We purchased the Samsung SmartThings Wifi Mesh Router and Smart Home Hub so our expert reviewer could thoroughly test and assess it. Keep reading for our full product review.
The Samsung SmartThings Wifi Router is a mesh networking system for home smart devices. With it you can control an assortment of home-automation devices and cover every inch of your home with strong and reliable WiFi. We looked at Samsung’s SmartThings Wifi Mesh Router to see how mesh networking can improve your WiFi experience, and how their product stands up to the competition.
Design: Simple and blends right in
The Samsung SmartThings Wifi Router is a small device, about the size and shape of a smoker alarm. At 4.72 x 1.16 x 4.72 inches it’s pretty easy to find a suitable place to tuck it away. Its simple, compact, all-white design is a boon, because you’re going to need more than one of these to fully utilize their capabilities.
It’s very minimalistic — basically a square with rounded corners and beveled edges. Samsung SmartThings and a thin grey line around the edge of the bevel are stamped in light gray ink on the top. The gray bottom has a non-slip rubber pad and four ventilation ports—the device never got overly hot, so they clearly work.
There’s one tiny, two-color LED on the front that alternates between green and red. A solid green light means everything is connected and working as it should. A solid red light means there is no internet connectivity and a blinking red light means there is a more problematic error or the device is overheating.
The few ports that the Samsung SmartThings Wifi Router has are located in the back. The layout is extremely simple and Samsung opted for the bare minimum needed, probably to keep costs down and make it as easy as possible to set up and use.
Setup Process: As easy as it gets
One of the best things about the Samsung SmartThings Wifi Router is how easy it is to set up. First we downloaded the SmartThings mobile app which is available for Android and iOS, then created an account in the app and set our location. Next we connected the provided ethernet cable to our modem and plugged the router in with the AC adapter.
The SmartThings app automatically recognized the router and asked us if we wanted to add it. The app walks you through the whole process of naming your new WiFi network and connecting other WiFi hubs to fill out the mesh network. With any additional SmartThings router you only need to plug in the power adapter. Setting up your WiFi coverage is as simple as that and we had no problems at all with the process.
One of the best things about the Samsung SmartThings Wifi Router is how easy it is to set up.
One tip we can offer is to set up all your hubs in the same room as your first Samsung SmartThings Wifi Router and then move them to their final location—they’ll still be recognized after you unplug and move them.
Next we wanted to connect some of our smart devices, like our Philips Hue light bulbs. To do that we had to download a different app called Plume. The Plume app is used to organize all the smart devices you want to connect to the smart hub part of the router. All of our products appeared automatically but you can also add them manually if they don’t show up in the app.
Software: A lot of app swapping
Even though the hardware works great and is very easy to set up, having to use two mobile apps isn’t ideal. Also, because the router/hub doesn’t have a built-in microphone and speaker, we had to connect one to use a voice assistant. It’s not terrible but it does take some getting used to. We wish that everything was consolidated into one app though.
Both apps are well designed and we didn’t run into any problems like we did with Amazon’s Alexa mobile app. The SmartThings app is used for initial setup of the router, configuring and controlling all the smart devices that you want to connect to the hub. The SmartThings app works pretty much the same as any other smart device app and it’s very intuitive to use.
You can set up groups of smart devices, monitor anything connected to the hub, control everything directly from your phone, create scenes and automate actions. You can also receive notifications from your devices through your phone’s notification system. You can even automate things by GPS on your phone, so when you reach a certain spot on your route home from work, you can do things like turn on your lights or air conditioner.
The Plume app and adaptive WiFi technology behind these mesh routers go a long way towards justifying the cost. The app is used to manage the mesh network created with multiple Samsung SmartThings Wifi Routers. Plume automatically recognizes all of your devices, analyzes the flow of traffic, and starts to optimize your network accordingly.
Additionally, Plume offers AI security, ad blocking, personalized guest access with custom passwords, and parental controls. You’re able to monitor a huge amount of information about your home network, and it’s all laid out in a way that is fairly easy to understand.
