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There are some welcome software features too, including a simple firewall, a QoS setting that lets you prioritise specific devices, and time limits for kids’ devices. It’s a compact, simple and effective wireless solution and, if you shop around, you may well find it for a bargain price. There are four rear cameras on the Nokia X20, which is a large number but not an unusual one. They are: a 64MP main, 5MP ultra-wide, 2MP depth-sensing and 2MP macro snapper. There’s also a 32MP front camera. If you know your phones, you’ll know this combo is pretty similar to the Moto G9 Plus, but with a lower-res ultra-wide and higher-res selfie camera. We test mesh Wi-Fi systems by setting them up just as you would in a regular home. The primary unit is connected directly to an incoming fibre broadband line, while the second is located according to the manufacturer’s recommendations – normally one or two rooms away. If there’s a third node, this will be placed in another room, creating either a star or daisy-chain topology. Each satellite has a status LED (you can disable this if you don’t like seeing it, or just turn the lights off at night), which tells you if the device is connected or not. If you want more detailed information, the app has a signal strength indicator. The 2-day battery testing was conducted using a real life usage test by HMD Global. The test included active usage of a device for 5 hours per day with a new battery. Usage included e.g. gaming, video streaming, calling, sending sms, browsing and using apps (such as social media, news, navigation and music). The test was conducted with normal device settings in a lit indoor environment. The device was left on standby overnight.
The darker green areas on the map indicate the strongest signal measurements, and lighter green and yellow areas show a weaker signal. The circles represent the location of the router and the satellite node. As shown on the heat map, the Deco AX20 system does a good job of delivering a relatively strong signal to the entire house and the garage. An Affordable Wi-Fi 6 Mesh System It ultimately runs the risk of being a halfway house between truly affordable Wi-Fi 5 systems and the full performance of a top-range Wi-Fi 6 mesh, but if you’re looking for a budget-conscious Wi-Fi 6 system, you will find the Netgear Orbi RBK352 to be a solid choice. What really sets the Tenda Nova MW6 apart is its low price. True, the BT Whole Home kit costs a similar amount, but it only functions as an extender, whereas the MW6 is a fully standalone system. That makes it a terrifically cost-effective option if you’re looking to replace an underperforming router and extend your Wi-Fi coverage at the same time. For performance testing, we connect a NAS appliance to the main mesh unit via Ethernet, and then wirelessly connect to the mesh network from a laptop equipped with an Intel Wi-Fi 6E network card, with support for 2×2 MIMO. We take this laptop to various rooms in the home, copy a series of files to and from the NAS system, and measure read and write speeds to discover the peak performance the mesh system is able to deliver, at different ranges and via different access points.
If that’s you, it might be waiting for the Nokia X20 to hit the sales, though, so it hits that value-for-money proposition a little more. Also consider Acutual 4G downlink speeds vary between households. Factors affecting 4G speeds include the internet service level, real-time network capacity, equipment and client limitations, environmental factors. Its ability to send a strong signal through a wall 20 feet from the router was acceptable at 556.5Mbps available on the far side of the wall. That’s 40 percent off the pace set by the Orbi RBK852 (782.9Mbps). This trend held when we set the test system up a floor above the host router and the Deco X20 yielded 320.5Mbps of throughput versus the Orbi RBK852’s 670.1Mbps. Other things we liked about the system include the fact that there are four Gigabit Ethernet ports on each unit and that these are located on the rear rather than on the base of the units, making them easier to access. There are basic parental controls here, too, however we didn’t like the way the web interface was laid out. HomeShield includes the Free Basic Plan. Fees apply for the Pro Plan. Visittp-link/homeshieldfor more information.
Each Deco X20 unit is set up as the host or satellite in the installation process, and each have four internal antennas. As is the case with its competitors, none can be aimed or replaced. Based on Qualcomm’s Networking Pro 400 chipset, the Deco X20 is powered by a 1GHz quad-core processor. It carries 4GB of RAM and 1GB of solid-state storage of its firmware and commands. Able to connect up to 150 devices, the Deco X20 has an AX1800 rating, meaning that it's rated at a peak throughput of 1.8Mbps.Since 1982, PCMag has tested and rated thousands of products to help you make better buying decisions. See how we test. When it comes to video, the Nokia X20 tops out at 1080p, with a choice of either 30fps or 60fps recording. The footage looked crisp and stable with the EIS setting engaged, but cheaper phones such as the Redmi Note 9T and Moto G 5G Plus can record at up to 4K resolution. Nokia X20 review: Verdict Use of Wi-Fi 6 and other features including OFDMA, MU-MIMO, 1024-QAM, and BSS Color require clients to also support the corresponding features. Most mesh Wi-Fi kits come with a smartphone app – for both Android and iOS – that walks you through the setup process. You can then continue to use the smartphone app to monitor and manage your mesh system. A web portal is sometimes available too, but it may not expose all of the available settings.
Key specs – Nodes (as reviewed): 2; Claimed coverage: 372m²; Maximum nodes supported: Not stated; 2.4GHz speed: 600Mbits/sec; 5GHz speed: 1,200Mbits/sec; MIMO channels: 2×2; Ethernet ports: 3 x GbE (router), 2 x GbE (satellite); Guest network: Yes; Parental controls: No; Works with Alexa: Yes; IPv6: Not stated; Custom IP range: Not stated; Client IP reservation: Not stated; Port forwarding: Not stated; 2.4GHz/5GHz band splitting: No; Warranty: 1yr If you really care about getting the newest version of Android as soon as possible, you might be able to ignore that verdict - HMD Global’s three-year promise is really great, as you’ll be receiving software updates far longer than most other phones.
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In the Geekbench 5 single- and multi-core CPU tests, the Nokia X20 scored 507 and 1,633, bringing it roughly in line with the speeds offered by the Pixel 4a, Redmi Note 9T and OnePlus Nord N10. Overall performance feels quite snappy, but the Samsung Galaxy A52 5G edges it slightly, with the iPhone SE outperforming the lot by a wide margin. So this isn’t quite a phone for mobile gamers, or people who’ll need lots of power for anything. But it’s not ideal for other users either, as scrolling through menus feels just a bit slower than on many other phones, thanks to irregular stutters and freezes. So having turned off WiFi for my main firewall router and having inserted a 3-node DECO X20 v4 AP mode system -- I am rebooting network infrastructure about every 4-5 days and sometimes in as little as 6 hours. The system acts as a wireless extender system for your existing router, connecting via a simple Gigabit Ethernet cable. This means it doesn’t mess with your network settings, and there’s very little to configure – although the system does offer a guest network facility and simple group-based parental controls. The nodes look a bit odd, standing upright like mini-satellite dishes, but their small footprint means it’s easy to find suitable places for them around the home.
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