Linksys EA7500 AC1900 (3x3) MU-MIMO Router

[mediatrek]

Checking of the FCC filings today, I saw that Linksys has the EA7500 in the pipeline. As I type this, the external, internal images and manual are all viewable.

The EA7500 is a 3x3 MU-MIMO 100% Qualcomm-Atheros solution using the 1.4GHz IPQ8064 SoC, QCA8337-AL3C switch, and QCA9982 and QCA9983. The 3 external antennas appear to be the same as the EA8500. The EA7500 has a USB 3.0 port and a USB 2.0 port.

 

[thiggins]

Thanks for the report. A pretty odd duck and perhaps a shot at lowering the cost of MU-MIMO. A 3x3 design will support only two MU devices, but that's probably ok since no one has any MU devices anyway.

 

[JohnnySL]

That CPU is a really strong one though, about 10 percent faster than the 1.6ghz that sits currently in the WRT1900ACS

 

[mediatrek]

I have been hoping for a 2x2 or 3x3 MU-MIMO device could use as a bridge for my home entertainment equipment (smart TV, blu-ray player). Right now I am using Netgear's EX6200 (ac1200), and it runs too hot for my liking.

 

[thiggins]

I have been hoping for a 2x2 or 3x3 MU-MIMO device could use as a bridge for my home entertainment equipment (smart TV, blu-ray player). Right now I am using Netgear's EX6200 (ac1200), and it runs too hot for my liking.

MU-MIMO will do nothing to improve bridge performance. It improves total bandwidth use by allowing multiple devices to share the same transmit time slot.

A 2x2 MU-MIMO router would provide no benefit. You need two MU devices at minimum to see any gain in total throughput.

 

[thiggins]

Review posted.

 

[Mercury_joe]

LONG LONG time reader here. I was reading you before you split off to your own web site. I just thought I would finally join the forum and post something.

I tested one of these router for a few months prior to the release. That was a pretty fair review you did. It matched some of the feedback that I sent in.

While I have no MU-MUMO devices to test but I can tell you that it is a strong router than easily handled almost everything as well as my R7000 that is running the Tomato firmware. The only thing it did not do as well in was QOS, but that is something that Tomato has made a staple feature for a long time and I honestly do not expect a consumer router with stock firmware to match it. Granted, it was not too bad until the bandwidth got saturated from the ISP and then it was trying to balance everything equally which did not sit well with my Roku.

The radio is IMHO far better than the R7000. I had both of them set up side by side and I could connect and use the EA7500 from a much farther distance in the 2.4 band. They were just about equal in the 5.0 bad as far as distance and real world testing were concerned.

Someone talked about using it as a bridge? Let me tell you. It is ROCK solid as a wireless bridge I am running at a constant 600/600 uplink/downlink since I moved it to that duty.

On the price being an issue? Every router (or any other electronic gizmo for that matter) when it comes out runs a little high in cost. It is the new shiny gizmo and this one is better/better/faster thanks to the MU-MIMO moniker hung on the box. It is something that the average consumer does not really understand and will buy it for that reason. Give it a few months and I wager it will be done at comparable prices to the competition.

Bottom line: I would recommend it to my mother, brother, non-technical friend BECAUSE of the easy interface and setup.