Linksys ea6900 vs. Netgear r7000 – which is the most suitable for home use
Routers are been designed that are faster and that come with various advanced technologies like beamforming and MU-MIMO. If you have had your home router for years it is time you upgraded to something faster
Wi-Fi routers have been with us for the last 10 years and they keep improving with each year. If you find yourself with a router that does not reach all your rooms or that force you to endure buffering during video streaming then it is time you updated your router. The Linksys ea6900 and Netgear r7000 are two routers suitable for home use. They are compact and offer tremendous speeds to support all your connected devices without overwhelming your network.
Table of Contents
What are the key differences between the Linksys ea6900 and Netgear r7000?
Model |
Linksys ea6900 |
Netgear r7000 (Winner) |
Dimensions (inches) |
10.1 x 7.3 x 1.6 |
11.22 x 7.26 x 1.97 |
Processor |
Dual core 800MHz |
Dual core 1GHz CPU |
Weight (pounds) |
1.18 |
1.65 |
Wireless standard |
802.11a/b/g/n/ac |
802.11a/b/g/n/ac |
Speed |
600MHz (2.4GHz band) & 1,300MHz on the 5GHz band |
2.4GHz spatial stream offers 200Mbps, it also offers 600Mbps for 2.4GHz band and 1.3Gbps(5GHz) |
Availability |
Linksys ea6900 vs. Netgear r7000 – How do they differ?
Design
The Netgear comes in a trapezoid design with three external antennas. The router is massive measuring 11.22 x 7.26 x 1.97 inches and comes with a sturdy frame for extra stability. The rubber feet also prevent the router from slipping. The r7000 has two USB ports – on the front 3.0 USB and at the back 2.0 USB. It also has four gigabit Ethernet LAN ports, one WAN port and power button at the back. The ea6900 is a mid-sized router with one Linksys logo LED status light. At the back you have one Gigabit Ethernet WAN port, four gigabit Ethernet LAN ports and power button.
Performance and speed
The Linksys uses a dual core 800MHz processor that is capable of helping the router hit speeds of up to 600MHz on the 2.4GHz band and 1.3Gbps on the 5GHz band. The router comes with the new Broadcom TurboQAM Wi-Fi chip that is capable of supporting top tier 802.11ac routers. The TurboQAM technology enables the 2.4spatial streams to reach speeds of up to 200MHz instead of the more common 150Mbps. The Netgear r7000 runs on a 1GHz dual core Broadcom BCM4709 Wi-Fi chip that enables the router to reach speeds of up to 600MHz on the 2.4GHz band and 1.3Gbps for the 5GHz band. The router also has 256MB worth of DDR RAM and 128MB of flash memory.
Installation and technologies
The r7000 comes with two guest networks with each one been used for each of its frequency bands. It also comes with open source firmware meaning you can customize it as you deem fit. The parental control is a feature that allows you to control what your kids are doing online. The feature comes with each free openDNS account. The Nighthawk comes with an improved Quality of Service (QoS) feature that allows the router to manage both downstream and upstream. The ea6900 is an easy router to setup as it comes with a comprehensive list of setup instructions. Just connect the router to a power source and then to the WAN port and it will automatically detect devices. You will need to create a Linksys Wi-Fi account during setup. The only issue we had with the router is that its 3.0 USB is a bit substandard and you may find not working in some routers.
Linksys ea6900 vs. Netgear r7000 – A Comparison Overview
Linksys ea6900 – Overview
- Up to N600 Mbps (2.4 GHz) + AC1300 Mbps (5.0 GHz) speeds with Simultaneous Dual Band
- Platform Compatibility : Windows XP, Windows Vista 32/64, Windows 7 32/64, Windows 8 32/64, Mac 10.5.8...
The Linksys ea6900 is a mid-sized router that offers decent speeds for its 2.4GHz band. It comes in a nice design with a glossy finish on the top. At the back you have three external antennas, four Gigabit LAN ports, one 2.0 USB port, 3.0 USB port, and one Gigabit WAN port.
The router runs on a Broadcom TurboQAM dual core 800MHz chip. It is capable of hitting speeds of up to 600Mbps on the 2.4GHz band and 1.3Gbps on the 5GHz band. You also get a 3×3 MU-MIMO configuration for fast and simultaneous connectivity. For the 3×3 MU-MIMO configuration you will need a wireless or 802.11ac adapter. Unlike the ea6400 that had the Cisco logo still on, Linksys dropped this with the ea6900.
The ea6900 measures 10.1 x 7.3 x 1.6 inches and comes with a glossy black finish on the top. The router is compact enough to fit in small household spaces. The router has one LED light at the front and is very easy to setup. It comes with its own preset Wi-Fi network with the username and password printed at the back of the router. The two bands share the same password and the router is very easy to setup a home network.
Pros
- Compact design
- Superfast Wi-Fi speeds at close range
- Cloud based management
- Excellent range
Cons
- Gets slightly warm after extensive use
Netgear r7000 – Overview
- 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...
The Netgear is a dual band router that comes in a trapezoid design. It spots three external antennas and a host of awesome router features like Quality of Service (QoS). While the 2.4GHz band isn’t that great, the throughput speeds for the 5GHz are simply amazing.
The Nighthawk router measures 11.22 x 7.26 x 1.97 inches and can be wall mounted. It comes with a wide base and rubber feet that prevent it from toppling over. A dual core 1GHz processor that is supported by 256MB of RAM and 128MB of flash memory runs the Netgear r7000. This enables the router to achieve speeds of up to 600Mbps for the 2.4GHz band and 1,300Mbps for the 5GHz band.
When it comes to connectivity, the Netgear has one 3.0 USB port on the front and one 2.0 USB port at the back. It also has four Gigabit LAN ports and one Gigabit WAN port for additional connectivity for your consoles. You will need to place the router near a well aerated area as it tends to overheat.
Pros
- Full VPN
- Excellent throughput speed for its 5GHz band
- Enhanced Quality of Service feature
- Innovative sleek trapezoid design
- Open source firmware
Cons
- The performance on the 2.4GHz band is not that good
Conclusion: So, which is better – Linksys ea6900 or Netgear r7000?
Our winner is the Netgear r7000. Firstly, this router comes with an amazing trapezoid design that makes it look like a space ship. It also offers excellent throughput speed and range for its 5GHz frequency. The router supports full VPN and has one of the best Quality of Service (QoS) for a router. You can also flash the firmware as the router is open sourced.
FAQ
Can I limit the sites my kids surf on the Linksys ea6900?
The router comes with a parental control feature that allows parents to limit the time kids spend online and the kind of websites they visit. In addition, the router has a media prioritization list that lets you give priority to your video streaming devices hence eliminating buffering issues.
Is the Netgear come with open source firmware?
If you are network geek and like customizing stuff on your router then you will find the fact that the Netgear has open source firmware a delight. The router also comes with full VPN features.
