Mini WiFi Extender evaluation

Amped Wireless REC10 is a compact, powerful Wi-Fi wireless network extender. It can extend the area of wireless network coverage, eliminate the signal dead end, the price of 80 U.S. dollars (about 496.27 yuan). Recently, the Foreign Science and Technology website TUAW Evaluation Editor Steven Sander (Steven Sande) on this product made a more detailed evaluation. The following is the full text of the article:

Design workmanship

Similar to Apple's first-generation Airport Express Wireless base station, the REC10 is very compact and can be directly placed in an indoor wall power outlet. The volume is 4x2.5x1.25 in inches (10.16x6.35x3.18 cm) and weighs 3.7 ounces (105 grams).

The main way REC10 works is to replicate the wireless signal emitted by the master route, extending the coverage of the 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi network. This product is built into two power 600mW signal amplification chips, equipped with a 2dBi high gain antenna. Producer Amped Wireless claims it can extend its existing wireless network to a maximum of 6500 square feet (603.87 square meters).

REC10 is fairly simple to set up. When placed on a wall outlet, it starts automatically, activating an open wireless network with an initial ID of "AMPED_REC10". Users connect the iOS tablet, Mac computer, or Windows PC to the network, and use the browser to open the Settings page for a specific address, and then complete the setup process under the wizard, including the need to reassign the wireless network ID, and set a new login password. REC10 's intimate is that the user can clone the original wireless network ID and login password by one key. Note, however, that it automatically adds the "_re" suffix after the main route's wireless network ID to make the difference.

Actual performance

Judge a Wi-Fi wireless network extender of the pros and cons of the main observation of two indicators. One is the expansion distance of the signal coverage range and the other is the network speed of the new coverage area. In an ideal situation, the Extender can not only expand the original network to a larger space, eliminate the signal dead end, but also to maintain the original upload download speed unchanged. In the actual test, REC10 did increase the range of the signal coverage, but the speed was reduced.

To understand the scope of the extension of the signal coverage, the author of the ipad mini as a test equipment, first of all in front of their homes in all directions to locate the original wireless network signal disappeared location. Then, in the case of opening the REC10, the new signal vanishing position after the expansion is measured again. The range of the extended range is calculated by using tape to measure the distance before and after the two-time positioning process.

There are many factors affecting the coverage area of Wi-Fi wireless signal, including the placement of the route or extender, the number of walls and the material. Therefore, Amped Wireless recommended that the REC10 be placed in the original Wi-Fi signal strength of not less than 70% of the range. In this review, REC10 's placement point of the original Wi-Fi signal is 79%.

From the wireless network icon in the ipad mini notice bar, the REC10 can elevate the signal strength to the full grid in the area where the original Wi-Fi signal is only two bars in the room. In either direction, the REC10 extends the entire network's coverage to 10 feet (3.05 meters). Although this distance is not surprising, but with the help of this extender, the author's home in the original signal corner has indeed been completely eliminated.

When judging the speed change, the author turns to the test room fixed position, the original Wi-Fi wireless signal and the different performance of the Extender signal. Surprisingly, the average download rate for the primary network was about 34.3Mbps, the upload rate was on average 6.2Mbps, and in REC10 's extended network, the average download rate dropped by almost half, only 15.9Mbps, while the uplink rate remained the same and 6.2Mbps.

The advice for this Amped Wireless customer service is to adjust the bandwidth of the REC10 from 20MHz to 40MHz and restart the device, but this setting causes the ipad Mini to not connect to the extended network. Fortunately, the REC10 control edge of the band from the low adjustment to high, everything back to normal. Furthermore, the downlink rate of the extended network has been increased to about 25.8Mbps, and the uplink rate has changed little, the average is 4.0Mbps.

Therefore, from the test results, the REC10 brought about by the increase in the signal coverage of only 10 feet (3.05 meters). And compared with the original network, the speed of expansion network has also decreased. Therefore, for the average user, whether such a product is worth investing, depends on the individual circumstances. For those in the home where there are wireless signal dead ends, if the dead end position is exactly in the area that needs to be connected to the network, then REC10 is their best choice. While the speed has decreased, using Wi-Fi wireless networks is certainly more cost-effective than relying on 3G traffic packages at home.

In addition, for such a Wi-Fi network extender, the user's expectations need to be kept within a reasonable range. To be sure, REC10 cannot achieve a distance of up to 1 kilometres. In addition, even if it can eliminate the home of the signal dead end, in the extended network, the speed of the network will also be reduced.

Finally, you need to point out several minor flaws in REC10: First, this product is accompanied by wireless signal strength analysis for Windows and Android platforms, but ignores Apple users using OS X and iOS systems. Second, when working, REC10 's front panel LEDs are illuminated steady, and for some users, the inability to turn off this feature can be confusing.

Conclusion

For those who don't care much about the price of a product, REC10 is a lightweight, simple, compatible Wi-Fi network extender. But they can not expect too much, this product does not make a miracle.

Advantages:

Small size, easy to install;

Set fast and simple;

Enough to eliminate the signal dead end;

Based on the Web page of the setting tool design beautiful;

Manufacturer Amped Wireless provides 30-day refund guarantee.

Disadvantages:

No wireless signal analysis tool is provided for Apple users;

In the extended network area, the speed of the upper and lower rows decreases;

Influenced by architectural design layout, the range of signal expansion varies greatly.

The front panel working status led cannot be closed.