Linksys EA7300 Router Review – [Features, Pros & Cons]

May The Internet Be With You

In today’s world, where reliance on the internet for work, pleasure, and education has become ubiquitous, having a fast Wi-Fi router is an absolute necessity, which is why we thought a deeper look at the Linksys EA7300 would be timely and useful. Regardless of the Wi-Fi speeds your router promises on the side of the box, with so many devices connected to the network at the same time, having a good network connection can be a challenge, which is why the market is now teeming with high-bandwidth routers. The problem is, you can’t usually buy one of these without spending a fortune.

Enter the Linksys EA 7300, an extremely fast router that marries many features of high-end Wi-Fi routers with a small price tag to give you a combination that is loved by budget-conscious consumers. You can connect everything from 4k TVs and tablets to streaming media players and more at the same time. The EA7300 will ensure that each of your devices gets the maximum bandwidth as per its specs.

Read on as we review the Linksys EA7300 in great detail. We hope that it will help you decide if it is the right Wi-Fi router for your needs.

Important Side Note about the Linksys EA7300

If you just want a quick, concise breakdown about whether or not this is the right router for you, what it does well, and how it stacks up against the competition (or if you just hate reading), then feel free to skip to the Conclusion at the very end of the article. But if you’re a data junkie (like us) and love diving into technical minutiae, then read on, you won’t be disappointed!

And If you’d like to learn more about other brands and types of routers, you might also find the following articles helpful:

Top 8 AC3200 Wireless Routers of 2020

Fios G1100 Wireless Router Review

Or just click the button below if you just want to see the actual listing (along with the prices and specs of all the other Linksys EA-type routers) and make up your own mind:

Important Specs and Features

Next-generation Wi-Fi connection to multiple devices

Top Wi-Fi speeds of up to 1.7 Gbps
MU-MIMO technology for dedicated bandwidth to each device
Beam-forming technology for maximum signal strength directed to devices

Remote access from the Wi-Fi Smart mobile app
Backed by a one-year manufacturer’s warranty

Is The Linksys EA7300 The Best Budget Wi-Fi Router?

If you want a fast Wi-Fi router, then you can find many top models in the market but not without burning a hole in your pocket. Cheap routers may seem like they saved you money but may stop working just after a few uses or give you more trouble instead of helping you.

That is why you need the Linksys EA7300, which is a budget-friendly Wi-Fi router that packs a number of features to give you the best of both worlds. Below we look into each function in great detail to help you decide if this is the right one for you.

Dual-Band

The modern-day routers use two and three bands to split the bandwidth and provide the best speed for the various tasks.

BTW, if at any point you want to see all the Linksys EA router types (and compare their speeds and prices), it might help you visualize most of the advantages of the 7300 model that we cover in this review.

The EA7300 is a dual-band Wi-Fi router that gives you top Wi-Fi speeds of up to 1700 Mbps. The 2.4 GHz band is used for casual tasks such as browsing the internet, emails, and chat. There is also a 5GHz band that gives you top speeds for functions that require more bandwidth, such as streaming videos, playing video games, and more.

You can easily connect up to 10 different devices with the AC7300. So even if multiple devices are connected to your router at the same time, you can enjoy interruption-free and lag-free connectivity.

MU-MIMO Technology (Multi-User Multi Input Multi Output)

An essential feature of this Wi-Fi router is MU-MIMO technology. What this does is split the bandwidth according to the devices used so that that best possible bandwidth is given to each of the devices.

To understand this in simple terms, the MU-MIMO technology distributes the bandwidth to create different Wi-Fi networks for different devices. So even if one device uses a large bandwidth, it will not affect another device that requires only a small bandwidth.

So everyone in the family can use their favorite devices at the same time without pouncing on each other to shut down their device because it ate into your bandwidth.

Beam-Forming Technology

Every feature on the EA7300 is geared towards optimizing Wi-Fi speed and strength. Beam-forming technology is an extremely important part of the router’s functionality that helps in creating strong Wi-Fi signals.

Unlike traditional routers, however, that aimlessly blast signals in every direction, the Beam-forming technology lets your router form beams that focus its signal only where there are connected devices.

The result is a superior, lightning-fast Wi-Fi connection with fewer interruptions due to interference.

Wireless

The router uses the latest 802.11ac wireless internet protocol for high-speed Wi-Fi connectivity. What this does is automatically choose the right bandwidth according to the Wi-Fi device being used.

Don’t worry if your devices support only older versions such as the 802.11a/b/g/n. This router is backward compatible with all the older internet protocol versions too. But if you want nothing but only the best Wi-Fi speed then your device should use the 802.11ac internet protocol.

