DrayTek’s Vigor2865 uses hardware acceleration to get the best out of multiple internet options, as well as act as the central hub of a larger network.
DrayTek continues to impress us with its wide range of business-focused networking options, as well as a commitment to ongoing improvement with the latest features and upgraded performance. Today we’re testing the DrayTek Vigor2865ax, which is the highest-end model in the larger Vigor2865 series.
These DrayTek routers are aimed at small to medium businesses, with VDSL2 modem, WAN port, and in some models, Wi-Fi support. The higher-end Vigor2865ax is equipped with Wi-Fi 6, but there are also models without wireless, others with VoIP options, or even built-in LTE connectivity. The Vigor2865 series is a multi-WAN router, so a key ingredient is its ability to maintain multiple internet connections for improved performance and/or redundancy.
All models include a VDSL2 modem, which supports 35b Supervectoring, as well as being backwards compatible with ADSL2+. With a suitable VDSL2 connection, the 2865 series can handle speeds up to 300Mbps. Of course you can also use a non-VDSL option via the Gigabit WAN port, or even configure Wi-Fi WAN connections. You also get five Gigabit LAN ports, and further connectivity is available via the USB ports, which can support 4G modems.
The 2865ax model includes ultra-fast AX3000-spec Wi-Fi 6. This is provided by 2×2 MU-MIMO radios and 2402Mbps of bandwidth on the 5GHz band, while the 2.4GHz band can do up to 574Mbps. While not the very fastest Wi-Fi available, this still offers excellent performance. For those not needing quite so much wireless bandwidth, or wanting to use the Vigor2865 series with existing Wi-FI APs, there is an AC1300-spec model, as well as one with no Wi-Fi at all.
Multiple high-speed WAN connections are not much use without enough performance to actually share it out over a wider network, so importantly the Vigor2865 includes hardware acceleration options. It can be configured in different ways, but makes for a big improvement in overall throughput – especially when running multiple WANs. For companies that use SSL-VPN tunnels for remote access, hardware acceleration can give a huge 2.8x boost to throughput.
Some key Vigor2865-series features are support for up to 32 VPN tunnels, 16 VLANs, the ability to handle 1,022 IP addresses, eight LAN subnets, a robust firewall, filtering and QoS options, failover and load balancing management and Wi-Fi hotspot options. The 2865 also supports managing up to 20 Vigor Access Points, and 10 Vigor switches. Management can be done via the 2865 interface itself, or using the DrayTek VigorACS network management software. With the latest VigorACS 3, the 2865 even supports SD WAN.
Getting the Vigor2865ax set up and managing our network of other DrayTek devices was fast and easy. Performance of the wired side was top notch, and while exact Wi-Fi speed will of course depend on the connecting device, we managed 549Mbps at close range, which dropped off to a respectable 399Mbps at 10 meter range. Importantly, the 2865ax handled multiple high-bandwidth devices at the same time. It will come as no surprise that such a feature-packed modem router has a rather dense interface, but it’s generally well laid out and quite intuitive to use.
All in all, we can’t fault the DrayTek Vigor2865ax in any way more than a quibble, and it’s a respectable option for a small-to-medium business network.
It’s especially important to shop around for DrayTek Vigor products, because they tend not to be stocked as widely as residential gear, and pricing can vary a lot. The Vigor2865ax will set you back $300 / £330 / AU$699.
While comparatively easy to find in Australia and the UK, the Vigor2865ax is harder to buy in the US. American buyers may need to resort to sellers willing to ship internationally. Buyers Down Under get the worst of the pricing, while the UK and US, with their larger markets, are a bit more competitive.
