Linksys EA9500 Max Stream Review | 77 Data compared

Avg. price in UK:~£390Avg. price in US:~$400Wi-Fi version:Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)Wi-Fi speed:5400 MbpsLAN port speeds:1 GbpsMesh Wi-Fi:no

Linksys EA9500 Max Stream Review: Compare 77 technical specifications and user reviews to see how this product ranks in the Routers category and whether it is worth buying.

7.4

Overall score

Score
7.4/ 10
✕
What it is
An overall evaluation of the router's quality, based on technical analyses and user reviews.
When it matters
When you need a quick reference to identify the best routers on the market.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components

90%

7.3

Technical Score

10%

9.0

User score

â–²Better than 68% of routers
7.3

Technical Score

Technical score
7.3/ 10
✕
What it is
An assessment of the router's technical performance, covering key areas such as Wi-Fi performance, wired connectivity, security, software features, coverage, and design.
When it matters
When you want to compare routers based on technical performance and available features.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components

26%

7.3

Wireless

20%

6.3

Ports

18%

7.9

Networking

14%

8.7

Security

12%

6.1

Hardware

10%

7.5

Management

â–²Better than 65% of routers
9.0

User score

User score
9.0/ 10
✕
What it is
A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the router.
When it matters
When you want to know how a router performs in daily use and how reliable it is for speed, coverage, and stability according to user feedback.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components

70%

8.6

User reviews

30%

10

Popularity

User score:
United Kingdom
amazon
4.3
(12442)
amazon
3.6
(283)
amazon
3.0
(79)
United States
Amazon_logo.png
4.0
(2378)
Amazon_logo.png
3.6
(293)

(Reviews last updated: May 2026)

★Better than 92% of routers
  • linksys-ea9500-max-stream
linksys-ea9500-max-stream

Best rankings

Available: ranking among products currently available (including other versions of this product).All: ranking among all products in the database.
Loading...
Loading category ranking...

Verdict

The Linksys EA9500 Max-Stream is a high-performance AC5400 tri-band Wi-Fi router featuring a 1.4 GHz dual-core processor and eight adjustable external antennas. It delivers combined speeds of up to 5.3 Gbps across one 2.4 GHz band (1000 Mbps) and two 5 GHz bands (2166 Mbps each), supported by MU-MIMO technology for simultaneous data streaming to multiple devices. Its connectivity is a standout, providing eight Gigabit LAN ports, one Gigabit WAN port, and two USB ports (3.0 and 2.0). Main pros include its exceptional range, seamless roaming capabilities, and a wealth of wired ports for office or entertainment setups. However, cons include its massive physical footprint, high power consumption/heat generation, and an expensive price point relative to similar high-end models.

Technical Specifications of router Linksys EA9500 Max Stream

Technical Score
Technical score
7.3/ 10
✕
What it is
An assessment of the router's technical performance, covering key areas such as Wi-Fi performance, wired connectivity, security, software features, coverage, and design.
When it matters
When you want to compare routers based on technical performance and available features.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components:

26%

7.3

Wireless

20%

6.3

Ports

18%

7.9

Networking

14%

8.7

Security

12%

6.1

Hardware

10%

7.5

Management

7.3
Linksys EA9500 Max Stream has a technical score of 7.3 points, which is higher than that of 64.7% of products in this category.
User score
User score
9.0/ 10
✕
What it is
A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the router.
When it matters
When you want to know how a router performs in daily use and how reliable it is for speed, coverage, and stability according to user feedback.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components

70%

8.6

User reviews

30%

10

Popularity

User score:
United Kingdom
amazon
4.3
(12442)
amazon
3.6
(283)
amazon
3.0
(79)
United States
Amazon_logo.png
4.0
(2378)
Amazon_logo.png
3.6
(293)

(Reviews last updated: May 2026)

