which can be used remotely. Centralized controls, constructed against an easy to use dashboard, makes adapting this network a fairly approachable process.

The Big Difference

If you’re familiar with the nomenclature, then you already know the big difference between the AC1200 and the AC1750 version. Otherwise, it’s quite easy to work out. The AC1750 reaches up to 1.75 Gbps bandwidth. The AC1200 reaches up to 1.17 Gbps. They both use dual-band wireless connections, but the AC1750 pulls far more weight against the 5Ghz band.

It’s not that common to run a gigabit connection, especially for a smaller business. Most businesses will find you really need more than a dozen people trying to use the net before bandwidth becomes a concern at all. But for businesses which do need to exceed a Gigabit connection, the AC1750 works out to roughly 60% higher bandwidth capacity.

Beyond that, they’re nearly identical. They both use the same guts to help process network processes efficiently. Both keep safety standards high. High bandwidth activities like video conferencing, cloud storage backup, can go on without a hitch and without interrupting the network.

Cloud Manager

The capabilities of this equipment are best exemplified by its Cloud Manager service. The general idea of the service is helping people manage their network from several access points, giving you a real-time statistical look at the network activity, and the health of the network. If the Cloud portion of the name didn’t give it away, that control is extended over remote access.

When you’re managing multiple wireless access points or you’re keeping tabs on a larger network, things can be pretty chaotic. The Cloud Manager is about making the chaos manageable through one place, with the general goal of simplification poised to reduce costs.

Putting collected data into action, the Linksys Business Dual-Band Cloud Wireless Access Point can also help you establish alerts for real-time statistics, or help network administrators address a possible network issues before they become a problem.

Reset Button & Mounting

Most routers have their reset button recessed inside the chassis, so you need a pin or needle to reach them. The Linksys Business AC1200 has a bright red reset button that is accessible at one touch. That’s Preferable for someone who has to reset their network on occasion, but not preferable for someone who has their equipment in a public place.

Although wall mounting is not technically required, it would be a small shame to not mount equipment that’s been made so easy to mount. And while a secure mount is always preferable to something quick and simple, a few sticky-pads would just about be enough to hold-up this equipment.

Other Considerations

Linksys has formidable, well-respected security service. All the standard things you’d expect of equipment like this are present. Wi-Fi protected access WPA and WPA2 security protocols are supported. The Wi-Fi access can be locked behind a captive portal, giving a user an authentication age before they’re allowed to use the net.

Both the AC1200 and AC1750 hold up well under network strain. But there are certain things they were not designed to do. They’re not intended to support concurrent connections for 100 different users. Of course, using its ability to serve as an access point to a broader network, you could reach support for 100 people by interlinking along with additional equipment

And like almost any modern cloud-based security service, you get almost instantaneous updates to help protect your network from the latest threats. However, the Linksys Business Dual-Band Cloud Wireless Access Point does not offer extra layers of security. You don’t see native VPN support at all.

Along with the Wireless Access Point, both the AC1200 and AC1750 include five years of support through the Cloud Manger service. By contrast, warranty support for Linksys is all over the place. Literally. You’ll find warranties are two years in some countries, three years in others, and unavailable in others still. Within the United States, it’s a non-transferable, 2-year warranty.

Who Should Choose Linksys Business AC1200 & AC1750 Wireless Access Point?

The AC1200 is a good choice for most businesses. Serving as an access point to a wider network, it’s scalable for the future, simple to setup, and adaptable to a wide range of purposes. Simplicity extends between both the software and hardware side of setup, with the latter being as easy as plugging in the Ethernet cord.

Exceeding a gigabyte of bandwidth is something most businesses will not have to do. But some businesses will take advantage of the upper end of scalability from these devices. If you’re anywhere near using 1Gbps of data then you’ll want to consider getting the AC1750, giving yourself some room for growth.

Simplicity is really what makes this kind of equipment so admirable. Simple design is pretty important for business router, especially if you have to rely on people without expertise to occasionally resolve problems with the Wi-Fi. Once you know how much bandwidth your business needs, either of the Linksys Business Dual-Band Cloud Wireless Access Point could be an excellent choice.

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Inside a large home, or an unusual office layout, you’re going to almost inevitably encounter Wi-Fi dead-zones. Finding the right mesh router can plug those holes in your network, and make your connection more reliable in the process. Essentially anytime you’re trying to cover a bigger area, a mesh router is almost certainly going to become necessary for full network coverage.

