Interface and FeaturesThe management interface has not changed since I last took a look at the EA6400. You have to type in linksyssmartwifi.com as the URL. The main differences are the three external, upgradeable (RP-SMA) dual-band antennas. With Media Prioritization (which is Linksys version of QoS (Quality-of-Service)) you can select from a list of devices displayed (these are devices that have connected to the router) and drag-and-drop them into either the High Priority section or the Normal Priority section of the QoS interface. Port forwarding, DMZ, VPN, diagnostic tools and so on are all there. We did run into a brief issue where no wireless client could connect to the router. It then creates a new, unique router login password for use later. Management capabilities include enabling secure folder access, setting up FTP, and configuring the media server functionality—for streaming multimedia from the attached drive. The wizard is very thorough: It checks to ensure that your Internet connection is properly configured. Linksys EA6900: Design Out the box the EA6900 looks very similar to its predecessors, the EA4500, EA6500 and EA6700 but look closely and there are a couple of significant changes. These speeds are not bad. At £147, the Linksys EA6900 is significantly more expensive than most 802.11n routers, but all 802.11ac routers are generally still pricey. Linksys EA6900 review Jonathan Bray Jon has been tinkering with tech since the days when 128KB was a lot of storage, and games took 20 minutes to load via tape cassette. I've never seen anywhere close to that speed in our testing environment. It's the fastest router I've tested. Lynn is the author of Windows Server 2012: Up and Running, published by O'Reilly. I love that I can use the Linksys app to configure all settings, including the name & password for my wifi network. Liked: Stellar WiFi performance Multi-User Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MU-MIMO) capable Disliked: Expensive You can read the details about the adapter in its dedicated review. There's a USB 3 port and a USB 2 port, a WPS button, a master on/off power switch and another button to reset the router to its factory settings. The Linksys Smart Wifi cloud administration interface is useful and simple to use, although we're still unsure whether potentially compromising network security is a worthy trade for added convenience. Connectivity. The Linksys EA6900 is powerful, its on-board software looks great and it's straightforward to use. I'm confidant Linksys will have a firmware update in the near future to fix the adapter issues. I clicked on the link and was able to see the Average Rating but was not able to view the feedback. I mean, Linksys lists pcAnywhere as one of the applications you can set priority and I haven't seen anyone use pcAnywhere since 1998! The Linksys EA6900's software employs lots of modern web design techniques that look really good, with heavy use of animated transitions, CSS and Javascript. Perfect for HD video streaming and gaming, the EA6900 features speeds of up to N600 + AC1300 Mbps.*. It even explains the differences between 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz wireless. Unlike some routers, you can choose to have either 802.11n or 802.11ac on the 5 GPaulHz band. Meanwhile, click on the links below for full performance results of the EA6900 compared with other 11ac routers: Check out 5GHz throughput results for the EA6900, Check out 2.4GHz (802.11N-only Mode) throughput results for the EA6900, Check out 2.4GHz (Mixed Mode) throughput results for the EA6900. Linksys EA6300 ⭐ review. The Linksys EA6900 AC1900 Smart Wi-Fi Router is a high-performance?and high-priced?router that's easy to manage. Speed BeastIf you are looking for a high-performance yet fairly simple to manage router, the EA6900 is a fit. This QoS capability probably becomes more apparent and beneficial as you have more devices connected to the EA6900 at one time. Not the default router password though (for reference, it's "'admin") which you'll need to remember at this stage if you choose to skip the setup process and set up the router manually. Linksys WiFi extender prices. It's styled in the same dark grey and silver case, has the same flat, horizontally oriented design and the same curved section that juts out in the centre. We note that the results we recorded are slightly worse than those we measured from the older Linksys EA6500, but that can be explained by our use of a different wireless client, and different testing location, with thicker walls. Using wireless-AC technology this router offers exceptional data streaming speeds of up to AC1900 Mbps (N600 + AC1300), making it ideal for large households, serious gamers, and HD video enthusiasts. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. A second drop down list allows you to do the same with applications such as Xbox Live or iTunes, but I was surprised to not see Netflix listed. This is a smart move, because the EA6900 is an exemplary router, providing unprecedented performance in range and throughput in my testing. The EA6900 also supports WMM (Wi-Fi MultiMedia) and you can manually set downstream bandwidth. We also found that the router became quite warm during large file transfers. Since router security is far from watertight anyway, allowing remote management of your home network provides another potential way for hackers to access your computer. As soon as I opened it, the software reported an available firmware update and I updated without a problem. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time. Adding adjustable antennas to the Linksys EA6900 didn't appreciably increase this router's wireless performance. Although there’s a wide range of various WiFi extenders available from Linksys, the average model is priced between $48 and $80.The biggest factors that determine the price include its maximum coverage range, which connection technology it incorporates into its design, and other beneficial features. Thank you for signing up to TechRadar. We connected another computer to the EA6900 and ran an FTP server. Linksys EA6900 ⭐ review. The Max Stream did outperform the NETGEAR AC1200 in most tests, though the AC1200 does have … We suspect this is another benefit of a fast dual-core processor. The EA6900 is a dual-band router delivering throughput of … The Linksys EA6900 bears more than a passing resemblance to the EA6500 that we reviewed in December 2012. Simultaneous Dual-Band. SKU EA6900-CA. There's support for 1300 Mbps 802.11ac, along with every wireless standard that came before it. Linksys EA6900 NETGEAR Nighthawk R7000 Buffalo Airstation AC1900 WiFi Performance AC1900 WiFi (600 + 1300 Mbps) AC1900 WiFi (600 + 1300 Mbps) AC1900 WiFi (600 + 1300 Mbps) WiFi Band 2.4GHz & 5GHz 2.4GHz & 5GHz 2.4GHz & 5GHz Ethernet Ports 4 Gigabit LAN port 1 Gigabit WAN port 4 Gigabit LAN port 1 Gigabit […] However, it's fairly safe to say that Linksys EA6900 is a more popular router, based on its reviews. They provide a quick glance at the router's status and some of its functions. Thankfully, no such issues with the EA6900. Perfect for HD video streaming and gaming, the EA6900 features speeds of up to N600 + AC1300 Mbps.*. PerformanceThe killer feature of the EA6900 is its speed and range. SKU EA6900-UK. The next stage asks you to set up a Linksys Smart Wifi account. Free shipping The key word here is 'supported'. Overall, the EA6900 is a speedy router targeted to those who would appreciate a more user-friendly network device to manage. She has a Bachelor's degree from Brooklyn College, several technology certifications, and she was a tech editor for the CRN Test Center. The packaging is all the usual router fair. The router firmware version as of testing is 1.1.42. It's in the top 3 bestselling routers and has dozens of popular alternatives in the same price range, such as Bitdefender Box 2 or Linksys EA6700. Linksys EA6900 AC1900 Smart Wi-Fi Dual-Band Router. Learn More. The Linksys EA7300 is an AC1750 Wi-Fi router. Inside the box, you get the router itself, its power adaptor, the antennae, a disc with the user guide in PDF format, a quick-start guide and a roughly 1.5 metre piece of ethernet cable. But for ultimate parental controls in a router, look to Skydog, where its best feature is content and Internet access management (though this offers nowhere near the speed of the EA6900). Speedy NAS functionality with connected USB drives. Finishing a few points behind the Linksys AC1900 WRT1900ACS, the Max Stream performs similarly when we tested throughput over both bands and when we compared ease of use and the various features, but it is far inferior in terms of range. Linksys EA6900 is a well-known option in the middle of the routers price range. Your subscription has been confirmed. An avid Xbox gamer, she unashamedly admits to owning more than 3,000 comic books, and enjoys exploring her Hell's Kitchen neighborhood and the rest of New York city with her dog, Ninja. Until Linksys irons out issues with the adapter, my suggestion would be to only use the Linksys USB adapter at the 5GHz band, and use your wireless client's native wireless adapter for connecting to the EA6900 at the 2.4GHz band. You are also shown the path for accessing the default folder share from a PC or a Mac. But we're not sure cloud management of a home network is such a good idea, whether its Linksys or any other router company offering it. Its interface and feature set are ported from Linksys's prior release, the EA6400. Linksys has stuck with the basic look of its other EA series routers for the 6900. C $68.05. For testing, we used a desktop PC with an Asus PCE-AC68 desktop 802.11ac wireless card, since it's one of the few wireless adaptors to support 3x3 802.11ac. These can be removed, added and rearranged on the page however you prefer. The instructions for setup are simple, straightforward and easy to follow. The USB ports are surprisingly fast. Problems with disconnects at 2.4GHz band using Linksys WUSB6300 wireless USB adapter. It's slightly cheeky that Linksys didn't include two USB 3 ports, but one that's forgivable, given the USB 2 port is fairly nippy anyway. Please refresh the page and try again. You can only control access by device and can completely block Internet access, or selectively block based on a schedule. The