9.0
Linksys EA9500 Max Stream has a user score of 8.99 points, which is higher than that of 91.7% of products in this category.
Popularity
Popularity
10.0/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator based on the number of reviews received by the router.
When it matters
When you prefer to choose a router reviewed and selected by many other buyers.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Popularity:
Linksys EA9500 Max Stream has a popularity score of 10 points, which is higher than that of 91.9% of products in this category.
10
Linksys EA9500 Max Stream has a popularity score of 10 points, which is higher than that of 91.9% of products in this category.
Ratio quality/price
Value for money
7.8/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the router's overall rating with its cost.
When it matters
When you are looking for a router with a good balance between network performance, features, and price.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components:

60%

7.4

Overall score

40%

8.5

Price

7.8
Linksys EA9500 Max Stream has a value-for-money score of 7.8 points, which is higher than that of 45.1% of products in this category.
Brand name
Linksys
Wi-Fi version
Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)
Wi-Fi version
Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)
This router uses Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), which is more advanced than 39.5% of routers and equal to 25.3% of routers.
Wi-Fi bands
2.4 GHz + 5 GHz
Wi-Fi bands
2.4 GHz + 5 GHz
This router supports 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz Wi-Fi bands, which are more versatile than 24.8% of routers and equal to 68.1% of routers.
tri-band with two 5 GHz radios
Wi-Fi speed
5,400 Mbps
Wi-Fi speed
5,400 Mbps
This router delivers 5,400 Mbps Wi-Fi speed, which is higher than 83.7% of routers and equal to 4% of routers.
Channel widths supported
20 MHz + 40 MHz + 80 MHz
Channel widths supported
20 MHz + 40 MHz + 80 MHz
This router supports 20 MHz + 40 MHz + 80 MHz channel width options, which is more than 40.9% of routers and the same as 31.6% of routers.
Show more
Wi-Fi security protocols
WPA2, WPA, WEP
Wi-Fi security protocols
WPA2, WPA, WEP
This router supports WPA2, WPA, WEP Wi-Fi security protocols, which are more advanced than 40.9% of routers and equal to 17.7% of routers.
DoS protection
no
DoS protection
no
This router does not include DoS protection. 87.5% of routers include DoS protection.
SPI intrusion protection
yes
SPI intrusion protection
yes
This router includes SPI-based intrusion protection. 6.1% of routers include SPI-based intrusion protection.
MAC address filtering
yes
MAC address filtering
yes
This router supports MAC address filtering. 2.2% of routers include MAC address filtering.
URL filter
yes
URL filter
yes
This router supports URL filtering. 3.4% of routers include URL filtering.
Show more
IPv6 support
yes
IPv6 support
yes
This router supports IPv6. 11.5% of routers are IPv6-ready.
Dynamic routing
yes
Dynamic routing
yes
This router supports dynamic routing. 47.8% of routers support dynamic routing.
Inter-VLAN routing
no
Inter-VLAN routing
no
This router does not support inter-VLAN routing. 23.5% of routers support inter-VLAN routing.
VLAN tagging
no
VLAN tagging
no
This router does not support VLAN tagging. 62% of routers include VLAN tagging.
QoS
yes
QoS
yes
This router includes QoS controls. 3.2% of routers include QoS controls.
Show more
N. of LAN ports
8
N. of LAN ports
8
This router has 8 LAN ports, which is more than 97.5% of routers and the same as 2.5% of routers.
LAN port speeds
1 Gbps
LAN port speeds
1 Gbps
This router offers 1 Gbps on its LAN ports, which is faster than 27.1% of routers and on par with 59.9% of routers.
N. of WAN ports
1
N. of WAN ports
1
This router has 1 WAN ports, which is more than 1% of routers and the same as 90.1% of routers.
N. of USB ports
2
N. of USB ports
2
This router has 2 USB ports, which is more than 79.2% of routers and the same as 20.6% of routers.
Power over Ethernet (PoE)
no
Power over Ethernet (PoE)
no
This router does not support Power over Ethernet (PoE). 0.5% of routers can be powered over Ethernet.
Show more
Management interface
Web UI, App
Management interface
Web UI, App
This router uses Web UI, App for management, which is more advanced than 33.4% of routers and equal to 57% of routers.
Firmware upgrade method
Web UI, Automatic
Firmware upgrade method
Web UI, Automatic
This router supports Web UI, Automatic firmware update methods, which are more convenient than 35.4% of routers and equal to 37.8% of routers.
Traffic monitoring
yes
Traffic monitoring
yes
This router includes traffic monitoring. 18.1% of routers include traffic monitoring.
Guest Wi-Fi network
yes
Guest Wi-Fi network
yes
This router offers a guest Wi‑Fi network. 8.6% of routers offer a guest Wi‑Fi network.
Captive portal
no
Captive portal
no
This router does not offer captive portal features. 23.5% of routers offer captive portal features.
Show more
CPU clock speed
2x 1.4 GHz
CPU clock speed
2x 1.4 GHz
This router runs at 2x1.4 GHz, which is faster than 65.7% of routers and on par with 0.9% of routers.
RAM capacity
256 MB
RAM capacity
256 MB
This router has 256 MB of RAM, which is more than 48.7% of routers and the same as 15.4% of routers.
Internal storage
0.125 GB
Internal storage
0.125 GB
This router has 0.125 GB of internal storage, which is more than 45.1% of routers and the same as 22.8% of routers.
Hardware acceleration
yes
Hardware acceleration
yes
This router offers hardware acceleration. 31.4% of routers offer hardware acceleration.
N. of external antennas
8
N. of external antennas
8
This router has 8 external antennas, which is more than 94.8% of routers and the same as 4.9% of routers.
Show more