Performance: Fast and reliable
Initial setup of the Samsung SmartThings Wifi Router was as easy as it gets. The Plume technology can take up to 24 hours to analyze and optimize your network and communication between hubs, but after that it continues to fine tune everything on a regular basis. We honestly didn’t notice an improvement in real life usage but it’s worth noting that we thought everything worked great right after the initial setup.
Each hub has 4GB of storage, 512MB of RAM, and support for 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, 2 x 2 MIMO, AC1300 (up to 866 Mbps on 5GHz, 400Mbps on 2.4GHz), ZigBee, Z-Wave, and Bluetooth 4.1. It runs on a speedy Qualcomm (Quad 710MHz) processor and covers up to 1,500 square feet. Three routers can cover up to 4,500 square feet and you can add up to 32 routers if you need to cover a larger area.
If your main purpose is to blanket your home with reliable WiFi, the Samsung SmartThings Wifi Router is the most economical option.
We experienced reliable speed and signal in every corner of our building with no dropouts or discernable lag. Unfortunately, the routers only have a 65-foot range and we needed more than we initially expected to cover the entire space. When it came to walls and ceilings, the Samsung SmartThings Wifi Routers did an excellent job passing through a variety of different building materials.
Overall, the Samsung SmartThings Wifi Router has great performance for such an affordable mesh networking option. There are other mesh routers on the market with reportedly better performance but any casual user will be more than happy with the capabilities on offer here. The only real complaints we have are needing to use two mobile apps and that, because of the 65-foot range, we required one more router than expected.
Price: An economical option
The Samsung SmartThings WiFi Router is only $120 for a single router or $280 for a pack of three. At such a low price, they are definitely our favorite budget option. The only other popular mesh routers that come close in price are three packs of Google’s WiFi Mesh Routers at $300 and Linksys Velop AC3600 WiFi Mesh Routers at $250, and both lack many of the features of Samsung’s router.
On the other end of the market, a two pack of the excellent Netgear Orbi RBK50 WiFi Mesh Routers retails for $370. Even when it’s on sale you’re still getting two for a price close to three of the Samsung routers. On the other hand, Netgear outperforms Samsung and also offers an all-in-one mesh router and smart hub with a built-in Harman Kardon speaker. A single Netgear Orbi Voice Wifi Mesh Router retails for $430 though.
If your main purpose is to blanket your home with reliable WiFi and eliminate dead zones, the Samsung SmartThings Wifi Router is the most economical option for its level of performance. There’s nothing about Samsung’s router that would be a dealbreaker for most users, and it’s a good value for the money.
Samsung SmartThings Wifi Mesh Router vs. Google Wifi Mesh Router
The Samsung SmartThings WiFi Router’s direct competition is probably Google’s Wifi Mesh Router. It’s similarly priced at $300 but often on sale for around $240. It has the same input/output ports, 4GB of storage, 512MB of RAM, and is powered by a 710 MHz ARM-based quad-core processor.
Google uses its own WiFi app and has a very easy, streamlined setup process. It lacks many of the options that Samsung’s router has though, like parental controls. It does allow the user to pause internet access at a specified time, but that’s pretty limited in comparison to other mesh routers’ controls.
Google entered the mesh networking market early and have yet to offer an upgraded version of their routers. They’re fast, reliable and focused on simplicity, but their lack of features and settings mean they’re falling behind competitors. We think that the Samsung SmartThings WiFi Mesh Routers are the better option until Google releases an upgrade.
Google Wifi Review
Final Verdict
A great mesh router, worth every penny.
If you’re looking primarily for a mesh network, Samsung SmartThings WiFi Mesh Routers are a very economical option that’s easy to use, reliable, and even has decent mobile apps. The routers are small and easy to hide but still big on performance. You’ll have to jump between two different mobile apps but the Samsung SmartThings WiFi Mesh Routers are a great option that will satisfy most users.
