Customer Ratings & Reviews

I decided to upgrade from the EA8500 to 9500. The EA8500 barely reached certain spots in my house so I was hoping maybe a few extra antennas would help (it didn't really seem to). However, I knew this was the new flagship for Linksys and there would be some firmware upgrades and long-term support so I still think it was worth it. Other benefits are the 8 ethernet ports and the mini-USB AC wifi adapter that came with it. I use the mini-wifi adapter regularly and have had no issues at all with it! This router is super fast, and capable of handling anything it seems. It's great for my home office and there's no lag if multiple people are streaming, working, VPN, gaming, etc all at the same time. The 8 Ethernet ports is ideal and allowed me to direct connect a bunch of things I had in the office also. This router allows you to utilize all of your internet for its speed even during the high volume times of day, without any slowing. I would highly recommend this router to anyone that has many networked devices as I do as we have 30 of them (25 wireless/5 wired)! We have Gigabit Internet also so wifi speeds are amazing on every device. It has good range with its 8 antennas and can handle anything you wanted to do with out any problems. We have a large house (over 6000 sq ft) so I also bought the Linksys RE7000 to extend the range more which gives you a great signal anywhere in the house and it seems the two devices work flawlessly together. Another positive is the ease of setting up the router - quick and very easy to do right out of the box.

I have a setup with the Linksys EA9500 and (2) Linksys R9000 extenders setup as APs. I have full power coverage throughout my 3200 Sq ft home as well as my backyard and about ½ a block from my house. I have a pretty large amount (?) of duty for my router so I needed something that could keep up. Here is a list of what is connected: (3) Nest Fire detectors (2) Harmony remote hubs (2) Philips hue base + 12 bulbs (22) WeMo devices (Light switches, switches and a WeMo Maker) (2) Smart Life devices (switches) (8) Amazon Echo Devices (2 with displays) (1) AT&T Digital Life security system (1) EcoBee 3 Thermostat (10) NetGear Arlo Security cameras (2) Pioneer network ready receivers (2) Sony Network Ready HDTVs (2) Apple TV 4k (1) Matricom STB (2) NVIDIA Shield STB (2) iPads (2) iPhones (1) Slingbox (2) Drobo 5n NAS (1) NetGear NAS (2) Apple Time Capsules (6) SONOS speakers (1) PS4 Pro (1) XBOX ONE S (1) Nintendo Switch (1) Windows computer (6) Macintosh Computers -#1 is running —macOS Server —PLEX -#2 is running —Transmission -#3 is running —Slink -The rest are just used when needed I have had 4 connected video streams, on PLEX, of 1080p video running with no signs of an issue. This is a PLEX server running on a Mac mini. I also use Kodi on my local network and it has no issues at all with (2) 1080p and (2) 4kHDR video streams running. I can fully control the security cameras, the WeMo devices, SlingBox, PLEX, EcoBee 3, AT&T Digital Life, All of the NASes and connect to my network via VPN remotely with no issues. The setup for someone with little or no knowledge of networking is ridiculously simple. Only took about 5 minutes to complete the initial setup. It also has a pile of extra features that can be employed if you know what you are doing or want to learn. This ease of setup is on par with the setup for Apple routers (AirPorts and Time Capsules). But the Apple routers have no where near as many features and options available. I would like it if it had a few more of the more professional options available, so I could tweak the settings a bit more. The add-on of the extenders was just as easy. It took about 5 minutes each. The extenders don’t have much to alter on them as they are functioning as Access Points. So Far this router has completely lived up to my expectations. The only question you need to answer is… at the price, do you need this much router. I would figure that the majority of users would see no issues going with a lower level Linksys. But if you are using your router to manage a large number of devices while streaming video, using several computers, running a macOS server, a plex server and an automated household… This IS the router to use!

