Choosing between Netgear Nighthawk AC1900 and Linksys WRT1900AC can be quite confusing and tricky. These two routers are being sold at similar prices. Also, they come with many similarities to each other. Both are dual-band routers. They each has a decent number of positive reviews and responses on the market. Netgear Nighthawk AC1900 is sold by the manufacturer as a gaming router, particularly designed to serve gaming, streaming, and mobile devices, and is often praised for the superb performance and wide coverage area. On the other hand, Linksys WRT1900AC is quite popular for the powerful processor and reliability. Which is the router that you should get? Let’s compare the two!
Coverage Area
One aspect that often goes ignored, yet can be very important, is the coverage area. You want your router to be able to provide wireless network access to every area in your home, don’t you? Between the two, Netgear Nighthawk AC1900 is the one with a significantly wider coverage area. The router can provide a wireless signal for a very large home, as defined by the manufacturer. Linksys WRT1900AC does not specify how wide it can provide a coverage area, but some users have reported that its coverage area is noticeably smaller. Both routers support the beamforming technology already.\
See also: Netgear Nighthawk AC1900 vs. Apple Airport Extreme.
Performance
The next difference is the network performance. Indeed, both of the are dual-band routers, and each of them has one 2.4 GHz signal channel and one 5 GHz signal channel, working independently and simultaneously. They also come with similar amounts of bandwidth. Each of them features 600 Mbps for the 2.4 GHz channel and 1300 Mbps for the 5 GHz channel. So, they actually can give you similar maximum speeds under ideal conditions.
However, some users have reported that Netgear Nighthawk AC1900 can provide a more stable and reliable connection than Linksys WRT1900AC. It is said that devices experience less jitter with Netgear Nighthawk AC1900. This is most probably due to the area coverage factor, too, as devices at the edge of the coverage area may get a weaker wireless signal.
Control
Both routers are armed with some network management and access control features. They also support QoS bandwidth management. However, Linksys WRT1900AC only supports downstream prioritization. Netgear Nighthawk AC1900 supports upstream and downstream prioritization according to apps, activities, or devices.
Netgear Nighthawk AC1900 vs. Linksys WRT1900AC
All in all, Netgear Nighthawk AC1900 comes out to have a slightly better edge than Linksys WRT1900AC. It has a wider coverage area, more stable and reliable connection, and smarter QoS feature.
