Introducing the D-Link EXO Smart Mesh Wi-Fi Router | AD

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As a family the internet plays a huge part in our lives. I can’t work without the internet, our whole home seems to be run on apps and smart technology and the children are used to having streaming entertainment at the touch of a button – as well as their tablets when they want them.

To streamline our internet usage even more we were sent a brand new router from the D-Link EXO Smart Mesh Wi-Fi Series to test at home and see how it fits into our modern, connected smart family home. We were sent the DIR-2660 and our first impressions were really positive.

The router setup guide was mainly explained using pictures, making it so simple to set up. Once the router was plugged into a modem with the supplied ethernet cable, setting up a new wi-fi network couldn’t have been simpler using the D-Link Wi-Fi app. We currently have Sky Broadband and it was an easy job to plug the router directly into the Sky Q hub, bypassing the existing Wi-Fi router. With several additional ethernet ports on the new router, plugging in network devices close to the router is an option if you want the added security of a wired connection.

Once the router was ready it was simply a case of opening the app and scanning the QR code supplied in the reference material to give full access to the router in an easy to use interface which enabled me to use my preferred network name and password right from the start. Things like this make me really happy – D-Link help keep everything as familiar and simple as possible.

I was able to set up an Administrator account and password for the router, something that many broadband providers don’t tell their customers as it lets you have complete control over your network. Again, using the D-Link Wi-Fi app, I was able to instantly see what devices are attached to my router and if I don’t recognise them I can block them with the touch of a button. A secondary guest network can also be created with a simple swipe if you don’t want to be casually handing out your primary WiFi code. With voice control via Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant you also don’t have to be anywhere near your smartphone to activate it. We’re used to using a router that purely gives us WiFi. The new D-Link EXO Smart Mesh Wi-Fi Series gives so much more than that.

The D-Link Wi-Fi app helps parents to keep children safer online with parental controls. Once you create a profile and link any devices to it you can block that device from accessing websites based on categories such as gambling, dating and even school cheating! Individual websites can also be added to the blocked list and the app lets you set up schedules for access to the internet for users too.

Everything is controlled via the app on your smartphone so a tech savvy child won’t be able to bypass software downloaded to their device as there isn’t any. We found this really clever and simple to use – giving parents all the power direct from their mobile phone or tablet. It was great to be able to control exactly what the children had access to on their tablets and when they had access to it. It’s reassuring to know that the children won’t be able to use their tablets overnight and can only use them for a certain amount of time each day now that we’ve configured their device time limits.

With the D-Link EXO Smart Mesh Wi-Fi Series you also get complete protection for any device connected to your network with McAfee Secure Home Platform. Out of the box you also get a two year subscription to McAfee LiveSafe antivirus software (worth £179.98) which gives you extra security away from home for an unlimited number of tablets, smartphones and computers. It’s also reassuring to know that the router keeps itself up-to-date with daily firmware checks and updates at a designated time that suits your usage.

Integrated Wi-Fi Mesh also makes it easier to expand your home Wi-Fi network with other D-Link devices, eliminating any WiFi black-spots around the home. This is something we will definitely look at in the future and I am sure setting it up would be as seamless as setting up the original D-Link router.

Overall, we have had comparable coverage from our existing WiFi network throughout the house but with the added extras of the McAfee services. With the simplicity of the D-Link Wi-Fi app and the Mesh extension technology available we are really impressed with the overall experience that the D-Link EXO Smart Mesh Wi-Fi Series router and App have given us. It’s another level of smart technology that the whole family have really benefited from. 

You can find out more about the D-Link EXO Series here.