I live in a 3,200 sq ft ranch house with mostly finished basement. Wife and I have about 25 internet devices - iPads, iPhones, TV's, Apple TV boxes, iWatches, etc. When kids and grandkids are here the number of devices increases to 45-50. No appreciable gaming. Have had an Apple Airpot Extreme router located in the center of the house. Have 5 TV's bigger than 45 inches with 3 TV's at extreme corners of the house on hard wired ethernet. Wanted a new router with increased number of LAN ports and Wi-Fi signal improvement over the already very good Airport Extreme. Wife and I are going to downsize in a few years and did not want to go the Wi-Fi mesh route. After looking around the Linksys(LS) EA9500 looked like a decent router for us. Most of today's "hot" routers for larger houses were introduced in the 2015-2018 era. As I got into this I discovered that in 2017 LS upgraded the EA9500 router from v1/1.1 to v2. The v2 upped the processor from 1.4 GHz dual-core to a 1.8GHz quad-core and also upped the USB ports from one USB 2.0 and one USB 3.0 to both ports being USB 3.0. The original version has been tested and has generally received reasonably good reviews for large houses such as ours, but there are no tests online anywhere for the v2. Every website that is selling this router lists the old v1/1.1 specs on their site. But if LS updated the router in 2017, why did all the websites have the old v1/1.1 specs on their sites? So if the old router got decent reviews, my logic was the new v2 with improved quad-core 1.8 GHz processors should have even better performance. And the EA9500 software gets decent reviews for ease of use. I talked to a number of sites and was told they were still selling v1/1.1. I also texted online with the Best Buy rep who assured me after some investigation that the unit they had in stock was really the v2 even though the Best Buy website showed v1/1.1 specs and pictures. I purchased the unit and yesterday it arrived. Long story short, the unit arrived in a EA9500 v1/1.1 carton and all the specs on the outside of the carton are for v1/1.1. However inside the box is an EA9500v2 unit. Being somewhat of a disbeliever, I texted online with LS techs and gave them a picture of the rear of the router, S/N, and Model number and they confirmed that it was indeed a v2 unit. Also LS has a website which compares the two routers and this also confirms that the router is a v2. Installed router yesterday and am very pleased with it. Download and upload speeds at the extremes of my house are significantly improved over the earlier router. Hard wired performance seems good and I now have some spare ports for future hardwired devices. In the end it seems like this is a very good router, but LS made it hard for me to find the V2 model and is making it hard for retailers to advertise the V2 specs. So if one wants a fairly high performing router, this unit is worth considering. I suspect that many of the new routers setting in inventory are the EA9500 V2 model, but one needs to check when you get it. Would also like to see the router comparison folks compare this newer version in their shoot-off's. See pictures.

I have a setup with the Linksys EA9500 and (2) Linksys RE9000 extenders setup as APs. I have full power coverage throughout my 3200 Sq ft home as well as my backyard and about ½ a block from my house. I have a pretty large amount (?) of duty for my router so I needed something that could keep up. Here is a list of what is connected: (3) Nest Fire detectors (2) Harmony remote hubs (2) Philips hue base + 12 bulbs (22) WeMo devices (Light switches, switches and a WeMo Maker) (2) Smart Life devices (switches) (8) Amazon Echo Devices (2 with displays) (1) AT&T Digital Life security system (1) EcoBee 3 Thermostat (10) NetGear Arlo Security cameras (2) Pioneer Elite network ready receivers (2) Sony Network Ready HDTVs (2) Apple TV 4k (1) Matricom STB (2) NVIDIA Shield STB (2) iPads (2) iPhones (1) Slingbox (2) Drobo 5n NAS (1) NetGear NAS (2) Apple Time Capsules (6) SONOS speakers (1) PS4 Pro (1) XBOX ONE S (1) Nintendo Switch (1) Windows computer (6) Macintosh Computers -#1 is running —macOS Server —PLEX -#2 is running —Transmission -#3 is running —Slink -The rest are just used when needed I have had 4 connected video streams, on PLEX, of 1080p video running with no signs of an issue. This is a PLEX server running on a Mac mini. I also use Kodi on my local network and it has no issues at all with (2) 1080p and (2) 4kHDR video streams running. I can fully control the security cameras, the WeMo devices, SlingBox, PLEX, EcoBee 3, AT&T Digital Life, All of the NASes and connect to my network via VPN remotely with no issues. The setup for someone with little or no knowledge of networking is ridiculously simple. Only took about 5 minutes to complete the initial setup. It also has a pile of extra features that can be employed if you know what you are doing or want to learn. This ease of setup is on par with the setup for Apple routers (AirPorts and Time Capsules). But the Apple routers have no where near as many features and options available. I would like it if it had a few more of the more professional options available, so I could tweak the settings a bit more. The add-on of the extenders was just as easy. It took about 5 minutes each. The extenders don’t have much to alter on them as they are functioning as Access Points. So Far this router has completely lived up to my expectations. The only question you need to answer is… at the price, do you need this much router. I would figure that the majority of users would see no issues going with a lower level Linksys. But if you are using your router to manage a large number of devices while streaming video, using several computers, running a macOS server, a plex server and an automated household… This IS the router to use!

Much longer range than my last Netgear R7000. Easy setup and looks crazy cool. Streaming flawlessly, and my WiFi speeds are the same as the hard wired Systems. 115Mbps.

