Linksys launches new Max-Stream products for faster reliable wi-fi at home

Linksys has raised the bar in home wireless connectivity with the release of its latest family of 802.11ac products that boast a number of world firsts for a faster and more robust connection in your home.

The trio of products include the EA9500 – the first tri-band router that’s capable of up to eight MU-MIMO (Multiple User-Multiple Input, Multiple Output), the RE7000 MU-MIMO Range Extender – the first with seamless roaming, and the WUSB6100M – the world’s first MU-MIMO USB adaptor.

They are all available from leading retailers and online from today.

These products are the first to feature the next generation 802.11ac wi-fi Wave 2 technology.

MU-MIMO improves wi-fi performance and makes the network more efficient to allow simultaneous buffer-free movie streaming – even for 4K movies, fast and uninterrupted online gaming plus support to connect the other devices in your home like smartphones, tablets, laptops, smart TVs, set-top-boxes, PVRs and gaming consoles.

Recently it was revealed that 70 per cent of internet traffic in the US was streaming video and audio content – up from just 30 per cent five years ago.

Australia is following suit with subscription video on demand services such as Netflix already being viewed by more than five million people in 1.9 million households.

“With the rollout of the National Broadband Network and the rise of bandwidth intensive activities, such as 4K streaming and online gaming, the importance of an efficient and optimised Wi-Fi network is more critical than ever,” said Greg Morrison, Linksys Business Manager for Australia and New Zealand.

“The Max-Stream family of products provides the broadest array of MU-MIMO capable and enabled products in the marketplace.

“MU-MIMO enables multiple devices to communicate with the router and/or range extender simultaneously, so the result is a faster and more reliable Wi-Fi.”

LINKSYS MAX-STREAM AC5400 TRI-BAND WI-FI ROUTER (EA9500) – $549.95

The Linksys EA9500 is a beast of a router with next generation AC wi-fi technology, tri-band (one 2.4Ghz band and two 5Ghz bands), MU-MIMO and eight external antennas that all work together to deliver wi-fi at combined speeds of up to 5.3Gbps.

The EA9500 has got your entire home covered so you can connect to the internet wirelessly on mobile devices and smart TVs to stream content and browse the internet.

It is capable of providing up to eight MU-MIMO simultaneous streams for uninterrupted streaming.

There are also nine Gigabit Ethernet ports (eight LAN and one WAN) along with USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports to connect external hard drives and printers which can then be accessed across the entire network and remotely.

The Linksys Smart Wi-Fi app provides remote access to your network and complete control so you know who’s connected and how much data is being used.

The app can also send you a notification if the Linksys router loses its connection to the internet and troubleshoot the problem and, if necessary, connect you to customer support.

The EA9500 also comes with a three-year warranty and three years of tech support.

Here is the full list of features:

– 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

– Room-to-Room Wi-Fi with Seamless Roaming Technology

– 9 Gigabit Ethernet ports (8 LAN, 1 WAN) and USB 3.0, 2.0 ports

– 8 external antennas for maximum coverage

– First router capable of supporting up to 8 simultaneous MU-MIMO Streams

– WPA2 encryption and SPI firewall help keep your network safely connected

– Linksys Smart Wi-Fi app for simple set up, remote access, control and troubleshooting

LINKSYS MAX-STREAM AC1900+ MU-MIMO WI-FI RANGE EXTENDER (RE7000) – $199.95

The RE7000 is the first range extender that comes with MU-MIMO and seamless roaming which brings enterprise level wi-fi to the home and allows users to move room to room without losing their connection.

When connected to a Linksys router to extend the reach of your network, the dual band range extender keeps the same SSID (network name) so you can move around your home without having to manually connect to the range extender.

One of the problems with a range extender is knowing the right place to position it in your home.

Linksys has addressed this with the Spot Finder app to find the optimal location for peak performance.

Additional features include:

– Dual Band Wireless AC1900 – AC1733 + N300

– Room-To-Room Wi-Fi with Seamless Roaming

– The Latest Wi-Fi Standard – 802.11ac Wave 2 includes MU-MIMO

– Crossband Technology

– Multi-Mode – Repeater, Access Point

– One Gigabit Ethernet Port

LINKSYS MAX-STREAM AC600 USB MU-MIMO ADAPTOR (WUSB6100M) – $59.95

This USB adaptor can be connected to a Windows PC to give it the ability to connect to the faster 802.11ac network and enjoy the benefits of MU-MIMO technology to stream and enjoy content on your network.

So if you do have an older laptop, you can still stay up to speed with the latest wi-fi by connecting this USB adaptor into a spare port.

Here are some additional features

– AC Wave 2 – MU-MIMO (AC433/N150)

– Beamforming for more reliable connections

– Simple plug and play setup

– Works with Any Wi-Fi Router; Optimised with Linksys Max-Stream solutions.

The Linksys AC5400 Tri-Band MU-MIMO Router (EA9500), AC1900 MU-MIMO Range Extender with Room to Room Wi-Fi (RE7000) and AC600 MU-MIMO USB Adapter (WUSB6100M) are available now from leading stores and online retailers.