Linksys EA8500 AC2600 Gigabit Wireless Router

12 reviews for Linksys EA8500 AC2600 Gigabit Wireless Router

1. Rated 2 out of 5

   The Jacobs – May 11, 2015

   I bought it from a local store as this item still not available on Amazon. Stay away from this device. Mine was dead out of the box as another user reviewed it on the store website. Tried nearly an hour with tech support and finally I was able to get to the user interface after doing 3 consecutive power recycles with 2 times flash interval as instructed by tech support. Within 3 minutes router dead again even before I could finish my initial setup such as wireless network name etc.I am taking this dead horse back to the store. I would suggest anyone want to try this desperately to wait for few firmware updates and perhaps a hardware revision. I got Rev A00 and firmware build 1665xxx. There is a newer firmware on their site, unfortunately device was not holding up enough so I could upload latest firmware.UPDATE:(I have submitted a very detailed updated review yesterday itself and it was never appeared here for some reason).To make it brief- I was able to get it running after continuously trying for 3.5hrs and manually pushed latest firmware to the unit. After updating the firmware it appears to be stable.However, performance is not close to AC87R – Range is same but data transfer is 2/3rd slower compared to AC87R.This unit has great latency for upload and download streams. (check the images)Only PRO I can talk about this time is its VLAN feature.UI is creepy and many necessary upfront features are hidden in deep menus.Requires third party DDNS (if you need remote access) compared to Asus provided its own.Linksys website is not organized. If you click on the release notes for latest firmware, it is connected to firmware itself, not release notes. Online user manual is a combined version of all international languages and if you looking for English version you need to scroll down all the way to page 81, really?I guess Belkin was in a hurry to release this premature baby for customers to do beta testing. I still don’t recommend this router yet. Still testing and will update soon. I don’t need this much of hassle with a high end router jus to boot this up. Updated rating from 1 to 2 just because it is finally booted up.
2. Rated 5 out of 5

   Sliph – May 26, 2015

   I was going back and forth between buying this or the Netgear or Dlink equivalent for almost a week. Watched a cnet review by Dong Ngo and was convinced to get this one and very glad i chose it. Setup was a breeze. I did not choose manual setup I let the router do its work and i was back up and running in less than 10 minutes with no issues. So i’m honestly not sure how anyone is having trouble setting this up. It literally did everything itself including updates. All i had to do was name my connection and input desired password, that was literally the hardest part. I now currently have 2 desktop computers hardwired to it as well as 2 more computers using wireless along with 3 smartphones and my ps4 and wiiu. Everyone is connected with extremely fast connection and NO LAG. Completely worth the money.Update 2018:I thought I would do another update. I bought this router in 2015. It is now 2018, I bought a new house and brought it with me. It is still going strong. I now have a 4 bedroom house which is much bigger than where I lived previously and I get full coverage throughout without the need for range extenders. My internet speed here is also MUCH faster than I had before and this handles it with no problems. Great buy and if it suddenly decided to die on me today I would gladly buy another. I have had zero issues with this router in 3 years and it’s still going. I’d give 10 stars at this point if I could.
3. Rated 3 out of 5

