amazon TOTOLINK A3 reviews
With its compact size, high performance and many useful features, the TOTOLINK A3 has really make the Test Lab change the view that cheap wireless routers typically operate poorly and weakly.
As a mini-line Wi-Fi router, the TOTOLINK A3 is designed for users want device do not take up too much space. Nevertheless, this latest Wi-Fi router from TOTOLINK is still equipped with the ability to provide AC-rated Wi-Fi networks similar to some of the larger sized Wi-Fi routers available on the market today.
In terms of looks, TOTOLINK A3 has a square box design, size 91x80x35 mm. The top consists of signal lights, WPS button, hard reset button and two non-removable antennas, but still has the ability to fold and turn 270 degrees.
In particular, the maximum rotation angle is also puted by the manufacturer right under the foot of the antenna to ensure that users can operate correctly, avoid damage during use.
Test Lab found that the TOTOLINK A3 is no different than the TOTOLINK N200RE mini, which has been previously evaluated, except for the heat sink on the bottom edge that has been slightly modified by the manufacturer, which is inserted into the body. Create a “sufficient” clearance so that air can escape faster and more efficiently when the user places the device on a flat surface, such as a desk.
However, the minus point of the TOTOLINK A3 is that the signal lights are designed to be quite small in color (green), almost colored with the outer casing.
Because of this, if you hang the device in high places such as near the ceiling, neon lights are sure to take a lot of time to determine whether the device is working or not.
According to the information provided by the manufacturer, the TOTOLINK A3 is equipped with two 5dBi high performance antennas in combination with MIMO technology, which provides continuous, stable and less interfering signal transmission.
In addition, TOTOLINK A3 can achieve maximum bandwidth of up to 1,167Mbps (867Mbps for 5GHz and 300Mbps for 2.4GHz band), suitable for current network infrastructure as well as meet the user’s network in work or play entertainment, watch Full HD movies, video streaming without feeling lag or shock.
In addition to providing Wi-Fi networks, the TOTOLINK A3 is also equipped with one WAN port and two LAN ports (the same 10 / 100Mbps), allowing users to install the device where they need network connectivity. Physical cable in your room or PC / laptop on the desk.
Not only that, the Wi-Fi router can also take on the role of an available Wi-Fi receiver, via some of the built-in operating modes. Specific about the setting mentioned in the device configuration.
In addition, the TOTOLINK A3 is also fully integrated with today’s advanced security standards such as 64/128-bit WEP, WPA / WPA2 and WPAPSK / WPA2PSK, which ensures the highest confidentiality of information. Unauthorized from outside to steal user’s information remotely via wireless connection.
It can be said that at a price of less than $30, the TOTOLINK A3 is indeed the “formidable” competitor among the AC-rated Wi-Fi routers currently on the market.
Plug and Play
Similar to current Wi-Fi routers, TOTOLINK A3 is also equipped with fast connectivity, allowing users to use the device immediately after unbanned with just a few simple operations: cable connection Network via WAN port with modem / router / AP forward, power on and wait for a few seconds for the device to boot.
However, this is only a temporary solution, because then TOTOLINK A3 provides Wi-Fi networks in “open” mode, meaning there are no modes to protect users, including passwords. Of course, this will certainly make the network loose and unavoidable unauthorized access from the outside.
Therefore, you will need to visit the TOTOLINK A3 setup page to reconfigure Internet access.
Accordingly, after connecting the router to the computer via the LAN port and accessing the configuration page in accordance with the documentation, Test Lab is impressed with the ” There are three options: Setup tool – access to manual configuration page, Internet Wizard – basic connection options and Setup Wizard – configure device step by step.
More specifically, if you click on the Internet Wizard, the A3 will display a pop-up dialog box with networking features. Here, if you connect the network cable from the upper router to the A3 by WAN port, just check the Automatic Internet configuration section and click Next on the next set up page that is able to connect to the Internet.
Meanwhile, with the Setup Wizard, TOTOLINK A3 will provide step by step configuration, from the network connection to the two SSIDs in the 2.4GHz and 5GHz band respectively.
Also, if you choose the Setup tool, TOTOLINK A3 will put you into the manual and advanced configuration interface.
As mentioned above, in addition to providing Internet access over the WAN port, Test Lab found that TOTOLINK A3 also offers three different operating modes, Wireless WAN, Wireless Bridge (similar to Repeater) and WDS, Use more flexibility in creating Wi-Fi coverage in your home or business.
However, the difference from other Wi-Fi router models is that the TOTOLINK A3 does not display attention for user’s eye.
Instead, they are required to access Setup> Advanced Setup> Wireless> Wireless Multibridge.
Here, for Wireless WAN and Wireless Bridge modes, to be able to select the reception of an available Wi-Fi network, TOTOLINK A3 is a bit more cumbersome, which means you have to select the active band at the upper-right corner. Left of main interface.
Although manually selected band will operate in either of the above two modes, but this will help users actively select the appropriate band for the surrounding conditions, instead of the entire allocation to the network equipment.
Next, click AP Scan to scan available networks. Then, select the encryption standard and enter the password of the corresponding network. Restart the router to apply the changes.
In the meantime, you need to determine if the uplink equipment supports WDS functionality before setting up A3 to work with this mode.
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Strong, stable
Test Lab is convinced by the wide range of wide coverage of the A3, up to 15m – 20m depending on the surrounding environment.
And to test this, Test Lab installed this router in a 1 floor home with the superior modem with a theoretical package of 30Mb / s. In addition, the installation area A3 is also an interference environment between multiple Wi-Fi waves from other routers.
Next, Test Lab uses two specialized Wi-Fi waveforms, SpeedTest, to measure wave speed and Wi-Fi Analyzer – a measure of signal strength (-db units).
After the obstacle is the wall and measured at a distance of 5 to 10 meters, A3 still provides stable waves. Test Lab can still surf and share photos on Facebook easily. Also, watching videos on YouTube with the highest 720p standard is not shocking or lag.
Meanwhile, if you go a little further at a distance of 15 meters, although the speed has dropped to a very low level, Test Lab can still chat online through Facebook Messenger, of course, can not be share or view photos on this app.
In addition, the Test Lab also tested the A3 wave level measurement in a nearby Wi-Fi interference environment. The results from the Wi-Fi Analyzer application show that although the SSID of the A3 does not always rank among the top networks, the signal strength is quite stable. All can take charge of additional resources for the network in the home or office.
Supports Multi SSID and full featured features
In addition to the default 2.4GHz and 5GHz SSID bands, the TOTOLINK A3 also allows users to add additional SSIDs for each band to meet your intended use.
For example, you can enable the SSID Guest on the 2.4GHz band and 5GHz with the guest’s open passcode in the living room area. Meanwhile, the remaining SSIDs will be for family members or offices.
In addition, the A3 also “snaps” the whole SSID setup interface to the same location (Advanced Setup> Wireless> Wireless Setup), which makes it easy to change Wi- Fi on this router.
Not only that, you can also set up only Internet access (not able to connect to the internal network) and QoS for each SSID that extends on both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands.
In addition, if you need to manage all bandwidth on the A3, just go to Advanced Setup> Traffic> QoS setup to customize the bandwidth level more professionally.
In addition to the basic features, the A3 also supports a number of features for the professional user, such as VPN / PPTP remote management, Port Forwarding, Mac Authentication, etc.
In short, for those who are looking for a Wi-Fi router that meets the following criteria: compact, AC support, the TOTOLINK A3 is sure to be one of the brightest candidates to expand home or small office Wi-Fi.