Linksys Max-Stream AC4000 Tri-Band Wi-Fi Router

This router lasted precisely 17 hours, give or take a few minutes. And no, I did not get a replacement - I sent it right back to Amazon for a refund and haven't looked back. If you are concerned with reliability in your home (or even office), Netgear Orbi is the ONLY way to go, not anything from Linksys - at least at the writing of this review (January 2019). I have tried 3 different setups (the EA9300 being one of them), and the Netgear Orbi (RBK22, to be exact) seems to be the most reliable, the easiest to set up and the coolest (actual operating temperature and aesthetics). If that's all you need to convince you to move on from purchasing outdated, poorly manufactured Linksys equipment, then read no further and continue on with your day. However, if you have already bought the EA9300 and are experiencing problems and cannot seem to understand what is going on, continue reading. If you have bought this router, and if you can, submit an RMA to Amazon right now - provided it's not too late to do so. Steer clear of Linksys. They need to revise their products BIG TIME. Notably, it doesn't matter where you buy this router - Amazon, Walmart, "Retailer X" - this router is bad news and nothing more. ** Install: Is very similar to any Linksys Smart router setup - if you want to know how that is, look it up online. To do it right, you need to use the supplied patch to connect to PC or Mac to view in a browser, or if you're lucky, you can access it via wireless. Truly, the standard for setting up a router was set by both Linksys and Netgear - and the GUI for both are pretty straightforward. I will admit that the Linksys is more or less user friendly than Netgear - the menus in Linksys are quite aesthetic and easy on the eyes, but it is not easy to find things that you want if you don't know what to look for. I could say the same about Netgear, but the fact that it is more novel for me as the consumer (having recently switched over) is biased, so take that opinion with a grain of salt. I would say if you are uncomfortable with tech in general, you still have little to worry about - it is extremely easy to set this router up for use in the home. Even if you're new at it, the quick install guide in the box give very clear instructions. As a side note, if your ISP (internet service provider, ATT Uverse, etc.) does not allow their modem to be put into bridge mode (where the modem acts as a passthru to the router, which then manages the service), I would set your router up as an Access Point (AP). For tips on how to do this for your specific router, you can google it - in my experience in IT (CTO of a consulting company), 90% of problems with a router hooked into a modem stem from there being a conflict in the two pieces of hardware not working together. I've seen one network setup where the increase in speed was 400% (10 Mbps to 40 Mbps) just based on switching the router to act as an AP of the modem rather than an independent router (typically they default plug-n-play function). If you're in the market for a router because you're paying for internet and not getting it from your router (whether supplied by the ISP or not), check those settings. It can make or break a residential or office LAN (local area network). **Performance: I'm long winded, so bear with me. As I previously mentioned, setting this router up in my home was meant to replace my CISCO (Linksys) EA4500, which had died from heat and dust exposure...from obvious neglect. Being the hands on nutcase I am, I cracked the EA4500 case open and verified it was toast - the board showed severe signs of scorching, especially near the antennas. Typically (as many IT pros will attest to), the power source is usually the cause for equipment failure (which is why battery backups and ceramic surge protectors are used in high-dollar setups). Well in this case, the actual power brick for the EA4500 was toast - despite being on a reliable power center. I could have replaced the power brick, but knowing that there was scorching at the antennas, it didn't feel like a smart move on my part, especially since its technology is far outdated. Now, to the meat and potatoes of the EA9300: The advantage of the EA9300, as advertised by Linksys, over the older style routers, like the EA4500, is that MU-MIMO (or Multi User, Multi input, Multi output) is the method in which signals are sent to devices. Simply put, if you are familiar with how to wire a set of light bulbs, you don't wire them in series (one right after another using a wire to connect each). You put them in parallel, so that resistance is not increasing across the circuit and your light bulb at the end of the chain isn't totally dim. Well, similar to the light bulb at the end of the chain, the older routers would place a device at the end of the signal cascade and therefore, it would have much less reservation on the bandwidth (whereas devices stuck higher up on the chain have most of it). The difference with these newer MU-MIMO router setups is that they put your device in equal with all devices, much like the light bulbs that run in parallel. Everyone gets the same slice of cake