Linksys has just released its next-gen WiFi 6 mesh router – Velop MX4200 WiFi 6 – and it’s currently exclusive to StarHub.
The MX4200, also dubbed StarHub Smart WiFi Pro as part of this collaboration, will be free for new sign-ups (and renewals) to the StarHub 2 Gbps Fibre Broadband plan, with a one-off payment or instalment options for other plans.
If you are already on an existing contract (that’s not 2 Gbps) or you have no intention to sign up for the 2Gbps plan, you can also get the router as a cash and carry purchase.
What’s more, StarHub is offering the MX4200 at a heavily discounted price of $288 (U.P. $399). At least for now, you can only get the MX4200 officially through StarHub. Of course, there’s parallel imports and overseas sources, but this complicates warranty issues.
Next-Gen Mesh
The Velop has always looked at home alongside non-techie stuff.
The Linksys Velop MX4200’s biggest draw is the WiFi 6 standard, which vastly expands the speed and capacity of its connections with compatible WiFi 6 devices.
Linksys claims up to four times more capacity than the previous WiFi 5 standard. Its Qualcomm Networking Pro 800 platform features a 64-bit 1.4Ghz Quad-Core ARM processor and can handle eight streams of tri-band connectivity (2.4Ghz at 600Mbps, 5Ghz at 1200Mbps, 5Ghz 2400Mbps). The MX4200 can handle 8K streaming and has a proprietary dynamic backhaul that allows users to access all three bands, which is not usually the case with conventional mesh systems. The router is also compatible with other Linksys WiFi mesh products, though those devices will run at WiFi 5 speeds.
How many will you need?
The MX4200, far right, towers over its fellow Velop siblings, but the footprint isn’t tha much bigger.
StarHub and Linksys’ testing points to a 20 per cent improvement over previous-gen tech in speeds at three metres and increases to about 40% at 15 metres or more. As an approximation, they recommend a single unit for houses measuring 500-1,200 square feet, two for spaces measuring 1200-2500 square feet, and three for 2,500-5,000 square feet.
We figure that if you often have problems in specific spots in your house where no router seems to be able to reach, you’d need at least one more for those spaces.
The Velop has always been fuss-free and the MX4200 is no different. These are the only buttons.
The good news is, if you don’t know how many you need, you don’t have to decide right away. You can always buy additional units when necessary at the offered price. StarHub is willing to accommodate any number that you require, but our understanding is that they will reserve the right to decline if they have reason to believe that you are abusing the privilege (i.e. buying to re-sell for profit).
The available ports on the MX4200 in all their glory.
StarHub customers with the MX4200 will also get additional future updates in the latter half of this year. Gaming Device Prioritisation lets you prioritise a device for lower latency (acceptable level of around 40-60ms or lower for local server) to improve gaming performance. Users will also enjoy the benefits of DFS channel optimisation, which enables the router to prioritise less cluttered channels for better network performance.
Oh, and lest we forget, you get 12 months of free Disney+ too!
