Customer Ratings & Reviews

Bought this to replace an asus brand. Seems ok but we have internet issues all the time. Not sure if it is the product or our internet service.

Let start off this review by saying this device does exactly what it's designed to do! It's fast ethernet ports allow for quick in network transfers from device to device, assuming you have gigabit ports on the device 9 (or AC wifi on both) and the WiFi is blazing fast, using the newest WiFi standard! What I dislike about this, is the lengthy setup process. It takes a bit longer than other network routers I've used, and you should fully expect to walk away from your phone, while the setup process takes place. First, the router wasn't able to find an "internet" connection. I tried twice to restart my modem, and finally ended up just plugging it into an existing router. Not sure why, but the router surrogate allowed for the setup to continue. Then, it failed twice to setup properly, necessitating a "reset" using the easy to find reset button on the back. Once I completed that reset, it was able to find an internet connect direct from the modem, but I had to restart the setup process. I don't think you'll run into this, I believe it's just due to the modem more than anything, as I've had issues with the ISP provided modem in the past. If you've had a previous Velop or other Linksys system that uses the cloud features of the app, don't worry about logging in. The setup process makes you log in anyway, and logging in before hand won't matter. The finding internet step really does take a minute, by itself. I'm on a grandfathered TWC internet speed of 300 down, and 20 up, so it's not just you! The actual setup process then takes about 8 to 10 minutes. You'll name the network, then name the router, and then wait for all the settings to finish. The node setup actually seemed to take a bit longer (roughly 13 minutes for me) just to add to the network. Then it ran a quick update (super quick), and I was fully up and running in about 20 minutes. I literally just walked away, and just waited for the light to turn blue; indicating that the setup was complete. Don't worry if your phone screen falls asleep, it should still be running. On my iPhone X, in a totally different room (approx 30 feet away), I was still able to achieve 342 Mbps download speeds, and hit 20 to 25 uploads using Speedtest.net. Changing servers for testing still yielded better than advertised speeds, until I was further away, but it still hit 242 at the furthest point of my home. Given this was likely on the 5ghz band, and using AC standards in an un-congested network environment, this was super impressive. It easily outperformed the previous mesh network setup I had, and the range was even further with just two nodes, compared to 3 on the other mesh network. Coverage is GREAT on 5ghz, and even better on 2.4 Ghz frequencies! Aside from the longer than usual network setup, this one easily exceeded my expectations, and is highly recommended. Price point might be a bit high, but given the speeds and reliability of connection, it's an easy one to recommend. The most you'll need to do is invest in more nodes if you have a larger home. The good news is that this also paired with a previous Velop system I had used before, and was still performing optimally on another floor of the house. I was able to get around 240 Mbps download speeds upstairs, using two other Velop nodes (the plug in type). Overall, this is a great step forward for the Velop platform, and I hope to see Linksys shave down the setup time with future releases!

Though even Linksys makes some routers that are technically “faster” than the MR8300 because of more cores or cycles in their CPUs etc., the MR8300 is still by today’s standards “fast” (716 MHz, quad-core) but that’s not the reason I have one. Where the MR8300 really shines is its easy hook-up to available Mesh Extenders to make full Wi-Fi coverage of large homes, out-buildings and even outside the house simple. No more walking from one room to another dropping Wi-Fi signals and having to return to the room with the router in it to reestablish a connection. The Linksys MR8300 Tri-Band Mesh Router with active MU-MIMO switching and optional Mesh extenders really has me and everyone in my family Wi-Fi covered and happy. Features: - Easy plug and play setup (no CD required) out of the box with easy to follow instructions on your device’s screen or on the paper quick-start guide. - 4 adjustable antennas allow vertical orientation whether the router body is sitting horizontally on a table or is mounted vertically on a wall. - The Tri-band (up to 2.2Gbps) output delivers both 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz signals operating independently. - MU-MIMO technology means that Wi-Fi devices designed since 2017 to receive MU-MIMO will switch seamlessly between bands and the main router or Mesh units for the maximum signal available as you move through your house. - Beamforming Technology is used to focus the Wi-Fi signal between the router and your device in a narrow beam (like a lighthouse’s focused light), rather than wasting signal strength sending the signal in all directions at once. - Facilitates LAN and Wireless Network connections - Intelligent Mesh Technology adapts to the particular devices trying to use the network by “talking” directly through the ports connected via Wi-Fi at the moment and not wasting precious milli-seconds switching through ports unused at the moment with every CPU Clock cycle. This reduces Lag and Latency during gameplay. Intelligent Mesh Technology is also “Self-Healing”. This term means that if one Mesh node fails or is unplugged, the rest of the nodes will take over for the missing node. Also, if a new Mesh Node is plugged in, the rest of the Nodes will automatically incorporate it into the total Mesh in the most effective way possible. This intelligent switching can handle between 1 and 15 devices simultaneously in the most effective way possible. - Works with all of the latest security protocols in WPA/WPA2 and SPI Firewall. - The Quad-core CPU operates at 716 MHz for fast data transfer speeds. - 1 Year Limited Warranty on Parts PROS: - A Top Spec, High Performance Modem - Easy set-up with Linksys App - Attractive design - Very compact for its power - Well cooled with efficient quiet convection vents - Handles all of the latest Wi-Fi and Internet connection protocols - VERY easy to increase the range of the main MR8300 Router’s Wi-Fi network at any time by plugging optional (not included) Mess extenders like the Linksys AC1300 unit into any 120v wall outlet. Linksys App helps you locate the extender for maximum effect in the total network. CONS: - After a couple of weeks of use I honestly could not think of a single negative in the great increase in speed and range for my home Wi-Fi network that the MR8300 gave me. If I do find anything negative in the next few months, I will edit my review accordingly.