   L. Sam – August 18, 2015

   I’m writing this review 30 minutes after completing set up of this router and updating it to the latest firmware (auto updated to 1.1.4.167984) because I’m so disappointed.I picked this router up from Target as a closeout item for $200. I figured it would be a step up from the cheap WD AC router I had been using (as range was exceedingly poor with the WD). I finally get the thing set up, updated, and lo and behold it doesn’t support a feature that I assumed all modern routers did – an encrypted guest network.I use the guest functionality to isolate devices on my network into more/less secure zones (since users on guest networks can’t see each other) and I’m terribly disappointed to find that this router forces guest users into a captive portal page every time they connect. Nowhere in the specifications does it state this. Maybe this is something useful for a small business such as a cafe, but it’s not particularly useful for home use as it means that clients have to authenticate with a browser every time they connect to the network (annoying to do repeatedly with smartphones).This was covered in a review of a different Linksys router (the EA6200) in June (so I don’t expect the situation to change): http://www.computerworld.com/article/2940566/networking/linksys-smart-wi-fi-makes-a-stupid-guest-network.htmlI have to agree strongly with this tl;dr snippet of the article (which I feel applies to this unit as well):Ignoring this pretty big issue, the option to release and renew WAN DHCP is found in the “Troubleshooting and Diagnostics” section of the admin page and there are no tools (or connection information) on the “Internet Settings” page. Even on the diagnostics page, there are few details about the connection – want to find the assigned DNS server IPs for troubleshooting? Good luck finding them! (hint: they aren’t there) Not exactly what I expected for what might be considered a high-end consumer router.One interesting observation: upon turning on the router and changing the passwords before plugging it into the internet, the router didn’t automatically get a DHCP address. This required a restart.Have to figure out what to do with this thing now – hoping to be able to sell it for what I bought it for (since there’s no DD-WRT support yet). It’s quite disappointing that this doesn’t offer the features my R7000 (at a different location) does, despite having more modern hardware.
4. Rated 1 out of 5

   Joel T Scott – October 23, 2015

    Just received my Linksys AC2600 (literally 30 minutes ago) – while I have no actually plugged in the device yet I thought I’d post this for other buyers. Don’t settle for this price point.CONS:-All 4 antennas have casting material floating around in them. I doubt this affects the performance… but when I spend this kind of money I’d like to spin the antennas on without hearing what sounds like a pebble bouncing around inside.-One of the 4 antenna ports is not tightened down which makes it impossible for me to make it that antenna stand upright like in the product image. It is completely non-adjustable at this point. Again, not a big deal, but really? I now have to get a wrench out to fix this brand new product so I can properly adjust the antenna??-Packaging has NO tamper proof sticker… Who knows what you’re going to get. Power supply brick cord is all over the place.. making me think it was used?PROS:-I am returning the router and not even going to bother plugging it in. Using the refunded money to buy something that doesn’t sound/feel like a crackerjack toy.Thanks Linksys.–Joel
5. Rated 4 out of 5

   Bendy – January 31, 2016

   I received this product for free as part of Belkin’s Friends + Family Program.I have been using the Netgear Nighthawk as my primary router for the past few months now and I was very pleased with its performance until I got the Linksys router a few weeks ago. The Nighthawk is a very capable router but I feel the Linksys router is a better overall router and I will explain throughout this review. Also, in this review will be a lot of comparisons so keep that in mind. Before I begin I must address one of my biggest nitpicks on the Linksys router. Unlike the Netgear Nighthawk Linksys does not have a cool name to rally behind. I simply referred to the Linksys router as the Linksys router. I refer to the Nighthawk router as the Nighthawk. This is very important and a good example of brand marketing. Netgear is marketing s brand not a model number. I feel more intenment with my Nighthawk than I do my Linksys router.Looking at the Linksys router it has aesthetic appeal, but lacks in some key areas. The area it takes up is a little bigger than I hoped and the lip it has looks nerdy and attracts finger prints. The Nighthawk has nice rigid edges and cool, sexy sides. Both routers would look nice in most homes, but the Nighthawk wins in beauty. Pictures can be seen below.As for speed the Linksys router clearly is the winner in this field. Attached is a few charts and table of speed tests vs the Nighthawk and the Linksys router won almost everytime. Especially at crazy long 100 yard distances the Linksys is the clear winner.On to accessing the routers. If you look at my pictures both routers have a wonder web GUI. The Linksys GUI is easier to navigate and has a better space management.The apps for both routers are horrible. On the Linksys app the changes are not saved after the router reboot. Very frustrating. The apps also both look hideous. The Linksys app has cards that are hard to swipe through and take a long time to swipe through. On the iPad it is not optimized and it feel like a blown up iPhone app. This is not cool.In terms of features this router is jammed pack. You can plug in a hardrive or printer through a USB cable or have both as the router also has a SATA port for plugging in hardrives.The parental controls on this router are phenomenal. You can block specific devices and block certain content easily and quickly. I blocked my kids from listening to YouTube and it works perfectly.Overall I would at that this router is the best router I ever have used. The range is terrific, and the feature set is terrific. The horrible apps and subpar look hold me back, and without a clear name to rally behind I don’t like talking about it like I do the Nighthawk.
6. Rated 5 out of 5

