Designed for large homes that require lots of bandwidth for video streaming and online gaming, the Linksys Max-Stream EA9300 ($299.99) utilizes three radio bands to combat congestion on your home Wi-Fi network.
It supports all of the latest 802.11ac technologies, including band-steering and beamforming, and it can handle Alexa voice commands.
It's easy to install and manage using the Linksys web console or mobile app, and it's a solid performer.
If you're willing to spend $300 on a router, dropping $100 more on our Editors' Choice, the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AC5300, gets you the fastest performance we've seen and all the features you'll ever need to support your gaming and streaming habits.
Choose Your Band
The EA9300 shares the same black textured design as the Linksys EA9500 that we reviewed back in 2016, but at 2.5 by 9.0 by 11.6 inches, it's not quite as big.
It has six nonremovable adjustable antennas and the top holds a small panel with an illuminated Linksys logo, a WPS (Wi-Fi protected setup) activity LED, and LED indicators that light up when there are internet and LAN cable connection issues.
Around back are four gigabit LAN ports, a WAN port, two USB 3.0 ports, a reset button, a power jack, and a power switch.
A WPS button is located on the right side of the router.
The EA9300 is an AC4000 tri-band router capable of maximum data rates of 750Mbps on the 2.4GHz band and 1,625Mbps on each of the two 5GHz bands.
It's an 802.11ac Wave 2 device which supports MU-MIMO (simultaneous) data streaming, direct-to-client signal transmissions (beamforming), and Smart Connect (band-steering) technology in which the router chooses the best radio band to use based on things like network traffic and available bandwidth.
This router also supports seamless roaming when paired with a Linksys Max-Stream range extender.
It is powered by a 1.8GHz quad-core CPU, 512MB of RAM, and 256MB of flash memory.
You can manage the router using a web-based console or with the same Linksys iOS or Android mobile app used to manage the Velop series of mesh Wi-Fi systems.
The app has most of the same functionality as the web console, but you get more granular control with the console.
For example, you can set application prioritization and limit downstream bandwidth with the web console, but not with the app.
Additionally, the web console offers a few advanced options that you don't get with the app including VLAN, Wireless Scheduling, Airtime Fairness settings, and Speed Test, which lets you measure your router's internet upload and download speeds.
The mobile app opens to a Dashboard screen that displays the name of the network, internet connectivity status, and the number of connected devices.
It also shows the names (SSIDs) of each radio band on the primary and guest networks.
Tap any band to grant access to users via email or text messaging.
The message contains the SSID and password for that particular band.
To display a list of connected clients, tap Devices, and then tap any device name to apply parental controls or to give the device bandwidth prioritization.
Parental Controls are limited.
You can block websites and create schedules to limit access to the internet, but you don't get the age-appropriate filters that you get with the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AC5300 and the Netgear NightHawk X6S AC4000 (R8000P), nor do you get the built-in malware protection that comes with the Asus Rapture router.
However, theEA9300 does support Alexa voice commands that allow you to do things like enable guest networking and adjust certain Wi-Fi settings with spoken commands.
To access router settings, tap the three bars in the upper left corner of the Dashboard screen.
Here you can edit SSIDs and passwords, configure security type (WPA/WPA2 Mixed Enterprise, WPA/WPA2 Mixed Personal, WPA2 Enterprise, WPA2 Personal, WEP), configure channel andchannel width settings, and enable/disable Band-Steering.
Advanced settings let you configure Port Forwarding and Port Triggering, set up MAC filters, and configure DHCP and DNS settings.
Use the Administration settings to upgrade firmware, set a time zone, view the router IP address, and restart the router.
Keeping Up With the Competition
Installing the EA9300 is fast and easy.
I started by downloading the mobile app and creating an account.
After plugging in the router, I tapped Launch Setup and selected All Other Routers from the list and followed the in-app instructions to connect to the router using my phone's Wi-Fi settings with the SSID and password found on the base of the router.
I then tapped Find My Router and was instantly directed to the EA9300 Setup screen.
I tapped Continue and was prompted to personalize my network by creating names for each band (you can elect to use one name for all three bands if you are using Smart Connect) and entering a new password.
I created an administrative password for accessing the router's settings console, and the installation was complete.
See How We Test Wireless Routers
The EA9300 turned in solid results on our throughput performance tests.
Its score of 95Mbps on the 2.4GHz close-proximity (same-room) test was identical to that of the Netgear NightHawk X6S R8000P, but not quite as fast as the TP-Link Archer C5400X (113Mbps).
