Scope of supply:
Is supplied in a sturdy box, where you'll find this:
- Router
- 4 antennas
- Network Cables
- Power Adapter
- Quick Start Guide in printed form, manual on CD, as well as the expression of a manual for the firmware update via a direct call
Materials, workmanship and size:
The router makes a very strong impression. Material is high, even if one can recognize by the ventilation grille on the inside. Likewise, the processing can be described as clean. Here and there you can read in English tests that an active fan said to have been installed. This, however, is to recognize neither externally, nor is it to hear or is to establish an air flow near the device. With B246 x T194 x H52 mm without antennae (lt. Manual) is a good-sized router for the home.
Mounting and installation:
- To mount much does not exist. Screw antennas, electricity and possibly infect the network cable, ready.
- Somewhat more difficult it is in the preparation. Due to the size and the bright blue front panel many a discreet installation in his home will be difficult. A wall mounting is acc. Manufacturer. You should definitely make sure that the device is quite warm. This not only for the typical smell of warm electronics, but also that no other equipment that might heat it develop according to my experience, should provide at or below the router, as I had first tried it with my cable modem. Then it is not only warm, but hot.
Commissioning, firmware update and documentation:
- The Quick Start Guide and the Guide applies only to the commissioning via WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup). If you want a different start-up, is left quite alone here. All documentation incl. Handbook can be described as poor. Also the manual setting possibilities of the router are hardly described. Only on the router interface in a web browser, there is a Help option in the settings are described in more detail. Positive emphasize, however, that manual and router interface are also available in German.
- For experienced users is done (for me with WIN7) without WPS in a short time with a network cable commissioning. Registration at Linksys by smart WIFI account is indeed provided, but can be bypassed and therefore not mandatory. (Note .: Smart-WIFI-account referred lt. Manufacturers can access remotely via Internet to the router, also via mobile devices. Of course, this also data to the manufacturer to be transferred.)
- The firmware update - accessed directly via the router by the manufacturer - has not worked. The process ended without comment and also after reboot was still the old firmware version on the device. Downloading the firmware from the Linksys website, and installs on the PC to the router worked but good. (Note .: The firmware is an image file that needs to be not unpacked or burned to CD, but is directly processed by the router. Unfortunately, this is nirgenwo documented and attempts to open the image are acknowledged with error messages. )
- The heat development indicates a higher power. Unfortunately, however, the manufacturer makes for consumption in the technical data not specified.
Firmware and router interface in the Web browser:
- Using the IP 192.168.1.1. and the password "admin" can access the router interface to configure.
- The firmware / surface offers all the necessary settings that you expect from a router for home use expected (WPA2, firewall, IPv6, guest networking, Parental, etc.). Apart from that it also provides a good overview of the connected devices to the network. I really liked, among other things, the possibility to reserve even with DHCP addresses for devices so that, for example, my desktop PC always gets the same IP. Less have liked me the logs. While efforts are being collected events and also called IP addresses, but undetailliert substantially. Also, do not store out of the machine or send via mail the logs. Only the expression or presentation in the Web browser are possible. The surface also provides the possibility of speed tests, in which was connected to a server in London. Because while the power of the Internet provider will leave, this test is less meaningful.
- The manufacturer advertises the ability to open firmware to be able to use as example OpenWRT. Who looks around in forums, to read, that there is such date but does not exist, what is related to the insufficient documentation of the processor driver. So who is looking forward to more features using OpenWRT, must be patient.
Connections:
In addition to the usual suspects, the router also features eSATA and USB to USB3. He can thus operate as a home server. Lt. Manual disk with FAT, NTFS and HFS + support.
Test environment and performance:
- Has been tested with a desktop PC with Win7 64-bit AMD quad core (2.4 GHz network / wireless N / 802.11n), a Medion Tablet with Android 4.1.1, Quad Core and 32 gigabytes of memory (2.4GHz network / Wireless-N / 802.11n) and a Samsung Galaxy S3 with Android, Quad Core and 16 gigabytes of memory (2.4 and 5 GHz networks). Unfortunately there were no corresponding high-performance devices are available for a resonable test of 5.0 GHz (Wireless-AC / 802.11ac) network mode. In the 5 GHz band I had no competition, while other networks frolicked in the 2.4 GHz band in the neighborhood on the same channels.
- The router was a bad place on the floor in a living room corner in addition obscured by the open door.
- Within the living room with its approximately 4x5 m also resulted in the longest distance always links Core 100 (more is not possible). The router previously brought it to a value of 85-90. My internet connection has 100 MBIs / s, which also provides my provider as I could check without WLAN. On your desktop computer, the router is also able to 100 Mbit / s transfer it to 2.4GHz. In the case of mobile devices, however, is at 32 Mbit / s circuit. In my view, encounter but since the devices to their limits.
- To the other end of my apartment, the signal had to walk through paths through 3 doors and the associated massive brick walls of the old building. As expected, this was after both the signal strength and the transmission speed. Both, however, was still unsatisfactory and without disconnections available. It was the same one floor below. The signal strength was in the 5 GHz band a bit more by than in the 2.4 GHz range.
- The overall conclusion is that the WRT1900AC by his technique and the 4 external antennas in terms of signal strength and link quality slightly outperform the previously used and also high-quality products, in particular to products with purely internal antennas. This may be particularly important for households using regularly WLAN of different or more distant areas from.
- The wireless AC / 802.11ac mode should be interesting for home networks or use as a NAS server because of the high data transfer rates. One thing to consider in advance, however, that the devices must support this standard also.
Conclusion:
The WRT1900AC can certainly beat its competition in terms of signal strength and link quality. He is also by supporting the 5 GHz network with 802.11ac future-proof and offers eSATA and USB3 in conjunction with the file systems FAT, NTFS and HFS + best conditions for use as a NAS server. Smart-WIFI is an interesting option for remote access from outside. If it will eventually give the alternative firmware OpenWRT, is expected to an even greater range of functions. Whether there will be this however, is still unclear. For the experienced user, the device is intuitive to use, but the untrained user is left quite alone because of insufficient documentation. After considering the results for me 4 of 5 stars, with the proud current price of around 270 euros (direct order from Amazon) has not been included in the assessment.
