Expert Reviews

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Darien Graham-Smith

A lifelong technology enthusiast, Darien is a regular contributor to both Expert Reviews and PC Pro magazine, specialising in wireless networking, internet security and other technical topics. He also contributes to and produces the weekly PC Pro podcast, and has made occasional appearances on BBC News and Open University programming. In his spare time he dabbles in audio production, and plays guitar, bass and drums with the enthusiasm of a committed amateur.

Recent articles by Darien Graham-Smith

Netgear Nighthawk XR1000 review: An excellent gaming router
Wireless routers

It isn’t the fastest router around but for optimising and managing gaming performance the Nighthawk XR1000 is in a class of its own

Published :
£244 inc VAT
ExpressVPN: A great, user-friendly VPN
VPNs

ExpressVPN isn’t the cheapest nor the fastest, but it’s secure, easy to use and excellent for video streaming

Published :
£5.61 /mth, 15-month subscription
TP-Link Deco X68: Strong Wi-Fi 6 performance but no Wi-Fi 6E
Wireless routers

While this dual-station mesh works well, it’s expensive and lacks support for the up-and-coming 6GHz standard

Published :
£321 inc VAT
Mercusys Halo H80X two node mesh Wi-Fi system on a yellow and grey rug
Mercusys Halo H80X: A great value Wi-Fi mesh system
Wireless routers

Compact, unassuming and remarkably speedy for the price, the Halo H80X is a terrific mainstream mesh Wi-Fi system

Published :
£162 inc VAT
Netgear Orbi RBK863: A decent but overpriced mesh
Wireless routers

Great performance and coverage but not good enough to justify the sky-high asking price

Published :
£1099 inc VAT
TP-Link Deco XE75: An affordable Wi-Fi 6E mesh
Wireless routers

It doesn’t reach the pinnacles of 6GHz performance, but the Deco XE75 is a fast mesh system with great coverage at a very reasonable price

Published :
£350 inc VAT
Netgear Nighthawk RAXE300: A fast but expensive router
Wireless routers

An impressive router, but it’s not as fast as the flagship RAXE500, and too expensive for the mass market

Published :
£350 inc VAT
Netgear Orbi RBK763: Excellent but overpriced
Wireless routers

There’s little to fault with this user-friendly mesh, but it’s a questionable choice when you can get a Wi-Fi 6E system for less

Published :
£600 inc VAT
ZTE Miracle AX3000 Pro review: A respectable Wi-Fi 6 router
Wireless routers

While not the fastest router in its price range, this stylish model still has ample connectivity for most homes

Published :
£71 inc VAT
Eero 6 mesh Wi-Fi review: Slick and smart but not that fast
Wireless routers

Although user-friendly, this next-gen mesh is short on advanced features and doesn’t open up the full performance potential of Wi-Fi 6

Published :
£279 inc VAT