D-Link M60 AX6000 Aquila Pro AI mesh – a very cost-effective solution (network review)

28/11/2024
By Ray Shaw
In Reviews

The D-Link M60 AX6000 Aquila Pro AI is an expandable Wi-Fi 6 mesh system that provides excellent value and performance in any typical Aussie home. It is available in a 1, 2, or 3-pack (or more), each capable of covering about 300m2, and a 3-pack covers about 600-700m2.

The D-Link M60 AX6000 Aquila Pro is the update to the D-Link M30 AX3000 Aquila Pro mesh router. While they share the same design queues, the M60 is nearly twice as large to accommodate the 360° Wi-Fi 6 AX6000 antennas.

This means the Wi-Fi signal is transmitted in a ‘spherical’ circle around the router or satellites – about 30/20m for 2.4/5GHz. That means around the router and up and down to help direct the signal to the floors above or below.

The Aquila Pro AI refers to the router smarts that constantly monitor the signal strengths between the mesh satellites. It offers a straightforward setup—download the app, scan a barcode, and you are almost ready to go. Each mesh satellite is added via a push of the WPS button—simples!

To position this, it is a dual-band (2.4/5GHz) mesh that can use Wi-Fi or Ethernet front and backhaul (how the satellites communicate with the router).

Spoiler: If you are looking for a cost-effective mesh system to cover the whole-of-home this is an easy-to-set-up and reliable system that does a great job.

Australian Review – D-Link M60 AX6000 Aquila Pro AI mesh – as tested 3-pack

Website	D-Link home page Product page PDF Manual
RRP 28/11/24	3-pack RRP $999.95 but seen as low as $549 (Black Friday) 2-pack RRP $699.95 but seen as low as $379 (Black Friday) 1-pack RRP $399.95 but seen as low as $229 (Black Friday)
From	D-Link online, Amazon AU D-Link store, JB Hi-Fi, Bunnings, and reputable IT retailers, including Scorptec and mWave. Check that this has the RNZ-C-Tick on the box, which means it is certified for Australia.
Warranty	3-year limited warranty
Made in	Taiwan
Company	D-Link, founded in 1986, is a Taiwanese multinational networking company headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan. You can trust D-Link with your privacy.
More	CyberShack D-Link news and reviews CyberShack Networking news and reviews

We use Fail (below expectations), Pass (meets expectations) and Exceed (surpasses expectations or is the class leader) against many of the items below. We occasionally give a Pass(able) rating that is not as good as it should be and a Pass ‘+’ rating to show it is good but does not quite make it to Exceed. You can click on most images for an enlargement.

Brief Specs – D-Link M60 AX6000 Aquila Pro AI mesh

Wi-Fi 6 AX6000 (2.4GHz 1200Mbps/20/40MHz and 5GHz 4800Mbps/20/40/80/160MHz)
Dual-band (this means the front/backhaul uses the same Wi-Fi as connected devices)
4 port gigabit hub (per satellite)
2.5Gb Ethernet WAN (can be used for backhaul)
Voice: Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant
Security: WP3 and earlier
Guest Network: Yes
Parental controls: No charge for Schedule, Custom Profiles, Internet Access Control
Web Interface for advanced features: Yes

First Impression – Pass+

It deserved the Good Design Award for its novel and thoughtful design. The Flying Nun shape is elegant. The two-tone white and sky blue look great. It is wall mountable, and the connections are at the top (or bottom, if you prefer). There is one coloured LED (switchable on/off) to indicate the status.

The design also allows the Wi-Fi signal to transmit in a circular sphere, which is important if you use Wi-Fi backhaul over different floors.

The M60 router and satellites are all the same—you select which one will be the router. It has a 2.5GB Ethernet WAN port for an NBN connection but not a modem for an NBN FTTN VDSL telephone wire connection (you can connect to an existing gateway in this case).

A four-port gigabit switch is there for direct Ethernet connection of bandwidth-hungry devices.

Setup – simples – Pass+

Download the Aquila Pro app. Connect the router to the internet via its WAN port. Apply power. When the light blinks orange, you are ready to use the App to scan the barcode and give it your SSID and password names.

Add satellites using the WPS button – it could not be easier.

The app defaults are fine, but you may want to split the SSID into 2.4GHz (for IoT) and 5GHz (for everything else).

Or connect a PC/Mac via Ethernet to the router, log in to the Admin page, and run the Wizard. Both methods are equally simple and advise if there are firmware updates.

Placement

The router will go wherever the NBN connection is – usually in the garage or the room closest to the street. These are the worst places to put a router!

We usually recommend placing the router in the centre of the action because the satellites need to be placed 5-6 metres from the router (upstairs or downstairs). If you can get an Ethernet cable from said garage/room, it will pay off in spades with great coverage.

Once all are set, you move the satellites where you need coverage. In our tests, the router was in the kitchen (covering upstairs and outside the home). The second satellite was on the same level in the loungeroom to provide internet access for the TV and smart devices. The third satellite was upstairs, about 3m from the primary router. The test results were very good.