Linksys EA9500 Max Stream vs the average router

246810TotalWirelessSecurityNetworkingPortsManagementHardware
  • 3.66x faster Wi-Fi speed
    Wi-Fi speed
    5,400 Mbps
    This router has a higher Wi-Fi speed than the average router (5400 Mbps vs 1475 Mbps). The average router reaches Wi-Fi speed of 1475 Mbps.
    5,400 Mbps vs 1,475 Mbps
  • 4 more LAN ports
    N. of LAN ports
    8
    This router has more LAN ports than the average router (8 vs 4). The average router has 4 LAN ports.
    8 vs 4
  • 9 more spatial streams
    N. of spatial streams
    12
    This router has more spatial streams than the average router (12 vs 3). The average router has 3 spatial streams.
    12 vs 3
  • 50% wider wireless coverage
    Wireless coverage
    279 m²
    This router has wider wireless coverage than the average router (279 m² vs 186 m²). The average router offers wireless coverage of 186 m².
    279 m² vs 186 m²
  • 1 more USB ports
    N. of USB ports
    2
    This router has more USB ports than the average router (2 vs 1). The average router has 1 USB ports.
    2 vs 1
  • Supports MU-MIMO
    MU-MIMO
    yes
    This router supports MU-MIMO, while the average router does not. 47.7% of routers support MU-MIMO.
  • 6 more external antennas
    N. of external antennas
    8
    This router has more external antennas than the average router (8 vs 2). The average router has 2 external antennas.
    8 vs 2
  • Stronger Wi-Fi security
    Wi-Fi security protocols
    WPA2, WPA, WEP
    This router supports the Wi-Fi security protocols WPA2, WPA, WEP, while the average router supports WPA2, WPA, WEP, WPS.
    WPA2, WPA, WEP vs WPA2, WPA, WEP, WPS
  • 12.3% higher user score
    User score
    9.0/ 10
    ✕
    What it is
    A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the router.
    When it matters
    When you want to know how a router performs in daily use and how reliable it is for speed, coverage, and stability according to user feedback.
    Score distribution
    â–¼
    â–¼
    <55-66-77-88-99-10
    Linksys EA9500 Max Stream
    the average router
    Linksys EA9500 Max Stream has a higher user score than the average router (8.99 vs 8.000).
    8.99 vs 8
  • 53% more popular
    Linksys EA9500 Max Stream is more popular than the average router (10 vs 6.5).
    10 vs 6.54
  • 3.66x faster Wi-Fi speed
    Wi-Fi speed
    5,400 Mbps
    This router has a higher Wi-Fi speed than the average router (5400 Mbps vs 1475 Mbps). The average router reaches Wi-Fi speed of 1475 Mbps.
    5,400 Mbps vs 1,475 Mbps
  • 50% wider wireless coverage
    Wireless coverage
    279 m²
    This router has wider wireless coverage than the average router (279 m² vs 186 m²). The average router offers wireless coverage of 186 m².
    279 m² vs 186 m²
  • 9 more spatial streams
    N. of spatial streams
    12
    This router has more spatial streams than the average router (12 vs 3). The average router has 3 spatial streams.
    12 vs 3
  • Supports MU-MIMO
    MU-MIMO
    yes
    This router supports MU-MIMO, while the average router does not. 47.7% of routers support MU-MIMO.
  • 91 more connected devices
    Maximum connected devices
    155
    This router supports more connected devices than the average router (155 vs 64). The average router supports 64 connected devices.
    155 vs 64
  • Stronger Wi-Fi security
    Wi-Fi security protocols
    WPA2, WPA, WEP
    This router supports the Wi-Fi security protocols WPA2, WPA, WEP, while the average router supports WPA2, WPA, WEP, WPS.
    WPA2, WPA, WEP vs WPA2, WPA, WEP, WPS
  • 4 more LAN ports
    N. of LAN ports
    8
    This router has more LAN ports than the average router (8 vs 4). The average router has 4 LAN ports.
    8 vs 4
  • 1 more USB ports
    N. of USB ports
    2
    This router has more USB ports than the average router (2 vs 1). The average router has 1 USB ports.