The Asus Rapture GT-AC5300 led with a score of 128Mbps.
On the 30-foot test, the EA9300's score of 69Mbps was a bit slower than the competition, but not by much.
On our 5GHz close-proximity test, the EA9300 scored 485Mbps, besting the Netgear NightHawk X6S by 23Mbps, but trailing the Archer C5400X by about 100Mbps.
The Rapture GT-AC5300 recorded 601Mbps, the fastest score we've seen to date from any router.
At a distance of 30 feet, the EA9300's 305Mbps was nearly identical to the TP-Link Archer C5400X (306Mbps) and 35Mbps faster than the Netgear NightHawk X6S.
The Asus Rapture GT-AC5300 led with a score of 330Mbps.
The EA9300 performed wonderfully on our file-transfer tests in which we use a USB 3.0 hard drive and a 1.5GB folder containing a mix of photo, video, music, and document files to measure read and write speeds.
Its write score of 78MBps is the fastest we've seen to date, squeaking past the Netgear NightHawk X10 R9000 (77MBps).
The TP-Link Archer C5400X and the Asus Rapture GT-AC5300 delivered write speeds of 35MBps and 39MBps, respectively.
The EA9300's read score of 80MBps was also outstanding, but fell a bit short of the Netgear NightHawk X10 (89MBps).
Still, it was significantly faster than the TP-Link Archer C5400X (40MBps) and the Asus Rapture GT-AC5300 (42MBps).
Three Bands, But Not the Best
The Linksys Max-Stream EA9300 is a solid choice for busy home networks that require a third radio band to handle tasks like video streaming, online gaming, and torrent downloads.
It's not the fastest router out there, and it's pricey considering its modest feature set, but it delivers relatively good throughput and file-transfer speeds.
However, you don't get any malware protection and parental controls are limited to site-blocking and access-scheduling.
For more robust parental controls, built-in protection against viruses and other malicious threats, and the fastest 5GHz throughput performance we've seen, consider the Editors' Choice Asus ROG Rapture GT-AC5300.
It'll cost about $100 more than the EA9300, but it is loaded with I/O ports and gamer-friendly management settings.
Or if you're willing to sacrifice some features, the Asus RT-AC86U is also a solid option at $199.
The Linksys Max-Stream EA9300 is a solid-performing tri-band router for high-bandwidth scenarios like video streaming and online gaming.
Designed for large homes that require lots of bandwidth for video streaming and online gaming, the Linksys Max-Stream EA9300 ($299.99) utilizes three radio bands to combat congestion on your home Wi-Fi network.
It supports all of the latest 802.11ac technologies, including band-steering and beamforming, and it can handle Alexa voice commands.
It's easy to install and manage using the Linksys web console or mobile app, and it's a solid performer.
If you're willing to spend $300 on a router, dropping $100 more on our Editors' Choice, the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AC5300, gets you the fastest performance we've seen and all the features you'll ever need to support your gaming and streaming habits.
Choose Your Band
The EA9300 shares the same black textured design as the Linksys EA9500 that we reviewed back in 2016, but at 2.5 by 9.0 by 11.6 inches, it's not quite as big.
It has six nonremovable adjustable antennas and the top holds a small panel with an illuminated Linksys logo, a WPS (Wi-Fi protected setup) activity LED, and LED indicators that light up when there are internet and LAN cable connection issues.
Around back are four gigabit LAN ports, a WAN port, two USB 3.0 ports, a reset button, a power jack, and a power switch.
A WPS button is located on the right side of the router.
The EA9300 is an AC4000 tri-band router capable of maximum data rates of 750Mbps on the 2.4GHz band and 1,625Mbps on each of the two 5GHz bands.
It's an 802.11ac Wave 2 device which supports MU-MIMO (simultaneous) data streaming, direct-to-client signal transmissions (beamforming), and Smart Connect (band-steering) technology in which the router chooses the best radio band to use based on things like network traffic and available bandwidth.
This router also supports seamless roaming when paired with a Linksys Max-Stream range extender.
It is powered by a 1.8GHz quad-core CPU, 512MB of RAM, and 256MB of flash memory.
You can manage the router using a web-based console or with the same Linksys iOS or Android mobile app used to manage the Velop series of mesh Wi-Fi systems.
The app has most of the same functionality as the web console, but you get more granular control with the console.
For example, you can set application prioritization and limit downstream bandwidth with the web console, but not with the app.
Additionally, the web console offers a few advanced options that you don't get with the app including VLAN, Wireless Scheduling, Airtime Fairness settings, and Speed Test, which lets you measure your router's internet upload and download speeds.
