Ready access to online video and gaming is now a big priority too, but a large home can mean a lot of black spots. It's time to shine some online light into those black spots...
The DIR-879 Exo AC1900 from D-Link is a powerful router indeed, but with a simple flick of a switch, this little beastie becomes a Wi-Fi extender instead, which is what I'll be focussing on here.
I've dabbled with home Wi-Fi extenders before, although they haven't always delivered what I was hoping for. Generally you're dealing with a device not much larger than a conventional power plug which is nice and subtle... Unfortunately, important features like range and speed can be pretty "subtle" too.
Too often when I've connected to a Wi-Fi extender, it's been like attaching a very small hose to a powerful tap. I've achieved good connectivity but lousy download speeds, no matter how zoopy-doopy the actual modem is I've connected the extender to.
This is why the concept of using a full-featured router as an extender is so appealing. I've come across some routers with extender functionality before, but it usually involves some pretty complicated adjustments to the device's software to enable it. Even then it might not be compatible with the base modem. Blah blah blah, yadda yadda.
With the D-Link DIR-879, you simply flick a switch on the back it it changes from router to extender, but an extender that still has all the powerful features of a high-spec gaming router.
The built-in amplifier combined with the four external antennae result in an impressive range, far in excess of those smaller, power plug-like devices.
I found there was very little loss of download and upload speed as well (provided you're connected to a quality modem obviously).
There were a few glitches however. I use a Google Chromecast to stream my online TV. Because my TV is downstairs and my modem is upstairs, I thought I might benefit by connecting the Chromecast to the DIR-879 instead. Let's just say this was not a successful experiment. Lag, dropouts... the Chromecast was definitely not happy about having to talk to the internet via an extender - even an awesome extender like this one.
The other main problem I had was the setup process. Initially I tried to use D-Link's app to setup the Exo AC1900 as a router, but I couldn't make that work at all. D-Link's web-based setup page is much more user-friendly, but even then I didn't get very far. Eventually I set up the device as a router first, then switched to extender mode. After a reboot I was able to re-connect to the setup page again and I was back in business. There's an online manual available from the D-Link web page - but given the extender feature is fairly unique, I would have thought D-Link could have streamlined the process a little.
Of course, the most obvious issue is the way this thing looks. It's reasonably large, a really weird shape and bright orange. That's super cool if you're a nerd like me. Apparently it's super UN-cool if you're a nerd like me who's married. That's the great thing about a Wi-Fi extender though... you can hide it.
Priced in the late $300s, the DIR-879 isn't cheap, but it has so many more features than a standard Wi-Fi extender it's definitely worth it. Remember, it's also an extra-grunty router with amazing smart connectivity over both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands.
One word of caution; Mesh Wi-Fi is now on the way. This is a fairly new technology which offers multiple access points for your home Wi-Fi with virtually no loss of speed. Right now there are relatively few domestic options available and the systems that are on the market are pretty pricey. Eventually, mesh Wi-Fi may become more commonplace and extenders will go extinct.
For now though, if you're experiencing too many Wi-Fi weak-spots at your place, and you can push through a slightly fiddly setup process, using the DIR-879 as an extender can definitely keep you connected.
Click here for more information and pricing details on the D-Link DIR-879 Exo AC1900 Router/Extender
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