Fortunately, a mesh router isn’t all that different from an ordinary home-office router. Even if you only know the basics about your network, choosing one isn’t difficult unless you have some terribly specific requirements which need to be met. For example, nearly any mesh router in the $100 to $150 range will cover about 3,000 square feet.

Synology MR2200ac Mesh Wi-Fi Router

The Synology MR2200ac Mesh Wi-Fi Router is a combination of many common sense features. It also makes using many advanced networking features rather simple. Perhaps above all, the MR2200ac is capable of creating a comprehensive Wi-Fi coverage within bigger home and office environments.

Running a network can be complicated. Some of its complexity is almost by design. Until recently, not many average Internet users would get terribly involved with the deep configuration of their network. And the Synology MR2200ac Mesh Wi-Fi Router makes managing your network about as simple as using a word processor.

But just because its features are simple to use does not mean it has a shallow feature set. This router actually provides almost every modern technology, setting, and core capability that you could possibly want from a mesh Wi-Fi router.

Build & Design

The Synology MR2200ac Mesh Wi-Fi Router measures roughly 2.6 x 7.8 x 6.0-inches. The simple black chassis doesn’t resemble many other routers. It sits vertically upright, and looks more like a digital alarm clock than a router. Instead of telling you the time, the front side of the chassis presents only three tiny indicator LEDs. They’re not labeled, but browsing the user manual can let you know how to interpret these LEDs when you encounter a network issue.

On its backside, there’s a USB port. You can use the USB port to attach an external hard drive or flash memory, and then distribute files across the network. Next to that, there’s a reset button recessed within the chassis, requiring you to use some kind of pin or needle to access it.

There’s also a pair of connections for DC power, and the power button. As with similar equipment, there’s a single WAN port and LAN port. And that means setting up this router is about as simple as connecting three wires.

Area and Bandwidth

The MR2200ac is based on a QUALCOMM IPQ4019. Mixed with a tri-band construction, this router is intended to eliminate dead-zones within the furthest reaches of your home. The tri-band connection can support a total of 2.13Gbps of bandwidth. That’s the result of 400Mbps on the 2.4Ghz band, and 867Mbps on a pair of 5Ghz band antennas.

With respect to its broadcast capabilities, the Synology MR2200ac can help extend your Wi-Fi signal out across roughly 3,500 square feet. No Wi-Fi signal will go through several feet of solid brick. The exact coverage depends on where you position the mesh router, and what kind of obstacles to the signal happen to be in the environment.

Synology’s mesh technology will automatically choose the best connection for the various devices connected to the network. That selection is obviously made between the 2.4 GHz band, 5 GHz band, and Ethernet connectivity. The 2.4 GHz band is good for reaching places that do not have direct line of sight with the router. The quicker 5 GHz band provides the best possible wireless speeds, but only when devices have line of sight with the router.

As you move from one part of your home to another, your smartphone might switch between different bands to take advantage of greater signal opportunities. But it’s not tri-band connectivity that makes this router’s connection so stable and significant, it’s the security features paired with sheer bandwidth potential.

Network Features

This router is based on the MR2200ac technology, allowing it to become a WPA3 router. If you’re not familiar with WPA3, it’s one of the newest announced security standards for Wi-Fi. Without getting into every gritty detail, it provides a number of new advancements in network protection to keep your network data from external threats.

Internally, the Synology MR2200ac Mesh Wi-Fi Router makes use of a quad core processor. Each core runs at 717MHz, which is essential for handling some of the more high-end features packed into this router. For example, this fairly impressive little processor is critical for how the Synology MR2200ac Mesh Wi-Fi Router includes full support for MU-MIMO.

Routers serve traffic on a first-come, first served basis. When there are only three or four devices on a network, there are rarely problems. But with a dozen different devices trying to get the attention of a router, the network can become inured with small computational tasks it needs to perform. MU-MIMO ensures every device on the network can get excellent performance, and performance stays consistent as several devices are added or removed.

Ease of Use

Managing a network can be tricky. Sometimes networking menus are made almost intentionally unintuitive because it’s assumed the person working them either has training, or otherwise knows what they’re doing. But that’s gradually changed as it’s been more and more common for average people to want to make adjustments to their network. And adjustments which exceed simply giving the network a name and password.

