Tenda AC23 AC2100 review – a high-end looking device for a small amount of money

The Tenda AC23 AC2100 router looks like a spider with antennas and Wi-Fi capabilities. Jokes aside, this is a not-so-expensive piece of tech that packs a lot of extras under the hood. At least on paper, it seems like Tenda is trying to attract buyers with a device that is meant for a not ideal environment for a Wi-Fi network. The hidden technologies that are helping in these kinds of situations are the 4X4 MU-MIMO tech that contributes to a wider wireless coverage (ergo – faster speeds as well). The other helper is the built-in Signal Amplifier which once again expands the Wi-Fi signal. It adds better penetration capabilities (it’s useful if the signal has to go through a lot of walls before reaching the end device).

Last but not least, this router comes with 7 (yes, seven) 6dBi External Antennas which for sure are enhancing the wireless capabilities of this router. Well, it seems that this fella is trying to be the perfect all-rounder that isn’t priced sky-high. At first glance it looks like a possible scenario – it has a design close to its more expensive sibling and it has a large number of extras for advanced users. Let’s inspect this device more closely.

You can check the current price of Tenda AC23 AC2100 Dual Band Gigabit WiFi Router here: Buy from Flipkart.com

Contents


Specs Sheet

Tenda AC23 AC2100
Wireless Standard
IEEE 802.11ac wave2/a/n 5GHz
IEEE 802.11b/g/n 2.4GHz
Ethernet Interface
1*10/100/1000Mbps WAN port
3*10/100/1000Mbps LAN ports
Data Rate
5GHz: Up to 1733Mbps
2.4GHz: Up to 300Mbps
Antenna7*6dBi external antennas
Power supply standard
Input: AC 100-240V~50/60Hz 0.6A
Output: DC 12V1.5A
Frequency Band
Simultaneous dual-band 2.4 & 5GHz
Max Transmit Power<20dBm(2.4G)
<23dBm(5G)
Wireless SecurityWPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK, WPA/WPA2
Wireless Security: Enable/Disable
WPS(WiFi Protected Set-up) fast encryption
Operating Mode
Wireless Router Mode
Universal Repeater Mode
WISP Mode
Basic FeaturesSSID Broadcast: Enable/Disable
Transmission Power: high, medium, low
Beamforming
MU-MIMO
Special FeaturesSmart Traffic Prioritisation
PPPoE Username/password Clone
Smart WiFi Schedule
Smart Power Saving
Smart LED on/off
Tenda Cloud
Tenda App
OthersBandwidth Control
Guest Network
IPTV
MAC Clone
Static Routing
System Log
Backup & Restore configurations
Firmware upgrade online
Firmware upgradeable via browser
Supports IPv6
Dimensions‎9.41 * 5.68 * 1.59 in(238.9*144.3*40.3mm)

What’s in the box?

The device comes in a big box that ensures a good amount of protection. Inside of it, you’ll wind the router itself covered in protective cloth, a LAN cable, and an AC adapter.


Design and construction

This router looks like an alien that is going to invade your home. It’s dark-themed and it looks like a piece of expensive machinery when all 7 antennas are placed upward. Moreover, the design is modern, and the wight is low enough but this is not the most compact router out there.

Installation, Features, Setup, and Testing

The installation of the device is business as usual. You just have to plug a LAN cable from your ISP equipment (in most cases it’s a media converter) to the router’s LAN port and then you have to connect the Tenda machine with your computer with another LAN cable for setting up your preferences. When this is done, you can access the router settings by just entering the following address in your browser – 192.168.1.1 (if it’s not working try 192.168.0.1). Voila, now you can tweak a lot of things. First, you can edit the connection type and you have to enter a password for your network which is probably the most important thing.


In the Wi-Fi settings menu, you can modify things like Wi-Fi Schedule which means the wireless network will be available in a desired period of time. This router supports Beamfolding as well – the default data broadcasting for every router is in all directions but with Beamfolding, the router can project a stronger signal in a specific direction. Then you can split or unify the 2.4GHz and the 5GHz networks. You can modify the channel bandwidth which can be useful.

The router supports some goodies like the Guest network which can be used as a temporary network for your guests at home – they can use the Internet but don’t have access to your main network and its password. For additional safety, you can filter the MAC addresses of the devices that can or cannot connect to your home Wi-FI. If you care about the environment and you don’t want to waste any kind of energy, you can use the router’s Sleeping mode. The build-in Firewall is a useful feature because it can automatically block DDOS attacks.

Last but not least, you have access to extras like System Log where you can see more data about your network, and you can execute simple things like reboot, reset or you can backup your current settings so you don’t have to enter everything again after a reset. Remote management is available too but the best way to do that is to use the Tenda mobile app which allows you to have a decent amount of remote control when you are on the go.

Using the Tenda AC23 AC2100 is a butter smooth experience (well, at least in our case) – the signal is strong in every room and we used a bunch of smartphones and laptops that were connected to the test network at the same time. Browsing, downloading, watching YouTube videos – everything is happening fast and without any lag.

Verdict

Tenda AC23 AC2100 is a good router that brings a lot of useful extras to the table without stretching your wallet too much. The device looks up to date and it has 7 antennas. For faster operation, it features a dual-core design – the router has a main CPU and a co-processor that works with a low frequency compared to the main one. It’s a modern device so things like Gigabit WAN and LAN ports are part of the standard package.

For better and stronger Wi-Fi coverage, the router offers a 4×4 MU-MIMO for the 5GHz network and a built-in amplifier. The router comes with many features that can be fine-tuned. You can create a Guest Network, you can filter MAC addresses and the build-in Firewall has a good Auto mode that can prevent DDOS attacks. This router supports Beamfolding as well which can be quite handy – you can strengthen the signal directly to one of your devices. The Tenda app is a great complement to the whole package because you can do a good amount of things remotely – you can monitor the network, you can create a Guest network too and if you are lazy enough in the morning, you can reboot the router directly from your phone.

Tenda AC23 AC2100 is a dual-band gigabit Wi-Fi router which is showing that this amount of extras can be acquired for a not-so-big amount of money.

You can check the current price of Tenda AC23 AC2100 Dual Band Gigabit WiFi Router here: Buy from Flipkart.com

Pros

  • Nicely priced
  • Has a Gigabit LAN port
  • The installation is user-friendly
  • Supports Beamfolding
  • The Web UI has tons of options
  • Supports both 2.4 GHz and 5GHz bands
  • Good amount of security options
  • Stable connection when multiple devices are connected at the same time

Cons

  • Short Ethernet cable in the box
  • Lacks a USB port
  • Just three LAN ports

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Fredy
Fredy
8 months ago

Me. Lo compre para ver qué tal me va. 04121322873