PC_Pro_Issue_274_August_2017

VIEW FROM THE LABS
Now that fast Wi-Fi forms the backbone of our lives, it’s time to
rethink our attitudes towards paying for it
I’ve been, for my sins, testing
wireless routers for well over a
decade now. And each year,
although the products are different,
the over-arching story of Wi-Fi has
remained very much the same.
You want a decent router? Dump
your ISP unit and replace it with
something with the latest Wi-Fi
gubbins. You want good coverage all
over your house or in the garden? Use
powerline networking or extenders
and suffer the effects of degraded
throughput – and a nightmare of
multiple networks, apps and
passwords.
Whatever setup you choose,
though, expect it to be complicated
and fiddly – an exercise in frustration
and (if you’re anything like me)
potential technological flagellation.
Over the past 12 months, however,
there’s been a gradual shift in the
wireless landscape, a fresh breeze
blowing away the stagnant air of
previous years. The emergence of
mesh Wi-Fi has finally delivered on
the promise of a reliable, solid
wireless connection everywhere in
your home and, best of all, simple
setup you don’t need a degree in radio
Test results
Jonathan Bray is head
of reviews for Alphr.
com and Expert
Reviews. He was
previously reviews
editor of PC Pro
“Over the past 12 months,
there’s been a gradual shift
in the wireless landscape, a
fresh breeze blowing away
the stagnant air”
RIGHT Our modern lives would
fall apart without reliable
internet, so why not splash out?
frequency physics
to understand.
Indeed, the rise of
mesh has been so
dramatic that I’m now at
the point of wondering
why I’d recommend
anything else to anyone
who has a problem with
domestic Wi-Fi coverage.
The only thing holding me back right
now is price. Consumers have
traditionally baulked at
spending more than £100
on a wireless router; with
the cost of mesh wireless
systems starting at £200
it’s asking a lot for them
to break the habit of a
lifetime.
And yet, in the overall scheme of
things, is £200 really that much? An
internet connection lies at the core of
every element of modern technology.
Without it your smart TV stops
working, you can’t stream Netflix or
Amazon Prime. You can’t order your
shopping online, stream your tunes,
download those massive updates for
your Xbox One games or check your
facts on Wikipedia.
Without a reliable internet
connection, your modern life falls
apart. So why on earth wouldn’t you
spend what amounts to the cost of a
cheap dishwasher or a budget
smartphone on decent Wi-Fi coverage
for your home?
To put it crudely, it’s about time we
all paid more attention and paid more
money for the wireless infrastructure
in our homes: it’s just as well there’s
finally a good reason to do so.
jon@alphr.com
Maximum throughput
at close range
MB/sec
Maximum throughput
at long range
MB/sec
Mesh Wi-Fi per node maximum
throughput at long range
MB/sec
USB read speed
MB/sec
TP-Link Archer
Recommended
VR2800
109
Netgear
Nighthawk X10
102
Netgear Orbi 74.5
Linksys Velop
54.7
Linksys Velop 23.6
Netgear
Nighthawk X10
74.8
BT Whole
Home Wi-Fi
Asus
BRT-AC828
Recommended
87
99.7
BT Whole
Home Wi-Fi
Google Wifi
35 Recommended
27.3 Labs Winner
Asus BRT-AC828
59.4
BT Smart Hub
Linksys Velop
85.5
78.8
Asus BRT-AC828
Netgear
Nighthawk X10
21.4
17.1
Netgear Orbi
8.6
Linksys
WRT3200ACM
42.8
Netgear Orbi
78.5
Sky Q
15.7
Linksys
WRT3200AC
Google Wifi Labs Winner
74.9
72.9
BT Smart Hub
Sky Q Hub
13.8
12.6
Google Wifi
4.7 Labs Winner
TP-Link
Archer VR2800
41.8 Recommended
DrayTek
Vigor 2860AC
Virgin
Media Hub 3
54.8
47.5
TP-Link Archer
VR2800
Virgin
Media Hub 3
10.4 Recommended
9.7
BT Smart Hub
33.7
Sky Q Hub
Sky Q
40
40
Linksys
WRT3200ACM
DrayTek
Vigor 2860AC
1.6
7.1
BT Whole
Home Wi-Fi
2.8 Recommended
DrayTek
Vigor 2860AC
5.4
0 20 40 60 80 100 120
0 20 40 60 80
0 5 10 15 20 25
0 20 40 60 80
91