Can’t get the right placement for whole-of-home coverage

If you need Ethernet backhaul (always recommended), then you can use D-Links Powerline AV2 100Gbps Passthrough that sends Ethernet over the power cables in your home.

Place one in a power point at the router and connect to it with an Ethernet LAN cable. Place the next where you need a satellite and connect to it with an Ethernet WAN cable.

I have been using Powerline for years. It is reliable and perfect for building Ethernet front/backhaul.

Power use – minimal

Each router/satellite has a 12V/2.5A/30W powerpack. Assuming the three-pack was running at full power, that is about 4 cents per hour. They only use as much energy as needed.

Results – Pass+

Wi-Fi 6 uses MU-MIMO and OFDMA technology to provide full-duplex (same speed both ways) Wi-Fi for your data and front/backhaul. The only issue is that for bandwidth-hungry devices, this can exceed the available bandwidth. So this is for typical installations—smartphones, a couple of smart TVs, a couple of security cameras, and limited IOT. D-Link does not specify the approximate number of ‘client’ devices, but we suggest it should be around 20-30 spread across the mesh.

There are tri-band and even quad-band Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 routers that can support more devices, but their coverage is similar to the M60’s. Currently, D-Link has no more powerful mesh options, so look at TP-Link or Netgear Orbi, which will cost substantially more.

Note these tests were on NBN 25/5Mbps (and at that time was 40/5Mbps)

This means that the antenna strength is very good, and you could cover 500-600m2 with three satellites using Wi-Fi backhaul and considerably more with Ethernet backhaul.

Range – exceed

Standard Wi-Fi transmits in a 2D circle. 2.4GHz to about 30m, 5GHz to about 15m. This adds 360° antennas that create a 3D bubble around the router that can go through adjacent ceilings and floors, albeit that range about halves each time you pass through walls, cupboards, floors, etc.

Using our Wi-Fi signal strength detector, we found effective line-of-sight ranges

2.4Ghz – useable signals to 20m and enough signal to 30m
5Ghz – usable signals to 10m and enough signal to 15m

This affects the placement of satellites if mesh backhaul is used. We recommend a maximum line of sight of 5-6 metres and 3 m (next room) through walls (tested).

This roughly equates to D-Link’s claims of 280m2 for one satellite, 510m2 for two satellites, and 740m2 for three satellites, considering that 5GHz coverage is a 20m diameter circle.

Effectiveness of 360° antenna through floors and ceilings

D-Link claims it creates a 360° bubble, which is true to a large degree.

We tested through a 150mm concrete slab (Router L0 and satellite level 1). The signal was barely usable and could not use Wi-Fi backhaul.

We tested through a timber beam floor (Router L0 and satellite L1 above). Both the 2.4 and 5GHz signals rated ‘Excellent’.

The antenna design enables wall mounting at above-head height and gives good coverage over a standard 2.4m floor-to-ceiling distance.

Hand-off from one satellite to another – Pass

Hand-off (when you walk from one room to another with a satellite) can take 15-20 seconds to connect to the nearest satellite.

Voice Assistants – Pass

It works with Google Assistant and Alexa. As with all routers, the voice commands are limited.

Check Wi-Fi status
Update Router firmware (but the App does this automatically)
Reboot Router
Guest network enable/SSID/password

CyberShack’s view – D-Link M60 AX6000 Aquila Pro AI mesh is a great value Mesh router system for typical users

Since Wi-Fi 6 AX, we have not seen any ‘bad’ routers because its full-duplex (same speed both send and receive) is superior to Wi-Fi 5 AC’s half-duplex.

Smaller Mesh systems like this can effectively use dual-band and Wi-Fi backhaul. We recommend it for a smaller home where you can place the satellites up to 5-6m line-of-sight or larger multi-story homes where you can Ethernet backhaul them.

Our advice: Make sure you assess your needs before you buy.

How many devices will you have? Some mesh systems can handle up to 50 devices but cost several times as much.
How well-placed is your router? If it is not central, then make it so!
Can you place satellites within 5-6m, or do you need Ethernet backhaul?
Can Ethernet connect bandwidth-hungry devices to the router or satellite?

It gets our buy recommendation for a great value, entry-level mesh system that will suit typical homes.

D-Link M60 AX6000 rating

Features: 85 – It is not in the same class as flagship mesh systems with greater transmit/receive signal strengths, but it is Wi-Fi 6 AX, and all that means.
Value: 90 – This is one of the lowest-cost-per-node, offering good performance and expandability.
Performance: 85 – It performs as a Wi-Fi 6 AX router should, but remember, the fastest 5Ghz speed you will get is 1200Mbps full-duplex.
Ease of Use: 90 – The App is super simple and has a complete set of commands in the web interface.
Design: 90 – It is elegant and will blend in well.