Kool Tools: ATHENA-EX range extender
Amped Wireless’ (ampedwireless.com) ATHENA-EX — a high power AC2600 Wi-Fi range extender with MU-MIMO, — is capable of enhancing the performance of any router by delivering up to 15,000 square feet of fast, additional coverage. Multiple users will now be able to stream, download and surf from far corners of a home or office without their devices battling for bandwidth.
The $219.99 ATHENA-EX is designed for multi-device environments. It’s built with a dual-core processor, 16 high power amplifiers, and four high gain antennas. It xpands the range of any standard Wi-Fi router by repeating the signal and pushing that extended signal out to cover a new, larger area. AC2600 Wi-Fi provides up to 2.53Gbps.
The ATHENA-EX is also one of the first Wi-Fi extenders built with Multi-User MIMO technology. Traditional extenders stream data to just one device at a time, leaving the rest of the devices to wait their turn which results in slower downloads and video buffering. With MU-MIMO, the ATHENA-EX is able to stream HD content at faster speeds to multiple devices at once, delivering increased speeds for homes with multiple devices.
The Extender also houses four gigabit wired ports to bridge in any wired network devices like printers, computers and gaming consoles. Two USB storage ports allow for fast file sharing within the network. Setting up the ATHENA-EX is a simple process and can be done with just a tablet or smartphone. The extender also features a Signal Strength LED to help determine the perfect location in the home or office for optimal signal boosting.