Netgear n600 vs Linksys n600 – Which one will better suit your needs?

N600 routers are dual-band wireless N routers that are capable of delivering 300 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands simultaneously. The Netgear n600 and Linksys n600 are great examples of n600 routers that offer excellent performance and advanced networking features.

I have been using my n600 router for one year now without any problems and for the price I bought it for, it has served me well. I thought I should get another n600 router for my small office because their performance speeds are fast enough for most apps and even HD streaming.

What are the differences between Netgear n600 and Linksys n600?

Router model	Netgear n600 (Winner)	Linksys n600
Setup software	Netgear genie app	CD with Cisco Connect software
LED indicators	At the front of the router	No LED indicators
Antennas	Internal	Internal
Speeds at 5 feet	2.4 GHz – 72 Mbps 5 GHz – 185 Mbps	2.4 GHz – 36.5 Mbps 5 GHz – 77.2 Mbps
	Check price	Check price

Netgear n600 vs Linksys n600 – How do they differ?

Design

The Netgear n600 is a dual-band stylish router with great design features. It has a sleek black finish at the top with a big, round blue button in the middle with 8 small LED lights that indicate the direction of its internal antennas. This blue button is also the WPS button. At the back are 4 LAN ports, a WAN port, a USB 2.0 port, and wifi on/off button. At the front are LED indicators for the internet, the network ports, USB port, and power. It’s designed with 2 detachable feet to keep the router in a vertical position.

The Linksys n600 is designed to lie flat on a surface but not to be mounted on your wall. It has a flat UFO-shaped design with internal antennas. At the front, the n600 doesn’t have any LED indicators. At the back are 4 LAN and one WAN 10/100 Ethernet ports, a USB 2.0 port, a WPS button, and a power connector.

Linksys n600 is a better looking router with no bright lights. It’s not too big that it looks out of place.

Setup software

The Netgear n600 router is very easy to set up with the help of the Netgear genie app that you can download in your PC or phone that will allow you administrative control over your network. You can easily configure the settings and monitor all the devices in your network from anywhere on your phone. However, for the Linksys n600, it comes with a CD that contains the Cisco connect software that will help you with the initial setup and management of your network from your computer, but it requires a live internet connection to work. Once the software has configured the router’s settings and internet access, it will pick a password for your wireless networks that you can change. Or you can use the web interface to make major changes to your router’s settings.

Netgear n600 has a simpler and quicker setup method that gives you better control of your network.

Speed and performance

When it comes to performance the Netgear n600 has an excellent all-round record on both its 2.4 GH and 5 GHz bands. Its wireless range is impressive, especially on the 2.4 GHz band, but it lacks gigabit Ethernet which is a downside when it comes to networking. It provides 2 separate wifi networks on each of its bands so you can stay connected to your network devices and media. The Linksys n600 on the other handprovides advanced performance with faster and smoother file transfers and media streaming.

Netgear n600 has better performance on both bandwidths with impressive wireless range.

Netgear n600 vs Linksys n600  – A comparison review

Netgear n600

Netgear n600 wndr3400 is a dual-band wireless router that has a sleek design and can deliver excellent performance but it doesn’t support gigabit Ethernet. With both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, it will deliver excellent range, especially on the 2.4 GHz band. It’s a lightweight stylish router with an elegant black finish on top and a big, blue button in the middle with tiny indicators that show the direction of the internal antennas. This big button is also the WPS button. The 4 LAN ports, a WAN port, a USB 2.0 port, and wifi on/off switch are at the back of the router. It operates in a vertical position with detachable feet to keep it stable. The Netgear genie app makes it very easy for you to install and configure n600.

Using the web interface, you can turn any of the two networks on or off separately and each band has its own guest network that is useful if you want to give free internet access to your guests without accessing your entire network. The ReadyShare feature helps to manage the router’s storage and also used with its NAS servers. This NAS function restricts access to the router’s storage without a password. Other features include the live parental controls, the traffic meter, WPS features, and it supports all existing wireless encryption methods. The n600 delivers very good wireless performance, but not so good network storage speeds. At 15 feet, this router scored 65.4 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band and 75.8 Mbps on the 5 GHz band. At 100 feet the speeds were 37.1 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band and 59.8 Mbps on the 5 GHz band.

Pros

• Has useful network features
• Has an aesthetically pleasing design
• Has an intuitive web interface
• Fast wireless performance even at long distance

Cons

• Doesn’t support gigabit Ethernet
• The network storage performance isn’t that good

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Linksys n600

Linksys n600 e2500is a budget-friendly dual-band router that is easy to use at home thanks to the Cisco connect software. It allows you to run the two frequencies, the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands simultaneously, but the router is a bit slow especially on the 2.4 GHz band. This makes it a good router for small homes and apartments. It has a flat UFO-shaped design with internal antennas with 4 LAN ports, a WAN port, a WPS button, and a power connector at the back. There are no LED lights at the front like other routers.

For the initial setup and management of your network, you use the Cisco connect software in a CD. This software provides limited access to the router’s features and it doesn’t work together with its web interface but requires a live internet connection for it to work. The router will configure your internet access and the software will pick a password for your wireless networks, turn on/off the guest network, and manage parental controls. You can also use the web interface that gives you access to the router’s apps and gaming features, create a VPN connection, and a remote desktop connection which will be very convenient. The n600 performs well on the 5 GHz band, but not so good on the 2.4 GHz band. At close range on the 5 GHz band, it delivered 77.2 Mbps and 70.2 Mbps at a long-range. On the 2.4 GHz band at close range, it scored 36.5 Mbps and 10.7 Mbps at a long-range.

Pros

• Stylish and compact
• The connection is fast and reliable
• The web interface is well organized

Cons

• The installation software comes in a CD
• Has a limited internal range

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Conclusion

The Netgear n600 is a router that will deliver good and reliable internet speeds even though it doesn’t support gigabit Ethernet. The Linksys n600 is a budget-friendly router with decent speeds but a limited internal range.

So, which one is better Netgear n600 or Linksys n600?

Netgear n600 is better because it has an impressive wireless range on its 2.4 GHz band and a very easy to use Netgear genie app that is compatible with the latest devices.

FAQ

How many devices can Netgear n600 good handle?

As a dual-band, this router can support up to 64 devices simultaneously with each band supporting 32 devices each.

How fast is Linksys e2500?

This router can provide fast wireless speeds of up to 300 Mbps on each band, optimal range, and provides advanced performance for all your devices.