It is no secret that the 802.11n standard is gradually losing ground and becoming a thing of the past, making way for 802.11ac. Manufacturers are also feeling the increased interest of users in faster routers, offering a large and diverse number of suitable solutions for different price ranges. But even the simplest and most affordable products with 802.11ac support cost from 700 UAH ($26) in the domestic market. And not all users are ready to spend this amount on a router, especially if it will be used at home with low load. In this case, you can save money by choosing an N300 class model or an even more budget-friendly N150.

In this review, we will look at the Vinga WR-N300 Long Range router of the N300 class, which can only operate in the 2.4 GHz frequency range and supports 802.11a/b/g/n standards. Moreover, it has an interesting advantage over competitors, which we will discuss later, but for now, let's look at the technical specifications.

Specification

Packaging and delivery set

The box of the Vinga WR-N300 Long Range router features an attractive and quite informative design. On the front side, you can evaluate the appearance of the device itself and its key advantages, while on the back there is a sticker with detailed technical specifications.

The delivery set includes a user manual, an external power supply WT-P1105 (input: 100 – 240 V at 50/60 Hz, output: 5 V at 1 A), and an Ethernet cable.

Appearance and hardware platform

Despite belonging to the budget segment, the design of the Vinga WR-N300-LR router has its individuality, making the device stand out among competitors. The combination of the glossy central part and matte sides with a ribbed pattern is especially pleasing – it looks very nice and provides a good grip when carrying, although it requires more frequent cleaning from dust.

The LED activity indicators are typically located closer to the front edge. They glow a faint blue color, and small pictograms on the case are used for their designation – not the best solution in terms of informativeness (especially in poor lighting), but it is unlikely to cause discomfort in operation.

On the back side, there are three non-removable antennas, four RJ45 LAN ports for wired connection of computers or other devices, one RJ45 WAN port with a blue substrate for connecting an internet cable, a combined "Reset/WPS" button, and a Power connector for an external power source. USB ports for connecting peripherals are absent, and all RJ45 interfaces belong to the Fast Ethernet class, meaning their throughput does not exceed 100 Mbps – this is a typical approach of many manufacturers to reduce the final cost of their devices.

On the sides, you can notice ventilation holes designed to improve the temperature regime inside the case.

Similar slots can also be seen on the bottom side. To improve air circulation, four small legs are attached to the edges, slightly raising the case. They also protect the table surface from scratches. In the central part, there is a useful sticker with technical information. In particular, it indicates the web address of the configuration page and the initial login and password for router configuration, which is strongly recommended to change later.

The key elements of the hardware platform of the Vinga WR-N300 Long Range router are three microchips:

• MediaTek MT7628N – implements the 802.11n standard at a frequency of 2.4 GHz with a maximum throughput of 300 Mbps, and also serves five RJ45 ports.
• Axeme H2A32561656B – a DDR2 memory chip with a capacity of 256 Mbit (32 MB).
• Winbond 25Q32JVSIQ – flash memory with a capacity of 4 MB for storing settings.

Also note that electrolytic capacitors are used, while the more expensive model Vinga WR-AC1200 has solid-state ones installed.

Overall, there are not many components, so the quality of the assembly does not raise any complaints. The quality of soldering is not exemplary, but it fully corresponds to the budget level of the device itself. 

Router Setup

For the initial configuration of the router, you need to go to the address 192.168.1.1 in a web browser, enter the login and password ("admin" / "admin"), and perform a few simple steps using the "Setup Wizard". In this process, you need to select the device's operating mode, set the password for the created network, etc.

After the initial configuration, we enter a menu with more extensive settings. In the "Administration" tab, you can select the interface language (Ukrainian or English), change the login password, change the device's operating mode, or reflash it.

Here you can also choose one of several operating modes.

If you have several similar routers for which you need to set the same settings, you can save the correct configuration to a file and then open this file on other routers, which will save time.

Overall, the interface pleases with simplicity, high functionality, and informativeness. On the right side, there is always a hint about the purpose of a particular menu item. The settings themselves allow you to configure operation in wired and wireless modes, clone the MAC address if necessary, block access for other clients by MAC address, enable or disable "WPS" mode, set forwarding rules, configure the firewall, and much more.

