Linksys WRT1900AC Router Review

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Despite being launched years ago, Linksys’ WRT54G is still considered one of the best wireless routers available on the market. While most of this appeal is due to very capable third party firmware, the WRT54G set a high water mark that was only recently surpassed by some of the latest AC-band products. In order to keep up with the competition Linksys is now launching a spiritual successor to their storied router. Called the WRT1900AC, it brings high performance, a user friendly design and a broad feature set to a market that’s already filled with alternatives.

Just a little over a year ago Belkin purchased the languishing Linksys networking division from Cisco and promised to not only revitalize a once great brand but to take an hands-off approach to managing their latest acquisition. Just as before the purchase, there would be Belkin branded consumer networking appliances, and there would be Linksys designed and branded products. This segmentation would allow both teams to work on their own initiatives while also building off each others’ strengths. The first byproduct of this partnership is the WRT1900AC.

With an online average asking price of nearly $280 Canadian, the WRT1900AC certainly isn’t priced with the average consumer in mind, but this is perfectly acceptable since it isn’t a 'mainstream' model. Those derivatives will follow on shortly. Rather, this is a halo product meant for networking enthusiasts, one that makes a statement above all else.

To accomplish their goals, Linksys aren’t taking the typical route of their competitors by utilizing Broadcom’s BCM4708 and BCM4709-based controllers. Instead, Marvell components have been used. By doing this Linksys can give consumers exactly what they asked for: out of the box compatibility with open source firmware such as DD-WRT. This makes the WRT1900AC one of the first 'hackable' AC1900 routers available on the market today, in theory. However, the reality is that neither Belkin or Linksys have opened their full set of source codes to the development community quite yet so if you're expecting a truly open source device, prepare to wait a while.

Besides firmware customization the other area that Linksys has focused on improving is their reliability. One of the largest reasons consumer grade routers 'die' is heat buildup. Passive cooling is usually good enough, but if you want to really keep high performance components from overheating, active cooling is the only way to go. However, with a fan, noise becomes a major consideration and as such the WRT1900AC active cooling abilities are tied to a trio of finely tuned temperature sensors which control fan speeds.

Also making a return is an LED-equipped front panel that is useful and not just an afterthought. Mix in four antennas instead of the typical three, eSATAp as well as the usual USB 3.0 port, and on paper the WRT1900AC may just do exactly what Belkin and Linksys want it to: resurrect a brand that many enthusiasts had written off, and give ASUS, Netgear, D-Link, and others some true competition once again.

 

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Closer Look at the WRT1900AC

Closer Look at the WRT1900AC

Like every router that we have reviewed in the past, the WRT1900AC's accessory list doesn’t include all that much but it is more than adequate. With that being said, there’s a well done installation booklet, an external power adapter, four large external antennas, and an installation CD so all the basic bases have been covered.

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As you can see the WRT1900AC looks nothing like Linksys routers from the last generation; in fact its blue and black color scheme is very reminiscent of older Linksys routers. Obviously Linksys is making a statement with this chassis and they want to world to know that this is not a Cisco of Belkin rebadge.

Much like old Linksys WRT routers from a bygone era the WRT1900AC is a squat, long boxy affair rather than the 'sexy' Linksys models of yesteryear. In either case this low slung router does have a rather large footprint, but thankfully it does have an ace or two up its sleeve. Firstly this unique –and some may say ugly- design makes the WRT1900AC stackable and it can be more easily mounted to a wall in a vertical orientation.

The added flexibility of easy high wall mounts is further simplified through Linksys’ inclusion of a printable screw template so you won’t be aimlessly measuring mounting holes prior to installation. It’s a brilliant idea and one which the competition should copy.

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Continuing this trend of completely erasing Cisco's fingerprints from Linksys routers, the front of the WRT1900AC not only has status LEDs but an actual old school LED bar that with just a simple glace allows consumers to troubleshoot basic connectivity issues. From left to right these are: Power On, Internet connectivity, 2.4GHz and 5GHz band indicators and an eSATAp LED which glows a solid white when a portable eSATA device is connected and blinks when it is active. Rounding things out is a pair of USB LEDs (one for each port) and four Ethernet LEDs. We just wish more companies would include such a compressive cluster on their routers.

