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Review: Linksys Hydra Pro 6E

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It’s all about WiFi 6E these days and for good reason. This is because WiFi 6E builds on the existing WiFi 6 (802.11ax) standard by allowing you to enjoy all the features of WiFi 6 but by accessing the new 6 GHz wireless band. Now, this offers a huge difference when it comes to seamless connectivity and minimal latency.

So, to understand the true value of 6E here’s a quick refresher. WiFi 5 only supports the 5 GHz band and hence, devices that only supported 2.4 GHz had to connect using WiFi 4. While 5 GHz offers greater bandwidth than 2.4 GHz, it only covers a smaller area. Hence, devices not within the range of a 5 GHz band, still required 2.4 GHz to connect.

With WiFi 6 and 6E, you get support for both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, thus offering your client devices the flexibility to choose the better option. In addition, both WiFi 6 and WiFi 6E are superior to WiFi 5 – a maximum throughput of 9.6 Gbps versus only 3.5 Gbps for Wi-Fi 5.

Both WiFi 6 and Wifi 6E have Target Wake Time (TWT) capabilities that allow devices to determine when they will normally wake up to send and receive data. This reduces power consumption and expands the battery life of wireless devices connected to your network.

While WiFi 5 only allowed a single user per channel, the newer alternatives WiFi 6 and WiFi 6E allow up to 30 users in a single channel. Both the new standards also support up to 8 MU-MIMO beams simultaneously, while Wi-Fi 5 only supports four, thus allowing for more devices to connect simultaneously.

Now, here’s the biggest difference between WiFi 6 and WiFi 6E, and why WiFi 6E is a better option overall. While both standards support 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, WiFi 6E is the only wireless standard that supports the new 6 GHz frequency band.

Hence, WiFi 6E devices can operate within their exclusive area, thus bypassing the other two overutilised bands. This allows them to operate without interference from noisy legacy devices that still rely on legacy protocols.

Now that we got the refresher out of the way, let’s get back to the review. So, in this review, we test out the new Linksys Hydra Pro 6E, a new Mesh WiFi 6E router that extends multi-gigabit speeds to more than 55 devices at the same time.

The Hydra Pro 6E offers coverage to up to 3000 sq. ft. of area, a WiFi range of up to 2700 square feet of area, and connectivity speeds of up to 6.6 Gbps. In terms of specs, the router is powered by a 1.8 GHz quad-core processor, 4×4 MU-MIMO, 512GB of RAM, and 512GB of onboard storage.

Inside the box, you get the Hydra Pro 6E router, along with an AC adapter, a Cat 6 cable, and a Setup Guide to get you going. The overall design and build quality are top-notch – the router comes with soft rubber feet and inserts for hanging on a wall.

The Hydra Pro 6E comes with a 5 Gbps WAN input port that can help gamers stay ahead of their competition with seamless connectivity and minimal latency. In addition, the router can also be used as part of a Velop mesh system using Linksys’ Intelligent Mesh software.

The router also comes with four downstream 1 Gbps wired Ethernet ports. The router has a USB 3.0 connector that allows you to plug in an external hard drive, thus making its contents available on your network.

At the rear of the device, you will also find an on/off switch, the router’s power port, and a recessed reset button. On the side of the router, you will find the WPS button for tapping into the Wi-Fi Protected Setup to quickly add devices. Unlike other routers out there on the market, the front face of the Hydra Pro 6E isn’t filled with multiple LEDs – it has just one. This single LED bar glows Blue when it’s online, Purple during setup, and Red when offline.

In order to test the performance of the Hydra Pro 6E we ran a few speed tests. We also used a network simulation tool to mimic five data-hungry devices on the network. The setup also included a Lenovo Legion 5 Pro gaming laptop running in performance mode.

At a distance of 15 feet, it yielded 1.012 Gbps over the 6GHz band as well as 627 Mbps and 102.4 Mbps over the 5GHz and 2.4GHz bands, respectively. That adds up to a total potential throughput of about 1.741 Gbps, which is very good. Overall network coverage was fantastic and I did not encounter any lag or drop in connectivity during my review period.

For a price of AED 949, you get a router that offers fantastic WAN speeds, a generous amount of tri-band coverage, and the ability to expand your network with more mesh nodes. The Linksys Hydra Pro 6E thus comes across as highly recommended.