    2 vs 1
  • Includes memory card slot
    Memory card slot
    yes
    This router has a memory card slot, while the average router does not. 9.8% of routers have a memory card slot.
  • 6 more external antennas
    N. of external antennas
    8
    This router has more external antennas than the average router (8 vs 2). The average router has 2 external antennas.
    8 vs 2
  • Higher CPU clock speed
    CPU clock speed
    2 x 1.4 GHz
    This router has a higher CPU clock speed than the average router (2x1.4 GHz vs 2x0.5 GHz). The average router has a CPU clock speed of 2x0.5 GHz.
    2x1.4 GHz vs 2x0.5 GHz
  • No VLAN tagging
    VLAN tagging
    no
    This router does not support VLAN tagging, while the average router does. 61.9% of routers support VLAN tagging.
  • Limited firmware updates
    Firmware upgrade method
    Web UI, Automatic
    This router supports the firmware update methods Web UI, Automatic, while the average router supports Web UI, App, Automatic.
    Web UI, Automatic vs Web UI, App, Automatic
  • 15.9 W higher power consumption
    Power consumption
    24 W
    This router uses more power than the average router (24 W vs 8.1 W). The average router uses 8.1 W power.
    24 W vs 8.1 W
  • No DoS protection
    DoS protection
    no
    This router does not support DoS protection, while the average router does. 87.3% of routers support DoS protection.
  • Less capable NAS services
    Built-in NAS services
    SMB, FTP, media server
    This router includes SMB, FTP, media server NAS services, while the average router includes SMB, FTP, time machine, NFS, web access.
    SMB, FTP, media server vs SMB, FTP, time machine, NFS, web access
  • 4.33x more expensive
    Linksys EA9500 Max Stream is more expensive than the average router (£390 vs £90).
    £390 vs £90
  • 3.93x heavier weight
    Weight
    1,728 g
    This router is heavier than the average router (1728 g vs 440 g). The average router weighs 440 g.
    1,728 g vs 440 g
  • 62.52 mm wider width
    Width
    264.52 mm
    This router is wider than the average router (264.5 mm vs 202 mm). The average router is 202 mm wide.
    264.52 mm vs 202 mm
  • 4.33x more expensive
    Linksys EA9500 Max Stream is more expensive than the average router (£390 vs £90).
    £390 vs £90
  • No DoS protection
    DoS protection
    no
    This router does not support DoS protection, while the average router does. 87.3% of routers support DoS protection.
  • No VLAN tagging
    VLAN tagging
    no
    This router does not support VLAN tagging, while the average router does. 61.9% of routers support VLAN tagging.
  • Limited firmware updates
    Firmware upgrade method
    Web UI, Automatic
    This router supports the firmware update methods Web UI, Automatic, while the average router supports Web UI, App, Automatic.
    Web UI, Automatic vs Web UI, App, Automatic
  • Less capable NAS services
    Built-in NAS services
    SMB, FTP, media server
    This router includes SMB, FTP, media server NAS services, while the average router includes SMB, FTP, time machine, NFS, web access.
    SMB, FTP, media server vs SMB, FTP, time machine, NFS, web access
  • 15.9 W higher power consumption
    Power consumption
    24 W
    This router uses more power than the average router (24 W vs 8.1 W). The average router uses 8.1 W power.
    24 W vs 8.1 W
  • 3.93x heavier weight
    Weight
    1,728 g
    This router is heavier than the average router (1728 g vs 440 g). The average router weighs 440 g.
    1,728 g vs 440 g
  • 62.52 mm wider width
    Width
    264.52 mm
    This router is wider than the average router (264.5 mm vs 202 mm). The average router is 202 mm wide.
    264.52 mm vs 202 mm
  • 21.66 mm thicker design
    Thickness
    66.66 mm
    This router is thicker than the average router (66.7 mm vs 45 mm). The average router is 45 mm thick.
    66.66 mm vs 45 mm

