Wireless Type | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac |
---|---|
Number of USB 3.0 Ports | 1 |
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Linksys AC2600 4 x 4 MU-MIMO Dual-Band Gigabit Router with USB 3.0 and eSATA (EA8500)
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Brand | Linksys |
Model Name | EA8500 |
Frequency Band Class | Dual-Band |
Wireless Communication Standard | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac |
Compatible Devices | Personal Computer |
Frequency | 5 GHz |
Recommended Uses For Product | Gaming |
Connectivity Technology | Wired^Wireless |
Color | Black |
Item Weight | 2.1 Pounds |
About this item
- Works with Amazon Alexa.IPv6 compatible: Yes
- 4x4 MU-MIMO (Multi-User MIMO) technology delivers four data streams for a seamless entertainment experience
- MU-MIMO handles heavy network traffic and high-bandwidth activities on multiple devices at the same time
- Powered by Qualcomm Internet Processor. Radio Frequency Bands: 2.4 & 5GHz.Wireless speeds of up to AC1733 Mbps + N800 Mbps.Networking Options:802.11b,802.11g,802.11n (2.4 GHz only)
- Data at speeds up to 2.53 Gbps, six times faster than Wireless-N.Platform Compatibility:Windows XP,Windows Vista 32/64,Windows 7 32/64,Windows 8 32/64,Windows 8.1 32/64,Mac OS X 10.5.8 Leopard,Mac OS X 10.6.1 Snow Leopard,Mac OS X 10.7 Lion,Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion,Mac OS X 10.9 Mavericks,Windows 10 32/64
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Product Description
LInksys WIFI
MX20MS1-AMZ
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Customer Reviews
|
4.5 out of 5 stars
124
|
4.2 out of 5 stars
77
|
4.1 out of 5 stars
242
|
3.5 out of 5 stars
36
|
4.3 out of 5 stars
151
|
4.2 out of 5 stars
306
|
4.3 out of 5 stars
157
|
WIFI Generation
| WIFI 6 | WIFI 6 | WIFI 6E | WIFI 7 | WIFI 6 | WIFI 6E | WIFI 6 |
Coverage
| 2,000 Sq. Feet | 2,700 Sq. Feet | 3,000 Sq. Feet | 3,000 Sq. Feet | 2,500 Sq. Feet | 2,700 Sq. Feet | 2,700 Sq. Feet |
# of Devices
| 25 | 30 | 200 | 200 | 25 | 55 | 30 |
Mesh Type
| Intelligent Mesh | Intelligent Mesh | Cognitive Mesh | Cognitive Mesh | Intelligent Mesh | Intelligent Mesh | Intelligent Mesh |
Release Year
| 2022 | 2022 | 2023 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2022 |
Compare with similar items
This Item Linksys AC2600 4 x 4 MU-MIMO Dual-Band Gigabit Router with USB 3.0 and eSATA (EA8500) | Recommendations | dummy | dummy | dummy | dummy | |
Try again! Added to Cart Add to Cart | Try again! Added to Cart Add to Cart | Try again! Added to Cart Add to Cart | Try again! Added to Cart Add to Cart | Try again! Added to Cart Add to Cart | Try again! Added to Cart Add to Cart | |
Price | $39.99$39.99 | -27% $94.99$94.99 List: $129.99 | -13% $199.99$199.99 List: $229.99 | -5% $94.75$94.75 List Price: $100.00 | -23% $99.99$99.99 List: $129.99 | -10% $179.99$179.99 List: $199.99 |
Delivery | Get it as soon as Sunday, Mar 31 | Get it as soon as Sunday, Mar 31 | Get it as soon as Sunday, Mar 31 | Get it as soon as Sunday, Mar 31 | Get it as soon as Sunday, Mar 31 | Get it as soon as Sunday, Mar 31 |
Customer Ratings | ||||||
WiFi signal | 3.6 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 4.1 | 4.4 |
Tech Support | 3.3 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 4.0 |
User interface | 3.9 | 4.2 | 4.0 | 3.9 | 4.0 | — |
Value for money | — | 4.3 | 5.0 | 2.8 | 3.9 | 4.3 |
Easy to install | 3.6 | — | 4.3 | — | 4.1 | 4.3 |
Sold By | One Stops Shop | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Tower Electronics Center | Reyee Direct | Amazon.com |
connectivity tech | Wired^Wireless | Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi, Ethernet, USB | Wi-Fi, Ethernet | Ethernet | ✅EDITORS‘ CHOICE |
number of ports | 8 | 5 | 5 | — | 5 | 5 |