Price: AED 949

Linksys Hydra Pro 6E AED 949
  • Final Rating
4

Summary

The Hydra Pro 6E offers coverage to up to 3000 sq. ft. of area, a WiFi range of up to 2700 square feet of area, and connectivity speeds of up to 6.6 Gbps. In terms of specs, the router is powered by a 1.8 GHz quad-core processor, 4×4 MU-MIMO, 512GB of RAM, and 512GB of onboard storage.

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Gadgets

DOOGEE to Showcase its Smartphones and Mobile Solutions at GITEX 2024

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DOOGEE has announced that it will showcase its latest innovations at GITEX Global 2024 at its booth H12-B12. The event will be held at the Dubai World Trade Centre from October 14 to 18. DOOGEE will unveil cutting-edge smartphones and mobile solutions to enhance user experience and connectivity.

“This prestigious technology event offers the perfect opportunity to showcase our latest innovations and connect with industry leaders,” the company said in a statement. “We look forward to demonstrating how our products can transform the way people interact with technology. With thousands of exhibitors and attendees from around the world, GITEX Global 2024 is an exciting event not to be missed. Join us to explore the future of mobile technology and experience our latest innovations firsthand through interactive displays and demos.”

DOOGEE T30 Series
DOOGEE T30 Series tablets offer a seamless blend of power and versatility. Designed to focus on productivity and stability, these tablets are equipped with powerful processors and optimized software to ensure smooth multitasking and swift application performance. The T30 Series is the ultimate choice for efficient and stable business office solutions.

DOOGEE U Series
DOOGEE U Series Tablet is a premium play-and-learn companion tailored for kids. This innovative device combines the joy of play with the essence of education, transforming into an all-in-one high-tech toy and learning assistant. The U Series Tablet is the perfect blend of fun and education that will ignite your child’s curiosity and foster a love for learning.

V PAD
The V PAD is a powerful tablet equipped with a Mediatek MT8791 Octa Core 5G Processor, a 12″ 2.4K Ultra-clear Display, an 8800mAh Large Battery, and the latest Android 14 System.

T40 PRO
The T40 PRO is another impressive tablet featuring a 12″ 2.4K IPS Ultra-clear Display, 512GB Massive Storage, a Helio G99 Octa-core Processor, and a sleek 7.6mm Aerospace-grade Alloy Unibody Design.

T40
The T40 offers a slightly smaller 11″ 2.5K Ultra-clear Display but still packs a powerful Helio G99 Octa-core Processor, 512GB Massive Storage, and an 8580mAh Large Battery.

T30 MINI PRO
For those seeking a more compact option, the T30 MINI PRO features an 8.4-inch 2.5K Ultra-clear Display, Dual-band WIFI5+GPS, 512GB Massive Storage, and a Double Speaker Super Sound System.

U11
The U11 is a versatile tablet with an 11″ Ultra-high Definition IPS Screen, an 8580mAh Large Capacity Battery, a Unisoc T606 octa-core processor, and the latest Android 14 System.

DOOGEE S Series
The DOOGEE S Series is known for its durable, high-performance rugged smartphones. The flagship model, the S100, features a powerful MediaTek G99 processor, a 100MP camera, and a stylish leather-like back cover. Its popularity led to it becoming the top-selling rugged phone in its price range. The series has expanded to include the S100 Pro, S110, and Smini, each offering unique features like a massive battery, dual screens, and a compact design.

DOOGEE Blade Series
The DOOGEE Blade Series focuses on sleekness and portability without compromising on performance. These smartphones are designed to be thin and lightweight, making them easy to carry. Despite their slim profiles, they offer powerful processors, high-resolution cameras, and long-lasting batteries.

DOOGEE Fire Series
The DOOGEE Fire Series is a unique range of smartphones equipped with thermal imaging technology. This allows users to see beyond the visible spectrum, providing valuable insights in various situations. Whether for exploration, safety, or precision, the Fire Series offers a versatile and innovative tool.

DOOGEE N Series
The DOOGEE N Series is designed for those who appreciate luxury and style. These smartphones feature a premium design, with sleek lines, high-quality materials, and meticulous attention to detail. The N Series is a testament to DOOGEE’s commitment to creating elegant and sophisticated devices.

Blade GT
The Blade GT is a stylish smartphone with a sleek 10.5mm thickness, Dynamic Lighting Effect, and a powerful 5G Octa-core Processor.

