Keenetic has existed as an independent brand relatively recently. Before that, for about 7 years, the brand was a line of routers within the framework of the famous Taiwanese company ZyXEL. Today, the newly formed trade mark successfully launches its products, which are in great demand among consumers. The manufacturer calls one of its main "chips" a simple naming of products. But mainly buyers are not interested in this, but in the quality and functionality of the proposed devices. And with this, the company is all right, so we decided to make a rating of the best Keenetic Wi-Fi routers, selecting the most popular and high-quality models from the manufacturer.
TOP 7 best Keenetic Wi-Fi routers
The brand began to fill the market with its own products from the end of 2017 - the beginning of 2018. During this time, the company managed to release not so many devices, so it will be difficult for even an inexperienced user to get lost in them. However, over a dozen solutions can still be counted within the Keenetic brand, and if you do not want to personally understand each of them, then we suggest that you familiarize yourself with our review. It includes 7 models of the manufacturer, which cover more than half of the current range of the company presented on the domestic market of network equipment.
1. Keenetic Air (KN-1610)
We decided to start with the KN-1610 model, which was named Air for simplicity. If you want to choose a high-quality Wi-Fi router for your home or small office, but don't want to spend a lot of money on it, then this option will be an excellent solution. The router is delivered in a flat cardboard box familiar to the manufacturer, where, in addition to the router itself, there is a power supply, instructions and a patch cord.
The Air router is equipped with a quartet of 5 dBi antennas and can operate in two bands of 2.4 and 5 GHz (and two simultaneously).
The top cover of the Keenetic Wi-Fi router contains four indicators to display activity, wireless connection and firmware availability. There is also a button to start WPS and enable / disable Wi-Fi. The back of the router has four Ethernet ports (one of which is WAN), a reset button, a power socket, and a mode switch.
Advantages:
- can be controlled from a smartphone;
- work in two bands at once (2.4 / 5 GHz);
- decent quality of communication;
- attractive cost;
- flexibility and ease of customization.
Disadvantages:
- range at 2.4 GHz.
2. Keenetic City (KN-1510)
The next line is taken by a slightly simplified version of the Air model called City. Even the design and dimensions of the case are completely preserved here. There are still four Ethernet ports, and for ease of search, the WAN is colored blue. However, this is just a formality, since in Keenetic routers for connection, it is permissible to use any connector (at least all for different service providers). And this, according to reviews about the router, is one of its main advantages.
There are three antennas in the KN-1510, but their gain is the same. Remained in a simplified modification and the possibility of simultaneous operation in two ranges. True, the maximum wireless connection speed has dropped from 1167 to 733 Mbps. There is also no possibility of changing the operating modes. Otherwise, we have a wonderful router with an affordable price tag from 35 $.
Advantages:
- can be controlled remotely;
- signal quality and stability;
- attractive appearance;
- seamless roaming;
- auto-update firmware.
Disadvantages:
- the black PSU does not match the white case.
3. Keenetic Giga (KN-1010)
The KN-1010 is an expensive but very popular model among router buyers. Again, there is a continuity of design, although the functionality and dimensions of the Giga are more impressive. The main difference from its younger brothers is the SFP port, thanks to which the buyer gets a universal SOHO router, which makes the router one of the few solutions in this class.
The reviewed model also has a pair of USB ports, one of which complies with the 3.0 standard, and next to them are two programmable FN buttons. Moreover, each of the connectors is compatible with Keenetic Plus modules manufactured by ZyXEL. The body itself has 4 external antennas that can be rotated 90 and 180 degrees. Inside, additional amplifiers are installed for them (both for reception and transmission).
Advantages:
- clear and quick setup;
- command interface via Telnet;
- high-quality software;
- manufacturer's technical support;
- cost-quality ratio;
- built-in port for SFP module;
- nimble gigabit ports.
