Devolo WiFi 6 Repeater 5400 review

The place loads of Wi-Fi extenders plug straight right into a mains socket, the Devolo WiFi 6 Repeater 5400 is extra like a standard router in measurement and comes with an 18W energy provide within the field permitting you to put it away from a socket.

Its most (theoretical) Wi-Fi velocity is 4804Mbps over 5GHz and 574Mbps over 2.4GHz, due to 4 MIMO streams over 5GHz and two over 2.4GHz. 

Wired gadgets—possibly a sensible TV, Sky field, video games console or laptop—will be related through two Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports on the again. 

You may as well use the Devolo repeater as an entry level by connecting it to an Ethernet socket and utilizing a wired connection to your important router. Devolo doesn’t embody a LAN cable, although.

Straightforward setup

The WiFi 6 Repeater 5400 is simple to arrange. You may both use the “Add” button on the again, which begins a WPS connection, or through the use of the Devolo “Dwelling Community” app or the repeater’s browser interface. 

When establishing with out WPS, you have to first join your laptop or smartphone to the unencrypted Wi-Fi of the repeater. Surprisingly, entry to the menu will not be secured with a password, and the repeater doesn’t immediate you to set one.

The app offers you tips about how greatest to put the repeater in order that it isn’t too shut or too distant out of your present router. You should utilize the reset button to reset the repeater to the manufacturing facility settings if you wish to join it to a distinct router later. 

4 LEDs on the entrance inform you the sign power and the standard of the Wi-Fi connection.

Efficiency

So as to get the most effective out of the Devolo WiFi 6 Repeater 5400 and use its speedy 5GHz band, you’ll must have a high-end router as a associate.

To check it, we used a Fritzbox 6690 Cable, which additionally transmits 4 MIMO streams on 5GHz with 160MHz channel bandwidth. We positioned the repeater is midway between the router and a laptop computer with Wi-Fi 6, which was 20 metres away from the Fritzbox.

We have been actually impressed with the WiFi 6 Repeater 5400’s efficiency. The typical information fee of 450Mbps (simply over 56MBps) is nice, and that is partly all the way down to the truth that 5400 can use ‘crossband repeating’. Meaning as an alternative of utilizing the identical 2.4GHz or 5GHz band to ship and obtain (which reduces the utmost doable velocity), crossband makes use of one band, say 2.4GHz, to speak with the router, and 5GHz to speak with the gadget (the laptop computer in our case) with no loss in velocity.

If crucial, although, the Repeater 5400 can use the identical band, and if that’s 5GHz, you need to nonetheless see equally quick outcomes.

Utilizing the Repeater 5400 is an entry level

The Devolo Repeater 5400 works even quicker as an entry level. When related to the router through an Ethernet cable, the transfers between the laptop computer and Fritzbox have been simply over 900Mbps. And that’s with the laptop computer round 10m away from the repeater. This isn’t far off the bandwidth of the gigabit LAN connection. Once more, spectacular stuff.

You may join the Wi-Fi 6 repeater with an Ethernet cable to your router after which change the settings to “Entry Level Mode”. The repeater receives the data-signal over the LAN cable reasonably than through flakey Wi-Fi.

If there’s a criticism, it’s that the auto-channel operate of the 5400 may do with some fine-tuning. In entry level mode, the repeater initially related the laptop computer through 2.4GHz, whereas different repeaters we’ve examined instantly provided the consumer the extra smart reference to 5GHz. 

It was solely after restarting the laptop computer that the 5400 switched to the 5GHz frequency and chosen the optimum channel there.

In the event you do go for entry level mode you get some further choices, reminiscent of a visitor community, Wi-Fi schedules, plus some parental controls. 

Energy consumption

Energy consumption sits between a typical plug-in repeater and a tri-band repeater. With out energetic WLAN transmission, it consumes round 6.6W, and when transferring information, it consumes over 8W.

The visitor Wi-Fi will be encrypted utilizing WPA2, WPA3 or the hybrid mode from each strategies, and it may be switched off after a specified interval.

Utilizing the scheduling, you outline the times and instances when the Wi-Fi needs to be on or off. You may as well set this for particular person gadgets with the parental controls, and right here it’s important to enter the MAC tackle of the gadget within the menu.

As well as, the repeater reveals a listing of the neighbouring networks together with the radio channel and sign power, however solely as an emblem. The occasion log will be saved, however not known as up within the menu. Primarily, there’s greater than sufficient right here in case your necessities are comparatively primary, however energy customers may want for extra settings.

It’s additionally price noting that the WiFi 6 Repeater 5400 can type a part of a mesh community, and assist capabilities reminiscent of band steering and entry level steering with a purpose to at all times be capable to supply Wi-Fi gadgets the optimum radio sign. Nonetheless, this solely works along side different Devolo adapters such because the Magic 2 Wi-Fi Powerline Mesh package and, certainly, different Repeater 5400s.

Devolo’s Magic WiFi adapters and the WiFi 6 repeaters use the identical software program platform (devolo OS). Subsequently each are assist the identical Wi-Fi options (Entry Level Steering, Consumer Steering,Airtime Equity, Band Steering, and so forth) and are in a position to work collectively seamlessly. In case you have a Magic WiFi package working at residence, you may combine a Devolo Wi-Fi repeater on this residence community. The repeater will obtain the Magic WiFi sign and lengthen it.

See our really helpful greatest Mesh WiFi kits.

Do I want a WiFi 6 router to make use of a WiFi 6 repeater?

A Wi-Fi repeater will lengthen the velocity you get out of your router. Clearly, you get quicker speeds when utilizing a WiFi 6 router, however it’ll additionally lengthen a WiFi 5 router’s WiFi sign.

The WiFi 5 router would additionally profit from a bigger Wi-Fi vary and use all of the WiFi 6 enhancements (bi-directional MU-MIMO, OFDMA, TWT, BSS coloring).

And within the particular case of the 5400 the person advantages from the large antenna configuration (2×2 at 2,4 GHz + 4×4 at 5 GHz).

If you wish to purchase a repeater and have the price range for it, you should purchase a Wi-Fi 6 repeater as a result of it’s future proofed for velocity and options.

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Worth & availability

The RRP of the Devolo WiFi 6 Repeater 5400 is £129.99. You’ll find it cheaper at retailers reminiscent of Amazon and Box.

Though Devolo sells a few of its merchandise within the US, you couldn’t get the Repeater 5400 on the time of evaluation.

Devolo additionally sells a cut-back mannequin (RRP: £89.99), the Devolo WiFi 6 Repeater 3000, which, as its title suggests, gives a most of 3000Mbps reasonably than 5400Mbps, and has simply the one Ethernet port, in comparison with two.

For options, see our roundup of the most effective Wi-Fi extenders.

Verdict

The Devolo WiFi 6 Repeater 5400 is a succesful Wi-Fi extender that gives spectacular efficiency when paired with the suitable router and Wi-Fi gadgets reminiscent of telephones and laptops.

It would work with non-WiFi 6 routers however the speeds received’t be as nice. That stated, shopping for a WiFi 6 repeater now make sense from a future-proofing viewpoint. Ultimately, you’ll get a quicker router so be sure you are already ready with a suitable repeater.

In case you have a succesful Wi-Fi 6 router and gadgets now, and wish to stream 4K video or want a quick connection for different causes, the Devolo WiFi 6 Repeater 5400 is properly price the additional cash over cheaper, much less succesful Wi-Fi extenders.