[section_title title=Conclusion]
Conclusion
With the cluttered 2.4GHz range getting ever busier and sharing the frequency with devices like wireless home phones, what did I make of the Asus RP-N14 N300 range extender?
It performed well, even without external antennas it provided a signal over a distance of 25m through one of the walls of my flat outside to me down the road. The signal, over the distances, was somewhat weaker than from the actual router itself which was expected, but it was evident it was doing its job, remember though that if you can still connect to the router, and receive a strong service, then using a WiFi extender will be counter-productive, they should only be used in cases where the WiFi signal is too weak to provide good service.
Ping times were more than acceptable, but I wasn’t going to sit outside in the wind to play a game on my laptop for an hour to prove a point.
The aesthetics of the RP-N14 are very pleasing. Asus could well have stuck a plain flat panel on the front like other competitor models but chose to do something nice with the finish. The glossy plastic didn’t attract much in the way of finger prints either which was good to see. Wherever you plan on putting this in your house, apartment, flat, office, etc it will look at home. The night light adds ‘mood lighting’ if that’s what you’d call it? But is a nice addition all the same.
Being able to connect directly to it to set it up is good. Without having to rely solely on a feature like WPS, which doesn’t always work, is a great addition. Connecting to the device once set up, the easiest way I find is connecting to it through the ‘Network Map’ loads the Asus browser which is very easy to navigate.
The Asus RP-N14 N300 can be had for around £20 making this a fair priced N300 range extender product. We need to remember that it is using the 2.4Ghz range, the RP-N14 is ideally suited for all makes and models including the ones provided by ISPs. As I was using it with the TP-Link Archer D9 router, I noticed the drop from the 866Mbps connection I get on my laptop when connecting directly. However, if I needed a range extender, I recommend this product for everyone.
I would like to thank Asus and eBuyer for sending me the RP-N14 for review and look forward to seeing more from them in the future.
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Performance
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Design
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Value
Summary
A great price, great Asus features and a nice white body.
Pros:
– Glossy textured white finish.
– Small size.
– Easy to use menu.
– WPS connectivity.
Cons:
– Run of the mill N300 WiFi.
– Internal antennas slightly hinder performance.
