The D-Link Aquila Pro AI AX3000 Wi-Fi 6 Smart Mesh Extender (E30) is a plug-in extender that uses Wi-Fi 6 technology to bring wireless connectivity to parts of your home that your router can’t reach. The dual-band extender is easy to set up and manage, and it can be used as a node in a mesh network when paired with a compatible router. The Aquila Pro ($99.99) is a capable choice, but you’ll get better performance from our Editors’ Choice pick in the category, the TP-Link RE715X.Design: Big, But Not ObtrusiveAt 6.4 by 2.9 by 2.1 inches (HWD), the E30 is bulkier than the D-Link EXO AC2000 DAP-1820 (5.5 by 3.5 by 1.7 inches) and the TP-Link RE600X (5.9 by 3.1 by 1.4 inches), but its matte-white and powder-blue finish and rounded edges give it a softer look than most range extenders. The back of the device has a two-prong plug, positioned toward the bottom to leave room for the second outlet in a two-outlet receptacle. Like most modern extenders, the D-Link does not offer a pass-through outlet.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
A small status LED on the front glows solid white when the extender is connected to the router with a strong signal, blinks white for a weak connection, blinks orange when disconnected and red when reset to factory defaults, and glows solid red when the extender is first powered up. An orange and white flashing LED indicates a firmware update is in progress. Over on the left side are a 1GbE LAN port, a WPS button, and a reset button.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
The E30 is a dual-band extender that can be used with any Wi-Fi 6 router and will operate as a node in a mesh network when paired with a compatible D-Link Aquila Pro router such as the Aquila Pro M60 that we reviewed back in May. An AX3000 device, it can reach speeds of up to 574Mbps on the 2.4GHz band and up to 2,403Mbps on the 5GHz band. It contains three internal antennas and supports Wi-Fi 6 technologies including MU-MIMO data streaming, Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA), beamforming, 160MHz channel bandwidth, and WPA3 encryption.
The E30 can be installed and managed using a web console or with the same Aquila Pro AI mobile app used by the aforementioned M60 router, but you don’t get many settings to tinker with. The app opens to a home screen with a network map that shows the number of extenders and number of clients. Tap the extender icon in the middle to view device information including the IP and MAC addresses, the firmware version, the time zone, and the extender’s model number. Here you can change the password, turn off the LED, and restart the device.
(Credit: D-Link)
Back at the home screen are buttons for Wi-Fi, Voice Control, and Health Mode. The first opens a screen where you can turn Wi-Fi on and off, share Wi-Fi credentials, edit SSIDs and passwords, and create access schedules. Tap the Voice Control button to link the E30 to your Alexa or Google accounts where you can use voice commands to enable and disable guest networking and reboot the extender. The Health Mode button actually has nothing to do with device health, but instead offers a bedtime schedule that blocks internet access at specific times.Testing the Aquila Pro E30: Competitive ThroughputInstallation was easy. Using the mobile app, I started by tapping Install New Device and scanning the QR code on the side of the extender. I confirmed that my phone was connected to the router I was extending, selected wireless as the method of connectivity with the router, and plugged the E30 into a wall outlet in a room that was approximately halfway between the router and the area that needed a signal boost. I confirmed that the LED was breathing orange, selected the SSID of the router I was extending, and entered its password. I gave the extended network a name and password, created an admin name and password, and waited around 60 seconds for the device to restart. After a lengthy firmware update, I used the app to separate the two bands (they’re combined by default), and the installation was complete.
The E30 posted competitive scores in our throughput performance tests. Its 99Mbps in the 2.4GHz close-range test was a bit faster than the TP-Link RE600X (98Mbps) and much faster than the Netgear EAX15 (65Mbps), but it couldn’t catch the TP-Link RE715X (106Mbps). Similarly, the E30’s score of 69Mbps in our 20-foot test beat the RE600X (67Mbps) and the Netgear (37Mbps), but not the TP-Link RE715X (71Mbps). In the 40-foot test, the E30 and the two TP-Link extenders all managed 14Mbps, while the EAX15 edged them out with 15Mbps.In our 5GHz throughput tests, the Aquila Pro turned in scores of 403Mbps (close range), 260Mbps (20 feet), and 158 (40 feet). The TP-Link RE600X delivered 400Mbps, 254Mbps, and 196Mbps, respectively, while the Netgear EAX15 managed 354Mbps, 171Mbps, and 132Mbps, respectively.To test wireless signal strength, we use an Ekahau Sidekick 2 Wi-Fi diagnostic device and the company’s Survey mobile app, which together generate heat maps that show the extender’s 2.4GHz and 5GHz signal range throughout our test home. (Note: Ekahau is owned by Ziff Davis, PCMag.com’s parent company. For more, read about our ethics policy in the Editorial Mission Statement.) The circle on the map represents the location of the extender, and dark green areas indicate the strongest signals. Lighter green and yellow areas represent gradual signal degradation, and gray indicates a very weak or no measurable signal.
2.4GHz Wi-Fi coverage for D-Link Aquila Pro AI AX3000 (Credit: Ekahau)
5GHz Wi-Fi coverage for D-Link Aquila Pro AI AX3000 (Credit: Ekahau)
As you can see, the E30 delivered a relatively strong 5GHz signal to the target areas on the right side of the house, but its 2.4GHz signal was not as robust. Both signals showed deterioration on the opposite side of the house (the furthest from the extender).Verdict: An Affordable Way to Improve Wi-Fi 6 CoverageIf your current router has trouble delivering a strong Wi-Fi signal to certain rooms in your home, a range extender like the D-Link Aquila Pro AI AX3000 Wi-Fi 6 Smart Mesh Extender (E30) can help. Simply plug it into a wall outlet between your router and your dead-spot area, and pair it with your router to extend the latter’s 2.4GHz and 5GHz signal reach. At $99.99, it’s more cost-effective than buying a new router, and it uses Wi-Fi 6 technology including 160MHz channel transmissions to deliver solid throughput performance. That said, for around $20 more, the Editors’ Choice-award-winning TP-Link RE715X gives you better all-around performance in a slightly smaller package.
D-Link Aquila Pro AI AX3000 Wi-Fi 6 Smart Mesh Extender (E30)
Pros
Easy to install
Mesh-ready
Good performance
Supports 160MHz channels
View
More
The Bottom Line
The D-Link E30 is a dual-band range extender designed to boost the reach of your Wi-Fi 6 router. It offers solid throughput and is a snap to install, but it’s big, and its signal strength isn’t the strongest.
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