Recommend a MU-MIMO Router

[BigShooter1974]

I am currently running 2 TP-Link C2600 Routers in Bridge mode in my children's bedrooms on opposite ends of our house. This allows them to connect their computers and 4K TV's to our network. My main router responsible for doing the heavy lifting is an older Netgear R7000 located in the middle of the house. I am looking to replace the R7000 with a new Tri-band router and would like to take advantage of the MU-MIMO technology which my new laptop also supports.

I have asked the sales people at the computer stores in the area, but their responses seem to be based on personal bias and not fact. I would like to know which of the available routers listed below would best suit my needs. Some of them are 3x3 and some are 4x4, though I am not sure how mixing the 2 would affect the performance of my existing devices. I believe the TP-Link C2600 are 4x4 MU-MIMO. The laptop is apparently 1x1.

I have researched the Netgear R8500 (x8) and R8000P (x6s), and the Linksys EA9500 and EA9300. These are all available and are currently within my budget. I admit based on my own bias I am leaning toward Netgear as my R7000 has never once failed me, but lacks a couple features I am interested in implementing.

Thank you for your recommendations.

 

[psychopomp1]

If you want a bug free Mu-Mimo experience then I would stay away from Broadcom based routers....which those you've listed are. Going for a Qualcomm Atheros (QCA) based router will be your best bet such as a Netgear R7800, R9000 or Synology RT2600AC. These are only dual band routers but unless you've got a gazillion wifi clients, they'll handle whatever you can throw at them. However if you're set on buying one of those you've listed, then the Linksys EA9500 will be the one to go for. However make sure you buy the EA9500 v2, which should now be available as this has more powerful hardware (faster CPU and more RAM) than the EA9500 V1.

 

[BigShooter1974]

I do have quite a few devices which is pushing me towards the Tri-Band devices. In addition to everything connected through the the 2 TP-Link bridges in the kids rooms everyone in the house has a smart phone, there are tablets, laptops, IP Cams, dvd players, 4Ktv's and a myriad of other media devices. The Tri-Band would give me greater flexibility to isolate the devices from each other. For example grouping all the kids devices onto one particular band so not to impact my wife and I while she is watching Stranger Things 2 and I am working or gaming. At any given time there may be 3 or more 4K streams running at once which on its own may not seem like a lot, but they never use 1 device at a time. They are watching a movie while watching youtube on their phone and uploading to Instagram. I am partial to Netgear only because I LOVE the ability to schedule the wifi radios on/off at certain times. Just one more way for me to lock down my kids even further.

I am curious about the capability of the Broadcom chips. I thought much of their problems had been rectified. Perhaps my own ignorance at play there, which made me think these would be alright for my needs. Are there any Tri-Band Qualcomm routers on the market that are not the price of my morgage payment?

 

[thiggins]

https://www.smallnetbuilder.com/wireless/wireless-features/33100-why-you-don-t-need-mu-mimo

 

[Internet Man]

MU-MIMO is not beneficial to your setup with only one MU-MIMO client. MU-MIMO won't be used in the bridges. thiggins' link above explains the details.

I would go with a tri-band four stream router so that each bridge can have their own 4x4:4 5GHz radio; one high-band and one low-band. This rules out the Netgear R8000P, Linksys EA9300 since they're 3x3:3

The Netgear R8500 is uses the first gen Broadcom BCM4366 radios which may have a faulty MU-MIMO implementation that was fixed in the BCM4366E update. The Linksys EA9500 v1 also used BCM4366 radios that were affected by the hardware fault but Linksys quickly released a new version 1.1 with fixed radios. The EA9500 v2 has been announced and it is a big upgrade over the EA9500 but I haven't seen any reports of people being able to buy this version yet.

The differentiating factor between the R8500 and the EA9500 might be the features implemented in software and the user interface. I'm not familiar with either so perhaps the reviews would help:
R8500: https://www.smallnetbuilder.com/wir...r8500-nighthawk-x8-smart-wifi-router-reviewed
EA9500: https://www.smallnetbuilder.com/wir...stream-ac5400-mu-mimo-gigabit-router-reviewed

Linksys provides interface simulators that you can play around with: http://ui.linksys.com/EA9500/