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D-Link D launches world’s first Wi-Fi 6 USB 3.0 Adapter and new Wi-Fi 6 Mesh Router
Tue, 16th Nov 2021
FYI, this story is more than a year old

D-Link networking company has launched the DWA-X1850, the world's first Wi-Fi 6 USB 3.2 Gen 1 (USB 3.0) adapter, and a new Wi-Fi 6 Mesh Router–the EXO AX AX3200 DIR-X3260.

The new DWA-X1850 AX1800 Wi-Fi 6 USB 3.0 adapter along with the DIR-X3260 AX3200 Wi-Fi 6 Mesh router are engineered to power the increasing number of high-bandwidth devices. They are also designed to support high-intensity data traffic for remote workers, students, and families.

D-Link ANZ MD Graeme Reardon says, "We live in a world where more is now the norm for home and business networks. More devices, more bandwidth, more speed, and more range. These new Wi-Fi 6 devices enable streamlined and seamless mesh connectivity with efficient AX performance that, put simply, give you more."

The DWA-X1850 is a wireless adapter dongle that plugs into any USB port and provides instant connectivity to your laptop or PC. Delivering an upgrade to Wi-Fi 6 performance for existing desktop and notebook computers, the DWA-X1850 is also the world's first Wi-Fi 6 USB 3.0 adapter in the market.

It features 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 technology and delivers combined speeds up to AX1800 (574Mbps + 1200Mbps), suitable for large file transfers, online learning lessons, and gaming. The adapter also features 128-bit WPA3 encryption giving customers added peace of mind over network and device protection.

This adapter utilises Multi-User or MU-MIMO technology for better efficiency of upstream and downstream transmission and Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) technology (where small data packets destined for multiple devices are transmitted together and never have to queue up again). These features help multiple devices receive high bandwidth Wi-Fi simultaneously and distribute data more efficiently over a wider area, providing faster Wi-Fi 6 speeds.

With software already preloaded on the adapter, installation is simple. Older, slower devices can experience the speed and range benefits that Wi-Fi 6 provides.

The DIR-X3260 EXO AX AX3200 Wi-Fi 6 Mesh Router is D-Link's newest Wi-Fi 6 Mesh router. The router's touted performance (2400Mbps on the 5GHz and 800Mbps on the 2.4GHz) is suitable for applications such as high-quality video conferencing, VR, 8K video streaming, and more.

D-Link states that the AX3200 router's 1024-QAM boosts throughput to devices by up to 25%, and its 160MHz contiguous channel width provides the bandwidth to support a greater number of devices. The router also has 4 Gigabit LAN ports and 1 Gigabit WAN port for fast wired connectivity.

D-Link Wi-Fi Mesh technology provides simple syncing with compatible D-Link Mesh extenders. As a result, users can move around their homes on a mobile device without signal degradation or a dropped connection.

The router features high-gain antennas, built-in power amplifiers, and beamforming technology. This allows the DIR-X3260 to extend the reach of the Wi-Fi network and focus a stronger signal in the direction of devices.

Firmware upgrades with the DIR-X3260 are automated. The DIR-X3260's Dual Image functionality saves a recovery image as a backup before an upgrade. So, if an upgrade fails, the system has the pre-existing configuration to fall back on.

The router also has an integrated Internet speed test powered by Ookla that lets users measure the true speed of their router-to-ISP connection with the D-Link Wi-Fi app. The DIR-X3260 also works with Google Assistant and Alexa. As with D-Link's other routers, the DIR-X3260 uses the free D-Link Wi-Fi app for network setup and management.

Parental controls based on the family's online needs, access to Wi-Fi settings and more, can be controlled directly from a smartphone or tablet.

The DWA-X1850 and the DIR-X3260 are available now from the D-Link NZ online store (RRP NZ$179.99 and NZ$349.99) and the AU online store (RRP AUD$149.95 and AUD$349.95) as well as from all authorised D-Link partners and retailers in both countries.