The IT Nerd

Linksys has announced a whole new user interface, design layout, navigation experience, and new innovative features for its Linksys Smart Wi-Fi app. The newly designed app for Apple and Android smartphones provides a more intuitive layout with simple-to-navigate options that enable millions of Linksys Smart Wi-Fi users to simply monitor, manage and control their home networks while at home or away.

New and improved features include:

• New contemporary user interface
• New organization for simpler feature discovery and use
• Intelligent router offline notification (Initially available on EA9500 router)
• Easily share guest Wi-Fi name and password – tap and text or email
• Guest access now supports up to 50 guests
• Prioritize internet bandwidth to chosen devices
• Parental controls to block specific sites and internet access for selected devices on a schedule
• More device icons to associate with client devices
• Easily view how much external hard drive space is available

The app has been completely updated and redesigned, providing simple utility, such as looking up and sharing the wireless credentials for up to 50 guests with a few taps on a mobile device.  The app will also enable users to change bandwidth prioritization quickly and easily on the fly, ensuring your bandwidth-sensitive video calls and gaming sessions never slow down.

In addition to dozens of new icons to assign to clients’ devices, the app shows how much hard drive space has been used and how much is still available on external hard drives connected to the router.

Parents can block websites or shut off Wi-Fi entirely for individual devices. Parents can also set up a schedule for blocking access for each device (available in an app update coming later this year). These parental control features will aid in making sure children use the internet appropriately, providing parents with peace of mind that there is also an ample amount of homework time without the distraction of the internet.

A home network is dynamic, and notifications can alert users and provide insight on changing conditions. The new router offline notification feature (initially supported with the Linksys EA9500 router) is the first notification feature available that will detect when the router has lost its connection to the internet for any reason, and alert users with a notification on a mobile device. This feature is useful when users are away from home and could be an early warning system for:

• Phone calls from upset household Internet users that the router went offline and there could be a potential issue with the internet connection.
• Ensuring access to critical wireless devices remotely, such as door locks, IP cameras and smart thermostats
• A potential problem with the users’ internet provider

The main dashboard provides an immediate glimpse into the current status of the home network. It shows the current connection to the internet and the number of connected devices, as well as quick access to the wireless password and options to reset it or share it. Parental control options from the main dashboard make it easy and fast to change settings as well as the device prioritization features and external storage visibility.

• Devices
• Wi-Fi Network
• Guest Access
• Parental Controls
• Device Prioritization
• External Storage (if any external hard drives are plugged into the router)

Advanced settings are also available in the app.

• Single Port Forwarding
• Port Range Forwarding
• Port Range Triggering
• MAC Filtering

The Linksys Smart Wi-Fi app (v2) for all Linksys Smart Wi-Fi routers is planned for availability in the Google Play Store on Friday and in the iTunes App Store (pending approval), for no cost.

Linksys today announced the availability of its Linksys Max-Stream AC1900 MU-MIMO Gigabit Wi-Fi Router (EA7500). The new Linksys AC1900 MU-MIMO router leverages the 802.11ac Wave 2 MU-MIMO (Multi-User, Multiple Input, Multiple Output) technology, which helps ensure uninterrupted Wi-Fi connectivity to multiple devices in the home and functions as if multiple devices have their own dedicated router. With MU-MIMO, the whole household can enjoy 4K and HD TV streaming to multiple devices as well as play video games, listen to music, check email, shop, and image005.jpgmore – all at the same time.

Perfect for families with multiple users with their own streaming devices, the Max-Stream AC1900 leverages MU-MIMO functionality which helps make Wi-Fi networks more efficient when delivering high bandwidth 4K streams to multiple devices at the same time. Market research firm DisplaySearch/IHS recently reported shipments of 4K Ultra HDTVs reached 6 million in North America in 2015 and forecasts to double to 12 Million in 2016.

The Next-Gen Max-Stream AC1900 can provide users with combined speeds up to 1.9 Gbps and the range they need to connect all their devices in the home and at the same time. Also included is Smart Wi-Fi technology which makes it easy to set up and control your home Wi-Fi from anywhere using the Smart Wi-Fi app on your mobile device.

