[ad_1]
Vilo might not be a household name in home networking, but at $ 20 per node, its new Vilo Mesh Wi-Fi system is the cheapest kit we’ve ever seen.
Is there a catch? A little one: Vilo’s dual-band (2.4 and 5 GHz) system is based on the older Wi-Fi 5 technology (aka 802.11ac) which was first released to the market in 2013, and not on the newer (and much faster) Wi-Fi 6 or Wi-Fi 6th. Both Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6e are based on 802.11ax technology, but the latter offers even more bandwidth by tapping into additional radio spectrum in the less congested 6 GHz range.
Vilo is betting that instead of investing a lot of money in cutting edge hardware at a high cost, a lot of people will settle for something much better than what they have for a lot less money: 20 $ ($ 27.98 with shipping) for a router designed to cover 1,500 square feet and $ 20 ($ 27.98 with shipping) for each additional node that will add an additional 1,500 square feet. You can also buy a three-pack Vilo rated to cover a 4,500 square foot home with Wi-Fi coverage for just $ 69.98 (including shipping).
The little white nodes (2.7 x 2.7 x 5.9 inches) are designed to be harmless, but each comes with three gigabit Ethernet ports if you have the wired infrastructure in your walls to take advantage of it. However. The system supports beamforming, band driving and MU-MIMO (multi-user, multiple input / multiple output) to support multiple clients simultaneously (Vilo says each node can support up to 65 devices).
You will always need a gateway or broadband modem to connect to your ISP’s service, and whatever Vilo node you plug into this device will become the router for your network. You will use the Vilo app (which requires Android 8 or iOS 9.0 or later) to configure and control your mesh network, including setting up a guest network and enabling parental controls, features included at no additional cost. .
Vilo claims that its mesh network will provide a theoretical maximum bandwidth of 300 Mbps on its 2.4 GHz network and 867 Mbps on its 5 GHz network. It’s certainly fast enough for streaming video and transferring files back and forth, although there is no dedicated data link channel as some more advanced routers, even older 802.11ac models, support it. charge.
That’s a favorable comparison with competing devices like Eero, whose Prime Day sale for a three-node system was $ 181, more than double the price of the Vilo. Orbi’s tri-band mesh Wi-Fi three-pack costs $ 291 (this third band is dedicated to carrying data). The Eero three-pack normally costs $ 279 at Amazon, so saving almost $ 200 is something to consider. Of course, the two competing mesh solutions offer a lot more bandwidth than Vilo, but Vilo bet that for the money, its promised price-performance ratio will win you over.
[ad_2]
Source link