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Linksys WRT600N Dual-Band Wi-Fi Router
Posted 03/07/08 at 07:58:43 PM | by Michael Brown
The Linksys WRT600N is the first 802.11n draft 2.0 router we’ve tested that can operate on both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency bands simultaneously. It’s also the most expensive Wi-Fi router we’ve ever tested.
We tested the router at its default settings: The 5GHz radio operating in 802.11n-only mode and the 2.4GHz radio operating in mixed 802.11b/g/n mode. (Both radios have access to the same integrated four-port gigabit switch.) We used the latter for data and the former for streaming media to Linksys’s DMA2200 (reviewed below). The router delivered impressive results, especially while simultaneously transferring data and streaming HD video.
In fact, the WRT600N bested our previous favorite (D-Link’s DIR-655) by a whopping 43 percent at close range (see chart). The chasm widened to a staggering 170 percent when the client was placed at its furthest point from the router inside the home, but the gap narrowed to just 5 percent when we compared performance inside the well-insulated media room at Maximum PC Lab North. D-Link’s product beat Linksys’s when the client was outside the house.
The dual-band feature really came to the fore when we streamed 1080p video clips over the wireless network: The DIR-655’s data throughput dropped by nearly half in some situations; the WRT600N’s was unaffected.
Not everyone needs a router that can handle conventional traffic, VoIP, and high-definition media all at the same time. If you do, or if your neighborhood is simply jam-packed with competing access points, Linksys’s WRT600N should be at the top of your router shopping list.
Linksys’s Storage Link feature allows you to plug any USB storage device into the WRT600N and operate it as an inexpensive NAS device.
Linksys WRT600N
www.linksys.com
www.linksys.com
Delicious
Dual-band blows all other routers we've tested out of the water; Storage Link give ad-hoc NAS functionality.
Malicious
Expensive.
| Benchmarks | ||||||
| Linksys WRT600N (Data Only) |
D-Link Dir-655 (Data Only) |
Linksys WRT600N (Data & Media) |
D-Link Dir-655 (Data & Media) |
|||
| Home Office, 5 feet (Mb/s) | 129.0 | 90.5 | 124.0 | 50.1 | ||
| Kitchen, 20 feet (Mb/s) | 117.0 |
67.4 | 95.2 | 45.3 | ||
| Patio, 38 feet (Mb/s) | 114.0 |
59.6 | 98.2 | 46.0 | ||
| Bedroom, 60 feet (Mb/s) | 78.1 | 28.9 | 70.7 | 23.6 | ||
| Media Room, 35 feet (Mb/s) | 28.8 | 27.3 | 36.0 |
12.0 | ||
| Outdoors A, 90 feet (Mb/s) | 2.1 | 8.4 | 1.4 | 4.6 | ||
| Outdoors B, 85 feet (Mb/s) | 1.1 | 2.5 | 0.9 | 2.0 | ||
Best scores in each scenario (streaming data only and then streaming data and media) are bolded. See here for detailed test criteria.
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Trust but verify
Submitted by t3e871 on Mon, 2008-08-04 13:00
OK, I was a bit harsh on my last review. Now that I have a working unit in use in my house and I have been able to fully test it out, I'd like to add some thoughts. The router is actually really fast - and I haven't even tried the "N" band. I still don't like the fact that most of my cat5 cables will not fully seat in the ports. Also the firmware is still buggy. I have not been able to get the storage link to work on either of my routers. I think with a firmware update this might actually be a good router.
Submitted by blueaball on Fri, 2008-03-14 09:30
what about an adapter that attaches via USB?
Submitted by blueaball on Fri, 2008-03-14 09:26
the one that you said is for laptops, but what about ones that connect with a USB port?
Anyone else use this router
Submitted by Chumly on Wed, 2008-03-12 22:27
Anyone else use this router and not get near the performance they did at the same distances? And I'm not talking lead popcorn ceilings and dense walls. I mean straight shot throughput.
With all firmware versions, the throughput on this one drops very linearly the further you get from it. Can't get past 109MB/s at 5ft even with bonded channels and 90MB/s seperate (Up/Down) on 2.4Ghz...and worse for 5ghz.
Do you test throughput with any security enabled, or just open? This thing drops about 65% w/ WPA-TKIP and Wep-128! WPA2 wasn't nearly as bad and just hit it at about 10% difference on or off. I could see getting the listed throughput with an open router, but you don't run open routers.
I tell ya, this thing's getting handed off very soon and putting the D-link DGL-4500 back in it's place.
Submitted by blueaball on Tue, 2008-03-11 09:44
well, it's good and all that you mention the router, but what about the adapters?!? you don't mention those, and it would be great.
Wi-Fi Adapters
Submitted by MrMick on Wed, 2008-03-12 09:11
We use each manufacturer's companion adapter in our tests. When I tested the dual-band Linksys WRT600N, I benchmarked it using the dual-band Linksys WPC600N adapter.
Submitted by t3e871 on Fri, 2008-08-01 13:25
The first one crapped out after 1 month, ethernet port went out....linksys replaced withing a week or so with a remanned one, after 1+ hours of tech support, broken english, getting to the bottom of the problem that I told them in the first 2 minutes of the call. Firmware is buggy, for example...no way in hell to see the attached devices on your network. Hot as fire! comes close to burning your hand when in operation. Beware if you make your own cat 5 cables...all my factory crimped cable snap into place fine, but three different DIY cat5 ends won't snap into place...not three single ones, I'm talking about NONE of my cables made with three different style of cat5 ends. Range is nothing to brag about, my old netgear g was way stronger. I might try to use that open source firmware in this months mag on this POS and see if I can make it usable.
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