Compared to other router manufacturers, Sitecom was late in releasing an ac router. There is something to be said for that, because equipment with ac capabilities is only slowly coming onto the market. How does Sitecom's Wi-Fi Router X8 AC1750 perform?
Sitecom Wi-Fi Router X8 AC1750
Average price: € 141,-
Guarantee: 10 years after registration
Website: www.sitecom.com
Connections: 4x 10/100/1000 network ports, 10/100/1000 WAN port, 2x USB port
Wireless: 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (simultaneous 2.4 and 5 GHz)
7 Score 70- Pros
- Speed 2.4GHz
- Handy hanging bracket
- Can block viruses
- Negatives
- Speed 5GHz
Routers are usually black and the white housing of the X8 AC1750 immediately stands out. A handy feature of Sitecom's housing is that the foot can also be used as a suspension bracket. You screw the bracket onto the wall and then click the router on it. The X8 AC1750 is equipped with four gigabit LAN connections and the WAN port is also designed as a gigabit connection.
The router also has two USB ports. These can be used to share files on a USB drive with the network and as a virtual USB port on a computer via supplied software. The router has a theoretical throughput of 450 Mbit/s via 802.11n on both the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands. Up to 1300 Mbit/s is possible via 802.11ac.
Security
Sitecom has secured the router out of the box and neatly provides a note with the passwords of the wireless networks and web interface. That is not the only security feature, because in addition to a normal firewall, the router also contains Sitecom's Cloud Security.
This service blocks viruses, spyware, malicious websites and phishing and can optionally filter advertising. These capabilities work for all devices on your network, so you can also block ads on devices that normally can't. Sitecom Cloud Security is free for six months and then costs 24.99 euros per year.
Performance
Gigabit speeds are neatly achieved via the switch and the WAN port also scores well with 942 Mbit/s. On the important 2.4 GHz band we see an excellent speed of 143 Mbit/s. On the 5GHz band, the router achieves 251 Mbit/s. Not bad, but there are faster routers on the market.
Of course, the router also supports 802.11ac and achieves a speed of 375 Mbit/s. That's a lot faster than 802.11n, but there are 802.11ac routers that do a better job. Keep in mind that 802.11ac uses the 5GHz band which is very sensitive to distance, making ac especially suitable for use on the same floor as the router.
Conclusion
With the Wi-Fi Router X8 AC1750, Sitecom is launching a router that is completely up to date in terms of specifications. On the important 2.4GHz band, this router performs very well. On the 5GHz band, the speed over both 802.11n and 802.11ac lags somewhat behind compared to other routers. An extra compared to other router manufacturers is Cloud Security, which protects against viruses, spyware and phishing and can also filter advertising.
