Summary
The Buffalo AirStation Extreme N600 is a router that is priced affordably but yet manages to surpass expectations. This dual-band gadget, which costs $90, provides remarkable throughput from a considerable distance and gives users access to a wide variety of apps that expand its possibilities. However, in order to get this pricing, there are certain concessions that need to be made.
Brick-like in appearance, the Buffalo AirStation Extreme N600 is a straightforward, curved device. On the smooth sides of this router, there are no antennae that are attached to the outside of the device. It has dimensions of 7.7 inches by 7.3 inches by 1.1 inches, making it simple and small, yet the plastic exterior gives it a cheap vibe.
It is unfortunate that the Extreme N600’s all-black design continues to the status-light labels; as a result, it is quite difficult to determine what each of the little green lights indicates. The four Ethernet connections and the one USB 3.0 connector that are located on the rear of the device are, thankfully, well labeled.
The router is able to be positioned in an upright position thanks to the fragile stand, which seems to be almost too little to hold it.
Buffalo AirStation Extreme N600 Review: Put in place
The AirStation Extreme N600 comes with a convenient configuration card that is put into the rear of the device. It is one of the few consumer routers that comes preconfigured with a password, and it gives customers access to all of the basic settings, including a password.
After a computer has been connected to the router over either Wi-Fi or Ethernet, a screen will appear and walk you through the straightforward process of setting up the router, which consists of nothing more than inputting information from the card.
The user interface was developed with users of smartphones and tablets in mind, which makes it very easy to make adjustments to extra settings. With the press of a button, quality of service (QoS), web filters, and guest accounts may all be activated and deactivated.
In order to go any further, power users may access the Advanced Settings menu. A fairly large number of options are available for customization, which is an unexpected feature. These additional features are not properly indicated, which is a really unfortunate situation. For instance, the Wireless tab of a router is often where you will find the Port Forwarding functionality, which is an essential function for gamers. The Extreme N600, on the other hand, had the choice located under the Security section, and the page itself was incredibly difficult to understand.
ADDITIONAL: The Best All-in-One Personal Computers
After locating the massive number of options and deciphering their labels, we were able to make changes to the settings in a short amount of time.
programs There is a second tab named Applications that can be found under the Advanced Settings tab. This other item is devoted to the eight programs that are incorporated within the router.
It seems that the basic BitTorrent program has a feature that is enjoyable to use. It’s a shame that it turned out to be unsuitable for frequent usage. The process of uploading new files for download was tough for us, and there were no options for labeling files, scheduling torrents, or controlling queue speed.
Many of the apps, especially those that make use of the Network Attached Storage (NAS) capability of the router, presented us with problems that were comparable to those described above. Buffalo contains a QOS program, a very rudimentary Disk Management application (which does nothing more than put the hard drive into sleep mode), and a Sharing application for accessing the hard drive from other computers. In addition to the BitTorrent application that was stated above, Buffalo also provides a QOS application.
You’ll also discover an application called Eco Mode, which enables you to switch off the router when it’s not being used, and a Web use program that gives customers the ability to use their network even while they are away from their homes. There is just one Enable check box available in the Network USB app, which is designed for printing. In addition, there is an application known as Media Server; nevertheless, it is no match for the incredibly powerful dedicated media servers that are available, such as Plex and XBMC.
One of the programs that did function better than anticipated was Norton ConnectSafe, which was included in the package. This tool will provide parents with a sense of security. ConnectSafe, which was located on the main configuration page, performed just as it was intended to, therefore restricting access to questionable websites. It was as simple as clicking a button to exclude websites or linked computers from ConnectSafe, and the program refused to direct us to potentially harmful websites, such as torrent repositories that were lacking in credibility.
Buffalo AirStation Extreme N600 Review: Storage that is connected to a network
On the rear of the Buffalo N600 is a single USB 3.0 connector that may be used to connect a printer to the network or a USB hard drive that is formatted in FAT. The aforementioned solitary Enable check box in the Network USB app is the limit of the printer control that can be done.
Five out of the eight firmware apps that are included are specifically designed for use with the USB hard drive. All of these components work together to transform any USB hard drive into a network-attached storage device (NAS). We were able to get quick access to our data across the network when we put in our own USB drive, and we were also able to provide remote access to our files through the use of the World Wide Web.
During our time at the Tom’s Guide headquarters, where there are many competing Wi-Fi networks, we had some difficulties with the Sharing program. However, when we connected our USB drive to the network in an apartment that was less populated, we were able to view files on both Windows and Mac computers without any further difficulty.
With its price tag, the Extreme N600 is a reasonably swift vehicle. A laptop equipped with an Intel 2×2 802.11 AC wireless card was used to evaluate the throughput of the router. IxChariot was also used in the testing process. When measured against the Belkin N600 DB, which was priced similarly, the Extreme N600 moved like lightning at five feet, fifteen feet, fifty feet, and one hundred forty feet.
At a distance of 15 feet, the Buffalo Extreme N600 achieved a remarkable upload speed of 120.7 Mbps on the 5-GHz band. Simply put, the Belkin only achieved 82.9Mbps. At a distance of 140 feet, the Buffalo Extreme N600 achieved a speed of 100.1 Mbps. On top of that, Belkin’s 73.9 Mbps is a significant improvement.
On the other hand, the gadget did not operate as well on the 2.4-GHz band, which is quite busy. Both the Buffalo and the Belkin were particularly vulnerable to interference from the many 2.4-GHz devices that were present in our workplace. Phones, printers, and even a friendly coworker raising their hand all contributed to a decrease in speeds.
An inadequate 3.2 Mbps was achieved by the Belkin, whereas the Buffalo managed to get 13.5 Mbps at a distance of 140 feet. Nevertheless, this is 5 Mbps slower than the average for the category, which is 18.5 Mbps, and that includes routers that cost up to $250.
Should you be interested in achieving a greater range on the 2.4GHz band, it is likely that you will need to pay a higher fee. Only the ASUS RT-N66U was capable of achieving that level of speed within the price range of less than $200.
Buffalo AirStation Extreme N600 Review: As a conclusion
Despite its low price of $90, the Buffalo N600 provides reliable speeds and a long range on the 5-GHz band, in addition to a broad variety of functions that are often found in routers that cost twice as much.
In exchange, many of those same features seem like they are only partially developed, with the exception of the network attached storage (NAS) option and Norton ConnectSafe. If, on the other hand, you are searching for a router that is both affordable and effective, the Buffalo Extreme N600 is a good choice to consider.
