A reasonably priced router done right

To say the least, entry-level networking equipment can be confusing. Although the Internet Devil knows exactly what mesh router to buy, this is not the case for the vast majority of users who wish to upgrade from routers provided by their ISPs. In most cases, first-time buyers are just looking for a device that can provide them with easy-to-use network speed and range upgrades. Xiaomi’s latest entry into the expanded ecosystem space, the Mi Router 4A Gigabit Edition, is a typical example of the company’s use of its outstanding brand to recall to disrupt a market segment that has so far lacked a clear market leader.

inside Android Authority Mi Router 4A Gigabit Edition evaluation, let’s see if Xiaomi’s Wi-Fi router can provide a first-class network experience, supported by the value of the famous brand.

read more: The best Wi-Fi routers-these are our top picks

• Mi Router 4A Gigabit Edition: Rs 2,199 / ~£30 / ~€40 (~$30)

The Mi Router 4A Gigabit Edition is the second router launched by Mi in India. Although the highest speed of Mi Router 4C on 2.4Ghz network is 300Mbps, the speed of 4A Gigabit is much faster. The router supports the 802.11ac standard and has a 5GHz radio, giving it a maximum theoretical speed of 867Mbps. You will also find three Gigabit Ethernet ports on the back.

Mi Router 4A Gigabit Edition and TP-Link Archer C6 (Rs 2,599) A total of five Ethernet ports are provided. D-Link DIR-825 (Rs 2,099) Is another similarly priced alternative. It provides a total of five Ethernet ports, but adds a USB 2.0 port that can be accessed via FTP or SMB. In addition, D-Link DIR-825 can be paired with a 4G dongle to access the Internet.

Affordable routers can be obtained directly through Mi.com, Flipkart and offline retail. The router can also be purchased through Amazon in the UK and other parts of Europe, but the price varies.

In Europe, Xiaomi also sells the more affordable Xiaomi router 4A, which does not support Gigabit Ethernet. The router can reach up to 100Mbps, which is most suitable for users whose network speed is lower than 100Mbps. In addition, less RAM may cause problems for users who connect a large number of devices or smart home peripherals at the same time. We recommend sticking to the gigabit variant.

Mi Router 4A Gigabit Edition is a stylish router known for its unusually low-key design. In fact, the minimum height of the polycarbonate-clad router surprised me. The Mi logo and two LEDs are the only visual elements on the original white surface. On the back, you will see four high-gain antennas, which can be adjusted for optimal positioning and range. You will also find three Ethernet ports, one of which is used as a WAN port for internet connection, as well as a power outlet and a reset button.

The guided setup process is simple and can be done through the Mi Wi-Fi app or browser. It is far from the first router to provide an optimized entry process, but Xiaomi’s user-friendly user interface and applications that contain essentials such as setting up DHCP or SSID and passwords should be a welcome move for the target audience of first-time buyers. Or users who are not so tech-savvy.

This is not just the initial introduction, I really like Xiaomi’s overall view of the router software. Covers all the basic elements, including monitoring bandwidth utilization and block lists, as well as a white list for accurately selecting which devices can connect. More importantly, they are easy to find and access, and the informative descriptor tells the user the exact role of the setting.

Advanced settings such as assigning fixed IP addresses, port forwarding, and router-level VPN support also exist and work as expected.

My 2,300 square foot apartment is a bit like a Faraday cage in terms of Wi-Fi signal. Even my mesh network stops occasionally, so it’s nice to see Xiaomi router 4A manage edge-to-edge coverage. However, as we discuss below, good coverage does not necessarily translate into good speed.

What’s wrong?

As long as you are within the relative line of sight, the Mi Router 4A can provide consistent speed. However, multiple walls will seriously affect the transmission speed. Compared to my Ubiquiti router that completely saturates the bandwidth on my 300Mbps line, the Mi Router 4A rarely exceeds 180Mbps. However, these Internet speeds are measured in the same room as the router. When I was separated by two walls, the WAN speed quickly dropped to the low single digits. The best option to get the available Internet speed is to place the router in a central location.

The same applies to LAN speed. To test the local transfer speed, I measured the time required to write and read 3GB of random data (from a few kilobytes to a single 1.5GB file). To learn more about real-world speed, I tested it in the same room as the router, and the wall between my Macbook Pro and the router was 10 feet apart. These files are transferred via Cat 6 Ethernet cable to the fast SSD in the NAS chassis connected to the Gigabit Ethernet port on Mi Router 4A.

read more: The best Ethernet cable you can buy

When I was in the same room and connected to a 5GHz network, I measured a write speed of 216Mbps and a read speed of 292.81Mbps. good. However, when moving to another room, the Wi-Fi network will automatically switch from 5GHz to 2.4GHz for better coverage. Subsequently, the speed also dropped sharply, with read and write speeds of 10.43Mbps and 13.81Mbps, respectively. The rapid drop in speed is definitely not ideal and further reinforces the fact that this is a router designed for smaller apartments and simpler use cases.

I am also disappointed with the limited number of Ethernet ports. I know, I know, this is a professional consumer feature. However, as someone who supports wiring in as many devices as possible, I want at least one additional Ethernet port on the back.

Finally, a USB port that allows the router to be used as a file server or possibly with a 4G dongle would be a useful addition.

Mi Router 4A Gigabit Edition Review: Should I Buy it?

The Mi Router 4A Gigabit Edition gets a lot of things at its price. The price is Rs. At 2,199 (~29 USD), the Mi Router 4A Gigabit Edition is completely an entry-level product. Although the product’s feature set has not fully ignited this category, Xiaomi has done a good job by focusing on important things, such as an easy-to-use interface, a good range, and a stylish design. Facts have proved that this is where the product differentiation lies. Mi Router 4A Gigabit Edition is a simple recommendation, suitable for anyone upgrading from a router provided by an ISP, or anyone looking for the minimum requirements of a basic router.