This wireless router can’t possibly be good… can it? - Minion Routers

ShortCircuit
12 Apr 202410:32

Summary

TLDRتقدم النصيحة مراجعة تفصيلية لموجهي Wi-Fi المميزين بشخصيات المينيونز، بوب وكيفن، اللذين يدعمان تقنيات Wi-Fi 6 و Wi-Fi 6E على التوالي. يتميز كيفن بتوافق ثلاثي النطاقات ومنفذ اتصال بسرعة 2.5 جيجابت، ويحتوي على معالج كوالكوم مطور مقارنةً بمعالج بوب الأساسي. تم تصميم الجهازين بواسطة شركة كورية متخصصة في الشبكات التعليمية والتجارية، ويتميزان بدعم شبكة متشابكة والتوافق مع WPA3. على الرغم من كونهما أجهزة جذابة، تظهر المراجعة بعض القصور في الأداء وتغطية الإشارة، مما يجعلهما مناسبين أكثر للمساحات الصغيرة وليس للأداء العالي.

Takeaways

  • 📦 ال Kaipan ال minions Wi-Fi روترز متوفرين في أشكال بوب وكيف، بوب هو نسخة AX1 1800 لـ Wi-Fi 6، بينما كيف هو نسخة AX5400 لـ Wi-Fi 6E.
  • 🌐 كيف يدعم النطاق الثلاثة بـ 2.4 GHz و 5 GHz و 6 GHz كلها بعرض القناة 160 MHz، بينما بوب ليس ثلاثي النطاق.
  • 🔌 كيف يحتوي على مدخل صياغة واحد فقط بالإضافة إلى مدخل WAN، بينما يتوفر بوب بإدخال WAN وإدخال LAN.
  • 💻 ال Kaipan ال minions روترز مدعومين للشبكة الموزعة (mesh)، مما يتيح لك استخدام كيف كمدخل الإنترنت وربط بوب + ال群 ال其他人 بطريقة وظيفية.
  • 🔒 يدعم ال Kaipan ال minions روترز WPA 3، وهو ميزة مهمة للأمان.
  • 📈 ال Kaipan ال minions روترز يحتوي على معالج Qualcomm محسنpared إلى النسخة الأساسية من المعالجة في بوب.
  • 🧠 كيف يحتوي على 512 ميغابايت من الذاكرة العشوائية (RAM)، مما يشير إلى مزيد من القوة المعالجة.
  • 🔧 يتضمن ال Kaipan ال minions روترز إعدادات سهلة وبسيطة، حيث يمكن للمستخدمين البدء باستخدامها بسرعة من خلال الاستجابة السريع للQR code.
  • 🚫 تشير بعض الملاحظات إلى أن ال Kaipan ال minions روترز قد لا يدعم PPTP، وأنه قد يحتوي على عيب أمنية حيث يتم إرسال كلمة المرور الواضحة على ال的收入 console.
  • 🏠 ال Kaipan ال minions روترز قد لا يكون مناسبًا للاستخدام ال-general، بل هو مخصصًا للاستخدام في الأماكن الصغيرة فقط حيث أن تغطيته الشبكية قد تكون غير كافية.
  • 🎁 يتضمن ال Kaipan ال minions روترز مظهر مضحك ومثير للاهتمام، مما يجعله ميزة الجذب للمستخدمين الذين يرغبون في تحسين مظهر الأجهزة الإلكترونية في المنزل أو المكتب.

Q & A

  • ما هي الميزة الرئيسية للجهاز Bob مقارنة بالجهاز Kevin؟

    -الجهاز Bob يستخدم التكنولوجيا Wi-Fi 6 بينما الKevin يستخدم Wi-Fi 6E.

  • ما هي الفرق بين التكنولوجيات Wi-Fi 6 و Wi-Fi 6E؟

    -Wi-Fi 6E تدعم الترددات الثلاثة (2.4 GHz و 5 GHz و 6 GHz) كلها بعرض القناة 160 MHz, بينما Wi-Fi 6 تدعم الترددات 2.4 GHz و 5 GHz فقط.

  • ما هي الميزة الأساسية للجهاز Kevin؟

    -جهاز Kevin يحتوي على مفتاح التحميل الأعلى الـ 2.5 غيغابايت ودعم لتكنولوجيا Wi-Fi 6E.