The Synology Router Manager make this potentially intimidating process simpler by combining business-grade features with a terribly intuitive user interface. You can basically point-and-click your way through network setup, even when it comes to advanced settings. You need almost no experience or learning to start creating effective filters on the network.

Setup can be done through a browser, or with the free Synology mobile app. The first time you install the Synology MR2200ac Mesh Wi-Fi Router, the network will essentially configure and optimize itself for you. But using their mobile app, you can guide along the setup to make sure it gets your customization options right the first time.

Those options also include more advanced guest settings and parental filters. Among them, you’ll find fairly detailed user profiles can be established, to help you create a kid-friendly environment. You can determine how long someone can use the Internet, protect from certain content, use SafeSearch filters, or even restrict someone on the network to using whitelisted websites.

Network Monitoring Features

Apart from those filters of control, the Synology Mr2200ac Mesh Wi-Fi Router is capable of letting you see what devices are connected, and where people are going online. Such settings can be used to keep track of abnormal activities within the network. And ultimately, that allows you to protect all your gadgets with the aid of DNS and IP threat protection. You can block malware before it has a chance to do anything.

Continuous updates keep Synology’s network protection software up to date automatically, so your network receives updates for threats before you know you’re vulnerable. That’s actually a fairly common feature among high-end routers these days, but it’s always worth mentioning because automatic cloud update features are a concern for those deeply interested in privacy.

Advanced Network Features

The Synology MR2200ac goes beyond offering essentials. It offers support for creating your own advanced VPN networks. Along with the help of WebVPN, Synology SSL VPN, the process of creating your own secure network is quite easy. This router also supports Apple Time Machine, SND Server, Media Server, and RADIUS Server.

File sharing capabilities are facilitated with support for Cloud Station Server, which makes it possible to create cloud storage for your network. And you can share, sync, or backup important files across several devices using only the MR2200ac.

Moreover, this allows the MR22200ac to facilitate a full range of media controls for smart TVs, gaming consoles, and so forth. Though the depth of control you have over gaming prioritization or streaming prioritization isn’t quite the same as routers made specifically for those tasks, you can still do essentially the same things.

Other Considerations

With respect to protection from malicious threats, the Synology MR2200ac Mesh Wi-Fi Router includes support for Layer 7 QoS. If you’re not familiar with that technology, it’s basically a library of information that can almost immediately identify and manage hundreds of common applications.

It knows precisely what program you’re running, and what kind of permissions it should expect from the program. And that allows for deep packet inspection of everything that enters your network, giving you more control to shape traffic policies within the network.

The Synology MR2200ac Mesh Wi-Fi router includes a two-year warranty. It also includes a 3-ft Ethernet cable you can use to help connect to another router, and all necessary power accessories.

Who Should Choose the Synology MR2200ac Mesh Wi-Fi Router?

The Synology MR2200ac Mesh Wi-Fi Router serves a very particular purpose. The biggest and strongest mesh routers are capable of blasting a strong Wi-Fi signal across nearly 10,000 square feet. If you were looking to fill a giant warehouse, you’d need a bigger Mesh Wi-Fi Router. But for most homes and small businesses, it will prove more than adequate.

With respect to its features, the Synology MR2200ac Mesh Wi-Fi Router has essentially every major feature which routers have developed over the past decade. It uses the most recent Internet standards, and has networking capabilities to provide reliable service for years to come. It’s plausible, if not likely, that the Synology MR2200ac could be a fairly formidable router even in a decade.

Because you can view everything from one Wi-Fi dashboard, it’s easy to manage and overview the network. And within that network, it provides every bit of control anyone could want. For most people in most circumstances, this router ought to be capable of creating an almost flawless network connection.

Provided you’re not trying to setup a network in a giant 10,000 square-foot warehouse, or create a network capable of sustaining more than 200 simultaneous wireless connections, then you’ll certainly find the Synology MR2200ac is both a capable and value-laden mesh router.

The post Review of the Synology MR2200ac Mesh Wi-Fi Router appeared first on Nerd Techy.

Our devices are more connected than ever. The modern smart-home can everything from Wi-Fi enabled lightbulbs to Wi-Fi tea kettles. But as people continue to add devices to their network, they’re starting to discover a problem.