Similar Products We’ve Reviewed:
- Netgear Orbi
- Eero Pro Mesh Wi-Fi System
- Linksys Max-Stream AC1900
Представлен роутер Samsung Connect Home Smart Wi-Fi System
Кроме смартфонов и аксессуаров компания Samsung представила также новый маршрутизатор. Новинка с замысловатым названием Connect Home Smart Wi-Fi System на самом деле больше чем роутер.
Это заодно и концентратор для систем умного дома. Учитывая тот факт, что новые флагманские смартфоны Samsung научились работать с умной бытовой техникой, появление гибридного маршрутизатора вполне ожидаемо.
Новинка умеет работать с устройствами посредством Bluetooth 4.1, WiFi, Zigbee и Z-wave. То есть это практически любое устройство сегмента интернета вещей и любая умная бытовая техника.
Как и некоторые другие новые роутеры, новинка Samsung поддерживает ячеистые сети. То есть один маршрутизатор используется для получения и распространения сигнала, а остальные могут выступать в роли усилителей. Samsung заявляет для одного устройства покрываемую площадь в 140 м². Connect Home Smart Wi-Fi System — двухдиапазонный роутер с поддержкой 802.11ac и максимальной скоростью до 866 Мбит/с. Он располагает 512 МБ оперативной памяти и 4 ГБ флэш-памяти. Есть модификация Pro, обеспечивающая скорость до 1,7 Гбит/с. О стоимости и сроках начала поставок не сообщается.
22 апреля 2017
Компания Samsung представила миру очередную новинку — Connect Home Smart Wi-Fi System. Это многофункциональный роутер, обладающий дополнительной функцией – возможностью управлять умным домом благодаря встроенному центру SmartThings Hub.
До сих пор не оглашается информация о стоимости, но производитель уже объявил, что планирует реализовывать их поштучно и небольшими партиями по 3 устройства. Со временем обещают разработать и Pro-версию.
Представленный Connect Home взаимодействует с другими приборами, составляющими сеть умного дома, с помощью интерфейсов: Bluetooth версии 4.1, Zigbee или Z-wave, Wi-Fi. Примечательно то, что роутер совместим не только с продуктами компании Samsung, но и с другими устройствами: системами освещения, камерами безопасности и другим оборудованием. Встроенный умный центр позволяет приборам работать в связке, взаимодействовать друг с другом. Процесс настройки, а также управления, осуществляется со смартфона.
Площадь покрытия, которую способен обеспечить один прибор, составляет 140 м2. Если сравнивать этот показатель с возможностями конкурентов, идентичную площадь покроет Google WiFi, а вот недавно вышедший на рынок Netgear Orbi в три раза опережает разработку от Samsung. Возможно именно для того, чтобы соперничать со «старшими» конкурентами, производитель планирует реализовывать комплект из трех устройств. Их установка гарантирует отличный уровень сигнала в большом доме или офисе.
Квадратная форма со сглаженными углами, и блестящая глянцевая оболочка корпуса изделия напоминают дизайн продукции конкурента Eero. Характеристики устройства также похожи – перед нами двухдиапазонный Wi-Fi роутер, работающий по стандарту 802.11ac, и позволяющий получить скорость передачи данных в 866 Мбит/с. Предусмотренная в приборе оперативная память составляет 512 Мбайт, в наличии также флеш-память емкостью в 4 ГБ. В стандартной модификации роутер снабжен не самым быстрым четырёхъядерным процессором на 710 МГц. Работа старшей Pro модели будет основываться на двухъядерном 1,7 ГГц чипе и 4 диапазонном Wi-Fi-модуле. Улучшенные характеристики позволяют добиться скорости передачи в 1,7 Гбит/с. Несмотря на явные отличия в модификации «стандарт» и «профи», покрываемая площадь будет идентичной, как и набор внешних разъемов (два RJ-45).
Не зная диапазон стоимости устройств трудно полноценно сравнивать его с конкурентами от компаний Google, Eero, и лидеров рынка — Netgear и Linksys, а тем более – оценивать преимущества и привлекательность продукции Samsung. Пока что основным достоинством, выделяющим роутер, является интегрированная функция центра умного дома SmartThings, однако, скорее всего, подобный функционал отразится на итоговой цене приборов.
