MacDirectory magazine is the premiere creative lifestyle magazine for Apple enthusiasts featuring interviews, in-depth tech reviews, Apple news, insights, latest Apple patents, apps, market analysis, entertainment and more.
Issue link: https://digital.macdirectory.com/i/1464866
Performance We spent a fair amount of time seeing how the Gryphon AX compared to our single TP-Link Archer A20, a non-mesh router that is comparably priced. We used WiFi Explorer on a MacBook Air to get signal strength numbers, the Ookla Speedtest app to measure internet speed (how much of our gigabit fiber it can take advantage of), and the Unix standby, ping, to look for dropped packets of data. We then took measurements at key points around the house of our TP-Link, the AX by itself and the AX paired with a second as a mesh network repeater. Even though our house isn’t excessively large, the routers are set up downstairs on one end, and upstairs on the opposite end is near an apartment complex that creates a signal crunching traffic jam in a location that is just at the periphery of the wide open spaces of the 5GHz signal from our TP-Link. In virtually all the locations, the TP-Link proved itself more robust in terms of throughput and signal loss when compared to a single AX. Then we started up the second AX in roughly the middle of the house. Without getting too technical, we’ll just say the performance throughout our house was as good as it was when we were positioned in the same room as the router. In the distant corner that was always a dead spot, the Ookla Speed Test showed ten times faster throughput than with either single access point. Signal strength was maxed out throughout the house. The mesh network proved truly impressive. The Gryphon AX is available through Amazon and other retailers. A single unit is $279 and the two-pack is $499. Adding some guardrails around the internet is an important yet quite thankless duty. At least the Gryphon AX can help out and give you a break from the constant vigilance it normally requires and give you some confidence that the kids are fairly safe, at least when they’re on the internet. For more information, visit: gryphonconnect.com.