The EA7500 features:

• Next-Gen AC Wi-Fi – 802.11ac Wave 2 with MU-MIMO Technology for uninterrupted Wi-Fi connections to multiple devices at the same time
• Qualcomm IPQ 1.4GHz Dual Core Processor
• Dual-band AC1900Wireless speeds up to 1300 Mbps 5 GHz + 600 Mbps 2.4GHz, which is a combined speed up to 1.9 Gbps
• Four Gigabit LAN Ethernet ports One Gigabit WAN for wired speeds up to 10x faster than fast Ethernet
• One USB 3.0 and One USB 2.0 ports for connecting printers, storage and more
• Three external and adjustable antennas for maximum coverage
• Manage and monitor your network and easily control Wi-Fi devices remotely on a smart phone with the Linksys Smart Wi-Fi app
• Advanced WPA/WPA2 encryption and SPI firewall helps keep the network safe

The Linksys AC1900 MU-MIMO router will help address buffering issues customers are having today and into the future with 4K content. Check out the MU-MIMO video on the Linksys product page found here.

Pricing and Availability

The Linksys Max-Stream AC1900 MU-MIMO Gigabit Wi-Fi Router (EA7500) is available this week in-store and online at leading Canadian retailers at an MSRP of $249.99 (CAD).

This week, the circus in the Nevada desert known as CES is on and I have a number of announcements for you starting with Linksys who are very busy.

First they announced the expansion of DD-WRT support to include the WRT1900AC, WRT1200AC, and recently released WRT1900ACS  Dual-band Gigabit Wi-Fi routers.

DD-WRT now expands the third party firmware choices for the WRT series of routers beyond the current support via OpenWrt’s “Chaos Calmer” release, and positions the WRT platform as a leading choice for open source developers. DD-WRT will also be able to provide custom firmware solutions for commercial applications built on the new Linksys WRT platform just as they have for the last 12+ years on the venerable WRT54G.

More information on DD-WRT’s support for the Linksys WRT Series of routers can be found at http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Main_Page.

Second, they announced their line-up of new MAX-STREAM MU-MIMO networking solutions at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.  After being first to launch a fully functional MU-MIMO router in May of last year, Linksys expands its MU-MIMO portfolio to include two additional routers, a range extender and a USB adapter. The new Linksys MAX-STREAM line-up leverages the next generation of Wi-Fi – 802.11ac Wave 2 MU-MIMO (Multi-User, Multiple-Input, Multiple Output) technology, which helps ensure uninterrupted Wi-Fi connectivity to all the devices in the home and function as if multiple devices have their own dedicated router. With MU-MIMO, the whole household can play video games; listen to music, check email, shop, stream movies, and more – all at the same time.

The new Linksys AC1900 MU-MIMO router leverages the 802.11ac Wave 2 MU-MIMO (Multi-User, Multiple Input, Multiple Output) technology, which helps ensure uninterrupted Wi-Fi connectivity to multiple devices in the home and function as if multiple devices have their own dedicated router. With MU-MIMO, the whole household can play video games, listen to music, check email, shop, stream movies, and more – all at the same time without buffering or lag. It features:

• Qualcomm IPQ 1.4GHz Dual Core Processor
• The Latest Wi-Fi Standard – 802.11ac Wave 2 with MU-MIMO
• Dual-band AC1900 Wireless speeds up to* 1300 Mbps 5 GHz + 600 Mbps 2.4Ghz
• 4 Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports, 1 Gigabit WAN
• USB 3.0, 2.0 ports
• Smart Wi-Fi app for remote access, control and troubleshooting

MSRP is $199.99 USD and availability is planned in February 2016.

Outfitted with Next Gen AC Wi-Fi technologies such MU-MIMO and Tri-Band  that work in concert to deliver powerful Wi-Fi at the same time and same speed to multiple connected devices including 4K TVs, gaming consoles, wireless printers, laptops and other connected devices at home or in the office at combined speeds up to 5.3 Gbps. As one of the most powerful Wi-Fi routers in the market, the Linksys Max-Stream AC5400 provides business grade functionality to get your home or small office up and running quickly along with exclusive Linksys Smart Wi-Fi software that provides added control of the EA9500 Wi-Fi Router from anywhere, at any time. This Wi-Fi Router also features a robust set of advanced offerings:

• 1.4 GHz Dual Core Processor
• Tri-Band Wireless AC5400  (1000 Mbps 2.4Ghz + 2166 Mbps 5Ghz + 2166 Mbps 5GHz)
• The Latest Wi-Fi Standard – 802.11ac Wave 2 includes Mu-MIMO
• 9 Gigabit Ethernet ports (8 LAN, 1 WAN) and USB 3.0, 2.0 ports
• 8 external antennas for maximum coverage
• WPA/WPA2 encryption and SPI firewall keep your network safely connected
• Smart Wi-Fi app for remote access, control and troubleshooting

MSRP is $399.99 USD and availability Planned in April 2016.

