Linksys has announced the “next generation” of its WRT line of routers. The snappily named Linksys AC3200 WRT Gigabit MU-MIMO Wi-Fi Router is being billed as the fastest dual-band router available, and it’s packed with compelling features and customization options.
“We just made the WRT even more powerful, and equipped it with even more features as well as kept true to our word with open source support,” said Vince La Duca, product manager for Linksys.
“Linksys WRT is all about making the best router in its class by using all enterprise-grade components and materials while delivering the fastest wireless experience.”
The WRT3200ACM supports MU-MIMO, a networking technology that improves the overall performance of the router, as well as providing dedicated bandwidth to compatible devices. Linksys claims that this means that everyone on the network can feasibly stream 4K video at once, as if they were connected to their own dedicated routers.
The majority of today’s routers have a maximum channel width of 80MHz, whereas the WRT3200ACM doubles that. The practical purpose of this 160MHz channel width is the ability to drive more data; using its three streams, the router is apparently able to achieve speeds of up to 2.6Gbps.
The WRT3200ACM is also open source-ready, meaning that users can customize the device to tailor it to particular applications. The router can be set up to access TOR networks, administrators can use it to create a web server, gamers can optimize settings for low latency, and businesses can create a Wi-Fi hot spot for their customers.
The router is available now via the Linksys web store and Amazon, and is set to appear in retail locations over the course of the coming week. The device is priced at $280.