and they get to eat it all at the same time. Of course, there are some small issues with my analogy, but for all intents and purposes, this is the feel you get for reading Linksys's listing and box advertisements of the EA9300. You think you're getting this kind of performance for the price you pay the retailer. NOPE Well, the EA9300 may have a fancy processor to handle sending devices the same signal and it may have an extra 5GHz band, but they don't work out of the box. On two, COUNT EM TWO, occasions from TWO different retailers (Amazon and Walmart), this router performed EXACTLY the same in both setup, performance and longevity - about 17 hours from Amazon and 13 hours from Walmart). Now before Linksys hires a wise guy to take me out, I want to say that since power source from the wall and the PoE (power over ethernet) are the the only variables with me as the consumer trying to use their product, I voltage tested my power supply [on the off chance it was not stable]. I sat for an entire hour with my leads in the plugs (the approximate time it takes to fully set up a networking system in a residence under normal circumstances). I had no fluctuations in voltage, down to the 100th decimal. Readings were a steady 120.00 V. Regarding PoE, it's not supported by the Arris ATT Uverse modem. So just so we're clear - it's not anything I've done or my network setup. Furthermore, the Netgear Orbi RBK22 has been on for two days and it's not moved one hair off the maximum speeds provided by the ISP. So here's what happens with the EA9300 when you take it out of the box. You plug the router in - setup seems fine. Speeds after setup are EXACTLY what you're paying for...and that lasts about 1 hour...then it starts...to...slow...down. The router becomes hotter and hotter (even with an auxiliary fan - not plugged into the router, but into AC power), reaching surface temperatures of about 43-48 C (which is hot to the touch). This continues until the 5 GHz bands start to drop in and out until you have a broadcasted SSID, but with which connection is not possible. But that's not all! While temperatures rise and connections are not possible, the 4 port switch on the back starts to emit an ozone smell, then a burnt rubber smell. After about 2 minutes of this, it gets really bad; the LED lights on the top of the router (White Linksys logo) starts to flash incessantly as if is trying to reboot or install a firmware update...or...wait a second, tell me that it's overheated?! So at this point, you disconnect it from Ethernet and power and wait until surface temperatures return to about 25 C (room temperature, which takes about an hour and a few minutes). Plug it back in after a cooldown and what do you know - it still doesn't work! Burnt rubber smell is now extremely present and while the light is no longer flashing, and while it is possible to connect to any of the three channels (2.4 or either 5GHz), you cannot stay connected and you cannot access the internet. After about 15 minutes - same LED flashing and same inability to connect to the broadcasted SSID's. I'll state again this EXACT thing happened with two different EA9300 routers from two different retailers on two separate days. Call it coincidence? So...here's my hypothesis with this router and subsequently why you shouldn't buy it (as if the review thus far wasn't proof enough). There is a high powered processor in this thing that is not getting enough cooling. Traditional routers' cooling solutions were always passive, because they weren't dealing out that much heat. They weren't doing that much and if they were, they were assigned a little 40 mm fan that just kept air flow moving. If you're familiar with network switches, traditional routers were no more than a 4 or 5 port managed switch with a 6th or 7th port dedicated to a 2.4 or 5 GHz wireless signal. Even in the days of just 802.11g, it just wasn't that complex. Obviously, with ISP's pushing more speeds these days and the increasing number of wireless devices in the LAN, a demand has been made by the general consumer to get as much WiFi for as little possible. Well, one model to solve this problem is to beef up the internals of the traditional router to handle a much heavier workload - with the trick being to balance size and shape. Another model is to have an array of nodes scattered around an area to form a mesh that allows the signal [and work done by the network] to be commanded by the fastest path possible back to a central node (which there may be more than one of, by the way). The latter model has been implemented in the enterprise environment for years, but only recently has it been refined to accommodate higher bandwidths at the consumer market - where 4K video and other high bandwidth resources are required. I think the EA9300 would be a fine router if the system had an effective method of cooling, because when it worked, it worked. No doubt about it. I'm sure it's as simple as using an improved thermal paste on the heatsink for pennies on the dollar...or maybe even using thermal paste period. But the fact remains that Linksys struck out on the EA9300 and anyone who decides to buy it does so at their own risk.