“And why not combine a TV set-top box and a router in one device,” thought the Chinese. This is how the X96 LINK entered the market. A TV box and router in one “bottle” aimed at the budget segment. This is evidenced by the technical specifications, functionality, and price. Essentially, there are no innovations here. Recently, the Mecool brand released the K7 set-top box, equipped with an DVB-T2 tuner. Such “combines” are interesting to users who want to save on purchase and get a functional gadget.
Technozon channel has already published a review of the X96 Link for its subscribers. All the author’s links are at the bottom of the text.
X96 LINK: TV Box and Router – Specifications
| Chipset | Amlogic S905W (+Siflower SF16A18) |
| Processor | Quad core Cortex A53 1.2 GHz |
| Video Adapter | Mali-450 (6 cores, up to 750 MHz + DVFS) |
| RAM | 2 GB DDR3 (1333 MHz) + 64 MB for the router |
| Internal Storage | 16 GB eMMC |
| Storage Expansion | Yes, SD cards, USB |
| Support for Memory Cards | microSD up to 64 GB |
| Wired Network | 1xWAN 1Gb + 2xLAN 100Mb |
| Wireless Network | 802.11 ac/a/n and 802.11 b/g/n, MU-MIMO, 2.4G/5G |
| Bluetooth | No (although there is a menu item for “Bluetooth update”) |
| Operating System | Android 7.1.2 |
| Update Support | Yes (again, non-functional Bluetooth menu) |
| Interfaces | 2xLAN, 1xWAN, HDMI, AV, DC, 4xUSB 2.0 |
| External Antennas | Yes, 2 pcs |
| Digital Panel | Yes, 4 network status indicators |
| Network Capabilities | IPv6/IPv4, WPS, DDNS, Dial-Up, Clone MAC |
| Dimensions | 164.5×109.5x25mm |
| Price | $40-45 |
Brief Review of the X96 LINK Router-Set-Top Box
A quality and attractive packaging was not a surprise – the brand always delivers its gadgets in such an appealing form. The box prominently states that it is both a router and a TV box. The bottom of the packaging contains brief device specifications.
The standard package includes the device itself, a brief setup manual for the router, HDMI cable, patch cord, power supply, and an adapter for European sockets.
The X96 Link set-top box-router is made of plastic. There are ventilation holes on the bottom for cooling components. The build quality and material of the product are average. No defects were found on the exterior of the case. The remote control included looks flimsy. It has minimal buttons – it does not evoke a “wow” effect.
X96 LINK: TV Box and Router – Control
The first oddity was noticed after connecting the device to the TV. The “Network” section lacks wireless interfaces. After connecting the cable to the Internet and configuring the router mode, Wi-Fi settings appeared. This means the gadget cannot operate solely as a media player.
Router setup is performed via a web interface. The router management panel is irritating. Firstly, the functionality is severely limited. Secondly, there is no logical sequence in the setup options. Without networking administration skills, connecting the device to the Internet may take a long time. Fortunately, there is an instruction and a Guide mode.
After adjusting network settings and switching to the device software, a new problem appeared. The gadget refused to launch Google services, citing a mismatch in date and time. Although automatic detection is enabled in settings, the date and time had to be set manually. The pre-installed year in the device is 2015, which is concerning.
X96 LINK: Router Mode
During network testing, a significant issue was discovered. The device severely throttles the speed of both wired and wireless channels. When connected via LAN, download speed is 72 Mbps and upload is 94 Mbps. Over Wi-Fi, it’s 60 Mbps download and 70 Mbps upload.
Considering the limited admin panel and data transfer oddities, the device simply cannot be called a router. The claimed features like MU-MIMO are not present.
X96 LINK: TV Box Mode
A throttling test cast doubt on further experiments with the device. The CPU throttling level is 35%. There are frequency drops and overheating of the chip. Temperatures sometimes reached 85°C (average 77°C).
Naturally, doubts arose about playing 4K videos on the device. Watching videos on YouTube revealed the issue. Even in 2K format at 60 fps, there was lag and dropped frames. Only in Full HD mode could the TV box play videos smoothly. IPTV media playback in 4K did not cause problems, which seems strange.
Audio passthrough is a separate story. The X96 LINK (TV box and router) neither decodes audio into a compatible format nor performs this task. Files with Dolby Digital+ and TrueHD cannot be opened – the device hangs when selecting a player.
In conclusion, the gadget cannot be classified as either a TV set-top box or a network device. An incomplete router with limited settings and capabilities. And an equally incomplete TV box. With such throttling, gaming is out of the question.
