Linksys WRT1900AC AC1900 Dual Band Wireless Router Review

[thiggins]

There is no Hardware acceleration switch in the WRT1900AC.

In past articles, I have published results for some routers with cutthrough or HW acceleration disabled. It can reduce routing throughput significantly, but still well above 100 Mbps

 

[isamudaison]

It's odd that there is very little user feed back even though the router was flying of the shelves.

I set mine up the other night and briefly played with it... It seemed very stable and about as fast as my ac68U, but lacking some key features it's not much use to me (yet). It's an excellent router (that I would buy for my parents), but I won't be seriously using it until they come out with more complete f/w or there materializes a fully-featured 3rd party f/w.

 

[KGB7]

I set mine up the other night and briefly played with it... It seemed very stable and about as fast as my ac68U, but lacking some key features it's not much use to me (yet). It's an excellent router (that I would buy for my parents), but I won't be seriously using it until they come out with more complete f/w or there materializes a fully-featured 3rd party f/w.

In other words, it works right out of the box with no issues?

If thats true, then its a great start compared to other brand routers.

 

[Mordred]

In other words, it works right out of the box with no issues?

If thats true, then its a great start compared to other brand routers.

LOL, with the first "reviews" you always have to be careful. Especially on 3rd part sites. On Amazon you always find positive comments on day one, once a new product comes out, a few weeks later suddenly people start complaining.
This is not strange but payed positive comments.

I checked linksys support forum and there are already people complaing

 

[jalyst]

LOL, with the first "reviews" you always have to be careful. Especially on 3rd part sites. On Amazon you always find positive comments on day one, once a new product comes out, a few weeks later suddenly people start complaining.
This is not strange but payed positive comments.

Lets stick on-topic, please, not yet another divergence...
Besides, isamudaison's post (which is the post KGB7 was addressing) most certainly wasn't a "paid review".

I checked linksys support forum and there are already people complaing

I'd be surprised if there wasn't, it's "par for the course" for every device since, always.

 

[irev210]

Let me see if we can get this back on topic to talk about more interesting things.

All the sites mentioned, SNB included, are advertiser supported. I can't speak to the editorial policies of other sites. But in SNB's case, we're a very small operation and I own and run the business.

There's not a lot behind the curtain, guys. I have no editorial or advertising director telling me what to cover or how to cover it. I do most of the testing personally to ensure consistency and that methods are properly followed. I collaborate with only a few people who I trust and edit everything they write... usually with a heavier hand than I would put up with .

Ad sales are handled by an agency that I am in regular contact with, mostly to provide advice about general traffic trends and possible new ad positions and methods.

I have been covering the consumer networking business since pretty much the start (anyone remember the UMAX router?). So I'm known by all the major companies in the business and I am told that SNB is highly respected because manufacturers know their products will get a tough, but fair review.

Manufacturers know they can't buy a good review or even product coverage through advertising or any other means. They also know that our test methods are as fair and non-biased as we can make them and objective with focus on facts and analysis driven by data.

That's how SNB has earned their respect and trust. That's how I hope to continue to earn yours.

Tim-

One of the great things about SMB is how objective you try to be on something that is, by nature, very subjective.

While everyone on here seems to revolve around a specific feature that's most important to them, you do a great job of breaking down those things and allowing each user to zone in on what is important to them.

For me, I only care about 5GHz performance. I live in a fairly urban area so I can pick up at least 50 APs around my home making the 2.4GHz band basically unusable.

On the 5GHz band, I am challenged because I live in an old building with very thick solid old brick walls and very thick lathe/plaster walls (yes, before drywall). In addition, I have a very long and narrow condo, making wireless even more challenging. Despite my best efforts to place my router in the center of the condo (lots of wiring involved) I still have issues getting my Asus AC66 to cover the entire place. This plaster/brick/etc makes it tough for signal to travel ~25 feet (yes, I go from about -45dB in the room the router is in to about -75 to -80dB 25ft away).

One of the other things that was important to me - my router is high up in a closet - so the internal fan will help with temps which can creep.


So, I guess my question is - is the WRT1900AC router worth the money for additional coverage and the fan over my ASUS RT-AC66U running merlin? It seems like the R7000 is the way to go for 5GHz coverage. At the end of the day, will it just not matter? Coverage OK right now, just not ideal - I have a few minor dead zones that I am trying to tackle.

