Linksys EA7500 Review (AC1900 Dual Band Wireless Router)

Linksys is one of the best Wi-Fi router brands in the world. It is a renowned company recommended by millions of users across the world. Linksys Wi-Fi routers are reliable for home and office wireless networks. Not only Linksys routers are sturdy, but they are also efficient and secure. Interestingly, they are easy to configure even by beginners.

Besides, the Linksys has a wide range of Wi-Fi routers designed for different purposes. If you want something unique, powerful hardware, robust connectivity, high-speed wireless, and style, you need the Linksys EA7500 Wi-Fi router. It is the AC1900 MU-MIMO router offering rich configuration and maximum wireless performance even in large homes.

The Linksys EA7500 is designed specifically for home users who download and upload large files, stream HD videos online, and play high-graphics online games. In this review, we will share our experience with the EA7500 wireless router. Read on!

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Specifications

Size: 10.12 x 7.24 x 2.2 inches

Antennas: 3 removable  

Wi-Fi Spec: 5 GHz 802.11ac dual-band

Ports: 1x USB 2.0 and 1x USB 3.0

Peak Performance: 1300 Mbps on 5 GHz

Range: 1,500 sqft.

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Unbox Video

Linksys EA7500 Unboxing

Networking

The networking specs of the EA7500 are very powerful. It has incorporated the latest wireless technology known as the MU-MIMO, which allows the EA7500 to serve up to 12 devices simultaneously. The EA7500 features Wi-Fi ac standards, which is the fastest wireless protocol in the world.

The EA7500 serves different devices on the network with additional functions. For instance, connecting external USB drives or pen drivers, you can the router as an FTP server, media streaming server, as well as a simple file-sharing server on the network.

You can also it as sharing the common printer. These features make the EA7500 recommended Wi-Fi equipment for people who opt for a high-end wireless device for homes and offices. The best networking feature of this router is its optimization for media.  

The EA7500 is powered by high-end hardware. It supports both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz radio frequency bands. On the 2.4 GHz band, the maximum theoretical speed of the router is 600 Mbps and on the 5 GHz radio band, it is 1300 Mbps. If you want fast-speed Wi-Fi, it is important to upgrade your older hardware so that it supports the 5 GHz radio frequency band.

Likewise, the EA7500 offers other important features like blocking, security, NAT, and parental control. We tested the router at 5, 15, and 30 feet on the 5 GHz band. We measure speeds of 982 Mbps, 653 Mbps, and 441 Mbps respectively.

Next, we tested the router on the 2.4 GHz band at 5, 15, and 30 feet distance. This time, we measured a maximum speed of 491 Mbps at 5 feet, 274 Mbps at 15 feet, and 201 Mbps at 30 feet. Further, we tested the device at 100 feet distance, and surprisingly, there was no significant decline in the speed. At 100 feet, the speed was 172 Mbps. These results are quite impressive.

Design

The Linksys EA7500 is built with high-grade ABS plastic material. It has a small footprint with a rugged exterior but an all-black finish. The design is modest and with a matte-finished surface. It has a glossy central area with a white-colored Linksys logo. The dimensions of the EA7500 are 10.12 x 7.24 x 2.2 inches. The weight of the device is 2.05 pounds. It has 3 detachable omnidirectional antennas.

On the top side of the router, you will see a perforated surface designed to look attractive, especially when the router performs the ventilation of the interior hardware. On the bottom and side, you will see grilles that make the EA7500 a highly ventilated device. This means the router won’t heat up during an intense gaming session or hours of internet browsing.

The EA7500 is a solid Wi-Fi router with powerful hardware. The router is weighty and needs to be placed somewhere safe. You can also mount it on the wall for better Wi-Fi network coverage. On the rear side of the EA7500 Wi-Fi router, there are 3 removable antennas. The design of these antennas is aesthetically pleasing.

On the backside, there are 4 Gigabit Ethernet ports, 1 WAN port, a power switch, and a power jack. Apart from the basics, there is a “Reset” and “WPS” button or switch along with 2 USB ports that allow for connecting external drivers. There is 1 USB 2.0 and 1 USB 3.0 port, which are used for FTP data transfer, data sharing, and media streaming over the network.

Hardware

The hardware specs of the Linksys EA7500 (AC1900) are quite impressive. The EA7500 is powered by a dual-core Atheros (Qualcomm) IPQ8064 powerful CPU with a processor clocked at 1.4 GHz. The CPU is backed by a highly-efficient 128 MB of flash storage memory for the firmware. It also has 256 MB of RAM. Since it is a high-end router, we expected 512 MB of RAM. Anyway, the 256 MB of RAM does a pretty good job (as can be seen in the results above).

The EA7500 is a dual-band Wi-Fi router that supports the 802.11ac wave2 standard as well as the MU-MIMO technology (3×3). This allows the router to achieve a maximum theoretical speed of 600 Mbps on 2.4 GHz and 1300 Mbps on the 5 GHz radio band (total 1900 Mbps).

Installation

The installation procedure of the EA7500 is simple and easy. It is a router with control switches lying within the UI. The connection is regular to traditional routers. After connecting it, you need to open the browser and type in the address bar the IP address “192.168.1.1.”

You will get access to an easy setup guide that walks you through the step-by-step setup process to easily configure your EA7500 Wi-Fi router. Don’t forget to set a username and a strong password to avoid security breaches. Overall, the process is easy and your router will be ready for use within a few minutes.

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What We Liked

• 1.9 Gbps speed across 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz
• Fastest NAS performance
• MU-MIMO technology
• 2 USB ports
• Best Router for Verizon Fios

What We didn’t Like

• A bit pricey for AC1900 standard