Speed Demon, Or Slouch?
All this is well and good, but how does it perform? For testing I have it running on a 1Gbps Ethernet connection and will be using the previously mentioned Linksys WUSB6100M to test performance, testing will be done using iPerf running on a Linux box with tests on both UDP and TCP on both bands for comparison.
First up We take a look at the 5ghz channel.
5Ghz Wifi shows decent performance
Speeds shown here are well within line of what I would expect of a device with the capabilities of the LAPAC2600, while testing was done with the device in the same room (within a few feet of the basestation) the benefits of the tech in use here is apparent. With average speeds of 458Mbps for UDP and 528Mbps for TCP, the LAPAC2600 is certainly no slouch in the performance game and thanks to MU-MIMO will likely show similar performance when other clients are connected, provided you have client hardware that can support this feature.
Next we see how 2.4Ghz compares.
By comparison the 2.4Ghz channel is about on par with the rest of the market, with averages of 162.2Mbps on UDP and 163Mbps on TCP, not a bad thing by any stretch. Again MU-MIMO support will allow these speeds to be achievable by multiple devices at once, something that busier offices may gain benefit from.
Summary
The LAPAC2600 brings the benefits of newer technology to the workplace, emulating the same successes seen on the EA9500 and RE7000 which we have reviewed previously. A bevy of configuration options which would make most I.T. SysAdmins more than happy are wrapped up in an attractive, if slightly large package, making this an attractive prospect to the SME users that its aimed at. At £399.98 in the UK it’s positioned at a fairly compelling price point for a device of this nature, which would certainly keep the finance department of many businesses happy too.
Linksys LAPAC 2600
399.98
Pros
- A wealth of configuration options
- Admirable throughput
- MU-MIMO Support
- Minimalist design, allowing it to blend with most office envronments
Cons
- Size is a touch large, but understable considering the contents