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D-Link Aquila Pro AI R95: One-Minute Review

Most routers are pretty boring black boxes that just sit in the corner and occasionally flash a few lights at you.

However, D-Link has decided to go its own way with its new R95, part of the company’s Aquila Pro AI line (yes, AI has even made its way into routers now). The router’s broad curves more closely resemble the wings of an aquatic manta ray than those of a conventional router.

It’s unclear whether this design has any practical function, but it certainly looks interesting, and the use of tri-band Wi-Fi 7 ensures that the R95 will really make your wireless network fly at full speed. It also offers good support for older computers and mobile devices that don’t have Wi-Fi 7.

D-Link Aquila Pro AI R95 review: price and release date

• How much does it cost? $254.99/£180 (around AU$355)
• When is it available? NOW
• Where can you get it? Available in the US and UK

Wi-Fi 7 routers are still quite expensive, but the R95 is competitively priced for a high-end Wi-Fi 7 router, costing $254.99/£180, which compares well to its high-end competitors such as the Acer Predator T7.

Unfortunately, Wi-Fi 7 products are still taking some time to arrive in Australia, and the R95 is currently not available in that region, although the US price translates to around AU$355.

D-Link Aquila Pro AI R95 review: specifications

D-Link Aquila Pro AI R95 review: Features

• An eye-catching design
• Well-designed app
• Support for two networks

The R95’s external design is certainly its most obvious feature, with gracefully curved “wings” that look nothing like any conventional router we’ve seen recently. The real headline feature, however, is the router’s performance, featuring tri-band Wi-Fi 7 that uses the 2.4GHz, 5.0GHz, and 6.0GHz bands to deliver a total speed of 9.5Gbps (strictly speaking, it’s actually 9,334Mbps, but manufacturers always like to round up those numbers).

It dedicates two of its four antennas exclusively to the high-speed 6.0 GHz band to provide maximum performance for computers and mobile devices supporting Wi-Fi 7, while the other two antennas handle the 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz bands for older devices. Its wired connectivity is also up to date, with a 2.5GB Ethernet port available for high-speed broadband services, and three more 2.5GB ports for connecting devices, such as a PC, games console or smart TV, which will benefit from a lag-free wired connection.

The Aquila app also works well, allowing you to quickly scan a QR code in order to connect to the R95’s new network. It then gives you the option to simply keep the default R95 network name and password, or change the name and password for added security.

And, in order to provide the best performance for different types of devices, the Aquila app creates two separate networks, with the 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz bands combined into a single network for older computers, while the 6.0 GHz band creates a separate network for newer devices that support Wi-Fi 7.

You also have the option to create a guest network that only provides limited access to visitors and guests, as well as a separate IoT (Internet of Things) network for smart lights, security cameras, and other smart devices. The R95 also supports the Matter standard for controlling smart home devices and can be used to create a mesh network when used with other Asus routers or range extenders.

Our only complaint is that the parental controls within the app are pretty basic. The app lets you create a schedule to limit Internet access for devices your children use, but its web filtering options require you to manually enter the web address of any inappropriate sites you want to block. It does not provide the preset filters available from some of its competitors, which automatically block different categories of inappropriate content, such as “violent”, “adult” or “gambling”.

• Features: 4.5/5

D-Link Aquila Pro AI R95 review: performance

• Tri-band Wi-Fi 7
• 2.5Gb Ethernet ports
• Dedicated 6.0 GHz network

My old office router is crying out for an upgrade, as it only supports the 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz bands available with Wi-Fi 5 and 6. It can provide decent performance for nearby devices, but it struggles to reach an office in the back of the building, where I have to use PowerLine adapters to provide a more reliable wired connection.

The office broadband runs at 150 Mbps, but the old router’s 2.4 GHz band can only handle around 70 Mbps for nearby devices, both for Steam downloads and the Ookla speed test. The 5.0 GHz band works best, providing a full 150 Mbps throughput for nearby devices but, as mentioned, the router’s Wi-Fi signal isn’t strong enough to reach that back office.

The R95 eliminated my Wi-Fi issues without any issues. Even its slower network, using the 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz bands, immediately hits the full 150Mbps for nearby devices for Steam and Ookla. More importantly, it also hits the backend and hits full speed in both tests. It took a few seconds for Steam downloads in this office to go from 130 Mbps to 150 Mbps, but the R95 was then able to maintain that speed consistently.

Given the good performance of this 2.4GHz/5.0GHz network, I wasn’t surprised to find that the faster 6.0GHz network kicked in, immediately hitting 150Mbps for Steam and Ookla, and maintaining full speed throughout my testing.

There are cheaper routers that only provide dual-band Wi-Fi 7 – omitting the high-speed 6.0 GHz band – and these can be a good option for people with older computers and mobile devices who don’t need the full speed of Wi-Fi 7. But if you have a gaming PC or other devices that support Wi-Fi 7, the D-Link R95 offers excellent performance at a competitive price.

• Performance: 5

Buy it if…

Ivan Mehta