nMax Wireless 802.11n Gigabit Broadband Router (BR-6574n)

This draft-n wireless router offers acceptable transfer speeds and plenty of features.

PC World Australia (online)

  • Review
  • Specs
  • Images
  • User Reviews
  • Buy Online
  • Broadband Plans

Edimax’s BR-6574n nMax Wireless Gigabit Router offers plenty of features but it falls short when it comes to range and speed.

Pros

  • WPA RADIUS encryption, Wi-Fi Protected Setup, Gigabit LAN ports, decent speed

Cons

  • Wireless range could be better, odd Web interface layout

Bottom Line

Edimax’s BR-6574n nMax Wireless Gigabit Router doesn't offer anything extraordinary, but it provides the necessary features and functionality to suit homes that don't suffer from too much wireless interference.

Would you buy this?

  • Price

    $ 199.00 (AUD)

Special Offers

The BR-6574n nMax Wireless Gigabit Router boasts most of the features you would expect from a mid-range 802.11 draft n device. It provides five Gigabit Ethernet ports — one for connection to a modem and the other four for computers — and three detachable antennas that can be swapped out for higher sensitivity ones. Unlike D-Link’s DIR-855 Xtreme N Duo Media Router, the router doesn’t provide a status LCD or the ability to transmit over 5GHz bands, but the 2.4GHz band should suffice for most users, provided the area isn’t prone to heavy radio interference.

Setting up the BR-6574n nMax Wireless Gigabit Router is extremely simple thanks to a software wizard that guides the user through each step. The wizard leads users through Wi-Fi configuration, allowing them to choose a custom Station ID (ESSID) and security options. The only downside is that it must be done over a LAN connection rather than Wi-Fi.

Remote administration is supported through a Web-based interface, but it may require a slight learning curve. Unlike most interfaces, which compile related settings into single pages, the BR-6574n nMax Wireless Gigabit Router’s settings are segregated into very specific areas; this increases the time it takes to reach a particular setting.

The increasingly common (and often annoying) Wi-Fi Protected Setup system is incorporated into the BR-6574n nMax Wireless Gigabit Router to allow a secure connection when initially connecting a wireless device to the network. Edimax offers both WPS methods: you can use an 8-digit PIN code or the push button method, providing the USB Wi-Fi adapter or laptop supports it. The router supports WEP, WPA, WPA2-AES and WPA RADIUS encryption.

The BR-6574n nMax Wireless Gigabit Router is not the fastest wireless router available, but it achieved some respectable data transfer rates. We tested the router’s speed by transferring a 5GB file from a PC connected via Gigabit Ethernet to a laptop at both close and long range. At close range, the BR-6574n nMax Wireless Gigabit Router managed an average throughput speed of 6.25 megabytes per second, falling behind Linksys’ WRT610N but still providing enough bandwidth for large file transfers and demanding media streaming. At a range of 15m with two brick walls between the laptop and the router the speed dropped by more than half to 2.93MBps.

The router fell slightly short of our expectations when it came to range. Beyond the 15m point, the wireless signal became extremely weak and file transfers failed. This is not uncommon for draft-n routers that run at 2.4GHz.

Keep up with the latest tech news, reviews and previews by subscribing to the PC World newsletter.

Be the first to comment.

Post new comment

Users posting comments agree to the Good Gear Guide comments policy.

Login or register to link comments to your user profile, or you may also post a comment without being logged in.

Most Popular

Tethering tutorial: How to use your iPhone as a modem
Capacitive vs resistive touchscreens
How to pick the right size TV for your living room
BlackBerry's Q10 landing in July
LCD vs plasma vs LED TVs buying guide

Compare broadband and save

Powered by

Need Help? Call 1300 123 935

Best Deals on PCWorld

Networking, Wireless & VoIPView all »
Broadband View all »
Powered by
NotebooksView all »
Desktop PCsView all »
TabletsView all »

Compare & Save

« 1 of 14 »
Deals powered by WhistleOut
Use WhistleOut's technology to compare:
Mobile phone plans & deals
Mobile phone models
Mobile phone carriers
Broadband plans & deals
Broadband providers
Deals powered by WhistleOut
Guides and Articles
National Broadband Network NBN 100Mbps Plans
Visualising Mobile Phone Plans
SIM Only Mobile Phone Plans
National Broadband Network NBN 25Mbps Plans
iPhone 5, 4S & iPhone 4 Plans - Compare Deals &...
Deals powered by WhistleOut
WhistleOut