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Considering the fact that 802.11AC networking components do run hotter than previous generations, Linksys has not only included a plethora of ventilation slits on the top and bottom, just by looking down upon the WRT1900AC you can glimpse an honest to goodness 40mm fan for active cooling. This too not only breaks from previous generations’ zero noise philosophy, but should help keep the WRT1900AC from overheating long after most other 802.11AC routers have shutdown or lost connectivity. There’s no need for concern over noise pollution either since throughout our intensive long-term tests, the fan didn’t noticeably spin up.

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In keeping with most wireless routers, the I/O panel is located on the 'back' - or top depending on the orientation of the WRT1900AC - and is very similar to most routers we have looked at in the past. From left to right the layout is as follows: the WPS setup button, the four wired 10/100/1000 Ethernet ports (blue), a single color coded (yellow) WAN port, the lone USB 3.0 port, the eSATAp port, a small reset button, the power input port, and on the extreme right a simple power switch.

While this does sound like a lot of input options for one area the WRT1900AC’s large size it easy to populate all the various ports.

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While the overall color scheme, active cooling, and even the return of front LED cluster do help the WRT1900AC stand out from most 802.11AC routers, its quartet of antennas are quite unique. While this could lead consumers to think that this was a 2x2 router with antennas dedicated to both 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz networks it is indeed a 3x3 model. The extra antenna does however require a bit of explaining.

At its heart the WRT1900AC could be 4x4 or at the very least 4x3 capable router, but since there aren’t any 4x4 network adapters available in the consumer sphere, Linksys decided such a feature would have been rather useless. Instead of being the 'first' 4x4 router, Linksys has taken a unique approach to decreasing connectivity issues and boosting signal strength. Put simply the WRT1900AC self-optimizes and uses the 'best' three antennas at any time for transmitting and receiving packets. How much this will help in all but extreme scenarios remains to be seen, but the extra antenna certainly cannot hurt.

Further helping the WRT1900AC improve signal reception is the layout of these four antennas. Not only are they quite large, they are also spread out on three sides of the unit. Compared to most routers the WRT1900AC's different antenna array layout should promote better signal reception, decreases cross-talk and generally increases the size of the reception abilities.

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The internals take a radically different approach to most other 802.11AC routers as well. First up is the aforementioned fan which we saw from the outside alongside an absolutely immense heatsink. There are some hotter running components in there but with a setup like this, any overheat concerns become non-starters.

As with most routers the WRT1900AC makes use of a 128GB NAND IC, and a single 256MB RAM module. However, instead of the typical Broadcom controllers this is an entirely Marvell affair. There is a Marvell ARMv7 based MV78230 'Armada XP' SoC which runs at a whopping 1.2GHz which should help it outperform the competition's 1GHz offerings. Of course speed is relative and it is possible that the typical Broadcom BCM4708/4709 is 'faster' even at a slower clock rate.

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To ensure compatibility with future 3rd party firmware, this router also makes use of a Marvell 88W8864 chip for both 2.4GHz and 5GHz spectrums.

 

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Setup and Installation

Setup and Installation

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With so many decades worth of experience in designing consumer-orientated routers it came as no surprise that the WRT1900AC's installation was a straightforward and painless endeavor. Just plug in the router, attach the various cables, and simply type "linksyssmartwifi.com" or "myrouter.local" or just "192.168.1.1" into your web browser. Doing any of these this will allow the router to walk you through the quick and painless setup procedure which has been automated as much possible and requires very little user input.

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While not as fast some, this procedure will take about two minutes to complete a simple networking installation. This of course assumes you use the default passwords and SSID for 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks. If you want to use custom options for either or both networks it will take a bit longer, but even then the installation wizard will walk you through it with very little hassles.

