Pat PilcherWi-Fi 6 might not be quite out of the gate yet in NZ but D-Link’s new Mesh gear is ready for the revolution, writes PAT PILCHER.
At Witchdoctor, we’ve long waxed lyrical about the wonders of mesh networking as the best way to kill off Wi-Fi dead zones in your home. D-Link has combined the best of their COVR Mesh offering with Wi-Fi 6 for whole-home coverage that’s not only faster but more secure.
D-Link’s solution takes the form of the COVR AX1800 Dual Band Seamless Mesh Wi-Fi 6 widgets. They’re available as a 3-pack (COVR-X1873) which consists of a router and two mesh nodes, a 2-Pack (COVR-X1872) which features a router and mesh node, or an individual COVR-X1870 Router/Add-On.
Mesh allows users to strategically place mesh nodes around their house, so they’ll link up for seamless full home Wi-Fi coverage using a single network. Combining this with Wi-Fi 6 is expected to significantly bolster capacity, speed and security.
D-Link says that the 3-pack solution is recommended for filling medium to large homes (D-Link thinks you should get up to 740-square metres of bomb-proof Wi-Fi coverage). While their 2-pack solution is recommended for smaller homes and studios, the COVR-X1870 provides a way to expand an existing COVR mesh network.
The COVR AX Series utilises OFDMA and MU-MIMO technology which communicates more data to more devices while simultaneously reducing latency.
If you live with crowded Wi-Fi reception from lots of neighbours, BSS colouring may just be what you’re looking for. It’ll help organise data packets, making your network more efficient in congested settings, improving Wi-Fi performance. Smart home widget owners can rejoice too. Their connected devices’ battery life is also improved thanks to Target Wake Time (TWT) technologies.
The new Wi-Fi 6 capable COVR range is available from www.dlink.co.nz and most electronics retailers for the following RRPs: COVR-X1873 (3-Pack) $599.99, COVR-X1872 (2-Pack) $499.99, COVR-X1870 (Add-On Point) $279.99. Watch this space for a hands-on review soon.