Router isn't the best at auto switching bands. The device prioritization doesn't seem to work at all. Easy to set up at least.

Have some trouble initially getting the desired Ethernet speed. Had to reboot and reset cables at least twice before getting the Internet speed I expected.

Where to start? An internet router with gigabit ethernet ports. So I connected it to my computer to configure the network ... only to receive a message redirecting me to download an app onto my phone to do it wirelessly. This was already irritating, but the smartphone app is complete junk and did not work. 1 star for Best Buy's excellent return policy and customer service. 0 stars for the trash configuration app. I never got to review the router because the configuration app did not work. All the other Linksys stuff I used over the years was great. This should have taken 10 minutes with an ethernet cord and a browser, instead I wasted 2 hours and returned it.

Bought it looking to plug a usb Hdd into the back. There is a port but it is “reserved for future use” Other than that is is an awesome router!

I’ve had this for 2 years and it is always dropping the connection. I’ve already contacted the company and their response is always the same: turn off modem, turn on modem after 30 seconds, blah blah blah. It works for about a day and then it drops. It’s not my modem. It is definitely this router. I plan on purchasing a different brand.

I bought this router to replace my netgear router that crapped out on me after a firmware update. Got the router installed and noticed that I was not getting the speeds that I was paying for through my ISP. After doing some troubleshooting, I discovered that the router was throttling my speeds, to the point that I was only getting about ⅓ the speed that I should be getting. Called support and they told me that it was my ISP, which I knew it was not. ISP confirmed that my speed was correct at the jack but was not correct through the router. Returned the router and went with a different brand altogether. I use to always use Linksys, but not any more.

I expected more for how it had been described to me. Might work better for someone else, but did not make much difference in my home.

I will be contacting the geek squad for assistance after the holidays . Not everyone is computer savy

I’d love this router if I could just set it up through a web browser and didn’t have to make an online account with Linksys. That account (which is held by the manufacturer) has admin control over the device.. which makes me feel uncomfortable. The requiring of a mobile app to initially setup the device is another major privacy concern for me as well, especially since you can configure the router after the setup through a web browser. Super scetchy!

This is a great router for a multi-device network like ours. Computers, TVs, cell phones, game consoles; we’ve got them all connected. I can play my online games without the wife having any lag or buffering on her computer. It used to be a problem with our old router. The thing gives off a ton of EM though so have some foil handy if you have speakers nearby, unless you like the wubwub sound. It was easy to set up using the Linksys app, though I messed something up and had to do a factory reset when nothing would connect. It works well with the extender too and fully covers our 1200 square foot apartment.

I have had several routers in the past this is absolutely the worst of any. It constantly drops connection and the speed is horrid. Its past the return and exchange so I'll just fume here. Using a TP router that's 6 years that runs circles around this thing

This product quit working in less than a year of use :(

I already have multiple LinkSys VELOP nodes installed with the tri-band mesh nodes and a wall-jack node as well. LinkSys finally made a "traditional" Wi-Fi router with all the antennae and 4 outbound ports that is also compatible with existing mesh networks. I placed this Max Stream router closest to my Verizon router and switch and moved the Velop mesh node to another part of the house. The additional range and signal strength of the Max Stream unit should increase the signal strength and speed of each node. So far so good. Adding the Max Stream wasn't quite as easy as I had expected through the LinkSys app on my phone. I still had to connect to the Max Stream unit and login with the credentials in a separate portion of the app, instead of just having it smart-added like the rest of the mesh nodes that I added in the past. I plan to break down the entire network at some point and just have each Wireless node have a homerun feed off of this LinkSys Max Stream, which then connects up to the Verizon router. The one negative I will say about this unit is that it doesn't look as industrially charming as the other LinkSys Velop products, particularly the Tri-Band Mesh rectangle nodes. They look really good in any setting, while this Max Stream looks like every router from the last 6 years but doesn't look as nice. At least it will be hidden in my office while the Tri-Mesh nodes are out in my living spaces.

Although it is now installed and doing what I need it was not easy. And I am still not totally sure it's fully functional.

I can't give you a legitimate rating because, I didn't get the opportunity utilized the device.Due to my lack of experience with connecting said device I never made the attempt to use it. My technician (son)was unable to assist me with the connection at the time of purchase..Plus the fact that,I went into the Best Buys with a different product in mind..

I live in a rural area in a metal house (heavily insulated). So, our internet service had been a hot spot for a few years--- and we finally got stationary broadband service! This Linksys router seemed to be the perfect tool for us since we have several computers, phones, TVs, heck, even the vacuum bot is connected. Installation was a breeze once I realized the Linksys app would be on my phone, not my laptop (been a while since I installed a router). Once I had the program on my phone, it took about 15 minutes total to install both the router and a Velop mesh module. The app on my phone allowed me to rename the system, set the password and enable the Velop. Most of the time was allowing the router to do whatever it did to automatically set itself up. Once done, I requested a firmware update which took about 15 minutes. Now, this will be done automatically late at night. I put the router through a stringent test by trying it outside the house (worked through the metal walls!) and across the barn end of the house with no problems. The router is on the second floor near the stairway and it worked fine alone. Once I added the Velop module to the first floor, it was super. I can run streaming TV and several other things at once without a hiccup. The nice thing is that if I feel I need to extend further, I can add another Velop module...which I think would extend the wifi to the guest quarters at the other end of the 100 foot building. Another little thing I preferred is that I do not have separate wifi names for the different speeds, just one. No worries on deciding which band to use, this clever router does it for me! The app also lets you prioritize which things get first dibs on the bandwidth. Clever!

to download the linksys app is next to impossible. im going to have to call for support