ac1200 vs. ac2200 – Which offers the longest range?
The ac1200 and ac2200 are two mid-range routers recommended for home use. The routers come with innovative technologies and offer the right speeds for web surfing, watching 4K videos and playing high intensive games.
Having a home router enables you to connect multiple devices to the internet without suffering from slow speeds. When searching for an ideal home router, consider the number of bands that it comes with. Most home routers in the market can either be dual or tri-band. You should also be on the lookout for innovative technologies like beamforming or MU-MIMO. The first one allows the router to direct signals to devices instead of broadcasting them broadly. The MU-MIMO is a must have feature as it allows for simultaneous streaming of data instead of sequentially. We take a look at ac1200 and ac2200 and tell you which is the most suitable for home use.
Table of Contents
What are the differences between Linksys ac1200 and ac2200?
Model |
Linksys ac1200 |
Ac2200 (Winner) |
Dimensions (inches) |
13.3 x 10.4 x 27.4 |
6.4 x 8.4 x 2.2 |
Data rates |
300Mbps |
400Mbps |
USB port type |
2.0 USB |
3.0 USB |
AC Input voltage |
110V |
120V |
USB |
2.0 USB port |
3.0 USB port |
Speed and range |
77.5Mbps for 2.4GHz band at close range, 30 feet 40Mbps. for 5GHz 95Mbps at close range and 86Mbps at 30 feet |
92Mbps for 2.4GHz at close proximity, 52Mbps at 30 feet. For 5Ghz scores 496Mbps at close proximity and 201Mbps at 30 feet |
ac1200 vs. ac2200 – How do they differ?
Design and technologies
The Linksys ac1200 is a medium sized router measuring 1.5 x 6.8 x 7.8 inches. It comes with two non-removable adjustable antennas and at the back you will find four wired LAN ports, WAN port, 2.0 USB port and your power switch. While these connections are quite ideal for home use the LAN ports are 10/100 instead of the superfast Gigabit 10/100/1000. The router will support most of your gaming consoles, multiple clients and devices without necessarily slowing down.
The Linksys ac2200 is larger and uses three radio bands – one 2.4GHz and two 5GHz. You will have a host of cool modern router technologies like MU-MIMO, Quality of Service (QoS0, and intelligent band steering. The router features a black enclosure with the Link logo at the top. The will illuminate to a white color whenever the router is operational. Unlike the ac1200 with two antennas this one comes with four non-removable adjustable antennas. It also has a WAN port, four Gigabit LAN ports, power button and 3.0 USB port
Speed and performance
The Linksys ac1200is run by a MediaTek chipset that churns out 580MHz of speed. The theoretical maximum speed for the router is 867Mbps for the 5GHz band and 300Mbps for the 2.4GHz band. When the ac1200 is put into various throughput speed tests it scores 77.4Mbps at close proximity for its 2.4GHz band and at 30 feet you get 40.2Mbps. The results should be better for the 5GHz band but this were a bit of a disappointment. The router scores 95.1Mbps at close proximity for the 5GHz band and 86.6Mbps at 30 feet. When it comes to reading files from a 15GB folder the router had a read speed of 28.3Mbps and write speed of 27.4Mbps.
The ac2200 operates on three bands – one 2.4GHz and two 5GHz. The manufacturers have quoted the ac2200 to have a maximum speed of 867Mbps for the 5GHz band and 400Mbps for the 2.4GHz band. The router supports beamforming technology which enables it to send signals directly to devices instead of broadcasting them broadly. It also comes with MU-MIMO technology that allows simultaneous streaming instead of sequentially. The band steering feature allows one to pick the best band for streaming. When it comes to speed tests, the ac2200 performs better than the ac1200. It scores a high of 145Mbps at close proximity and 100Mbps at 30 feet. This streaming is using the MU-MIMO technology for the 5GHz band. When it comes to reading a 15GB folder the device scores 36Mbps and a write speed of 30Mbps.
Installation and setup
Installation of the ac2200 is very easy and fast. First make your connections then login to linksyssmartwifi.com. The router will stop blinking and the LED light will turn to a solid white color. Once logged in you will directed to the welcome page where you can continue with the setup. This can be done either manually or automatically. The router does come with a Wi-Fi mobile app which you can use to monitor your router settings on the go. Some of the cool technologies you will find with the router include media prioritization that allows you to assign bandwidth to specific devices. Installation of the ac1200 is through the smart Wi-Fi software.
ac1200 vs. ac2200 – A Comprehensive Overview
Linksys ac1200 – Overview
- Up to 2.8 times faster than Wireless-N technology: Simultaneous dual-band speed up to N300 Mbps (2.4...
