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Reviewing Synology DiskStation DS418: Modular and well built!

Ciprian Adrian Rusen
19.02.2019

Synology is quite the brand name when it comes to NAS (Network Attached Storage) solutions. Recently, we received their DiskStation DS418 4-bay NAS for testing. It is a well-built device, with excellent modular software. By default, when you turn it on the first time, it includes only the bare-bones features of a NAS. However, you can extend it to be anything you wish, from

review

ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 review: Over the top, in every way!

Ciprian Adrian Rusen
31.01.2019

If you search the news about the ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 wireless router, you see journalists and bloggers saying things like: "world's first tri-band 802.11ax router," "ASUS wants to supercharge your home network with this ultra-fast router," or "we wouldn't want to encounter one of these in a dark alley." When you see its picture, it is clear that you are dealing with a

review

Netgear Nighthawk X10 review: Is it worth investing in the 802.11ad standard?

Ciprian Adrian Rusen
21.01.2019

NETGEAR Nighthawk X10 is not a new wireless router, even though it is one of the first on the market to bring support for the 802.11ad wireless standard. However, it is a new wireless router for us, at Digital Citizen, as it is the first time we get the chance to review a wireless router from this company. Nighthawk X10 is a massive wireless

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ASUS RT-AX88U review: The first router that showcases the new Wi-Fi 6 standard!

Ciprian Adrian Rusen
10.01.2019

Even though the 802.11ax wireless standard, also known as Wi-Fi 6 is not yet finalized, we already see wireless routers with support for it being launched. The first consumer 802.11ax wireless router comes from ASUS. Its name is ASUS RT-AX88U, and this router is a beast, regarding size, hardware, and features. If you want to know what the first AX wireless router has to

news

With the upcoming Deco M4, TP-Link allows users to use different Decos in one network

Ciprian Adrian Rusen
20.12.2018

While working on the world premiere review of the upcoming Deco M4 mesh WiFi system, we discovered that TP-Link is preparing through firmware updates, cross-mesh WiFi compatibility between all their Deco models, both existing and upcoming. As a result, users are going to be able to create their unique network topology using TP-Link Deco M9 Plus, Deco P7, Deco M5, and the upcoming Deco

review

TP-Link Deco M4 review: Affordable and with excellent potential!

Ciprian Adrian Rusen
19.12.2018

TP-Link is preparing the international launch of a new mesh WiFi system, called Deco M4 or Deco M4R. It is their most affordable mesh WiFi system yet, and it plans to compete with other brands that have aggressive pricing like Tenda. It packs solid hardware, and also fewer features than previous models. If you want to know more about the most affordable mesh WiFi

review

Review TP-Link Deco M5 v2: A beautiful whole-home WiFi system!

Ciprian Adrian Rusen
05.12.2018

TP-Link is famous for its affordably priced home networking products. They manufacture not only wireless routers but also mesh WiFi systems. Their top-selling product in this niche is Deco M5, which now has a new v2 variant, which brings several quality-of-life improvements compared to the first model. We very much enjoyed testing TP-Link Deco M5 v1, and we were curious to see whether v2

review

Synology MR2200ac review: Not your average mesh WiFi system!

Ciprian Adrian Rusen
13.11.2018

Synology MR2200ac is the second Synology networking device that we have tested, and we are impressed. It is clear to us that this company knows how to deliver excellent networking devices to the consumer market, with top-notch security, privacy built-in, as well as advanced controls for the users those who need them. Synology MR2200ac is not just another mesh WiFi system. Its looks are

review

Synology RT2600ac review: Security, privacy, and flexibility!

Ciprian Adrian Rusen
08.11.2018

Synology is a Taiwanese company that specializes in network-attached storage products, which are famous for their quality. Two former Microsoft employees founded the company that started by coding an operating system. Today, Synology manufactures wireless routers for homes and businesses, and the company offers a few attractive models. Their most premium wireless router is Synology RT2600ac. It is a solid device, with modern specs,

article

What is MU-MIMO in WiFi? Do I need it?

