DrayTek Vigor2865ax review

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DrayTek Vigor2865ax: Two-minute review

DrayTek continues to impressment america with its wide scope of business-focused networking options, arsenic good arsenic a committedness to ongoing betterment with the latest features and upgraded performance. Today we're investigating the DrayTek Vigor2865ax, which is the highest-end exemplary successful the larger Vigor2865 series.

These DrayTek routers are aimed astatine tiny to mean businesses, with VDSL2 modem, WAN port, and successful immoderate models, Wi-Fi support. The higher-end Vigor2865ax is equipped with Wi-Fi 6, but determination are besides models without wireless, others with VoIP options, oregon adjacent built-in LTE connectivity. The Vigor2865 bid is simply a multi-WAN router, truthful a cardinal constituent is its quality to support aggregate net connections for improved show and/or redundancy.

All models see a VDSL2 modem, which supports 35b Supervectoring, arsenic good arsenic being backwards compatible with ADSL2+.  With a suitable VDSL2 connection, the 2865 bid tin grip speeds up to 300Mbps. Of people you tin besides usage a non-VDSL enactment via the Gigabit WAN port, oregon adjacent configure Wi-Fi WAN connections. You besides get 5 Gigabit LAN ports, and further connectivity is disposable via the USB ports, which tin enactment 4G modems.

The 2865ax exemplary includes ultra-fast AX3000-spec Wi-Fi 6. This is provided by 2x2 MU-MIMO radios and 2402Mbps of bandwidth connected the 5GHz band, portion the 2.4GHz set tin bash up to 574Mbps. While not the precise fastest Wi-Fi available, this inactive offers fantabulous performance. For those not needing rather truthful overmuch wireless bandwidth, oregon wanting to usage the Vigor2865 bid with existing Wi-FI APs, determination is an AC1300-spec model, arsenic good arsenic 1 with nary Wi-Fi astatine all.

Multiple high-speed WAN connections are not overmuch usage without capable show to really stock it retired implicit a wider network, truthful importantly the Vigor2865 includes hardware acceleration options. It tin beryllium configured successful antithetic ways, but makes for a large betterment successful wide throughput – particularly erstwhile moving aggregate WANs. For companies that usage SSL-VPN tunnels for distant access, hardware acceleration tin springiness a immense 2.8x boost to throughput.

Some cardinal Vigor2865-series features are enactment for up to 32 VPN tunnels, 16 VLANs, the quality to grip 1,022 IP addresses, 8 LAN subnets, a robust firewall, filtering and QoS options, failover and load balancing absorption and Wi-Fi hotspot options. The 2865 besides supports managing up to 20 Vigor Access Points, and 10 Vigor switches. Management tin beryllium done via the 2865 interface itself, oregon utilizing the DrayTek VigorACS web absorption software. With the latest VigorACS 3, the 2865 adjacent supports SD WAN.

Getting the Vigor2865ax acceptable up and managing our web of different DrayTek devices was accelerated and easy. Performance of the wired broadside was apical notch, and portion nonstop Wi-Fi velocity volition of people beryllium connected the connecting device, we managed 549Mbps astatine adjacent range, which dropped disconnected to a respectable 399Mbps astatine 10 metre range. Importantly, the 2865ax handled aggregate high-bandwidth devices astatine the aforesaid time. It volition travel arsenic nary astonishment that specified a feature-packed modem router has a alternatively dense interface, but it's mostly good laid retired and rather intuitive to use.

All successful all, we can’t responsibility the DrayTek Vigor2865ax successful immoderate mode much than a quibble, and it's a respectable enactment for a small-to-medium concern network.

DrayTek Vigor2865ax review: terms and availability

• How overmuch does it cost? $300 / £330 / AU$699
• When is it available? Available now
• Where tin you get it? Available successful astir large markets including the US, UK and Australia

It’s particularly important to store astir for DrayTek Vigor products, due to the fact that they thin not to beryllium stocked arsenic wide arsenic residential gear, and pricing tin alteration a lot. The Vigor2865ax volition acceptable you backmost $300 / £330 / AU$699.

While comparatively casual to find successful Australia and the UK, the Vigor2865ax is harder to bargain successful the US. American buyers whitethorn request to edifice to sellers consenting to vessel internationally. Buyers Down Under get the worst of the pricing, portion the UK and US, with their larger markets, are a spot much competitive.

There’s not a immense magnitude of contention successful the Wi-Fi 6-capable VDSL2 modem-router space, but mostly speaking the Vigor2865ax is reasonably terms competitory with alternate options.

• Value score: 3.5 / 5

DrayTek Vigor2865ax review: plan and features

• Feature-packed interface
• Multi-WAN support
• Excellent VPN options
• Mesh web ready

The main drawcard for the Vigor2865ax implicit akin DrayTek models is the VDSL2 modem. A cardinal diagnostic is that it supports 35b Supervectoring, which allows for faster VDSL speeds up to 300Mbps. While a fibre transportation is ideal, galore smaller oregon retail concern locations are constricted to VDSL for internet, truthful it’s important to beryllium capable to maximise the bandwidth available. For those locations wherever ADSL2+ is inactive successful operation, the 2865 bid is besides backwards compatible.

For those who request other redundancy, handily the 2865 bid tin besides link to broadband via the WAN larboard and an outer modem, arsenic good arsenic being capable to usage a (BYO) 4G cellular modem via USB. Importantly, these options are supported by extended bundle features specified arsenic failover, load balancing, bandwidth limiting and the quality to prioritise circumstantial traffic, specified arsenic for VOIP.

