D-Link EXO DIR-2660(AC2600) Router Review

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The D-Link DIR Ac2600 provides faster overall wireless speed and a better range. It comes with a wide range of features such as McAfee protection and an affordable price. Today, we find a lot of router products on the market, which provides basic features. Compared to most products.

The AC2600 offers more unique features like strong and fast Wi-Fi connectivity. It has 802.11 ac Wave2 wireless speed with MU-MIMO technology. The most interesting feature is the router-level McAfee protection, which provides better security and anti-virus protection for your home network.

It is important to know that the D-Link does not offer ADSL and VSDL modem version. Therefore, you have broadband through ADSL and plan to replace the ISP router, this product might not be the ideal solution. However, you can connect this device to the existing router and can use the modem. Alternatively, choosing the ADSL router is a more convenient option.

In today’s review article, we will talk about the D-Link AC2600 router and review its networking features. We will also review the design & build hardware, and installation procedure of the D-Link Ac2600 router. Read on!

Specifications

Size: 7.20 x 10.10 x 1.80 inches

Antennas: 4 replaceable antennas

Wi-Fi Spec: 5 GHz 802.11ac dual band

Ports: 1 USB 2.0 and 1 USB 3.0

Peak Performance: 800 Mbps

Range: 14,000 sqft.

Unbox Video

Networking

The D-Link Ac2600 offers faster Wi-Fi. It also offers a better range and manages floors and thick walls in a better way than most routers available on the market. It has a top speed of 800 Mbps on 2.4 GHz frequency and 1733 Mbps on 5 GHz frequency.

This is due to 802.11 ac Wave 2 technology coupled with MU-MIMO technology. This provides higher-speed Wi-Fi connectivity to multiple devices simultaneously. D-Link has made significant efforts to improve on both range and signal strength in this product compared to other models of the same company.

We have tested the D-Link AC2600 Wi-Fi router. While testing the product, our first benchmark was one meter away from the router at the house front on the first floor. Then, we stepped into the area, which was located next door. The distance here was five meters. Another benchmark we set for testing this router was in the back of the house. The ultimate test we did was in the garden where the range of the connection was a bit low.

Design

The D-Link DIR Ac2600 has an angular design. It has a black-color finish with LED indicators that blink away on the router’s hood. The dome-shaped design with grey ridges that run along the sides and front of the router makes it stylish. It has chunky antennas, which makes this device look a little like the best.

The design is compact but it is packed with many techs. the dimensions of this device are 222.9 x 176.6 x 65 mm. The antennas are quite adjustable and allow the user to tweak the position to further improve the range of Wi-Fi in the house. On the backside of the router, you will find 4 Gigabit Ethernet ports.

There is also a Gigabit WAN port, which allows connecting the ISP’s router. Also, you will find 1 USB 2.0 and 1 USB 3.0 port, which are nestled on the front in the bottom-right part of the router. Both ports can be used for connecting external storage. You can also use these ports to share data or files on the network.

Hardware

The D-Link Ac2600 Wi-Fi router was released a few years ago in 2017. When it comes to the hardware features of the product, you will be amazed to know that it has a Broadcom BCM4709C0 1.4 GHz chipset backed with 256 MB RAM along with 128 MB flash memory. This is quite impressive.

Another important hardware feature is its compatibility with the IEEE 802.11ac standard. The Broadcom process allows for the maximum speed of 800 Mbps and 1733 Mbps. The D-Link DIR Ac2600 offers another useful feature, which is the guest network. It has 1 x 10-100-1000 Mbps WAN and 4 x 10-100-1000 Mbps LAN ports.

Installation

As far as the installation of the D-Link Ac2600 is pain-free and you will need only a few minutes to complete the process. Previously, you had to connect your laptop or PC through Ethernet and the poorly-designed web interface for setting up the router would be a hassle for everyone. However, this is not the case with the D-Link Ac2600 Wi-Fi router.

Also, you can download the Wi-Fi app and scan the QR code, which the company has supplied in the packaging. This is useful for connecting to the router and input the desired network details of the Wi-Fi network. Thus, the router will restart. You must apply the new network details to connect the devices you want.

After setting up, you can use the Wi-Fi app with the D-Link Ac2600 to link your Google Assistant and Alexa to the router for voice control. You can also set up a Wi-Fi guest network as well as run internet speed tests via the Speed-Test Functionality. To access the other useful features of the D-Link DIR Ac2600, you need to download a separate app, which is a bit annoying for some users.

Moreover, using the D-Link Defend App, the user can use the built-in McAfee protection of the router. The best thing is that you get McAfee protection for 5 years free of charge. Through this, you can scan all devices that are connected to the network for threats and vulnerabilities.

Furthermore, you can also install the router in an away mode, which is activated through a tap. Also, you can disconnect specific devices from the wireless network while you are not at home. Thus, this gives hackers fewer ways into the home Wi-Fi network. Likewise, you can organize different devices on the network.

The parental controls allow users to create various profiles. You can associate certain devices on the network with the profiles. So, from there, you can also set up content blockers on site-specific or category basis.

What We Liked

• Affordable
• MU-MIMO Technology
• Multiple USB ports
• Four spatial streams

What We didn’t Like

• No wireless bridge mode

Related D-Link Router Review

• D-Link COVR Ac3900 Mesh WiFi System Review
• D-Link AC1900 Router Review

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