Linksys - Max-Stream AX6000 Mesh Wi-Fi 6 Router - Black

Enjoying mine so far it’s delivering the speed I am looking for, glad I switched from Netgear and no regrets what so ever.

I will start by saying this router is right on par with my Linksys WRT3200ACM as far as range is concerned. That being said, my 3200 currently has 27 devices connected throughout the house and I have never had an issue(years). I found that this MAX STREAM AX6000 is limiting my WiFi speed tests to the mid 100’s Mbps which is still good. I get 480 MBPS directly from the cable modem and can get that exact speed when texting my 3200. I plugged the old router into the Ethernet port of the AX6000 thousand and can still get the 480 out of it on a speed test. I then plugged the new AX6000 into my old one and it Consistently gets mid 100’s in download speeds. It seems as if the AX6000 software limits the speed. Mind you, I only had my phone connected to the new router when testing. Everything in my home was still connected to my 3200ACM. I am returning this modem not because it didn’t perform well. It’s just that my old one works better. If you going from a broken or low performing entry level WiFi router, this will not disappoint. I am including a screen shot of the speed test results. The test from 8/19 at after 11am are with a replacement cable to my cable modem. The 400 plus are my old router and the 100’s are the new one. You decide.

Extending its reach in the home networking arena Linksys introduces Max-Stream AX6000, a dual-band Wi-Fi 6 mesh router, model MR9600 currently retailing for $400 at Best Buy. I have relied on Linksys routers for several years and confidently recommend the brand. Until evaluating this new Max-Stream, my current setup has included Linksys Velop tri-band mesh routers. With five “nodes” successfully deployed providing strong Wi-Fi throughout a two story home over 3,000 square feet and a two-node setup in an apartment under 1,000 square feet, I’m a happy Linksys tri-band mesh fan. The system has proven reliable, with Wi-Fi speeds close to the maximum provided by the ISP, strong signal from inside corner to corner without any dead zones and usable Wi-Fi outside well beyond the walls. Linksys pushes firmware updates to keep their routers humming along happily and up to date. Isn’t that a foundation for success? Linksys routers are matched to a management app for iOS and Android mobile devices. Management is also available by logging on to the user’s Linksys account from a computer browser. Sweeeeeet! After creating a Linksys account, installation is as easy as following along through the smartphone app. Upon completion of the main, or “parent” router installation, the software prompts the user for additional hardware “children” that will operate transparently and seamlessly. Additional compatible Linksys routers are optional. A variety of settings may be selected and created through the Linksys account dashboard. The administrator has the opportunity to choose a unique router SSID, the name shown for this wireless network, and a unique password, both of which I advise. The administrator dashboard, whether through a smartphone app or computer browser, shows all connected devices. I like the ease with which up to three devices may be selected for prioritized connectivity. In this way, signal goes to these devices first to assure optimal network performance. Unlike conventional routers, mesh routers mask individual 2.4Ghz and 5.0 GHz bands. There are no consumer choices needed. The router locks onto the best performing network based on signal strength present at the device. Connecting to the router’s unique Wi-Fi network is easy, made easier by not having to choose anything but a single network name and password. The same is true if the admin sets up a guest network. This can also include a custom guest network name if the user decides to set up a guest network. Why do this? A guest network can give authorized “guests” basic Wi-Fi access while preventing access to other resources such as shared printers, folders and network-connected drives, often referred to as NAS, or Network Attached Storage. Note from the product photo of the rear panel, MR6900 has two USB ports as well as four Ethernet ports for hard-wired connectivity to nearby Internet-enabled devices. The Ethernet ports can prove handy for connection to a nearby TV, DVR, Blu-ray player, security camera, game system, streaming device, such as Roku, and more. More than four devices can be Ethernet-connected by adding a multi-port unmanaged Gigabit Ethernet switch. Think of an Ethernet switch as an extension cord. Find unmanaged gigabit Ethernet switches with the number of added ports required at Best Buy. While these and other devices might have the capability to connect using