- Faster Transfer Rates: USB 2.0 and Fast Ethernet for sharing photos, video, data files or a printer...
This is a mid-range dual band router suitable for home use. The benefits of having a dual band router are that you can enjoy 4K video streaming and play some multiplayer games with ease. The ac1200 measures a decent 13.3 x 10.4 x 27.4inches making it a suitable compact router for home use. On the surface the ac1200 is black in color with two non-removable adjustable antennas. At the back it hosts of 2.0 USB port, four LAN ports, power switch and WAN port. It lacks Gigabit ports which can be attributed to its low price.
A MediaTek chipset clocking 580MHz runs the router. Expect speeds of 300Mbps for the 2.4GHz band and 867Mbps for the 5GHz band. However, the 5GHz is a bit of a letdown. Also, the LAN ports are 10/100 instead of the faster 10/100/1000 gigabit LAN ports. The router does not come with mounting brackets so you can only place it on your desk rather than mounting it on a wall.
The ac1200 comes in a strong matte black color. Unlike most other routers you do not have the presence of many flashing LED lights. However, you will have some flashing lights at the back but you have to really been keen to spot them. At the bottom of the router are multiple air vents that protect the router from overheating.
The signal strength for the 2.4GHz band is great as you can enjoy speeds of up to 77.5Mbps at close range and 40Mbps at 30 feet. For the 5GHz you get 95Mbps at close range and 86Mbps at 30 feet. With beamforming technology you have the ability to pinpoint your signal for a more reliable connection.
Management of the ac1200 can be done through its user-friendly smart Wi-Fi web interface. This lets the users use widgets to enable you set LAN network status, parental controls, guest networking, and enable QoS settings. Through the security feature you can enable IPv6 and IPv4. The media prioritization feature allows you to set priority for your applications or devices. This ensures optimal performance when you are using the router to play some internet intensive games.
Pros
- Great 2.4Ghz throughput
- Affordable
- Easy to install and manage
- Sleek, compact design
Cons
- 10/100 wired ports
- Low 5GHz throughput
Linksys ac2200 – Overview
- Provides up to 1,500 square feet of Wi-Fi coverage for 15plus wireless devices
- Works with existing modem, simple setup through Linksys App
The Linksys ac2200 is a compact router that will fit almost anywhere in your home. Measuring 8.4 x 6.4 x 2.2 inches the router has a basic design with four external antennas. Considering its price you are getting a great tri-band router with MU-MIMO technologies. You also get Quality of Service (QoS) settings, beamforming, intelligent band steering and parental controls. Beamforming technology allows the router to broadcast directly to devices instead of broadly while the MU-MIMO streaming allows for simultaneous streaming of data instead of sequentially. The Bandsteering feature allows the router to choose the best band for you among the three available ones.
Whenever the router is powered up it will glow a bright white color around the Linksys logo; when not connected it turns an orange color. This is displayed at the top of the router. At the back your get 3.0 USB port, four Gigabit LAN ports, power button, and reset button. To the right side is the WPS button. The four external antennas are adjustable but not detachable. There composition is two single band antennas and two dual band antennas.
A Quad-core processor with 512MB memory runs the ac2200. Connectivity is through the 802.ac circuitry that holds two 5GHz bands and one 2.4GHz band. This enables the router to reach speeds of up to 400Mbps for the 2.4GHz band and 867Mbps for the 5GHz.
The setup of the ac2200 is through a simple plug and play feature. Once you have connected your router to power and internet you will be asked for several easy prompts for setup. You can also access some setup features like parental control, guest access, speed test, media prioritization and other general settings.
Pros
- Latest router technologies like beamforming and MU-MIMO
- Two 5GHz band
- Easy to install
- Compact design that fits in small spaces
Cons
May not handle too many devices
Verdict: Which is better? ac1200 vs. ac2200?
The Linksysac2200is a clear winner in this review. It offers a wide range of features like MU-MIMO and beamforming. The router is tri-band meaning you get one 2.4GHz band and two 5GHz bands. When put to the test the ac2200 scores exceptionally well in various throughput tests.
FAQ
Is the ac2200 great for gaming?
The ac2200 while not optimized for gaming comes with some cool features like media prioritization that enables you to create a hierarchy for your devices. In this instance, you can give priority to your gaming consoles so that they have interrupted internet access.
Is the ac1200 a dual or tri-band router?
The ac1200 is a dual band router, meaning you have a 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency. It is an ideal router for home use due to its compact design.