This is the cheapest gigabit router we’ve seen to date
Five antennas, AC1200 and three GbE ports
Tenda AC11 gigabit router - $29.99 at Gearbest
(£41.45/AU$74.99)
This striking piece of kit from Tenda is currently the world's cheapest gigabit router. At less than $30, this really is a no brainer, especially as it should outperform any router than comes bundled with a WiFi package.
Tenda is one of the lesser known companies in the networking space, but we've featured its products at least once before in the context of the world's cheapest mesh router. As it turns out, Tenda also sells the cheapest gigabit router in the world right now.
The Tenda AC11 costs $49.99 at Gearbest (£41.45/AU$74.99), but you can get it down to a mere $29.99 with discount code V5ARMGEZMI (to be applied at checkout). That is a small investment well worth making, especially if you suffer from weak connections and black spots.
The AC11 is a dual-band wireless router with five 6dBi high gain antennas and three Gigabit LAN ports, with a maximum transmission rate of 1.2Gbps (833 Mbps + 367Mbps). In theory, this router should be better than those that come bundled with your broadband line courtesy of your ISP.
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The AC11 uses MU-MIMO technology for beamforming and signal strength adjustment to deliver optimal speeds directly to your devices, with a range of up to 120m according to the marketing materials.
In terms of aesthetics, the router looks like a black plastic crab with claws and blue eyes or perhaps the scalp of a Predator. That's to say, it's a little creepy.
It's also worth noting, we failed to find a power button or a USB port.
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Bear in mind
- If this product comes from mainland China, it will take at least a month to reach either the UK or US (and potentially more). You may also be levied a tax either directly or through the courier.
- If you've managed to get hold of a cheaper product with equivalent specifications, in stock and brand new, let us know and we'll tip our hat to you.
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Désiré has been musing and writing about technology during a career spanning four decades. He dabbled in website builders and web hosting when DHTML and frames were in vogue and started narrating about the impact of technology on society just before the start of the Y2K hysteria at the turn of the last millennium.