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amazon Amped Wireless RE2600M reviews
Billed as Amped Wireless’ most powerful dual-band extender, the $199.99 AC2600 Athena-EX High Power WiFi Range Extender (RE2600M) lives up to the hype. Not only does it deliver top throughput scores in many of our tests, but it also supports Multi-User, Multiple-Output (MU-MIMO) data transfers and offers a suite of management and gateway features Solid I/O. It’s our top pick for desktop wireless range extenders.
Design and Features
Measuring 1.5 x 10.5 x 8 inches (HWD), the RE2600M is slightly wider than its predecessor, the Titan-EX AC1900 Amped Wireless High Power WiFi Range Extender ( RE1900A). It’s a desktop-grade extender that uses four adjustable and detachable external antennas, and it has four Gigabit LAN ports on the rear and one USB 2.0 port and power buttons, LEDs Reset, and WPS. A USB 3.0 port is hidden on the right side of the device. The top of the extender has small LEDs that indicate power, both band, signal strength, and USB activity.
Under the hood are a dual-core processor, 512MB of RAM, 16 amplifiers, and 802.11ac networking support. RE2600M is a dual-band extender that can achieve theoretical speeds of up to 800Mbps on the 2.4GHz band and 1,733Mbps on the 5GHz band. Like the Netgear Nighthawk X4 AC2200 WiFi Range Extender (EX7300) and Linksys RE7000 Max-Stream AC1900 + WiFi Range Extender, both plugin models, the RE2600M supports MU-MIMO data transmission, providing enhanced performance high by sending data to compatible clients concurrently instead of sequentially.
The RE2600M uses the same web-based management console as the Amped Wireless High Power AC2600 WiFi Range Extender with MU-MIMO (REC44M), a plugin extender. It opens a Dashboard page that displays a network map and detailed information about the network, including each band’s SSID, channel, and IP address information. It also has a Scan button to scan for available networks. Clicking on the More Settings tab opens a drop-down menu with settings for each band, USB Storage, Network Settings (IP, Port Routing), BoostBand Technology, and Management.
Individual radio band settings include guest network, access control and scheduling, wireless coverage (output power) from 15 percent to 100 percent, and Advanced settings, for examples such as Fragmentation Threshold and RTS and Signaling Interval. BoostBand technology provides enhanced performance by routing network traffic between router and extender through a single band. Management Settings allows you to check network statistics, update firmware facilities, view system logs, and change passwords.
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Amped Wireless Athena-EX, High Power AC2600 Wi-Fi Range Extender with MU-MIMO (RE2600M): Buy it now
Settings and Performance
To install the RE2600M, pick an ideal location in between the router and the dead zone. Plugin-and-plug-in-the-extender’s-power-adapter-connecting-to-its-SSID-from-any-PC-or-tablet-type-http://setup.ampedwireless.com-into-the-browser-to-open-the-Web-Dashboard. Tap Scan to locate what networks (both bands) to extend. Select the network you want to connect to and ensure the signal indication provides a bar rating of 70 or above, then progress by clicking Next where you will be prompted to assign a name for each SSID and set the network security key. If the signal bar rating does not show 70, it might be necessary to move the extender closer to the router. Through this set-up process, less than a minute and a half elapses for the configuration of the extender, for the joining of the network, and for the saving of your settings.
The RE2600M in the 2.4GHz performance test really delivered fast results. With an 83-Mbps!
Near-2.4-GHz measurement (within the same room) throughput measurement came with 83 Mbps, overtaking the Netgear Nighthawk AC1900 WiFi Range Extender AC1900(EX7000) with 50.2 Mbps, TP-Link RE580D with 80.4 Mbps, and Amped Wireless RE1900A with 82.2 Mbps. The 25-foot test figure at 69 Mbps outperformed Netgear EX7000 (38.8 Mbps) and Amped Wireless RE1900A (66.6 Mbps) but failed to outscore TP-Link RE580D (74.2 Mbps). The 50-foot and 75-foot tests saw the RE2600M throughput rates of 39.8 Mbps and 30.1 Mbps; with that, it stayed at the front position.
Turning next to the 50 FT and 75 FT testing, the RE2600M delivered throughput values of 39.8 Mbps and 30.1 Mbps, respectively, just edging out. Its closest competitor, TP-Link RE580D, was good for 37.6 Mbps and 25.4 Mbps respectively, followed by Amped Wireless RE1900A at 29.3 Mbps and 28.3 Mbps, with Network EX7000 at 28.6 Mbps and 26.9 Mbps.
Being on the 5GHz band, the RE2600M was producing speeds of 391Mbps in the short-distance test and 290Mbps in the 25-foot test. The TP-Link AC1900 WiFi Range Extender (RE580D) was a little faster at close-range testing (377Mbps) but not at the 25-foot test (261Mbps), whereas the Netgear EX7000 was behind both at the respective ones: 179Mbps and 137Mbps. Amped Wireless RE1900A leads the chart with 488Mbps (close) and 345Mbps (25 feet).
Our long-range speed tests in the 5GHz band gave the RE2600M high-throughput results of 155Mbps in the 50-foot test and 128Mbps in the 75-foot test. The Amped Wireless RE1900A ranked next with throughputs of 133Mbps at 50 feet and 112Mbps at 75 feet. TP-Link registered 103Mbps and 70.5Mbps, and the Netgear EX7000 hit 105Mbps and 31.1Mbps, respectively.
To test the MU-MIMO performance of the RE2600M, I used three identical Acer Aspire E15 laptops equipped with the Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 wireless 802.11ac network adapter as my customers. Its score was 86.3Mbps on the proximity test, behind the Linksys RE7000 (115Mbps) and Netgear EX7300 (107Mbps), both of which are plugin range extenders. In the 30-foot MU-MIMO test, the RE2600M’s 84.8Mbps throughput trailed well behind plugin extenders, but not by much; Linksys RE7000 reached 92.4Mbps, and Netgear EX7300 reached 90.1Mbps. For comparison, the D-Link AC3150 Ultra WiFi Router (DIR-885L/R) had a throughput of 237 Mbps on the proximity test and 165 Mbps at 30 feet.
Well equipped although expensive
If you’re looking for a full-featured range extender to fill in WiFi dead zones, the Amped Wireless RE2600M is a great choice. It is equipped with a rich range of ports, offers a wide range of management settings, and is very easy to set up. It outperformed its sibling, the Amped Wireless RE1900A, another top pick, in most of our 2.4GHz and 5GHz throughput tests, especially at long range, and it supports MU-MIMO data transmission (Amped Wireless RE1900A does not).
If you don’t require many LAN ports and can live without a USB connection, a plugin extender like the Netgear Nighthawk X4 AC2200 WiFi Range Extender (EX7300) might be more suitable. It costs about $50 less than the Amped Wireless RE2600M and offers solid performance, and it also supports MU-MIMO data transmission. Prefer a simpler wireless setup that’s easy to set up and doesn’t require you to sign in as you move from place to place in your home? Then you should check out a WiFi network, like Linksys Velop ($399.99 at Amazon).
Tech Reviewer & Product Analyst
Định Bia has spent over 10 years testing consumer electronics with a focus on smart technology. He work as a product advisor at Biareview where he helped customers find the right devices for their needs. He personally tests every product featured on this site using a consistent evaluation framework covering quality, durability, and value. All reviews are based on experience, not influenced by the manufacturer.
