Model RT-N12 is designed for home use or small office space.
Let's evaluate this device in the context of the following characteristics:
1. Radius of action
2. Setting procedure
3. Bandwidth
4. Reliability
5. Design
Range - in combat conditions, it completely covers a 3-room apartment with a common square, a Wi-Fi signal is even present on the staircase (with a barrier of 3 brick walls from the signal source). Concrete partitions reduce the reach slightly. ASUS RT-N13U provides more coverage, but its price is correspondingly higher.
Rated 10 out of 12
The setup procedure is not a very well thought out and intuitive setup interface. Although a person with a higher education must cope. Applying the settings is accompanied by frequent device overloads (changing the MAC address or adding DHCP reservations). Internet access is required to configure the router. Configuration problems are resolved by updating the old firmware. Automatic adjustment of the unit is possible using the supplied adjustment program. The user needs to indicate his city and the name of the Internet provider, the program will prompt for the rest. For those whose provider makes a binding by MAC address, there is also good news - the device can substitute the MAC address of your computer and go online on its own behalf, saving you from having to change the binding at the provider. Of the minuses, you can add the presence of a clumsy translation from English into Russian. There is a problem of losing connection when changing the time zone (depending on the ISP). Repeater mode works only when there is no encryption. In WPA2 personal mode, the device refuses to relay the signal. ASUS competitors have the same problems, so this is probably a controversial drawback. Rated 8 out of 12
Bandwidth - the router does not provide internet connection speeds directly. With 100 MB declared by the provider, we get a maximum of 70 MB through the router. When you update the firmware, speed loss problems go away by themselves. Rated 9 out of 12
Reliability - The RT-N12 D1 is a dependable workhorse. Practice shows that the device works stably (keeping the above problems in mind) for 2-3 years. In our conditions, unstable voltage in the network (constant blackouts, drops) is practically an eternity. Rated 10 out of 12
Design. Especially for aesthetes, the device has a pretty nice design. Among the shortcomings, one can distinguish the blue color of the indicators. Faint-hearted users are advised not to place the router in the bedroom or by the bed - the blue color can be annoying. With a long operation, the router can turn on all the LEDs at once. The solution is simple - by overloading the device. So this is more of a feature, not a drawback. Rated 10 out of 12.
Good to know: "How to choose a voltage stabilizer"
In the end, summing up all of the above, we get 9 out of 12. An excellent workaholic-average peasant for an affordable price. Recommend