Bottom line up front; I am a fan of this router (Linksys AC5400 MU-MIMO gigabit router), and will be recommending it to anyone I know that is in the market for one. Pros - Easy to install - Easy to configure/setup - 8 Ethernet ports - 2 USB ports (2.0 & 3.0) - Faster than Netgear AC1750 and Arris modem/router combo - No lag, even with 6 devices connected Cons - Unable to differentiate between 2.4GHz & 5GHz channels when selecting networks on Windows 10 - Unable to manually select 5GHz channel on PS4, PS3, or HP laptop I am in a 2,500 square foot, 2-story house and use Wi-Fi for a three year old HP laptop, streaming via an Amazon Fire TV stick, Google Chromecast, Philips Hue lights, an Amazon Echo, Sony PS3, Sony PS4, and multiple iPhones. I’ve had fairly frequent issues with buffering, particularly upstairs, where the signal has to pass through more material to reach a device. Because of this, I have a swapped out routers 3-4 times. I currently have a Netgear AC1750 and, a Time Warner provided modem/router combination (Arris TG1672G). I did speed tests of all three via iPhone, and for the Linksys and Arris on the Playstations and computer, but more about that later. Install The first thing I noticed when pulling the Linksys AC5400 out of the box, was the 8 antennas on it. I immediately took this as a good sign, because more is better. Well, maybe not always, but certainly when dealing with router antennas, because this is where the MU-MIMO part comes into play (Basically it allows your router to carry data from multiple devices simultaneously, like a multi-lane highway where each car has its own lane. Routers w/out MU-MIMO technology function sort of like a single land road where everyone shares the same lane and the router determines what order the traffic gets onto the road). My router sits alongside a printer in my home office, so I wasn’t concerned about appearance, but this definitely won’t blend in on a bookshelf. I was pleased to see that the power cord is similar to that on most laptops, in that it has a ‘brick’ from which you can detach the end of the plug that goes to your power outlet. So much nicer than the oversized plugs that overlap other outlets, thereby making them useless, also it makes running the cord between the wall and a desk much easier. There are 8 Ethernet ports on the back, extremely useful if you have many connected devices (smart home components, printers, desktop LAN, etc), 1 USB 3.0 port, and 1 USB 2.0 port. Setup Setup consisted of following 4 simple steps in a quick start guide, and then completing the process on the computer with the help of a ‘wizard’ on LinksysSmartWiFi.com. I have set up at least three routers over the last few years, and this was, by far, the easiest I’ve done. Most comforting was the fact that there was never a point where I felt like I could mess something up by answering the wrong question or clicking the wrong button. Even the step where it lets you change the network name and password takes care to let you know that you will need to reconnect to the newly named network, AND informs you that the wizard will pick up where you left off once you have reconnected. My only complaint about this process is that I could not get Windows 10 to differentiate between the 2.4GHz and the 5GHz channels when I was looking for which network to connect with. I don’t know if that is something related to the Linksys or to the Windows 10 OS. The Linksys website also allows you to set up parental controls, configure guest access, test your speed, see what devices are connected to your router, and more. There are 4 default networks, a secure 2.4GHz & 5GHz, and a guest 2.4GHz & 5GHz, each of which allows you to rename them if you desire to do so. Even accounting for changing the network name, I was done and online within 15 minutes of opening the package. Speed The biggest difference I noticed was when multiple devices were online. I’ve seen lagging when two Playstations were involved in online gaming, but that didn’t happen with the Linksys. I had both Playstations, the Amazon Fire TV Stick, and two iPhones all online simultaneously, without any buffering or lagging. Regarding the speed comparisons – I have Time Warner cable 300Mbps download and 50Mbps upload. For what it’s worth, I’ve never seen anywhere near those actual speeds, but Time Warner assures me that the problem is on their end and they are addressing it. iPhone speeds were tested with the SpeedSmart app, PC speeds were tested at speedtest.net; Only the iPhone allowed me to manually select the 5GHz channel, so everything else was tested on the 2.4GHz. iPhone (Netgear 5GHz)- 103.86Mbps down 5.86Mbs up iPhone (Arris 5GHz)- 63.19Mbps down 6.67Mbps up iPhone (Linksys 5GHz)- 111.42Mbps down 21.55Mbps up iPhone (Netgear 2.4GHz)- 47.47Mbps down 5.97Mbps up iPhone (Arris 2.4GHz)- 53.72Mbps down 22.07Mbps up iPhone (Linksys 2.4GHz)- 51.98Mbps down 22.40Mbps up Laptop (Arris 2.4GHz)- 32.11Mbps down 24.11Mbps up Laptop (Linksys 2.4GHz)- 33.73Mbps down 24.03Mbps up PS3 (Arris 2.4GHz)- 7.5Mbps down 2.4Mbps up PS3 (Linksys 2.4GHz)- 10.2Mbps down 2.6Mpbs up PS4 (Arris 2.4GHz)- 56.2kbps down 28.4kbps up PS4 (Linksys 2.4GHz)- 11.3Mbps down 1.9Mbps up

