Linksys WRT-1900ACS Reviewed

RTN · Oct 10, 2015

thiggins said:
Review posted
http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/wire...-wrt1900acs-dual-band-gigabit-router-reviewed

Thank you for the interesting and detailed review

I added a link to the review page wikidevi

https://wikidevi.com/wiki/Linksys_WRT1900ACS

Update:
1) Switch: Marvell 88E6176-TFJ2 (as in the Linksys WRT1200AC)
2) OpenVPN: client-to-router (two identical images on the second page)

red_pope · Oct 10, 2015

The thirteen deadliest sin of Linksys WRT-1900ACS is a "Marvell-based AC1900 class router"
Ill stay clear from them, even do they could dandruff "the hairs of the chip set", they still carry too much dandruff in other areas.
Even do OpenWRT is available there is a lot "proprietary shadows" lurking inside them, that OpenWRT cannot touch.

thiggins · Oct 10, 2015

Looked odd to me too. So I ran tests four times vs. the usual two. Only one run was significantly different. But the throughput vs. attenuation curve looked odd, so I didn't use it.

sm00thpapa · Oct 10, 2015

I was anxious to get this router but after this review not so much.

sfx2000 · Oct 10, 2015

thiggins said:
Looked odd to me too. So I ran tests four times vs. the usual two. Only one run was significantly different. But the throughput vs. attenuation curve looked odd, so I didn't use it.

I'd reach out to Linksys - this looks like a calibration issue in 2.4GHz with the baseline noise/MCS levels - as the numbers, while slower, are pretty consistent across range...

Might be an easy fix with firmware update.

(BTW - the WRT1900acV1 has LNA/Switches, but can't tell the make/model number due to pic quality, same goes with the WRT1200ac - they're all basically the same RF complex, minor part number changes due to cost and availability)

thiggins · Oct 11, 2015

sm00thpapa said:
I was anxious to get this router but after this review not so much.

Why not get it and try it? 2.4GHz results could be a fluke of the test chamber.

JohnnySL · Oct 11, 2015

To be honest i find this review a little confusing due to the disregard of the existence of the wrt1900ac v2 model in between. The old models that are still available in the shops are likely v2 models (also without a fan) and not the orginal v1 with the fan). Might be worth mentioning this in the review?
It would of course be even nicer if the acs could be compared with the v2.

As others here also mentioned: this model seems -from a funtionality standpoint- to be identical to the wrt1900ac v2, but with a cpu speedbump from 1.3 to 1.6ghz.
Technically it even uses the same components, yet it it has a redesigned board: even more focussed on cost reduction.

thiggins · Oct 11, 2015

What's so confusing? The product reviewed is clearly identified.

sfx2000 · Oct 11, 2015

thiggins said:
Why not get it and try it? 2.4GHz results could be a fluke of the test chamber.

I'm not sure - consider SNB's testing is fairly consistent, we have to accept the numbers as they are - exp. if it's 2x the normal runs... every device runs pretty much in the same platform and same test cases/scenarios...

So it's really up to Linksys to sort the issue with 2.4GHz, considering where they were with the 1900acV1, and the 1200ac was in-line with expectations for Wireless performance overall.

I appreciate Tim for reporting honest results in his testing/review of this device.

Robert107 · Oct 12, 2015

thiggins said:
What's so confusing? The product reviewed is clearly identified.

Looking at your review I could probably keep my WRT1900AC V2. I was going to order the WRT1900ACS but it seems like I have no reason to. Just out of curiosity .. How does everyone know that the router is running at 1.3ghz and not 1.6ghz. The box also says it has 256 mb of RAM when it's really 512. Is there a way to check CPU speed in sysifo?

JohnnySL · Oct 13, 2015

Robert107 said:
Looking at your review I could probably keep my WRT1900AC V2. I was going to order the WRT1900ACS but it seems like I have no reason to. Just out of curiosity .. How does everyone know that the router is running at 1.3ghz and not 1.6ghz. The box also says it has 256 mb of RAM when it's really 512. Is there a way to check CPU speed in sysifo?

It's 1.6, i've compared the bogomips between the V1 and the V2, and the difference is exactly the 1.2/1.6

more interesting is that the openwrt and dd-wrt bogomips figures of the v2 indicate that it doesn't do CPU throttling in the V2, while it still does in the V1.

all in all, my conclusion is starting to be that the ACS version is feature wise identical to the V2. Maybe there is still a difference between the boards, although even that i'm now doubting.

