The most effective router alternatives are not usually the most costly. For example, the Linksys EA6350 AC1200 dual band router is an excellent example of this.
Despite the modest price, it delivers just enough performance for the majority of regular users with connections of up to 1 GB per second. And it’s for this reason that the Linksys Smart WiFi may be more deserving of the title of Best Small Business Router than most other affordable Wi-Fi routers on the market.
Design
The Linksys EA6350 AC1200 Dual-Band Smart Wi-Fi Router has a similar appearance to the Linksys EA6100 AC1200 Dual-Band Smart Wi-Fi Router. Both feature a black shell and two non-removable antennae, which means you can’t upgrade to a higher-gain antenna if you don’t want to spend the extra money.
The EA6350 is 1.1 by 8.9 by 7 inches in height, width, and depth (HWD), and it has a strip of gray trim with a single status light that runs along the top of the enclosure. During the configuration process, the indicator blinks green and then remains steady green when the router is switched on.
This dual-band 802.11ac router is powered by a single-core 800MHz CPU that runs at a high clock speed. This device is capable of (theoretical) throughput speeds of up to 300Mbps on the 2.4GHz band and up to 867Mbps on the 5GHz band when operating at full power. Beamforming, which distributes wireless signals directly to each client rather than across a wide spectrum, is supported by the EA6350, however, it does not enable Multi-user Multiple Input, Multiple Output (MU-MIMO) data streaming, which is required by some applications. One USB 3.0 port, one WPS button, and one Reset button can be found on the router’s rear panel. The router has four Gigabit LAN ports, one WAN port, and one WPS button.
After logging in, the Smart Wi-Fi Web portal displays a Home page with a list of Smart Wi-Fi Tools and Router Settings on the left side and widgets for frequently used settings on the right side of the screen. The Device List page provides a list of all connected devices as well as their current state, and the Guest Access page is where you may enable guest networking and configure passwords for visitors.
Surprisingly, guest networking is only available for clients using the 2.4GHz band. You get the same features as other Linksys routers that use this console, such as the Linksys EA6100 and the Linksys EA7500 Max-Stream AC1900 MU-MIMO Gigabit Router ($85.00 at Amazon), including Parental Controls, a Speed Test that measures Internet upload and download speeds, and Media Prioritization settings that let you prioritize network access for gaming consoles and specific applications. In the External Storage options, you may specify which folders are accessible from associated USB devices and define FTP and Media Server configurations.
Performance
Thanks to the Linksys Smart Wi-Fi Web interface, installing and configuring the Linksys EA6350 is a breeze. Simply open a browser and put linksyssmartwifi.com into the address bar once the router has been installed and connected to the Internet and your host PC. This starts the Setup Wizard, which guides you through the process of configuring your Internet and wireless connections…..
During our 5GHz throughput testing, the EA6350 achieved the highest results of any budget router we’ve tested. A close-proximity (same-room) test revealed that it performed far better than the Netgear AC1200 Smart Wi-Fi Router (R6220), which cost $85.00 on Amazon and scored 331Mbps, the Linksys EA6100, which scored 95.1Mbps, and the D-Link DIR-842, which scored 93Mbps (332Mbps).
The EA6350 achieved a throughput of 199Mbps at a distance of 30 feet, outpacing the competition. The Netgear R6220 achieved 104Mbps, the Linksys EA6100 achieved 86.6Mbps, and the D-Link DIR-842 achieved 111Mbps.
The EA6350’s performance in our 2.4GHz throughput testing was more in line with the results of the other budget routers we evaluated. When tested at close range, it achieved 72.5Mbps and 39.3Mbps when tested at a distance of 30 feet or more.
Networking devices such as the Netgear R6220 achieved throughputs of 74.1Mbps (near proximity) and 48.3Mbps (30 feet), the Linksys EA6100 achieved throughputs of 77.4Mbps and 40.2Mbps, and the Cisco DIR-842 achieved speeds of 75Mbps and 41.5Mbps, according to the tests.
Specifications
- Model Name:
Linksys EA6350 - Network Standards:
- IEEE 802.11a
- IEEE 802.11b
- IEEE 802.11g
- IEEE 802.11n
- IEEE 802.11ac
- Radio Frequency Bands:
2.4 & 5GHz - Ports:
Power, USB(1), Ethernet(1-4) - LEDs:
Power, Internet, Ethernet(1-4) - Buttons:
Reset, Power
- Operating Temperature:
32 to 104 F (0 to 40 C) - Storage Temperature:
-4 to 140 F (-20 to 60 C) - Operating Humidity:
10 to 80% Noncondensing - Warranty and Support:
1 Year Limited Warranty and Technical Support - Max. Link Rate:
867 Mbps - Platform Compatibility:
- Windows XP
- Windows Vista 32/64
- Windows 7 32/64
- Windows 8 32/64
- Windows 8.1 32/64
- Mac OS X 10.5.8 Leopard
- Mac OS X 10.6.1 Snow Leopard
- Mac OS X 10.7 Lion
- Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion
- Mac OS X 10.9 Mavericks
Conclusion
In the event that you don’t require a high-end router, the Linksys EA6350 AC1200+ Dual-Band Smart Wi-Fi Wireless Router is a fantastic option to consider. It’s ideal for compact houses and flats since it delivers extremely fast 5GHz throughput in our testing, and while its 2.4GHz performance wasn’t particularly impressive, it was more than enough for a router in this price range.
The Linksys EA6350 router, like the majority of Linksys routers, is extremely simple to set up and administer, due to the Linksys Smart Wi-Fi Web portal and mobile app. Even though you’ll pay around $30 more for this router than you would for the D-Link AC1200 Wi-Fi Router (DIR-842), you’ll receive significantly higher throughput and a USB 3.0 port for your money.
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