There's a saying about being careful what you wish for? I purchased this router last December but had to return because of connectivity issues. While it worked, it was phenomenal - fast connection speeds, multiple simultaneous connections etc. My main issue was losing connectivity - it would ever so often get to this state where it would not allow devices to connect to the 5Ghz bands. I tried everything from turning off bandsteering, splitting the 5Ghz bands as two separate SSIDs etc. to no avail. My previous purchase was a version 1.1 I had heard about a version 2 and the upgraded CPU and antennas but it appears they were not so easy to come by. After the return of my first EA 9500, I would still check BestBuy's website for availability as they always appeared sold out. I saw them in stock a few weeks back and decided to give the model another try. To my surprise, it was a version 2! Similar to the version 1.1, it's fast and can contain all the traffic my household throws at it. It appears slightly more stable compared to the version 1.1 which would momentarily lose connection to the app once a change was made and it updated; version 2 appears to bounce back quicker. The reason for rating this 4 stars is due to bugginess of the network map. What happens is that some wirelessly connected devices appear as ethernet connections (when connected) and some wireless devices do not move to the offline page when offline but rather stay on the connected device page as ethernet connections (e.g. in the attached pictures, my MacBook Pro was offline). I have owned an AC 1900 for about 5 years and it performed flawlessly so it's hard to realize why this state of the art router would not be able to accomplish a rather basic function. It's a nuisance but I have chosen to stay with the router as its connectivity performance is out of this world. I am hoping a possible software update may fix this in the future.

Replaced an older Linksys router with this bad boy; unbelievable increase in coverage and speed. A bit pricey, but worth it. No longer need any of my range extenders.

First and foremost, this router is BIG, bigger than any typical router that most people will buy for their use. But with this size, it provides a total of 8 Gigabit Ethernet ports to connect up to 8 devices to the router, one USB 2.0 and one USB 3.0 port to connect external storage devices to share with the rest of your network, 8 antennas which can be adjusted in several different positions (which provides excellent range/coverage), and so forth. Of course with a router of this size, it can be difficult to find a good area to place it in while still being close to your Internet modem. The overall build quality of the device is great and what you would expect for something like this router. The process of performing the initial setup to accessing the internet took about 20 minutes. From getting the router out of the box, adjusting the antennas, removing the protective film, and getting it in place with the various Ethernet cables and power. With this router, the antennas are already in place, so you don’t have to connect them to the router or anything like that. You just need to adjust them how you like it and they are ready to be used. To finalize the setup, I accessed the router with the computer that was connected to it with an Ethernet cable and followed the prompts. There was about 7 or 8 prompts to go through and that was it, I was up and running with two different Wi-Fi networks (one for 2.4 GHz and one for the dual-band 5 Ghz). The only thing that I had to adjust after the setup had been completed was the name of the 5 GHz Wi-Fi network, as I was forced to just append the phrase “_5Ghz” to the 5 Ghz network name (the field with the name was greyed out), but I wanted to use something else for that network. This router comes equipped with the ability to have a separate “Guest” network so that people visiting your home can access the Internet through your Wi-Fi, but are separated from your private network. You can also prioritize up to three devices utilizing the “Media Prioritization” configuration so that specific devices have a higher priority than others on the network. This is great for when you have multiple people accessing the Internet, playing online games, streaming videos/music, and so forth through this router at the same time. Overall, this router is perfect for home use, especially if there is a lot of Internet connected devices in the household. Having a Tri-Band system that provides two 5 Ghz bands and one 2.4 Ghz band for Wi-Fi devices makes it convenient to have all sorts of devices connected to the Internet through one router. The range provided by this router is superb, so you don't have to worry about losing Internet access anywhere in your home. The online Control Panel is both easy to use and navigate so you’re able to make a change to any setting with just a few clicks of the mouse. DISCLAIMER: I received this product at a discount in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