JohnnySL · Oct 15, 2015

thiggins said:
What's so confusing? The product reviewed is clearly identified.

What i'm confused about is that you ignore the existance of the v2, and talk as if the V1 can still be bought in the shops.

But it is now confirmed the ACS and the V2 are identical, and have the same FCC-ID. So it IS just a rebadged V2.

Credits for the guy that found it: http://www.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=987582#987582

The FCC documentation (pictures of the WRT1900AC-V2) revealed that at least that WRT1900AC-V2 was using a Marvell "88F6820-A0 C160" CPU, mind you, that's the 1.6Ghz variant.
(FCC documents regarding WRT1900ACV2 can be found here: https://fcc.io/Q87/-WRT1900ACV2 )

The FCC-ID of the WRT1900AC-V2 is: "Q87-WRT1900ACV2" and the FCC ID of the WRT1900ACS is also " Q87-WRT1900ACV2".

The WRT1900ACS was never certified as a different model / hardware-version but as the WRT1900ACV2.
So both routers must be identical, otherwise they would have to get the new hardware certified and it would have gotten a different FCC-ID.

nagle3092 · Oct 15, 2015

http://www.linksys.com/us/support-article?articleNum=165487

ACS firmware is up, anyone try flashing it to a V2 yet? I will give it a shot this weekend (FYI not advising you do this without knowing how to recover via serial).

chadster766 · Oct 16, 2015

nagle3092 said:
http://www.linksys.com/us/support-article?articleNum=165487

ACS firmware is up, anyone try flashing it to a V2 yet? I will give it a shot this weekend (FYI not advising you do this without knowing how to recover via serial).

I have a V2 handy. What would flashing the ACS firmware on a V2 do?

nagle3092 · Oct 16, 2015

chadster766 said:
I have a V2 handy. What would flashing the ACS firmware on a V2 do?

I'm just curious if it will take thats all (since they are apparently the same device with a different label). Also it's a different size than the V2 firmware from 6/18 so I am wondering if there are any changes.

RMerlin · Oct 16, 2015

I wouldn't try that unless you had a TTL serial cable and the skill to use it. Same board layout does not mean it's the exact same flash technology, same RAM timings, or that everything is tied to the same gpios. There's is a certain risk of bricking.

nagle3092 · Oct 16, 2015

RMerlin said:
I wouldn't try that unless you had a TTL serial cable and the skill to use it. Same board layout does not mean it's the exact same flash technology, same RAM timings, or that everything is tied to the same gpios. There's is a certain risk of bricking.

Yeah I have one and have had to recover the wrt1900ac before with a bad build of dd-wrt when they were first rolling out support for it (not sure if you can even revert to stock yet by flashing the linksys firmware, I know when I used it last if you wanted dd-wrt off the device you had to flash over it via serial). So I am comfortable with recovering it. The beautiful thing about the 1900V2/ACS/1200 is its 2 screws and a tug and you have access to the serial connection. The purple/blue part slides right off with tug and its right there. It takes less than an minute to get the connection.

chadster766 · Oct 16, 2015

nagle3092 said:
Yeah I have one and have had to recover the wrt1900ac before with a bad build of dd-wrt when they were first rolling out support for it. So I am comfortable with recovering it. The beautiful thing about the 1900V2/ACS/1200 is its 2 screws and a tug and you have access to the serial connection. The purple/blue part slides right off with tug and its right there.

What I don't get is why Linksys engineering didn't just put the header out the back of the unit so users don't have to take it apart.

nagle3092 · Oct 16, 2015

chadster766 said:
What I don't get is why Linksys engineering didn't just put the header out the back of the unit so users don't have to take it apart.

Well at least they made it easier to get to on the 1900V2/ACS/1200 vs the first revision so I will give them kudos for that. I am guessing its so they don't get messed with by someone inexperienced, I mean if your worried about disassembling a device you probably shouldn't be messing with those pins to begin with.

chadster766 · Oct 16, 2015

nagle3092 said:
I mean if your worried about disassembling a device you probably shouldn't be messing with those pins to begin with.

I don't really agree with this because it opens up the whole hardware warranty issue once the case is opened but I do see your point like someone trying to plug a USB device in the TTL header

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