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- Review count3
- Helpfulness votes29
- First reviewMarch 1, 2014
- Last reviewJanuary 31, 2016
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- Average rating4.7
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Mastermind278's Reviews
With so many devices in use, your home network is busier than ever. This Linksys router can eliminate slowdown and interference by delivering Wi-Fi signals directly to each device, so everyone can listen to music, stream movies, and shop or game online at the same time..
Posted by: Mastermind278
from NJ
I received this product for free as part of Belkin's Friends + Family Program, nonetheless my review and opinions are not affected by the program and I am providing my honest opinions.
The Linksys Max-Stream AC2600 is a great router for most users. The Linksys AC2600 is small sized with 4 removable and adjustable antennas. I really enjoy the antennas can be moved around and can be removed. The router has one LED in the front of the router that is solid white when everything is good or blinking when there is something wrong. This LED makes it easy to diagnosis if something wrong is going on when the router. I do wish it had a few more LEDs in the front for more quick diagnosis for when things go wrong (but this is mostly a personal preference for me). The router has a USB3.0 port and eSata/USB port on the back which is a bit unique.
Installing the router was as simple as plug and play. Once we had our modem connected and our Ethernet cables for our switches, everything quickly was setup via the routers webpage. The interface is very easy to use and quite simple for most users. Furthermore, the router has a feature that it will also automatically update firmware which is wonderful for more novice users, allowing the router to keep everything well protected. We know that most people do not check firmware on their routers so this can really improve wireless security and general home network security.
One of the issues I had with the device is that I thought I did not have access to enough settings to change as an advanced user. For example, by default the router comes with the Guest WiFi enabled. This Guest WiFi uses an unsecure network but then loads a web portal for the guest to login. I personally prefer a method where my Guest WiFi is protected with WPA2 versus a web portal, however there is no option to change it from an unsecure network. For hardcore users, some of these settings not being available can be a negative.
The Linksys is an AC2600 router which is great. It has wonderful speeds on both the 2.4Ghz and 5.0Ghz bands of the router. The thing that really differentiates the Linksys from other routers on the market is that it can do MU-MIMO, which allows for better speeds on the network and being able to hold more devices on the network. In other words, some other routers will broadcast 2- 5GHz signals; whereas the Linksys will only broadcast 1 5 GHz signal but performs as well due to the MU-MIMO.
The router performed well with various video streaming services. I had no problems streaming on Netflix, HBOGo, and Amazon Instant Video. I also had no issues streaming live TV via HDHomerun either using the WiFi to my Nexus Player.
I had no issues connecting my USB drives to router. The Linksys performed well with various drives of mine. I was able to stream various video files from my USB hard drive just fine. Everything loaded quickly and effectively.
Overall I recommend the Linksys EA8500. Being that it is MU-MIMO the router is future proof and likely to improve with time. It has great WiFi coverage and speeds throughout our entire home. Due to not having more advance features, I am knocking 1 start from the router, otherwise I would have no reservations about it.
My Best Buy number: 0962332515
I would recommend this to a friend!
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With Wireless-AC technology and dual-band speeds up to 1900 Mbps, this TP-LINK Archer T9E network adapter provides reliable wireless access, so you can enjoy online gaming, 4K Ultra HD video streaming and more.
Posted by: Mastermind278
from NJ
The Archer T9E is without a doubt the next best thing to using a a wired Ethernet connection on a desktop. I have always been a big advocate of hardwired connections for desktops, but we all know that at times this is not possible due to many various issues. Today with the various wireless AC routers, the barriers that I previously had no longer seem to exist with using wireless. I got the T9E to go to a desktop we had in our second floor (I have my networking equipment in the home office in the first floor). Running a wire upstairs was going to take a lot more work than I really wanted to endeavor. Nonetheless, I felt this card could be the best option.
When I first got the card, I was completely impressed that it actually came with both the long and short cover. which naturally helps as we were going to use this on an HTPC which is in a smaller case. It was simple to swap out the long cover to the short. The actual card looked sturdy and it was great that it had 3 antennas to really maximize the signal and quality of the signal. It has a nice little heat sink to help keep it cool too. It has a PCI-Ex1 plug which is good for the card plus is able to plug-in to all the other various PCI-Ex* slots.
I initially installed the card on my brand new Windows 10 install. The drivers did not automatically download via Windows Update. However, I naturally pulled up the TP-Link site and was able to download the drivers to make it work, simple and easy. The product does come with a CD however, I do not have a disk drive on the HTPC I was using, so I was able to just download it and throw it on a flash drive.
I initially installed the card on my brand new Windows 10 install. The drivers did not automatically download via Windows Update. However, I naturally pulled up the TP-Link site and was able to download the drivers to make it work, simple and easy. The product does come with a CD however, I do not have a disk drive on the HTPC I was using, so I was able to just download it and throw it on a flash drive.
Once the card was up and running, I was amazed by the speeds I was able to achieve with it. I currently have Comcast's Xfinity Blast service. I am more than capable of maximizing my internet connection speeds (150/10 - I actually get more on both Ethernet and now wireless) while still maintaining great ping times. Another thing I had to verify with the card was moving files back and forth within my LAN. I have a NAS which contains most of our files including very large files. In all my tests I did, the wireless card handled the load perfectly (the limiting factor actually came down to my disk drives as it was maximizing their read/write speeds).
Being that this card is being used in a HTPC, I also had to test various streaming video services. I had no buffering issues at all.
All in all, I am very happy with the T9E. It works better than I would have expected for a wireless card. No matter what I threw at it, it handled everything perfectly. I have no reservations recommending this wireless card to everyone. It's without a doubt the perfect replacement for an Ethernet connection.
My Best Buy number: 0962332515
I would recommend this to a friend!
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29of 31voted this as helpful.
With speeds up to 1300 Mbps at 5.0GHz and up to 600 Mbps at 2.4GHz, this Asus RT-AC68R 802.11ac wireless router offers rapid data transfer. AiRadar technology ensures optimal coverage and signal strength.
Customer Rating
5
Great Router at a great price
on March 1, 2014
Posted by: Mastermind278
from NJ
I use it in...:Small home
Verified Purchase:Yes
I really love this router. It has greatly increased the range on my home network which I did require. Having the dual 5ghz and 2.4ghz cuts down on some of interference while still being able to connect my 2.4ghz only devices. Another great thing is that this router allows you to run certain software, for example downloading software such as Pyload. Overall it's a great looking device that just works well.
My Best Buy number: 0962332515
My Best Buy number: 0962332515
I would recommend this to a friend!
Ease of Use
5
Performance
5
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