  • ما هي الميزة التقنية للجهاز Kevin عن الBob؟

    -جهاز Kevin يستخدم معالج Qualcomm محسنpared to the dual-core MIPS processor في الBob.

  • كم مساحة الذاكرة الرام (RAM) في الأجهزة؟

    -الأجهزة تحتوي على 512 ميغابايت من الذاكرة الرام (RAM).

  • هل تدعم هذه الأجهزة الشبكة mesh؟

    -نعم، تدعم الأجهزة الشبكة mesh ويمكن استخدامها في مجموعة واسعة من الشبكات mesh.

  • ما هي الميزة الأساسية للجهاز Bob؟

    -جهاز Bob يستخدم التكنولوجيا Wi-Fi 6 ويحتوي على مفتاح WAN و LAN واحد كليهما يستخدم للتوصيل اللاسلكي.

  • هل توفر هذه الأجهزة أي إضافات؟

    -لا توفر الأجهزة أي إضافات خارج الصندوق، ولكن يتضمن الصندوق التوصيلي الأجهزة نفسها وأسلاك الكهرباء.

  • هل توجد أي قيود في استخدام هذه الأجهزة؟

    -لا تدعم هذه الأجهزة تكوين PPPE وهناك مشكلة في تجميع النطاقات اللاسلكية عند الانتقال من جهة إلى أخرى.

  • ماذا يشير الرمز الشريطي الرقمي في الصندوق؟

    -الرمز الشريطي الرقمي يشير إلى دليل التثبيت، يمكن استخدامه للوصول إلى التعليمات اللازمة لإعداد الأجهزة.

  • هل توفر هذه الأجهزة أمانًا متقدمًا؟

    -تدعم هذه الأجهزة أمان WPA 3، الذي يوفر مستوى متقدم من الأمان على الشبكات اللاسلكية.

Outlines

00:00

🛍️ Unboxing and Initial Impressions of Minion Wi-Fi Routers

The paragraph discusses the unboxing and first impressions of Minion-themed Wi-Fi routers named Bob and Kevin. The author expresses surprise at the purchase and proceeds to detail the specifications of both routers. The Bob version is identified as Wi-Fi 6 (ax1 1800), while Kevin is a Wi-Fi 6E (ax5400) tri-band router. Kevin also features a 2.5 G uplink port and an upgraded Qualcomm processor. The author notes the novelty of the items and the attention to detail in their design, including the inclusion of a mesh button and LED eyes. The paragraph concludes with the author expressing delight at the physical design and the anticipation of the routers' functionality.

05:02

🔧 Setup Process and Preliminary Testing

This paragraph delves into the setup process of the Minion Wi-Fi routers, highlighting the simplicity of the process through QR code scanning. The author encounters an issue with the setup on an iPhone due to Apple's default DNS settings but notes that it works fine on Android and other devices. The control panel is explored, with the author appreciating the default admin username. The paragraph also discusses the router's performance out of the box, showing decent download and upload speeds. However, the author notes concerns raised online, such as the lack of pppE support and a potential security vulnerability where the Wi-Fi passphrase is transmitted in plain text. The author concludes with a brief mention of the router's performance in different scenarios, hinting at potential issues with signal consistency and pickup patterns.

10:04

📶 Evaluation of Performance and Signal Coverage

The focus of this paragraph is on the evaluation of the Minion routers' performance and signal coverage. The author conducts tests to assess the routers' capabilities in various conditions, such as through walls and at different distances. The results indicate that while the routers perform well in terms of speed, they struggle with signal pickup patterns, particularly when switching between different bands. The author suggests that the routers may be suitable for small spaces where aesthetics outweigh performance. The paragraph concludes with the author's recommendation against using the Minion routers for anything other than their novelty and cuteness factor, and suggests looking elsewhere for better performance.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Minions Wi-Fi routers

Minions Wi-Fi routers are novelty Wi-Fi access points designed with the appearance of minions from the popular animated film series. They are primarily purchased for their aesthetic appeal rather than their technical performance. In the video, the reviewer bought two versions of these routers, Bob and Kevin, to test their functionality and design.

💡Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E

Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E are standards for wireless networking technology. Wi-Fi 6, also known as 802.11ax, offers improved speed, capacity, and efficiency over previous Wi-Fi standards. Wi-Fi 6E is an extension of Wi-Fi 6 that operates in the 6 GHz frequency band, in addition to the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands, providing more bandwidth and less interference.

💡Tri-band

Tri-band Wi-Fi systems operate on three separate frequency bands (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz), providing more channels for devices to connect to and reducing congestion. This can result in better overall network performance and faster speeds for multiple devices.

💡Qualcomm processor

A Qualcomm processor is a type of system-on-chip (SoC) designed by Qualcomm Technologies, a subsidiary of Qualcomm. These processors are known for their high performance and energy efficiency, often used in networking devices to handle complex tasks and support advanced features.

💡Mesh networking

Mesh networking is a type of network topology where nodes connect directly to each other, creating a 'mesh' of interlinked devices. In the context of Wi-Fi, a mesh network allows multiple routers to work together to provide seamless and extensive Wi-Fi coverage throughout a large area, such as a home or office.

💡WPA 3

WPA 3, or Wi-Fi Protected Access 3, is the latest security protocol for Wi-Fi networks, offering improved security features over its predecessors. It provides stronger encryption and more robust protection against common cyber threats, making it essential for modern networking devices.

💡Performance

In the context of networking devices, performance refers to how well a router can handle data transfer, the speed of connections, and its ability to manage multiple devices simultaneously without significant drops in speed or reliability.

💡Antenna pickup pattern

The antenna pickup pattern of a Wi-Fi router refers to the physical coverage area of the wireless signal. It describes how effectively the router's antennas can transmit and receive signals in different directions, impacting the range and strength of the Wi-Fi network.

💡Gigabit connection

A gigabit connection refers to a network connection that has the capacity to transfer data at speeds of 1 gigabit per second (1 Gbps). This term is often used to describe high-speed internet connections and the capabilities of networking equipment, such as routers, to handle such speeds.

💡Easy setup

Easy setup refers to the process of quickly and effortlessly configuring a device, such as a Wi-Fi router, to connect to a network and start functioning. This typically involves minimal user interaction and the use of intuitive guides or automated processes.

Highlights

The user purchased Minion-themed Wi-Fi routers named Bob and Kevin, inspired by a post on Reddit.

Bob is an AX1800 Wi-Fi 6 router, while Kevin is an AX5400 Wi-Fi 6E router, indicating different levels of performance and support for newer Wi-Fi standards.

The Kevin version is tri-band, supporting 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz each at 160 MHz channel widths, which is unusual for a novelty item.

Kevin features a 2.5 Gig Uplink Port and an upgraded Qualcomm processor, compared to Bob's more basic dual-core processor.

Both routers have a mesh feature, allowing for a network of Bobs connected to a Kevin for internet connection, supporting modern home networking needs.

The routers support WPA 3, a critical security protocol for Wi-Fi networks.

Designed by Davink, a Korean company specializing in business and education networking, the routers are based on serious networking technology despite their novelty design.

The physical design of the routers is detailed and cute, with attention to elements like the Minion's shoes and cable.

The setup process is straightforward, involving scanning QR codes to connect and configure the routers.

The control panel has a default admin username of 'Bob', adding to the novelty and charm of the product.

There are concerns about the routers' ability to handle certain configurations and a potential security vulnerability where the Wi-Fi passphrase is passed in plain text.

Performance out of the box is reasonable, with gigabit connection speeds and decent upload/download capabilities.

The routers struggle with switching between different Wi-Fi bands, which could impact user experience in dynamic environments.

The antenna pickup pattern is strong vertically but poor horizontally, affecting the router's performance in multi-story or larger living spaces.

The Minion routers may be suitable for small spaces or as a cute Wi-Fi access point, but their performance limitations make them less recommendable for general use.

For users prioritizing performance over novelty, traditional ISP-provided access points or other routers might be a better choice.

Transcripts

00:00

yep just like you I saw the minions

00:03

Wi-Fi routers on Reddit and went those

00:05

can't be real can they but then unlike

00:07

you I actually bought them so here they

00:10

are Bob and Kevin ready to turn your

00:13

Wi-Fi evil how evil you ask Does this

00:18

answer your question this piig b b

00:21

banana

00:23

ban oh there's a thing about me the

00:25

truth is there's not a ton of

00:26

information about these other than what

00:28

the manufacturer publishes is on the box

00:30

the Bob version is ax1 1800 so this is

00:34

Wi-Fi 6 while the Kevin version is Axe

00:38

5400 so WiFi 6E other than that the

00:41

Kevin version is triband which it has to

00:44

be to be Wi-Fi 6E so it's got 2.4 GHz

00:47

support and 5 GHz and 6 GHz each at 160

00:51

MHz Channel widths it has a 2 and 1/2

00:53

gig Uplink Port which is not necessarily

00:57

surprising at this price but is a little

01:00

surprising on something that I had

01:01

perceived to be pretty much a novelty

01:03

item typically they give no thought to

01:04

Performance whatsoever but this clearly

01:07

does because all we have to do is flip

01:09

over one more panel and we see that it

01:11

also uses an upgraded Qualcomm processor

01:14

versus the more basic uh dual core mys

01:17

IIA processor on The Bob version and

01:19

it's got more I guess Dam I'm assuming

01:23

flash Dam doesn't really mean anything I

01:25

think they mean Flash and Dam so uh has

01:28

512 megabytes of ram this side of the

01:31

box is also where we find out these are

01:32

designed by davink a Korean company

01:35

that's been around since 2000 and

01:37

specializes in business and education

01:39

networking uh we've got a QR code for

01:41

the installation guide and then that is

01:42

about it and online you won't find much

01:45

more in the way of information compared

01:47

to what they tell you on the box they

01:49

are mesh supported you could have one

01:51

Kevin for your internet connection and

01:53

then I have a whole mesh of Bobs

01:55

connected to them uh they have support

01:56

for WPA 3 which we actually did a video

01:59

over online as Tech tips recently and uh

02:01

explained why that's very important and

02:03

what's included in the box is apparently

02:06

all yeah we're going to need a little

02:08

bit of clarification on that so why

02:09

don't we go ahead and get oh my God it's

02:10

so

02:13

cute my very own

02:17

Minion it's not very heavy but a

02:20

wireless router doesn't necessarily need

02:23

to be heavy to indicate its

02:26

quality oh my God it's so cute if you

02:30

want to connect more than one wired

02:31

client you're going to need a network

02:33

switch so you've got just the one Wan

02:35

port and the one Lan Port there's a mesh

02:38

button which I assume is for setup an

02:41

LED which I have to assume lights up the

02:45

eyes I really really hope it does and

02:47

then power in oh my God the shoes are

02:52

rubber the attention to detail you

02:58

guys it's so cute

03:01

cute even the cable's cute look it's a

03:05

Minion's cable not really expecting to

03:07

find anything extra in Kevin's box but

03:09

who knows he does cost

03:11

$130 compared to just $69 for Bob he's a

03:15

lot heavier which highlights that this

03:17

is a completely different product not

03:20

just two different versions of the same

03:22

thing stuffed into a smaller chassis and

03:24

a larger chassis this feels like it's

03:26

got some heat sinks in it too oh my God

03:28

his hair TFT is rubber too oh it's

03:31

probably not the eyes that light up it's

03:32

probably this right here okay oh wow

03:34

this is a really short ethernet cable um

03:37

that's kind of a bummer hey there we go

03:40

we got activity LED now well here let's

03:42

let's do the setup this is pretty simple

03:44

just scan this QR code to connect to it

03:46

and then scan a second QR code well the

03:49

easy setup kind of broke down here well

03:51

we got there it turns out that whatever

03:53

Apple's doing with their default DNS

03:55

settings and Safari on the iPhone it

03:57

just doesn't work for this it works just

04:00

fine on Android and it works just fine

04:02

on a desktop or laptop so let's go ahead

04:04

and check out this control panel I love

04:07

that the default admin username is Bob

04:11

come on how perfect is that like they

04:14

really did they really did put in the

04:16

work on this one guys

04:19

wait what if you

04:22

reconfigure SSID

04:24

Z SSID 1 just shows up so now I've got

04:28

Kevin sucks and I've got bobor one how

04:33

do I turn how do I turn that one off oh

04:36

yeah it's not secured what is going on

04:39

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04:41

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shipping was this enabled box here

05:24

before no that enable and disable thing

05:28

is not here and this Supply button that

05:30

is here in the easy setup is not here in

05:33

the Wi-Fi settings one right guys tell

05:37

me tell me what's happening right

05:40

now does that

05:45

apply the little paper airplane is apply

05:48

wouldn't recommend using the Easy Wi-Fi

05:50

setup there were a couple of concerns we

05:52

saw raised about the device online

05:54

someone said that it doesn't support

05:55

pppe so if you need that then I guess

05:59

the minion

06:00

router uh is not for you and more

06:03

importantly a Reddit user pointed out

06:05

that there's a vulnerability where the

06:06

Wi-Fi passphrase is passed to the U

06:08

console in plain text however it should

06:11

be noted that someone would need

06:12

physical access to the device in order

06:14

to take advantage of that exploit so

06:16

once someone's got physical access

06:18

you're pwned anyway enough chitchat

06:20

though it's time for the moment you've

06:21

all been waiting for is it actually a

06:24

functioning Wi-Fi router it's a gigabit

06:26

connection running into it half half a

06:30

megabit wow uploads even better 500

06:33

megabit download 700 up very reasonable

06:37

but can Kevin do better I'm not going to

06:39

bother configuring everything on this

06:41

one and guys I'm sure there's things we

06:42

could do to tune things a little bit

06:44

better but we want to see how these are

06:46

going to perform out of the box because

06:47

realistically come on that is how most

06:50

people buying a novelty

06:51

router like this are going to use it all

06:54

right not bad you can see our ISP is

06:57

delivering a little bit more than

06:58

gigabit on this connection unfortunately

07:00

UBC is really not giving us good enough

07:02

consistency in our downloads to really

07:04

draw any kind of reasonable conclusion

07:06

let's move the test inconsistency isn't

07:09

that big of a deal though because under

07:10

normal circumstances you're not going to

07:11

be right next to your router anyway and

07:14

the bottom L is going to be you know

07:16

what kind of connection can you get to

07:17

it through a wall or whatever so we're

07:20

at one wall right now let's see how

07:21

we're doing here

07:25

oh yeah I don't think the University of

07:27

British Columbia is the problem here

07:30

wow okay so then I just go through this

07:34

one door oh wow this is with no wall

07:38

guys look the set is right there it's

07:43

like right there this is bizarre

07:47

guys

07:48

Kevin

07:50

Kevin are you okay it probably switched

07:54

over to 2.4 when I went on the other

07:57

side of the door and then just didn't

07:59

grab 5 GHz or 6 GHz again ooh oh that's

08:03

not good oh man I had not intended to go

08:08

into Kevin's control panel but I'm going

08:10

to have to do that so here's what we're

08:12

going to do you're in apartment and you

08:16

just don't need 2.4 GHz and we're just

08:18

going to turn 2.4 off so the question

08:21

we're trying to answer here is can you

08:23

buy one of these for your mom or is she

08:25

going to call you complaining the second

08:26

she walks you know 30 ft away from it or

08:28

goes into another room

08:30

if you understand the compromise you're

08:31

making that 2.4 GHz isn't going to work

08:34

let's go let's go again back to the

08:35

other side of the door we go okay moving

08:38

around doesn't seem to be good for it

08:43

seriously surprisingly this fares much

08:46

better so the problem is not

08:49

necessarily the wall or the distance I'm

08:53

probably about the same distance from

08:54

Kevin as I was before the issue seems to

08:57

be the pickup pattern of the the antenna

09:00

so if you live in like a row home you

09:03

know like a three level but like small

09:06

building man

09:09

Perfect all right we're

09:15

back all right yeah like we can really

09:17

see it here so the problems are TW full

09:21

one switching between different bands is

09:24

handled extremely poorly now that could

09:27

potentially be um exacer ated by the

09:30

devices own Tendencies but whoever's

09:33

fault it is it's not a good experience

09:35

with the minions routers I'm assuming

09:38

Bob is no better than Kevin and then

09:41

problem number two is that the pickup

09:43

pattern on this antenna is I don't know

09:46

what word to use to describe it other

09:47

than

09:48

inexcusable um it worked great upstairs

09:51

so it's not that it's completely unable

09:53

to punch through walls it's that the

09:56

pickup pattern is really strong

09:58

vertically and and yeah yeah it's all

10:01

it's it's a it's a Cenna sticking out of

10:04

the top of this thing and really poor

10:06

horizontally so at this point in time I

10:09

can't say that I can recommend the

10:11

minions routers um for anything other

10:13

than cuteness Factor so if you're in an

10:15

extremely small space and you just want

10:17

a cute little Wi-Fi access point then

10:20

they're great and if you want

10:21

performance then you should probably

10:23

look elsewhere like to your ISP provided

10:26

access point compared to these

10:28

things

10:29

subscribe to Short

10:31

Circuit

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