Linksys EA8300 has as many features as most higher priced routers. With a bit of fiddling about you can remotely manage an FTP server this way, or quickly view the security logs, check on the status of connected devices and so on. Visit our corporate site. Linksys EA6900 is $25.95 less expensive than an average router ($144.95). Having a fast dual-core processor makes all the difference to performance. Most of all, the page gives the reasons why I should purchased the device at Linksys Store. Although Linksys's ownership may have changed, this piece of hardware, including its branding, indicates that Belkin is allowing Linksys to retain significant control over its networking products. I couldn't get rid of this file until I removed and then reconnected the USB drive. Non-Broadcom wireless adaptors will not run at the higher speed. Tech-savvier users can also manually add applications and services to this QoS. With the EA6400 I received a strange error attempting to delete a file off a shared folder:"File in use. PCMag, PCMag.com and PC Magazine are among the federally registered trademarks of Ziff Davis, LLC and may not be used by third parties without explicit permission. The Linksys by Cisco label is now simply Linksys. Linksys EA7500 Wi-Fi router review: MU-MIMO made affordable (but no more useful) This router is a good performer, but it's too early in the game to pay more for multi-user MIMO. So, please note this review of Linksys' EA6900 tests it as an AC1750 router. It then lets you choose names for each wireless network. Samara Lynn has nearly twenty years experience in Information Technology; most recently as IT Director at a major New York City healthcare facility. It did fine as well in 2.4, in fact, giving again some of the highest numbers I've seen among 11ac routers. There was a problem. A few less seconds waiting for a page to load when you click a link makes it far less frustrating. If you click an affiliate link and buy a product or service, we may be paid a fee by that merchant. The Linksys device sustained range well, also. In March 2013, Cisco sold its consumer networking division to Belkin, who are maintaining the brand separately from its other product lines. Linksys Smart WiFi software. The Linksys EA6900 Smart Wi-Fi Wireless AC Router AC1900 doesn't come with a modem so you'll still have to use the router that came with your … If you're looking to give your home network a performance boost, but can't face the idea of yet more wires trailed around your home, 802.11ac might be the answer, and the Linksys EA6900 could be a great starting point. I connected a Western Digital My Passport drive. These widgets partially solve the problem of having to remember which pages you need to trawl through to get at the information you need, which is a common issue with routers. Thanks to the speedy processor in the EA6900 the pages load quickly, usually in less than a second, which makes it a lot less frustrating to use. I tested with the USB drive connected to the router's USB 3.0 port. The Linksys EA6900 AC1900 Smart Wi-Fi Router is a high-performance?and high-priced?router that's easy to manage. Thankfully, these are organised in a fairly straightforward way, separated into one list labelled 'Smart Wi-Fi Tools', and another labelled 'Router Settings'. Also, Linksys has completely dropped the Cisco logo, which was still on the EA6400 because those units were produced right before Cisco sold the Linksys division. It's sharp-looking, with a black housing and silver metallic decoration. The Linksys EA6900 is a relatively competent draft-11ac router performance as good or better than its much dearer sister product, the Linksys WRT1900AC. Discover the key facts and see how Linksys EA6300 performs in the router ranking. The Cisco logo has finally been banished, replaced by a bright white Linksys. Enabling Media Prioritization reduced the wait time after clicking the Play icon on a Netflix video to seeing the video and hearing audio from 9 seconds to 4 seconds. It's a good fit for multi-device home networks with lots of movie and TV streaming, Skype use, and online gaming. While this problem with the adapter does not impact the review of the EA6900, it is unfortunate because the EA6900 paired with the WUSB6300 gives killer performance. This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. A more subtle change is to the name on the front of the router. The "USB Storage" widget is what you click to manage storage. It's … While testing, I was pleased to see that no matter if I made settings changes locally or remotely, those changes took affect and were consistent across both the local and cloud interfaces. Sign up for What's New Now to get our top stories delivered to your inbox every morning. We wish 802.11ac was more widespread among laptops and more affordable, but that's a problem with the industry, not the Linksys EA6900. In this interface, I could see used and free space on the external drive. Discover the key facts and see how Linksys EA6900 performs in the router ranking. I noticed a better overall user experience working with the NAS functionality in the EA6900 than with the EA6400. Keep