MikroTik RouterBoard hAP 2.4 GHz router review, is it worth it?

The MikroTik RouterBoard hAP (RB951Ui-2nD) router released in 2014. It is powered by Qualcomm Atheros QCA9531 @ 650 MHz chipset, 64 MB of RAM and 16 MB of flash. The N300 router is compatible with IEEE 802.11b/g/n standards, and the maximum speed that you can get with RouterBoard hAP is 300 Mbps. The router has 1 x 10/100 Mbps WAN and 4 x 10/100 Mbps LAN ports.

The user-friendly interface of RouterBoard hAP make it accessible to users with varying levels of technical expertise. This router features USB connectors that provide additional functionality and expand the capabilities of your network. MikroTik is a well-established brand and has a significant market presence globally.

Table of contents:

• MikroTik RouterBoard hAP specifications
• MikroTik RouterBoard hAP pictures

MikroTik RouterBoard hAP (RB951Ui-2nD) 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 QCA9531 @ 650 MHz CPU provides processing power to handle various tasks and services within the RouterBoard hAP router. The router's memory (64 MB) cannot be expanded. When choosing a router, it is important to consider both the flash memory and RAM specifications. The RouterBoard hAP has 16 MB of flash. A larger flash memory allows for more space to store configuration backups. It enables you to save multiple versions of your router's configuration settings, which can be useful for restoring previous configurations or reverting changes if needed.

Within the RouterBoard hAP router's interface, look for a section related to firmware or system settings. The exact location and wording may vary depending on the router's make and model. The MikroTik packages the RouterBoard hAP router with 24 V / 0.8 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

The RouterBoard hAP router supports multiple networking standards to ensure compatibility with various devices and systems. The IPv4 uses 32-bit addresses, represented as four sets of numbers separated by periods (e.g. 192.168.0.1). The LAN ports are physical connectors on a RouterBoard hAP router that allow you to connect devices to your local network using Ethernet cables. WAN ports are the entry point to your local network, making them a potential target for unauthorized access or attacks. It's important to secure your WAN connection by using strong passwords, enabling encryption protocols, and keeping the router's firmware up to date to mitigate security risks.

The RouterBoard hAP is equipped with Fast Ethernet WAN port, which have a maximum speed of 100 Mbps. You can connect the 3G/4G USB dongle to the USB port on the RouterBoard hAP 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 2 x 1.5 dBi, internal antennas of RouterBoard hAP 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. The RouterBoard hAP supports the 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi. It is one of the most common frequency bands used for Wi-Fi networks. The RouterBoard hAP is a Wi-Fi 4 router, with slower data transfer speeds. This can result in slower downloads, video buffering, and reduced performance when multiple devices are connected.

The N300 is a performance indicator that represents the router's theoretical maximum speed. The theoretical maximum speed (300 Mbps) represents the highest data transfer rate that the router is capable of achieving under ideal conditions. The TX power of RouterBoard hAP 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 router offers several security protocols: WEP, WPA, WPA2, WPS. The WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) was the first security protocol for Wi-Fi networks but is now considered weak and easily compromised. It uses a static encryption key and has known vulnerabilities, so it is no longer recommended for securing Wi-Fi networks. The WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access 2) was introduced as an improvement over WEP and provides stronger security. If WPA3 is not available, WPA2-Personal with AES encryption is still considered secure. The RouterBoard hAP router offers WPS. The WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) provides a simplified and convenient method for connecting devices to a Wi-Fi network. Instead of manually entering the Wi-Fi network name (SSID) and password, users can use the WPS feature to establish a connection with the push of a button or by entering a PIN.

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).

Features

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. Regularly changing the password is a good security practice to protect your network and devices from unauthorized access. It is also recommended to use strong, unique passwords for other devices and online accounts connected to your network for enhanced security. By changing the default password, you improve the security of your router and reduce the risk of unauthorized individuals gaining control over your network. It helps prevent unauthorized access to your router's settings, network configurations, and sensitive information.

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, then don’t hesite and signal the problem to us.

MikroTik RouterBoard hAP (RB951Ui-2nD) pictures

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