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When the wizard is finished you will be left with two fully functioning networks and all that will be left to do is either start using your basic 802.11N and 802.11AC functionality or customizing the more advanced features.

If you do use more advanced features, configuring them should only take a few moments as Linksys has opted for their classic easy to use, easy to navigate and highly intuitive interface. We will get into the various features this router has to offer and the list is rather long and detailed.

 

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WRT1900AC Router Interface

WRT1900AC Router Interface

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Linksys routers have been known for many good things over the years but a great User Interface has never been one of them. This is why the WRT1900AC's interface actually comes as a pleasant surprise. Not only is this UI laid out in an extremely logical and intuitive manner, almost no features have been hidden where you’ll have to search for them. At worst you will have to click on one level, and then change a tab, as the default tab for a given sub-menu may not deal with what you are looking for.

Unfortunately, there is a lack of some advanced features. Obviously, Linksys feels that advanced users will install a 3rd party firmware package and be done with it. This UI is meant for average consumers so why bother confusing things with features that could cause their network to stop functioning properly? We can see their point of view on this, but considering installing other firmware will void the warranty, some advanced features should have still been included.

On the positive side, the single main landing page covers nearly everything you could need to do. This 'main' page has been broken into two sections with a long contextual menu running along the left hand side, with the lion's share of space given over to whatever section you are in. The default Main section consists of 'widgets' that not only offer a brief overview of the router and its current configuration but grant the ability to ignore the left side menu and simply click on whatever function you want to control.

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If for whatever reason these barebones widgets don’t give you enough customizability (or simply don’t offer a feature you need to configure) the left menu will then come into play. The topmost option is the Network Map section. Here you can quickly and easily add a new device to the network. More importantly there are four main wizard icons that will quickly step you through configuring a given type of device. For example, if you want to activate WPS the WPS icon can be selected, conversely if a network based printer needs to be configured you would also come to this section and select USB Printer. These four main wizards should cover off most devices and scenarios but by lumping a whole host of devices in under 'other', the ability of this UI to reduce configuration time is severely curtailed. There is no full on 'manual' option that would have been a better fit for more advanced users either.

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The next section is aptly named Guest Access and as the name suggests this is where you would configure short term, and or limited networks separate from your main 2.4 and 5.0GHz networks. While very limited in its abilities compared to ASUS' top of the line routers, the list of abilities should prove to be more than adequate for most consumers’ needs.

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The Parental Control tab is a fairly basic implementation of basic firewall designs. If you want to block internet access on a few sites, or entire Internet access during specific periods of time this tab is where you will want to come. Once again, this is barebones and not mean to appeal to advanced users who want to fine-tune configuration options.

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The Media Prioritization page is Linksys' way of implementing Quality of Service (QoS). As such if you absolutely need a certain application or game to not suffer lag on a congested network this is where you would come. While there are a few applications listed in the drop down menus, more can easily be added through manually input. Unfortunately, there is no way to get true fine-grain control over multiple apps/games running on a given computer.

The configuration used here means you will have to be very careful in how things are ordered in the Media Prioritization list. This is one area Linksys really needs to work on as it is fairly clunky in its existing configuration.

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The External Storage section is fairly self-explanatory in that this is where you can configure any storage devices connected to the router. In a nutshell it can turn the WRT1900AC into a basic NAS, FTP, or basic media server. However, once again the options are fairly basic and while you can get decent control over any USB device attached to the router it does fall short of what ASUS and even D-Link have to offer.

 

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WRT1900AC Router Interface Cont'd

WRT1900AC Router Interface Cont'd

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The oddly named Connectivity section is where you will find the basic router options, administration options, LAN, and even Internet connection settings. Once again Linksys has all the basics more than adequately covered.. Of course, if you are interested in a heavy-duty DHCP options than this firmware will leave you wanting even more, though thankfully it at least includes basic dynamic and static IP configurations. On the positive side, this section does feature one of the easier to use firmware update tools, which takes the pain out of this otherwise tedious exercise.