 

[thiggins]

So, I guess my question is - is the WRT1900AC router worth the money for additional coverage and the fan over my ASUS RT-AC66U running merlin? It seems like the R7000 is the way to go for 5GHz coverage. At the end of the day, will it just not matter? Coverage OK right now, just not ideal - I have a few minor dead zones that I am trying to tackle.

I honestly can't say from the chamber testing, which indicates that the top AC1900 routers have roughly similar throughput vs. signal level curves.

One or the other might provide a slight edge over the other in real-world conditions. And there have been user reports of better signal strength and range.

Have you considered a second AP connected via powerline?

 

[irev210]

I honestly can't say from the chamber testing, which indicates that the top AC1900 routers have roughly similar throughput vs. signal level curves.

One or the other might provide a slight edge over the other in real-world conditions. And there have been user reports of better signal strength and range.

Have you considered a second AP connected via powerline?

I've thought about a second AP (I've run ethernet, so it could easily be a wired solution) but with the current setup I've come extremely close to complete coverage. I really don't want the extra device/wires/power consumption if I could avoid it. Keeping all of my networked devices in a closet has really cleaned things up.

I might just hold off until AC3200 devices come out later this year or take a stab at the R7000 or WRT1900AC if I can find a deal.

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[thiggins]

I've thought about a second AP (I've run ethernet, so it could easily be a wired solution) but with the current setup I've come extremely close to complete coverage. I really don't want the extra device/wires/power consumption if I could avoid it. Keeping all of my networked devices in a closet has really cleaned things up.

I might just hold off until AC3200 devices come out later this year or take a stab at the R7000 or WRT1900AC if I can find a deal.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Higher order AC devices are not going to improve range. They are focused on making the bandwidth pipe larger and sucking up all available 5 GHz spectrum.

There is a reason why the pros add APs when they want to increase / improve coverage. At 7-12 W for an AP, you're adding a night light.

 

[ehume]

Tim-

One of the great things about SMB is how objective you try to be on something that is, by nature, very subjective.

While everyone on here seems to revolve around a specific feature that's most important to them, you do a great job of breaking down those things and allowing each user to zone in on what is important to them.

For me, I only care about 5GHz performance. I live in a fairly urban area so I can pick up at least 50 APs around my home making the 2.4GHz band basically unusable.

On the 5GHz band, I am challenged because I live in an old building with very thick solid old brick walls and very thick lathe/plaster walls (yes, before drywall). In addition, I have a very long and narrow condo, making wireless even more challenging. Despite my best efforts to place my router in the center of the condo (lots of wiring involved) I still have issues getting my Asus AC66 to cover the entire place. This plaster/brick/etc makes it tough for signal to travel ~25 feet (yes, I go from about -45dB in the room the router is in to about -75 to -80dB 25ft away).

One of the other things that was important to me - my router is high up in a closet - so the internal fan will help with temps which can creep.


So, I guess my question is - is the WRT1900AC router worth the money for additional coverage and the fan over my ASUS RT-AC66U running merlin? It seems like the R7000 is the way to go for 5GHz coverage. At the end of the day, will it just not matter? Coverage OK right now, just not ideal - I have a few minor dead zones that I am trying to tackle.

You might find this interesting: (link)

I don't know if it will be relevant, but he consistently tests with the same network places.

 

[speedingcheetah]

Tim-

For me, I only care about 5GHz performance. I live in a fairly urban area so I can pick up at least 50 APs around my home making the 2.4GHz band basically unusable.

On the 5GHz band, I am challenged because I live in an old building with very thick solid old brick walls and very thick lathe/plaster walls (yes, before drywall). In addition, I have a very long and narrow condo, making wireless even more challenging. Despite my best efforts to place my router in the center of the condo (lots of wiring involved) I still have issues getting my Asus AC66 to cover the entire place. This plaster/brick/etc makes it tough for signal to travel ~25 feet (yes, I go from about -45dB in the room the router is in to about -75 to -80dB 25ft away).

So, I guess my question is - is the WRT1900AC router worth the money for additional coverage and the fan over my ASUS RT-AC66U running merlin? It seems like the R7000 is the way to go for 5GHz coverage. At the end of the day, will it just not matter? Coverage OK right now, just not ideal - I have a few minor dead zones that I am trying to tackle.