После того, как роутер выйдет в продажу на мировом рынке, он появится и в нашем каталоге. Чтобы стать одним из первых покупателей, оценивших Connect Home в Казахстане, не переставайте следить за нашими новостями!
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Image: Michael Brown / IDG
At a Glance
Expert’s Rating
Pros
- A top-shelf smart home hub blended with a competent mesh Wi-Fi router
- Will blanket your home with Wi-Fi, Z-Wave, and Zigbee coverage
- Supremely easy to set up and use
Cons
- Smart home functions are highly cloud dependent
- No dedicated network for wireless data backhaul
- Not a great option for home security (no LTE radio to fall back on)
Our Verdict
Samsung SmartThings Wifi is a much better smart home hub than it is a router or a home security system. But that doesn’t mean it’s not a good value for the right buyer.
Best Prices Today: Samsung SmartThings Wifi
$279.98
Mesh tech is as beneficial to smart home devices as it is to home networking, so it makes sense to deploy a single product that can handle both missions—provided that single device offers best-in-class performance in both areas. While the second-generation Samsung SmartThings Wifi mesh router is a great smart home hub, it’s far from being a state-of-the-art router. But if you don’t need a top-shelf router, and not everyone does, the SmartThings Wifi’s price tag and its performance as a smart home hub renders it a good enough value.
SmartThings Wifi as a smart home hub
In some respects, the Samsung SmartThings Wifi three-pack reviewed here is an even better smart home hub than our top pick in that category—the third-generation Samsung SmartThings Hub—simply because it has three nodes to the Hub’s one. That said, we’re sticking with our recommendation of the SmartThings Hub as the best smart home system for most people because the SmartThings Wifi router simply isn’t the best mesh router you can buy. You won’t want to replace a superior router with this one just to get a smart home hub.
Like the SmartThings Hub, the SmartThings Wifi router is outfitted with Z-Wave, Zigbee, and Bluetooth radios, so it can control just about any smart home device on the market (although you’ll still need a Philips Hue Bridge to control that brand of lighting; ditto for Lutron hardware). Adding Wi-Fi expands SmartThings’ reach to smart home devices that don’t rely on Z-Wave, Zigbee, or Bluetooth (e.g., LIFX smart bulbs). If your home or apartment is small and you don’t need the range that this $280 three-pack promises, you can buy a single SmartThings Wifi for $120—that should be enough to cover 1,500 square feet. Likewise, if your home is larger than 4,500 square feet, you can buy more satellites to expand the network’s reach. I tested the three-node system in my own 2,800-square-foot smart home.
SmartThings supports just about every smart home device you could possibly want.
Michael Brown / IDG
Z-Wave and Zigbee are mesh networks, too, so every smart home device equipped with one of those radios can act as both a client and a repeater. As such, the more compatible devices you deploy around your home, the greater the range of the two networks.
A Z-Wave radio, however, can’t receive and repeat Zigbee traffic, and vice versa. Spread the three SmartThings Wifi nodes around your home, and you’ll effectively blanket it with coverage for all three networks: Z-Wave, Zigbee, and Wi-Fi.
Three downsides you’ll want to be aware of: First, both the SmartThings Wifi and the SmartThings Hub are very much cloud dependent. Many of their smart home features won’t work if you lose your connection to the internet—in the event of a power outage, for instance.
Second, SmartThings isn’t a great home security system because Samsung doesn’t offer a professional monitoring service. If there’s a break-in or a smoke detector goes off in the event of a fire, you’ll need to call the authorities yourself.
Finally, neither SmartThings device includes an LTE module for backup. If an intruder is smart enough to cut your phone or cable line before tripping a sensor, SmartThings won’t be able to alert you.
If you find the last two features important, you might consider a Ring Alarm system as an alternative to SmartThings. To be clear, Ring Alarm does not have an integrated router. And like SmartThings, it is also dependent on the cloud, but signing up for an optional-but-inexpensive professional monitoring service ($10 per month) activates an LTE module for cellular backup. If you sign up for that service and someone breaks in while the system is armed, a Ring representative can dispatch the police to your home (they’ll attempt to contact you first, to avoid reporting a false alarm).
