D-Link is a well-respected name in the world of internet and network connectivity, making some of the best WiFi routers (opens in new tab) available and now it’s looking to add to that collection. D-Link’s CES 2021 lineup is fronted by a pair of WiFi 6 routers in the form of the AI M32 AX3200 Wi-Fi 6 AI Mesh Router and AX1800 Scalable Mesh Wi-Fi 6 Router. The AI M32 AX3200 Wi-Fi 6 AI Mesh Router (D-Link AI M32) is the big, beefy, expensive one of the pair, and it comes with an impressive spec sheet (opens in new tab). The 32 in the name refers to the speeds - up to 3.2 Gbps. Frankly, that’s excessive unless you’re running NASA, but it’s good to have some redundancy built in and you’ll certainly never see your system bottleneck with these specs. The second device here, the AX1800 Scalable Mesh Wi-Fi 6 Router (DIR-LX1870) isn’t quite as fast, but it’s way cheaper and more importantly, it’s scalable which means you can just add more devices if you live in a larger home. It offers speeds of up to 1.8Gbps and is built with numerous devices in mind. A single device to cover 3000 sq ft, two devices will cover 5500 sq ft, three devices will cover 8000sq ft and four devices will cover a whopping 10000 sq ft. Yeah, that should be enough coverage for us. Both of these devices have extensive specs sheets filled with all kinds of acronyms and proprietary technologies, but most of it is techno jargon. It’s important that these routers do all this stuff and it helps them work, but nobody needs to know about the latest orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) technology. Alongside this pair of routers, D-Link unveiled the new AX1800 Wi-Fi 6 USB 3.0 Adapter (opens in new tab) (DWA-X1850). This handy little gadget is a simple plug and play adapter that lets your laptop or home computer enjoy the benefits of WiFi 6 technology. This is ideal for older devices which don’t have WiFi 6 capable wireless cards in them. Of course, older devices will still work with WiFi 6 routers even without this adapter - they just won’t take full advantage of the technology. The D-Link AI M32 will be launching in Q3 2021 and will be priced at $249.99. The DIR-LX1870 Scalable Mesh Router is available now and costs $129.99 per device. Finally, the DWA-X1850 USB adapter will be released in Q2 2021 and will be priced at $99.99.
What’s all this about WiFi 6?
We’ve thrown a lot of specs at you, and we’ve mentioned WiFi 6 a bunch, but many of you are likely wondering what we’re talking about. To be honest, after two days of non-stop tech reveals from CES, we’re wondering what we’re talking about. But mercifully, our “What is WiFi 6, and do you need it? (opens in new tab)” has all the answers. If you’re looking for the short version though, it’s a faster WiFi technology with a greater bandwidth for devices, meaning more gadgets can be connected to the net at the same time without causing slowdown. D-Link isn’t done with CES 2021 and neither are we. it has been unveiling new devices at an impressive pace, with new gadgets hoping to slide in the ranks of the best Ethernet switches (opens in new tab) and the best WiFi boosters (opens in new tab) too. See everything that D-link is showing off during CES 2021 at its website (opens in new tab), including a virtual booth (opens in new tab) where you can explore the range and see what it can do for you.
