Ignition Design Labs Portal Reviewed

[thiggins]

Ignition Design Lab's Portal has the potential to be a cheaper alternative to NETGEAR's Orbi.

Read on SmallNetBuilder

 

[pete y testing]

nice review

i guess the only issue i have with the dfs system is the complicated mix of wireless adapters and what channels they support , in theory adapter should support all the bands but thats not the case and can be problematic as you found out with the test adapter you used

maybe manufactures will need to give regional specific drivers to also accommodate the dfs

i have a fritzbox usb adapter here that support all the dfs channels and the lower band but doesnt support the higher 5 gig bands thanks to its euro driver set limitations

 

[TheLostSwede]

Odd choice of processor, an old single core MIPS 74Kc at 750MHz. It wasn't even designed for 4x4 5GHz, not even for router use, as instead the target market was for 2x2 range extenders or hot spots.

 

[thiggins]

Odd choice of processor, an old single core MIPS 74Kc at 750MHz. It wasn't even designed for 4x4 5GHz, not even for router use, as instead the target market was for 2x2 range extenders or hot spots.

I agree on the processor choice. It's likely the reason for the poor 2.4 GHz performance.

 

[alessandro893]

 

[sfx2000]

I agree on the processor choice. It's likely the reason for the poor 2.4 GHz performance.

Emphasis is on the 5GHz side - since 2.4GHz is basically gratis as part of the primary SOC, it's still a backstop...

Not a big deal...

 

[thiggins]

Posts about 4K streaming problem moved here.

 

[Soylent]

It wasn't quite clear to me from this review- is the Portal a good choice for a home that currently has dead spots? Portal claims 5,000 sq. ft., which is more than my old Asus RT-N66U. I barely get the 5ghz signal in some rooms, where 2.4ghz is still mostly useable.

From your review I understand the 2.4ghz is underpowered on the Portal, but I'm not sure if that means the signal is weak, or the throughput is low, or both. My question is, would the Portal range be greater than my current Asus?

 

[thiggins]

It wasn't quite clear to me from this review- is the Portal a good choice for a home that currently has dead spots? ?

Throughput and signal level are directly related. Lower signal means lower throughput.

 

[Brad Knight]

Long time follower, first post.

I purchased this product x2 through the kickstarter program. There had been several delays and hiccups with software updates but the current release is very solid for my setup.
I have both products configured in bridge mode mesh with single SSID, Fast Lanes turned off since I don't have devices that support them, wired backhaul and performance has been awesome.

Config:
Untangle Router with 8 NICs (2 WAN, 6 LAN all bridged for single subnet/DHCP)
Portal 1 (Firmware: 1.2.215) connected eth4 - Located on second floor on ceiling in middle of the house.
Portal 2 (Firmware: 1.2.215) connected eth5 - Located in the basement with more than 45ft+ distance away from Portal 1.

I have tested roaming with Surface 3, PS Vita, multiple tablets and laptops.

If SNB wants to provide me with some testing parameters, I'd be willing to do some work and provide end user review.

 

[Soylent]

Throughput and signal level are directly related. Lower signal means lower throughput.

Isn't it possible to have strong signal and low throughput? For example, the device might not be powerful enough to handle multiple clients at maximum speed.

That's what I needed clarification on. Is it an underpowered radio, or underpowered processor?

 

[thiggins]

If SNB wants to provide me with some testing parameters, I'd be willing to do some work and provide end user review.

I appreciate your offer. But the ship has sailed on this product. I didn't even know it was still for sale.

 

[Soylent]

I appreciate your offer. But the ship has sailed on this product. I didn't even know it was still for sale.

Razer is selling it, for some reason: https://www.razer.com/gaming-accessories/portal