I would like to first start this review by mentioning that I work as a Network Technician for a living so I know a thing or two about routers. With that said, this device is the best residential router I have ever used. Not only did it handle all of my heavy media data consumption, but it provided some great features not seen on other flagship routers. As seen in the attached screenshots I was able to get up to 300+ Mpbs down and 20+ Mbps up for both hardwired and wireless speed tests. The lowest speed I received was 223 Mbps down and 21 Mbps up as seen in the attached screenshot. The ease of setup allows this router to be used by novices and the extensive features cater to even the most technically inclined. I have broken down some of the key highlights of this beefy wireless router that illustrate, in my opinion, why it's worth the price tag. For those wanting the best Wi-Fi experience and the fastest speeds in an environment with a big demand on bandwidth, look no further. Setup: "Plug and play" type setup. Connect an ethernet cable from your internet service provider's modem to the "Internet" port on this router and you're ready to rock. Without getting too technical, please note that if your internet service carrier provided you with a modem/router combo unit, you will want to place that device in "bridge mode' to prevent any IP address conflicts or connectivity issues when connecting it to this Linksys router. Features: Tri band AC Wi-Fi Mu-MiMO Technology - This thing was made for heavy bandwidth users. I put it to the test with a gaming desktop PC, an HTPC, a note 5, an iphone 6, three ipads, an Nvidia Shield, a macbook pro, a gaming laptop, my 4k TV with Netflix, and a linux machine. I ran data intensive applications simultaneously on these products and not a single hiccup. Impressed. However, to take advantage of this router and obtain optimal speeds, you will want to ensure that your devices are “802.11 AC” Wi-Fi capable. If your Wi-Fi devices were purchased within the last year or so, they likely are. If they aren’t, you may be able to purchase an “802.11 AC” adapter if the device has a USB port. Also, make sure you have optimal placement by ensuring that the router is free from any obstructions and is centrally located as possible from the devices connected to it. Media Prioritization – The router’s internal software allows you to prioritize bandwidth to certain applications or games that you designate. For avid gamers like myself, this is a huge bonus as ping times and latency are the difference between “frag or get fragged”. External Storage – Connect an external storage device to one of the router’s USB ports to share content across your home network. Think local mini server! Using FTP, you can even access the content on your storage device from a remote computer. What?! Now, that’s just cool. Guest Access Networks – If you’re in an area frequented by guests, you can configure guest networks to provide them wireless access without allowing them access to your main network and the computers connected to it! Connectivity & Range – Did I mention that this thing has 8 external antennas and 8 gigabit Ethernet ports? Even when consuming heavy data in my home’s second floor over the wireless signal, none of the devices experience a single hitch or connectivity issue. Another huge feature is that unlike other flagship routers that only include 4 gigabit Ethernet ports, this thing has 8!!! This is great as it eliminated the need for me to use an external switch to connect additional hardwired devices. Linksys Smart Wi-Fi App – This was the icing on the cake. Download Linksys’ “Smart Wi-Fi” app on your smartphone or tablet and you have a remote management tool for your home network on the go. I downloaded it onto my Note 5 and I was able to remotely see the devices connected to my network, make configuration changes to my wireless network, edit security parameter , and access most other features found on the local router software. VLAN Tagging – Nerd Alert! If you know what this is then like me you are probably a bit surprised to see this feature included in a residential router but with 8 gigabit ethernet ports, why not right?! I love me some 802.1q trunking and VLAN ID configuration so I’ll be having fun tinkering with this one. User Interface: The software used to configure the router is extremely user-friendly and intuitive to operate. Set your network names, your preferred encryption scheme (default selection is perfectly fine), your password, hit “apply” and you’re done. The network map gives you a dynamic view of devices connected to your network and displays when they connect or disconnect in real-time. Awesome! Construction & Size: It’s big and it’s plastic. But then again, you wouldn’t want a fully embodied metal enclosure blocking your wireless signals would you? And that is why plastic is the ideal material for the enclosure/antennas. As far as size goes, it does catch your eye but that is a small compromise to be made for the stunning performance this router puts out. Conclusion: By now, you can tell that I have fallen in love with this router and I will be retiring my old one. But the questions remains; are there any cons? Well, other than the hefty price tag, I don’t really see any. But since you’re getting the latest gen technology and so many added features, this price point is to be expected. If you are looking for a “commercial grade” router in your home to handle all of your intensive data tasks, you will probably love this router.

The EA9500 is the latest prosumer level router from Linksys combining 4×4 MIMO, eight flexible antennas, eight gigabit wired ports, USB 2 & 3.0 ports, tri-band radios (one 2.4GHz and dual 5GHz) with a combined 5333 bandwidth and intelligent automatic balancing between the two 5GHz bands. This is what the industry is calling Wave 2 AC Wi-Fi. Setup can be done by making a wired connection directly to the router, using the Wi-Fi SSID and password on the bottom. Very nice to see unique default passwords on each device. No more admin/admin as user name and password. The third option to start setup is plug the Wi-Fi router into your ISP modem and point your browser to linksyssmartwifi.com. I had better luck with the first two options. Plugging a wire into your router on initial setup is always going to be most reliable. The Web interface is not completely intuitive and I found it to be a bit slow. You have a list of items on the left and then widgets on the main page. (Pictured) Some are removable and some are not. The router features eight adjustable external antennas, which can be positioned for optimal performance. In my tests, moving the front two on each side actually did change my signal strength using Wi-Fi Explorer for Mac as my measurement tool. The 8 gigabit ports are nice although I’m using a managed switch at my house, the one thing the more advanced user will want to know is you cannot aggregate two or more ports. The USB ports can be used to host a printer or an external drive. I tried both scenarios out and they work as promised. Surprisingly NTFS and HFS+ are supported filesystems for an external USB drive. You have the option to connect your router to a Linksys Smart Wi-Fi account. You’ll then be able to access your routers settings from anywhere on the road with your Android and Apple device. It’s important to know that your router will then be making a connection to servers at Linksys at all times if you enable Smart Connect. Overall setup has most of your standard features, Port forwarding, Firewall settings, parental controls, media prioritization, speed tests and guest access. It’s important to note that in Bridged Mode, most of your features are lost and the device just serves Wi-Fi at that point. So how did it perform? Not a huge fan of providing speedtest numbers because every has a different ISP and speedtest relies on going out the public internet which has variable congestion. Inside my home with a 2015 MacBook Pro which has 802.11ac 3x3 MIMO I was able to see speeds a bit over 600Mbps when making large file copies to my storage server. The greatest asset this device has is its ability to handle many clients and not take a hit on performance. The Broadcom BCM4709C0 CPU this is built on is able to dedicate a core to each one of the three radios and leave two for its internal processing. I setup two 2015 MacBook Pros, two iPad Air’s and two iPhone 6’s and set them all to stream MLB At Bat with its 60fps feature, I knew this would be a lot of throughput to handle. Granted these are not 4K streams but the Linksys was able to handle the load. Range, this is always a big question and every house is different so it’s hard to rate and you should really try it yourself, but this has excellent range. Keep in mind there is no way to go beyond a certain point with today’s devices because the receiving device has to talk back to the Wi-Fi router. And your smart phone or laptop can only scream back so loud no matter how powerful of a bull horn the router has. This being said, some of my toughest spots in my 2600 sq/ft home were pretty good but not excellent and of course they were stuck on the 2.4Ghz band once you go two or three rooms away. This router is expensive but Linksys is giving you a 3-Year Warranty + 3-Year Tech Support which they say is a $200 Value. I did try chatting on-line with support and was escalated to the second level with my question. The person on the other side was able to answer it but I feel like I was potentially asking questions the agent had to read from scripts to answer. One more thing. Bouncing between the two 5Ghz bands is only supported on limited devices that support the 802.11k standard including but not limited to iPhone (4s and later), iPad Pro, iPad Air and later, iPad mini and later, iPad (3rd generation and later), iPod touch (5th generation and later), Samsung S4 (Android 4.2.2 /4.4.2), Samsung S5 (Android 4.4.2), and Samsung S6 (Android 5.0.2). This router might be over-kill for most. But for large families or small offices getting the EA9500 should satisfy your Wi-Fi requirements. I hope LinkSys continues to provide more features for this device with firmware upgrades.

