Linksys EA9200 Tri-Band Smart AC Wi-Fi Router Review
Introducing the Linksys EA9200
Shortly after we published our AC3200 router roundup, Linksys contacted us and wanted to throw one of its routers into the ring. We agreed, and the company sent us its Linksys EA9200 Tri-band Smart Wi-Fi router, which like the others in the roundup is a tri-band router that uses the Broadcom XStream 5GHz platform, throwing out dual 5GHz networks along with a 2.4GHz network for older devices. Like the other routers, it's capable of pushing data at 1,300Mbp/s on its 5GHz bands, and 600Mb/s on the 2.4GHz band. It is also able to pair both 5GHz channels together using Smart Connect technology, or you can run them as two separate networks if you prefer. This router was one of the first to appear on the market, and has been around for almost a year now, so Belkin/Linksys has had some time to fine-tune its firmware based on real-world usage. Its specs are exactly the same as the other routers in the roundup, as is its MSRP of $300, though it's available at Amazon for just $189, so it's about $100 less expensive than the D-Link DIR-890L/R, the Netgear Nighthawk, and the Asus RT-AC3200. The Trendnet TEW-828DRU is just a bit more expensive most of the time, promos not withstanding.
The EA9200 uses six antennae, three of which are internal and three that are external and removable. Unlike the other routers that we've tested recently though, it stands up vertically and has a permanently attached base so that the antennae can always be up as high as possible and in the optimum position for sending a signal down like rainfall. We actually like the design quite a bit, though the option to remove the base and lay it down flat would certainly be appreciated.
The front of the router has a lone Linksys logo with a white LED that is quite bright, and oddly there are no activity lights on the front whatsoever, so all you ever see is that logo. Though we appreciate the lack of light because it can be a distraction, it is handy to be able to glance at a router and make sure everything is working properly, so we kind of miss them.
The rear of the router offers four Gigabit LAN ports, a gigabit WAN port, power and reset switches, and two USB ports. One port is USB 2.0 for a printer, and the other is USB 3.0 for attached storage. The side of the router sports a Wi-Fi on/off switch as well as a WPS connect button. Though the USB ports let you connect a hard drive and let the router act as a media server or NAS, it does not support Apple's Time Machine.
It’s a full-featured router with parental control, guest networks, and quality of service that lets you prioritize traffic to specific devices or apps via drag-and-drop, letting you place three devices, applications, or games in "High Priority.” You can also manually add games and applications if you know their port range and protocol. It will let you create secure guest networks, and limit the number of connections. Parental controls let you block Internet access at specific times, or manually block certain websites. Like other AC routers it supports a technology named Beam Forming, where the router can amplify a signal in the direction of a detected connection instead of just sending it out equally in all directions. The router is backed by a one year warranty, which is the bare minimum.
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| Linksys EA9200 | ASUS RT-AC3200 | Netgear Nighthawk X6 | Trendnet TEW-828DRU | |
| Technology | IE802.11 a/b/g/n/ac | IE802.11 a/b/g/n/ac | IE802.11 a/b/g/n/ac | IE802.11 a/b/g/n/ac |
| Bands | One 2.4GHz, Dual 5GHz | One 2.4GHz, Dual 5GHz | One 2.4GHz, Dual 5GHz | One 2.4GHz, Dual 5GHz |
| Wireless speeds | 600Mb/s @2.4GHz, 1,300Mb/s @ 5GHz | 600Mb/s @2.4GHz, 1,300Mb/s @ 5GHz | 600Mb/s @2.4GHz, 1,300Mb/s @ 5GHz | 600Mb/s @2.4GHz, 1,300Mb/s @ 5GHz |
| Interface | Gigabit Ethernet | Gigabit Ethernet | Gigabit Ethernet | Gigabit Ethernet |
| Ethernet Port | 4x 1Gb LAN (+1Gb WAN) | 4x 1Gb LAN (+1Gb WAN) | 4x 1Gb LAN (+1Gb WAN) | 4x 1Gb LAN (+1Gb WAN) |
| USB Port | 1x USB 3.0, 1x USB 2.0, 1x Virtual | 1x USB 3.0, 1x USB 2.0 | 1x USB 3.0, 1x USB 2.0 | 1x USB 3.0, 1x USB 2.0 |
| Security | WEP, WPA/WPA2: SPI Firewall; Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS); WPA/WPA2 Mixed Personal; WPA/WPA2 Mixed Enterprise; WPA2 Personal; WPA2 Enterprise | WPA/WPA2; SPI Firewall; Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS), 64-bit WEP, 128-bit WEP | WPA/WPA2; SPI Firewall; Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) | WEP, WPA/WPA2-PSK, WPA/WPA2-RADIUS |
| Platform | Broadcom Xstream 5G | Broadcom Xstream 5G | Broadcom Xstream 5G | Broadcom Xstream 5G |
| Antenna | 3x External Removable, 3x Internal Non-removable | Six removable | Six non-removable | Six non-removable |
| Dimensions | 9.70 X 3.14 X 8.15 Inches (w/out Antennas) (WxDxH) | 11.4 x 7.4 x 2.28 inch (WxDxH) | 11.63 x 8.92 x 2.14 inch (WxDxH) | 9.5 x 6.7 x 1.8 inch (WxDxH) |
| Warranty | 1 year | 2 year | 1 year | 3 year |
| Pricing (street): | $189.99 (On Sale) | $269.50 | $273 | $209.99 |
The EA9200 uses six antennae, three of which are internal and three that are external and removable. Unlike the other routers that we've tested recently though, it stands up vertically and has a permanently attached base so that the antennae can always be up as high as possible and in the optimum position for sending a signal down like rainfall. We actually like the design quite a bit, though the option to remove the base and lay it down flat would certainly be appreciated.
The front of the router has a lone Linksys logo with a white LED that is quite bright, and oddly there are no activity lights on the front whatsoever, so all you ever see is that logo. Though we appreciate the lack of light because it can be a distraction, it is handy to be able to glance at a router and make sure everything is working properly, so we kind of miss them.
The rear of the router offers four Gigabit LAN ports, a gigabit WAN port, power and reset switches, and two USB ports. One port is USB 2.0 for a printer, and the other is USB 3.0 for attached storage. The side of the router sports a Wi-Fi on/off switch as well as a WPS connect button. Though the USB ports let you connect a hard drive and let the router act as a media server or NAS, it does not support Apple's Time Machine.
It’s a full-featured router with parental control, guest networks, and quality of service that lets you prioritize traffic to specific devices or apps via drag-and-drop, letting you place three devices, applications, or games in "High Priority.” You can also manually add games and applications if you know their port range and protocol. It will let you create secure guest networks, and limit the number of connections. Parental controls let you block Internet access at specific times, or manually block certain websites. Like other AC routers it supports a technology named Beam Forming, where the router can amplify a signal in the direction of a detected connection instead of just sending it out equally in all directions. The router is backed by a one year warranty, which is the bare minimum.
