Our demands on our home wireless network and the number of connected devices have increased dramatically so you need a modem/router that can cope like D-Link’s new Taipan.
The Taipan AC3200 Ultra Modem Router uses tri-band wi-fi and smart connect technology to intelligently distribute and prioritise your network’s traffic to extract the best possible performance.
The D-Link Taipan is an ADSL/VDSL modem that will work with all DSL services including FTTN (fibre to the node) which is being used in the NBN rollout.
This will not work as a modem with a cable broadband connection but the Taipan can still be used as a router on your home network in this situation.
For our review, that’s how we set up the D-Link Taipan – as a router for our Optus cable broadband connection so it could handle the traffic on our home network.
Those in our situation with a cable model could purchase the D-Link AC3200 wi-fi router which doesn’t have a built-in modem like the Taipan.
Set up is surprisingly simple thanks to the installation wizard that steps you through the whole process until you’re up and running and connected.
The way we use our wireless networks has changed a lot just in the last couple of years.
Not only are there more connected devices but we’re also streaming more data thanks to music services like Spotify and Apple Music and subscription video on demand services like Netflix, Stan and Presto.
Add to that online gaming and general web browsing and you’ve got a snapshot of a typical wireless home network.
D-Link’s Taipan comes into the picture armed with features to create a faster and more efficient network.
From a design perspective, the Taipan looks like it means business with aggressive styling and six antennas. It looks like a spacecraft.
It has the latest 802.11ac wi-fi connectivity but it’s also backwards compatible with the older wi-fi standards so it can still connect older devices.
The Taipan is a tri-band router which means it has a 2.4Ghz band and two 5Ghz bands and offers combined speeds of up to 3200Mbps – 600Mbps on the 2.4Ghz band and 1300Mbps on each of the 5Ghz bands.
The result is three pretty fast lanes for your data with the Taipan intelligently playing traffic cop and prioritising the most demanding connections with its Smart Connect technology.
For example, high definition media streaming, and online gaming are handled on the 5Ghz bands while other less demanding tasks like web surfing, and printer sharing are designated to the 2.4Ghz band.
And as you add more devices, Taipan is constantly balancing the network in real time to provide the best performance.
When the D-Link Taipan is set up, there is just one network name to find – not multiple names with confusing numbers and symbols.
Another benefit of the D-Link Taipan is the range of the network and its ability to lock on to devices as you move about your home.
The modem router forms direct connections to your devices with beam forming technology so the range of the network is a definite improvement.
In our testing we were able to stay connected to the network upstairs in our home – with the modem located in our office downstairs – as well as on the footpath in front of our house and even sitting in our backyard.
We can thank those six antennas for maintaining that impressive range.
Under the hood, the specs are equally impressive with a 1Ghz dual core processor powering the whole experience.
On the connectivity side there are four Gigabit Ethernet ports to plug in devices that are close by like your computer, smart TV and gaming console.
There’s also a USB 2.0 port to connect and share a printer to the network and a USB 3.0 port to connect a hard drive to share its contents with your network as well.
Other users on the network can access that content with the mydlink SharePoint app on their smartphones and tablets.
VERDICT
The D-Link Taipan AC3200 Ultra Modem Router has been built to handle the demands of today’s wireless networks – and it does it with ease.
It isn’t cheap – it’s priced at $579.95 – but you are getting an all-in-one high-end modem and router that can cater for all of your connectivity needs at home.
D-Link Taipan AC3200 Ultra Modem Router
Price: $579.95
