Linksys ac2400 vs Netgear ac1900 – Which one has better range?

With an increase in smartphones, smart TVs, and connected home appliances,you must get a router for your home or office that will handle your increased wifi demands. The Linksys ac2400 and Netgear ac1900 are wireless routers that provide excellent performance and good range coverage.

I have been trying to get a good upgrade for my router that I have to keep rebooting every now and then. I found the Linksys ac2400 andNetgear ac1900 and they both routers have the features I’m looking for so I came up with this table to help me make my decision.

What are the differences between Linksys ac2400 and Netgear ac1900?

Linksys ac2400 vs Netgear ac1900 – How do they differ?

Design

The Netgear ac1900 r7000 is a big and bulky router with trapezoid shape and 3 thick external detachable antennas at the back. It’s designed to stay flat on any surface but you can also mount it on your wall. At the front is a USB 3.0 port while the other USB 2.0 port is at the back. At the back are 4 LAN ports, a WAN port, a power button, and a reset button. The LED indicators at the top of the router show activity status for the internet, USB connection, wireless, and gigabit ports. However, the Linksys ac2400 e8350 has a more retro look with4 detachable antennas, two at the back, and two on the side. At the back are a WAN port, 4 LAN ports, a USB 3.0 port, and another USB port that you can use as a USB 2.0/eSATA port. This router doesn’t have LED indicator lights.

Netgear ac1900 is a better-looking router. It’s not that pleasing to the eye, but it’s not that ugly.

Setup and interface

It’s very easy to set up the ac1900. You can either run the Netgear web interface on your PC’s browser if you want to further customize your router, or you can download the Netgear genie mobile app on your phone for a more comprehensive web interface. This is more convenient but limits the settings you can customize. As for the Linksys ac2400, it comes with a CD that contains the Linksys connect setup software that is compatible with Windows PC and Mac devices or you can download it if your computer doesn’t have an optical drive. The software will allow you to manage a few settings and will also allow anybody to connect to your network, so it’s better to use the web interface which is easy, organized, and responsive.

Netgear ac1900 is easier to setup with a simple and easier to use method with your phone and computer.

Speed and performance

The Netgear ac1900 is a true dual-band router that can support all wifi devices regardless of their wifi standards. When working with the 802.11ac on the 5 GHz band, this router can deliver wifi speeds of up to 1.3 Gbps, but on the 2.4 GHz band, it can deliver wireless speeds of up to 600 Mbps. The Linksys ac2400 comes with very powerful hardware which makes it a powerful router. The 5 GHz band uses a quad-stream setup that can deliver theoretical speeds of up to 1733 Mbpswhen on the 802.11ac. If you’re operating on the 2.4 GHz band, the router uses a 1.4 GHz dual-core that can deliver wifi speeds of up to 600 Mbps.

Linksys ac2400 is a better performer with a powerful dual-core processor and faster bandwidth speeds.

Linksys ac2400 vs Netgear ac1900. A comparison review

Linksys ac2400

Linksys AC2400 4X4 Dual-Band Gigabit Wi-Fi Router, Optimal for HD Video Streaming and Lag-Free Gaming (E8400)

• Double the network bandwidth for maximum speeds to gaming and streaming devices. Speeds up to N600 +...
• Supercharged 1.4GHz Dual-Core Processor for heavy-bandwidth gaming, file transfers and downloads

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The Linksys ac2400 e8350 is a quad-stream 802.11ac router that has excellent performance on the 5 GHz band with fast storage performance when combined with an external hard drive. This router has a retro design with 4 adjustable antennas, 2 at the back and 2 at the side. It also comes with a USB 3.0 port and another that works as either a USB 2.0 port or an eSATA port. You can easily set up this router using the web interface which is a fast and convenient way to get your router up and running. It’s organized and responsive and you can easily change the wireless settings like allowing you to set up a VLAN, enable dynamic routing, assign or change router’s IP addresses, or set security modes (WPA, WPA2, and WEP) and each channel’s passwords.

You can create a guest network that has restricted access to your data and connected devices. The e8350 comes with security options that include internet and web filtering and IPv4 and IPv6 firewall protection. The parental controls help you to block or limit access to certain websites or schedule internet access time. The QoS feature that allows you to monitor and allocate bandwidth to prevent lagging. This router is compatible with external hard drives that have been formatted in NTFS or FAT32. The router has an impressive overall performance. It’s throughput speeds on the 5 GHz band at 5 feet clocked 204 Mbps and 142 Mbps at 30 feet. The speeds on the 2.4 GHz band were faster with 106 Mbps at close proximity but dropped to 78.2 Mbps at 30 feet. Its file transfer speeds are also quite impressive.

Pros

• Excellent throughput speeds on the 2.4 GHz band
• The 2.4 GHz band gives a consistently strong signal
• Good coverage for the entire house
• Fast file transfer speeds

Cons

• It’s expensive
• The 5 GHz band is slow

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Netgear ac1900

NETGEAR Nighthawk Smart Wi-Fi Router (R7000) - AC1900 Wireless Speed (Up to 1900 Mbps) | Up to 1800 Sq Ft Coverage & 30 Devices | 4 x 1G Ethernet and 2 USB ports | Armor Security

• Fast wifi performance: Get up to 1800 square feet wireless coverage with AC1900 speed (Dual band up to...
• Recommended for up to 30 devices: Reliably stream videos, play games, surf the internet, and connect...

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The Netgear ac1900 r7000offers excellent speeds and ranges on its 5 GHz band with lots of features. It has a trapezoid design with flared sides and 3 external antennas at the back. It’s excellent performance on the 5 GHz band plus its enhanced QoS that helps to shorten the buffering time and streaming video makes this router excellent for heavy-duty tasks. It’s designed to operate horizontally or you can mount it on your wall and has a wide base and rubber feet to keep it steady. It can support 600 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band and 1300 Mbps on the 5 GHz band. It has 2 USB ports, the USB 3.0 port at the front, and the USB 2.0 port at the back to reduce wifi signal interference and you can use both ports for your printer and storage.

You can either use the genie desktop of the genie app for your phone to configure the settings and manage your network. Some of the common features include 2 guest networks one for each band and an OpenDNS-based parental control. The QoS is great at optimizing video streaming. The decent range coverage on the 5 GHz band courtesy of the beamforming + technology that helps to improve signal strength and throughput. On 5 GHz 802.11n at close range, it scored speeds of 188 Mbps and 181 Mbps at a long-range. On the 2.4 GHz band at close range, it delivered a speed of 117 Mbps and 64 Mbps at a long-range.

Pros

• Has a sleek design
• Fast USB 3.0 port
• Excellent throughput and range
• Easy setup

Cons

• The router is bulky
• Throughput on the 2.4 GHz band is less than expected

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Conclusion

While the 2.4 GHz band has excellent throughput speeds on the Linksys ac2400, it performs less than expected in the Netgear ac1900.

So, which one is better Linksys ac2400 or Netgear ac1900?

The Netgear ac1900 is better because it uses beamforming + technology to improve on the range, signal, and throughput speeds of the router. It also has lots of useful features and full VPN capabilities.

FAQ

Is Netgear better than Linksys?

If you’re looking for a high-end router, Netgear is better of the two, but Linksys is better if you want a mid to low range router.

Does the Netgear ac1900 need a modem?

This router has no modem capabilities, the actual connection is from your specific internet service provider.