I bought this router after doing some research on it and i must say its the most dependable router i ever had no lagg no dropped connection i have 12 devices on it and it runs perfectly

I have a 4000sq ft home and with no need of extenders covers every inch of it. I can access the router from everywhere and have over 40 devices running at once like nothing. I have 3 different smart home hubs works beautifully. I can restrict internet access and set restrictions to guests and my kids to keep them in check. I just love the features on this router and would buy it again in a heart beat. And the price at Best Buy was the best part!. Excellent for gamers specially and heavy media streamers like my kids.

I got this router from Best Buy to review it and the review will be honest. First off, this router is huge, at least compared to my previous router which is an Asus RT-AC68U. The Linksys measures approximately 12" wide including the side antennas, 10" deep including the antennas and 61/2" high including the antennas at the rear of the unit. It weighs about 4 pounds. The power cord is in two pieces, one of which has the power module. The total length is 10' which is very nice, but the power module (heavy brick) is very close to the router, which in my case, the brick is hanging from the back my desk which I really don't care for as I believe that it could unplug from the router. It would have been nice to have the power module brick closer to the plug, rather than the router. It also comes with a very short (39 inches) Ethernet cable. I'm sure most people will already have a longer Ethernet cable if you're upgrading or replacing your router. But if this is your first router, the included Ethernet cable should suffice until you can get a longer one if needed. Other features are : Wi-Fi Bands : 2.4 and 5 GHz(2x) (simultaneous tri-band). Ethernet Ports : 1 Gigabit WAN port and 8 Gigabit LAN ports. 8 external adjustable antennas. 1.4 GHz dual-core processor. Network : 802.11b, 802.11a/g, 802.11n, 802.11ac On the back of the router there are two USB ports, one 2.0 and one 3.0. It comes with a 3 year warranty. I've only set up one other router before and the set up for this Linksys was pretty easy. My only problem was after I disconnected my old router and the hooked up the Linksys, I did not get any internet connection what so ever. I simply unplugged the Ethernet cable from the Linksys, and then I unplugged the power from my modem and waited a few minutes. Then I plugged the power back into the modem, let it fully reboot, and then reconnect the Ethernet cable to the Linksys and I had internet. Setting up the Linksys the rest of the way was easy and straight forward. Don't forget to change the factory password to one of your own. This router is designed for very large houses. My house is older, two stories and about 2000 square feet with plaster walls and solid core doors. I get a very good signal anywhere in the house, and easily 175 to 200 feet from my house down the driveway. So it gets great coverage. My upload and download speeds are a bit better than my old Asus was. I currently have 3 devices connected to the Linksys by Ethernet and 7 devices streaming from the Linksys and all run smoothly and have great connections and speeds. The router has been in use for 4 days, so no long term usage yet to base it on, but so far, I give it 5 out of 5 stars. If I run into any problems, I'll come back and edit my review. I attached two pictures that I took for this review.