   Chris – March 13, 2016

   I purchased this router after my Asus AC66U suffered damaged due to a power surge. I haven’t used a linksys router in years as I went from an Airport Extreme to an Asus router. My current setup is with a Motorola (6183) and the EA8500 on TIme Warner. Setup was simple and straight forward. The 5ghz channel seems to work well in our 2 story home, almost doubling the speeds of the 2.4 channel.We have Nest cams, iPads, Apple TV’s, Roku’s, desktops, laptops and cell phones all using wifi throughout the house. We have not had any issues connecting to wifi and staying connected to the wifi. The router has been reliable so far (never had any issues with my Asus), so I’m hoping that stays consistent.I placed the router on a shelf, sitting about 5.5ft high. The signal reaches the opposite side of the house with no issues.
7. Rated 1 out of 5

   Wade A Carpenter – May 22, 2016

   Wifi slignal would continually drop out.Linksys is known for this..I had the Netgear nighthawk triband model R8000. Although the outside seemed of cheap plastic, it never dropped, but that when I purchased the Linksys AC2600.And all the dropping began..So I re-purchased the Netgear Nighthawk R8000☆☆☆☆☆.. It works incredible!
8. Rated 5 out of 5

   Richard – September 24, 2016

   Preface: I have only had the router for a week, long term viability are unknown.Reviewing a LinkSys AC2600 MU-MIMO Gigabit Router, Model Number: EA8500Test Set:Test Computer 1: Component Built, Asus Maximus VI Hero, 32gb, Samsang SSD, WD Raptors (RJ45, 1gb connection)Test Computer 2: Dell Inspiron 7000 Series 7579, 7th Gen. I7, 16gb, SSD (Wireless Connection 802.11 AC protocol)Using Comcast Blast, 150dwn/10upUsing Windows 10 Pro x64 on both computers.** All tests performed from the Dell InspironFirst test using speedtest.net and MS Edge v38.14393.0.0(from the Inspiron)> Result: 22ms ping / 163.98 Mbps down / 11.98 Mbps upSecond test (10m later) using speedtest.net and Firefox v49.0.1> Result: 20ms ping / 167.52 Mbps down / 12.134 Mbps upThird test (10m later) using Chrome v53.0.2785.116> Result: 20ms ping / 148.68 Mbps down / 12.09 Mbps upSetup up a share between Computer 1 & 2** Copy 5.88 GB from the Asus to the Dell Laptop (two .iso’s)> Sustained 23+ MB/s, Time: 4m 26secConclusion: I am happy and would highly recommend the wireless router.
9. Rated 5 out of 5

