Fountain Valley, Calif. — Responding to growing demand for faster and more stable Wi-Fi connections for the connected home, D-Link on Thursday introduced its highest-end Wi-Fi router to date: the dual-band AC1900 model DIR-880L.
The company also unveiled a new networkable Wi-Fi Motion Sensor, and a compatible intuitive Mydlink home mobile app remote control for iOS and Android smartphones and tablets.
D-Link said the DIR-880L ($189 suggested retail) router is available now and was designed to deliver extremely fast 802.11ac Wi-Fi speeds for a “maximum performance wireless network” capable of handling high-bandwidth activities, like HD streaming and lag-free gaming over wide distances in a home or office.
Dual-band technology is included to reduce or eliminate interference. This is said to enable simple Internet activities on the 2.4GHz band, and more demanding activities on the cleaner, interference-free 5GHz band.
The router supports speeds of up to 1,300Mbps on the 5GHz band and 600Mbps on the 2.4GHz.
D-Link said it has included in the device an all new user-tested interface (UI) built for mobile.
An advanced QoS engine for smart traffic prioritization and band steering technology is included for smarter bandwidth allocation, the company said.
This router is also equipped with four gigabit Ethernet ports enabling wired speeds of up to 1,000Mbps. Gigabit Ethernet ports support 10/100/1000Mbps wired speeds.
The new user interface was said to have been designed to easily control a network from a smartphone or tablet. A free Quick Router Setup app is available for simple setup from a mobile device.
Easy access is presented for parental controls, unwanted device blocking, monitoring internet activity and creating Wi-Fi guest networks.
The DIR-880L is backward-compatible with existing Wi-Fi devices (802.11n/g/b) and uses WPA or WPA2 security encryption.
Meanwhile, D-Link said it is now shipping a Wi-Fi Motion Sensor model DCH-S150 ($39.99 suggested retail) at Amazon.com, BestBuy.com, Office Depot, OfficeMax and throughout D-Link’s retail and e-tail network. The device plugs into an open power outlet and alerts users of activity at home with a text notification when any movement is detected.
Also announced was the intuitive Mydlink Home mobile app for iOS and Android smartphones and tablets. The app controls D-Link smart devices from any location and can be used to pair D-Link smart devices together to automate a home.
As an example, a D-Link Smart Plug with a Wi-Fi Motion Sensor can be used to detect motion and immediately react by turning on lights as soon as the owner enters the front door.
