We recently published a review on the D-Link M30 Aquila Pro AI twin pack, a great wifi router for your regular sized home! (You can read all about my thoughts over here) but jump forward a couple of months, I wanted to see just how easy it was to ‘upgrade’ my Wi-Fi’s coverage by adding another node! Would I need to re-configure? D-Link kindly sent out another node, you can purchase the M30 in one, two or three packs.
First let’s look at the benefits of adding the node, as I’m sure in most situations a pair of the D-Link wifi routers would be fine.
- Extended Coverage:
- An additional node increases the range of the WiFi network, allowing you to cover larger areas, including outdoor spaces or distant rooms that previously had weak or no signal.
- Improved Signal Strength:
- More nodes can provide stronger and more reliable signals throughout your home or office. This reduces dead zones and areas with weak connectivity.
- Enhanced Network Stability:
- With more nodes, the network has multiple pathways for data to travel. This redundancy improves overall network stability, reducing the chances of disconnections or performance drops if one node encounters issues.
- Better Device Connectivity:
- Adding a node allows more devices to connect to the network without overloading a single node. This is particularly beneficial in environments with numerous smart devices, like smart home setups.
- Optimized Performance:
- Mesh networks often come with intelligent routing algorithms that direct data through the most efficient paths. More nodes provide more options for these algorithms to optimize performance, reducing latency and improving speeds.
- Scalability:
- Adding nodes is a straightforward way to scale your network as your needs grow. This is ideal for businesses or expanding homes, allowing the network to grow seamlessly with minimal configuration changes.
- Seamless Roaming:
- WiFi mesh systems typically support seamless roaming, which means devices can move from one area to another without dropping the connection or experiencing interruptions. This is beneficial for activities like video calls or streaming.
- Load Balancing:
- More nodes help distribute the network load more evenly, ensuring that no single node becomes a bottleneck. This can lead to more consistent performance, especially during peak usage times.
- Ease of Setup and Management:
- Modern mesh systems are designed to be user-friendly, making it easy to add new nodes to the network. Management apps often provide simple ways to monitor and manage the network, ensuring optimal performance.
- Future-Proofing:
- As more devices in homes and offices require internet connectivity, having a robust mesh network with multiple nodes ensures that your network can handle future demands without needing a complete overhaul.
The benefits for me were simple – I wanted a little better coverage in the front room area of my house (where I’m trying to get my 14yo to actually do his homework!), it’s a two storey with a mix of wide steel supports and old brick chimneys that messed with signal, and so with an added node I hope to increase signal and Wi-Fi stability.
To install the added node was terribly simple! With the new node plugged in close to your ‘master node’ (They are actually all the same out of the box, but you set up the first one, then the extra nodes and that determines which is which) and via the app you add a new device by tapping the + button in the top right hand corner of your app’s main screen. The rest is displayed on screen, with scanning the QR code on your new node and following the prompts – it all takes about 10 minutes from unpacking the new range extender to logging in to your favourite cooking website – a very straight-forward process!
Did adding the new M30 have the desired effect? The connection speed on my son’s laptop is almost twice as fast as it was prior to upgrade, which doesn’t matter that much for his homework, but apparently it’s VERY important when he infrequently plays Rocket League – Nearly Zero Ping Dad! (Yes, I was excited for him) As well as that, I can stream 4K through my Apple TV in the front room and we also have had no more drop outs with the boy’s piano lessons (now on Zoom, thanks Covid…. beats driving through the city on a Thursday afternoon!)
I’ve taken care to follow D-Link’s instructions when placing the wifi nodes, and as a result have a very satisfactory home network!
Simple, Secure and Straight Forward – Great job, D-Link! Highly Recommended.
DRN would like to thank D-Link for providing the review unit
