D-Link AC5300: the world’s most evil looking router
D-Link's latest wireless router looks menacing, but it's got all the right specs
D-Link has released a new range of high-performance routers that wouldn’t look out of place as the evil drones in a sci-fi thriller. The D-Link AC5300 (pictured above) has no fewer than eight external antennae on the perimeter, which coupled with the front grille, give the router a rather menacing appearance.
Its performance should be fairly fearsome, too. The device offers quoted speeds of up to 5.3Gbits/sec using the latest 802.11ac protocols. It has three separate bands – one 2.4GHz offering up to 1Gbits/sec of throughput, and two 5GHz bands delivering up to 2.1Gbits/sec each.
Those requiring wired connections will be served by the Gigabit Ethernet and USB 3 ports on the rear of the device, and there’s an optional USB 3 adapter for PCs to bring them up to speed with the latest 802.11ac protocols, helping to ensure maximum performance.
There are similar looking devices further down the range. The D-Link AC3200 has just six external antennae, instead of the AC5300’s eight, but the rest of the specs remain broadly similar: tri-band, USB 3 and Gigabit Ethernet. There’s a budget AC3100 model in the range, too.
All of the routers use D-Link’s so-called “smart bandwidth distribution” system, which is designed to ensure bandwidth-intensive applications such as HD video streaming are given top priority.
The AC3200 will be the first model to go on sale, with a US price of $310 (around £200). Launch details for the other models will be released later this year.
