The current era is all about rapid progression. Technology outdates itself as soon as it leaves the factory. Same is the case with routers, where one should opt for a router with the latest tech to future-proof himself. Such a functionality is offered by the Amped Wireless RTA2600 Athena High Power Wi-Fi router.
The Powerful Specs and Compact Design
As far as the specs are concerned, the router is powered by a dual-core 1.4GHz processor, which essentially means it can easily sustain multiple connections simultaneously. To add on top of that, 512MB of the DDR3 system ensures smooth performance overall. Furthermore, the router also has 128MB of flash storage. Not only this but the router also has a USB 3.0 port which means you can access files over the network faster if an external storage medium is connected. In case, that port is already being used, there is another USB 2.0 port though file access shall be a bit slower through this.
Apart from the usual 4 GigaBit LAN ports and a Gigabit WAN port, there are 4 detachable antennas too at the back. 4 antennas mean an extended range, which essentially leads to better coverage. Rather surprisingly, the router is compact if the specs are concerned. This means it can be installed anywhere without taking much space. Moreover, the router also features the latest MU-MIMO technology.
MU-MIMO WiFi technology
Remember when we discussed future proofing ourselves? The Router’s MU-MIMO tech is the perfect contender for such. Basically, the new MU-MIMO 802.11AC Wi-Fi chip handles Wi-Fi bandwidth with much greater efficiency. Therefore, it implies that a user would be able to surf the web at a better data rate even when more than one person is on the network simultaneously.
There may be a disappointment though. The MU-MIMO technology works only if the client also supports MU-MIMO. But, as the world is progressing and pre-MU-MIMO devices are getting replaced for compatible ones, this technology in itself is enough to future proof your router.
Easy to Setup
Unlike common routers, this particular router is easy to set up. When you take out the router from its box, a network cable is already plugged into the router’s WAN port. All you need to do is just plug the other end of the cable into a broadband modem or another Internet source. Along with that just plug in the router to an electrical outlet. This is pretty much it, no other kind of hassle. The details of the two Wifi networks (one of each band) is available on the router’s underside.
For the tech-savvy who are interested in changing the router’s settings then you just need to navigate to 192.168.3.1 which is the router’s default IP Address. The default password for accessing router’s setting is admin and the username is admin too
Our Verdict
Available for a price tag of $279.99, the router might be considered a bit expensive. There is also a downside to the router, that is if you change the settings you need to restart the router or reboot, and rebooting take some time more than a minute! On the contrary, with the features the router offers and the future-proofing prospect, this router is a must buy.