Linksys Releases First Multi-User MIMO Router Based on 802.11ac Wave 2

Linksys announced availability of its first multi-user MU-MIMO (Multi-User, Multiple-Input, Multiple Output) 802.11ac Wave 2 router Thursday. The Linksys Max-Stream AC2600 is said to provide uninterrupted Wi-Fi connectivity to all devices in the home and function as if multiple devices have their own dedicated router, Linksys said. With MU-MIMO, members of a household can play video games, listen to music, check email, shop and stream movies simultaneously, the company said. The router’s four removable external antennas are adjustable for maximum coverage, and beamforming technology concentrates the Wi-Fi signal to each device for stronger performance and increased mobile speed and range, the company said. Citing a study it commissioned from International Data Corp., Linksys said most Internet households need a higher capacity router. It said 84 percent of respondents were streaming movies and TV shows while streaming music, playing games or surfing the Internet. Nearly half of the routers running Wi-Fi were at least 12 years old, Linksys said, while two-thirds of respondents said they had at least five connected devices in use simultaneously. More than half of survey respondents said they frequently or always experienced buffering or other performance issues while on their home network, it said. Some 84 percent of respondents said they would pay an average $84 more on a router to eliminate performance problems, it said. Suggested retail price of the Linksys AC2600 is $279.