Linksys 1750Mbps Wrieless Router & AC Networking - AE6000 Information

AE6000 Information:

The Linksys AE6000 is the smallest 802.11ac networking adapter that I've seen so far.  This little unit is smaller than most flash drives and is tiny compared to the Trendnet TEW-805UB.  That being said, the Trendnet unit also promised much faster speeds.  Still, the AE6000 claims it can handle up to 433Mbps on the 5GHz band and we'll be finding out in a couple of pages if it can do anything close to that.  Also it is worth mentioning that the AE6000 is USB 2.0 only so it will work in order systems and in theory should still be able to handle most of the theoretical bandwidth available.  The maximum throughput of a USB 2.0 device is 480Mbps and with the AE6000 claiming a total of 583Mbps, I can already tell you that we won't be seeing this.  You'll have to shave at least 100Mbps off the top speed right off the bat.

The cap fits nicely on the AE6000 and helps protect it when not in use.  The beauty of the AE6000 is it's size - or lack thereof.  It's nice and small and won't block adjacent USB ports for most systems.  I am a big fan of it's small size.  The downside is that with such a small size, Linksys sacrifices performance in favor of it's small size.

The AE6000 doesn't have much of a bundle - but a USB adapter doesn't need much of a bundle.  It comes with a quick install guide as well as a CD with drivers.  Oddly enough the drivers didn't work on my installation of Windows 8 so I had to go get fresh drivers from the Trendnet site.  This is not a big deal - but Windows 8 came out long before this adapter so I'd expect the included drivers to work.

Features:

Next Generation Wireless Technology
Connect and upgrade your laptop or desktop computers to the newest, most powerful wireless-AC technology.

Ultimate Wireless Speed and the Power of Dual-Band
Up to 433 Mbps speed* on Wireless-AC 5 GHz band or up to 150 Mbps speed* on Wireless-N 2.4 GHz band

HD Video and Gaming Ready
Stream HD video and online gaming simultaneously throughout your home.

Performance Investment Protection
Compatibility with Wireless-A (802.11a), Wireless-B (802.11b), Wireless-G (802.11g), Wireless-N (802.11n) and Wireless-AC (802.11ac) Wi-Fi Standards.

Wi-Fi Security
Supports up to 128-bit encryption (WEP, WPA and WPA2).

Easy Setup with Router or Access Point
Support WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) button for easy connection with wireless router or wireless access point.

Easy Computer Setup and Compatibility
Easy to use CD setup wizard and compatible with Microsoft Windows 8, 7, Vista SP1/SP2 and XP SP3.

Take Advantage of New Wireless-AC Routers, Access Points and Extenders
Compatible with all Wireless-AC 802.11ac routers, access points and extenders (Linksys, Belkin and others).

Specifications:

• Model: Linksys AE6000-CA
• Technology: Wireless-AC
• Bands: Selectable 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz
• Antennas: 1 Internal
• OS Compatibility: Windows
• Software Setup: CD Install

Now that we know what we are getting into, let's get into the router interface on the next page.