My initial two months of using the Aircove router from ExpressVPN have been very positive, and I recommend it as a general-purpose secure router that is extremely simple to set up.
Jumping on the introductory discount of the ExpressVPN Aircove was a snap decision as a continuing expressVPN subscriber. It fit all the requirements I has for an internal home router. I already had a two-year-old WiFi5/WPA2 mesh router which provides adequate coverage in my 1300 sq-ft split-level home without requiring any satellite routers, but I wanted to move to WPA3 security for my devices that support it and VPN coverage for devices that that couldn't run expressVPN.
1. Security
Now that all of our phones and laptops support WPA3, it was time to move to make the painless upgrade to our WIFI security. I routinely noted unknown devices probing my WiFi5/WPA2 router and figured that a concerted attack was just a matter of time. I continue to use that router as my edge router for untrusted devices that I own such as smart TVs and smart home switches used for trivial functions like outdoor holiday lighting. Since most of these devices are confined to the GUEST network, penetration of any one of them is of little concern.
2. Convenience
I found the Aircove's setup to be the easiest I've ever encountered after several decades of using routers from industry leaders. It was literally a 5-minute process.
An even bigger convenience factor is that the expressVPN software running on the router eliminates the frequent task of downloading and installing expressVPN updates to stay-at-home devices. I have yet to verify that the expressVPN in the router auto-updates, but even if that claim is not met, updating it manually is still a great time saver over updating my many devices with several different Operating Systems.
Performance
As a non-gamer, I do not choose to pay for 1Gb internet service. Still, I like getting the bandwidth that I'm paying for even while protecting my devices with a VPN. Having the router spend cycles doing the the encryption and decryption degrades latency vrs having no VPN but has little effect on throughput, and allows those CPU cycles to freed up on all my devices that no longer have to run the VPN to get that protection while in my home. Given all this, a serious gamer should have a high-performance gaming router as the edge router but may want to seriously consider the Aircove as an internal router for a non-gaming network of devices.
Support
Although this is expressVPN's first foray into selling routers, there is reason to expect better support for this product since most of it's users are paying $100/yr for the expressvpn subscription.
Hardware Quality
Although not a huge name in the home router market, the Chinese company that manufactures the hardware has a solid reputation for quality and support.
Price
At roughly half the price of comparatively powerful WiFi6/WPA3 routers that run ExpressVPN or anything of comparable quality, this purchase was a no-brainer.
Features
As I indicated before, the lack of GUEST network support is justified by the main goals of this router, but is alleviated when used as an internal router where an edge router supplies a GUEST network. The Aircove is also poor in the bells and whistles such as Parent Controls. Having no minor children in my home makes that a non-issue, besides, if I didn't trust my children, they would be confined to the edge router or even to it's GUEST network.
There is no suite of security tools such as some companies provide on the premier routers, but I never found such to be very useful compared to just having a modicum of vigilance in reviewing your connection logs.
The Aircove sports four ethernet ports in addition to the WAN port, which should be plenty in the WiFi-intensive world we live in. If not, unmanaged switches are very inexpensive.
There is no USB port, which I also consider reasonable for an internal security router. If I want a low-security file-sharing device, it would make more sence to put it on the edge router. If you don't use an edge router or yours lacks a USB port,for $50 you can use something like PLEX on a RaspberryPI to flexibly share media on either your high security Aircove network or on the low security edge router network at the cost of tying up one ethernet port or buying a switch or via WiFi if you must waste wireless bandwidth in that fashion. A Roku Ultra can supply a subset of those features, as well.
A minor plus feature is the four foldable antennae. This makes the Aircove a passable travel router. This works particularly well for me as it leaves the edge router behind with all the functionality that the dog/house sitter is permitted.
Criticisms
There is not much to say here. WiFi 6E or 7 will be nice when our devices start supporting it. Support for other emerging wireless smart home standards would be nice, as well. The Aircove is not a mesh hub, but I could attach additional Aircoves to satellites of my mesh edge router if needed.
My biggest beef is that expressVPN running on my devices runs afoul of the expressVPN running on the Aircove. The ability to list devices by hardware MAC address that should be exempted from the VPN in the Aircove is a good feature but does not help with computers that are dual-bootable where one of the OSs is auto-launching expressvpn and another is not, perhaps because it is not available for that OS. Also, I'd like to see arbitration so that the device with the later version of expressVPN wins, or if they are the same that the device yields to the Aircove. Better yet, the arbitration policy could be configurable on a device-by-device basis with the default being as previously suggested.
Finally, this is a criticism only in the positive sense: the Aircove seems to boot and come on line with the VPN active remarkably quickly: an indication of it's powerful processor and efficient software.
Aircove | Wi-Fi 6 VPN Router for Home | Protect Unlimited Devices | Free 30-Day ExpressVPN Trial | (U.S. & Canada Version)
4 | 881 ratings
Price: 189.9
Last update: 12-18-2024
About this item
【ExpressVPN Protection】Aircove safeguards all your devices with built-in VPN protection (requires an active ExpressVPN subscription, free 30-day trial included for new users). Connect to multiple VPN locations at once across 105 countries!
【Powerful Wi-Fi 6】Enjoy robust dual-band Wi-Fi performance with speeds up to 1,200 Mbps (600 Mbps for 2.4GHz and 1200 Mbps for 5GHz), and fast Lightway VPN speeds up to 180 Mbps. Connect to up to 100 devices simultaneously.
【Block Harmful Content】 Aircove blocks ads, trackers, malware, and adult content, ensuring a safe browsing experience. Set internet access schedules for your children.
【Smart Home Compatible】Any device that connects to Aircove enjoys VPN benefits 24/7, including smart home appliances that usually aren’t compatible with VPN software.
【U.S. & Canada Version】This version of Aircove is for the U.S. & Canada. An international version with identical features is also available.
【Powerful Wi-Fi 6】Enjoy robust dual-band Wi-Fi performance with speeds up to 1,200 Mbps (600 Mbps for 2.4GHz and 1200 Mbps for 5GHz), and fast Lightway VPN speeds up to 180 Mbps. Connect to up to 100 devices simultaneously.
【Block Harmful Content】 Aircove blocks ads, trackers, malware, and adult content, ensuring a safe browsing experience. Set internet access schedules for your children.
【Smart Home Compatible】Any device that connects to Aircove enjoys VPN benefits 24/7, including smart home appliances that usually aren’t compatible with VPN software.
【U.S. & Canada Version】This version of Aircove is for the U.S. & Canada. An international version with identical features is also available.
Product information
| Product Dimensions | 9.7 x 2.3 x 8.1 inches |
|---|---|
| Item Weight | 1.81 pounds |
| ASIN | B09VBXLGJR |
| Item model number | AX1800 |
| Customer Reviews |
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars
809 ratings
4.1 out of 5 stars |
| Best Sellers Rank | #6,131 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics) #62 in Computer Routers |
| Date First Available | March 25, 2022 |
| Manufacturer | ExpressVPN |
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