D-Link AX6000 WiFi 6 Mesh Router | Contemporary Design | High-Performance | Feature Rich | AI Enabled | Parental Controls | Covers up to 3000+ sq. ft | Expandable Mesh (M60)

Having a 2.5G ethernet port is a nice touch for a router these days. The design is much more compact than other routers that are oversized. Has a button to mute the lights, not all routers have this feature.
Performance is similar to other Wifi 6 devices, if you rely upon devices like a laptop that uses a MediaTek chipset keep in mind even after swapping out your card to another maker there are some laptops that have a shorter antenna layout vs Intel based models. For testing reasons had reset the router during different device testing, speed side you’ll have to expect MediaTek based devices are 20-25% slower than Intel based and wifi jitter on MediaTek hovers at about 20% packet loss.
Overall I found this router better than similar priced first gen Wifi 6 router, LAN routing had minimal lag and didn’t encounter the usual green ethernet idle states that other routers tend to drop from gig ethernet to 10/100 mode. The curved antenna design is less of an eye sore compared to models that have four or more antennas.

Today, selecting a router that balances aesthetics with performance is challenging. The D-Link AX6000 aims to fill this niche, presenting a sleek design minus the bulky antennas typical of its counterparts. Yet, its performance, particularly at distance, doesn’t quite match its visual appeal. It offers standard features and an application that, while basic, lags in comparison to some competitive options, necessitating use of a web browser to access some features and sertings. It also has parental controls, which are helpfull but limited to mac filtering per user, and dont provide a lot of info about the device making setup, particularly those worh limited experience or lot of devices, inconvenientat at best for power users or down right difficult for those that are not.

The router’s aesthetics design is really its standout feature, adopting a subtle, wave-like form that blends seamlessly with a modern home décor, a stark contrast to the more noticeable designs of previous generations with large unsightly antenna arrays. It’s an ideal choice for those with smaller spaces and moderate WiFi needs, but may not be a good match for power users or those requiring easy robust parental controls.

Performance-wise, the D-Link AX6000 worked ell at short and medium distances, but shows a drop in throughput and increased latency as compared to my 2 year old router i tested it against ( TP-Link Archer AX5400), particularly at distances. Despite claims of up to 6 Gbps speeds, suitable for high-demand activities, it struggles with coverage at distances that my other router had no problems with (50′ with some walls and a floor abart). Features like “AI-powered” WiFi optimization and self-healing mesh capabilities can enhance connectivity in crowded environments (condo’s and apts), but my older router has similar features, wich basically scan and opt to use less congested frequencies.

The usability of the router’s app is straightforward, but encounters with persistent firmware update issues highlight a significant drawback. Essentially i was unable to install the firmware update that the app kept prompting me about. It would go through the process (10 min) but would ultimately fail and promp me again
Tried all the common work around including hard reset to no avail. However I was able to manually download the firmware and install it through the router’s web interface. A throwback to the 90s and arguably a cumbersome process for the average user, which shouldn’t be required days. Additionally, while the router offers basic parental controls, they fall short of the more advanced options available, particularly for tech-savvy households, though admittedly those often require a subscription (e.g. tp-link tether)

In summary, the D-Link AX6000 caters well to those prioritizing aesthetics in their home network setup, sacrificing some performance and coverage for design. While adequate for users with basic requirements and smaller living spaces, those in need of high-performance and extensive coverage might find it lacking but may be able to offset the range issue by adding a mesh node. However, the range issue underscores the ongoing trade-off between design aesthetics and functionality in the quest for the ideal home router that blends in instead of being a blight.

The D-Link AX6000 WiFi 6 Mesh Router redefines home networking, offering a seamless blend of contemporary design, high performance, and feature-rich functionality. Designed to meet the demands of modern households, this router delivers lightning-fast speeds, expansive coverage, and advanced features to ensure a superior internet experience for every member of the family.

The standout feature of the D-Link AX6000 Mesh Router is its cutting-edge WiFi 6 technology, which provides unparalleled performance and reliability. With speeds of up to 6 Gbps and coverage of over 3000+ square feet, this router ensures smooth streaming, lag-free gaming, and seamless connectivity for all your devices, from smartphones and tablets to smart TVs and gaming consoles.

In addition to its impressive speed and coverage, this router boasts a contemporary design that complements any home decor. Its sleek and minimalist aesthetic makes it a stylish addition to any living space, while its compact footprint ensures easy placement and installation in any room.

Equipped with a host of advanced features, including AI-enabled parental controls, the D-Link AX6000 Mesh Router offers customizable security and management options to keep your network safe and secure. With the ability to set up user profiles, filter content, and monitor device usage, parents can rest assured knowing that their children are protected while online.

One of the most compelling features of this router is its expandable mesh capability, which allows you to easily extend your WiFi coverage by adding additional mesh nodes throughout your home. Whether you have a large multi-story house or a sprawling backyard, you can enjoy seamless connectivity in every corner, without dead zones or dropped signals.

Setup is quick and hassle-free, thanks to the intuitive D-Link app, which guides you through the installation process step by step. With its user-friendly interface and straightforward instructions, you can have your new router up and running in minutes, ready to deliver blazing-fast WiFi speeds and reliable connectivity to all your devices.

Let me start with the elephant in the room. I’m someone who likes to use web based clients to access router control panels and the directions were a bit like Abbott and Costello. Out of maybe 50 attempts, it took me to the login screen once. It gives you a custom address that supposedly takes you to the login page. Almost always, however, it simply takes me to an instruction page that tells me to ENTER my custom address. Hello. Where do you think we are?

So I caved and went the mobile app route. This requires you create a Dlink account to access it. Anyways, once you actually get into the control panel, it’s all very anti-climatic. There’s almost nothing to do in the router control panel settings. Turn radios on/off. Turn Smart Connection on/off. And not much else. I’ve seen more settings on the router supplied by the cable company. Very disappointing on that end. There’s no control over which radio channel you use. Are there DFS channels? Who knows.

The performance, on the other hand, has been outstanding. So it at least does a high quality job of tuning everything.

I have this setup as a wired Access Point used exclusively for wifi streaming on my Steam Deck and Oculus Quest 3. With the Quest 3, using Virtual Desktop, I’m locked to a connection speed of 2401Mbps. Which is outstanding. In over a week of testing, I’ve never once seen network latency spike.

I’ve tested at H264+ @500Mpbs with Virtual Desktop and it’s been an absolute champ. My GPU couldn’t always handle such a high encode rate (depending on how hard it was being pushed on rendering), but the network latency never spiked from any dropped packets. Running Virtual Desktop with the Quest 3 has been butter smooth for me. This is a torture test and it just doesn’t drop any packets. So I’m incredibly impressed by the performance. My old router couldn’t touch the performance of this router.

I think this is a great router for people who want an easy setup, excellent performance, and a super stylish looks. If you’re someone who wants to fine tune every network setting under the sun, however, this isn’t the router for you. And even if you just want to access the basic settings, if my experience is any indication, you’ll likely need to use the mobile app to access the control panel.

EDIT: Updated it to 5 stars. The more I use it, the more I really love this thing. Also, I forgot to mention it initially, but there is a setting to completely disable LED lights. So while there’s not many settings, it has a setting for one of the most important things an electronic device can have. I greatly appreciate the ability to disable LED lights.