Wi-Fi, don’t do it. The industry-accepted and recommended rule is to use Ethernet (hard wiring) where available and Wi-Fi ONLY where wired connectivity is not available. In other words, if it’s mobile, use Wi-Fi. For every other device where it is possible, use Ethernet. Pre-made Ethernet cables are also available at Best Buy. What a coincidence! How will this new dual-band Wi-Fi 6 router perform by comparison? In order to give it a fair evaluation, I unplugged and deleted all the individual Velop tri-band router nodes from the app and installed this new MR6900 as a single router, as if nothing else had ever been installed. MESH TECHNOLOGY Mesh is the way to go! Think of a blanket. Think of a bullet. Bullets target a single point. Blankets cover a wide area. It’s not quite this simple, but it’s a good way to grasp the concept. Multiple products under the blanket get the signal better than multiple products in the bullet scenario. Adding “nodes” to a mesh network allows the mesh umbrella’s coverage area to be extended at full capacity and speed. Mesh is best. DUAL-BAND With both dual- and tri-band mesh routers available, here is what you need to know in order to make an informed decision. Generally speaking, tri-band mesh offers the most options and best possibility to get full speed with more connected devices. An individual dual-band mesh router, as you will read in this Linksy article (https://www.linksys.com/us/r/resource-center/basics/multiple-wifi-bands-difference/) offer a good middle-ground for most consumers. In my experience, this applies to those in a home under about 1200 square feet. The good news is that additional nodes, or “children,” along with the main, or parent node, are easily added as part of the robust blanketed “mesh” with overlapping signals. Confused? Don’t overthink it. If Wi-Fi signal is needed where it is not, add a node. Each node provides connectivity as if hard wired to the parent. The best example I can think of is this. Let us say the “parent” unit is in the living room nearby to the entry point for the cable company’s coaxial cable run enters the premises. The coax connects to a modem, whether the modem belongs to the ISP or to the user. I own my modem, currently an Arris SURFboard SB8200 (also available at Best Buy). It has all the latest technology assuring that it is future-proof for the foreseeable future. The modem provides Internet signal to the router. Here’s the signal flow in this and most setups with a separate modem and router - Coax to modem, then Ethernet from modem to router, and wired and Wi-Fi from the router. In this example, wired Internet is needed at equipment in the living room AND in another room set up as an office, where there are a couple of computers, a printer, scanner and hardware for a couple of VoIP (Internet-based) phone lines. Adding a node in that room with an Ethernet switch provides all the ports required to hard-wire these devices, with ports to spare. Your needs may less extensive, so a single Linksys MR9600 might work well. I know what you’re thinking – why Ethernet-connect the printer when it must be also be capable of Wi-Fi connectivity? Refer to the rule above– wired when possible, wireless only in the absence of Ethernet capability. I can send printing jobs to that printer from the screen on virtually any of my devices whether at home or from anywhere in the world. Wi-Fi 6 Wi-Fi 6 is newer than WI-FI 5, right? Here’s the scoop. The full benefit of Wi-Fi 6 technology requires devices with built-in Wi-Fi 6. Backwards compatible with older Wi-Fi standards, though there are few Wi-Fi 6-enabled products, Wi-Fi 6 allows more simultaneous connections than Wi-Fi 5. Wi-Fi 6 allows speed that is much faster than Wi-Fi 5. Finally, the newer the router, the farther into the future the manufacturer will push updates for performance and security. Most of us have added more devices to our Internet network than even two years ago. Today’s consumers can enjoy internet-connected “SMART” light bulbs, door cameras and security systems, door locks, thermostats, smart watches, medical equipment, multiple mobile phones, tablets, computers, more than one TV, DVR, gaming systems, Blu-ray player, multiple smart speakers, smart kitchen appliances including a smart refrigerator, washer and dryer. And who wants audio and video dropouts during Zoom or similar get-togethers? Or dropouts while streaming different content across different devices? Add them all up. Surprise! You’ve got more Internet-connected “SMART” devices than you thought. What have I forgotten? All of these, with more surely to follow, will gobble up more bandwidth across more devices. Who among us would have thought about reliance on greater bandwidth even six months ago, before the COVID-19-pandemic? How quickly we have adapted