When I was asked* if I wanted to beta test the most powerful D-Link router ever made thus far I practically tripped over myself with a blustering “YES”. It’s hard to contain my excitement over this wonderful piece of technology. Maybe it was the fact that it’s our first Tri-Band wireless router, or that it uses SmartConnect (Band-Steering) for device management, or maybe I just like the fact that it looks like a fire red drone ready to launch a beamforming ray at the next unsuspecting wireless device. I had a mix of reasons and emotions before falling in love with this Star Wars-esque robotic companion. Though one thing is for sure; from the point of opening to setting up I had every reason to love the full experience this powerful router had to offer.
What can it do?
The AC3200 Ultra Wi-Fi Router can do a lot more than the average router because of two specific features. One – the 6 high-gain antennas make for farther range and stronger throughput. It pushes 802.11ac farther than ever, making my walls and other home blockades seem like cardboard. Two – it knows how to work with what it has coming in. Don’t think your 15mbps down connection speed makes this machine overkill, because it’s actually quite the contrary; you probably need it more than someone rocking a 1,000Mbps connection on Google Fiber. Why? Because we decided to plug a powerful chip into our creation; one that uses band steering or what we like to call “SmartConnect”. This allows it to automatically send devices on your network to band segments that make it fair for the rest of your devices. If load is too high on one segment it will send that device to one that has more free bandwidth to handle it. Add into the equation two 5Ghz bands running up to 1,300Mbps each as well as one 2.4Ghz up to 600Mbps, and you have yourself a well-built system.
What’s also nice about SmartConnect, is you only have one Wi-Fi name (SSID) to log into. So no longer will you have “getoff2.4” and “getoff5.0” SSID’s on a dual-band connection. No longer are you forced to explain to your family and friends which one they should join and why. On top of that, it runs SmartBeam (beamforming) which actually sends Wi-Fi directly to your device rather than just sending wireless waves in all directions. Internally you can expect to receive fast application power on a Dual-Core 1Ghz processor. The triangular design also has heat vents throughout the bottom and back of the unit for efficient coolingand the antennas are not super long and move most directions depending on your liking.
The Unboxing
The package reminds me of a laptop box, except it’s easier to filter on through. 
It comes with a power cord, Ethernet cable, power adapter, starter’s guide, and of course the AC3200 Ultra Wi-Fi Router.
I took the liberty to showcase my experience from start to finish. Wrapped and shiny (banana for scale). 
Here’s the back. (Sorry for the distracting ingredients, my wife was making cookies. Get jealous.)
Alright let’s get this force field off.
The lid comes right off. It’s sleek, clean, and everything is easy to get to.
Isn’t she a beaut?
This fire red pyramid doesn’t disappoint. It packs 1 USB 3.0 and 1 USB 2.0 along with a reset button, WPS button, 4 gigabit ports plus a WAN, power button, and power slot.
Ready for lift-off. I happened to have a couple red-ish cat6 cables lying around. I seem to have no problem matching my home networking gear, while clothing is another story.
Getting her running was a cinch. Literally takes 3 steps once you log into http://dlinkrouter.local./ or the IP address http://192.168.0.1 in your preferred web browser. Full setup and walk through here. Seriously took me less than a couple of minutes. I also have a DOCSIS™ 3.0 Cable Modem (DCM-301) and a PC wired in. I get 108Mbps down speed wired in and on my wife’s Note 3 I was getting 102Mbps the next room over wirelessly. If you’re interested to learn more or possibly purchasing our early limited quantities; it’s available exclusively at NeweggBusiness.com from January 5th – February 5th.
Remember these wise old words my friends – “Slow Wi-Fi is worse than no Wi-Fi at all because it’s such a tease” – Unknown
*Jonathan is an employee of D-Link Systems
Carissa Blegen says: Hi Wayne,
If you have forgotten your Wi-Fi password and it is not saved on any...