I live in an L shaped 3rd floor apartment. Stuckko outer walls, metal beams in the inner walls. 2.4band unusable 30+ networks. I only care about 5ghz and wired performance. With my AC56U, It covers my entire place. I can even walk down the outer hallway, 2 units over and still stay connected. Also, 2 floors down 1 unit over.

The power output of todays routers are regulated by FCC(i think) and tx/rx power varies on what channel u use. They all have this restriction. Some routers, you can bypass this by using custom firmware.( I was able to do this with Tomato and the Cisco E3000, even use channels not used in the USA.)

Best bet you have is get a router with external antenna and get higher db antennas...or better yet, directional antennas and point them in the direction of the dead spots. Omni-directional antennas, higher gain u go, the angle at which the signal is transmitted gets smaller...give u more range, but less omni- directional and more directional. (there was a nice graphic that showed this, but I can't find it at the moment)

 

[stevech]

The power output of todays routers are regulated by FCC(i think) and tx/rx power varies on what channel u use. They all have this restriction. Some routers, you can bypass this by using custom firmware.( I was able to do this with Tomato and the Cisco E3000, even use channels not used in the USA.)

The US region FCC limits on power radiated is much higher than consumer products can produce. The limit varies according to how directional your antennas are or are not; omnidirectional have the lowest allowed power. Narrow-beam yagi or parabolic dishes have the highest allowed power. The basis is that highly directional narrow-beam antennas create less potential interference.

The consumer routers vary the transmitter power according to what 802.11 bit rate is in use for any given client. Higher bit rates, lower power - to preserve the transmitted signal's quality (phase/amplitude distortion). Power is reduced about 6dB from lower rates to higher rates. The low level firmware is programmed to "know" what the max power vs. bit rate can be for the hardware in the design. The firmware ignores requests via the user interface for power settings that exceed the capability of the hardware (power amp) for a given bit rate and modulation mode.

In 2.4GHz, the FCC limits on power (radiated power, inclusive of antenna gain but versus the antenna directionality), are the same for all channels. In the 5GHz band, in the US and other regulatory regions, there are region-specific limits. In the US the 5.4GHz portion of the unlicensed band has low power limits and other requirements (DFS/APC) whereas most of the upper part of the 5.8GHz band have the same limits. And those limits are not the same but similar to 2.4GHz. In some countries, outdoor radiated power limits are very low, or are prohibited. It all varies widely.

Don't fake the region you are in by, say, by using custom firmware to use the upper 2.4GHz channels that are illegal in the US. They are prohibited due to life and safety issues with aircraft systems. Similar reasons for restrictions in 5.4GHz. The limitations are NOT just politics. Again, each region worldwide has its own restrictions because, e.g., in some countries public safety or aircraft/military use bands near unlicensed bands. It's not a game.

 

[TonyH]

Hi,
Belated but better be late than never. Posters, it'd be nice if you mention what OS you're
using with this router. Most are Windows, but Mac or Linux too? Heard 5GHz speed degrades when working on Mac, any Mac user? No one tried eSata port? I am waiting for mine which is in the mail(BIG thanks to Tim Higgins)

 

[speedingcheetah]

Don't fake the region you are in by, say, by using custom firmware to use the upper 2.4GHz channels that are illegal in the US. They are prohibited due to life and safety issues with aircraft systems. Similar reasons for restrictions in 5.4GHz. The limitations are NOT just politics. Again, each region worldwide has its own restrictions because, e.g., in some countries public safety or aircraft/military use bands near unlicensed bands. It's not a game.

Default region on Tomato was not USA. It was some other country(Singapore, I think). Set it to Japan and u can use the other channels. However, only one of my wifi adapters could see and use those channels...so not practical. I was not even aware that it was not set to USA for quite some time. I was told in the Tomato forums that the default was the "best" option.

And I do not believe that such a short range transmission would interfere with aircraft systems in the sky. Regardless, the whole hype about cell phones and wifi and other transmitting devices interfering with aircraft systems....maybe long time ago, but not for many years...Mythbusters busted that myth their first season. Anyway..that's a topic for a different thread....moving on...

Hi,
No one tried eSata port?