This router impressed me immediately by its size, look and number of ports but being a geek for a living and not gullible when it comes to technology, I had to test it first. Setting it up was very easy. Connected my iPad, used a web browser, followed the wizard and in a couple of minutes it was up and running. Antennas were already installed, just had to set them up. A Surface Pro 3 which supports 802.11ac 2x2 MIMO connected at a sustained rate of 866.5 Mbps in my office where the router is. Moving to a corner on the second floor - where signal from my previous router used to be one bar and unusable - decreased the speed to 417 Mpbs and signal to 4 bars. I was so amazed that I decided to use Fluke OneTouch AT tool to measure it more accurately. My draw dropped as it connected at 877 Mbps at that spot and 1.3Gbps in the office. Using the Surface, it took about 4 minutes to download a 4.7Gb image over wireless from a dedicated NAS device and a little over 2 minutes from a drive directly connected to the U.S. 3.0 port on the Linksys EA9500. Both wireless and storage performance impressed me as it was faster than my wired NAS which I own because I quit connecting a drive to my previous routers due to poor performance An Amazon Fire TV stick which used to constantly pause to buffer now performs flawlessly with no more buffering even when all other members of the family are using their devices to stream videos at the same time. I only had to drag and drop it to the Media Prioritization box. It feels as if the router improved not only the local network but also the internet. 19+ other devices feel like they have their own private connection. I still have no 4x4 MIMO devices to test the Wave II speed (2.6+ Gbps) but I am awed by what it can do with all I have. Parent Control option is limited but very easy. You either block or allow full access to the internet but you can set up specific times and devices. I can finally force my 7-year to put her iPad away at bed time. Web filtering is available through a separate app but I did not test it. The geek inside of me looked for flaws, especially in performance and stability but none has been found so far. Only a cosmetic issue with the troubleshooting function which shows an Apple Watch, 2 iPhone 6 plus and an iPad as connected via LAN instead of Wireless. Not really an issue. I highly recommend this Linksys EA9500 Max-Stream AC5400 router so far. - Terrific performance, stability and coverage - Excellent storage performance if you add a USB 3 drive - Great for gaming, Skype and video conferencing - Streaming internet and locally stored videos is simple and smooth, even 4K. - Easy to use, even for non-tech people - Simple, still practical Smart Wi-Fi app - Made me feel excited about a wireless router for the first time

Linksys EA9500 - 3 Year Warranty + 3 Year Tech Support - Next-Gen AC - The Only Way to WiFi from what they promote - Ideal for 4K/HDTV - Max Stream AC5400 MU-MIMO Gigabit Router - Supercharged Work & Play - Tri-Band Quad Stream WiFi 5.3Gbps - MAC, Windows 7, 8, and 10 Compatible - 8 Gigabit Ethernet Ports - Multi-User MIMO Technology (Basically where everyone can do something on the WiFi at once without lag) - SMART WiFi with Network Map * Monitor and maintain your WiFi network anywhere and make your WiFi awesome * Easily control your WiFi devices when you are away from your home * Prioritizes your favorite device and more * Share your WiFi via email or text with Guest Access - Tri-Band technology adds and additional high-speed 5GHz band for combined speeds of up to 5.3Gbps - up to double the AC performance of dual-band - Band 1 - 2.4GHz optimal speeds up to 1000 Mbps (older wireless-N & G devices) - Band 2 - 5GHz fastest speeds up to 2166 Mbps (file transfer & video conferencing) - Band 3 - 5GHz fastest speeds up to 2166 Mbps (online gaming & streaming devices) - 4x4 AC, Four simultaneous streams of data for stronger, faster performance - Advanced Security, WPA/WPA 2 encryption and SPI firewall help keep your network safely connected - USB 3.0 port - Dual Core CPU, 1.4GHz dual core processor for extremely fast data transfer speeds - Beamforming Technology, focuses WiFi signal to each device on your network - 8 adjustable antennas, position antennas for optimal performance - Smart WiFi, access and control your home network from anywhere Minimum System Requirements: - Router setup needs latest versions of Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Microsoft Edge, or Internet Explorer Package Contents: - Linksys AC5400 MU-MIMO Gigabit Router, EA9500 - Ethernet Cable - Power Adapter - Quick Start Guide - CD-ROM with Documentation Testing/Setup: So the setup was extremely simple. The only problem I ran into was that I had a previous router so unplugging it and plugging in the Linksys EA9500 required me to reboot my modem, not a big deal. After hooking it up, changing the WiFi settings was a breeze. Let me say one thing though. This router is MASSIVE! If you are thinking about purchasing this thing, make sure you have enough space to put it. It has vent holes pretty much on the whole thing and because of the power it produces to enhance your WiFi experience, make sure you give it enough space to breathe. Keep in mind, the testing below was done on Charters 60mbps service plan. I tested with speedtest.net Current Speeds with my Netgear Router: PC on Ethernet - Ping 19ms, DOWN 66.01mbps, UP 4.40mbps Laptop Wireless - Ping 25ms, DOWN 67.22mbps, UP 4.35 mbps Android Tablet - Ping 35ms, DOWN 39.95mbps, UP 4.51mbps iPhone 6 Plus - Ping 14ms, DOWN 66.24mbps, UP 4.41mbps PC on Wireless - Ping 10ms, DOWN 61.49mbps, 4.25mbps Speeds after setting up the Linksys EA9500 PC on Ethernet - Ping 16ms, DOWN 66.33mbps, UP 4.44mbps Laptop Wireless - Ping 16ms, DOWN 66.34mbps, UP 4.45mbps Android Tablet - Ping 18ms, DOWN 42.28mbps, UP 4.76mbps iPhone 6 Plus - Ping 20ms, DOWN 67.98mbps, UP 4.26mbps PC on Wireless - Ping 16ms, DOWN 66.34mbps, 4.36mbps Conclusion: So as you see, most of the speed wasn't much of a difference in my previous Netgear router and the Linksys EA9500. One thing I can notate is that when you have multiple users in your household that streams, games, and uses the internet a lot; this router will make a difference. It enhances the signal in all your devices all at the same time so that everyone in the household gets a good speed to do what they want. I would recommend this product for people that like to have LAN party's. I would also recommend this product for someone that has a big house with multiple people in the household. If you need something that has 8 Gigabit ports and spreads the WiFi even to accommodate everyone, pick up one of these Linksys EA9500 up today.