The First range extender with next generation AC Wave 2 technology – MU-MIMO, works with any Wi-Fi router however when paired with a MAX STREAM router it can provide even greater performance to Wi-Fi devices all around the home with seamless roaming.  The combination of a MAX STREAM router and range extender creates a single network in the home with a single network name (SSID) so users can roam throughout their home without having to manually connect to the range extender.  The Linksys MAX STREAM Range Extender also features Spot Finder Technology (Patent Pending) to show users where to place the range extender using a mobile device for optimal performance. Crossband Technology maximizes the simultaneous use of both bands, while Beamforming focuses and strengthens the Wi-Fi signal.  Additional features include:

• Dual Band Wireless AC1900 – AC1733 + N300
• The Latest Wi-Fi Standard – 802.11ac Wave 2 includes MU-MIMO
• Seamless Roaming
• Crossband Technology
• Plug-In Form factor
• Multi-Mode – Repeater, Access Point
• One Gigabit Ethernet Port

MSRP is $149.99 USD and availability Planned in Spring 2016.

The Linksys AC600 USB Adapter is the first MU-MIMO enabled adapter on the market.  It enables users to connect their laptops and computers to a wireless-AC network as well as a MU-MIMO router for optimal performance, so users can easily stream high-definition video and enjoy high-speed gaming.  Additional features include:

• AC Wave 2 – MU-MIMO  (AC433 + N150)
• Beamforming
• USB 2.0
• Plug ‘n Play with Simple Pairing
• Works with Any Wi-Fi Router; Optimized with MAX-STREAM

MSRP is $59.99 USD and availability is planned in Spring 2016.

Finally, Linksys Smart Wi-Fi is a cloud-based free service that comes with Linksys Smart Wi-Fi Routers and the latest WRT routers.  It gives users highly secure access to their home network from a browser, smartphone or tablet. Users can instantly tap into their home network to check the connection status of their devices, give a guest access to the Internet, or block their child from accessing harmful websites.  Users can also prioritize which devices on the network get the most bandwidth to eliminate lag times and buffering.  On the upcoming Smart Wi-Fi update, Linksys Max-Stream AC5400 users can opt-in to get notifications on their router status.  It’ll tell users when the router is offline so users can easily trouble-shoot to get their router back online and running. In addition Smart Wi-Fi is getting a complete makeover.  New user interface with updated colors and user experience will make connecting and managing your home Wi-Fi easy! New improved features include providing guest access and media prioritization so the devices users want to have top priority for internet access can be done quickly on the app. New user interface will be available for all Smart Wi-Fi router users. Expect to see that in the spring.

I’m the proud owner of a Linksys WRT1900AC router and it has performed well for me for the most part. The only issue is that I have a couple of dead spots in my condo where signal strength is questionable with some devices like my MacBook Pro where the signal strength is lower than it should be, or it is bordering on unusable with devices like my iPhone 6 where it gets either low signal strength or it loses the WiFi signal completely. Now to solve that problem, I turned to Linksys and their WRT004ANT High-Gain Antennas.

Now let me explain what high gain antennas are. They are a form of a directional antenna that allows more of the transmitted power to be sent in the direction of the receiver, increasing the received signal strength. When receiving, a high gain antenna captures more of the signal, again increasing signal strength. Plus they are less prone to interference. That makes s high gain antenna an option for people with coverage issues such as myself.

The first thing that I need to point out is the size of the antenna:

On the left is the WRT004ANT high gain antenna. On the right is the stock antenna that the WRT1900AC came with. Size matters when it comes to this sort of antenna. Thus the bigger, the better.

Installation is simple, Simply unscrew the stock antennas and replace them with the high gain antennas. That took five minutes.  Now Linksys says that by using these antennas, they will give you the following:

• 1.5x gain on the 2.4Ghz band
• 2x gain on the 5Ghz band
• More wireless range and performance across the horizontal plane

So, does it deliver? The answer is yes. Rather than use all sorts of fancy tools to prove this, I will use my iPhone 6 which is on the 5Ghz band placed in a location where I know that the signal strength is weak to illustrate this as that is how the average user will determine if these antennas work or not. The picture below is before I did the antenna swap:

You’ll note the WiFi indicator only has two out of three bars. Typically, this is the best that I get, assuming that I can get a WiFi signal at all. If I can get a signal, I often have problems maintaining it. Here’s what it looks like after:

You’ll notice that I now have full signal strength. Same device, same location. The only variable that was changed was the antennas. I swapped antennas back and forth several times and got the same results every time. Plus the WiFi connection was solid and I did not drop it once with the high gain antennas. I would say that the WRT004ANT antennas deliver when it comes to their claim to improve signal strength. When it comes to speed, I didn’t observe any changes in terms of speed. But I didn’t expect any because that’s not what a high gain antenna is for.

