Linksys Ships MU-MIMO Enabled Wireless Router
So that would be Multi-User, Multiple-Input, Multiple Output :) Linksys 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 Wi-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.
"MU-MIMO technology revolutionizes the wireless experience in the home," said Mike Chen, vice president of product management, Linksys. "The average home has more than 8 devices connecting to the Internet, and they're not used for just sending emails and tweets. We're streaming movies and TV shows in high definition, we're video chatting with our friends and family, and we're playing video games against competitors around the globe, all on different devices and often at the same time. To have dedicated bandwidth for their devices simultaneously will enhance the users' experience so they won't see that buffering icon when streaming a movie or listening to choppy music or worse, playing games with lag. We are so confident in the experience that MU-MIMO provides that we will be expanding our product line in the future to include more MU-MIMO routers."
"Qualcomm MU | EFX is designed to greatly improve Wi-Fi performance and consumers' connected experiences," said Gopi Sirineni, senior director of product management, Qualcomm Atheros, Inc. "Industry leaders like Linksys recognize the impact that MU-MIMO can have on home networks, and are delivering advanced products with the speed and efficiency to address the ever-increasing number of devices and high-bandwidth applications."
In an IDC InfoBrief, sponsored by Linksys, titled The Home Network, the Neglected Workhorse, IDC surveyed participants that had at least 3 wireless access users in their household to understand the behaviors of wireless Internet use and how MU-MIMO can benefit multi-user/multi-device households. The research project found that people are doing more on their home networks but are using older wireless technology that is not suited for the type of wireless households today - which are multiple-user/multiple-device households:
- 84% of the respondents said they were streaming movies/TV and another activity such as streaming music, playing games, or surfing the Internet at the same time.
- Nearly 50% still use routers running versions of Wi-Fi at least 12 years old.
- 2/3 of the respondents said they had at least 5 devices connected to the Internet and in use at the same time.
- More than half of survey respondents said they frequently or always experience buffering, interruptions or other performance issues on their home network.
- 84% of survey respondents cite performance as a key attribute to their router buying decision, far out-distancing range, security and even price.
- Average selling price of routers is growing too - respondents said they would spend an average of $84 MORE on a router to eliminate performance issues.
- People want their Wi-Fi: Wireless Internet access ranked #2 of the things that people would not live without. Food ranked #1, followed by Wi-Fi, Smartphone and Sex.
hat Linksys learned from the survey is that more households are online with multiple devices - and our research showed that there were an average of 5 devices connected and in use at a time and more than half of users are having buffering and lag issues. People are looking for Wi-Fi that has strong performance, which is why they are willing to pay more for a router that enables them to connect multiple devices simultaneously and not experience any performance issues.
The Linksys AC2600 MU-MIMO router will help address these issues customers are having today and into the future as MU-MIMO becomes the next major Wi-Fi technology in the market.
Pricing and Availability
The Linksys Max-Stream AC2600 MU-MIMO Gigabit Router (EA8500) is available at leading retail and online retailers including Amazon, Best Buy, Fry's, Newegg, Office Depot, Office Max, Staples, Target and Wal-Mart at an MSRP of $279.99.
For more information and to purchase, visit the product page.
Linksys Launches Tri-Band and 4x4 Wireless AC Routers - 10/17/2014 09:26 AM
Linksys announced two new routers. The two new wireless AC routers, the Linksys AC3200 Tri-Band Smart Wi-Fi Router (EA9200) and the Linksys AC2400 Dual Band Wi-Fi Router (E8350), a 4X4 AC router, prov...
Linksys adds Three New WiFi Range Extenders - 07/18/2014 08:13 AM
Linksys announced its new lineup of Linksys Wi-Fi Range Extenders. Consumers often experience a weak wireless signal in some parts of their house or apartment caused by blocking elements such as walls...
Linksys Pro Series Wireless Access Point - 06/12/2014 07:26 AM
Linksys announced the first Pro Series Wi-Fi access point with the launch of the Wireless-AC Dual Band Access Point (LAPAC1750PRO). The new Pro Series access point offers advanced features to equip Sm...
Review: Linksys WRT1900AC - 06/06/2014 08:21 AM
For todays review we look at the Linksys WRT1900AC Dual Band Wi-Fi Router from Belkin, this nostalgic dual-core processor monster of a router recently was introduced. This product surely brings the no...
Linksys Ships the WRT1900AC Router - 04/10/2014 02:51 PM
Linksys today announced that it has started shipping the new WRT1900AC, which will be available for sale at Best Buy stores throughout the US or at the Linksys.com store. The new WRT features four ext...
Senior Member
Posts: 7114
Joined: 2004-10-01
^ Not only that, $280? For a router?
Starting to get very exorbitant as far as costs are concerned. Maybe revolutionary as far as Linksys is concerned, but they are asking a lot for this new router. Too much.
Senior Member
Posts: 167
Joined: 2013-10-13
Yeah, but the average person who has no idea about what the usual cost for a router is / what MU-MIMO is will just read the box and see "3x faster" and possibly buy it.
Senior Member
Posts: 6073
Joined: 2011-01-02
Isn't point of MU-MIMO to be able to transfer data between multiple clients at the same time?
edit: Or you mean not everyone has supported 802.11ac client? (iPhone6+ etc...)
Senior Member
Posts: 140
Joined: 2012-10-09
Isn't point of MU-MIMO to be able to transfer data between multiple clients at the same time?
edit: Or you mean not everyone has supported 802.11ac client? (iPhone6+ etc...)
MU-MIMO is a great technology and i think it has great potential but it has one huge drawback; MU-MIMO technology ONLY works with MU-MIMO router AND MU-MIMO capable clients.
It doesn't mean that a client is MU-MIMO capable when is a 802.11ac class client, 802.11ac and MU-MIMO are two very different things. iPhone 6/6+, Galaxy 6, name all the latest phones/tablets/laptops/desktops/TV.. none of them is MU-MIMO capable at the moment.
A good read: MU-MIMO vs. XStream: The Coming Battle For Wi-Fi Airtime
MU-MIMO support is something that needs to be in the hardware you can't just update the software/firmware of your client and poof it's now MU-MIMO capable.
Personally i prefer Xstream, so i have a Xstream router. Xstream technology itself is maybe not as sophisticated as MU-MIMO but is has a huge advantage over MU-MIMO; Xstream works with every single wireless client you have in your house right now. The only hardware dependency of Xstream is the router itself. Xtream technology is new and so the execution of it is kinda rough/inefficient on most routers right now. But Xstream doesn't have any hardware dependencies outside the router so Xstream can and will be polished more by firmware updates of the routers.
Marketing is misleading no matter if it's about MU-MIMO or Xstream. Both use numbers that are only theoretically possible.. well it looks nice on the box of course.
Senior Member
Posts: 140
Joined: 2012-10-09
Useless product without MU-MIMO clients. Try to find MU-MIMO enabled clients.. yep there are none.