Range

The EA7300 has a good Wi-Fi range that will cover a small household. So you can experience only the best Wi-Fi speed no matter which part of your house you are in. The improved Wi-Fi range is made possible by the three powerful external antennas that ensure that there is a good signal strength even in hard to reach areas. You can do everything from streaming high-definition videos to play video games to send emails and more without worrying about poor signal strength.

But if you want more coverage, then you could also go in for a range extender such as the RE7000. These pair with your router and extend the Wi-Fi coverage to a much wider area. These also give you the convenience of seamless roaming through where your device is automatically switched to the best Wi-Fi signal. This is a great feature as traditional routers require you to manually select the Wi-Fi network.

Processor

A dual-core processor is at the heart of this Wi-Fi router. This powerful processor ensures that multiple data streams are handled efficiently for a great Wi-Fi experience and super-fast speeds to all devices.

Fastest AC1750 Wi-Fi Router

The Linksys EA7300 is an AC1750 Wi-Fi router. But since it uses the MI-MO technology it is at least 4.4 times faster than other AC1750 routers letting you enjoy super-fast speeds.

Connectivity

The Linksys EA7300 also comes with a USB 3.0 port and a Gigabit Ethernet port. So in addition to connecting more devices to your network, you can also enjoy the reliable speeds of a wired connection. These are perfect for permanently connecting to a game console or even to a storage device such as a hard drive for automatic back up of all your important media such as photos and videos.

Mobile App

Linksys EA7300 Wireless Router Review — Source: steemit.com

Gone are the days when you needed a PC or a laptop to control and set-up your Wi-Fi router. The EA7300 works with a free Linksys Smart Wi-Fi app that lets you access and controls your Wi-Fi network from wherever you are.

Simply download the free app on your mobile and enjoy remote access to your router. There is also a host of other settings that you can manage using this remote app. It will let you see all the important network information at a glance. You can see how many devices are connected to your network, the type of device, their IP addresses, and even their connection statuses.

You can create a separate password-protected network for your guests. With this feature, you can add up to 50 guests. When you have kids around, restricting their internet usage is good for their own safety. You can set up parental controls so that they are not exposed to any explicit content.

You can even restrict devices that your kids use or control their usage. What’s even better, you can prioritize devices so that maximum bandwidth is available to the most important device for a great Wi-Fi experience.

Easy Set-Up

Unlike older types of routers that take you through a lengthy set-up using a CD, this router lets you set your Wi-Fi router in minutes. There is no CD with the installation software for starters.

Simply connect your Wi-Fi router to a power source, download the free Smart Wi-Fi app, and start using the router in no time. All settings of your router can be managed from your mobile using this single app giving you a hassle-free set-up.

You can also use the Ethernet port to connect your router and go through the step-by-step browser set-up to set up the network name and a password.

OS Compatibility

The Linksys EA7300 is compatible with certified operating systems such as the Mac OS, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10.

Looks

The design of the router falls somewhere in between the older boring designs and the more advanced sci-fi inspired designs. It is a sleek device that will blend into any space and give a more organized look to the place around it.

Safety

Don’t worry about the safety of your network connection as the router uses up to 128-bit wireless encryption for added security.

Linksys EA7300: The Good & Bad

Pros

Fast Wi-Fi speeds and uninterrupted performance
3 powerful and adjustable antennas for good Wi-Fi range

Easy set-up using a remote app or step-by-step browser set-up
Ability to connect up to 10 devices at a time
Dedicated network to each device as per their bandwidth requirement

Cons

The size of the router is slightly larger, making it more difficult to maintain a discrete set up in smaller spaces
While we believe it offers great value, in terms of absolute performance it is not ranked near the top

Conclusion

As we’ve discussed in this review, it’s a great product that maintains speed, uninterrupted connectivity, and focused beam technology for an extremely reasonable price. Due to its ability to match the bandwidth requirements of different devices, its ideal for households where multiple devices are connected to the network and require different bandwidths. Furthermore, it router has great reviews from customers who describe it as a good mix of price, performance and looks.

Are there better routers out there? Absolutely, but you’re going to pay for them. For example, if you wanted to stay within the Linksys family of routers but increase the maximum number of connected devices from 10 to 15, and the Wi-Fi Speed from 1.7GBs to 2.2 (roughly a 30-50% increase in performance), then you would need to upgrade to the Linksys EA 8300, which costs exactly DOUBLE. So you do the math, 40% increase in performance…100% increase in price.

Though better routers can be found, we maintain that the Linksys EA7300 is the best value for the money, with performance metrics that will more than satisfy the needs and expectations of the vast majority of consumers.

Resources

http://computer.howstuffworks.com/router.htm

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-does-ac3000-means-ac5300-ac1750-router-charles-guo

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