14 DAY TRIAL // One thing about routers is that, for all their capabilities, they have some limitations that people might find very troublesome, especially in large homes with many rooms, and by extension walls and furniture.
Basically, though wireless routers have a good range most of the time, and a performance which can go from decent to very good, their effectiveness decreases with every solid surface that shows up in the way of their signal.
Thus, while stable Internet will be available in the room where the router is kept, the same cannot be said about the rest of the rooms and floors in a house.
So in order to make it unnecessary to buy more than one router, ASUS has introduced a range extender called RP-N53.
The RP-N53 Wi-Fi device operates on both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, with 300 Mbps performance on each. Thus, one can easily describe it as a 600 Mbps wireless connection device.
To set up the link with routers, all owners need to do is press the WPS button. The range extender takes care of the rest.
For peace of mind and freedom of choice, WPS (wireless protected setup) works with all router brands, not just ASUS-made ones.
Client devices like game consoles, smart TVs, tablets and PCs are supported this way as well.
The range extender works thanks to internal multiple-input/multiple-output (MIMO) antennas.
ASUS says, in its press release, that the 2.4 GHz band is there for social networking and web browsing, essentially lightweight Internet use, while the 5 GHz band is better for online gaming and video streaming. A web-based browser can be used to change operating bands, the company writes.
That said, ASUS tossed in something extra: a 3.5mm audio jack, for connection to speakers and, thus, integration into home entertainment / hi-fi systems. The router/range extender streams the music files from source devices like USB-connected drives.
Finally, LED lights add some aesthetic appeal, in addition to showing signal strength, and the on and off switch is touch based.