Tenda A18 AC1200 Review: Budget Wi-Fi Extender

The Tenda A18 AC1200 Wi-Fi Repeater is among the most cost-effective Wi-Fi extenders available on the market, providing dual-band Wi-Fi fortify for round £25. An Ethernet port manner you’ll be able to attach units that’d get pleasure from a stressed out connection, too.

Options & Design

The Tenda A18 AC1200 is a small unit which plugs directly right into a spare mains socket and lines two antennae which turn up and make it seem like a small robotic that’s seeking to catch a tiny rugby ball. 

Relating to additional connectivity, there’s a unmarried Ethernet port (10/100 Mbps RJ45) so you’ll be able to plug in a computer, video games console, media streamer and so forth – learn our perfect Ethernet cables function for more info on selecting the proper cables. 

There’s no mains electrical energy go via, on the other hand, so whichever mains energy socket you utilize will likely be devoted to the Tenda A18 AC1200.

Set up 

Putting in the Tenda A18 AC1200 is straightforward. For the preliminary set-up, Tenda recommends that you simply plug the A18 AC1200 right into a mains socket in the similar room as your current router. This fashion, you’re assured a robust wi-fi connection between your router and the extender for that preliminary pairing consultation. 

You’ll make a selection to pair the Wi-Fi extender along with your current router the use of the WPS push button, or, for extra regulate, together with the facility to rename the SSID of the Tenda A18 AC1200, use the web-based consumer interface. 

The internet UI is straightforward to apply, if a bit basic-looking. You’ll be requested to create a login/admin password for the Tenda A18 AC1200 itself all over set-up, in addition to create an SSID. 

As soon as that’s all carried out, you’re unfastened to take the Tenda A18 AC1200 out from the mains and plug it in the place it’s wanted in your house, preferably the midpoint between your router and the not-spot. 

Efficiency

My router – a Netgear RBK750 – is about up in my front room, with regards to my Virgin Media Tremendous Hub that’s set to modem mode, which is set a foot clear of the grasp socket. I’m on a 200Mbps Virgin Media Web carrier. 

I put in the Tenda A18 AC1200 in a room that’s one flooring up and one room alongside from the place the router is and carried out checks in an place of business that’s two rooms alongside from that. For additonal context, there are 3 partitions, (one cast, load-bearing wall) between the place of business and the Tenda A18 AC1200. 

Beneath are moderate Wi-Fi pace check effects taken on two units with Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6 radios (a Huawei Mate 10 Professional and a RealMe X50 Professional) the use of the WiFi Velocity Take a look at Android app, the similar app we use at Tech Marketing consultant for trying out wi-fi house networking apparatus like routers and mesh Wi-Fi techniques.

Exams have been carried out in two rooms, one adjoining to the room the place the Tenda A18 was once put in, and the opposite two rooms away:

Wi-Fi 5 consumer check: One room away

	Tenda A18 AC1200 (2.4GHz)	Tenda A18 AC1200 (5GHz)	Primary router (2.4GHz)	Primary router (5GHz)
Reasonable Wi-Fi hyperlink speeds	129.30Mbps	519.63Mbps	64.25Mbps	62.58Mbps
Reasonable obtain pace	70.88Mbps	154.32Mbps	66.50Mbps	76.88Mbps
Reasonable add pace	21.31Mbps	18.90Mbps	20.69Mbps	17.85Mbps

Wi-Fi 5 consumer check: Two rooms away

	Tenda A18 AC1200 (2.4GHz)	Tenda A18 AC1200 (5GHz)	Primary router (2.4GHz)	Primary router (5GHz)
Reasonable Wi-Fi hyperlink speeds	66.64Mbps	n/a	27.90Mbps	n/a
Reasonable obtain pace	35.00Mbps	n/a	29.82Mbps	n/a
Reasonable add pace	17.67Mbps	n/a	6.62Mbps	n/a

Wi-Fi 6 consumer check: One room away

	Tenda A18 AC1200 (2.4GHz)	Tenda A18 AC1200 (5GHz)	Primary router (2.4GHz)	Primary router (5GHz)
Reasonable Wi-Fi hyperlink speeds	72.08Mbps	140.88Mbps	32.03Mbps	101.1Mbps
Reasonable obtain pace	56.05Mbps	175.90Mbps	29.32Mbps	188.65Mbps
Reasonable add pace	21.25Mbps	19.44Mbps	20.53Mbps	21.86Mbps

Wi-Fi 6 consumer check: Two rooms away

	Tenda A18 AC1200 (2.4GHz)	Tenda A18 AC1200 (5GHz)	Primary router (2.4GHz)	Primary router (5GHz)
Reasonable Wi-Fi hyperlink speeds	66.64Mbps	n/a	27.90Mbps	n/a
Reasonable obtain pace	35.00Mbps	n/a	29.82Mbps	n/a
Reasonable add pace	17.67Mbps	n/a	6.62Mbps	n/a

5GHz speeds, the place I may just select them up, have been superb, particularly at the older Wi-Fi 5 consumer which is a bit bizarre. 2.4GHz have been much less spectacular general, one thing I’m chalking as much as the truth that the Tenda A18 handiest helps 802.11n (aka Wi-Fi 4) on 2.4GHz.

The highest pace of Wi-Fi 4 on 2.4GHz is 150Mbps, therefore why I couldn’t select up anything else quicker than that right here. Speeds at the 5GHz have been extra consistent with what I’d be expecting from a Wi-Fi 5 software, in order that’s reassuring. Restricted vary signifies that general, the Tenda A18 AC1200 is handiest efficient for those who’re operating a brief distance clear of the software.

Value & Availability 

The Tenda A18 AC1200 Wi-Fi Repeater is available for purchase now. It’s indexed on Tenda’s website right here, however notice that you’ll be able to’t lately purchase it at once from Tenda. 

In the United Kingdom, Amazon is promoting the Tenda A18 AC1200 for £22.74, down from the standard £28.99 value. Currys PC Global additionally sells the Tenda A18 for £26.99, whilst Batna24 sells it for £22. 

If both of the ones puts are out of inventory, there’s Field despite the fact that, on the time of writing, the Tenda A18 was once priced a bit upper – £36.99. 

In the USA Amazon sells the Tenda A18 AC1200 for $46.08, whilst Newegg sells it for $44.99. Perfect Purchase and Goal didn’t inventory the Tenda A18 on the time of writing.

In Australia, Officeworks lately has the Tenda A18 on clearance for a really nice $33. If that sells out, then Amazon has it for $76.05, whilst Kogan is promoting the Tenda A18 for £83.99.

Verdict

The Tenda A18 AC1200 Wi-Fi Repeater’s low value may be very horny and difficult to argue with.

Whilst it received’t burn a hollow to your pockets, it additionally received’t come up with a good pace spice up in all places, so have in mind of its obstacles sooner than you snap one up.

If there’s one house or room in your house which must be well-covered through your primary router however isn’t, then the Tenda A18 may plug the space.

Specifications

Tenda A18 AC1200 Wi-Fi Repeater: Specifications

• 802.11n (Wi-Fi 4) on 2.4GHz / 802.11ac wave2 (Wi-Fi 5) on 5GHz 2×2 dual-band
• 1 x Ethernet
• WPS
• Repeater Mode
• AP Mode
• 80 x 58 x 48mm

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