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In keeping with the more novice user orientation, the WRT1900AC’s troubleshooting section is one of the better and more fully featured help sections we have seen in a long while. Not only can you view the logs but you can even export them to another browser window. This in combination with a good set of troubleshooting tools really does make tracking down the occasional gremlin a lot easier.

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The Wireless section deals exclusively with configuration and viewing of any wireless network you have created. While not spectacular in its abilities, the included MAC address filtering and WPS options are more than decent and should be more than adequate for nearly everyone. Of course given the price point and markets this new router is going after, this is faint praise indeed.

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The last section deals with Security and as the name suggests allows you to modify any of the various security related features this router has available. While some of these features do overlap with other sections, being able to quickly view and then modify them all in one location is actually impressive.

 

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Test System & Testing Methodology

Test System & Testing Methodology

Testing wireless devices is not as easy as you would think. Yes you can simply connect to it and push a bunch of file across the network while timing it but this only tells half of the story and does not explain <i>why</i> speeds can vary. To obtain a more clear picture of how good – or bad – a networking device is, more is needed in the form of a multi-step testing approach.

The first step consists of accurately measuring signal strength. A good strong signal is a prerequisite of high performance. If a device can barely send or receive a signal, the speeds will be very low as both devices will opt for a slower connection speed to compensate.

To test signal strength we use inSSIDer, a program which can graph signal strength of all wireless signals being received by the computer’s wireless NIC.

The second step consists of synthetic bandwidth testing to show the potential performance of a given wireless configuration. For this test we have chosen Lan Speed Test. This free program can test both transmission and reception performance and do so in an easy to use and highly repeatable way. For clarity sake we have averaged both the transmission and reception performance into one aggregate number.

The last step is real world testing. This test consists of 10GB worth of small file and large file mixture which will be pushed from one wireless connected computer to a second computer connected via wired Ethernet. Testing will be done via MS RichCopy. For clarity sake we have averaged both the transmission and reception performance into one aggregate number.

If the device supports wired transmission, wired Ethernet to wired Ethernet real world performance will also be included using the same 10GB of data used for the wireless test.

If a given wireless device is labeled as “entertainment” or marketed as being entertainment centric, a secondary real world test will be included in the form of using the device for wireless HD media streaming. This test will be a pass/fail affair.

To test all sections, we have further created four unique and distinct scenarios in which all testing will be done. The first test is labeled “Zone 1” and it consists of a twelve foot ‘line of sight’ distance between the router and the wireless NIC with no walls or obstructions between the two. This replicates having the router in one end of a small room and the wireless device at the other. It is unlikely to be encountered all that often but it will test a best case scenario performance of the device being tested.

The second test consists of an eighteen foot separation with a single interior non-load bearing wall separating a wireless device and the router. We have labeled this “Zone 2” as it is much more common and is still a very optimal setup for a wireless home networking. This test replicates you having your wireless device in an adjoining room to the router.

The third test is labeled “Zone 3” and consists of having the router in the corner of the basement with the wireless device trying to connect in the second story room at the extreme diagonal end from the routers location. This is still a fairly common occurrence in home networks with numerous walls, floors, pipes, wires, etc. and even other electronic devices in the intervening distance. This is not an optimal configuration but a very common one none the less. This will test the abilities of both the router and wireless NIC to connect and communicate with each other.

The fourth test is labeled “Zone 4” and is an extreme test. While the router is still in the basement we have paced off 400 feet from it outside the testing facility. This replaces those times a person is outdoors and wishes to use his home network to connect to the Internet or other devices connected to the home network. With fewer walls but much greater distances this test is extremely demanding and many will not be able to successfully complete it. Thus it will separate the truly good from the merely adequate devices.

For all tests, four runs will be completed and only the averages of all four will be shown.

When possible both 5Ghz as well as 2.4GHz Bands will be used for all tests with each getting their own separate results.

All tests will carried out via a “clear” network in order to maximize repeatability and minimize factors outside of our control.

