Linksys EA9500 (AC5400) Router Review

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Linksys, in general, is a high-performance router brand. The Linksys EA9500 (Ac5400) comes with MU-MIMO technology and is one of the fastest Wi-Fi routers available on the market. This Wi-Fi router EA9500 is the latest addition in the AC Series routers.

Although it is a high-end Wi-Fi router with a high price. However, considering the high-speed wireless performance and greater coverage of range, most users purchase this product. We did the same and bought the Linksys EA9500 (Ac5400) to test the wireless performance.

In today’s review, we are going to share our testing results with you. Also, we will talk about the design, hardware specifications, and installation of the EA9500. Read on!

Specifications

Size: 10.4 x 2.6 x 12.5 inches

Antennas: 8 Fully Adjustable

Wi-Fi Spec: 802.11ac Tri-Band (5 GHz + 5GHz + 2.4 GHz)

Ports: 1 x USB 2.0 and 1 x 3.0 ports

Peak Performance: 2,166 Mbps

Range: 3200 sqft.

Unbox Video

Networking

The Linksys EA9500 (Ac5400) is a powerful, tri-band quad-stream Wi-Fi router with a combined bandwidth of up to 5,333 Mbps. The router has one 2.4GHz radio frequency band two 5GHz radio frequency band. At 5 GHz, the router reaches a maximum speed of 2,166 Mbps and at 2.4 GHz, the maximum speed reaches 1,000 Mbps.

With EA9500, you will experience high-speeds of this magnitude. We tested the router with different Wi-Fi clients such as laptops, smartphones, and tablets. We found that the speed had reached 1,300 Mbps, which is the top speed we measured on these devices. There was a slight difference in the speed on a smartphone and tablet.

The Linksys-Ac5400 supports MU-MIMO technology, which is designed for effective handling of Wi-Fi bandwidth in large homes with different clients of speed grades. Each client connects to the router at higher speeds with affecting the speed of other Wi-Fi clients.

We tested the wireless performance of the device at different distances. On the 5 GHz radio frequency band, at 5 feet, we measured a maximum speed of 915 Mbps. At 15 feet, the average speed measured was 700 Mbps. At 30 feet, the speed measured was 547 Mbps.

Moreover, on the 2.4 GHz radio frequency band, at a close range of 5 feet, we measured an average speed of 756 Mbps. The speed went down a bit at 15 feet, which was 513 Mbps. Likewise, we measured the speed of the router at 30 feet, and it was 396 Mbps. These are satisfactory results.

One important thing we want to share is that we also tested the device from 100 feet away and found that the Linksys EA9500 delivered 500 Mbps speed. This is extremely impressive considering the speed of the router at 5, 15, and 30 feet.

Design

To date, we have reviewed dozens of router and considered factors like a footprint, size, and shape. When it comes to the Linksys EA9500 Ac5400 Wi-Fi router, it looks absolutely stylish. The slim and sleek design of the router makes it an eye-catching device. Routers falling in some categories like the TP-Link AC1900 have a smaller shape and sleek design. These are specifically designed for home users only.

On the other hand, there is a D-Link AC3200 router, which is a bit larger than the Linksys Ac5400 router. At the same time, we found that the Linksys EA9500 is a bit heavier than most of its competitors of the same and different brands.

The Linksys EA9500 is an imposing Wi-Fi router. It has great size and overall presence. It comes with 8 separate antennas, which line all sides of the router unit. The device has black plastic finish with a small display, which is tucked away on top.

The screen size is nice and the display is good too. This appears to emanate from the router inside itself with a white glow, which flashes periodically in the blue color in case the MU-MIMO activity is detected or if you change the settings.

The Linksys Ac5400 looks cool but we think the screen on the front of the router is useless and there was no need for it. We talked to other users about the display screen and some of them think that what Linksys thinking was when they designed the display screen. Other users think that it is a good addition to the router in the AC series.

Also, if you want to reduce the intensity of the flashing light, there is no option to reduce it. The downside of this router is that you won’t find a button the device to turn off the ambient light in case you don’t like it in the darkroom. Anyway, the weight of the device is 3.9 pounds and the dimensions are 10.4 x 2.6 x 12.5 inches.

Hardware

The Linksys EA9500 AC5400 is a powerful router that provides high-speed wireless connectivity even through thick walls and long ranges.

You will be amazed to know that this high-speed is achieved through the powerful dual-core processor with a clock speed of 1.4 GHz.

It is a tri-band wireless router with 802.11ac Wave 2 technology equipped with Beamforming and MU-MIMO technology capabilities.

There are 8 powerful antennas and 9 Gigabit Ethernet ports of which 1 is the internet port and the other 8 are LAN. Also, there are 1 USB 2.0 ports and 1 USB 3.0 ports.

These are used to set up any external storage or onboard media servers. It has 256 MB of RAM and 128 MB of flash memory.

Installation

The installation process of the Linksys EA9500 is easy and quick. One of the best things that happen to us in terms of Wi-Fi router installation is with the Linksys EA9500. It is because it comes with the smart Wi-Fi setup utility that helps configure the basic wireless and internet settings.

To set up the device, you need to connect the router simply to the PC and power it up. Now, open the browser and enter linksyssmartwifi.com and the on-screen prompt. The process of installation does not take more than 5 minutes. The smart Wi-Fi Setup will guide you through the steps to set up and configure the Linksys EA9500 (Ac5400) router.

What We Liked

• MU-MIMO technology
• Numerous LAN ports
• Outstanding wireless performance
• Extensive management settings

What We didn’t Like

• Slightly heavier than most Wi-Fi models
• High Price Router

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