This is a beast of a router! Equipped with a dual core processor, 8 antennae, tri-band capable of up to 5.3 Gbps, and 8 gigabit Ethernet port, this router should be more than capable of meeting even the heaviest of demands. I couldn't take advantage of the MU-MIMO since I don't have a compatible adapter, but it's good to know that it's there for future expansion. This router leaves a large footprint, coming in at about 13 inches in width and depth. The build is solid with vents throughout for heat dissipation, which this thing definitely needs as it can get quite warm. The top of the router sports a display that lights up with the Linksys logo and connection status. Given the large size, it is disappointing that there is no way to wall mount or comes with a stand to sit it vertically. The back has 8 gigabit ports, 1 usb 2.0. and 1 usb 3.0. Setting up was simple, albeit some hiccups with my modem, and the Smart WI-FI app is easy to use. The UI can use a bit of streamlining, as some of the options are scattered within various menus and tabs. The help menu isn't great as it only tells you what the options are and not really how to use it. Luckily there are plenty of guides for the Smart WI-FI app available online. The one real negative is the speed test feature. For one it requires Flash, and secondly the results aren't accurate. During testing it showed my connection being only 35Mbps, while Speedtest.net showed the correct speed of 200Mbps. Setting up an external storage was easy enough, but I have to admit that I needed to check a guide on the steps for media sharing and FTP setup. Performance is great, as it should be. The signal strength is constant and the range is good. I say good because I was expecting a bit more, but 4 bars at 40 feet with 5 Ghz is nothing to scoff at either. I paired this up with a Linksys RE7000 and was able to extend the range another 40 feet. The MaxStream line works seamlessly with each other so set up was simple. As a test, I streamed movies with all my major devices simultaneously and was able to do so without any buffering. Pros: Easy set up and great performance Good build quality 8 Ethernet ports External storage transfer speed outperforms my previous router Cons: It's rather large No space saving wall mount or stand Speed test feature isn't accurate and requires Flash Gets warm (best to put it on some risers)

I got this router a couple of weeks ago (on sale). My past experiences with Linksys products has always been great but when I noticed the label on the front of the box it caught my eye. It states, " 3-Year Warranty + 3-Year Tech Support $200 Value." Wow! I never heard of that before. This router is super-fast, and capable of handling anything you do. It's great for my home office and there is no lag if I am streaming and working at the same time. With the 8 Ethernet ports allows me also to direct connect my desk top and the TV in the office with the ability to hook plenty more up if needed. This router allows you to utilize all of superfast 1GB internet for its speed even during the high traffic volume times of day, without any slowing. I would highly recommend this router to anyone using smart tvs, home office, streaming video services or any online gaming! It has plenty of range with its 8 antennas and can handle anything you wanted to do without any problems - the range is unbelievable. A very big plus is the ease of setting up the router, it super quick and very easy to do right out of the box - just follow the simple instructions provided.

The only problem was the first night at about midnight the wifi shut down. Fortunately it was back up and running the next morning. No issues since that first night. It works great all over my house and yard. No dead spots anywhere. New 4K TV works great and with 15 different switches, lights, and various other devices all are working well.

I have a fast internet connection at 1g however I put this router on and the speeds it pushes out is at 100 mbps Max. I change the router to a different brand of router and that router pushed out between 500 mbps to 550 mbps. When I switch to A Verizon brand router/modem the signal increased to a unstable signal between 530 mbps to 700 mbps. Seeing I got a better result I put back the Linksys router and the signal dropped back to 100 mbps. I don’t know about you, but I rather get to or a lot close to the speeds I pay for.