Blade 10 Pro
The Blade 10 Pro is the thinnest rugged phone on the market, featuring a Cyberpunk Style, Futuristic Sense, a 5150mAh Large Battery, a 50MP Incredible Main Camera, and the Latest Android 14 System.

Fire 6
The Fire 6 is a unique smartphone with thermal imaging capabilities. It also boasts a 10400mAh Large Battery, a 50MP Main Camera with Morpho, the Latest Android 14 System, and 256GB Massive Storage.

N55
The N55 is an affordable smartphone with a modern design and impressive features. It offers the Latest Android 14 OS System, an Ultra-Lightweight & Ultra-Thin Design, a 6.56″ HD+ 90Hz IPS Waterdrop Screen, and Vacuum Coating on the Screen For Protection.

S Punk
The S Punk is a fun and stylish smartphone with a 126dB Large Amplitude Speaker, a 10800mAh Large Battery, Up to 16GB RAM + 256GB ROM, and Dazzling Cool Interaction Lights.

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Accessories

CORSAIR to Collab with Call of Duty

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CORSAIR has begun to release the first products in its multi-year, full cross-brand collaboration with the critically acclaimed Call of Duty franchise. This powerful new integration sees two of the world’s best-known gaming brands come together for the first time with the collaboration extending across multiple product categories at CORSAIR including Drop, Elgato, ORIGIN PC and SCUF Gaming.

“We are thrilled to be teaming up with Activision and have our world-class brands come together as CORSAIR is set to deliver premium performance for Call of Duty players across all platforms whether it’s playing Black Ops 6, capturing amazing content or streaming with friends,” said Thi La, President and COO at CORSAIR.

“Our goal has always been to fuel the Call of Duty fandom with best-in-class products built for today’s gamers and we couldn’t be more thrilled to partner with CORSAIR for the launch of Black Ops 6. The suite of officially licensed products will help elevate gaming stations everywhere in true Call of Duty Black Ops style,” said Brooke Carpenter, Senior Director, Global Consumer Products at Activision.

In addition to top-tier controllers from SCUF Gaming, CORSAIR headsets and keyboards and streaming equipment from Elgato, this collaboration will see the introduction of several high-end gaming PCs including the ORIGIN PC EON16-X laptop, ORIGIN PC NEURON gaming PC, and the CORSAIR VENGEANCE Gaming PC line. These high-performance gaming machines are designed for the ultimate gaming experience, featuring cutting-edge hardware, custom Black Ops 6-themed aesthetics, and superior build quality. With powerful processors, advanced graphics, and lightning-fast storage, Call of Duty fans will enjoy seamless gameplay and stunning visuals.

Beginning with the launch of the highly-anticipated Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, featured products launching today and throughout this holiday include:

CORSAIR

  1. HS80 RGB WIRELESS CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 6 EDITION: A premium wireless gaming headset that delivers incredibly detailed sound through custom-tuned 50mm neodymium audio drivers with immersive Dolby Atmos. It features hyper-fast SLIPSTREAM WIRELESS and a broadcast-grade omnidirectional microphone that captures your voice with outstanding clarity.
  2. K65 PLUS WIRELESS CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 6 EDITION: Stand out from the crowd with superior skill and distinctive design.
  3. The CORSAIR K65 PLUS WIRELESS is a 75% gaming keyboard that maxes out on performance and personality. Step up your Switch game with pre-lubricated CORSAIR MLX Red V2 linear switches that make each keystroke silky smooth and responsive.
  4. M75 WIRELESS CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 6 EDITION: Sculpted by victory. Made for the spotlight. The M75 WIRELESS sports an expertly designed ambidextrous mouse shape and ultra-fast connectivity via SLIPSTREAM WIRELESS and Bluetooth.
  5. MM300 2XL CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 6 EDITION: a high endurance cloth mouse mat for high-DPI gaming mice. Reinforced stitched edges guard against surface peeling, while the textile-weaved surface gives superior control for lethal in-game accuracy.
  6. VENGEANCE SERIES CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 6 EDITION: Step up your game with a CORSAIR VENGEANCE gaming pc, built with a full range of award-winning CORSAIR components, and powered by the latest cutting-edge processors and graphics.

