Stuff - UK (2021-03)

SMART HOME TECH

f you’ve

already

bought a

new high-end

router in the past year,

congratulations on scoring

serious nerd points – and

there’s a decent chance it

already supports Wi-Fi 6

(see panel below). While

the new standard works

its way down to freebie

routers dished out by

broadband providers,

investing in something

like Netgear’s Nighthawk

RAXE500 is the ultimate

way in.

But pay attention,

because this router doesn’t

just support Wi-Fi 6, but

Wi-Fi 6E. This means

you’re still on the same

6GHz spectrum, only the

‘E’ signifies even more

bandwidth for a very

select number of new

devices. Think of it like

a VIP section for the very

latest gadgets only.

REVENGE OF THE 6

Looking a little like Darth

Vader’s docked landing

craft (we suspect at least

partially on purpose),

the RAXE500 is all about

capacity – with around

three times the bandwidth

most of us are used

to at present. You’ll get

four swim lanes of 6GHz,

four of 5GHz and four of

2.4Ghz, giving your smart

home devices a more

even spread.

If you’re lucky enough

to be able to stretch some

wired connections to the

RAXE500 you’ll also get

to utilise the multi-gig

Ethernet ports, which

Netgear says should be

2.5x faster than a typical

Gigabit Ethernet port.

Oof, we can smell the

gamer testosterone

from here.

Other one-up claims

for having the fastest

router in the west include

next-gen WPA3 security,

which among other

things should protect

you against brute-force

attacks... although we’re

talking assaults of a

cryptographic nature

by cyberhackers here,

as opposed to anything

heading your way in

Doom Eternal.

Asus RT-AX88U

It’s a bit ‘out there’ in the

alien spacecraft design

stakes, but then the

RT-AX88U is a bit of an

‘out there’ router. A suite

of advanced features are

included, such as setting

up a private network for

gaming only and Trend

Micro protection against

naughty attacks. It’s ready

for your smart home too:

link it to Alexa and control

it with voice commands.

£300 / asus.com

TP-Link AX11000

This one’s for gamers,

as you can probably tell.

The AX11000 is all about

speed and includes those

all-important multi-gig

Ethernet ports for the

fastest connection

currently possible. As well

as having complete control

over gaming bandwidth,

you can check real-time

latency figures, and it

comes with a lifetime

anti-malware subscription.

£400 / tp-link.com

Linksys MR9600

Marginally more subtle

in design than some on

this list, the MR9600 can

support over 40 devices

and includes Linksys

Intelligent Mesh

Technology that aims

to eliminate Wi-Fi dead

zones. The app includes

a guest access option for

palming off visitors onto a

partitioned Wi-Fi network,

keeping them away from

your connected toaster.

£285 / linksys.com

D-Link AX1500

A Wi-Fi 6 upgrade for under

£100, the AX1500 is a step

up for your broadband

setup... but it’s bare-bones

when it comes to add-ons.

There are no multi-gig

ports and no malware

defences – yet for a

fairly futureproofed router

boost that won’t break the

bank, and could form the

basis for a bigger mesh

network, it’s still a bit of

a bargain.

£95 / dlink.com

Netgear Nighthawk

RAXE500

$600 / netgear.com

If you think your bundled broadband router is holding your

connected gear back, welcome to the internet’s zippy new age

WI-FI 6

ALTERNATIVELY...

WTF IS WI-FI 6?

I

The new Wi-Fi standard

is capable of theoretical

speeds of 9.6Gbps. We’re

way off broadband going

that fast, but Wi-Fi 6

capitalises on the far less

congested 6GHz band for

supremely speedy surfing,

and also on extra-efficient

splitting of bandwidth

between devices, meaning

smart home tech on the

same network will work

seamlessly.

Known as 802.11ax to

proper IT geeks, Wi-Fi 6

also schedules check-ins

between a router and

devices, saving energy

on gadgets requiring

constant connectivity.

Wi-Fi 6 devices also

support the WPA3 security

protocol, so they’ll be safer

to use.

To get the full benefit you

will need certified gadgets,

but all Wi-Fi standards are

backwards-compatible so

your existing tech will still

connect. Just because you

take your old Yaris on the

Autobahn, doesn’t mean

it’ll suddenly do 200mph,

but you will be able to go

a bit faster than usual.