Zyxel WRE6606 Review | ChannelDrive.in
This wireless range extender by Zyxel can support dedicated streams to devices
Networking device manufacturer Zyxel Communications has recently launched a new Wireless Range Extender to extend the wireless connectivity of a home or office network.
This is called the WRE6606 wireless extender, which is also the industry’s first MU-MIMO ready wireless range extender.
Wireless range extenders are stand-alone devices that connect to a network’s current wired/wireless router and basically extend the range of an existing network.
A typical range extender catches the router’s signals and rebroadcasts it to parts of the home or office that are beyond the originating router’s reach, filling in the dead zones. This becomes a great option, when you are thinking about purchasing anew router.
This is definitely cheaper than purchasing a second wireless router.
MU-MIMO is short for “multi-user multiple-input multiple-output.” This technology is different than what’s used in traditional wireless routers in that it’s not limited to communicating with one device at a time.
This is why processor speeds are important: They enable traditional routers to send/receive data to/from multiple devices via each external antenna so quickly that the devices appear to be streaming simultaneously.
Here are the specifications of Zyxel’s wireless range extender:
Model: WRE6606
Wireless standard: 802.11 b/g/n/ac
Device class: AC1300 MU-MIMO
2.4GHz maximum speed: Up to 400 megabits per second
5.0GHz maximum speed: Up to 867 megabits per second
Wireless security: 64/128-bit WEP. WPA-PSK, WPA2-PSK
Ports: 1x gigabit Ethernet
1x Micro USB for power only
This extender can be powered with the help of two ways: by plugging it directly into a wall’s electrical outlet, or by connecting a power source to the Micro USB port. While reviewing the product, we experienced that the extender’s overall size is quite small and quite comfortable to manage.
The Micro USB aspect means the device can be powered by a charging port in a desktop or laptop, or a power strip if an empty electrical socket in the wall is not available.
The new range extender includes “boost” modes for three specific scenarios. The first one is called “Range Boost” for getting the maximum amount of coverage throughout the house or office.
It also has “Speed Boost” that focuses on wireless performance for video streaming and online gaming, and “Normal Mode” for an optimized balance between coverage and performance.