to being in our home more than ever imagined! Wi-Fi 6 is one way to be technology future-forward. USB PORTS Linksys MR9600 includes two USB ports. These ports can accept hard drives or USB thumb drives that may be used for content sharing and backup across the network. I have installed a Solid State Drive (SSD) with music and videos accessible on any compatible device on the network. Two ports, no waiting! How would you use them? SPEED Testing Wi-Fi 6 through an iPhone 11 proves the point, connecting at nearly full speed from the ISP, without performance hits from simultaneous downloads on two computers and streaming a movie without breakup or buffering on a TV. Running the Speedtest app for iPhone just now, speed was measured at 223mbps down and 30mbps up. The Cox service package is “up to” 300mbps down and 30mbps up. All is well here. COVERAGE There is Internet throughout a small apartment installation, but not full strength and at full speed at the farthest distances from the router, which is to be expected. Outside there is still good coverage past 50 feet from the walls, but not at full speed. Still, it’s proof positive that the signal carries well with this individual Linksys MR9600. CONCLUSION The combination of future-forward Wi-Fi 6, proven mesh technology, Linksys reliability and strong signal makes this Linksys Max-Stream AX6000 Mesh Wi-Fi 6 Router Model MR9600 an easy Mr. Gadget-recommended choice.

I’m very glad with the router Linksys AX 6000 - wi-fi is the same from cable 300 , nothing lose. Is faster - stable and the wi-fi printer function more faster. Easy to install. Good product! Recommend!

There comes a time when one needs more available usable bandwidth, and that time is now. With everyone living and working from home, the amount of internet and intranet bandwidth use over wifi has gone up. If you are stuck using a Wifi-Gen4 (802.11n) router, or it’s been more than seven years since you got a new wifi router, perhaps it is time to upgrade to the faster, more capable (802.11ax) routers to future proof yourself. The Linksys MR9600 is an AX6000 router that was announced in January at CES. It supports the new Wifi-Gen6 (802.11ax) specifications, which include improved bandwidth over the previous Gen5 (802.11ac) routers. Specifically, the amount of bandwidth available is at least twice what the older 802.11ac routers provided. By providing eight simultaneous streams (vs. 4 for 802.11ac), the amount of devices that can simultaneously use the bandwidth available is significantly more. While 802.11ac only operates on the 5 GHz, the 802.11 ax operates on both 2.4GHz and 5GHz ranges, thus creating more channels and supporting up to 12 channels (8 in the 5GHz and 4 in the 2.4 GHz) of data. By default, the Router provides a coupled wifi access, which means both 2.4 and 5 GHz have the same SSID and password. Should your 2.4 GHz units be unable to connect to the wifi, you may need to decouple them, and the Router does allow this feature (unlike some other mesh routers). It is true, not all devices support the new 802.11ax format, but because it is backwardly compatible, the new ax routers are the best path forward for someone looking to upgrade to the latest and greatest in wired / wireless routers. Currently, the Samsung Note 10 Series, Apple iPhone 11 series, Samsung S20 series, and computers with the Intel 10th generation Ice Lake CPU’s (i3, i5, i7), support the new standard. The Router has a 1.8ghz quad-core processor, 4x4 MU-MIMO (multi-user, multiple inputs, multiple outputs), with a total bandwidth of 6000 Mbps (1200 Mbps on 2.4ghz, 4800 Mbps or 5 GHz) and supports up to 8 wifi streams. The Router does support WPA2, but the newer WPA3 encryption is also supported. So what does this mean for your internet? Well, for gamers, this is ideal, as your device can prioritize and get higher bandwidth for gaming, for lower latency. The Router allows for three dedicated device prioritization channels (in the app setup), that allows those devices to have the best access to bandwidth, and other devices will share the leftover bandwidth. If you already have an existing Linksys VELOP mesh network or an MR series router, the app will connect to your existing wifi, and create or extend your mesh. It does require the MR9600 to be the primary host, with the VELOP units as ‘mesh points.’ Design. The design is somewhat unique. I like the flat and yet curved on the top surface of the Router. It got four antennae extended out on each corner. The top and bottom of the Router are made up of a perforated plastic, where you can see the circuitry below, which includes three massive heat sinks that cover various components, not just the CPU. I can see this being a dust magnet, and hopefully, it wouldn’t be too hard to blast some air into the perforations to clear off the dust. The Router supports gigabit ethernet and has 5-gigabit ethernet ports, of which one is your WAN port that connects to your modem, the others are for your internal network. The device supports 2 USB 3.0 ports around the back, allowing you to plug-in USB hard drives and flash drives to share network access to storage via SMB. On one of the sides, there is a WPS button, should you use that feature to set up extenders or printers. Setup: Connection to the existing modem is easy; the box comes with an ethernet cable, should you need one. One end of the ethernet cable plugs into your WAN port on the back of the Router, while the other end plugs into a modem. Once plugged in and powered on (and hopefully you’ve also unplugged - waited 30 seconds and replugged your modem back in by this point), there are a bunch of lights. The blue blinking light tells you it is booting up. When you reach a ‘purple’ steady light, you are ready to set up the Router using the app. The bottom of the Router has your Router’s default information. I would suggest copying it down, or taking a photograph, as you will need it. Yes, You can change these, and there is a recovery password that can reset your unit. You will need to download the Linksys app from your Android or iOS app store. Once downloaded, the setup is quite simple; it does walk you through it. However, it seems to use ‘Bluetooth’ to detect the presence of the Router, and I had to disconnect the Bluetooth speaker I was using before setup. During setup, you need to create a Linksys account, if you don’t have one already. Once that is done, the on-screen prompts are rather simple to follow. Provide a network SSID name (if you don’t like the default) and a wifi password, and you are all set up. App features: The app is the center point of the Linksys router. While one can use a desktop interface via a web browser, the app isn’t that bad. At first glance, the user interface can be a bit clunky, but after a few minutes of looking around, the app allows advanced features to be accessed. I love the fact that the app works remotely and you do not have to be tied to your network wifi to manage the control of your wifi remotely. The app is linked to the Linksys account set up during the initial process. Pretty much all the primary functions can be conducted via the app. I did not find any limitations that required me to log into the web interface via a browser. Parental Controls: - the device supports parental control, but it is limited in its ability. You can set up a time and per device based blocking, or via websites. I wish Linksys had provided standard blacklist profiles for quicker addition to blocking websites that go along with the devices, for example, block the teenager’s devices by time, but also block all adult content in one swoop, rather than preventing it for every device on the network. Desktop setup: For power users, one could technically set it up via a computer browser, but I followed the setup via the app route. However, once setup, and you are connected to the wired / wireless connection, Go to http://LinksysSmartWiFi.com or device IP and follow the prompts to access the control panel. You will need the password located below the unit or one setup during setup via the app. Most features are available in the app, however, there are a few settings that are only accessible in the desktop browser control panel, which includes firewall settings, DMZ, DDNS, RIP and NAT settings, as well to set it as a bridge network. However, for the vast majority of the users, these advanced settings would make no difference to their experience. Overall View: I started with the question should you need a new router? The answer is if it has been more than 5 years since your Router was last bought, it might be time to upgrade to a newer generation router. That said, this Linksys MR9600 is not a bad router and a right way to future proof your network. My only gripe would be at the asking price, the mesh router competition in this space is stiff. So why would one pick this over the competition? Well, perhaps because Linksys has been a solid performer in the home networking space for over two decades. They make quality, innovative products that work. In my use, this Router is stable, fast, and more than capable of meeting my needs. Overall the Router is worth every penny for its speed and stability. Pros: Fast, reliable connections, stable with a good range App features that work remotely and allow control of internet settings Cons: No blacklists for parental control No per-device usage log of applications (Gaming / Netflix / websites) No way to track real-time bandwidth usage of devices and aggregate device bandwidth use No built-in VPN server - no OpenVPN or Wireguard VPN service.