4. Keenetic 4G (KN-1210)
The next line was taken by an inexpensive Wi-Fi router Keenetic 4G. As the name implies, this router is designed to connect to third and fourth generation networks via USB modems. This router supports over 150 modem models. For wireless connection, the router has two antennas with a gain of 5 dBi (operation only in the 2.4 GHz band).
One of the main advantages of the KN-1210 is its compactness. The dimensions of the device are 107 x 26 x 91 mm for width, height and depth, respectively.
To protect against cyber threats, the router supports SkyDNS and Yandex.DNS. It is extremely convenient that the manufacturer has provided the ability to control the home network using a proprietary mobile application. Of course, if you wish, you can find disadvantages in the KN-1210. But it should be borne in mind that with a similar price tag (from 28 $) not many competitors offer a decent alternative.
Advantages:
- compact size;
- affordable cost;
- support for working with 4G modems;
- reception range;
- built-in antivirus;
- does not slow down.
5. Keenetic Viva (KN-1910)
The review continues with a simplified variation of the Giga model. Taking into account the average cost, which differs by about one and a half thousand rubles, it would be advisable to buy a KN-1010 router. However, the Viva version has its advantages, which can become a key argument in favor of this device. So, it is noticeably more compact and almost twice as light. The power supply has also become smaller, and its power has been cut to 18 W. At the same time, the functionality of the two routers is almost identical. There are also two USB ports, but now both standards are 2.0, but the manufacturer has abandoned SFP. The younger version received 128 MB instead of 256, but the majority of users will hardly be affected by this change.
Advantages:
- stable work;
- tuning speed;
- easy wall mounting;
- fast reboot;
- mobile app.
Disadvantages:
- sometimes freezes and requires a reboot.
6. Keenetic Extra (KN-1710)
One of the most advanced models from the company, offering gigabit wired and 5GHz over-the-air connections. But these are not all the advantages due to which the Keenetic Wi-Fi router received a rather large recommended cost in 56 $... The router also boasts additional Wi-Fi amplifiers and a USB port through which a 4G modem can be connected to the router.
The Extra model is equipped with 4 antennas with a gain of 5 dBi. In reviews, the router is praised for its range and signal quality. At the same time, it can simultaneously work in two bands, and for wired connection there are 4 LAN ports. The KN-1710 router can be placed on a table or mounted on a wall in any convenient position.
Advantages:
- many network settings;
- work in two ranges;
- convenient web interface;
- organization of file storage with torrent and media server is possible;
- reliability and practicality in work;
- stability and range of reception;
- excellent functionality.
Disadvantages:
- ports of only 100 Mbps.
7. Keenetic Ultra (KN-1810)
The KN-1810 model is the leader in the ranking of the best Keenetic Wi-Fi routers. And there is no point in talking about him for a long time. The software part of this router exactly repeats the KN-1010 described above. The hardware component of the older model is also not too different from the Giga. So, one more controller has been added here and the maximum wireless connection speed has increased to 1733 Mbps when 802.11ac is selected and 800 Mbps for 802.11n. If this is important to you, then the Ultra has also slightly changed the power supply, becoming a little larger and slightly more powerful.
Advantages:
- thoughtful interface;
- stability and speed;
- full-fledged OpenVPN;
- perfect combination of price and functionality;
- regular software updates.
Disadvantages:
- noticeable heating during operation.
Which Wi-Fi router from Keenetic is better to buy
Perhaps it is difficult to give unambiguous advice here, because all devices are very similar to each other. As the cost rises, their functionality also increases slightly, so decide whether it is worth overpaying for it. Unfortunately, a full-fledged Keenetic router with a SIM card was not included in our rating, because it simply is not in the company's range. But you can use a USB modem for this. And many models of the manufacturer will perfectly cope with this task, but if you need an Internet center specifically for mobile networks, then buy Keenetic 4G. As for Viva, Giga and Ultra, they are as similar as possible. The last two are almost identical. The same applies to the Air and City models that have started the review of the best Keenetic Wi-Fi routers, in which the main difference is the presence or absence of an additional antenna.
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