Graphic comparison of Linksys EA9500 Max Stream and other routers

No results found

Third-party reviews

(Reviews last updated: May 2026)

What customers like about Linksys EA9500 Max Stream?

  • Stellar Wi-Fi performance with high throughput speeds for 4K streaming and gaming
  • Equipped with eight Gigabit LAN ports, offering extensive wired connectivity without needing an extra switch
  • Excellent wireless range suitable for large homes up to 4,000 square feet
  • Supports MU-MIMO technology and seamless roaming when paired with compatible extenders
  • User-friendly management interface with advanced features like parental controls that can block HTTPS sites
  • Includes eight adjustable external antennas to optimize signal direction

What customers dislike about Linksys EA9500 Max Stream?

  • High retail price compared to other high-end routers with similar performance
  • Extremely large and bulky physical footprint that requires significant space
  • Heavier power consumption, estimated at around 16 watts during use
  • Cannot be easily wall-mounted; designed primarily for flat horizontal placement
  • Some advanced networking features like Smart Connect only work between 5 GHz radios
  • Management software can occasionally be 'iffy' or slow

Expert reviews

In-depth analysis and verdict from leading tech publications

T
techadvisor.com
11/08/2016
Summary of the review
I
itpro.com
27/03/2019
Summary of the review
I
impressionsflow.com
17/03/2018
Summary of the review
H
hipsterpixel.co
20/02/2017
Summary of the review
G
geekdad.com
06/01/2017
Summary of the review
H
hardwarecanucks.com
15/12/2016
Summary of the review
F
forbes.com
29/11/2016
Summary of the review
P
pcmag.com
14/09/2016
Summary of the review
C
cnet.com
25/05/2016
Summary of the review
N
nikktech.com
26/06/2017
Summary of the review
C
cgmagonline.com
03/08/2016
Summary of the review
H
hardwarezone.com.sg
28/07/2016
Summary of the review
S
smallnetbuilder.com
16/06/2016
Summary of the review

Video reviews

Hands-on testing, unboxing, and real-world video evaluations

Compare Linksys EA9500 Max Stream with other routers

1Product to compare no. 1
VS
2Product to compare no. 2
VS
3Product to compare no. 3 (optional)