data transfer rate | 2.53 gigabits per second | 2976 megabits per second | 4804 megabits per second | — | 3200 megabits per second | 5400 megabits per second |
wireless standard | 802 11 ABGNAC | 802 11 AX, 802 11 AC, 802 11 B, 802 11 G, 802 11 N | 802 11 AX, 802 11 AC, 802 11 N, 802 11 G, 802 11 B | 802 11 AC | 802 11 AX, 802 11 AC, 802 11 N, 802 11 G, 802 11 B | 802 11 AX, 802 11 AC, 802 11 N, 802 11 G, 802 11 B |
frequency band class | dual band | dual band | dual band | single band | dual band | tri band |
lan port bandwidth | — | 10/100/1000 Mbps | 10/100/1000 Mbps | — | 10/100 megabits per second | 10/100/1000 Mbps |
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Product information
Technical Details
Brand | Linksys |
---|---|
Series | EA8500 |
Item model number | EA8500 |
Hardware Platform | PC |
Operating System | Windows, Mac OS, Mac, PC, Windows |
Item Weight | 2.11 pounds |
Product Dimensions | 9.76 x 7.68 x 2.01 inches |
Item Dimensions LxWxH | 9.76 x 7.68 x 2.01 inches |
Color | Black |
Voltage | 120 Volts |
Batteries | 1 Product Specific batteries required. |
Manufacturer | Linksys |
ASIN | B00UVN21DK |
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
Date First Available | April 23, 2015 |
Additional Information
Customer Reviews |
3.9 out of 5 stars |
---|---|
Best Sellers Rank | #49,984 in Computers & Accessories (See Top 100 in Computers & Accessories) #1,625 in Computer Routers |
Warranty & Support
Feedback
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers like the performance, ease of setup, and speed of the networking router. For example, they mention it works great, the user interface has been simplified, and provides great throughput. That said, some complain about the connectivity issues and signal strength.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers like the performance of the router. For example, they say it works great, is very pleased with performance, and enhanced WiFi availability in and around the house. That said, some complain about the 5 GHz range. That being said, most are happy with the performance and reach of the product.
"...Linksys WRT AC1900- Linksys AC2600They are all very powerful and it was difficult to make a final choice...." Read more
"...Setup was very easy and rather intuitive, and everything was good, BUT just like another reviewer, the AC8500 worked great for the first few days;..." Read more
"...The AC is awesome, different devices can find the best network (2.4 or 5ghz) and my Firestick loads faster now than it used to...." Read more
"...It's working fine (though I personally do not care for the antennas)...." Read more
Customers find the setup of the networking router to be extremely easy. They mention that it's straightforward, and the user interface has been simplified. Some mention that the router has fast wi-fi speeds.
"...Now with the EA8500 my lag is very minimal.- Setup was simple, but I did do some reading into this before hand, so I knew what to tweak..." Read more
"...- The setup actually took 5 minutes! It is very quick and straightforward...." Read more
"...Setup was very easy and rather intuitive, and everything was good, BUT just like another reviewer, the AC8500 worked great for the first few days;..." Read more
"...Much easier app to access the router from a PC also, the user interface has been simplified and isn't as much of a geekfest trying to figure out all..." Read more
Customers are satisfied with the speed of the networking router. Some mention that their gaming consoles and streaming videos are running at very decent speeds. The router speed has increased 4 times, and they are streaming without any hiccups. The software provides great throughput, and the Gigabit port is fast. Streaming movies and playing games is much faster now, and it instantly improves wifi signal and speed.
