Linksys EA6500 Smart WiFi 802.11ac Router Review (Part 1: 802.11g/n)

2012-11 UPDATE: Part 2a is up.
It is incomplete due to a hardware issue. See the video for more details.

In this first video, I review the Linksys EA6500 HD Video Pro Smart WiFi 802.11ac router on 802.11g and 802.11n. I perform tests of the range and throughput of the router in various locations around the house.

This router uses the newest WiFi standard to deliver up to 1,300 Mbps over 5.0 Ghz. Since not many devices are equipped with 802.11ac yet (as of October 2012), Linksys also provided the WUMC710, a wireless media bridge which connects via single-band 5.0Ghz to the router and has 4 gigabit Ethernet ports, which will be reviewed in a second video.

More on 802.11ac:

Specifications on the EA6500 HD Video Pro:
- simultaneous dual band 2.4 Ghz (802.11g, 802.11n) and 5.0 Ghz (802.11n, 802.11ac)
- 2 USB ports for connecting printers and USB storage (sticks and hard drives) with NTFS support
- 4 gigabit Ethernet ports

Linksys Smart WiFi (formerly Cisco Cloud Connect) is OPTIONAL. You can manage the router completely locally through 192.168.1.1.

Downloads: graphs

[AndyVasile]

finally! I've been looking for the usb storage walkthrough for a while now, and although it is not extensive or detailed here, I was able to see that smb is supported which is what I'm chasing after. Thanks a lot!

[shaneownbey]

Awesome, in depth & dedicated analysis. A+ for this EA6500 Thesis!

[jesper]

Very nice and thorough review. Unfortunately it seemingly cuts a bit short of the end.
Thank you for the review.

[wyattkavin]

good job on the review, might have to get one

[almcloud]

Thank you.
Got the Cisco L. EA3500 for a really good price and was recommended for HD and Gaming. The 6500 was first of all a bit out of my budget because I just spent 200 bucks for a NAS. And secondly I don't have any hardware with 802.11ac nor am looking to spend 150 buck for Cisco's media adapter. Will se how it works. Thanks again !

[JeremyPhan]

Both of them have good reviews. The Netgear is above average for speed so it may be the better choice. As for devices, it won't really matter unless you're streaming HD to everything. Most apps/browsing/etc. is all low-bandwidth. The biggest factor is range.

[JeremyPhan]

On page 35 of the User Guide (updated link in the description), it says that only the EA2700, EA3500, and EA4500 support 802.11a and 802.11b exclusively.

The options to only run 802.11a/b was dropped in the EA6500 but it does say "backwards compatible" on their site and "mixed mode" on 5 Ghz is supposed to accept connections from 802.11a devices (though those were very few and far between). I'll contact Cisco and see if they can clarify.

[JeremyPhan]

Compared to the DIR-655, it runs cooler thanks to larger, ventilated case.
As for 802.11g and 802.11n, it's definitely a step up. Once I complete the 802.11ac tests, I'll give my verdict on if it's worth it.

[JeremyPhan]

2nd connector? If you're referring to the media bridge, it is a separate component. The reason I had it was because at the time, there were no 802.11ac devices available so there was no way to test the 802.11ac WiFi. There are now laptops with 802.11ac WiFi cards as well as other 802.11ac devices.

[JeremyPhan]

Not unless you have range issues or are going to use 802.11ac.
They're releasing newer models with USB v3.0.

[JeremyPhan]

It's based on the firmware. North American firmwares will disable channels/frequencies outside the allowed FCC range.

It's unfortunate that you can't run an extender. The only other options are high gain antennas or multiple routers, daisy chained with Ethernet cable.

Knob/tube wiring means you can't run powerline due to noise issues so there aren't many options left, at least in the consumer space.

[JeremyPhan]

You can either bridge (WiFi to wired) or you can turn it into an access point (wired to WiFi). Unfortunately, the built-in firmware won't work as a repeater so there aren't many options available.

[JeremyPhan]

Not unless you've disabled it or on the walled-off "Guest" WiFi.
If you can log into the router, you should be able to modify all the settings.

[JeremyPhan]

There are commercial products meant for large, high traffic areas such as Cisco's Aironet.

[JeremyPhan]

It depends on the bandwidth available to the TV. I'm assuming it's only 2.4 Ghz so it'll max out at 450 Mbps, which is about 200 Mbps after overhead. You need to run copy/speed tests with other WiFi devices to determine signal strength and bandwidth. A faster router won't matter if the TV's WiFi is limited to 2 antenna or bottlenecked by something else.

[JeremyPhan]

Any router will do what you need.

This router is only if you need extended range, stream lots of (simultaneous) HD, or want 5 Ghz for less interference.

[JeremyPhan]

You'll have to clarify... I'm not 100% sure to what you're referring.
In bridge mode? What are you trying to connect the router wirelessly to?
It supports 802.11g so older devices can connect TO the router.

The DIR-655 in the video is version A2. It's setup as 802.11n only. I've had an issue with it but I've found that routers can be very hit/miss sometimes. One thing that I know for sure is that poorly ventilated/overheated routers die/disconnect consistently.

[JeremyPhan]

It doesn't matter what protocol the other routers use. You should first determine which band they're using. Most people aren't on 5 Ghz. Switching to ONLY 5 Ghz should already eliminate interference issues with all other non-router devices such as phones, the microwave, etc.

As for Merlin, it's a firmware that's flashed just like any other through the router's administration page.

If signal strength is an issue, devices such as Amped Wireless' REC10 (600mW) would serve your purposes better.

[JeremyPhan]

None of these tests are Internet (WAN) speed tests. They are ALL internal (LAN) speed tests.

Base:
Computer 1 wired via CAT5 Gigatbit directly to the router.
Computer 2 wired via CAT5 Gigatbit directly to the router.

[JeremyPhan]

Whatever power boost is available is capped by wireless regulations so ALL routers have the same max. It comes down to compatibility and extra features. Test it out, if possible but there shouldn't be much difference if you're only running 802.11g.