On the other hand, the Ring ecosystem includes a fraction of the compatible smart home devices that you’ll find with SmartThings. Click here to see a list of Works with Ring devices, and click here to see a list Works with SmartThings components. In other words, SmartThings is the better smart-home system, but Ring is a better home security system that also has smart home features.
SmartThings Wifi is much less impressive as a router. It’s an AC1300-class, dual-band device, meaning it’s based on the 802.11ac protocol (Wi-Fi 5) and that it operates one network on the 5GHz frequency band delivering up to 866Mbps of bandwidth, and a second network on the 2.4GHz bandwidth offering up to 400Mbps (sum the two numbers and you get 1,266, but Samsung—like every other router manufacturer—rounds up).
Like many mesh Wi-Fi routers, the SmartThings Wifi has just a pair of gigabit ethernet ports.
Michael Brown / IDG
Unlike higher-end mesh routers, such as the Linksys Velop ($385 on Amazon for a three-node system) or Netgear Orbi RBK50 ($295 on Amazon for a two-node system), SmartThings Wifi does not operate a third network that’s dedicated to data backhaul from the satellites to the router. So, in addition to delivering less bandwidth than more expensive routers, some of that bandwidth is consumed by data backhaul. TP-Link’s Deco M9 Plus mesh router also dedicates a third wireless network to data backhaul, and it has an integrated smart home hub. But the Deco M9 Plus supports only Zigbee and not Z-Wave.
All the nodes in the SmartThings Wifi three-pack are identical until you set the system up, at which point the first device that you hardwire to your broadband gateway becomes the router and the other two become satellites when you add them. Installation is handled through a mobile app, and the system is quick and easy to set up.
Each device has a two 1Gbps ethernet ports, so if you have the infrastructure to support it, you can hardwire the satellites directly to your router for wired backhaul that will be much faster than relying on Wi-Fi. This will also render the absence of a dedicated network for wireless backhaul moot, but most homes don’t have ethernet in the walls. (Mine does, but I didn’t benchmark the system that way.) If you have more than one device that you want to hardwire to the router, you’ll need to buy a switch.
Compared to most of the other mesh routers we’ve benchmarked, the SmartThings Wifi is a slowpoke.
Michael Brown / IDG
One feature that those more-expensive routers don’t have is Plume’s Adaptive WiFi technology, which Plume says will analyze your network traffic and optimize its performance so that each client connects to the node that will deliver optimal bandwidth for its needs. So, Plume might help make the most of the bandwidth that the SmartThings Wifi can offer, but that doesn’t change the fact that the SmartThings Wifi offers less bandwidth to begin with compared to some other routers.
The three dots on this screenshot of the Plume app represent the SmartThings Wifi router (green) and its two satellites. The dots orbiting each node represent the attached clients.
Michael Brown / IDG
Samsung also relies on Plume for parental controls and anti-malware protection, which means you’ll need to switch back and forth between that and the SmartThings app, depending on what you need to do. (Clicking on the Advanced Settings tab in the SmartThings app launches the Plume app.)
You can assign each device on the network to a family member’s profile, so you can control when that device can access the internet and what it’s allowed to do while online. That type of parental control is increasingly table stakes for consumer routers these days.
Bottom line
Viewed as a smart home hub, SmartThings Wifi is an excellent solution unless you object to its dependence on the cloud, or you’re looking for a home security system that can be professionally monitored. Given that you can deploy it in multiples as part of a mesh network, it’s an even better smart home hub than the latest stand-alone SmartThings Hub. But don’t give up a superior router you might already have just to get a smart home hub. Buy the SmarThings Hub, instead.
