D-Link’s latest mesh router skips compatibility with its Covr gadgets but flies with the Eagle, which is handy if you own one of those.
Times are changing, and not just because you might be considering a new phone with a certain sense of annual regularity. Every piece of technology is bound to be upgraded at some point in your life, but one of the devices that often gets overlooked is the router.
While it’s taking over wireless for so many things you rely on, that might be the one area we’re not considering an update for.
And yet it could be the right choice if you need faster internet performance at home. Depending on where you got your router from, it could be the gadget to add speed where you need it, as some WiFi routers are only made to handle the bare minimum and not the dozens of techs we know all have in our lives.
That could mean that the WiFi router that your internet connection came with is getting an update and a new one is on the way shortly.
It’s an option from D-Link that joins the company’s “Eagle” line, one of the mesh network options that uses multiple access points to create a sort of Venn diagram of wireless network range and speed. Rather than relying on a router to broadcast a signal from a central location, Mesh creates circles of overlapping networks that can improve home wireless range, although you typically have to position some of these around your home.
In D-Link’s latest, the M32 AX3200 Eagle Pro AI wireless mesh router, the idea is still the same as other mesh devices, but there’s a good 3.2Gbps wireless bandwidth to work with , as well as range improvements.
Each device appears to include two Gigabit Ethernet ports to keep wired devices connected to the wireless network, reminding us of D-Link’s Covr Mesh networking devices.
But make no mistake, these aren’t the same, as the company points out that D-Link’s Eagle and Covr mesh devices are incompatible, even though both offer WiFi 6 802.11ax in a mesh network setup.
Rather, Eagle uses AI to strengthen its connection, while this model, the M32, attempts to understand the wake-up time for devices connecting to the router for broadcasts in order to extend the battery life of those devices. Call it a bit of green technology, this isn’t designed to save power at the router end, but more at the end of your phone, tablet or laptop.
The range doesn’t necessarily come cheap, however, as the two-pack of D-Link AX3200 Eagle Mesh Network Gadgets covers up to 510 square feet for $449.95, while the three-pack costs $649.99 and covers up to 740 square feet covers.