"...I see no speed degrade with QOS on, my ps4 also has very little lag, that's my priority in the QOS for me, so QOS in this router works.-..." Read more
"...devices that don't support 5 GHz (e.g Playstation 3/4) have a very decent speed, actually, I can't even tell the difference when streaming/playing..." Read more
"...Excellent speed and range and never have I experienced any drop-outs or loss of configuration." Read more
"...I can confirm ac speeds are great, but it's a little crawl in my hide that another device could hop on the 5ghz band and associate as n. This would..." Read more
Customers like the coverage of the router. For example, they say it provides good coverage throughout their home, attached garage, and back. Some say that it has the range to cover the entire house. That said, most are happy with the coverage and say it's reliable.
"...When it is working, it is great. The range is excellent...." Read more
"...Great range, very reliable. I changed from one star to four. Why not five? I am still not that happy about the cost relative to the range...." Read more
"...The router gives good range, 50 user capacity, and good tech support. I would buy this router again." Read more
"Good customer service. Slower Wi-Fi than I expected. Poor coverage in my small, wood frame house...." Read more
Customers like the value of the networking router. They say it's definitely worth the money, has good value for the price, and is a great choice.
"...Awesome product, highly recommend. This should easily be able to handle the demands of a home based business or multiple users with multiple devices...." Read more
"...Completely worth the money.Update 2018:I thought I would do another update. I bought this router in 2015...." Read more
"...Excellent product. PS - you do need to attach it, initially, to a laptop or PC, to get it up and running. So bear that in mind." Read more
"...I think I made the right decision. I mean, it is still pricey, compared to $90 routers but if it continues to perform at these standards, I don't..." Read more
Customers have mixed opinions about the signal strength of the router. Some mention that it has excellent signal strength, while others say that it stopped transmitting a WiFi signal and would hardly transfer data over WiFi.
"...maybe a month with a firmware, before something went wrong, lag, wifi drops, etc.. I totally gave up on USB drives connected through it, now I have..." Read more
"...Now, my range is improved for both bands and I have not experienced any droppage.I also like the intuitiveness of the maintenance page...." Read more
"...worked great for the first few days; however it eventually stopped transmitting a WiFi signal...." Read more
"...I will say that the EA8500 was super easy to set up and had excellent signal strength but these lock ups or whatever they are just are unacceptable...." Read more
Customers have mixed opinions about the stability of the networking router. Some mention it's solid when it works, well made, and very reliable, while others say it exhibited very flaky behavior and is not reliable.
"Edit 1:This EA8500 is one month old and still stable as a rock, super fast speeds, no dead wifi spots at all like most other routers form..." Read more
"...There is some serious issue with software inside, it keeps dropping somehow, trying to do some 'Hitech' thing.7...." Read more
"...on the back was steady green like it should be, and the logo on the front was steady. All looked normal, but no wireless signal...." Read more
"...The result are "dead" or weak zones in many places - so the farther one moves away from the router the more likely we will drop a..." Read more
Customers are dissatisfied with the connectivity of the router. They mention that it struggles on 5GHz and continues to drop the connection. They also report issues with WiFi connectivity, saying that connections are lost and they are never able to reconnect. Customers also mention that the router loses internet connectivity and has to be reset. Drop connections are occurring on both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz band. Additionally, some customers report that the smart TV and Windows only connect to the network and will not connect to it.
"...month I experienced several complete drop-outs where the router lost internet connectivity and had to be reset...." Read more
"...every 24 hours the same thing would happen--a freeze up and loss of all connectivity. Support decided to send me out a new router...." Read more
"...was super easy to set up and had excellent signal strength but these lock ups or whatever they are just are unacceptable...." Read more
"...The my Steamlink is actually usable now, and no more drops in connection. The menu and settings for this router is plentiful and straightforward...." Read more
Reviews with images
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Top reviews
Top reviews from the United States
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This EA8500 is one month old and still stable as a rock, super fast speeds, no dead wifi spots at all like most other routers form other manufactures.