The Vigor2865ax we tested includes AX3000-spec Wi-Fi 6, but the models with lesser Wi-Fi, oregon nary Wi-Fi astatine all, are large for businesses who conscionable privation the 2865 arsenic a VDSL modem and web absorption hub.

Networking is what DrayTek is each about, truthful it’s important to admit that galore of the astir utile features of the 2865 bid impact the usage of different hardware. The 2865 models with Wi-Fi tin beryllium portion of a mesh network, oregon adjacent entree the net via a wireless WAN. You tin besides usage the 2865 to power a wider web of Vigor products, specified arsenic wireless entree points and switches. This is perfect for increasing businesses, arsenic it makes expanding a web comparatively easy. The USB ports tin beryllium utilized to adhd outer devices, specified arsenic 4G modems oregon somesthesia probes.

Performance is key, and compared to the erstwhile procreation router, the Vigor2865 bid overmuch improved throughput acknowledgment includes hardware acceleration. This tin beryllium utilized to supply accrued show successful a scope of areas. For example, utilizing hardware acceleration, dual WAN usage tin debar bottlenecks, with up to 1.6x the unaccelerated throughput.

The 2865 bid besides has a agelong database of different concern focused features. For illustration it tin big a rather precocious hotspot web portal, including a customised landing leafage with loads of template options available. The router besides includes a broad firewall, and different information and contented options, specified arsenic web leafage filtering.

Overall the Vigor2865ax has a varied but utile premix of features, without going overboard with unnecessary options that would thrust up the price. Don’t instrumentality our connection for it either – Draytek person online demos disposable for their hardware, and you tin log successful and look done the interface and features earlier buying. Check retired the 2865 bid at https://eu.draytek.com:12865/ (opens successful caller tab).

• Design and features score: 4.5 / 5

DrayTek Vigor2965ax review: performance

• Multi-WAN failover and bandwidth allocation options
• App-based wireless management
• Mesh networking support

It’s hard to bash justness to each the ins and outs of the Vigor2865ax with conscionable words connected a page. To amended recognize the router and interface, we highly urge checking retired the fantabulous DrayTek demo mentioned above, wherever you tin analyse and trial the interface and features up front. You tin besides bash the aforesaid for different DrayTek devices. The product page (opens successful caller tab) is besides a bully larboard of call, and makes it casual to cheque retired the manual, guides and different resources.

Getting the 2865ax up and moving is straightforward, and tin beryllium done wholly done the web interface. For much analyzable configurations the interface tin look rather dense, but DrayTek does an fantabulous occupation of providing broad guides, manuals and different assistance online. There’s besides DrayTek telephone apps for wireless management, which is overmuch improved from erstwhile versions, and mostly works beauteous well.

For testing, we added the Vigor2865ax to a web populated with a scope of DrayTek entree points and switches, arsenic good arsenic different gear, specified arsenic a NAS and IP cameras, arsenic good arsenic a bevy of astute devices and computers. We included a 4G USB modem arsenic a backup WAN source.

We didn’t uncover immoderate surprises successful testing, and the 2865 was much than susceptible of handling each the web throughput we could springiness it. VPN links, bandwidth allocation and WAN failover each worked arsenic described, and the 2865 made it casual to negociate different networked Vigor devices. On our Vigor2865ax model, Wi-Fi gave fantabulous show up adjacent (maxing retired astatine 549Mbps) and done obstacles specified arsenic walls. At longer scope show was decent, but thing spectacular, owed to the comparatively low-gain antennas – we achieved 399Mbps astatine 10m distance. DrayTek does person higher summation and directional spot antennas disposable arsenic an optional other for those who privation to tweak the Wi-Fi experience. Mesh setup with different DrayTek devices was reasonably speedy and easy, and handover betwixt mesh nodes worked well.

Of people getting everything acceptable up conscionable truthful requires important time, but that’s a reflection of the extent of features, alternatively than a failing connected the router's behalf.

• Performance score: 4 / 5

DrayTek Vigor2865ax: web management

• Remote absorption nonstop from router interface
• TR-069 distant absorption compatible
• SD-WAN supported via VigorACS software

One of the cardinal features of the Vigor routers for concern usage is the quality to negociate a wider web made up of DrayTek devices. The 2865 bid tin power 20 Vigor wireless entree points (seven successful a mesh network) and 10 Vigor switches close from the inbuilt interface.

Of people specified a setup tin commencement to go unwieldy to negociate – often agelong earlier hitting a precocious fig of web devices. While you tin usage existing TR-069 absorption bundle options, DrayTek has a paid server-based TR-069 solution called VigorACS. The latest version, VigorACS 3, enables the DrayTek SD-WAN solution connected compatible hardware, which includes the Vigor2865 series. This is simply a large inclusion, arsenic SD-WAN is simply a fantastic enactment for businesses with distant workers who request secure, easy configurable entree to the institution web portion astatine location oregon connected the road.

DrayTek makes it beauteous casual to springiness VigorACS a try, and buying a compatible instrumentality means you get a escaped 30-day trial. There’s besides an online demo (opens successful caller tab). While it's not the lone enactment for TR-069 management, VigorACS is simply a large lucifer for DrayTek hardware, and for galore volition beryllium worthy the outgo for the clip savings alone. There’s besides a ample VigorACS cognition basal of articles (opens successful caller tab) that marque utilizing it overmuch easier.

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DrayTek Vigor2865ax review: last verdict

It’s hard to responsibility the Vigor2865ax from a method perspective, and astir of our quibbles are truly a wishlist of other features that would inevitably thrust up the price. It’s not perfect, but does what it says connected the container with small fuss, astatine an due price. For those businesses who tin marque usage of its unsocial acceptable of features, the Vigor2865ax is simply a large choice.

[First reviewed February 2023]