There are only a handful of networking equipment makers who are making products for the masses. One of such brands is D-Link, a behemoth in the network equipment space. Since the talk currently is focused on Wi-Fi 6, we see more and more dedicated routers. From AX1500 to AX5400 and beyond. As the technology is relatively new, the adoption is slow, which can be attributed to high router costs.
This is where the D-Link DIR-X1560 AX1500 router comes in. The unit costs INR 4,499 and is among the cheapest Wi-Fi 6 routers in the market currently. We have been using the DIR-1560 for upwards of two weeks and now, and here’s our review.
Box Contents
Here’s a complete list of items you get inside the box:
- D-Link DIR-1560 AX1500 Dual-Band Wi-Fi 6 Router
- Ethernet Cable
- Documentation
Design
The D-Link DIR-1560 has that futuristic design going in its favour. There are plenty of angular bits on the unit. Though the entire construction is done in plastic, the router comes in a matte finish. Since there are no flashy bits found here, the router goes well with most Decor.
The thing that we liked the most was the number of ventilation cutouts on this design. Routers these days run 24/7 and need proper cooling. There are four high-band antennas here, which come with a free range of motion. Four status LEDs are placed on the front with the D-Link branding.
The power on/off, WPS, and reset buttons are placed on the back. The single Gigabit WAN port is the next in line, followed by four Gigabit LAN ports.
Performance
Since this is an AX1500 unit, the maximum collective speed you will get is 1.5 Gbps. Setting up the router is fairly pretty; just download the free D-Link Wi-Fi app and follow the steps on the screen. The app is available for both Android & iOS. With the app, you can set parental controls based on your family’s online needs, access your Wi-Fi settings and more, directly from your smartphone or tablet.
The DIR-1560 also happens to be a smart router, and both Alexa and Google Assistant can control specific aspects of it. You can try out the commands like Turn on/off your guest Wi-Fi, ask for your guest Wi-Fi credentials, reboot your router or update your firmware, all hands=free using Voice Commands.
The new D-Link router supports BSS Coloring technology, which puts an end to the Wi-Fi strife. In crowded environments, your neighbour’s Wi-Fi could be interfering with your network and slowing down the connection. To counter this, BSS Coloring technology makes transmissions more unique by ‘colouring’ them with their unique code. As a result, Devices can decide whether to transmit signals or ignore them based on their “color”.
The Target Wake Time (TWT) also helps reduce battery consumption for connected devices by communicating with them and deciding when and how often the device requires data transfers. In addition, this feature increases the device’s sleep time, therefore cleverly conserving energy and helping save battery life.
The DIR-1560 Wi-Fi 6 router supports the latest WPA3 encryption to enhance wireless encryption, ensuring greater privacy throughout users’ devices and networks. What we need to appreciate are the automated OTA updates. Flashing the latest firmware on the router can prove to be a tedious affair. This new D-Link router series installs the updates in the background automatically. Last is the MU-MIMO technology that helps distribute the flow of data to multiple devices simultaneously.
The DIR-X1560 leverages OFDMA and MU-MIMO for better efficiency of upstream and downstream transmissions. Compared to older gen routers, this one does the job better. During our testing period, we connected a number of devices to the AX1500 Wi-Fi 6 router. Depending on the device and the hardware used, we got satisfactory results with the router. The speeds stayed consistent; we didn’t notice any connection drops.
