ZyXEL unveils ARMOR Z2 AC2600 802.11ac MU-MIMO Dual-Band Wireless Gigabit Router

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When buying a router for your home, there are many things to consider. While price is always a factor, you never want to save money by going with a low-quality offering. You should do your research and get the best hardware for your budget -- while sticking with a reputable brand, of course.

ZyXEL is not a household name, but the Taiwan-based company does offer solid hardware at affordable prices. When I've needed something like a network switch or USB Wi-Fi dongle, I have chosen its products due to low prices, but have been very satisfied with the quality. I've never tried its wireless routers, but today, the company announces its newest such model -- the ARMOR Z2 AC2600 -- and it has me intrigued.

"ARMOR Z2, which utilizes the 2nd generation of Qualcomm AC2600 chips to deliver enhanced MU-MIMO performance over the previous generation of AC2600 routers, provides up to four wireless streams for ultra-fast connectivity with multiple wireless devices, enabling users to connect more devices to their shared Internet connections. The high-performance router delivers fast, stable connectivity and incorporates advanced features that maximize the performance of bandwidth-intensive, latency-sensitive applications such as 4k UHD video streaming and online gaming", says ZyXEL.

The company further explains, "ARMOR Z2 features one 10/100/1000 Mbps RJ-45 WAN port and four 10/100/1000 Mbps RJ-45 LAN ports to ensure maximum connectivity speeds within the wired and wireless network infrastructure. The router incorporates a powerful 1.7 GHz dual-core processor that works together with StreamBoost QoS and Gigabit Wi-Fi speeds to provide the jitter-free performance required for video streaming and online gaming".

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ZyXEL shares the following benefits of the router.

  • MU-MIMO for up to 3x Faster Performance -- The dual-band ARMOR Z2 supports 802.11ac Wave 2 MU-MIMO technology to provide accelerated Wi-Fi speed for all devices. The router supports 160 MHz channel bandwidth and when connected to MU-MIMO-compatible devices, ARMOR Z2 can achieve 3x performance over traditional Wi-Fi speeds.
  • Designed for High Performance and Long Range -- Dynamic QoS provided by ZyXEL’s StreamBoost technology allows users to run multiple networking applications without sacrificing the video streaming experience or increasing online game latency. Four adjustable high-power dual-band antennas utilize beamforming to ensure strong connectivity with devices, even when moving throughout the home or office.
  • Ease of Use and Management -- ZyXEL’s eaZy123 setup makes it quick and easy to set up the ARMOR Z2. ZyXEL ONE Connect App makes it easy to manage network connections and network status from iOS- or Android-based mobile devices. ARMOR Z2’s Usage Monitor enables users to view network bandwidth utilization by applications and client devices and automatically sends notification messages when defined thresholds are reached.
  • Protect Precious Photographs -- ZyXEL’s Photo Backup app enables users to automatically back up the photos from their mobile device to a USB storage device connected to the ARMOR Z2 router.

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The ZyXEL ARMOR Z2 AC2600 MU-MIMO Dual-Band Wireless Gigabit Router also features 512MB of RAM and 4GB of storage. If you want to connect a printer or attached storage, it features two USB Type-A ports -- one is 2.0, while the other is 3.0. You can even manage it via the web or app.

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How much does this attractive and powerful router cost? It is available now for the quite reasonable $189.99. That includes a very impressive limited 2-year warranty. When you are spending more than $100 on a router, it is nice to know that the company will stand behind it.

Will you buy this router? Tell me in the comments.

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