High-end consumer routers have long been very similar to luxury cars: while the core technology is a step above lower end models, manufacturers also try to see many more features they can fit into one product. Luxury cars get cooled beverage compartments, while routers get web apps, USB ports, and media servers.
Still, these gadgets are some of the most crucial for our computing experience in this century and we’re excited to see new flagship models. One such is the forthcoming Linksys EA6900, announced just a few weeks ago under Linksys’ new parent company, Belkin. The product’s full name of Linksys EA6900 Wireless AC Router SMART Wi-Fi Dual Band AC1900 should give you a clue as to just how many features are stuffed into this beast.
The biggest difference between this the router you’re likely using now is that it supports the new 802.11ac wireless standard. In a nutshell, what you’re getting is an evolution of 802.11n that brings faster speeds and better signal coverage. But the EA6900 doesn’t stop there.
It also has the newest revision of chipsets for 802.11n, using a newer 256 QAM modulation chip that allows for a maximum of 600 Mbps throughput. Of course the 600 Mbps for 802.11n and 1900 Mbps for 802.11ac after maximum theoretical bandwidth values, but they’re still wicked fast and probably a lot faster than what you’re working with now.
Perhaps one of the biggest benefits the EA6900 brings compared to other modern routers is its triple di-pole external antennae. You can have all the latest chips in the world, but without a quality antennae to blast that signal to the corners of your domicile you won’t be getting far. External antennae also mean they will be replaceable
Aside from the benefits the new wireless platform brings you, the EA6900 has nearly anything else you could want. Two USB ports, one operating at 3.0-spec, let you access and share content on your local storage with ease. DLNA media server support means you can take the multimedia content on those storage devices and make them accessible to nearly any device on your network.
Fully customizable network controls are all baked in. From easy guest access to parental controls to QoS, there’s nothing you can’t regulate with the EA6900. It even supports NFC via the included SimpleTap card; just tap this card to your NFC-enabled smartphone (with the Linksys mobile app installed) and it will automatically connect.
There are probably some other features we’re forgetting, but you get the idea. Linksys will start shipping this new model on October 4th, but right now you can pre-order direct from the source and save an impressive $43 off the list price.
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