Linksys WRT32X Wi-Fi Gaming Router Review - Review 2022

Gaming enthusiasts know that high network latency tin can mean the departure between winning and losing when competing online. With the Linksys WRT32X Wi-Fi Gaming Router ($299.99), your gaming rig will go all the bandwidth it needs to keep you in the game with minimal lag, thanks to Rivet Networks' Killer Prioritization Engine, which automatically identifies PCs and laptops equipped with Killer Network LAN hardware and gives them priority over other devices on the network. The router is a breeze to install and aced our 2.4GHz throughput tests, and it handled our file-transfer tests with ataraxy. Its 5GHz and MU-MIMO functioning wasn't quite equally fast every bit that of the comparably priced D-Link AC3150 Ultra Wi-Fi Router (DIR-885L/R), just if you accept your gaming seriously, the WRT32X is a solid choice.

Killer Features

The WRT32X ($189.99 at Amazon) has a somewhat different look than the WRT3200ACM MU-MIMO Gigabit Wi-Fi Router ($227.39 at Amazon) despite sharing many of the aforementioned hardware attributes. Information technology uses the same two.1-by-nine.6-by-7.half dozen-inch (HWD) enclosure with four removable and adjustable antennas, just has an all-black finish rather than the familiar black and blue colour scheme that has defined the WRT line for the past decade. All of the router's numerous ports are located on the dorsum panels and include 4 gigabit LAN ports, a WAN port, a USB 3.0 port, and an eSATA/USB two.0 port. Here you lot'll also find WPS and reset buttons and a power switch. The front panel contains a row of blue LED activity indicators for power, WPS, Net, two.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi, all 4 LAN ports, and the USB 3.0 and eSATA/USB ports.

The WRT32X is powered by a dual-core 1.8GHz CPU, 256MB of flash retentivity, and 512MB of DDR3 memory. It'southward a dual band AC3200 router capable of speeds of up to 600Mbps on the 2.4GHz ring and 2600Mbps on the 5GHz band. Every bit with the WRT3200ACM, it is DFS (Dynamic Frequency Option) certified, allowing it to effectively double the 5GHz band'due south 80MHz aqueduct width to reach faster throughput speeds when used with clients that back up Tri-Stream160 engineering science. It supports Multi-User Multiple Input, Multiple Output (MU-MIMO) data streaming, which transmits data simultaneously to compatible devices rather than sequentially, and Beamforming, which transmits data directly to clients rather than over a broad spectrum. As with other WRT routers, the WRT32X allows yous to substitute its firmware with open-source lawmaking that offers customized settings and avant-garde monitoring capabilities, just if you become this route you'll lose the embedded Killer Prioritization capabilities.

Both the WRT3200ACM and WRT32X offer device prioritization in their respective menu settings, but the WRT32X takes it a step further with embedded support for Rivet Networks' Killer Prioritization Engine (KPE). When you connect to the router with a device that is equipped with Killer networking hardware, such every bit certain Alienware and MSI gaming laptops, the router automatically recognizes the hardware and gives the device network priority over other connected devices, enabling smooth online gaming and 4K video streaming.

Killer-enabled devices come with Killer Control Heart software preinstalled, which automatically links the device to the router and allows you to enable prioritization with the touch of a button. The Overview screen displays a throughput speed judge and electric current awarding prioritization. In the Apps screen you tin can assign priority to specific applications and limit upload and download speeds for each app. The Wi-Fi Analyzer displays all active Wi-Fi access points in your area and their channel number, data rate, signal forcefulness, and channel width, and the Settings screen is where yous go to prepare speed limits and view the client's IP and MAC addresses. Use the Router tab to access to all of the router's settings via the web-based management panel.

The WRT32X console offers a dissimilar look and feel than the panel used on the WRT3200ACM. It contains a Dashboard page with Network Traffic gauges, the latest Speed Test, Wi-Fi Network status, Continued Devices, and a link to Port Forwarding rules. The Connected Devices section shows how many Killer-enabled devices are continued and how many devices are prioritized, the Speed Test results show your upload and download speeds, and the Network Traffic gauges show real-time upload and download activity.

