Dolby
Honorary Master
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2005
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I've previously given feedback on the performance of the Huawei Q2 Pro units in another thread and - in summary - I found them fantastic performing devices. They’re pretty much equal to the AirTies that I've been using and, in some respects, better. I was particularly amazed with its ability to hang onto a signal at the fringe of the network with a huge obstacle (house!) in between … where the AirTies couldn’t get any throughput. A full review below:
mybroadband.co.za
But I wanted to get onto the actual usability / looks / functionality / features of the devices in this post
First, they look gorgeous – these are devices that you can keep on display and they fit in with the surrounding decor. I've had other devices which I've tried to hide in cabinets and corners because of they look kind of‘bleh’ - but this is not one! The glowing ring light below each unit really adds to their looks as well, and is functional at the same time.
They glow in either blue (working) or red (not working) and can be switched on/off on each individual node if you prefer, so if you have (for example) a device in your bedroom you can switch it off so it doesn't bug at night. I prefer them all off - except the primary in my study.
Each node is identical and any of them be your primary router. They each have 2 x Gbit LAN and a WAN port - and one can add up to 15 secondary units for a total of 16 mesh nodes on a single system. Although I can't see many people installing this amount, that's impressive considering many kits top out at 6 or so.
Setup was straight forward - simply plug in a primary node, download the app, search for the node - and it's found. There is also QR code at the bottom and a manual option if you run into any glitches though.
One thing to note that is different to (for example) AirTies - this unit is a router. The AirTies (and many other systems) are only the WiFi layer … so with the AirTies, you'd plug straight into your LAN and switch off WiFi on your router. The Q2 Pro has routing too and can be plugged direct into your ONT. I could not test this though, as I’m using MFN and they use a Calix where the fibre goes direct to the router.
So below are a few screenshots of the app itself, as well as the features - please feel free to ask if you have questions?
I'm going to start off with a pretty important key feature: The power line functionality. The is (one of?) the only mesh systems I know which uses a combination of mesh and power line to connect to the other nodes. It happens fully in the background without any intervention. If for whatever reason it deems the power line as better throughput, it’ll use this – until the mesh is optimal again.
A few other features :
* Parental control is basic – but enables to a parent to schedule a time where a device is allowed to connect/disconnect, and which days. You can log into the PC and do website filtering - but this functionality isn't mirrored on the app.
* Additionally, one can use the same schedule to shut down the actual nodes in the house, if you feel that you get better sleep without WiFi running in the evening …
* Each device on the network can also be managed by either blocking or allowing/disallowing Internet access – or even simply putting upload/download speed limits on any device.
* In the same screen, you can rename a device – as well as enter a type (mobile / TV / laptop) and brand of device. But I didn’t see any change when I did that? The icons stayed the same and it really didn’t seem like anything was different – but I’ll play around some more.
* Guest WiFi is available – and you can setup to have a different SSID / password (or none) and a duration.
* Lastly you can select an Internet Connection Type – auto obtain DHCP / PPPoE/ IPv6 or setup VLANs direct via the app.
Huawei Q2 Pro (3 Pack) - Performance Review
I received a Huawei Q2 Pro (AC1200) mesh kit (triple pack) and - although I'm by no means a WiFi professional - want to give my thoughts on the system from a layman point of view. I'm going to split this review into PERFORMANCE REVIEW and FEATURES, which I'll upload shortly with photos / setup...
mybroadband.co.za
But I wanted to get onto the actual usability / looks / functionality / features of the devices in this post
First, they look gorgeous – these are devices that you can keep on display and they fit in with the surrounding decor. I've had other devices which I've tried to hide in cabinets and corners because of they look kind of‘bleh’ - but this is not one! The glowing ring light below each unit really adds to their looks as well, and is functional at the same time.
They glow in either blue (working) or red (not working) and can be switched on/off on each individual node if you prefer, so if you have (for example) a device in your bedroom you can switch it off so it doesn't bug at night. I prefer them all off - except the primary in my study.
Each node is identical and any of them be your primary router. They each have 2 x Gbit LAN and a WAN port - and one can add up to 15 secondary units for a total of 16 mesh nodes on a single system. Although I can't see many people installing this amount, that's impressive considering many kits top out at 6 or so.
Setup was straight forward - simply plug in a primary node, download the app, search for the node - and it's found. There is also QR code at the bottom and a manual option if you run into any glitches though.
One thing to note that is different to (for example) AirTies - this unit is a router. The AirTies (and many other systems) are only the WiFi layer … so with the AirTies, you'd plug straight into your LAN and switch off WiFi on your router. The Q2 Pro has routing too and can be plugged direct into your ONT. I could not test this though, as I’m using MFN and they use a Calix where the fibre goes direct to the router.
So below are a few screenshots of the app itself, as well as the features - please feel free to ask if you have questions?
I'm going to start off with a pretty important key feature: The power line functionality. The is (one of?) the only mesh systems I know which uses a combination of mesh and power line to connect to the other nodes. It happens fully in the background without any intervention. If for whatever reason it deems the power line as better throughput, it’ll use this – until the mesh is optimal again.
A few other features :
* Parental control is basic – but enables to a parent to schedule a time where a device is allowed to connect/disconnect, and which days. You can log into the PC and do website filtering - but this functionality isn't mirrored on the app.
* Additionally, one can use the same schedule to shut down the actual nodes in the house, if you feel that you get better sleep without WiFi running in the evening …
* Each device on the network can also be managed by either blocking or allowing/disallowing Internet access – or even simply putting upload/download speed limits on any device.
* In the same screen, you can rename a device – as well as enter a type (mobile / TV / laptop) and brand of device. But I didn’t see any change when I did that? The icons stayed the same and it really didn’t seem like anything was different – but I’ll play around some more.
* Guest WiFi is available – and you can setup to have a different SSID / password (or none) and a duration.
* Lastly you can select an Internet Connection Type – auto obtain DHCP / PPPoE/ IPv6 or setup VLANs direct via the app.
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