VigorAP 906 Access Point

The DrayTek VigorAP 906 is a high-performance Wi-Fi 6 AX3000 solution for your home or business network and is designed to handle high density environments, where many clients are expected to connect to your wireless network.

The VigorAP 906 access point is designed to enhance wireless signal coverage which can help eliminate Wi-Fi dead zones and improve the quality of the Wi-Fi connection. This high-performance AX3000 access point can offer datalink rates up to 2400 Mbps in 5GHz band and up to 574 Mbps in 2.4GHz band.

The DrayTek VigorAP 906 is a Wi-Fi 6 AX3000 access point. The new wireless standard does more than simply boost speeds for single users, it improves overall performance for busy environments. More efficient resource sharing results in greater overall performance, lower latency and less pauses in connectivity for users.

To achieve this, Wi-Fi 6 or 802.11ax brings in several new technologies (including some features used extensively by 4G and LTE networks), to enhance speeds even as many users demand content at the same time. As more devices need bandwidth more frequently, Wi-Fi 6 utilises the following key technologies to enable this:

See our blog on how WiFi 6 works for more details.

The VigorAP 906 supports the latest WPA3 security standards and offers a multitude of network management features to allow implementation of complex wireless networks. Hotspot Web Portal is also available for Captive Portal and branding on hospitality Wi-Fi networks.

WPA3-Enterprise security offers greater 192-bit encryption strength for networks using RADIUS & 802.1x authentication. RADIUS authentication can be managed either with an external server or the VigorAP's built-in RADIUS server.

The VigorAP 906 supports up to 4 wireless networks per wireless band. Fully segmented from each other with 802.1q VLANs, guest network access is fully separated from internal company data.

Click here to learn more about WPA3 Wireless Security with DrayTek products.

Large wireless networks spanning multiple access points may sometimes seem slow to users, because their device is clinging on to a far away access point. Even when a closer access point is available for their device to connect to, which can slow down overall performance for all users connected to that now distant AP.

DrayTek solve this issue with AP-Assisted Roaming, which requires no central controller to operate. With AP-Assisted Roaming, VigorAPs communicate with each other to determine which clients can get a better signal as those clients move around.

If a client moves into range of another VigorAP access point, that AP informs the now distant AP, which makes an informed decision to disconnect the remote 'sticky' client. Allowing the client to quickly re-associate with their nearest AP, giving the user stronger signal and better speeds.

Click here to learn more about AP Assisted Roaming.

DrayTek's Wireless app assists you with setting up VigorAP 906 access points and a Mesh Wireless network.

The VigorAP 906 has built-in PoE+ (IEEE 802.3at Power over Ethernet) as standard. Connect the VigorAP to a PoE+ enabled Ethernet switch or PoE+ injector to power it without local power to the unit (power supply) - the VigorAP 906 will take its power from the Ethernet cable. The VigorAP 906 supports Gigabit PoE+ (if you have a Gigabit PoE+ switch/injector) such as our VigorSwitch P1280x or P2100 models (or any other 802.3at device).

PoE is ideal for situations where you do not have mains power available in the exact location where you want to install the VigorAP 906 or just for general aesthetic neatness, perhaps where the AP is installed somewhere prominent.

The DrayTek VigorAP 906 is also supplied with an AC/DC mains PSU for installations where you are not using PoE.

The VigorAP 906 has five wired Ethernet ports. As the ports are all Gigabit, you can be sure that the AP is fed at the maximum speed in order to fully satisfy the full speed of both 2.4GHz and 5Ghz bands simultaneously.

In Mesh and Range Extender modes, the VigorAP 906 bridges its wireless uplink to the LAN ports, providing fast connectivity to each additional device connected, without the need for an additional network switch or a long cable run.

LAN Port A4 is also used as the PoE input if you're powering the AP by PoE.

The VigorAP 906 is an 802.11ax Wave 2 access point, improving performance by increasing the amount of data that can be sent at one time. 11ax Wave 2 includes Multi User MIMO (Multiple In, Multiple Out) or MU-MIMO technology, further building upon the MIMO technologies introduced with 802.11n.

The VigorAP's MU-MIMO technology when used with MU-MIMO capable wireless clients, allows each antenna (or Spatial Stream) to send to separate wireless clients, potentially doubling the data transmission rate to clients.

Significant limitations of wireless throughput are the frequency space and radio time, shared between all users. A typical wireless access point can send data to only one client at a time with its radio. With enough users connected, congestion slows down transfer speeds more & more, as the AP divides its time between each client.

Multi User MIMO allows the VigorAP to send data out to more than one wireless client at a time, splitting bandwidth between the VigorAP's Spatial Streams instead of the access point's time as a whole.

This can be particularly useful in locations with many phones, tablet and laptops connecting, where the VigorAP's more efficient transmissions could allow each access point to serve more clients than an 802.11ac Wave 1 or 802.11n access point.

