BATNA24 / DEVICE TESTS / High performance Mesh network for your home - Extralink Dynamite C31

High performance Mesh network for your home - Extralink Dynamite C31
Extralink Dynamite C31 specifications and features
Scope of supply of the device and connection possibilities
Connection and configuration of Extralink Dynamite C31
Test conditions for Extralink Dynamite C31
WiFi connectivity tests in MESH Extralink Dynamite C31
Extralink Dynamite C31 - Summary

High performance Mesh network for your home - Extralink Dynamite C31

Extralink Dynamite Mesh Point AC C31 is a multifunctional device used for both amplification and transmission of Wi-Fi network signal. It can also serve as a multifunctional router or access point. With built-in Lan ports (Gigabit Ethernet) and a USB type A port, you can also use it as an exterder in home or office Mesh network. It is made of good quality plastic in a universal white color, with the exception of the outer part, which color can be described as very light blue and slightly mint. Thanks to the colors and its stylish shape it fits perfectly into any interior.

Extralink Dynamite C31 specifications and features

The main advantage and function of this device is that it operates in three bands: 5GHz (two different modules, one of them can reach maximum speed of 1733 Mbps, the second 866Mbps) and 2.4 GHz (maximum speed indicated by the manufacturer is 300Mbps). The included information also shows that the device has 8 internal high-gain antennas capable of shaping the signal beams, which may significantly increase efficiency of the device. Additionally, it has been equipped with WPA/WAP2 MIX, WPA-PSK, and WPA2-PSK protection, which ensures high security against unwanted guests in our network. The device updates itself automatically.

Adding expanding repeaters, in case of a need to increase the range or strengthen the signal of the Wi-Fi network, is child's play. Simply add the device address to the 5Gmac system or pair it. Pairing can be done using the Pair 1S pairing button found on the device. The pairing itself is done by pressing the button (the Dynamite C31 master device must already be turned on and connected to the Internet, and after 60-90 seconds the devices must connect to each other, the word MESH must glow blue).

To quickly add a new user - the Extralink Dynamite mesh point C31 is equipped with a TouchLink button (sensor button located on the external part of the casing). To quickly add a new user, touch the device in the activation place (indicated on the device with a suitable description), set the timer (seconds timer) for 30-200 seconds and then in the Wi-Fi networks on your mobile device (it works only with mobile devices) choose the network ending with Touch and connect to it. (unfortunately, during the tests there were problems with TouchLink resulting from poor marking of the place where the light sensor activating this mode is located)

On the device you'll find a power on/off and reset button, a power input, two Lan ports (so devices in the mesh network can connect to each other not only through Wi-Fi, but also through Lan ports) and one described Lan port for connecting the Internet, but everywhere, and a USB type A input.

Scope of supply of the device and connection possibilities

In the well-designed compact package you will find:
1. a power cable
2. a cable with RJ45 connectors, about 1 meter long
3. user manual

The manufacturer recommends that the devices in Mesh mode should not be separated from each other by more than a maximum of 2 rooms, and we have to take into account several factors, including the thickness and materials of the walls separating these rooms. It is even illustrated graphically in the manual:

Placement option in the apartment

Home deployment option

Connection and configuration of Extralink Dynamite C31

Importantly, we can get control of the Extralink Dynamit C31 access point through any mobile device. The setup process is not complicated. A simple wizard allows to configure the device for the first startup, and the configuration itself takes only a few minutes. It can be done by installing the application Mesh APP by downloading it or scanning the QR code from the store:

The device can also be configured via a web browser by logging into the device using the following address 192.168.10.1.

Of course, the point is connected to the Internet (Internet port), plugged into power supply, and configured. The configuration can be done over Wi-Fi or LAN (by connecting the cable to the device through which the configuration is done). If you choose Wi-Fi you have to deal with the fact that every change and approval of settings will end with the need to log on again. When the device is powered on, a pink-violet icon will light up, after connecting to the Internet a solid blue LED will light up(it takes about 2 minutes).