I found the system info page that tells us what connection rate and a hole lot more
You just refresh it to get an update, not as fancy as other router brands but it does show more than any GUI in other routers.
http://192.168.1.1/sysinfo.cgi
A little background, I had d-link, Netgear, apple, all were good except for Netgear had to reboot weekly to monthly, then RT-AC66R - this was a good Asus router, I had the RT-AC68R - this was good at 2.4GHz but 5GHz sucked in range so 5GHz usability was useless and it had awful USB support (problems).
Now the Asus RT-AC87R (I am going to reference it as 87r, I owned that for 1 year), where to begin….
I thought the 87r would be my router for years (boy was I wrong)…
The 5GHz covered all my house inside, BUT, areas where I put my phone, (to do wifi to hardwired device remote control) just gave me constant problems, some days after a new firmware it seemed to work (sometimes) and I thought finally, then some day or days later BAM not working in those areas again. (Now before you think or say something, all I did was change to the Linksys router, NOTHING ELSE, more on that below).
The best I ever achieved from the 87r was about maybe a month with a firmware, before something went wrong, lag, wifi drops, etc.. I totally gave up on USB drives connected through it, now I have a NAS (Best purchase I have made in years)
Onto my new Linksys EA8500, in my case, this is my first Linksys router I have ever owned.
First what I read on it….
- I read the web GUI was slow by some, I find it supper fast, I have no idea why others complain about that at all.
- Wifi range, well the Linksys is the same as the 87R with 2.4 GHz range (outstanding), and noticeably better than the 87r on the 5GHz band.
- I read of a few having some kind of power down after 6 hours or so, I have never seen this at all (the latest firmware update address this anyway for the ones with tis issue).
Now my findings
Good
-Absolutely no dead wifi spots with the Linksys, super fast connection from my wifi app to wired lan control device. I can't find any WiFi dead spots in my house with this Linksys router on 5 GHz or 2.4GHz. (As I have had with the 87r, especially with my remote app)
- I have an app on my phone that connects to a hardwired device, on the 87r this was so bad and useless that the original (old) app no longer functioned and I had to buy a different app to get it to work, I no longer have my phone wifi to hardwired device control problems at all, both apps work great on the Linksys EA8500 and I checked for the latest update on the first app that went wonky on the 87r and it was not updated for 30+ days.
- I no longer have any lag (tho dd-wrt firmware on the 87r removed it usually all the time, but it came back after days on the 87r). My online gaming with Asus routers on Monday night’s were all horrible, so bad that I usually shut down my PS4. Now with the EA8500 my lag is very minimal.
- Setup was simple, but I did do some reading into this before hand, so I knew what to tweak to get great performance out of the Linksys.
- I did have a HP wifi printer problem, FIXED I had to reset my network settings in my HP printer (nothing with the router at all).
- My download speeds since I installed the EA8500 are my best ever. Any router before (including the rt-ac87r) I got a max of 30-32 down, now with the Linksys I always see 34-35.
-I have adjusted some things in the settings and unlike the 87r, no firmware degradation at all...... Meaning every time I rebooted (I owned 2 87r’s, first one died due to overheating) the 87r would perform worse and worse (more problems, etc..)after every reboot, no matter what firmware I used, until I flushed the ac87r and started from scratch again, it happened with both 87r’s, I have complained about this from time to time with Asus and they did not care. Nothing at all like this on the Linksys, the Linksys just works like it should and rebooting does nothing bad at all to it.
- NO WiFi drops with the Linksys on either band, the Linksys just works and works perfectly.