A couple of notes that I need to point out before you run out and hand over your credit card:

• For best results you need to have them pointing straight upwards.
• These antennas are really intended to increase signal strength on a single floor. That’s perfect for me but you live in a multi-floor dwelling, you should try a range extender instead.
• You don’t need to have a Linksys router to use these antennas. The connector is a RP-SMA connection which many routers use.

Speaking of handing over your credit card, let me get to the price of these antennas. They list for $129.99 which is a bit pricey. But in my testing they worked as advertised so it’s hard not to argue that it’s good value for money if you’re trying to address WiFi signal coverage issues on a single floor environment such as a condo or a small office.

Linksys today announced the newest addition to its Wi-Fi range extender family, the Linksys AC1200 Amplify Wi-Fi Range Extender (RE6700).  This new range extender was developed to provide customers a Wi-Fi signal boost (up to 10,000 SQ FT†) into rooms throughout the house with a simple, elegant and easy-to-install solution that would blend in with the home décor.  The built in power outlet maintains use of an existing wall outlet with pass-through functionality – a new and unique offering for Linksys Wireless-AC range extenders.

Wi-Fi range extenders help eliminate frustrating dead zones by detecting, then amplifying a router’s Wi-Fi signal so it extends to the remote areas of a home, basement, and even the backyard. But if a range extender is not installed in an optimal location, users may not be getting the most out of this powerful connectivity solution. So Linksys developed Spot Finder technology, whichenables users to visually see the best placement spot for the range extender in the home; using their smart phone, tablet or laptop. Spot Finder Technology automatically activates when the setup process is launched.  Just follow a few prompts for a hassle-free setup and improved Wi-Fi to existing dead zones.

To get that high-speed wireless experience, Linksys has included auto cross brand technology that will identify the best backhaul path for relaying traffic from/to a given Wi-Fi client. For example, RE6700 will use the 5GHz backhaul to relay the traffic from/to a near-by 5GHz client with strong signals. On the other hand, RE6700 may use the 2.4GHz backhaul to relay the traffic from/to a distant 5GHz client with weak signals. The result is reduced dropped data packets, faster media transfer speeds, and a stronger, more consistent signal throughout your home. Also included is Beamforming technology that focuses and strengthens the Wi-Fi signal, while the two external antennas amp up performance and throughput.

The AC1200 is available starting today at major retail and online resellers as well as the Linksys store for an MSRP of $119.99.

Linksys today announced the availability of the first MU-MIMO enabled Wireless AC router – the Linksys Max-Stream AC2600 MU-MIMO Gigabit Router (EA8500). The new Linksys router leverages the 802.11ac Wave 2 MU-MIMO (Multi-User, Multiple-Input, Multiple Output) technology, which helps ensure uninterrupted Wi-Fi connectivity to all the devices in the home and function as if multiple devices have their own dedicated router. With MU-MIMO, the whole household can play video games, listen to music, check email, shop, stream movies, and more – all at the same time.

The Linksys EA8500 router incorporates Qualcomm MU | EFX MU-MIMO technology+, which helps to provide up to 3x faster speeds* compared to current W-Fi. The combined 2.53 Gbps Wi-Fi speeds (up to 1733 Mbps for 5 GHz and 800 Mbps for 2.4 GHz help minimize buffering and enable faster downloads. A supercharged 1.4 GHz dual-core CPU and four Gigabit ports offer blazing-fast speeds perfect for heavy-bandwidth wired gaming. Users can attach devices to the USB 3.0 port and a combo USB 2.0/eSATA port for uninterrupted personal cloud content streaming or to share data across their network. The four removable external antennas are adjustable for maximum coverage, while beamforming technology concentrates the Wi-Fi signal to each device for stronger, better performance and increased mobile speed and range.

The Linksys AC2600 MU-MIMO router will help address issues customers are having today and into the future as MU-MIMO becomes the next major Wi-Fi technology in the market. Check out the MU-MIMO video on the Linksys product page found here.

The Linksys Max-Stream AC2600 MU-MIMO Gigabit Router (EA8500) is available at leading retail and online retailers at an MSRP of $279.99.