Draytek Vigor2133Vac

An affordable yet powerful and flexible router for home office or small business use.

The DrayTek Vigor2133 series comes in a range of options to suit different needs without blowing out the budget. We tested the top spec Vigor2133Vac which features AC1200 spec Wi-Fi (867Mbps + 300Mbps) and dual VoIP ports for $370. The slighter cheaper 2133ac leaves out the VoIP, bringing the price down to $340. The Vigor2133n has no VoIP and 802.11n Wi-Fi for just $250, while the plain Vigor2133 has no WiFi or VoIP and will set you back $210. The rest of the specs are the same, which makes the Vigor2133 series an extremely flexible option that allows the purchase of only the features needed.

The Vigor2133 series is NBN ready with a GbE WAN port, as well as four GbE LAN connections. You also get dual USB 2.0 ports, which can be used to drive a printer, or connect a USB

3G/4G modem. The 2133Vac model tested also had two FXS VoiP ports, so you can plug in a phone directly and manage bandwidth use to maintain top notch call quality.

The removable Wi-Fi antennas are not huge and during testing we managed 287 Mbps at 2m from the AC1200 router, dropping to 139 Mbps at 10m – which while not terrible, could be better. Really though, the Vigor2133 is designed to be part of a larger network, and can manage two external wireless access points. The 2133 series router itself can also be remotely managed and monitored via the comprehensive VigorACS 2 system. To allow for users remotely connecting to the network, or for linking distant office networks, the router supports two SSL VPN tunnels. While not idiot proof, the VPN tunnels are easy to get up and running, and very stable. The 2133 series also has the typical business critical features, with a robust firewall that can do everything from stopping denial of service attacks, to restricting social media use during office hours. The Vigor2133 also support up to 8 VLANs (and 4 IP subnets), and can be used to manage both wired and wireless bandwidth across the network. The DrayTek router also includes some very handy management options for a USB 3G/4G modem, allowing it to be used as a failover backup to the main connection, or even boost bandwidth in high load times or for priority traffic. Not only does this give a critical backup in case your main internet goes down, it means the 2133 can also be deployed in the field to provide Wi-Fi in the field or at events.

While very functional, the Vigor2133 interface can be a little intimidating and lacks the polish of simpler home focused routers. But that’s a worthy tradeoff, considering the rich features, and DrayTek has loads of helpful how to articles available on their website that will walk new users through most configurations.

Overall the Vigor2133Vac did everything it says on the box without a hitch, and is easy enough to get up and running. The pricing of the different spec models is decent, and while we wish the Wi-Fi was a little faster, and it supported additional VPN tunnels, the Vigor2133 series is a compelling buy.