If configuring over wifi, select MeshGo_XXXX network(although the manufacturer does not clearly indicate that in the manual, you will find a hint on the sticker). All the login data, both via the browser and the application, can be found on the bottom of the device:

The next step is to log in. The default password for logging into the system is admin.

After logging in the various tabs of the system you can set all the parameters of the device you are interested in. First, we will be directed to set the country, time, restart schedule.
Notes: When configuring the master over a wi-fi network(without direct connection via lan cable ), you may find that after applying the settings, you will have to log in again with new passwords to both the network and the system after applying the new settings( we mentioned this a bit above).

Approval of the settings will redirect you to the system and there you can directly change the settings to your liking.

Any new device added to the Mesh Network via the Wi-fi - mesh Network tab - following the instructions

The configuration wizard via a browser and the application is practically the same. Through the application the configuration is equally simple, but due to the small icons it is probably easier to do it through the browser.

Test conditions for Extralink Dynamite C31

Pairing devices in a Mesh network:

We test the MESH system of the Extralink Dynamite C31 device for WiFi capabilities, throughput and network coverage. This is another test in a series conducted under similar conditions. We tested the signal range in a two-story building with a basement, as well as the actual data rates available. The conditions we defined for the WiFi tests are similar for each of the network devices tested so far. This allows us to compare their results in a reasonably meaningful way.

We used AirSurvey software to perform the signal mapping. For a correct reading of the signal levels, please note the color legend at the bottom of the image. The location of the device is marked with an icon. The device on the "ground floor" at measurement point 1 was connected to a switch via a 1Gbps Ethernet port.

WiFi connectivity tests in MESH Extralink Dynamite C31

The Extralink Dynamite C31 device unevenly transmits power across the channel width. The beginning of the channel is characterized by interference, which will affect the performance of other devices on adjacent channels.
Interestingly, the "small" model (Extralink Dynamite C21) is characterized by interference from the other side.

Before the Extralink Dynamite C31 speed tests, we verified the maximum performance of the LAN and iperf3 server. The laptop was connected with a 10/100/1000Mbps network card to the switch. We obtained the following maximum speeds for a single TCP stream: download 894Mbps, upload 958Mbps.
The boot process was smooth but very slow.

Test point 1 - Download 572.45 Mbps / Upload 581.17 Mbps

Measurement point 2 - Download 532.62 Mbps / Upload 340.54 Mbps

Measurement point 3 - Download 414.24 Mbps / Upload 310.38 Mbps

Measurement point 4 - Download 373.01 Mbps / Upload 230.81 Mbps

Measurement point 5 - Download 1.03 Mbps / Upload 8.94 Mbps

Measurement point 6 - Download 314.51 Mbps / Upload 189.71 Mbps

As we can see, next to Extralink Dynamite C31 the signal level and download and data transfer speed are stable. However, in tests 4 and 5, the data transfer speed surprisingly dropped. In test 4, the download speed dropped to 184.97 Mbps and in test 5, the download and upload speed dropped to 73.56 Mbps download and 17.67 Mbps upload, which is very strange.

Extralink Dynamite C31 - Summary

In fact, Mesh technology today is a great solution not only for homes and large apartments, but also for businesses, hotels, spas, where you just need to create one wireless Wi-Fi network and be online without having to reconnect to other wireless networks. If you look at the characteristics of the Extralink Dynamite C31, it is a great solution for home use, but in our case we noticed that the download and upload speeds drop from time to time. However, it is worth noting that the Wi-Fi signal was stable throughout the house and worked even in "dead zones" where any other router would not be able to give a good signal. Here you can feel the whole beauty of Mesh networking, you can walk around the house without wireless switching and lag while using the internet.

Advantages

Easy configuration of the device itself
Design
Wide range of possible application thanks to its functionalities
Security
Eight internal high-gain antennas

Disadvantages

Lack of a detailed description of which device should be selected during configuration in Wizard - Select your product
Unintuitive time and country selection wizard

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Products from the article

Extralink Dynamite C31 | Mesh Point | AC3000, MU-MIMO, Home WiFi Mesh System

35,33 GBP

with VAT