Mercusys AC12 is a new, dual band, low cost router from Mercusys. Since Mercusys routers have recently appeared on the market, the AC12 is currently the top model. I have already managed to get acquainted with this router, set it up, tested it in operation, and I want to share with you my impressions of this device. I think the article should be useful to everyone who chooses a new router and drew attention to the Mercusys AC12. The devices are new, so there are not many reviews and other information on the Internet yet.
It's not hard to guess from the name that this router supports the new 802.11ac Wi-Fi standard. Accordingly, it can simultaneously distribute two Wi-Fi networks in different ranges. At 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. Wireless network speed up to 1200 Mbps. This is the overall speed in both ranges. For watching online videos, online games and other resource-intensive tasks, it is better to connect devices in the 5 GHz band. The connection speed with this connection will be higher.
True, the LAN and WAN ports on the Mercusys AC12 are not gigabit, but are limited to 100 Mbps. Therefore, it will not be possible to obtain a speed of more than 100 Mbps. This information is for those who have a speed higher than 100 Mbit / s at the rate of an Internet provider. But you can hardly get a router with gigabit ports for $ 29.
Let's take a look at the other specs and features of the Mercusys AC12 router:
- I already wrote about the speed of the wireless network above. Up to 300 Mbps in the 2.4 GHz band and up to 867 Mbps in the 5 GHz band.
- The speed of WAN and LAN ports is up to 100 Mbps.
- Fixed 5 dBi antennas.
- There is parental control and the ability to create a guest network.
- Intuitive and simple control panel. Quick setup.
In my case, the web interface (settings page) is in Russian. I have a model: AC12 (RU). Version: Ver: 1.0. As far as I understand, if the model is AC12 (EU), then the settings will be in English.
External view of the Mercusys AC12 router
The box in which the Mercusys AC12 is sold looks like this:
Looks stylish (black with red). And the packaging itself is very informative. The main functions and features of the router are listed.
Inside we are waiting for a standard package: a router, a power adapter, a network cable and instructions in Russian and Ukrainian.
The router itself looks like this:
Regular router. Not scary or boring, but nothing special either. The bottom part and antennas are made of gray plastic, and the top cover is made of matte black plastic with glossy inserts. There is also a barely visible logo of the Mercusys company.
Small indicators are located at the front.
There is only one button on the router - Reset. As I understand it, WPS is not here. All ports are on the back.
There are small ventilation holes at the bottom. The router can be hung on the wall without any problems. There are required mounting holes. Well, a sticker with factory information.
Collected everything is good. And most importantly, the plastic doesn't stink. As is often the case with cheap, Chinese routers.
Control Panel
I really liked the router's web interface. I don't think there will be any problems with the setup. I will write about how to set up Mercusys AC12 in a separate article. Now let's see how the page with the settings of this router looks like.
The first time you connect, the setup wizard will appear immediately (you can skip it). There are three steps:
- Setting a password to protect the web interface.
- Internet settings. Connection to ISP (in the screenshot below).
- Setting up a Wi-Fi network.
Basic settings page.
And advanced settings.
Interesting control panel background. So bright 🙂
Conclusions
If you are looking for an inexpensive router with support for the new 802.11ac standard, then the Mercusys AC12 is for you. For a home, or a small office, you can safely buy. Yes, the devices are new, there are not many reviews. But personally, I did not notice any problems during the configuration process and in the operation of this router. Hopefully Mercusys will regularly release software updates and improve their devices.
Already have a Mercusys AC12? Leave your feedback in the comments!
