Linksys WRT1900ACS 5 GHz router review, is it worth it?

The Linksys WRT1900ACS (WRT1900ACS) router released in 2016. It is powered by Marvell Armada 385 88F6820 @ 1.6 GHz chipset, 512 MB of RAM and 128 MB of flash. The AC1900 router is compatible with IEEE 802.11b/g/n/ac standards, and the maximum speed that you can get with WRT1900ACS is 600 + 1300 Mbps. The router has 1 x 10/100/1000 Mbps WAN and 4 x 10/100/1000 Mbps LAN ports.

The WRT1900ACS supports dual-band Wi-Fi, offering both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. You can connect supported USB devices to the WRT1900ACS router. The external storage devices such as USB flash drives or external hard drives add file-server functionality to this router. Linksys products typically adhere to industry-standard networking protocols and standards, ensuring compatibility with other devices and systems.

Table of contents:

• Linksys WRT1900ACS specifications
• Linksys WRT1900ACS pictures

Linksys WRT1900ACS (WRT1900ACS) specifications

Body

The dimensions and design of a router can impact its cooling capabilities. Routers with larger dimensions may have more space for internal cooling mechanisms, such as larger fans or heat sinks, which can help dissipate heat more effectively. The weight of router is not typically a critical factor for most home or office setups.

System

The Linksys WRT1900ACS router is equipped with Marvell Armada 385 88F6820 @ 1.6 GHz processor. The router's memory (512 MB) cannot be expanded. When choosing a router, it is important to consider both the flash memory and RAM specifications. The WRT1900ACS has 128 MB of flash. A larger flash memory allows for more space to store configuration backups. It enables you to save multiple versions of your router's configuration settings, which can be useful for restoring previous configurations or reverting changes if needed.

Within the WRT1900ACS router's interface, look for a section related to firmware or system settings. The exact location and wording may vary depending on the router's make and model. Using a custom OS on a router can offer certain benefits and advantages, but it also comes with potential risks and considerations. Installing custom firmware on theLinksys router voids the manufacturer's warranty and may impact your ability to receive official support.

This router is OpenWRT compatible. OpenWrt has an active development community that continuously works on improving the security of the firmware. The Linksys WRT1900ACS router comes with 12 V / 3 A PSU. This unit is responsible for providing electrical power to the router, and if it becomes faulty, it can be replaced with a new, compatible one.

Network

The WRT1900ACS router supports multiple networking standards to ensure compatibility with various devices and systems. The IPv4 is the fourth iteration of the Internet Protocol (IP) and is the most widely used version of IP on the internet today. The latest firmware supports IPv6 protocol that provides an identification and location system for computers on networks and routes traffic across the Internet.

The Linksys WRT1900ACS has 4 x 10/100/1000 Mbps LAN and 1 x 10/100/1000 Mbps WAN ports. LAN or Ethernet ports (RJ-45) are used to connect devices to the local area network (LAN). Gigabit Ethernet ports of the WRT1900ACS router allow for faster communication between devices within your local network. WAN ports are the entry point to your local network, making them a potential target for unauthorized access or attacks. It's important to secure your WAN connection by using strong passwords, enabling encryption protocols, and keeping the router's firmware up to date to mitigate security risks.

The WRT1900ACS router supports Gigabit WAN. Having a Gigabit WAN port is beneficial when your internet service plan supports high-speed connectivity, as it ensures that your router's WAN connection can handle the maximum speed provided by your ISP. OpenVPN is a popular choice for VPN deployments due to its strong security, flexibility, and broad compatibility. It is commonly used by individuals, businesses, and organizations to establish secure remote access connections and protect sensitive data transmitted over public networks.

IPsec provides a robust and standardized framework for securing IP communications. It is commonly used in VPN deployments, remote access scenarios, site-to-site connectivity, and other situations where secure communication over IP networks is required. PPTP has been criticized for its security weaknesses. It has known vulnerabilities, including issues with the encryption algorithm and the potential for password cracking attacks.

Wireless

This router has 4 x 3.8 dBi, RP-SMA antennas. Antennas play a significant role in Wi-Fi performance and coverage. They are essential components of wireless routers that transmit and receive radio signals to establish wireless connections with devices. This router is 2.4 GHz compatible. The 2.4 GHz band is widely supported by a wide range of devices, including older devices that may not be compatible with the 5 GHz band.

The 2.4 GHz band is heavily utilized by various devices like cordless phones, Bluetooth devices, and microwaves, leading to higher interference levels. The 5 GHz band is less congested, resulting in reduced interference and a clearer wireless signal. The WRT1900ACS router is 5 GHz capable. The WRT1900ACS Wi-Fi router supports multiple spatial streams, typically up to 4 streams. This allows for higher data throughput and improved performance, especially when multiple devices are connected to the router simultaneously.

The AC1900 is a performance indicator that represents the router's theoretical maximum speed. The theoretical maximum speed (600 + 1300 Mbps) represents the highest data transfer rate that the router is capable of achieving under ideal conditions. The TX power (19 dBm / 21 dBm) of a router refers to the transmission power or signal strength at which the router broadcasts its Wi-Fi signal. It determines the range and coverage area of the wireless network.

The WRT1900ACS router offers several security protocols: WEP, WPA, WPA2, WPS. The WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) was the first security protocol for Wi-Fi networks but is now considered weak and easily compromised. It uses a static encryption key and has known vulnerabilities, so it is no longer recommended for securing Wi-Fi networks. The WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access 2) was introduced as an improvement over WEP and provides stronger security. If WPA3 is not available, WPA2-Personal with AES encryption is still considered secure.

The WRT1900ACS router offers WPS. The WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) provides a simplified and convenient method for connecting devices to a Wi-Fi network. Instead of manually entering the Wi-Fi network name (SSID) and password, users can use the WPS feature to establish a connection with the push of a button or by entering a PIN. A guest network on the WRT1900ACS router is a separate network that provides internet access to guests or visitors without giving them access to your main or primary network. It allows you to create a dedicated network segment for guests, keeping their devices isolated from your private network, thereby enhancing security and privacy.

Connectivity

USB ports can offer additional functionality depending on the router's capabilities. The USB 2 port has a maximum theoretical data transfer rate of 480 megabits per second (Mbps), which is equivalent to 60 megabytes per second (MB/s). The USB 3 ports provide a fast interface for external storage with data transfer rates of up to 4.8 Gbps. You can attach a compatible USB printer to the Linksys WRT1900ACS device. USB print servers allow you to connect a USB printer to your network, making it accessible to multiple devices. This eliminates the need for each device to have a direct USB connection to the printer. It has built-in NAS functionality. You can connect external storage devices such as USB flash drives or USB hard drives to your router. This allows you to share files, documents, photos, and media across devices on your network. It can be convenient for accessing and sharing files without the need for separate file servers or cloud storage.

Features

Administration

The default IP addresses of the Linksys WRT1900ACS device is 192.168.1.1. These address allows you to access the router's console login page. Regularly changing the password is a good security practice to protect your network and devices from unauthorized access. It is also recommended to use strong, unique passwords for other devices and online accounts connected to your network for enhanced security. By changing the default password, you improve the security of your router and reduce the risk of unauthorized individuals gaining control over your network. It helps prevent unauthorized access to your router's settings, network configurations, and sensitive information.

The specifications above are based on the official data published by the manufacturer, but we also take user reviews into consideration. If you found an error or something lacking in the specifications above for the Linksys WRT1900ACS, then don’t hesite and signal the problem to us.

Linksys WRT1900ACS (WRT1900ACS) pictures

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