The D-Link Covr-2202 ($299.99) is a whole-home mesh Wi-Fi system that offers solid performance, easy installation, and support for Alexa and Google Assistant devices. It also has a user-friendly mobile app that gives you advanced controls over the system. That said, its performance and feature set can't match that of the same-price TP-Link Deco M9 Plus, our current top pick for mesh Wi-Fi systems.
Coverage for Large Homes
The Covr-2202 mesh system comes with two nodes (one router and one satellite) that provide Wi-Fi coverage for homes of up to 6,000 square feet. That's important if you have a large home: The Deco M9 Plus only offers 4,500 square feet of coverage. Unlike the low-profile triangular nodes that come with the Cover C-1203 system, the Covr-2202 components are triangular mini-towers that stand 7.8 inches tall and are 3.5 inches wide and 3.9 inches deep. They sport a glossy white finish with a band of copper trim at the bottom.
The base holds two gigabit LAN ports, a power jack, and an on/off button, and there's a WPS button on the side. Although they look identical, one node is designated as the router while the other is used as a satellite (the router is labeled Point A). An LED backlit Covr badge on the front of each node tells you what is going on with your network: It's white when the node has a strong connection, blinks white when the connection is weak or when the node is using WPS to connect to a client, turns red when the node is booting up, and blinks orange during setup.
Similar Products
TP-Link Deco M9 Plus Mesh Wi-Fi System
Gryphon Smart WiFi Mesh System
Asus Lyra Trio
D-Link Covr Dual Band Whole Home Wi-Fi System (Covr-C1203)
Linksys Velop Plug-In
Linksys Velop
Netgear Orbi High-Performance AC3000 Tri-Band Wi-Fi System (RBK50)
Amped Wireless Ally Plus Whole Home Smart Wi-Fi System
Powered by a quad-core CPU and 1GB of RAM, the Covr-2202 is a 2x2 tri-band AC2200 router with maximum speeds of up to 300Mbps on the 2.4GHz band and up to 866Mbps on each of the two 5GHz bands. The secondary 5GHz band is dedicated to backhaul. This system uses Wave2 802.11ac technology and supports MU-MIMO simultaneous data streaming, beamforming (direct-to-client signal transmissions), and automatic band-steering (the router decides which band will provide optimal performance). It also supports Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice commands that allow you to do things like enable guest networking and restart the router using your voice.
The Covr-2202 uses the same mobile app (iOS and Android) as the Covr C-1203, but you'll have to use the web console to configure Quality of Service settings and advanced options such as Port Forwarding, Website Filtering, and Dynamic DNS settings. The mobile app opens to a screen that displays the status of your internet connection, the number of nodes and clients, and a button to test your internet upload and download speeds using the Ookla Speed Test utility.
Tap the gear icon in the upper right corner to open a Dashboard with buttons for Wizard, Wi-Fi, Internet, Guest Wi-Fi, Clients, Schedule, Management, and Cloud Service. Use the Wi-Fi button to change the Wi-Fi name and password and use the Internet button to change your internet connection type (static, DHCP, PPoE, PPTP, L2TP). The Guest Wi-Fi button is used to enable/disable guest networking and the Clients button lets you view information about each client such as the MAC and IP address and see if the client is on a schedule. Here you can also block the client's network access. The Schedule button takes you to a screen where you can create access schedules, and the Management button lets you change the system device name and password, check hardware and software versions, select a time zone, and reboot the router.
While you can set system-wide and individual client access schedules, the Covr-2202 lacks the kind of age-appropriate website filters that you get with the TP-Link Deco M9 Plus and Asus Lyra Trio mesh systems. It also lacks the malware protection that the Deco M9, the Lyra, and the Gryphon Smart WiFi Mesh systems give you.
Solid Performance
As with nearly every Wi-Fi system we've come across, the Covr-2202 is easy to install. I started by downloading the mobile app and selecting Install New Device in the startup screen. I scanned the QR code on the base of the router node and followed the instructions to power down my modem before connecting the router to it. I waited about 90 seconds for the device to boot up and for the LED to begin blinking orange. I hit Next and entered the device password located on the base, then created a network name and an administrator password. After 45 seconds, the LED turned white and I was prompted to add the second node. I placed it in my living room, plugged it in, waited for the LED to blink orange, and tapped Next. Within seconds the LED turned white, indicating that the node was synced with the router and I was ready to go.
See How We Test Wireless Routers
The Covr-2202 turned in respectable scores on our throughput performance tests, which were conducted using automatic band steering. On the close-proximity (same-room) test, the router node's score of 488Mbps was faster than the Linksys Velop Plug-in router but trailed the D-Link Covr Dual-Band and the TP-Link Deco M9 Plus router scores. On the 30-foot test, the Covr-2202 router managed a relatively fast score of 210Mbps, beating the D-Link Cover Dual-Band and the Linksys Velop Plug-In routers but not the TP-Link Deco M9 Plus router.
The satellite node turned in speedy results. Its score of 385Mbps was right up there with the TP-Link Deco M9 Plus (386Mbps) and significantly faster than the D-Link Cover Dual-Band and the Linksys Velop Plug-In nodes. The Covr-2202 node's score of 340Mbps on the 30-foot test led the pack by a healthy margin.
Lacking a Few Features
With its 6,000 square feet of coverage, the D-Link Covr-2202 mesh system makes it easy to spread Wi-Fi throughout large homes. It works with a user-friendly mobile app that lets you create access schedules and block access to specific clients with the touch of a button. It also offers support for Alexa and Google Assistant devices so you can control things like guest networking with your voice. Although the Covr-2202 is a solid performer, it's missing a few of the features that you get with the TP-Link Deco M9 Plus system, including anti-malware software, strong parental controls, and the ability to control home automation devices. As such, the Deco M9 Plus remains our Editors' Choice for mesh Wi-Fi systems.
The D-Link Covr-2202 is a two-piece mesh system that performs well, but lacks some key features of its competition.
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