When comparing AirPort Extreme vs Linksys AC3200, the Slant community recommends AirPort Extreme for most people. In the question“What are the best wireless routers?” AirPort Extreme is ranked 15th while Linksys AC3200 is ranked 17th. The most important reason people chose AirPort Extreme is:
The AirPort Extreme is very easy to configure. You just need to plug it in and the follow the instructions provided by the setup assistant that's built into iOS or in the AirPort Utility for OS X.
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Pros
Pro Easy setup for iOS and OS X
The AirPort Extreme is very easy to configure. You just need to plug it in and the follow the instructions provided by the setup assistant that's built into iOS or in the AirPort Utility for OS X.
Pro Great performance using tri-band technology
This AC3200 router utilizes three simultaneous WiFi bands for maximum theoretical throughput of 3.2 Gbps. In real life testing at a close range of 15 feet it clocks in close to 600 Mbps. When distance is increased to about 100 feet, the speed drops to 240 Mbps.
Pro Can be remotely managed with a companion app
There’s an easy to use app for your smartphone or tablet. You can use it to access your router's settings and customization options.
Pro Easy to set up
Setting up this router is very similar to installing a game on your computer. Once you’ve powered it up and connected it to your modem, just open the browser and go to 192.168.1.1. This will open Linksys Smart WiFi setup wizard, where you'll have to click "Next" few times and write in the name and password of your network.
Pro You can prioritize bandwidth for devices and some specific applications of those devices
For example you can give Skype a higher priority, so the quality of your video calls wouldn't be affected because someone else is streaming a movie and using up all of bandwidth . You can also give higher priority to some online games for better latency.
Cons
Con Windows users have to download additional software
There is no web browser control for the Extreme, so users must download the AirPort Utility for Windows to configure and manage settings.
Con Trails other AC routers in speed
This dual-band router has a theoretical peak performance of 1.75 Gbps. In real life testing at 5 feet, it hits just 209.6 Mbps and 201.6 Mbps at 50 feet. It holds its performance at distance, but it's still slower than other AC routers.
Con Lacks additional customization options
AirPort Extreme offers only the most common features, such as guest networking and port forwarding, but lacks options like parental controls and traffic prioritization. It doesn't even have a web filtering option, for blocking specific websites.
Con Lacks advanced customization features
You can’t set up a VPN server or have multiple internet service provider connections to your router. With a VPN server you can be traveling around the world and browsing the internet, but your smartphone or laptop would think that it’s connected to your home network. And multiple internet service provider connections could be used for redundancy or load-balancing.
Con Expensive
At $300 this router is more expensive when compared to other tri-band routers.
Con Most devices don’t support three simultanious WiFi bands
Most consumer devices are built to support two simultaneous WiFi bands, not three. Before upgrading your network with a tri-band router, you should make sure that your computer and/or smartphone supports this technology. Otherwise you won't be able to use this router to its full potential.