When comparing Linksys WRT1900ACS vs AirPort Extreme, 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 WRT1900ACS is ranked 19th. 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 Customization is possible using OpenWRT
This router has extensive customization options (enhanced QoS settings, WiFi optimization and traffic shaping, among other things). This is thanks to the use of OpenWRT, which is an open-source, Linux-based OS.
Pro Remote management via app
This router comes with a monitoring/management companion app for smartphones and tablets. This enables network managers to take actions remotely if needed, such as content blocking or device banning.
Pro Impressive hardware
This router had a 1.6 GHz dual-core CPU and it comes with 512MB of RAM. Its dual-band electronics make it capable of handling four independent lanes of data traffic.
Pro Great for office spaces
You can create a separate, password-protected WiFi network for up to 50 people and easily share the password. This means that you can have a more secure network at your office space. And if some of your guests are eating up all of your traffic, you can prioritize devices that need the most speed.
Pro Quick and easy setup
Once you have successfully connected your PC to the router, open any browser and go to 192.168.1.1. Everything else from there is self-explanatory.
Pro Excellent performance
This router's performance is very good: it has a peak performance of 1.9 Gbps on both bands (theoretical). It can move up to 600 Mbps in 2.4-GHz mode and up to 1,300 Mbps in 5-GHz mode. In real life testing at a close range the WRT1900ACS delivers a total throughput of 515 Mbps across its both bands.
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.
Cons
Con Lacks MU-MIMO for efficient network management
This can become an issue when you're streaming video or gaming online with multiple devices. With MU-MIMO the router would be able to stream multiple lanes of traffic simultaneously. Routers without MU-MIMO have to send data to each device in turn.
Con High price
While the router has blazingly fast download and upload speeds, at $229 it could be slightly pricey for average home networking customers.
Con Hefty design
This router's dimensions are 9.7 x 7.6 x 2.0 inches, which make it quite big when compared to competitors.
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.