The VigorAP 906 features multiple levels of wireless security. Encryption using WPA2 or WPA3 is available and you can also use the access control list (ACL) to specify the hardware addresses of clients which are permitted to connect (by MAC hardware address). Any unauthorised hardware is refused access.

For additional user authentication, you can have the VigorAP 906 authenticate clients with an 802.1x RADIUS (Remote Authentication Dial-in User Service) server, or use its internal RADIUS server.

The VigorAP 906 supports the 802.1q VLAN protocol so that if it is connected to an 802.1q enabled LAN, it can split tagged data (whether it's different subnets or intended for different users) and broadcast each on its own SSID. This means, for example, that your guest WiFi access is provided on a separate isolated SSID with no access to your company data.

The VigorAP 906 can be used as a stand-alone Wireless Access Point, to provide wireless connectivity for a router or network that doesn't currently have wireless.

Access Point mode can create up to 4 separate Wireless networks (or SSIDs). The VigorAP 906 can provide completely separate private and guest wireless networks through the use of 802.1q VLAN tags with a router or network that supports VLAN tagging, such as the DrayTek Vigor 2865 router.

Range Extender mode allows the VigorAP 906 to extend the wireless coverage of any existing wireless network. In this mode, the VigorAP 906 connects to a remote wireless network, allowing it to provide Internet and Network access to wireless clients that connect to the VigorAP 906's wireless network.

The DrayTek VigorAP 906 can be managed by the DrayTek VigorACS central management system - a cloud platform which can manage most DrayTek products - routers, wireless access points and Ethernet switches, giving you complete visibility and control of your DrayTek product estate, even without a DrayTek Vigor router on site.

The DrayTek VigorACS management system can be used to configure and provision DrayTek VigorAP access points, similarly to performing these actions through the VigorAP's web interface, with a familiar menu layout in the Configuration section of VigorACS.

Profiles for groups of access points can be provisioned in VigorACS by selecting a VigorACS network, then accessing Configuration > AP Profile to configure profiles and apply them selectively.

DrayTek's VigorACS management monitors each VigorAP access point, with a Dashboard view giving a central overview of the most important information from the VigorAP's current status.

Managing a VigorAP in VigorACS

For further details of the VigorACS central management system, click here .

Provision & Manage VigorAPs with a DrayTek Vigor router

For further details of the central management feature, click here .

The VigorAP 906 can operate in standalone autonomous mode, but can also form part of a centrally managed wireless installation by adding a compatible DrayTek wireless controller such as the Vigor 2865 router. This enables you to centrally control, manage and administer multiple AP devices installed around your building/campus. Management also enables efficient usage of your wireless access point through load-balancing, whereby wireless clients are distributed across several access points to reduce congestion.

The DrayTek router operating as the wireless controller can provision DrayTek VigorAP access points using the Central AP Management profiles configured on the router, with an option to Auto Provision - auto configuring newly installed VigorAP access points with the Auto Provisioning profile, upon initial connection to the DrayTek Vigor router's network.

The VigorAP 906 can support two completely independent LANs. Each is connected via its own independent RJ45 Ethernet interface. There are Ethernet RJ45 interfaces for LAN A (4 ports) and LAN B (one port). These networks remain completely isolated from each other.

Each LAN can be assigned its own separate Wireless SSID so they remain separated even on the Wireless LAN. This is the equivalent of having two completely separate access points and ideal for public and private networks in the same location or wireless LANs for two separate companies.

The WLAN On/Off & WPS button on the VigorAP 906 serves as a physical on/off switch for the Wireless LAN if you wish to quickly disable it at any time, whilst still leaving your wired ports active.

Wireless Security (encryption) is important to protect your data (privacy) but also to prevent unauthorised people from accessing your network or your Internet connection. The WPS system means that instead of having to create and enter long encryption keys, you can activate WPS registration to 'pair' wireless devices such as printers with the VigorAP's wireless network. When WPS is enabled, press and hold the WPS button, then activate WPS on your wireless device; the two devices then automatically exchange encryption keys. WPS can be disabled if not required or for more security.

For a convenient and tidy installation, the VigorAP 906 is designed for installation on walls or free standing. It's ideal for providing wireless access to large rooms and public spaces.

Just find a stable, flat location such as a desk to benefit from wired and wireless access to the network. For mounting on solid walls, a mounting kit (included with the unit) is provided.

Through the web interface of the VigorAP 906, network administrators can easily check on AP data usage and clients connected, with options to disconnect or block disruptive clients.

Mobile Device Management builds on regular Access Control, which can be used to whitelist and blacklist individual clients. MDM makes it possible to set up SSIDs that only Windows or Apple desktops can connect to, disconnecting Android or iOS clients or vice versa, to suit the requirements of your wireless network.

Analytics data from each VigorAP graphs how many wireless clients have connected to the AP over time, as well as how many wireless clients passed by without connecting.