Singapore conglomerate Aztech is
the latest networking vendor to release a "Wave 2" Wi-Fi 802.11ac
router that boasts an aggregate speed of 2,400Mbps.
Like the other Wave 2 routers on the market - Asus RT-AC87U and the
Linksys E8350 - Aztech's offers four spatial streams on the 802.11ac
standard (1,733Mbps) and one on the older 802.11n standard (600Mbps).
Add the two numbers to get the advertised 2,400Mbps figure.
The catch: no single client device is currently capable of using all
that speed. Laptops typically support two spatial streams, while
desktop PCs may support up to three.
But many people have multiple Wi-Fi devices at home. And they will
benefit from the MU-MIMO (multi-user, multiple input multiple output)
feature found in Wave 2 routers. This technology lets the router send
data to multiple devices at full speed for every device.
Aztech's router comes in an upright rectangular black box that looks
much like its predecessors. It has no holes for it to be mounted easily
on a wall.
Unlike its rivals, the Aztech router lacks external antennas. An
array of LEDs on the front panel indicates the status of your Internet
connection - green bars are good. A Wi-Fi Protected Set-up button lets
you connect supported devices to the router without your having to
enter the Wi-Fi password.
At the back of the router, you will find the standard four Ethernet
LAN ports, two USB 3.0 ports and a Reset button if you need to change
the router settings back to the factory default.
Designed for the local market, the Aztech can automatically detect
your fibre connection settings once you connect it to the Optical
Network Terminal installed by NetLink Trust (formerly OpenNet). In
short, it is plug and play.
By default, the Web interface is set to Basic mode, which lets you
access a handful of settings. You can enable port forwarding and change
the names and passwords for the Wi-Fi networks. Settings are sorted by
categories and available as drop-down items.
To update the router's firmware, you download an update file from
Aztech's website to a computer, then upload it to the router via the
Web interface. This is an extra step compared with routers that can
download the updated firmware directly.
Changing the Web interface to Advanced mode unlocks more settings.
Some, such as parent controls, are useful. But features on competing
routers, such as guest networks, are missing. The interface also lacks
tool tips to explain what each setting does. But the interface feels
responsive because it is simple and also because the router uses a
capable 1GHz dual-core chip.
More importantly, in my tests, the router's actual download speed
(around 222Mbps) is comparable with those of its more expensive rivals.
TECH SPECS
Price: $329
Ethernet interface: 1 x 10/100/1,000 Gigabit WAN, 4 x 10/100/1,000 Gigabit LAN
Standards: 802.11a/b/g/n/ac
Security: WPA/WPA2, WEP, Advanced Firewall
Features: SPI, NAT, DoS protection
RATING
Features: 3/5
Design: 3/5
Performance: 4/5
Value for money: 3/5
Overall: 3/5