SmartThings Wifi is less impressive when viewed as a mesh router, because it doesn’t offer nearly as much bandwidth as many other mesh routers we’ve tested. If you need a smart-home hub and a high-performance home network, you’re better off buying discrete components for each job. If you want to build out a smart home, but you have just a few devices that need Wi-Fi access simultaneously, SmartThings Wifi will save you cash and be easier to manage. After all, there’s no sense in paying for router performance you don’t need.
Best Prices Today: Samsung SmartThings Wifi
$279.98
Описание: Mesh-роутер и центр управления умным домом. Samsung SmartThings Wi-Fi
SmartThings Wi-Fi от Samsung — это двухдиапазонный mesh-роутер и концентратор для управления умным домом в одном устройстве.
Mesh-роутер использует технология адаптивного Wi-Fi Plume, которая анализирует наш сетевой трафик, устраняя «мертвые зоны» и обеспечивая оптимальную пропускную способность сети, исходя из количества подключенных устройств и их приоритета. SmartThings Wi-Fi также служит центром автоматизации умного дома, благодаря которому мы можем контролировать и управлять сотнями устройств на базе Z-Wave, Zigbee, Wi-Fi и Bluetooth, включая освещение, термостаты, камеры наблюдения, умные розетки и многое другое. Особенностью SmartThings Wi-Fi является наличие двух приложений — SmartThings (для управления устройствами умного дома и начальных настроек работы роутера) и Plume.
Для создания гостевой сети, защиты от вредоносных программ, использования родительского контроля или расширения возможностей резервирования IP-адресов следует использовать приложение Plume. Приложение позволяет нам назначить профиль для каждого члена семьи и их устройств, что позволяет нам контролировать доступ к Интернету и фильтровать контент в зависимости от возраста. Онлайн-защита от вредоносных программ, а также блокировка рекламы также являются вариантами, которые мы можем включить / отключить для каждого устройства.
Внутри роутера находятся процессор Qualcomm, 512 МБ оперативной памяти, 8 ГБ флэш-памяти, семь антенн: две 2,4 Гц и две 5 ГГц, Bluetooth 4.1, ZigBee и Z-Wave. На задней панели устройства есть входной порт WAN и выходной порт LAN, а также гнездо для подключения питания. Поддерживая стандарт Wi-Fi 5 Wave 2 (802.11ac 2×2 MU-MIMO), двухдиапазонный маршрутизатор AC 1300 может достигать максимальной скорости до 400 Мбит/с в диапазоне 2,4 ГГц и до 866 Мбит/с в диапазоне 5 ГГц.
Для небольшого дома или квартиры достаточного одного роутера, который покрывает площадь до 140 квадратных метров, а для двухэтажного дома или квартиры площадью до 420 квадратных метров можно приобрести комплект SmartThings Wi-Fi, состоящий из трех устройств.
Дополнительная информация:
— Двухдиапазонный роутер: 2,4 Гц и 5 ГГц;
— Концентратор по управлению устройствами умного дома;
— Для дома и офиса;
— Технология адаптивного Wi-Fi Plume;
— Семь модулей: Bluetooth 4.1, ZigBee, Z-Wave и Wi-Fi;
— Приложение Plume для iOS 11.0 и Android 4.4 или выше;
— Приложение SmartThings для iOS 12.0 и Android 7.0 или выше;
— Функция родительского контроля;
— Блокировка рекламы и защита от вирусов;
— Поддержка MU-MIMO.
| Техническая информация | |
| Процессор | Четырехъядерный ARM 710 МГц |
| Чипсет | Qualcomm IPQ4019 |
| Память и процессор | |
| Оперативная память | 512 МБ |
| Интерфейсы и носители | |
| Интерфейсы | Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), Bluetooth 4.1, ZigBee и Z-Wave |
| Общие характеристики | |
| Флэш-память | 8 ГБ |
| Вес с упаковкой | 610 г |
| Порты | 1x LAN,1x WAN |
| Рабочая температура | От 0 до 40 ° C |
| Материал | Пластик |
| Размеры с упаковкой | 15x15x3,4 см |
| Конструкция и внешний вид | |
| Вес | 200 г (вес одного маршрутизатора) |
| Габаритные размеры | 12x12x2,9 см |