The Tenda AC1900 Wireless Dual Band Router AC15 ($129.99) may not be the prettiest router out there, or the fastest, but it delivers solid 5GHz performance at a reasonable price. It's easy to install and offers plenty of Web-based management options, but its performance on the 2.4GHz band on our tests can't match that of our Editors' Choice for midrange routers, the Asus RT-AC68U ($175.00 at Amazon) .
Design and Features
With housing that looks like it's covered in bubble-wrap and spray-painted glossy black, the AC15 won't win any style awards, but chances are it will be tucked away where it won't be on display. The router measures 8.9 by 7.07 by 3 inches (HWD) and sports three external, non-removable antennas. It is designed to sit upright and comes with a detachable stand; even if you remove the stand, you can't position the router horizontally because the I/O ports are all located on the back of the housing.
There are three wired gigabit Ethernet ports, which is one shy of the usual four that you get with routers such as the Linksys WRT 1200AC ($180.00 at Amazon) and the Totolink A2004NS AC1200 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router ( at Amazon) . It also has one WAN (Internet) port, one USB 3.0 port, and a Power switch. The front of the AC15 contains 10 small LED indicators for power, the three wired ports, Internet connectivity, both bands, USB activity, and Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS). There's also a system LED that blinks when everything is working properly. Along the top edge are Reset and WPS buttons and a Wi-Fi switch that enables and disables wireless networking.
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The AC15's Web-based management console is easy to navigate and offers plenty of basic and advanced settings. It opens to a Status page that shows you how many devices are currently on your network and displays the SSIDs of both bands. The Internet Settings page lets you choose a connection type and displays the current status (connected or disconnected). On the Wireless Settings page you can change your Wi-Fi name and password, create a Wi-Fi access schedule, enable Wireless Repeating to have the router act as a repeater for another router, and change the 802.11 network, channel, and bandwidth settings. There are also pages for setting up VPN and Guest Networks, a USB page for a managing external storage and printers, and a Smart Power page that allows you to set a time when the router goes into a power-saving mode in which the Wi-Fi radios and the LED indicators are turned off.
The Advanced Settings page includes Parental Controls that let you specify days and times that certain clients can access the internet, Bandwidth Controls that allow you to place limits on upload and download speeds for each client, and a Tenda Cloud setting, which, when enabled, allows you to manage the router using the mobile app. The System Settings page is where you go to upgrade firmware, view system logs, backup and restore settings, and reboot the router.
Installation and Performance
Configuring the AC15 for the first time is quick and painless. Once the router is plugged in and connected to your PC and the Internet, open a browser and type tendawifi.com in the address bar. This launches a Quick Setup Wizard, which walks you through configuring things like DHCP, PPoE, and Static IP addresses (if applicable). Here is where you'll create a user name and login password. Once you've completed the wizard you can log in to check on your network status, configure your wireless settings, create guest networks, and tweak advanced settings.
The AC15 delivered respectable throughput speeds on our 5GHz performance tests. Its score of 304Mbps on our close-proximity (same-room) test is right up there with more expensive routers like the Linksys EA8500 Max-Stream AC2600 MU-MIMO Smart Wi-Fi Router ($129.99 at Amazon) (313Mbps) and the Amped Wireless Athena High Power AC2600 Wi-Fi Router RTA2600 ($300.02 at Amazon) (339Mbps), and it outperformed the Asus RT-AC68U (290.5Mbps). The D-Link AC3200 Ultra Wi-Fi Router DIR-890L/R leads them all with 558Mbps. The AC15's score of 115 Mbps on the 30 foot 5GHz test beat the Google OnHub (38.6Mbps) and the Amped Athena AC2600 (87.8Mbps) but couldn't touch the Asus RT-AC68U (305Mbps) or the D-Link AC3200 Ultra Wi-Fi Router DIR-890L/R (310Mbps).
The AC15's throughput speeds on the 2.4GHz band were not quite as impressive. Its score of 53.7Mbps on the close-proximity test trailed the Google OnHub (193Mbps) by a wide margin and was much slower than the Asus RT-AC68U($175.00 at Amazon) (90Mbps). However, it was on par with the Linksys WRT 1200AC (50Mbps) and the Amped Wireless TAP-R2 (56.3Mbps). On the 30-foot test, the AC15's score of 27.1Mbps is slightly faster than the Linksys WRT 1200AC (18.9Mbps) and the Amped TAP-R2 (18.1Mbps), but was a bit slower than the Google OnHub($34.10 at Amazon) (36.2Mbps). The Asus RT-AC68U and the D-Link DIR-890L/R scored 81.9Mbps and 82Mbps, respectively.
To test the router's read/write file transfer performance, I connected a USB 3.0 drive to the AC15's USB port and moved a 1.5GB folder containing a mix of video, music, photo, and document files. It scored a relatively quick 42.3MBps on the write test and an equally fast 40.4MBps on the read test. While not as impressive as the Linksys WRT 1200AC (73.1MBps write; 76.8MBps read), it outperformed the Amped Athena AC2600 (15.6 MBps write, 29.2 MBps read) and the Linksys AC3200 Tri-Band Gigabit Smart Wi-Fi Router EA9200 ($49.99 at Amazon) (30.7MBps write; 34.9MBps read).
Conclusion
The Tenda AC1900 Wireless Dual Band Router AC15 is a solid choice for users looking to bring dual-band connectivity to their home without spending a fortune. If you can live with its somewhat kitschy design and the fact that it must be positioned upright, you'll enjoy speedy 5GHz throughput, relatively fast USB-file-transfer speeds, and a good selection of management options. That said, its throughput performance over the 2.4GHz band could be better, and a fourth wired port would be welcome. If you can spare an addition $70, the Asus RT-AC68U offers better 2.4GHz performance and much better range over the 5GHz band and is our top pick for midrange routers. Our current Editors' Choice for high-end routers, the D-Link AC3200 Ultra Wi-Fi Router DIR-890L/R($357.25 at Amazon), will cost you twice as much as the Tenda AC15, but it's the fastest router we've seen to date.
The Tenda AC1900 Wireless Dual Band Router AC15 is reasonably priced and offers solid 5GHz throughput performance and a comprehensive management console.
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