The D-Link EXO AC2600 (DIR-882) is an interesting router with solid performance, a classy yet understated chassis and an attractive price tag.
Certainly, there’s cheaper routers on the market, and there’s also faster ways to move files around, but the D-Link DIR-882 finds an excellent balance between the two. Our test graphs are a little unfair at the moment, and we aim to pad them out over the coming months, but the D-Link holds its own against two vastly more expensive options. As you can expect, absolute throughput has to suffer somewhat, especially when being compared to something 5x the cost, but to be within 10-20% of the Netgear XR700 in most tests is remarkable.
The chassis looks great, it’s neat and tidy and easy to tuck away, providing you can fit the tall antennas in. However, looks aren’t everything, and while handling the device, the construction felt light and flimsy. While this is very unlikely to cause any problems due to the fact that most routers are set up next to their modem and then very rarely touched again, it would still be nice if it felt a little more well-made.
Setting up the router was a doddle, taking around 20 minutes including the firmware upgrades. There was no jargon thrown in, instead using plain English and doing all the hard work for you. While adjusting settings in the router, we met a painful 25 second wait for every change. While we’re sure this has been implemented for a reason, 25 seconds seems like an eternity when you’re wanting to do something as simple as change an SSID or password. Overall, however, the software is snappy and easy to use, though it does lack some more in-depth features.
Thanks to the MU-MIMO (Multi-user, multiple input, multiple output) and AC SmartBeam technology, the router performed remarkably well; we’d be happy to recommend this for multiple user households.
The D-Link DIR-882 provides a solid WiFi platform at a competitive price; if your family demands stability and speed but you don’t want to spend the Earth, choose this one; it will almost undoubtedly be better than the ISP-provided router.
Click here for an explanation of our awards at Vortez.net.
Stay connected with the Vortez Social Media pages:
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Join in with the discussions on Discord
Certainly, there’s cheaper routers on the market, and there’s also faster ways to move files around, but the D-Link DIR-882 finds an excellent balance between the two. Our test graphs are a little unfair at the moment, and we aim to pad them out over the coming months, but the D-Link holds its own against two vastly more expensive options. As you can expect, absolute throughput has to suffer somewhat, especially when being compared to something 5x the cost, but to be within 10-20% of the Netgear XR700 in most tests is remarkable.
The chassis looks great, it’s neat and tidy and easy to tuck away, providing you can fit the tall antennas in. However, looks aren’t everything, and while handling the device, the construction felt light and flimsy. While this is very unlikely to cause any problems due to the fact that most routers are set up next to their modem and then very rarely touched again, it would still be nice if it felt a little more well-made.
Setting up the router was a doddle, taking around 20 minutes including the firmware upgrades. There was no jargon thrown in, instead using plain English and doing all the hard work for you. While adjusting settings in the router, we met a painful 25 second wait for every change. While we’re sure this has been implemented for a reason, 25 seconds seems like an eternity when you’re wanting to do something as simple as change an SSID or password. Overall, however, the software is snappy and easy to use, though it does lack some more in-depth features.
Thanks to the MU-MIMO (Multi-user, multiple input, multiple output) and AC SmartBeam technology, the router performed remarkably well; we’d be happy to recommend this for multiple user households.
The D-Link DIR-882 provides a solid WiFi platform at a competitive price; if your family demands stability and speed but you don’t want to spend the Earth, choose this one; it will almost undoubtedly be better than the ISP-provided router.
Pros
+ Great price
+ Quick and stable performance
+ Chassis isn't in-your-face
+ Has USB ports for media sharing
+ Intuitive and easy to setup software
Neutral
+- Feels a little cheap and flimsy
+- Antennas can’t be swapped
Cons
- Customising settings can take a while
+ Great price
+ Quick and stable performance
+ Chassis isn't in-your-face
+ Has USB ports for media sharing
+ Intuitive and easy to setup software
Neutral
+- Feels a little cheap and flimsy
+- Antennas can’t be swapped
Cons
- Customising settings can take a while
Click here for an explanation of our awards at Vortez.net.
Stay connected with the Vortez Social Media pages:
Join in with the discussions on Discord