The mobile app opens to a Dashboard screen that displays the name of the network, internet connectivity status, and the number of connected devices.
It also shows the names (SSIDs) of each radio band on the primary and guest networks.
Tap any band to grant access to users via email or text messaging.
The message contains the SSID and password for that particular band.
To display a list of connected clients, tap Devices, and then tap any device name to apply parental controls or to give the device bandwidth prioritization.
Parental Controls are limited.
You can block websites and create schedules to limit access to the internet, but you don't get the age-appropriate filters that you get with the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AC5300 and the Netgear NightHawk X6S AC4000 (R8000P), nor do you get the built-in malware protection that comes with the Asus Rapture router.
However, theEA9300 does support Alexa voice commands that allow you to do things like enable guest networking and adjust certain Wi-Fi settings with spoken commands.
To access router settings, tap the three bars in the upper left corner of the Dashboard screen.
Here you can edit SSIDs and passwords, configure security type (WPA/WPA2 Mixed Enterprise, WPA/WPA2 Mixed Personal, WPA2 Enterprise, WPA2 Personal, WEP), configure channel andchannel width settings, and enable/disable Band-Steering.
Advanced settings let you configure Port Forwarding and Port Triggering, set up MAC filters, and configure DHCP and DNS settings.
Use the Administration settings to upgrade firmware, set a time zone, view the router IP address, and restart the router.
Keeping Up With the Competition
Installing the EA9300 is fast and easy.
I started by downloading the mobile app and creating an account.
After plugging in the router, I tapped Launch Setup and selected All Other Routers from the list and followed the in-app instructions to connect to the router using my phone's Wi-Fi settings with the SSID and password found on the base of the router.
I then tapped Find My Router and was instantly directed to the EA9300 Setup screen.
I tapped Continue and was prompted to personalize my network by creating names for each band (you can elect to use one name for all three bands if you are using Smart Connect) and entering a new password.
I created an administrative password for accessing the router's settings console, and the installation was complete.
See How We Test Wireless Routers
The EA9300 turned in solid results on our throughput performance tests.
Its score of 95Mbps on the 2.4GHz close-proximity (same-room) test was identical to that of the Netgear NightHawk X6S R8000P, but not quite as fast as the TP-Link Archer C5400X (113Mbps).
The Asus Rapture GT-AC5300 led with a score of 128Mbps.
On the 30-foot test, the EA9300's score of 69Mbps was a bit slower than the competition, but not by much.
On our 5GHz close-proximity test, the EA9300 scored 485Mbps, besting the Netgear NightHawk X6S by 23Mbps, but trailing the Archer C5400X by about 100Mbps.
The Rapture GT-AC5300 recorded 601Mbps, the fastest score we've seen to date from any router.
At a distance of 30 feet, the EA9300's 305Mbps was nearly identical to the TP-Link Archer C5400X (306Mbps) and 35Mbps faster than the Netgear NightHawk X6S.
The Asus Rapture GT-AC5300 led with a score of 330Mbps.
The EA9300 performed wonderfully on our file-transfer tests in which we use a USB 3.0 hard drive and a 1.5GB folder containing a mix of photo, video, music, and document files to measure read and write speeds.
Its write score of 78MBps is the fastest we've seen to date, squeaking past the Netgear NightHawk X10 R9000 (77MBps).
The TP-Link Archer C5400X and the Asus Rapture GT-AC5300 delivered write speeds of 35MBps and 39MBps, respectively.
The EA9300's read score of 80MBps was also outstanding, but fell a bit short of the Netgear NightHawk X10 (89MBps).
Still, it was significantly faster than the TP-Link Archer C5400X (40MBps) and the Asus Rapture GT-AC5300 (42MBps).
Three Bands, But Not the Best
The Linksys Max-Stream EA9300 is a solid choice for busy home networks that require a third radio band to handle tasks like video streaming, online gaming, and torrent downloads.
It's not the fastest router out there, and it's pricey considering its modest feature set, but it delivers relatively good throughput and file-transfer speeds.
However, you don't get any malware protection and parental controls are limited to site-blocking and access-scheduling.
For more robust parental controls, built-in protection against viruses and other malicious threats, and the fastest 5GHz throughput performance we've seen, consider the Editors' Choice Asus ROG Rapture GT-AC5300.
It'll cost about $100 more than the EA9300, but it is loaded with I/O ports and gamer-friendly management settings.
Or if you're willing to sacrifice some features, the Asus RT-AC86U is also a solid option at $199.