SCUF Gaming

  1. REFLEX CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 6 EDITION: Stay unstoppable with ergonomically designed remappable paddles, adaptive triggers, and onboard profiles that allow you to quickly switch from one game to another with SCUF Reflex for PlayStation 5.
  2. INSTINCT PRO CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 6 EDITION: Engineered for better performance and responsiveness, SCUF Instinct Pro for Xbox Series X|S provides four remappable paddles, interchangeable thumbsticks, and instant triggers that switch from regular to a mouse-like click at the flip of a switch.
  3. ENVISION PRO CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 6 EDITION: Designed to deliver the best experience for controller PC gamers. SCUF Envision is equipped with 11 additional remappable inputs, ultra-fast wired/wireless connectivity, advanced software for macros and endless customization options.
  4. UNIVERSAL CONTROLLER PROTECTION CASE CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 6 EDITION: This case has an impact-resistant exterior and a soft, padded interior to protect your controller from dents and scratches, even while travelling. It works to protect any Xbox Series X|S, PS5, PS4, or Xbox One controller.

Elgato

  1. STREAM DECK MK.2 CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 6 EDITION: Features 15 customizable LCD keys to control apps and platforms. Hit the store for app plugins, icons, tracks plus effects, and keep your setup fresh with interchangeable faceplates.
  2. WAVE:3 USB MICROPHONE CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 6 EDITION: A premium microphone and digital mixing solution that fuses plug-and-play convenience with broadcast-grade circuitry.
  3. WAVE MIC ARM LP CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 6 EDITION: A studio-grade boom arm for your premium microphone, Wave Mic Arm LP sits below the shoulder line for an unobstructed view.

Drop

ARTISAN KEYCAP CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 6 EDITION: A 1u artisan keycap featuring a jet-black acrylic keycap with a bite jutting out to meet your fingertips.

ORIGIN PC

  1. ORIGIN PC NEURON CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 6 EDITION: A gaming powerhouse engineered for intense action and precision. Equipped with cutting-edge hardware including powerful graphics cards, fast processors, and more. With fully customizable options and up to 8TB of storage, you’ll have the space and speed to dominate every game. Encased in a sleek design, the NEURON brings unparalleled power and style to your gaming setup.
  2. ORIGIN PC EON16-X CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 6 EDITION: Experience unparalleled performance and immersive gameplay in a sleek, custom design. Fully customizable, add on a plethora of storage and high-quality DDR5 memory with components by CORSAIR.

Specific products are available now or open for pre-order. Additional categories, launch dates, and more details on this groundbreaking collaboration will be announced over time.

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Gadgets

Canon Intros SELPHY QX20 Portable Colour Photo Printer

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Canon Middle East unveils the latest addition to its portable printer range with the launch of the SELPHY QX20, an exciting evolution to the previous QX10, enabling users to continue broadening their creative horizons with greater freedom. Leaning into popular social media formats, this upgrade now supports 2:3 as well as square paper sizes and is available in on-trend terracotta red, dark grey and classic white.

The new QX20 is a must-have gadget for those with a passion for creativity. Whether that be making visual notes for personal projects, decorating journals or scrapbooks using sticky-backed paper, crafting personalised notes for loved ones, or simply decorating wall spaces, SELPHY QX20 delivers high-quality, long-lasting pictures straight from a smartphone. The flexibility in paper sizes lends itself nicely to 365 photo challenges, inviting users to print one photo a day as a wonderfully tangible way to remember smaller daily moments.

Without the need for ink cartridges, the SELPHY QX20 uses dye sublimation technology that produces smudge-free, high-quality photos. An overcoat is added to resist the effect of fading. Easily transportable and complete with a built-in battery and Wi-Fi compatibility, the printer fits comfortably in a bag, meaning it can be used on-the-go to transform memories into physical keepsakes on the spot. At home, its compact size means it can sit neatly on any shelf or desk without competing for tabletop space.

Beyond the choice of paper size, wider creative expression is available with the SELPHY Photo Layout App, where fun artistic touches like stamps, filters, borders, and text can be added to special memories. For example, snowflakes can be added to a selfie to use as a Christmas table place card or hearts when making a homemade Valentine’s Day gift. The update also includes collages, frames and customisable borders, with new edge-to-edge printing meaning more of the memory can be seen with each print.

Joining an expanding portfolio of portable mobile printers, including the CP1500, a super compact photo printer for the desk, and the Zoemini range, a series of pocket-sized devices to print instant peel-and-stick photos, the latest QX20 fits perfectly into this line-up – a functional yet stylish printer and the ideal product for unleashing creativity, anytime, anywhere.

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