When you have a network with only two devices connected, a smartphone and desktop computer, then just about any decent router will be able to accommodate your every need. When you expect to connect a dozen different devices, that’s when you need to be more deliberate in your selection. This is especially true when you layer-on bandwidth hungry activities like UHD video streaming.

Your router is supposed to organize this chaos into a smoother experience, all the while protecting you from and endless array of online threats. But doing a good job organizing multiple devices with modern speeds? It’s more of a challenge than most people realize.

NETGEAR Nighthawk AX8 and AX12

When you’re choosing between two routers in the same series, the thing which distinguishes one router from the other is almost always bandwidth capacity. But it’s not that simple with the AX8 and AX12. Naturally, being two routers of the same series, they share plenty of similarities.

For instance, they both allow for nearly a dozen Wi-Fi streams, and are both well equipped for providing network signals to very large homes. But as the AX12 scaled-up its ability to handle traffic, developers also had to scale-up its infrastructure in other aspects of its design. As a result, the AX8 and AX12 and actually more distinct than their appearance lets on.

Build & Design

From a purely physical standpoint, both the Nighthawk AX8 and AX12 look virtually identical. Both measure about 12.2 x 2.8 x 1.2-inches, and weigh close to three pounds. Both have a U-shape design, and are made with the same black polymer chassis.

Along the edges of this U-shape, there are fairly bright LEDs, which give the Nighthawk a minor presence within a room. Though both routers provide an LED on/off button, just in case you prefer your router to be more discreet.

Because they have differing network capabilities, their backsides have slightly different options for networking ports. The AX12 provides four Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports, a WAN port, and a 5-Gig port. The AX8 provides five Ethernet ports, a far more common layout.

Otherwise, both the NETGEAR Nighthawk AX8 and the AX12 have an almost identical layout. It includes a power button, a reset button, and a pair of USB ports. The ports are well labeled and partially color-coded, which makes the physical setup process for either router very simple. Assuming you’re not both illiterate and colorblind, but even then, NETGEAR has setup videos.

Network Standards

Both the AX8 and AX12 use a Smart Connect feature to select the Wi-Fi band most appropriate for any given device on your network, depending on its current location. Both the AX8 and AX12 support Wi-Fi 6, the latest standard, which allows them to enjoy far greater bandwidth capabilities. Keep in mind, these standards tend to get updated fairly infrequently, and Wi-Fi 6 is intended to be able to handle many future generations of networking equipment.

The NETGEAR AX-Series of Wi-Fi equipment operates with orthogonal frequency division and multiple access (ODFMA), which greatly expands network capacity and while simultaneously reducing network latency. In practical application, these technologies are really about speeding up household devices. When you’ve got half-a-dozen smart home devices each making their own wireless connection, this kind of thing can make a big difference.

Hardware Performance

Their bandwidth is spread across four connections on the 2.4 GHz band and eight on the 5 GHz band. If you imagine the router is like a pipeline, this basically means these Nighthawk AX8 and AX12 routers are built to use several large pipes. And dispersing the data coming out of those pipes is possible with the help of eight high-performance antennas.

Consequently, both the AX8 and AX12 are capable of creating a wider range of wireless dispersal than most ordinary home routers. But a single router in a single location can only do so much. The AX8 and AX12 are appropriate for larger homes, even spaces in the neighborhood of 5,000 square feet. But if you expect to eliminate Wi-Fi dead zones entirely, depending on your layout, it’s likely you’ll need to add a mesh router to totally complete your network.

Both make use of 1024-QAM, which translates to about a quarter greater data efficiency and faster speeds than a 256-QAM router. Because the AX12 is intended to handle more data than the AX8, it makes use of a truly impressive 2.2 GHz quad core processor. The AX8 makes use of a similar but clearly weaker 1.8 GHz processor. Either is ideal for powering smart home apps, 4K streaming, and lossless gaming. Again, they were designed relative to intended throughput.

This hardware was not specifically tuned for the purposes of gaming. But it’s worth noticing that many of these features are identical to what you’d expect of a gaming router because they’re so heavily performance-based.

Enabled with MU-MIMO

People keep placing more and more devices on their wireless networks. Under so much strain, traditional routers can quickly face considerable levels of network congestion. Which is why many high-end routers make use of a new technology called MI-MIMO.