Ciprian Adrian Rusen
17.10.2018

If you study the wireless routers that were launched since the summer of 2015, you notice that most of them advertise a technology called MU-MIMO or Multi-User MIMO and they also promise wireless transfers that are up to four times faster than on traditional routers. What is MU-MIMO except for a funny-sounding acronym that you do not understand? What does MU-MIMO do on your

review

Reviewing the TP-Link Archer C6 (v2): A good quality AC1200 wireless router

Ciprian Adrian Rusen
05.10.2018

TP-Link has launched another affordable wireless router: TP-Link Archer C6. It is the second hardware revision of this model, with support for the 802.11ac Wave 2 WiFi networking standard, and 2x2 MU-MIMO transfers. It also has surprisingly good hardware inside, which should be able to offer a solid wireless networking experience, at a low price. We are the first team in the world to

tutorial

4 ways to learn your WiFi password in Windows 10, when you forget it

Ciprian Adrian Rusen
01.10.2018

Did you ever find yourself in a situation in which you need your Wi-Fi password, but you cannot remember it? What if you never knew your wireless password at home, just because a friend or a relative did all your network configuration and did not tell you the password? What can you do to find your Wi-Fi password? Fortunately, there are several ways in

review

Tenda nova MW6 review: What you get from the cheapest mesh WiFi system?

Ciprian Adrian Rusen
10.09.2018

If you are looking for cheap mesh WiFi systems, you may have encountered the Tenda nova MW6. On paper, this system looks promising: it has an affordable price, it is not bad looking, it has many of the features other mesh WiFi systems offer, and it can be remotely controlled from anywhere on the internet. Is it a good deal? To find out, read

article

ASUS Lyra vs. ASUS Lyra Trio vs. ASUS Lyra Mini: Price, performance, and features!

Ciprian Adrian Rusen
03.09.2018

ASUS has launched three different mesh wireless systems, all of them named Lyra. They began with ASUS Lyra, then ASUS Lyra Trio and now they are launching the ASUS Lyra Mini. Except for the price and their looks, it is difficult to tell them apart and understand what is different between the three models. That's why we decided to make a detailed comparison which

review

Linksys Velop AC1300 review: Linksys' most balanced mesh WiFi system!

Ciprian Adrian Rusen
31.08.2018

Velop is the Linksys brand for whole home mesh WiFi systems. There are several Velop models on the market, with different prices, colors and numbers of stations. This time we received the more affordable WHW01 variant for testing. This model is smaller in size and in price, and it has different hardware. Here is what you get from the more affordable Linksys Velop WHW01:

review

ASUS Lyra AC2200 review: The first whole-home WiFi system by ASUS!

Ciprian Adrian Rusen
28.08.2018

ASUS Lyra AC2200 is the first mesh wireless network system released by ASUS for home users. We were the first team in the world to test it, and our initial review was done using the first firmware version released for this product. Since then, ASUS Lyra has received many updates and improvements, and we were asked by ASUS to give it another go and

tutorial

How to find hidden wireless networks (SSIDs) in your area, in Windows

Ciprian Adrian Rusen
10.08.2018

You might need to find all the wireless networks that are broadcast in your area, including those which have a weak WiFi signal and those that have hidden their SSID (network name). For this task, you have to install a wireless network scanner and use it to identify the WiFi networks which exist in your area. However, many of these tools are expensive and

review

NetSpot review: a great app for WiFi analysis and troubleshooting!

Ciprian Adrian Rusen
30.07.2018

Here at Digital Citizen, we review many wireless routers and mesh WiFi systems. In our reviews, we analyze the wireless spectrum in our area, so that we understand how the wireless signal evolves and how capable the device that we are reviewing is. In the past, we used several tools for this task. Some used to be free but now have become rather expensive.

tutorial

Simple questions: What is PPPoE and what does it do?

Codrut Neagu
20.07.2018

Most of the ISPs (Internet Service Providers) from all over the world offer broadband internet subscriptions. Some of them do it through a technology called PPPoE (Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet). However, even if you followed the steps necessary for configuring a PPPoE connection at home, there is still a chance that you do not know what PPPoE means or does. If you want to

review

Linksys Velop review: What do you get from the most expensive mesh WiFi system?

Ciprian Adrian Rusen
17.07.2018

Linksys Velop was one of the first consumer mesh networking systems on the market, one of the most beautiful, and the most expensive. Its price has not lowered much since its original launch, and many firmware updates later, we got the chance to review it. If you want to know whether Linksys Velop is worth the asking price, read our in-depth review: NOTE: