MikroTik RouterBoard hAP AC 5 GHz router review, is it worth it?

The MikroTik RouterBoard hAP AC (RB962UiGS-5HacT2HnT) router released in 2016. It is powered by Qualcomm Atheros QCA9558 @ 720 MHz chipset, 128 MB of RAM and 16 MB of flash. The AC1000 router is compatible with IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac standards, and the maximum speed that you can get with RouterBoard hAP AC is 150 + 867 Mbps. The router has 1 x 10/100/1000 Mbps WAN and 4 x 10/100/1000 Mbps LAN ports.

The RouterBoard hAP AC is a popular router model from MikroTik that has received positive reviews from many users. This router features USB connectors that provide additional functionality and expand the capabilities of your network. MikroTik has received recognition and awards for their networking products.

Table of contents:

• MikroTik RouterBoard hAP AC specifications
• MikroTik RouterBoard hAP AC pictures

MikroTik RouterBoard hAP AC (RB962UiGS-5HacT2HnT) specifications

Body

If you plan to move or travel frequently and need to take your router with you, the dimensions become important for portability. Smaller and more compact routers are generally easier to transport, while larger routers with external antennas or multiple ports may be bulkier and less convenient to carry.

System

The Qualcomm Atheros QCA9558 @ 720 MHz CPU provides processing power to handle various tasks and services within the RouterBoard hAP AC router. The RouterBoard hAP AC comes with 128 MB of RAM. The amount of RAM in a router can impact its performance and capacity to handle concurrent operations and traffic. Higher RAM capacity allows for better multitasking, larger routing tables, and improved overall performance.

The 16 MB flash memory in the router serves as the storage medium for the router's firmware. It is a non-volatile memory that retains its data even when power is removed from the device. The MikroTik often releases firmware updates to enhance the router's functionality, improve security, fix bugs, and add new features. Firmware updates can provide performance improvements, compatibility with new devices or protocols, and address vulnerabilities. The MikroTik packages the RouterBoard hAP AC router with 24 V / 1.2 A PSU. A good PSU is an essential component of a computer or electronic device that converts electrical power from an outlet into the appropriate voltage and current required to power the internal components of the device.

Network

Like many modern routers, the RouterBoard hAP AC supports many network standards too. The IPv4 uses 32-bit addresses, represented as four sets of numbers separated by periods (e.g. 192.168.0.1). The RouterBoard hAP AC router also supports IPv6 protocol, allowing you to utilize the latest version of the Internet Protocol. The LAN ports are physical connectors on a RouterBoard hAP AC router that allow you to connect devices to your local network using Ethernet cables.

This router has Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports, which provides data transfer speeds of up to 1000 Mbps (1 Gbps) over Ethernet connections. The WAN port on a router stands for "Wide Area Network" port. It is used to connect the router to the external network, typically provided by an internet service provider (ISP). The RouterBoard hAP AC router supports Gigabit speed on its WAN port, that can support speeds up to 1000 Mbps. This router ensures that you can fully utilize high-speed internet connections provided by your ISP. You can connect the 3G/4G USB dongle to the USB port on the RouterBoard hAP AC router. The router will recognize the dongle as a WAN (Wide Area Network) connection and establish an internet connection using the cellular data provided by the dongle.

Wireless

The 3 x 2.5 dBi, internal antennas of RouterBoard hAP AC influence the quality and stability of the Wi-Fi signal. A properly positioned and well-designed antenna can minimize interference and signal degradation, leading to a more reliable and stable connection. This router is 2.4 GHz capable. The 2.4GHz band refers to the portion of the radio spectrum between 2.400 and 2.4835 gigahertz. This frequency range is unlicensed and globally available for various wireless applications, including Wi-Fi.

The RouterBoard hAP AC supports 5 GHz signals. Most modern devices, such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, and smart TVs, support dual-band Wi-Fi, which means they can connect to both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks. By utilizing the 5 GHz band, you can offload some devices from the crowded 2.4 GHz band, reducing congestion and improving overall network performance. The RouterBoard hAP AC belongs to the Wi-Fi 5 class. Wi-Fi 5 operates on the 5 GHz frequency band and utilizes wider channel widths and advanced modulation techniques to deliver higher data transfer rates.

The AC1000 refers to the maximum combined data transfer rate supported by the router across all Wi-Fi bands. The RouterBoard hAP AC is capable of a maximum throughput speed of 150 + 867 Mbps. The real-world speed of a RouterBoard hAP AC router is typically lower than its theoretical maximum speed. The TX power of RouterBoard hAP AC can be adjusted by the user or set automatically by the router firmware. Higher TX power values indicate stronger signal transmission, which can result in a larger coverage area. The RouterBoard hAP AC router offers several security protocols: WPA.

Connectivity

USB ports can offer additional functionality depending on the router's capabilities. The USB 2 port has a maximum theoretical data transfer rate of 480 megabits per second (Mbps), which is equivalent to 60 megabytes per second (MB/s). The USB file server functionality of this router allows you to connect external storage devices, such as USB flash drives or hard drives to your network. This enables easy file sharing and access among devices connected to the network.

Features

PoE (Power over Ethernet) is a technology that allows both data and power to be transmitted over a single Ethernet cable. With POE, devices such as IP cameras, wireless access points, and VoIP phones can receive power directly from the Ethernet cable, eliminating the need for separate power cables and power adapters.

Administration

The default IP address of this router is 192.168.88.1. Explore the router's configuration interface to access more advanced settings such as port forwarding, DHCP settings, parental controls, firewall settings, and QoS (Quality of Service) settings. If you are unable to log in to the setup panel of your MikroTik router, performing a reset can be a helpful troubleshooting step. It is highly recommended to change the default password of your RouterBoard hAP AC router after the initial setup. If you forget the new password in the future, you may need to perform a factory reset on the router to revert to the default settings.

The specifications above are based on the official data published by the manufacturer, but we also take user reviews into consideration. If you found an error or something lacking in the specifications above for the MikroTik RouterBoard hAP AC, then don’t hesite and signal the problem to us.

MikroTik RouterBoard hAP AC (RB962UiGS-5HacT2HnT) pictures

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