Amped Wireless REC44M

amazon Amped Wireless REC44M reviews

If your Router is having trouble transmitting WiFi to certain areas of your home, it may be time to invest in a range extender, such as the $149.99 Amped Wireless REC44M. This slightly bulky dual-band plug-in extender is easy to install and supports Multi-User, Multiple Input, Multiple Output (MU-MIMO) data transfer. It delivered good results in our throughput tests and showed reasonably good range; the Netgear Nighthawk X4 AC2200 WiFi Range Extender (EX7300) is a better performing device.

Design and Features

There’s nothing subtle about the REC44M. At 4 x 5.2 x 1.7 inches (HWD), it’s wider than the Netgear EX7300, Linksys RE7000 Max-Stream AC1900 + WiFi Range Extender, and two of its four antennas are external and overhang out like a thumb. However, the antenna is adjustable and detachable. Both the Netgear EX7300 and the Linksys RE7000 use internal antennas. There’s a Gigabit LAN port and reset button on the bottom of the extender, and power and wireless signal strength LEDs at the top, along with a WPS button. The REC44M uses a two-prong plug and, despite its bulk, does not block access to a second wall outlet. However, it does not have a pass-through socket like the Linksys RE6700 AC1200 Dual-Band WiFi Range Extender.

As an AC2600 dual-band extender, the REC44M can throughput rates of up to 800Mbps on the 2.4GHz band and 1,733Mbps on the 5GHz band. It supports MU-MIMO streaming, which transmits data to compatible clients simultaneously, rather than sequentially and in burst format, sending data directly to the client rather than over a broad spectrum. It also supports Amped Wireless’s BoostBand Technology, enhancing performance by streamlining network traffic between the extender and Router through the less crowded 5GHz band.

The REC44M’s Web-based management console interface is similar to the Artemis High Power AC1300 Amped Wireless Wireless Router with MU-MIMO (RTA1300M). It opens a Dashboard page that shows Home and Extended Network details, such as SSID and keyword information, IP address, and signal strength. It also has a Scan button at the bottom of the page to identify neighboring networks. Clicking on the More Settings tab brings up a menu for the 2.4GHz and 5GHz radio bands. Each radio band tab contains settings for access scheduling, user access, guest networks, and wireless coverage, as well as Advanced Settings, where you can adjust things like Duration levels signaling and Segmentation Threshold. Other tabs include BoostBand (on/off), Network Settings (IP address, Gateway, and DHCP),

Settings and Performance

Installing the REC44M is very easy. I plugged the extender into an outlet near my Router, wirelessly connected my laptop to the REC44M SSID, and typed http://setup.ampedwireless.com into the address bar of my browser to launch the page. I clicked the Scan button and selected my 2.4GHz network. At this point, you can choose to copy your network settings and use its password and SSID, but the SSID will have the _RE (range extender) extension. Alternatively, you can create your SSID and password. I repeated the scan, selected my 5GHz network, gave it a name, and was ready to go.

The REC44M performed well in our throughput tests. Its score of 53.6Mbps on our 2.4GHz proximity test (same room) is only slightly slower than the Netgear EX7300 (57.8Mbps) and slightly faster than the Linksys RE7000 (46, 1Mbps) and another top pick, TP- Connect the AC1750 WiFi Range Extender (RE450) (47.6Mbps). At 25 feet away, the REC44M’s 48Mbps score beats the Netgear EX7300 (43.7Mbps), Linksys RE7000 (39.8Mbps), and TP-Link RE450 (44.5Mbps), but its speeds at 50 feet (21, 4Mbps) are behind the Netgear EX7300 (25.1Mbps) and TP-Link RE450 (42.5Mbps). The Linksys RE7000 scored 18.6Mbps on this test. At 75 feet away, the REC44M managed 18.7Mbps throughput, beating the Netgear EX7300 (12.6Mbps) and Linksys RE7000 (8.4Mbps), but not the TP-Link RE450 (32.1Mbps).

In our 5GHz proximity test, with a throughput of 288 Mbps, the REC44M stood better than TP-Link RE450 (192 Mbps) but not quite against the Linksys RE7000 which managed a throughput of 310 Mbps; in front, Netgear EX7300 claimed 338Mbps. All the same, the REC44M got 170Mbps at 25 feet, which was a little faster than the Linksys RE7000 (167Mbps) and TP-Link RE450 (152Mbps) but slower than Netgear EX7300 (172Mbps). The REC44M at 50 feet was 74.5Mbps, faster than Linksys RE7000 (64.9Mbps) but slumped behind the TP-Link RE450 (86.9Mbps) and the Netgear EX7300 (115Mbps). In a 75-foot test, the REC44M scored 81.5Mbps over the Netgear EX7300’s 66.7Mbps and Linksys RE7000’s 29.1Mbps but failed to score over the TP-Link RE450 with 85Mbps.

Testing MU-MIMO is done with Acer Aspire R13 laptops using the QCA61x4A chipset by Qualcomm. We measure throughput levels for three clients both near-range and at a 30 foutr distance. In contrast, the REC44M did 99.8 Mbps close-range and 89.9 Mbps at 30 feet, with Linksys RE7000 taking the lead with 115 Mbps close-range and 92.4 Mbps at 30 feet, followed by Netgear EX7300 with 107 Mbps and 90.1 Mbps. For a little perspective on these MU-MIMO scores, the editor’s pick for a midrange router would be D-Link AC3150 Super WiFi Router (DIR-885L/R), scoring 237 Mbps for a proximity and 165 Mbps for 30 feet.

Excellent management and fast throughput

The REC44M Wireless Amplifier does a great job filling in the WiFi dead spots, and the installation and configuration process is very quick. You get a good selection of management settings with this plug-in extender, as well as the latest 802.11ac WiFi technologies, including MU-MIMO data transmission and beamforming. While it’s not as aesthetically pleasing as extenders using all internal antennas, it delivered impressive scores in our throughput performance tests. That said, the similarly priced Netgear Nighthawk X4 AC2200 WiFi Range Extender (EX7300) is a better performer overall. You may also want to consider a WiFi system, especially if your Router is ready to eliminate ghosts or you want a simpler setup.

where can you get a Amped Wireless REC44M online

Amped Wireless High Power AC2600 Plug-in Wi-Fi Range Extender with MU-MIMO (REC44M): Buy it now