D-Link releases Exo Smart Mesh routers this month from 134 euros

D-Link will launch its three new 802.11ac mesh routers with mu-mimo in May and June in the Benelux. The suggested retail prices of the routers range from 134 to 186 euros and the maximum combined speeds vary from 1900Mb/s to 3000Mb/s.

The D-Link DIR-1960 and DIR-2660 will be released this month and the DIR-3060 will follow in June. The routers have mesh functionality, but a mesh extender must be purchased separately for this. As an example, D-Link cites the DAP-1620, an extender that is plugged directly into the socket and can be found in the Pricewatch for from 38 euros.

The routers support 802.11ac Wave 2, which means they have mu-mimo capability. Mu-mimo works with beamforming to bring several streams to different receivers simultaneously, on a single channel. Su-mimo could only communicate with one client at a time; when connecting to more clients, a router had to switch quickly, which has a detrimental effect on speed, especially with large numbers of clients. Furthermore, the maximum possible throughput at wave 2 is higher.

D-Link goes on to say that these routers have a built-in ability to independently search and install firmware updates. This check is done daily. They also have support for Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant: users can receive audio notifications about updates and check the security of the network via the assistants.

The routers have four gigabit Ethernet ports, a USB 2.0 port and a USB 3.0 port. Also included is a five-year subscription to McAfee Secure Home and a two-year subscription to McAfee LifeSafe.

The routers don’t differ much in appearance, apart from the amount of antennas. The biggest difference is in the maximum throughput. This is 1900Mb/s with the DIR-1960, 2533Mb/s with the DIR-2660 and 3000Mb/s with the DIR-3060. The suggested retail prices of the routers are respectively 134,145 and 186 euros.