For information purposes here is the theoretical maximum each network connection is capable of:

10Mbits/s = 1,250 KBytes/s
100Mbit/s = 12,500 KBytes/s
150Mbit/s = 18,750 KBytes/s
300Mbit/s = 37,500 KBytes/s
450Mbit/s = 56,250 KBytes/s
600Mbit/s = 76,800 KBytes/s
1000Mbit/s = 125,000 KBytes/s
1300Mbit/s = 162,500 KBytes/s

Processor: Core i5 4670K
Motherboard: MSI Z87 MPower Max
Memory: 32GB G.Skill TridentX 2133
Graphics card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 in SLI
Hard Drive: Seagate 600 Pro 400GB SSD, Intel 910 800GB PCI-E SSD
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNova 1000P2
Case: Cooler Master Storm Trooper


<i>Special thanks to NCIX for their support and supplying the i5 4670 CPU.
Special thanks to G.Skill for their support and supplying the TridentX Ram.
Special thanks to NVIDIA for their support and supplying the GTX 780s.
Special thanks to EVGA for their support and supplying the SuperNova PSU.
Special thanks to Cooler Master for their support and supplying the CM Storm Trooper </i>

 

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USB 3.0 & Signal Strength Testing

Performance Testing USB 3.0

<i>While USB has indeed be a mainstay of Asus routers for as long as we can remember, the AC68U is the first high performance router that also provides USB 3.0 and not just USB 2.0 ports. As most consumers know USB 3.0 brings numerous enhancements to the table including higher bandwidth potential and increase power over USB capabilities. As we have seen many times in the past reality sometimes can wildly differ than theory and there are numerous ‘USB 3.0’ devices which actually perform at the same levels as their previous USB 2 counterparts.
To see exactly how much capabilities USB 3.0 adds to the Asus RT-AC68U router we devised a very simple test. Using an empty Seagate GoFlex Slim 320GB device we connected it to the USB 3 a port of the router. We then configured it as a network drive and using MS RichCopy measured the performance via wired, 2.4HGz wireless and 5GHz wireless. Once testing was complete we repeat this process but using the USB 2.0 port. </i>

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<img src="http://images.hardwarecanucks.com/image/akg/Networking/WRT1900AC/usb.jpg" border="0" alt="" />
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The USB 3.0 <i>and</i> USB 2.0 performance of the WRT1900AC is downright impressive and noticeably better than other routers we have tested in the past. Obviously Linksys has not only used a powerful USB controller, but also have properly shielded it so that its usage does not interfere with wireless performance. Honestly, with this level of performance we doubt there are many dedicated consumer grade single bay NAS devices which could do better. This truly makes USB 3.0 a value added feature and does help offset the slightly high asking price of the WRT1900AC.

Signal Strength Testing

<i>A good strong signal is a prerequisite of high performance wireless networking. If a device can barely send or receive a signal, the speeds will be very low as both devices will opt for a slower connection speed to compensate. To test signal strength we use inSSIDer, a program which can graph signal strength of all wireless signals being received by the computer’s wireless NIC. </i>

<div align="center"><img src="http://images.hardwarecanucks.com/image/akg/Networking/WRT1900AC/24_sig.jpg" border="0" alt="" />
<img src="http://images.hardwarecanucks.com/image/akg/Networking/WRT1900AC/50_sig.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></div>

Four antennas or not, we were hoping to see a bit better wireless spectrum performance than this. Honestly, we doubt this is a case of poor hardware design and rather is simply a case of immature firmware which is something that can be easily fixed.

Hopefully in time Linksys will be able to truly harness the full potential of this 802.11AC router, but in the meantime we can see a lot of enthusiasts simply washing their hands of the stock firmware, installing an open source variation and boosting signal output strength. Unfortunately, right now none of those options are available so we'll have to take these results as they're presented.

