Choosing between the Linksys WRT1900AC vs WRT1900ACS dual-band wireless routers is not easy. Linksys has a long history of making fast and reliable Wi-Fi routers with unique designs meant for home use.
A Linksys router is ideal for most users due to an attractive design and open-source router firmware. Technical users appreciate the ability to customize the router firmware to suit their own needs.
Contents
We compare the Linksys WRT1900AC vs Linksys WRT1900ACS
| Model | Linksys WRT1900AC Dual-Band Adapter |
Linksys WRT1900ACS Dual-Band Adapter |
| Maximum Speed | 1900 Mbps | 1900 Mbps |
| RAM | 256Mb | 512Mb |
| Processor | 1.2 GHz Dual-Core | 1.6 GHz Dual-Core |
| WLAN Mode | 802.11a, b, g, n, ac | 802.11a, b, g, n, ac |
| Ports | 4 x 10/100/1000 Mbps | 4 x 10/100/1000 Mbps |
The two Linksys dual-band routers have similar speeds. The main difference between the Linksys WRT1900AC and WRT1900ACS is the hardware. The WRT1900ACS has more powerful hardware.
The WRT1900ACS has 512 MB RAM compared to the 256 RAM of the WRT1900AC. The clock speed of the WRT1900ACS is also higher at 1.6 GHz, which means the router can operate faster. It translates to faster performance of network processes.
The routers operate at two frequencies, 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. Dual-band routers have more scope (using different frequencies) to reduce interruptions on the network.
Both routers have USB 3.0 ports as well as 4 LAN ports. One of the advantages of the USB 3.0 port is that you can create shared drives for all users by adding NAS or external drives. If you want to share media with your family, this is a nice feature.
Beamforming technology is standard in both routers. It is a technology that keeps track of your wireless devices and connects them to the network. The result is that you have a strong connection throughout your home or workplace. And this is the one thing we all want from our network.
These routers are Open-Source-Ready, which means IT professionals and more technical users will find them useful. You have the choice of the firmware you wish to use. The Linksys WRT1900AC and WRT1900ACS have the Linksys Smart Wi-Fi menu. This is simple for most users but gives power to the user who wants to play with it.
The Linksys WRT1900ACS is a more modern router than the Linksys WRT1900AC. So it does have more updated features and specifications.
Individual Reviews
1. Linksys WRT1900AC Dual-Band Wi-Fi Router Review
The Linksys WRT1900AC is an excellent dual-band router that’s swift and reliable. In terms of proper network management, this router is unique because only a handful of routers will give you the range and the coverage in your home or workspace.
Its Smart Wi-Fi Account Controls gives you control via the mobile app to manage parental restrictions, prioritize traffic, and take care of the network away from home. Also, you can customize all its settings.
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The Linksys WRT1900AC Dual-Band Wi-Fi Router is an ideal Wi-Fi router for everyday use. This router is the right choice for 4K media streaming or online multiplayer games. It’s comparatively high price prevents widespread use since there are less expensive alternatives available.
The Linksys WRT1900AC speed would suit households that are active online. The powerful 1.2 GHz dual-core processor gives your network fast Wi-Fi. Speeds up to 1.9Gbps are possible. These speeds don’t decrease even if you are playing online games and streaming movies on your network.
Not only is the Linksys WRT1900AC one of the fastest Wi-Fi routers available, it also has a great range. You can reach theoretical speeds of 1.3Gbps on the 5 GHz band and 600 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz.
The Linksys WRT1900AC first introduced a router with four adjustable antennas and dual-range Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz). This router makes transfer speeds of 1.3 Gbps possible, as well as eliminating dead zones. The Linksys WRT1900AC range is excellent. The high-powered amplifier gives strong signal strength as well as impressive coverage.
You do not need to struggle with dead spots, especially if you live in a many-story house. The WRT1900AC will let you stream videos, play online games, or surf the Internet, all at the same time. This is because of its reliable dual-core processor, adjustable antennas, and powerful processor. The router has four Gigabit Ethernet Ports. These enable you to connect to your wired devices at speeds more than ten times faster than Fast Ethernet.
You also have a USB 3.0 port or an eSATA/ USB 2.0 port to transfer files to external devices. The WRT1900AC will give you a trouble-free connected life thanks to its reliable dual-core processor, adjustable antennas, and powerful processor.
2. Linksys WRT1900ACS Dual-Band Wi-Fi Router Review
An excellent router for those with fast home Internet
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The Linksys WRT1900ACS specs show why this is one of the best routers on the market today. The router has a 1.6 GHz dual-core processor that gives more than enough speed for active online users. The processor also enables uninterrupted multitasking on your network.
