One of the main drawbacks of budget routers is the short range of a Wi-Fi network. After installing such a router, it may turn out that it is not able to provide normal Wi-Fi network coverage even for a small apartment or house. Perhaps this is why Mercusys developed the MW325R router. The main feature of which is the maximum coverage of the wireless network.
Mercusys MW325R is perfect as an inexpensive home router. Good coverage, stable performance, high wireless speed and simple control panel are the main advantages of this model. An excellent option for those who do not need Wi-Fi 5GHz (802.11ac standard) support and a USB port. A simple router that you can quickly and independently configure, and in which there are no unnecessary "bells and whistles" for which you would have to overpay.
Good coverage is provided by four 5dBi antennas. The manufacturer promises to cover up to 500 sq. m. With the range of the Wi-Fi network, the Mercusys MW325R is all right. Not 500 sq. m., of course (this is simply unrealistic, except in open space and in ideal conditions), but according to my observations, the wireless signal is very strong and stable. Talking about rooms, or about the area that this router can cover, is not entirely correct. Since walls and other obstructions create strong signal interference. And these hindrances are different for everyone.
Other characteristics and features:
- Wireless speed up to 300Mbps. Support for 2x2 MIMO technology.
- The speed of WAN and LAN ports is up to 100 Mbps.
- Non-removable antennas. Power 5dBi.
- Guest network.
- Support for WDS (Wireless Bridge).
- Simple control panel and quick setup.
Of course, there is parental control, the function of filtering devices by MAC and IP addresses, support for IPTV and other functions, which we will consider in a separate article where I will talk about setting up this router.
Mercusys MW325R review
Mercusys style packaging. The box itself contains almost all the information you need about the MW325R.
The router comes with a power adapter and a network cable. Well, a small instruction in Ukrainian and Russian.
Mercusys MW325R is made of white matte plastic. The area near the indicators and antenna is gray. The indicators are not bright and are green. There are ventilation holes at the top, sides and bottom. The quality of the plastic is good. There is no unpleasant smell.
On the back there is a Reset button, a POWER connector (where the power adapter is connected), 1 WAN port and 3 LAN ports. Like the Mercusys AC12, this model lacks a power button, WPS, and even more so Wi-Fi (On / Off).
The antennas are not removable, but they can be folded.
And the router itself can be hung on the wall. There are necessary holes at the bottom. There is also a sticker with factory information.
The web interface of the router, which can be opened through the browser at mwlogin.net, looks like this:
The control panel is really very simple.
Mercusys MW325R reviews
This router has appeared on sale relatively recently, but there are already enough reviews. Most of the reviews are positive. There was some incomprehensible situation with a change in the chip and the amount of RAM, but this does not affect the operation and performance of the router. Several times I saw reviews that the MW325R is better than other Chinese competitors.
From negative reviews - Wi-Fi speed drops. As I understand it, this is when connecting a large number of devices. If you are planning to load the network very actively, simultaneously on a large number of devices, then you need to look at more expensive models.
I evaluated the Mercusys MW325R visually, compared it to the competition, tweaked it, and used it quite a bit. I can't say anything bad, I liked everything. Especially how the first setup process and the web interface in general goes. Everything is clear and understandable. No surprises.