MU-MIMO is essentially a bandwidth prioritization tool. Routers without MU-MIMO require the devices on their network to take turns communicating. With MU-MIMO, instead of interacting with devices on a first-come first-served basis, the router can communicate with several devices on the network simultaneously.

The AX12 is built with cutting edge 8×8 MU-MIMO, ideal for people who have several high-bandwidth connections being used on their network. It can create eight independent streams, similar to being able to give eight devices on the network their own private router. The NETGEAR Nighthawk AX8 offers more standard 4×4 MU-MIMO, which can be similar to setting up four private routers.

When you’ve got eight or fewer MU-MIMO devices connected at various ends of a house, it’s a feature that can be nothing short of essential. However, if you’re getting poor bandwidth from your ISP, then MU-MIMO won’t help very much. Additionally, it’s a technology that only works in the 5 GHz band. Which means these connections have to occur with devices that largely have line of sight with the router.

Bandwidth Capabilities

Both the AX8 and AX12 are capable of supporting 6Gbps bandwidth, the result of 1200 Mbps on the low-band, and 4800Mbps on high-band streams. However, as mentioned earlier, the way the Nighthawk AX8 and the Nighthawk AX12 go about distributing this data actually differs.

The Nighthawk AX12 is the first time NETGEAR has placed a 5-Gig port onto a router intended for a home. Ports with such capabilities are generally reserved for server-tier equipment.

Instead of offering a 5Gig port, the Nighthawk AX8 is built with a more traditional layout, consisting of about half a dozen Gigabit ports. And two of those ports support port aggregation, helping you squeeze out as much as 2Gbps through one line.

Security Features

Both the Nighthawk AX8 and Nighthawk AX12 support WPA3, which is the latest security protocol for wireless Internet connections. It includes improvements for password protection, encryption, and a handful of other security benefits. Perhaps more importantly, both the AX8 and AX12 are made by NETGEAR.

NETGEAR provides even their most basic routers with regular security updates. The regularity and automatic nature of this process ensures people remain protected against new threats as they emerge. It’s pretty neat you can get some of the same security features you’d enjoy on a $2,000 piece of server equipment.

Ease of Use

When you ask your voice assistant a question, and it gives you a lengthy pause before responding, that is often because of network connectivity prioritization issues. Native support for voice assistants has only recently begun to be incorporated into routers. The Nighthawk AX8 and AX12 support Alexa and Google Assistant, and have done an excellent job of integrating both.

These days, there are actually quite a few companies that make good routers. But there tend to be advantages to going with bigger brands like NETGEAR. One such advantage is they’ve had a long time to fine-tune the support around their products. That’s most exemplified by the free Nighthawk App, which can help you to setup and manage your network. It’s actually great for people who need help setting things up.

Other Considerations

Both the AX8 and AX12 support all Wi-Fi devices. The Nighthawk series and its connections are backwards comparable with 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac networking equipment. And NETGEAR routers offer wide compatibility with essentially any modern version of Windows, Mac OS, UNIX, and even Linux.

For whatever reason, home routers are not often designed to be mounted on the wall. These Nighthawk routers are no exception. The Nighthawk AX8 and Nighthawk AX12 both include a short Ethernet cable, and a one-year warranty from NETGEAR.

Who Should Choose the NETGEAR Nighthawk AX8 or AX12?

Both the Nighthawk AX8 and Nighthawk AX12 offer futureproofing. They have the bandwidth capabilities to handle huge quantities of data, and support forward-looking network protocols. Both are intended to be of service for years to come. And both can help create a network capable of smoothly accommodating many people and many devices.

The NETGEAR Nighthawk AX8 puts to shame virtually any ordinary home router. For most people in most circumstances, the AX8 would be just as useful as the AX12. Sharing so many essential features, the AX8 is a powerhouse in its own right. And that makes it an excellent choice for someone who wants a top-shelf home router, but doesn’t plan on having fifteen people using the network.

But the NETGEAR Nighthawk AX12 goes above and beyond. The 5-Gig Ethernet port speaks for itself, and doesn’t require any port aggregation. With 8×8 MU-MIMO, the AX12 is capable of accommodating as many as eight bandwidth-intensive connections. For someone with an extremely busy network, the AX12 is worth careful consideration.

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