- Web page refreshes on wifi devices are the same as my Asus 87r (when it was working good)
- I use and love the way QOS is used on the linksys (I hated the Asus way, tried it, never worked for me and turned it off). I see no speed degrade with QOS on, my ps4 also has very little lag, that's my priority in the QOS for me, so QOS in this router works.
- Linksys support is very great and responsive (from the printer issue I had, they gave me things to try on my Printer problem that turned out to be resettings network settings on the printer).
- DHCP reservation is super easy on the Linksys, you click on “Network Map” and all of your connected devices are showing, just click a device and add DHCP reservation, it’s that easy. Linksys and I also recommends you do this, as some devices get confused (on any router)
Bad (if you call it bad)
- The IOS app to configure the router does not work with IOS 9 beta yet, expected as it is a beta IOS, it does work from my android note 10.1 version 1 perfectly. (I use the web GUI anyway, but I don't have to go into that often at all due to the Linksys just working).
- I have no idea what my wifi connections are at ( meaning 100, 300, 400, or 800), Asus and dd-wrt gave me this info, nowhere found on the Linksys. (This would be my only wish, but not needed)
- I don’t have lights up front and I like that, I do have a Linksys light on top that is steady when connected to my ISP and flashing when not, I do like this.
- I do not like the fact I only get 90 days telephone support, but with quick e-mail and forum support, it’s not needed.
- Pricy but performance and stability is worth the price (I paid more for my Asus rt-ac87r a year before and that was nothing but problems and stuff not working the entire year, yah it has more bells and whistles but at slower speeds and very unstable hardware and firmware)
Summery
I don't have absolutely nothing bad to say or found about this router, I keep looking for something, not performing properly, but everything I do with the Linksys = it just works perfectly, to date.
If you are looking for tons of things to tweak, bloatware (I call it, you may not), love to reboot and have unstable hardware = look elsewhere, BUT if you are looking for a router with all the features needed and for a router that is stable as a rock = Look no further this EA8500 is the one!
So far I love this Linksys Router
If this stays like this, I have the best router made to date!
This is how a router should work, perfectly. NOT half baked!!
- Netgear Nighthawk AC1900
- Amped ATHENA AC2600
- Linksys WRT AC1900
- Linksys AC2600
They are all very powerful and it was difficult to make a final choice. I was leaning towards Linksys WRT AC1900 just because of its awesome look (check it out!) but I decided to go for a slightly more powerful Linksys AC2600. Since many of you will have a similar dilemma when choosing a router, I thought it might be helpful if I share the rationale behind my decision:
- Linksys AC2600 has very good reviews in every source I looked at: it is either in top 3, 5 or 10 lists in every reputable tech websites (and even called the best router of 2017 on cheatsheet website)
- It is one of the newest routers.
- It is recommended for future technologies.
- It is offered at a good discount on Amazon.
The other reasons are of course MI-MUMO technology, the router is designed for the speeds 50Mbps and up, it can be used for 12 and more devices at home (we have a very heavy traffic), a transmission rate for 5 GHz, and parental control for any device that you choose.
Now, let's get to the feedback after the actual purchase:
- The setup actually took 5 minutes! It is very quick and straightforward. Of course, you will need to choose a new WiFi for every device in your home. That will take a minute or less per device.
- I couldn't believe my eyes when I ran the tests on the speed. See the photos. The old router (Netgear) gave me a download speed of 25 Mbps, the new router with 2.4 GHz - 42.14 Mbps and with 5 GHZ - 89.60 Mbps! Btw, it later went to 90+ I didn't even know that Comcast has upgraded my 50Mbps speed!
- Then, I decided to test if it works at our neighbor's house. It automatically changed to 2.4 GHz but I still had 25Mbps. Pretty good considering the distance.
- Before this router, we had problems on the weekends. The traffic was heavy and our older router couldn't cope with it. Not a problem anymore.
- Most modern devices (including Roku 3/4) work with 5 GHz so you will enjoy a really nice and high speed of Internet. But even devices that don't support 5 GHz (e.g Playstation 3/4) have a very decent speed, actually, I can't even tell the difference when streaming/playing online.