   Elman – February 18, 2017

   After a very careful consideration of all available options, I shortlisted the following routers (all within the same price range):- Netgear Nighthawk AC1900- Amped ATHENA AC2600- Linksys WRT AC1900- Linksys AC2600They are all very powerful and it was difficult to make a final choice. I was leaning towards Linksys WRT AC1900 just because of its awesome look (check it out!) but I decided to go for a slightly more powerful Linksys AC2600. Since many of you will have a similar dilemma when choosing a router, I thought it might be helpful if I share the rationale behind my decision:- Linksys AC2600 has very good reviews in every source I looked at: it is either in top 3, 5 or 10 lists in every reputable tech websites (and even called the best router of 2017 on cheatsheet website)- It is one of the newest routers.- It is recommended for future technologies.- It is offered at a good discount on Amazon.The other reasons are of course MI-MUMO technology, the router is designed for the speeds 50Mbps and up, it can be used for 12 and more devices at home (we have a very heavy traffic), a transmission rate for 5 GHz, and parental control for any device that you choose.Now, let’s get to the feedback after the actual purchase:- The setup actually took 5 minutes! It is very quick and straightforward. Of course, you will need to choose a new WiFi for every device in your home. That will take a minute or less per device.- I couldn’t believe my eyes when I ran the tests on the speed. See the photos. The old router (Netgear) gave me a download speed of 25 Mbps, the new router with 2.4 GHz – 42.14 Mbps and with 5 GHZ – 89.60 Mbps! Btw, it later went to 90+ I didn’t even know that Comcast has upgraded my 50Mbps speed!- Then, I decided to test if it works at our neighbor’s house. It automatically changed to 2.4 GHz but I still had 25Mbps. Pretty good considering the distance.- Before this router, we had problems on the weekends. The traffic was heavy and our older router couldn’t cope with it. Not a problem anymore.- Most modern devices (including Roku 3/4) work with 5 GHz so you will enjoy a really nice and high speed of Internet. But even devices that don’t support 5 GHz (e.g Playstation 3/4) have a very decent speed, actually, I can’t even tell the difference when streaming/playing online.I think I made the right decision. I mean, it is still pricey, compared to $90 routers but if it continues to perform at these standards, I don’t mind paying a hefty price tag. Heck, there are much more expensive routers out there that I didn’t even consider. I just selected the one that seems to be reasonable for our needs.If you have any questions, I will be happy to answer them.
10. Rated 5 out of 5

    Brian W. – April 21, 2017

    Can’t say enough good things about this router… Went from a DG1670 modem/router to bridging modem to the AC2600… with old setup, I had issues with range in my home along with buffering and when my step son jumped on his PS4, forget streaming video… I get 50 x 5 service at home, and was having issues everyday… got this router and immediate difference… I now get 62 x 7 in every part of my house on both 2.4 and 5G frequencies.. and it hasn’t buffered yet… step son on his PS4, 6 year old on his iPad, and 19month streaming wheels on the bus on the chromecast and still getting my full speed… I am beyond impressed and didn’t think this was ever possible… glad lynksys proved me wrong… highly recommended…
11. Rated 4 out of 5

    Zach – November 17, 2017

    This new (Linksys AC2600 dual band wireless router) is a huge upgrade from my recently retired Linksys E1200 N300 Wireless Router that just wasn’t cutting it. The price range for this AC2600 was a bit high, but the increased bandwidth/ and range has turned many frowns upside down around here so I can’t complain…NOTE: Probably not the most ideal arrangement for network setups; I currently have my modem and router setup in a room in the basement, fortified by 8′ tall cement foundation walls, yet this router has no problem streaming Netflix and Steam Link upstairs, roughly 60 ft feet away from the router while simultaneously streaming music, playing CoD WW2 online on 2 PCs with no lag, boasting constant 60fps in game as well as providing 60+mbps wireless internet across 2 smart phones & 2 tablets throughout our 2 story, 1400 sq ft home.The WiFi signal range is so strong that it enables me to listen to Pandora on my phone in the garden, about 100′ + away from the router. (The older, now retired router did not even allow me to go halfway across the yard without buffering and interrupting my music).The install was a piece of cake, it took me about 20 minutes because I spent some time playing around with all the options and customizing my network settings. This is a very powerful router that I would recommend to any friend. Overall, the Linksys AC2600 router has exceeded my expectations.
12. Rated 5 out of 5

    Christopher L. Simmons – February 25, 2018

    Third Linksys router… I upgrade every few years as tech changes, security evolves, etc. this router working great so far for my full time home office, ipad, streaming tv etc. Top tip for setup, connect via wired cable to desktop or notebook if possible. Go through setup, update firmware. Use the setup tool via your local router i.p. in web browser. Read instructions on the Linksys website. Make sure antennas fully screwed in. They should be pointed straight up. A quick setup card in more detail would have been nice, but at least the default password is on the setup card so you don’t have to suffer turning over router to look for it. Upshot… don’t try to do setup over wifi if you can’t launch the setup tool. Worked from a wired connection flawlessly including prompts to change broadcast names, passwords for wpa2, and admin pass. If you can’t see your new device name over wifi, you did it wrong. Comes with cable to connect to isp box and for initial wired setup. Happy so far.UPDATED- added photo connected to FIOS router.