Most of the reviews posted on review sites have tested the esata. Speed of that varies depending on the hdd used, 5400 or 7200rpm etc. From what I have read, USB 3.0 seems to be faster than esata. This router still seems the best when it comes to attached storage speeds.

I have a 500gb WD blue 7,200rpm 3.5 drive I plan on trying on this router via sata to esata cable(my only hdd that is in a case with esata is my old 20gb xbox hdd...which is sloooww.)

I also have a 320gb 7,200rpm 2.5 usb3.0 drive I will try on it.

 

[sfx2000]

Hi Folks,

I've been out of hand for the last couple of weeks on some personal business - interesting comments in this thread.

I'll be taking a look at this device shortly and provide some objective feedback...

sfx

 

[hewligun]

Tim-

One of the great things about SMB is how objective you try to be on something that is, by nature, very subjective.

While everyone on here seems to revolve around a specific feature that's most important to them, you do a great job of breaking down those things and allowing each user to zone in on what is important to them.

For me, I only care about 5GHz performance. I live in a fairly urban area so I can pick up at least 50 APs around my home making the 2.4GHz band basically unusable.

On the 5GHz band, I am challenged because I live in an old building with very thick solid old brick walls and very thick lathe/plaster walls (yes, before drywall). In addition, I have a very long and narrow condo, making wireless even more challenging. Despite my best efforts to place my router in the center of the condo (lots of wiring involved) I still have issues getting my Asus AC66 to cover the entire place. This plaster/brick/etc makes it tough for signal to travel ~25 feet (yes, I go from about -45dB in the room the router is in to about -75 to -80dB 25ft away).

One of the other things that was important to me - my router is high up in a closet - so the internal fan will help with temps which can creep.


So, I guess my question is - is the WRT1900AC router worth the money for additional coverage and the fan over my ASUS RT-AC66U running merlin? It seems like the R7000 is the way to go for 5GHz coverage. At the end of the day, will it just not matter? Coverage OK right now, just not ideal - I have a few minor dead zones that I am trying to tackle.

For what its worth I would not recommend the R7000. I had 2 different r7000's over the course of a month and my old WRT610N happened to just start working randomly and i switched back to it until my new router comes in the mail and my wireless has been noticeably better.

The r7000 when working is great. just seems it lags negotiating and drops out. I dont have that issue on my wrt610n which i think is 6-7 years old.

 

[RogerSC]

For what its worth I would not recommend the R7000. I had 2 different r7000's over the course of a month and my old WRT610N happened to just start working randomly and i switched back to it until my new router comes in the mail and my wireless has been noticeably better.

The r7000 when working is great. just seems it lags negotiating and drops out. I dont have that issue on my wrt610n which i think is 6-7 years old.

Curious if you ever got the dd-wrt firmware going on your R7000? I saw your postings in that forum, but couldn't tell if you ever followed through with it? The reason that I ask is that I haven't seen the problems that you were having with stock R7000 firmware with dd-wrt for several months.

Maybe I'm too curious *smile*, just wondering if you ever did install dd-wrt and get it configured?

 

[hewligun]

Curious if you ever got the dd-wrt firmware going on your R7000? I saw your postings in that forum, but couldn't tell if you ever followed through with it? The reason that I ask is that I haven't seen the problems that you were having with stock R7000 firmware with dd-wrt for several months.

Maybe I'm too curious *smile*, just wondering if you ever did install dd-wrt and get it configured?

I did not. I got too busy and just did not have the time before my return window ran out. I am glad you have a better experience then I did. I just wonder if most people are hitting there home network as hard as I hit mine to even notice the issues i did.

 

[RogerSC]

I did not. I got too busy and just did not have the time before my return window ran out. I am glad you have a better experience then I did. I just wonder if most people are hitting there home network as hard as I hit mine to even notice the issues i did.

Yes, I can recommend the R7000 with dd-wrt firmware very highly. If you're going to use the Netgear firmware, you're more likely to run into problems if you get off the beaten path with the features that you use *smile*. Also, if problems do come up with dd-wrt firmware, you don't have to wait two months for them to be fixed.

You never know, though, maybe the next version of Netgear firmware will be the one?

 

[Poseidon]

Returned the WRT1900AC. Great hardware but the software is a huge disappointment. Typical of the new Linksys/Belkin.

Once 3rd party software is ready and/or factory firmware matures, I might give this router another try. Until then it's not ready for prime time.