Linksys Max-Stream EA8500 Quick Specs:
- Network standards: IEEE Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
- Radio frequency bands: 2.4 and 5 GHz
- Ports: Power, internet, 4x ethernet, USB 3.0, and USB 2.0/eSata combo
- Buttons: Reset, Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS), Power
- Maximum link rate: 1733 Mbps
- Processor: 1.4 GHz dual-core
- Features: AC2600 MU-MIMO technology; simultaneous dual band; 4×4 AC; beamforming technology; four adjustable Wi-Fi antennas; Linksys Smart Wi-Fi app management
- Price: PHP 13,990
Linksys Max-Stream EA7500 Quick Specs:
- Network Standards: IEEE Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
- Radio Frequency Bands: 2.4 and 5 GHz
- Ports: Power, internet, 4x ethernet, USB 3.0, and USB 2.0
- Buttons: Reset, Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS), Power
- Maximum link rate: 1300 Mbps
- Processor: 1.4 GHz dual-core
- Features: AC1900 MU-MIMO technology; simultaneous dual band; 3×3 AC; beamforming technology; three adjustable Wi-Fi antennas; Linksys Smart Wi-Fi app management
- Price: PHP 10,590
If your ISP’s freebie router just isn’t cutting it for you, especially if you have tons of devices pinging it at the same time, then it’s time to upgrade. The default router your internet usually comes with can only handle a handful of devices at any given moment; it’s bound to drop connections every so often as it juggles its workload. As long as your router isn’t up to par—even if you have a 1 Gbps subscription—you won’t fully get what you’re paying for.
To do away with network bottlenecks, Linksys has equipped its newest Max-Stream EA8500 and EA7500 routers with the Multi-User Multiple-Input and Multiple-Output (MU-MIMO) wireless technology to ensure a stable connection even with simultaneous requests from multiple devices.
The more robust EA8500 broadcasts the Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac across the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz spectrums. It’s spec’ed for AC2600 speeds, meaning it can transfer data at a combined rate of 2600 Mbps through the two frequencies at 800 Mbps and 1733 Mbps respectively (rounded up).
It struts four adjustable Wi-Fi antennas, each broadcasting its own signal so you can cover the X, Y, and Z axes for maximum signal range and strength.
Meanwhile, the EA7500 struts the same Wi-Fi standard and dual band broadcast as its bigger brother, though this time at the tamer AC1900 speed. It’s still pretty fast for most users though, clocking in at 600 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band and 1300 Mbps on the 5 GHz band. It also has only three antennas, though those are still enough to cover all directions sufficiently.
Both routers can be managed via Linksys’ web and mobile app. The app’s user interface is quite intuitive, allowing for easy network management (such as changing network name, password, broadcast band, etc.) and user management (such as allowing and blocking users). It also boasts remote management capability so you can monitor your router’s status even from far away.
The Linksys Max-Stream AC2600 MU-MIMO EA8500 router retails for PHP 13,990, while the Linksys Max-Stream AC1900 MU-MIMO EA7500 router retails for PHP 10,590.