Linksys - Max-streamã¢â€žâ¢ Ac4000 Tri-band Wi-fi Router Review

Designed for big homes that crave lots of bandwidth for video streaming and online gaming, the Linksys Max-Stream EA9300 ($299.99) utilizes three radio bands to combat congestion on your home Wi-Fi network. It supports all of the latest 802.11ac technologies, including band-steering and beamforming, and it can handle Alexa phonation commands. Information technology's piece of cake to install and manage using the Linksys web console or mobile app, and it'southward a solid performer. If you're willing to spend $300 on a router, dropping $100 more than on our Editors' Choice, the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AC5300, gets you the fastest performance nosotros've seen and all the features you'll e'er need to support your gaming and streaming habits.

Cull Your Band

The EA9300 shares the same black textured design as the Linksys EA9500 that nosotros reviewed back in 2016, merely at 2.five by 9.0 by 11.six inches, it's non quite as big. It has six nonremovable adjustable antennas and the top holds a small panel with an illuminated Linksys logo, a WPS (Wi-Fi protected setup) activity LED, and LED indicators that light upwards when there are internet and LAN cable connection problems. Effectually dorsum are four gigabit LAN ports, a WAN port, two USB 3.0 ports, a reset button, a ability jack, and a power switch. A WPS button is located on the right side of the router.

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The EA9300 is an AC4000 tri-band router capable of maximum data rates of 750Mbps on the 2.4GHz band and 1,625Mbps on each of the two 5GHz bands. It'southward an 802.11ac Moving ridge 2 device which supports MU-MIMO (simultaneous) information streaming, direct-to-client indicate transmissions (beamforming), and Smart Connect (band-steering) applied science in which the router chooses the best radio ring to use based on things like network traffic and available bandwidth. This router likewise supports seamless roaming when paired with a Linksys Max-Stream range extender. It is powered by a 1.8GHz quad-core CPU, 512MB of RAM, and 256MB of flash memory.

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You tin manage the router using a web-based console or with the same Linksys iOS or Android mobile app used to manage the Velop serial of mesh Wi-Fi systems. The app has virtually of the same functionality as the web console, just you lot go more granular control with the console. For instance, you lot can set application prioritization and limit downstream bandwidth with the spider web console, just not with the app. Additionally, the web console offers a few advanced options that you don't get with the app including VLAN, Wireless Scheduling, Airtime Fairness settings, and Speed Test, which lets you lot measure out your router'south internet upload and download speeds.

The mobile app opens to a Dashboard screen that displays the proper name of the network, cyberspace connectivity status, and the number of connected devices. Information technology as well shows the names (SSIDs) of each radio band on the master and guest networks. Tap any band to grant access to users via email or text messaging. The bulletin contains the SSID and countersign for that item band. To display a listing of connected clients, tap Devices, then tap whatever device proper name to apply parental controls or to give the device bandwidth prioritization.

Parental Controls are limited. Yous can block websites and create schedules to limit access to the net, but yous don't get the age-appropriate filters that y'all get with the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AC5300 and the Netgear NightHawk X6S AC4000 (R8000P), nor do you get the congenital-in malware protection that comes with the Asus Rapture router. Nevertheless, the EA9300 does back up Alexa vocalism commands that allow yous to do things like enable guest networking and adjust certain Wi-Fi settings with spoken commands.

To admission router settings, tap the 3 bars in the upper left corner of the Dashboard screen. Hither you can edit SSIDs and passwords, configure security type (WPA/WPA2 Mixed Enterprise, WPA/WPA2 Mixed Personal, WPA2 Enterprise, WPA2 Personal, WEP), configure channel and aqueduct width settings, and enable/disable Ring-Steering. Avant-garde settings allow you configure Port Forwarding and Port Triggering, set up MAC filters, and configure DHCP and DNS settings. Utilise the Assistants settings to upgrade firmware, ready a time zone, view the router IP address, and restart the router.

Keeping Upwardly With the Competition

Installing the EA9300 is fast and easy. I started by downloading the mobile app and creating an business relationship. Subsequently plugging in the router, I tapped Launch Setup and selected All Other Routers from the listing and followed the in-app instructions to connect to the router using my phone'southward Wi-Fi settings with the SSID and countersign plant on the base of the router. I then tapped Find My Router and was instantly directed to the EA9300 Setup screen. I tapped Proceed and was prompted to personalize my network by creating names for each ring (you lot tin can elect to utilise one name for all three bands if you are using Smart Connect) and entering a new password. I created an administrative password for accessing the router's settings panel, and the installation was consummate.

Encounter How We Exam Wireless Routers

The EA9300 turned in solid results on our throughput performance tests. Its score of 95Mbps on the 2.4GHz close-proximity (same-room) test was identical to that of the Netgear NightHawk X6S R8000P, but non quite as fast as the TP-Link Archer C5400X (113Mbps). The Asus Rapture GT-AC5300 led with a score of 128Mbps. On the 30-foot test, the EA9300'south score of 69Mbps was a bit slower than the contest, but non by much.

On our 5GHz close-proximity test, the EA9300 scored 485Mbps, besting the Netgear NightHawk X6S by 23Mbps, only abaft the Archer C5400X by about 100Mbps. The Rapture GT-AC5300 recorded 601Mbps, the fastest score we've seen to engagement from whatsoever router. At a altitude of thirty feet, the EA9300's 305Mbps was most identical to the TP-Link Archer C5400X (306Mbps) and 35Mbps faster than the Netgear NightHawk X6S. The Asus Rapture GT-AC5300 led with a score of 330Mbps.

The EA9300 performed wonderfully on our file-transfer tests in which we utilize a USB 3.0 difficult drive and a 1.5GB folder containing a mix of photo, video, music, and document files to measure read and write speeds. Its write score of 78MBps is the fastest we've seen to date, squeaking past the Netgear NightHawk X10 R9000 (77MBps). The TP-Link Archer C5400X and the Asus Rapture GT-AC5300 delivered write speeds of 35MBps and 39MBps, respectively. The EA9300'south read score of 80MBps was also outstanding, but roughshod a bit short of the Netgear NightHawk X10 (89MBps). Still, it was significantly faster than the TP-Link Archer C5400X (40MBps) and the Asus Rapture GT-AC5300 (42MBps).

Iii Bands, Merely Not the Best

The Linksys Max-Stream EA9300 is a solid choice for decorated home networks that require a third radio band to handle tasks like video streaming, online gaming, and torrent downloads. It's non the fastest router out there, and it'southward pricey considering its modest characteristic set, but it delivers relatively good throughput and file-transfer speeds. However, you don't get any malware protection and parental controls are express to site-blocking and admission-scheduling. For more robust parental controls, built-in protection confronting viruses and other malicious threats, and the fastest 5GHz throughput performance nosotros've seen, consider the Editors' Choice Asus ROG Rapture GT-AC5300 . It'll price nearly $100 more the EA9300, but it is loaded with I/O ports and gamer-friendly management settings. Or if yous're willing to sacrifice some features, the Asus RT-AC86U is also a solid option at $199.

Linksys Max-Stream AC4000 MU-MIMO Tri-Band Router (EA9300)

Cons

The Bottom Line

The Linksys Max-Stream EA9300 is a solid-performing tri-band router for loftier-bandwidth scenarios like video streaming and online gaming.

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Source: https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/linksys-max-stream-ac4000-mu-mimo-tri-band-router-ea9300

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