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Follow us on FacebookLinksys reveals a trio of 802.11ac WiFi routers with beamforming
@ 2013/01/08Like most of its peers, Cisco's Linksys badge started off modestly in the 802.11ac WiFi world last year, offering just one router and one bridge for early adopters. It's taking the complete plunge in 2013 with three new routers and a USB adapter. The AC 1200 (EA6300), AC 1600 (EA6400) and AC 1750 (EA6700) routers all introduce beamforming, which optimizes the signal path and theoretically doubles the real-world speeds versus many past routers. The trio likewise carries gigabit Ethernet and USB 3.0 to maximize the speed for wired and shared devices, although you'll need to upgrade to higher-end models to enjoy brisker wireless speeds. The AC 1200 tops out at 867Mbps on 5GHz airspace, while springing for the AC 1600 or AC 1750 supplies the 802.11ac spec's full 1.3Gbps capacity; Linksys' lone USB adapter, the AC 580, tops out at a relatively pokey 433Mbps.
A few software tricks are also up the company's sleeve with the new routers. It's possible to set up any of them with a phone or tablet, in addition to a tap of an NFC-based card that's now included in the box. Life gets easier once everything's up and running, too -- a new visual network map provides a better sense of just where any bandwidth bottlenecks might be. Linksys hasn't given pricing for any of the upgraded WiFi devices, although it's just as well when they won't ship until the spring.
A few software tricks are also up the company's sleeve with the new routers. It's possible to set up any of them with a phone or tablet, in addition to a tap of an NFC-based card that's now included in the box. Life gets easier once everything's up and running, too -- a new visual network map provides a better sense of just where any bandwidth bottlenecks might be. Linksys hasn't given pricing for any of the upgraded WiFi devices, although it's just as well when they won't ship until the spring.