I think I made the right decision. I mean, it is still pricey, compared to $90 routers but if it continues to perform at these standards, I don't mind paying a hefty price tag. Heck, there are much more expensive routers out there that I didn't even consider. I just selected the one that seems to be reasonable for our needs.
If you have any questions, I will be happy to answer them.
Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2017
- Netgear Nighthawk AC1900
- Amped ATHENA AC2600
- Linksys WRT AC1900
- Linksys AC2600
They are all very powerful and it was difficult to make a final choice. I was leaning towards Linksys WRT AC1900 just because of its awesome look (check it out!) but I decided to go for a slightly more powerful Linksys AC2600. Since many of you will have a similar dilemma when choosing a router, I thought it might be helpful if I share the rationale behind my decision:
- Linksys AC2600 has very good reviews in every source I looked at: it is either in top 3, 5 or 10 lists in every reputable tech websites (and even called the best router of 2017 on cheatsheet website)
- It is one of the newest routers.
- It is recommended for future technologies.
- It is offered at a good discount on Amazon.
The other reasons are of course MI-MUMO technology, the router is designed for the speeds 50Mbps and up, it can be used for 12 and more devices at home (we have a very heavy traffic), a transmission rate for 5 GHz, and parental control for any device that you choose.
Now, let's get to the feedback after the actual purchase:
- The setup actually took 5 minutes! It is very quick and straightforward. Of course, you will need to choose a new WiFi for every device in your home. That will take a minute or less per device.
- I couldn't believe my eyes when I ran the tests on the speed. See the photos. The old router (Netgear) gave me a download speed of 25 Mbps, the new router with 2.4 GHz - 42.14 Mbps and with 5 GHZ - 89.60 Mbps! Btw, it later went to 90+ I didn't even know that Comcast has upgraded my 50Mbps speed!
- Then, I decided to test if it works at our neighbor's house. It automatically changed to 2.4 GHz but I still had 25Mbps. Pretty good considering the distance.
- Before this router, we had problems on the weekends. The traffic was heavy and our older router couldn't cope with it. Not a problem anymore.
- Most modern devices (including Roku 3/4) work with 5 GHz so you will enjoy a really nice and high speed of Internet. But even devices that don't support 5 GHz (e.g Playstation 3/4) have a very decent speed, actually, I can't even tell the difference when streaming/playing online.
I think I made the right decision. I mean, it is still pricey, compared to $90 routers but if it continues to perform at these standards, I don't mind paying a hefty price tag. Heck, there are much more expensive routers out there that I didn't even consider. I just selected the one that seems to be reasonable for our needs.
If you have any questions, I will be happy to answer them.
1) Amazon and Linksys were very helpful and generated an RMA even after being a couple days past the 30 day return window.
-- Remarkably the RMA was submitted at 7pm and the Replacement arrived at my door at 2pm the NEXT Day!!! Outstanding.
2) After 45+ days using the new router, my reboots have been limited to 1 - 2 max!!
3) After replacing the initial Router (which most likely had hardware defects), the Replacement Wireless Router appears to be successfully managing our 21 wireless devices running throughout the household. As such, I believe the MIMO is now working as advertised, which is awesome!
**Update** not only does this require frequent reboot but I have had to complete entire factory reset (and that doesn't always work). Customer service chat was useless. On my 3rd and final factory reset, I gave up & attempted to return but released I am 5 days over return availability and now I'm stuck with this piece.
---------------------------------
Setup was very easy and rather intuitive, and everything was good, BUT just like another reviewer, the AC8500 worked great for the first few days; however it eventually stopped transmitting a WiFi signal. I am able to use the Ethernet ports, but no WiFi....hence no Smart WiFi app access. I restarted, unplugged, and even reset to factory with no success. I am currently chatting with support....we'll see if it can be quickly resolved.