 

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Synthetic & Real World Testing

Synthetic Testing

<i>For synthetic performance testing to show the potential performance of a given wireless configuration. For this test we have chosen Lan Speed Test. This free program can test both transmission and reception performance and do so in an easy to use and highly repeatable way. For clarity sake we have averaged both the transmission and reception performance into one aggregate number.</i>

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<img src="http://images.hardwarecanucks.com/image/akg/Networking/WRT1900AC/24_synth.jpg" border="0" alt="" />
<img src="http://images.hardwarecanucks.com/image/akg/Networking/WRT1900AC/50_synth.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></div>

Real World Testing

<i>For real world testing we have taken 10GB worth of small file and large file mixture and pushed from one wireless connected computer to a second computer connected via wired Ethernet. Testing will be done via MS RichCopy. For clarity sake we have averaged both the transmission and reception performance into one aggregate number.

If the device supports wired transmission, wired Ethernet to wired Ethernet real world performance will also be included using the same 10GB of data used for the wireless test.</i>

<div align="center"><img src="http://images.hardwarecanucks.com/image/akg/Networking/WRT1900AC/24_real.jpg" border="0" alt="" /><img src="http://images.hardwarecanucks.com/image/akg/Networking/WRT1900AC/50_real.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></div>

It may not score the absolute best results we have ever seen, but this level of performance is still very good. Once again we do think that the firmware is what is holding this device back and within a few revisions Linksys should easily be able to boost performance up to ASUS' level. In the meantime this router is downright fun to use and the minor loss in performance really does not bother us in the least. However you may feel otherwise.

As an aside, the onboard temperature sensor work like a dream and rarely did we ever even hear the fan kick it. However when it did turn on after extensive usage it was not all that noticeable and in fact rather reassuring. After all, that fan is the sound of active cooling and proper cooling is the number one way of extending the life of any router.

 

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Conclusion

Conclusion

Linksys’ new WRT1900AC router may have been a bit late to the wireless 820.11ac game but the additional time and effort put into its development show through. It boasts a straightforward firmware implementation, excellent overall performance and convenient design touches that will surely please both amateurs and enthusiasts alike. It isn’t without negatives though.

There are two separate and wildly diverging ways to look at Linksys’ new WRT1900AC router. From the perspective of novice users, it offers one of the easiest setup systems around and in some areas like USB 3.0 throughput, it is head and shoulders above the competition. This makes for an awesome solution for anyone looking to create a simple, high speed single drive NAS setup. On the other hand, wireless performance isn’t up to par when the WRT1900AC’s results are compared against the competition. We’re pointing the finger at immature firmware for the time being so hopefully Linksys will issue a wireless-focused update sometime in the near future.

Power users will also have a hard time coming to grips with the user interface’s bare-bones nature. While all of the basic setup options are present and accounted for, many of the advanced features available on competing solutions are missing in action. It is quite obvious that Linksys is counting on the open source community to plug the missing holes but for the time being there has been very little movement on that front. Third party firmware will surely make this the router to have but until Belkin opens their source code vault, developers will be stuck in a state of limbo.

eSATAp may not seem like that big a deal but being able to use USB 3.0, USB 2.0 <i>or</i> eSATA external storage devices opens up a whole world of possibilities. It may never replace a true 2+ bay Network Attached Storage device, but this approach still offers a good way to learn about NAS setups without having to invest in a second (expensive) networking device.

The integrated fan also needs to be mentioned. Not only is it whisper quiet but the peace of mind it offers cannot be over-stated. On hot days or in an air restricted environment like a closet those onboard temperature sensors can and <i>will</i> make the difference between a device that randomly drops connections and one that is rock solid.

For many consumers the WRT1900AC’s numerous benefits outweigh a small amount of performance loss and that negative point can probably be recouped via a firmware change. Otherwise, this is a great all-round router that will hopefully soon benefit from the third party firmware wizardry that characterized its predecessor.

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<img src="http://images.hardwarecanucks.com/image/akg/Networking/WRT1900AC/dam_good.jpg" border="0" alt="" /> <img src="http://images.hardwarecanucks.com/image/akg/Networking/WRT1900AC/di.png" border="0" alt="" /></div>