![]() The RT-AX56U is an affordable WiFi 6 router, offering dual-band WiFi on the 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz bands, with a top speed of 1800Mbps. ![]() You can set up a guest network, and there’s an option to create schedules to control your children’s access to the Internet, or to simply pause Internet access for a while when you need to get them round the dinner table. The app provides a decent set of basic features, providing a network map that shows all the devices connected to your network. There’s also a web browser interface provided for more advanced users who prefer to set things up for themselves. You can simply scan a QR code provided with the router, and the app will set everything up for you. You shouldn’t have too much trouble getting started, though, as the D-Link WiFi app is very easy to use. We were pleased to see that the router comes with a two-year warranty, and there’s also an option to get it professionally installed if you’re not too keen on tackling it yourself. The router also includes five Gigabit Ethernet ports – which is pretty good at this price – with one being used to connect to your existing broadband modem or router, while the others provide wired connections for laptops, games consoles and other devices that need it. That’s not going to win any awards, but if – like me – you have home broadband that tops out at 100Mbps then the DIR-X1560 will provide all the speed you need for web browsing and streaming music and video. The DIR-X1560 is a dual-band router that transmits on the 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz bands, running Wi-Fi 6 with a top speed of 1500Mbps. It’s a bit basic, but if you shop around online you can probably pick up D-Link’s DIR-X1560 for a lot less than the manufacturer’s recommended price, so it’s a good option if you want to upgrade to Wi-Fi 6 without spending too much money. So while we’d certainly recommend upgrading to a router with Wi-Fi 6, it’s not really essential to pay even higher prices for Wi-Fi 6E at the moment–especially as it won’t be long before Wi-Fi 7 arrives too. In fact, Apple only introduced Wi-Fi 6E with some of the latest Mac and iPad models at the start of 2023. But while routers with Wi-Fi 6E have been available for more than a year now, Apple and other manufacturers haven’t been in a rush to add it to their own products. Wi-Fi 6E is a definite step forward, as it adds a new 6.0GHz frequency band alongside the 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz bands used by Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6. However, Wi-Fi technology is developing so quickly that there’s already a new kid in town, called Wi-Fi 6E – and, looming on the horizon is Wi-Fi 7 too. If you’re still using an old Wi-Fi 5 router then it’s definitely worth upgrading to a new router that has Wi-Fi 6. In addition, Wi-Fi 6 is also more efficient when transmitting data to lots of different devices all at the same time–including smart devices such as lights, speakers and security cameras, in addition to all your computers and mobile devices. This uses the same 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz frequencies as Wi-Fi 5, but is a lot faster, with a top speed of 9.6Gbps. However, the most widely used form of Wi-Fi at the moment is probably the newer Wi-Fi 6–also known as 802.11ax–which has been standard on most Macs, iPhones and iPads over the last couple of years. Just remember that the Wi-Fi speeds quoted by manufacturers are the theoretical maximum, and you won’t get those speeds in real-life. However, some more expensive tri-band routers are also able to transmit with two separate 5.0GHz signals, giving Wi-Fi 5 a maximum speed of 6.9 gigabits per second (Gbps). Wi-Fi 5 transmits a signal on two frequency bands–2.4GHz and 5.0GHz–which is known as dual-band Wi-Fi. For many years, our computers, routers and other devices have all used a Wi-Fi standard known as 802.11ac– which has recently been renamed Wi-Fi 5, as the industry’s marketing brains decided that sounds a bit more user-friendly. And, of course, the long months of lockdown saw a huge growth in the number of people signing up to streaming video services and playing online games.Īnd now, just as things seem to be settling down a little, there’s another reason to think about buying a new router. The ‘new normal’ has seen many of us working and studying at home, and making Zoom calls on a daily basis. It’s hardly surprising that sales of routers and mesh Wi-Fi systems have soared in the last couple of years.
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