It is worth adding that Vinga routers are equipped with enhanced transmitters – this is their main feature. For models with the "LR" suffix, the signal power reaches 250 mW, and for solutions with the "HP" suffix in the name – up to 500 mW.

By default, they all operate with a base value of 100 mW, and to activate the amplification, you need to:

• enter the device menu through a web browser at the address 192.168.1.1;
• in the advanced settings, in the "2.4G WLAN" and "5G WLAN" sections, activate the "TX Burst" option (in this case, only for "2.4G WLAN").

However, we want to warn you that without a special license in our country, it is legally prohibited to use devices with a transmitter power above 100 mW. Thus, Vinga routers provide the technical possibility of signal amplification, but all responsibility for its activation lies with the user.

Testing

The Vinga WR-N300 Long Range wireless router was tested in various data transmission modes – in a wired network, in wireless networks, as well as from wired to wireless and back. During testing, the following conditions were met:

• the router was tested under ideal wireless network operating conditions, at a distance of no more than two meters between points;
• the Wi-Fi channel throughput was measured at a frequency of 2.4 GHz;
• the wired segment throughput was measured under conditions of unshielded twisted pair with a throughput of up to 1000 Mbps.

Comparative testing of operation in 802.11n mode at 2.4 GHz frequency using WPA2 encryption

Data stream in both directions

Data stream from client to router

Data stream from router to client

The average throughput when transmitting data in both directions was 128 Mbps, and the maximum rate was 93.7 Mbps. For comparison, recall that the indicators of Vinga WR-AC1200 were 146 and 94.5 Mbps, respectively. However, the average speed when transmitting data in one direction for this model is slightly higher: 90 and 93.6 Mbps versus 89.5 and 85.9 Mbps, respectively.

Comparative testing of packet passing speed through the LAN interface for another LAN client

Data stream in both directions

Data stream from router to client

The average throughput for data transmission in both directions was 169 Mbps. The maximum figure reached 94.6 Mbps, which is close to the 100 Mbps limit for the applied RJ45 Fast Ethernet ports.

Comparative testing of packet speed through the router's NAT service

Data flow in both directions

Data flow from the router to the client

The NAT service is implemented at the software level. The average speed for data transmission in both directions was 95 Mbps, and the maximum was 75 Mbps.

Conclusions

It's time to draw conclusions. What makes the Vinga WR-N300 Long Range (WR-N300-LR) router stand out among competitive counterparts? Firstly, it has a very attractive price tag at 399 UAH ($15), which is lower than the cost of products of a similar class from well-known companies. At the same time, its design is characterized by its own individuality, making the device look more expensive than its price tag.

Secondly, it is equipped with an enhanced transmitter with a power of up to 250 mW, although by default it operates at the standard rate of 100 mW to comply with legislative norms. Therefore, the responsibility for its activation lies entirely with the user.

The advantages of the Vinga WR-N300-LR model also include the presence of three powerful external antennas for stable signal transmission, support for a convenient and functional software interface for changing settings, the ability to operate in multiple modes, and the presence of a "WPS" button for quick connection with an external device.

During testing, the average data transmission speed in both directions reached 128 Mbps. This is quite sufficient for quality servicing of several clients under high load. Thus, the router is primarily suitable for undemanding home use.

To reduce the final price, the manufacturer had to slightly reduce the quality of the component base, abandon USB ports, and install RJ45 Fast Ethernet interfaces, i.e., with a bandwidth of up to 100 Mbps. Non-removable antennas and glossy elements in the case design are also used. Overall, nothing critical for the budget level.

Therefore, the Vinga WR-N300 Long Range router deserves the attention of undemanding users who need a stable and fast wireless internet connection for a smartphone or laptop but are not ready to spend on expensive and high-performance products with 802.11ac support.

Advantages:

• adequate performance level in its segment;
• ability to boost transmitter signal to 250 mW;
• attractive case design;
• high-quality assembly;
• convenient and functional web interface for configuration;
• presence of three powerful external antennas for stable coverage;
• support for multiple operating modes;
• presence of a firewall;
• support for Green AP function to control wireless transmitter power.

Features:

• glossy case requires additional care;
• use of Fast Ethernet ports;
• absence of USB ports.

Author: Serhiy Budilovskyi
Translation: Yuriy Koval