I have gig speed internet, but with other AC routers I always got about 300mbps on my wireless devices. My phone and laptop have wifi 6 so I thought to upgrade the router. Was not expecting much of a difference, but wow, I am getting 780mbps down on my laptop and 650mbps down on my Samsung S20. The other key feature I liked about this is the companion app, super easy to use and configure your router with. You don't have to login to the router for most configs. The samba file sharing is also the best I've seen. It's really easy to setup and streaming movies to a server (Plex) is very fast. It is expensive, but Linksys products in my experience last a lot longer than other brands.

I was not getting wifi signal in some parts of my home and some part only get part of the speed I subscribed. I tried few other router brands but was not satisfied. Finally I tried Linksys AX6000, It has awesome wifi range and speed, has Mesh wifi possibility, I got it on sale. It actually give me better than the subscribed speed. really worth trying. Very satisfied with my purchase

This Linksys MR9600 router is replacing my current Wi-Fi setup at home which consists of a mesh network using a dual-band 802.11ac primary router on the 3rd floor and an access point, two floors down. With the Linksys MR9600 installed in the exact same location as my old router (parent node), the higher bandwidth was pretty noticeable no matter where we were in the house. When running speed tests, the max Wi-Fi download speed on the MR9600 was consistently 20-25% faster than my old router (~250Mbps vs ~300Mbps) although upload speeds were similar at around 16-17Mbps; the speed advantage dropped off at long distances from the router, but keep in mind my original setup had an additional node to work with. I was equally impressed with the range of the Wi-Fi signal, as I could still pick up a signal at the end of my yard, about 75 feet from the house, without another node/repeater, though, as mentioned the up/down speeds were much less. Setup took only a few minutes, but I was a bit surprised to find that you needed to download and install a smartphone app to set the router up, as users without a smartphone, tablet, or internet access would be unable to set up the router. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to set it up simply by connecting a computer to it via an Ethernet connection. You’ll also need to create or login to a Linksys account to use the app and complete the setup. After this is done though, the app is easy to use and fairly user-friendly. The app lets you enable guest access, implement parental controls like URL blocking and scheduling or pausing internet access to specific devices. You can also select up to 3 devices to prioritize traffic to, for the best connection speeds -- for work, streaming, or gaming (any other connected devices will share the remainder of the bandwidth). You can even customize a few advanced setup options like enabling Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS), port forwarding, activate WPS, and enable MAC address filtering. While you cannot manually select the channels for each network frequency, you can use the “channel finder” feature in the app to switch to a different channel to reduce interference and improve performance. Once the router is up and running, you can enter the router’s default IP address into a browser on a connected device, to access its settings remotely using the recovery key printed on the bottom of the unit instead of logging in. Here is where you can also set up your 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks with different names if you want them split up. I didn’t have any troubling switching my devices over to the new router; I just named it the same as my old router with the same password and all my devices, around 25 total, were able to connect to it. Those that could only handle 2.4 GHz automatically selected that network while those capable of 5 GHz defaulted to that signal when in range. If you enable Linksys Smart Home in your Alexa skills, you can perform some actions using voice commands too, like pausing internet access on a specific device, area of the house, or custom routines, like during meal times (and you can designate only specific voice profiles to issue these commands). The router also has two USB 3.0 ports to connect Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices to stream files and media from which allows me to access files on a backup drive across the network from any device. Since the coverage for my house (~1800 sq ft) using just this router is so good, I haven’t yet set up any child nodes to create a mesh network, but I’m glad that option is available if I want to do this in the future. Overall, I think this router performs well, is quick and easy to setup out-of-the-box, and provides plenty of bandwidth for most users with multiple devices in our current data hungry era of smart gadgets and streaming data.