Designed for massive houses that require masses of bandwidth for video streaming and on-line gaming, the Linksys Max-Stream EA9300 ($299.99) makes use of 3 radio bands to fight congestion on your private home Wi-Fi community. It helps all the today’s 802.11ac technologies, together with band-steerage and beamforming, and it may take care of Alexa voice instructions. It’s smooth to put in and manipulate the usage of the Linksys net console or cellular app, and it is a stable performer. If you are inclined to spend $three hundred on a router, dropping $a hundred greater on our Editors’ Choice, the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AC5300, receives you the quickest overall performance we have got visible and all of the capabilities you may ever want to assist your gaming and streaming habits.
Choose Your Band
The EA9300 stocks the identical black textured layout because the Linksys EA9500 that we reviewed returned in 2016, however at 2.five with the aid of using 9.zero with the aid of using 11.6 inches, it is now no longer pretty as big. It has six nonremovable adjustable antennas and the pinnacle holds a small panel with an illuminated Linksys logo, a WPS (Wi-Fi blanketed setup) pastime LED, and LED signs that mild up while there are net and LAN cable connection issues. Around returned are 4 gigabit LAN ports, a WAN port, USB 3.zero ports, a reset button, a electricity jack, and a electricity switch. A WPS button is positioned at the proper facet of the router.
The EA9300 is an AC4000 tri-band router able to most records fees of 750Mbps at the 2.4GHz band and 1,625Mbps on every of the 2 5GHz bands. It’s an 802.11ac Wave 2 tool which helps MU-MIMO (simultaneous) records streaming, direct-to-customer sign transmissions (beamforming), and Smart Connect (band-steerage) era wherein the router chooses the excellent radio band to apply primarily based totally on such things as community site visitors and to be had bandwidth. This router additionally helps seamless roaming while paired with a Linksys Max-Stream variety extender. It is powered with the aid of using a 1.8GHz quad-middle CPU, 512MB of RAM, and 256MB of flash memory.
You can manipulate the router the usage of a net-primarily based totally console or with the identical Linksys iOS or Android cellular app used to manipulate the Velop collection of mesh Wi-Fi systems. The app has maximum of the identical capability because the net console, however you get greater granular manage with the console. For example, you could set software prioritization and restriction downstream bandwidth with the net console, however now no longer with the app. Additionally, the net console gives some superior alternatives which you do not get with the app together with VLAN, Wireless Scheduling, Airtime Fairness settings, and Speed Test, which helps you to degree your router’s net add and down load speeds.
The cellular app opens to a Dashboard display screen that shows the call of the community, net connectivity status, and the variety of linked devices. It additionally indicates the names (SSIDs) of every radio band at the number one and visitor networks. Tap any band to provide get admission to to customers thru electronic mail or textual content messaging. The message consists of the SSID and password for that specific band. To show a listing of linked clients, faucet Devices, after which faucet any tool call to use parental controls or to provide the tool bandwidth prioritization.
Parental Controls are restrained. You can block web sites and create schedules to restriction get admission to to the net, however you do not get the age-suitable filters which you get with the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AC5300 and the Netgear NightHawk X6S AC4000 (R8000P), nor do you get the integrated malware safety that includes the Asus Rapture router. However, the EA9300 does assist Alexa voice instructions that assist you to do such things as allow visitor networking and alter positive Wi-Fi settings with spoken instructions.
To get admission to router settings, faucet the 3 bars withinside the higher left nook of the Dashboard display screen. Here you could edit SSIDs and passwords, configure protection type (WPA/WPA2 Mixed Enterprise, WPA/WPA2 Mixed Personal, WPA2 Enterprise, WPA2 Personal, WEP), configure channel and channel width settings, and allow/disable Band-Steering. Advanced settings assist you to configure Port Forwarding and Port Triggering, installation MAC filters, and configure DHCP and DNS settings. Use the Administration settings to improve firmware, set a time zone, view the router IP address, and restart the router.
Keeping Up With the Competition
Installing the EA9300 is rapid and smooth. I commenced with the aid of using downloading the cellular app and growing an account. After plugging withinside the router, I tapped Launch Setup and decided on All Other Routers from the listing and accompanied the in-app commands to hook up with the router the usage of my phone’s Wi-Fi settings with the SSID and password located on the bottom of the router. I then tapped Find My Router and became right away directed to the EA9300 Setup display screen. I tapped Continue and became triggered to customize my community with the aid of using growing names for every band (you could choose to apply one call for all 3 bands in case you are the usage of Smart Connect) and getting into a brand new password. I created an administrative password for gaining access to the router’s settings console, and the set up became complete.
The EA9300 grew to become in stable outcomes on our throughput overall performance exams. Its rating of 95Mbps at the 2.4GHz close-proximity (identical-room) take a look at became same to that of the Netgear NightHawk X6S R8000P, however now no longer pretty as rapid because the TP-Link Archer C5400X (113Mbps). The Asus Rapture GT-AC5300 led with a rating of 128Mbps. On the 30-foot take a look at, the EA9300’s rating of 69Mbps became a chunk slower than the competition, however now no longer with the aid of using much.
On our 5GHz close-proximity take a look at, the EA9300 scored 485Mbps, besting the Netgear NightHawk X6S with the aid of using 23Mbps, however trailing the Archer C5400X with the aid of using approximately 100Mbps. The Rapture GT-AC5300 recorded 601Mbps, the quickest rating we have got visible so far from any router. At a distance of 30 feet, the EA9300’s 305Mbps became almost same to the TP-Link Archer C5400X (306Mbps) and 35Mbps quicker than the Netgear NightHawk X6S. The Asus Rapture GT-AC5300 led with a rating of 330Mbps.
The EA9300 completed splendidly on our file-switch exams wherein we use a USB 3.zero difficult power and a 1.5GB folder containing a mixture of photo, video, music, and file documents to degree study and write speeds. Its write rating of 78MBps is the quickest we have got visible so far, squeaking beyond the Netgear NightHawk X10 R9000 (77MBps). The TP-Link Archer C5400X and the Asus Rapture GT-AC5300 added write speeds of 35MBps and 39MBps, respectively. The EA9300’s study rating of 80MBps became additionally outstanding, however fell a chunk quick of the Netgear NightHawk X10 (89MBps). Still, it became drastically quicker than the TP-Link Archer C5400X (40MBps) and the Asus Rapture GT-AC5300 (42MBps).
Three Bands, But Not the Best
The Linksys Max-Stream EA9300 is a stable preference for busy domestic networks that require a 3rd radio band to address duties like video streaming, on-line gaming, and torrent downloads. It’s now no longer the quickest router out there, and it is expensive thinking about its modest function set, however it promises fantastically top throughput and file-switch speeds. However, you do not get any malware safety and parental controls are restrained to site-blocking off and get admission to-scheduling. For greater strong parental controls, integrated safety in opposition to viruses and different malicious threats, and the quickest 5GHz throughput overall performance we have got visible, do not forget the Editors’ Choice Asus ROG Rapture GT-AC5300. It’ll fee approximately $a hundred greater than the EA9300, however it’s miles loaded with I/O ports and gamer-pleasant control settings. Or in case you’re inclined to sacrifice a few capabilities, the Asus RT-AC86U is likewise a stable choice at $199
