When we tested D-Link's AC3200 Ultra Wi-Fi Router (DIR-890L/R) ($357.25 at Amazon) last year, its speedy throughput scores, intuitive management settings, and edgy design earned the router our Editors' Choice nod. D-Link's latest offering, the $379.99 AC5300 Ultra Wi-Fi Router (DIR-895L/R) picks up where its predecessor left off, delivering class-leading scores on our Multi-User Multiple Input, Multiple Output (MU-MIMO) and 5GHz throughput tests and maintaining a unique aesthetic and a user-friendly management interface. You don't get 802.11ad capabilities like you do with the TP-Link Talon AD7200 Multi-Band Wi-Fi Router ($299.99 at Amazon) , another top pick, but you do get much better performance. It's our latest Editors' Choice for high-end routers.
Design and Features
The DIR-895L/R ($320.00 at Amazon) uses the same pyramid-shaped, cherry-red design as the DIR-890L/R, but at 5.8 by 16.4 by 10.3 inches (HWD), it's a couple of inches bigger. It features eight removable, adjustable external antennas and has a strip of LED indicators on its top for Power, 2.4GHz and 5GHz band activity, USB activity, and Internet connectivity. The rear of the router holds four Gigabit Ethernet ports, a WAN port, a USB 2.0 port, a USB 3.0 port, Power and WPS buttons, and a button that switches between router and extender mode.
Inside are three radio bands that can deliver theoretical data rates of up to 5,332Mbps (1,000Mbps on the 2.4GHz band, and 2,166Mbps on each of the two 5GHz bands) and a 1.4GHz dual-core processor. It's a 4X4 router, which means it uses four independent streams to deliver data, and it offers all of the latest 802.11ac Wi-Fi technology, including MU-MIMO simultaneous streaming, beamforming (signal steering), and Smart Connect (automatic band switching). The DIR-895L/R also supports DD-WRT Open Source, a Linux-based firmware that offers custom settings that allow you to tweak the router for optimal performance.
D-Link AC5300 Ultra Wi-Fi Router (DIR-895L/R)
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The Web-based management console is very similar to the one used on the D-Link AC1900 EXO Wi-Fi Router (DIR-879) ($79.95 at Amazon) . The router can also be managed from a smartphone using the mydlink Lite mobile app. The console's home page displays a network map with basic statistics, such as client IP addresses and DHCP information, and issues alerts for any network issues. In addition to a Setup Wizard, the Settings menu contains an Internet page where you can configure DHCP, IPv4, and IPv6 network settings, and a Wireless page for configuring SSID, password, security, and channel-width settings. Here, you can also enable access schedules and set up guest network access. The Advanced menu includes drag-and-drop QoS settings, Firewall settings, Port Forwarding and Virtual Server settings, and Website Filter settings. The Management page is where you go to view system logs and network statistics, create access schedules, and update the router's firmware.
Installation and Performance
Installing the DIR-895L/R is simple using the Setup Wizard. To access the wizard, you connect your PC to the router using the included Ethernet cable, open a Web browser, and type http://dlinkrouter.local./ in the address bar. The wizard will walk you through the basic Internet and wireless configuration process, and takes less than five minutes.
The DIR-895 L/R aced throughput tests. Its score of 264Mbps in our close-proximity (same-room) MU-MIMO test, in which we use three identical Acer Aspire R13 laptops equipped with Qualcomm's QCA61x4A MU-MIMO circuitry, is the highest score we've seen from any MU-MIMO router. The TP-Link Talon gained 226Mbps in this test, while the Linksys EA9500 Max-Stream AC5400 MU-MIMO Gigabit Router ($370.00 at Amazon) showed a throughput of 210.3Mbps, and the Zyxel AC2200 MU-MIMO Dual-Band Wireless Gigabit Router (NBG6815) ($138.99 at Amazon) scored 148Mbps. In our 30-foot MU-MIMO test, the DIR-895 L/R scored 134.5Mbps, beating the TP-Link Talon (113Mbps) and the ZyXel NBG6815 (87.3Mbps), but not the Linksys EA9500 (162.3Mbps).
The router also turned in impressive scores in our 5GHz throughput tests. Its score of 515Mbps in the close-proximity test beat the Linksys EA9500 (450Mbps), the Netgear Nighthawk X4S Smart Wi-Fi Router (R7800)($289.99 at Amazon) (491Mbps), and the TP-Link Talon (440Mbps), but not the Asus RT-AC88U Dual-Band Router($219.99 at Amazon) (537Mbps). At 30 feet, it led the pack with 324Mbps, compared with the Linksys EA9500 (258Mbps), the Netgear R7800 (247Mbps), and the TP-Link Talon (237Mbps).
While operating on the 2.4GHz band, the DIR-895L/R's score of 98.4Mbps in the close-proximity test was pretty much in line with the Linksys EA9500 and the TP-Link Talon (98.9Mbps each), but a tad slower than the Netgear R7800 (105Mbps). At 30 feet, the DIR-895L/R managed 71Mbps, compared with the Netgear R7800's 52.3Mbps and the Linksys EA9500's score of 79.1Mbps. The TP-Link Talon led with a slightly higher score of 79.8Mbps.
We tested file-transfer performance by moving a 1.5GB folder containing a mix of music, video, document, and picture files between a wired desktop and a USB drive connected to the router's USB port. The DIR-895L/R turned in a very fast read speed of 78.3MBps and a decent write speed of 39.5MBps. The Linksys EA9500 scored 38.5MBps on the read test and 35.5MBps on the write test, and the TP-Link Talon scored 56.8MBps and 27.9MBps, respectively.
Conclusion
In addition to its distinctive design, the D-Link AC5300 Ultra Wi-Fi Router (DIR-895L/R) stands out for its record-breaking throughput speeds and strong file-transfer performance. Its close-proximity MU-MIMO performance is second to none, turning in the fastest 5GHz long-range (30-foot) throughput scores we've ever seen. Its file-transfer performance is exemplary as well, and it offers all the latest 802.11ac features, including beamforming, band switching, and 4X4 data streaming. Granted, this router doesn't come cheap, and it doesn't offer the 802.11ad circuitry that you get with the TP-Link Talon AD7200 Multi-Band Wi-Fi Router, which costs $30 less, but there aren't many 802.11ad clients available right now, and the DIR-895L/R delivers better all-around performance. As such, the D-Link DIR-895L/R is our Editors' Choice.
The D-Link AC5300 Ultra Wi-Fi Router (DIR-895L/R) is a slick-looking, fully loaded tri-band router that delivers some of the fastest scores we've seen in throughput and file-transfer tests.
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