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Askey AP5100W mesh Wi-Fi system review: Chic but is it any good?

By Kenny Yeo - 7 Mar 2020

Performance Analysis & Conclusion

So, how does it perform?

The Askey AP5100W’s performance was actually quite remarkable. At close ranges, it was the fastest the mesh networking system by a fair margin, beating even the Netgear Orbi. Its mesh performance was also very respectable, easily matching comparable mesh networking systems like the Samsung Connect Home Pro. It was even about as fast as the TP-Link Deco M9 and Linksys Velop which are supposed to be more powerful and faster since they are tri-band systems.

For the rest of you who like to pore over graphs, here they are. But first, a quick run through of our test setup.

 

Test Setup

To test this new breed of mesh networking systems, we've changed our test environment, but our test setup remains relatively unchanged. We have two notebooks, one acting as a host machine and the other as a client device. The router, or in this case, node, acts as a gateway. Since mesh networking systems typically manage channel settings on their own, we will leave it that way. For systems where manual settings are possible, a channel bandwidth of 40MHz is selected where applicable, while 80MHz or more is used for the 5GHz AC band.

The client device is a 2015 13-inch MacBook Pro, which is one of the few client devices in the market to come with a 3x3 Wi-Fi receiver, allowing it to achieve wireless speeds of up to 1,300Mbps.

Here is a graphical representation of our network test setup.

To evaluate, we will be measuring the time and calculating the speed achieved when transferring a 1GB zip file. We will do multiple tests with different setups and different distances to simulate use around a typical single story flat and in a multi-story home.

Here are the test distances we used and what they represent:

  • 2m - Right beside the router
  • 5m - In an adjacent room
  • 10m - In a room that is farther away
  • 15m - To simulate extreme distances (e.g. master bedroom toilet)
  • Second story - One floor above
  • Third story - Two floors above

Here are the different Askey AP5100W configurations that we used:

  • A single Askey AP5100W router
  • Two Askey AP5100W routers over a single floor
  • Two Askey AP5100W routers over two floors

To further clarify, in tests where nodes were placed on the second or third floor, the measurement would be taken with the client device about two meters away from the node. Finally, included in the graphs are results of other mesh networking systems including the AirTies 4920, TP-Link Deco M9 and M5, Samsung Connect Home Pro, Google Wifi, Linksys Velop, and Netgear Orbi.

 

Single node performance

In this test, we will be looking at the performance of a single Askey AP5100W router in a single-story (using the different distance markers) and multi-story home. All other competitive mesh networking system results are also that of a single node setup.

The performance of a single Askey AP5100W was actually quite impressive. It recorded the highest download and upload speeds I have ever seen from a mesh networking system at 2 and 5 meters. Even at 10 meters, its performance was still remarkable as it was the only router to manage download speeds of above 300Mbps. At 10 meters, it was a whopping 29% faster than the second-placed AirTies 4920. However, at 10 meters, the Askey’s upload performance dropped dramatically. At 5 meters, it managed an incredible upload speed of 453.26Mbps but at 10 meters that fell to just 113.20Mbps. And finally, despite its strong showing at closer ranges, we didn’t manage to get any meaningful signal at 15 meters or from the second and third floor.

 

Mesh performance at 15 meters

In this test, we placed a second Askey AP5100W router in between the first node and the 15-meter mark to create a mesh network to get signal to the problematic 15-meter mark. We did the same for other mesh networks to see how their performance would compare.

Mesh performance at 15 meters was very respectable. The Linksys Velop and Netgear Orbi were the clear leaders here but the Askey AP5100W was not that far behind. More importantly, it recorded significantly better performance than the AirTies 4920.

 

Mesh performance on 2nd floor

In this test, we placed a second Askey AP5100W router on the second floor and created a mesh network to expand Wi-Fi coverage on the second floor. We did the same for the other mesh networks to see how their performance would compare.

With a node on the second floor to bridge the distance between our client device and the main router on the first floor, we got pretty decent results. The Netgear Orbi was the runaway leader, but the Askey AP5100W put up numbers that were comparable to other mesh networking systems like the TP-Link Deco M9 and Samsung Connect Home Pro.

 

Mesh performance on 3rd floor

Typically, we would place a third router on the third floor for this test, but since the Askey AP5100W is offered mainly as a two-pack, the results that you see here are from the client device on the third floor connecting to the mesh networking node on the second floor in the test we did earlier.

 

While the some of the other systems had a third router on the third floor, I was still connecting to the Askey AP5100W router on the second floor for this test since the Askey is offered as a pack of two. Despite this, I still managed pretty remarkable numbers. Again, the Netgear Orbi was the runaway leader but the Askey system managed to outperform the AirTies 4920 by a considerable margin and was more than a match for the Linksys Velop and Samsung Connect Home Pro.

 

Final Thoughts?

The Askey AP5100W is great if you have no need for advanced networking features like port forwarding and dynamic DNS.

All told, the Askey AP5100W is a decent mesh networking system but with one serious flaw. It is affordable, easy to set up, and its general networking performance is quite remarkable. The Askey AP5100W acquitted itself well even in the face of more powerful (on paper) mesh networking systems like the TP-Link Deco M9 Plus and Linksys Velop.

The problem with the Askey AP5100W, however, is that it is lacking in terms of networking features. At a time where mesh networking systems like the TP-Link Deco M9 Plus, Linksys Velop, and even the dead-simple Google Wifi are adding advanced features to their mesh networking solutions, the Askey AP5100W’s feature set leaves it looking painfully bare.

As a result, I can only recommend the Askey AP5100W if a) you have no requirements for advanced networking features or b) if you are looking for an additional system to supplement your primary traditional router to increase Wi-Fi coverage to problematic areas in your home. Apart from that, its raw networking performance is commendable for its price point.

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Editor's note: Other than Singtel, Whizcomms is another local fiber broadband provider that's offering the AP5100W to its subscribers.

This article was first published on Sep 7, 2018.

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8.5
  • Design 8.5
  • Features 6
  • Performance 8.5
  • Value 8
The Good
Great close range performance
Respectable mesh performance
Compact and pleasant design
Easy to setup
Affordable monthly fee
The Bad
Weak performance at farther ranges
Almost zero networking features
Limited physical ports
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