Julio Urquidi
News Editor
Both APs are dual-band 2x2 AC1200 devices with maximum link rates of 300 Mbps at 2.4 GHz and 867 Mbps at 5 GHz. Features include beamforming, bandsteering, Wi-Fi Multimedia (WMM) support and PoE for installation flexibility in locations lacking power outlets. Security features include WPA/WPA2 personal and enterprise support, MAC address filtering and rogue AP detection.
Encased in IP67 compliant housing, these access points support up to 32 virtual access points giving administrators the ability to create custom wireless networks for different types of users, and also include a self-configuring cluster mode designed to facilitate multi-AP deployments.
According to the specs on the D-Link website, aside from the physical design, the two new APs seem pretty similar. The DWL-8710AP is slated for outdoor campus and business environments which includes additional protection from surges caused by electrical storms. The outdoor AP also has two Gigabit Ethernet ports to potentially bridge other networked devices. Gain for the DWL-8710 four external antennas are 5 dBi at 2.5 GHz and 7 dBi at 5 GHz.
The DWL-6610AP has a single Gigabit Ethernet port and four internal antennas with gains of 3.5 dBi at 2.5 GHz and 5 dBi at 5 GHz. Also, up to eight DWL-6610APs can used to form a cluster, facilitating configuration deployments through a designated master access point.
Both APs can be managed by web, telnet/SSH and SNMP, with the DWL-6610AP also having an additional serial interface.
Available now, the DWL-8710AP is priced at $1199.99 MSRP, while the DWL-6610AP is priced $659.99 MSRP.