To the left of the Dashboard page is a menu with tabs for Wi-Fi Settings, Devices, Prioritization, Speed Examination, Router Administration, and Advanced Settings. Use the Wi-Fi Settings to rename the SSID for each band, combine both bands, adjust aqueduct width, and configure guest admission. The Devices folio displays a list of continued devices, their IP addresses, and their assigned priority, and the Prioritization page shows all Killer-enabled devices and has an selection for manually assigning network prioritization using a drag and drop method. Router Administration settings let you edit passwords, change the time zone, update the firmware, and disable the router'due south status lights. Avant-garde Settings include Port Forwarding, VPN Client, Local network, and Internet Connectedness settings.

Easy Installation, Fast Performance

Installing the WRT32X is fast and easy. Post-obit the directions in the Quick Start Guide, I connected the router to my modem and my PC and striking the power button. I opened a browser on my PC and typed http://myrouter.local, which launched a Setup Wizard that walked me through Wi-Fi, Cyberspace, and prioritization options. I so used the Dashboard to carve up the 2 radio bands (they are joined by default) and change my passwords.

The WRT32X turned in excellent results on our 2.4GHz SU-MIMO throughput tests. It's score of 148Mbps on the close-proximity (aforementioned room) test was among the highest we've seen to appointment and outperformed the Synology Router RT2600ac, the D-Link DIR-885L/R, and the Trendnet AC2600 StreamBoost MU-MIMO WiFi Router (TEW-827DRU). At a distance of 30 anxiety, the WRT32X scored 86Mbps, beating all iii competitors handily.

The WRT32X'due south 5GHz throughput performance was good, merely not as fast equally the contest. It's score of 464Mbps on the close-proximity test couldn't lucifer the D-Link DIR-885L/R, the Synology RT2600ac, or the Trendnet TEW-827DRU, which led with a score 590Mbps. On the 5GHz 30-foot test, the WRT32X's score of 258Mbps was nearly identical to the Trendnet TEW-827DRU, but trailed the Synology RT2600ac and the D-Link DIR-885L/R.

See How Nosotros Test Wireless Routers

We examination MU-MIMO performance using 3 identical Acer Aspire R13 laptops equipped with Qualcomm's QCA61x4A MU-MIMO circuitry. The WRT32X's score of 175Mbps on the close-proximity test beat the Synology RT2600ac past a hair, just came in behind the D-Link DIR-885L/R and the Trendnet TEW-827DRU. On the 30-foot exam, the WRT32X's score of 76Mbps came in expressionless last, while the D-Link Dir-885L/R led with a score of 165Mbps.

The WRT32X garnered good results on our file-transfer tests, where we move a 1.5GB folder containing a mix of video, music, photograph, and document files. It managed a read speed of 48MBps and a write speed of 76.8MBps compared with the D-Link DIR-885L/R's speeds of 44.1MBps (read) and 33.2MBps (write), the Synology RT2600ac's speeds of 34.2MBps (read) and 32.6MBps (write), and the Trendnet TEW-827DRU's speeds of 53.7MBps and 30.3MBps. The Netgear NightHawk X10 R9000 remains our electric current leader with speeds of 89.1MBps (read) and 77.1MBps (write).

To test the effectiveness of the WRT32X's Killer Prioritization Engine (KPE) I streamed Curiosity'southward Captain America: Civil State of war on Netflix on an MSI laptop equipped with a Killer 1535 wireless network adapter while running multiple Torrent downloads on another non-Killer laptop to saturate the network. With KPE enabled, the moving picture played smoothly with no buffering or lag. However, when I disabled KPE, the motion-picture show became choppy and stalled frequently while buffering because the MSI laptop no longer had priority and had to compete with the other laptop for bandwidth.

Good for Gamers

The Linksys WRT32X Wi-Fi Gaming Router is a solid choice for gaming enthusiasts who compete online. Information technology rocked our ii.4GHz throughput performance tests, and is equipped with enough of ports for connecting to gaming consoles and external storage drives. Most importantly, it uses Rivet Network's Killer Prioritization Engine to ensure that y'all take the necessary network bandwidth for online gaming and video streaming without having to deal with latency and inclement operation. Nonetheless, your PC must take Killer networking hardware to automatically sync with the router and to take advantage of the automated prioritization feature. If yous don't own whatsoever Killer-enabled systems and want blazing 5GHz throughput speeds, consider our Editors' Choice for midrange routers, the D-Link AC3150 Ultra Wi-Fi Router (DIR-885L/R). Like the WRT32X, it supports open up source firmware and has enough of ports, but it offers better 5GHz and MU-MIMO performance.

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Further Reading

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Source: https://sea.pcmag.com/migrated-33771-wireless-routers/18865/linksys-wrt32x-wi-fi-gaming-router-review

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