an eye on your inbox! The default wireless SSID name and password are written on the underside. The Linksys EA7300 also comes with a USB 3.0 port and a Gigabit Ethernet port. NY 10036. NAS CapabilityThe EA6900 has some NAS functionality, since you can attach a hard drive to the USB port and share data throughout a network. You can create your own product review but with specific guidelines. This is a facility for remote router management via the cloud. Renaming the wireless network is done via a simple drop-down box at the top of the page. The 2.4GHz band supports up to a theoretical 600Mbps and the 5GHz band supports up to 1300Mbps. This is a concurrent, dual-band router with a 3x3 transmit/receive antenna configuration on each band. When we looked at the EA6500, it was one of the first draft 802.11ac routers to fall into our hands, and was notable for its fast performance and high price. Linksys representatives tell me that connection drops are because the WUSB6300 adapter will switch from USB 3.0 mode (I had it connected to a USB 3.0 port) to USB 2.0 mode when it detects interference. You can manage the router locally or remotely through the Linksys Smart Wi-Fi cloud service. 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Gone are the days when routers shipped with a static HTML page that resembled a website from the mid 1990's. In some features, however, the directly competing Netgear Nighthawk($149.99 at Best Buy), a newcomer to the router market, has an edge. The EA6900 is a more robust router than the EA6400 when it comes to specs. Another feature of the EA6900 is support for 600 Mbps over 2.4 GHz wireless. Parental controls work efficiently. The antennae take a bit of tightening before they're securely attached. However, I ran into a troubling issue testing the EA6900 in 2.4GHz mode at a distance of 30 feet or more from the router—the connection kept dropping. Usually a router's USB port performs far worse than one connected directly to a PC's motherboard, but that's clearly not the case here, with some great speeds evident from our tests. TechRadar is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. The key to MU-MIMO is that this technique sends out a test signal to each client to appraise its distance and data requirements. This is achieved by increased QAM with supported wireless clients. Then the device spatially forms the highest bandwidth beam it can muster, using a technique called Space-Division Multiple Access … There are still plenty of other advanced functions that require you to dig into the list of settings. PCMag Digital Group. There is also a drop-down list of online games including World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy that you can drag and drop into High or Normal Priority. As with the Linksys EA6400, the interface offers a list of devices—both wired and wireless—connected to the router, guest access, parental controls, media prioritization, and more. It offers industry-leading speeds, solid security features and an easy set up. The Nighthawk seems to have a few more current and widely used services listed within its QoS interface. PCMag.com is a leading authority on technology, delivering Labs-based, independent reviews of the latest products and services. The Linksys EA6900 AC1900 Smart Wi-Fi Router ($249, MSRP)($134.99 at Amazon) is currently the best router to come from Linksys since its acquisition by Belkin. In 802.11ac mode using Linksys' WUSB6300 Wi-Fi Wireless AC Dual-Band AC1200 USB Adapter the router hit just shy of 400Mbps testing. Overall though, the Trendnet holds its own with a standard throughput test using Ixia's IxChariot testing software when compared with the EA6900: At 15 feet the Trendnet router managed 283Mbps compared with the Linksys at 238Mbps. The EA6900 is missing two advanced features that the Nighthawk has: full VPN service, and the ability to be flashed with open-source firmware. In fact, when my Internet cable connection accidently disconnected, the wizard detected a problem with my connection and urged me to re-check my cable (that's how I discovered the loose cable). However, it does retail for about $70 less. I would recommend placing it somewhere that gets good air circulation since it runs a bit warm. With an extensive, hands-on background in deploying and managing Microsoft Windows infrastructures and networking, she was included in Black Enterprise's "20 Black Women in Tech You Need to Follow on Twitter," and received the 2013 Small Business Influencer Top 100 Champions award. At a Glance. Linksys has done a good job with the particularly sleek software interface on the EA6900. At the back there are four gigabit ethernet ports, plus another labelled internet for connection to either a separate modem or ADSL. The display of third-party trademarks and trade names on this site does not necessarily indicate any affiliation or the endorsement of PCMag. Overall, the Linksys EA6900 is a fantastic device. Advanced Wireless-AC technology up to 4.3x faster than Wireless-N**. It's suited for multi-device home networks that like to stream video, Skype, play online games and any of the other online stuff we like to do at home.