The WRT1900ACS dual-band promises you strong Wi-Fi signals and data transfer rates of up to a maximum of 1.9Gbps. The four powerful adjustable antennas help give focused speed and range. The WRT1900ACS is faster than the WRT1900AC on the 5GHz band. At close range (15 feet or about 4.5 meters), the router averaged 536Mbps, topping the charts of AC1900 routers.
With an increased distance of 100 feet (about 30.5 meters), it averaged 349Mbps. At this speed, you can transfer a CD of data (700MB) in 10 to 20 seconds. By contrast, the WRT1900AC scored 523Mbps and 341Mbps for short and long-range.
The Linksys WRT1900ACS dual-band can theoretically receive 600 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band and 1.3 Gbps on the 5GHz band. Whether you receive those high speeds depends upon your ISP plan. In independent tests, it delivered a total of 500Mbps over both bands. That is impressive enough, but even at a distance of 120 feet, the speeds are right on the 2.4GHZ band, working at 21 Mbps.
The WRT1900ACS features four adjustable antennas and offers dual-band Wi-Fi coverage. Its router reduces dead zones and offers high transfer speeds, while the high-powered amplifier gives off a strong signal and a more wide coverage area. This means many users can stream videos, transfer files, or game online from various devices.
The WRT1900ACS lets you decide on the bandwidth allocation to various devices in your network. The parental control feature prevents undesirable content from reaching your network users. Creating special access accounts for network guests protects your network from unauthorized access.
You can use either the USB 3.0 port or an eSATA/USB 2.0 port to transfer files to external devices. The WRT1900ACS’ USB and eSATA ports can host external storage devices of any capacity. It also supports all popular file systems, including NTFS, HFS+ and FAT32.
Difference between Linksys WRT1900AC vs Linksys WRT1900ACS
The main difference between WRT900ACS and WRT1900AC is, Linksys WRT1900ACS is faster and shows excellent network storage performance, while WRT1900AC is more affordable.
– Speed
The Linksys WRT1900ACS is faster than even the most immediate residential broadband connection. If you want the fastest Internet speed, this router will help you have the best online experience. Residential broadband connections will be significantly slower than the 5GHz band. The swiftness of the router on the 2.4GHz band is still faster than most residential broadband connections. This means that the WRT1900ACS is a great router for those with a fast Internet connection even on this band.
The Linksys WRT1900AC is slower than the WRT1900ACS because of less powerful hardware.
• Winner: Linksys WRT1900ACS
– Range
The Linksys WRT1900ACS range is about the same as the Linksys WRT1900AC range—around 300 feet (nearly 91.5 meters). The router passed a stress test with flying colors. This test was set to transfer a large amount of data back and forth between multiple Wi-Fi clients on both bands. It did that for four days in a row without disconnection once.
• Winner: Tie: Linksys WRT1900ACS and Linksys WRT1900AC
– Network Storage Speed
The WRT1900AC router’s network storage performance (when hosting an external hard drive) is excellent. Current tests with the WRT1900ACS showed a big improvement over the older router.
The test uses an external hard drive connected to the WRT1900ACS USB 3.0 port via a Gigabit connection. It registered the sustained write speed of 97 megabytes per second with the sustained speed of 108MBps. These results are better than those of some dedicated NAS servers.
• Winner: Linksys WRT1900ACS
– Value
Both the Linksys WRT1900ACS and Linksys WRT1900AC are expensive. The Linksys WRT1900ACS is the most costly, but it also has the more powerful hardware. If you want performance and features, then the WRT1900ACS is worth paying a little more.
If you cannot afford to pay more, the WRT1900AC is a good router, and it does have almost all the same features as the WRT1900ACS.
• Winner: Linksys WRT1900ACS
Conclusion
Linksys WRT1900ACS is better than Linksys WRT1900AC because it has a stronger processor and a larger RAM. This means that Linksys WRT1900ACS will offer you better connections than the Linksys WRT1900AC. You will have faster Wi-Fi even when you have connected many devices on your network.
The WRT1900ACS replaces its predecessor, the WRT1900AC, as Linksys’ best router to date. It’s one of the best routers for Wi-Fi speed, range, signal stability and network storage performance.
It’s also among the most expensive routers on the market.
If you have a fast broadband connection with a download speed of at least 50Mbps, the WRT1900ACS will make for a great buy. Its long-range and fast Wi-Fi speed will deliver the Internet to places that other routers might struggle to reach.
If you have a slow Internet connection, an expensive router won’t improve your online experience. In this case, an older router will get the job done at a much lower price.
