Customers are pleased with the WRT32X AC3200 Dual-Band Wi-Fi Gaming Router's easy setup, strong performance, and wide range. Many appreciate its user-friendly interface and the ability to prioritize devices. While some experienced connectivity or firmware issues, the positive feedback on setup, performance, and range outweighs the negative. The router's design also receives praise.
This summary was generated by AI based on customer reviews.
The vast majority of our reviews come from verified purchases. Reviews from customers may include My Best Buy members, employees, and Tech Insider Network members (as tagged). Select reviewers may receive discounted products, promotional considerations or entries into drawings for honest, helpful reviews.
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Pros mentioned:
Setup
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Love the purchase
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This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
No need to clarify much it does as designed and is a lot better than the $400 D'Link I bought. By far the easiest router to setup, those experiencing issues with the router, all I can say is user error. Know what your buying and understand that electronics require knowledge..zero knowledge or lack of research on how to address the issues experienced is simply user error. Best advice is to not only upgrade your router but your cable modem plays key with speeds as well. Simply put buy a Lambo with a V6, end result ?? I made this purchase because my other router wasn't prioritizing traffic correctly and two Xbox One S's constantly having issues with NAT type being moderate in games. This router has fixed all issues mentioned and performs very well. Not fan boying, simply put I've owned many high end routers due to being a gamer and having other gamer's in the house, this product is a win for that reason alone. The only router that came close was my old D'Link DGL 4300 R.I.P!!
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Performance, Range, Setup
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Blazing Fast Wi-Fi. Amazing Router for Gamers.
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This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
The WRT32X is a dual-band, MU-MIMO router capable of delivering throughput of up to 600Mbps on its 2.4GHz 802.11n network and 2600Mbps on its 5GHz 802.11ac network. It has one gigabit WAN port and a four-port Gigabit Ethernet switch onboard. It has one USB 3.0 port and a combo USB 2.0 / eSATA port for sharing storage over the network.
It comes with unique design ensures that any wireless device can receive a strong signal and software contains several features that make it especially best for gaming. Setup is really quick and simple. It delivers amazing speeds and gaming is lightning fast with zero lag. All devices connected without any issues and ping was much faster than previous router setup (32ms to 20ms).
The box contains the router along with its four antennas, a flat ribbon Ethernet cable, a quick start guide and a power adapter. The design of the router is really good. Its black body color and blue LEDs really show it was designed for gamers.
Setup was pretty simple and setup has to be done in a website instead of smartphone. During the setup, you should be able to change settings, admin password etc. I have done speed test and compare the results with my previous mesh router. I got 260 Mbps download and 30 Mbps upload with a ping of 33 ms. With WRT32X, i got 275 Mbps and 30 Mbps with best ping of 20 ms. The wireless range is amazing and it is exceeded my expectation. I was able to get good connection and Wi-Fi speed throughout the house.
Linksys always make best routers in the market and WRT32X is no exception to this. Overall, the router performs exceptionally well. Even though it is built mainly for gaming and it will work exceptionally well for high demand internet users as well.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Speed
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Fast internet with this one
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This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
So far so good. A big difference with this wifi router compared to the one you get from the cable company (Spectrum).A bought a modem & a wifi router and I'm now getting my true internet speed
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Ease of use
Cons mentioned:
Connection, Lag
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Nice gaming router
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This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Out of the box, the Linksys WRT32X router appears very similar to the WRT3200ACM; it has an identical footprint, antennae and port layout, and an identical power supply. The only visible differences are that this unit is solid black, unlike the 3200ACM which sports some blue, and the indicator lights are deep blue, while on the 3200ACM the lights are a cooler blue almost white color. I had the WRT32X up and running in about 10 minutes, but after the initial setup, I ran into a problem when trying to update the firmware. There was clearly a newer version of the firmware available, but it would not allow me to apply it because it said the file was invalid. After calling Linksys support, I wound up having to reset the router to the factory state, skip the initial setup steps, and apply the firmware update as the first step of the setup. Once that was done, the remaining setup was quick and painless. The firmware, and subsequently the configuration interface, are completely different from the 3200ACM. The 3200ACM allows the use of an online account to administer the router, whereas the WRT32X, at least for now, only offers local access. However, the dashboard interface is very well organized and intuitive. I had 8 devices connected in minutes, all streaming some form of media; there was no latency or lag on any of them. The speed and signal strength are basically identical to the 3200ACM. If any of your devices are 'Killer enabled', the WRT32X will automatically prioritize and optimize gaming traffic. Unfortunately, none of my devices are equipped with the necessary hardware, but the dashboard does easily allow you to manually prioritize specific devices, which I have done with my main gaming machine, and although I haven't seen a reduction in overall ping, I have noticed that periodic lag spikes, which usually occurred during periods of high network traffic, have all but disappeared. I'm not sure if that's because of the WRT32X or my ISP, but it's worth noting.
Although I had no initial problems with lag or latency, after an hour or so, a few of my devices did begin to have problems; a few devices either dropped connection to the router and had to be manually reconnected, or the speed would drop well below what it should've been. By default, the router is set up to show both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz channels as one combined channel, so when connecting a device, the best channel is selected automatically. After some troubleshooting, I discovered that the problem was most likely with my devices' wireless NICs. I assume that since I wasn't connecting them to a specific channel, either the NIC or the router was changing the channels back and forth because of a momentary fluctuation in signal strength. It was fairly simple to find the settings I needed and switch the combined channel to separate 2.4GHz and 5GHz channels. After this change, I haven't had any additional connection or latency issues.
I'm quite pleased with this router. Granted, the initial firmware update was a bit tedious, and I did have some connection problems soon after the setup, but after those initial road bumps, the router has performed flawlessly. Overall, I think this is a very capable gaming router.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Performance, Range
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
A monster of a gaming router!
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This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I'm just going to get right into the main feature first. Linksys is known for making great routers but none is quite like this one. This one was made with gamers in mind utilizing the "Killer Prioritization Engine" if you have it on a PC that supports it. Luckily my main gaming PC is able to handled this router's Killer functionality. with VERY minimum effort. The WRT32X puts priority in gaming ping for faster response in online games. I was able to see my ping lower dramatically from 55 ms all the way down to the advertised 17-19 ms.
This was quite shocking while playing CS:GO, GTAV, Overwatch, Left 4 Dead 2 and Gears of War 4 but the best example have to be Playerunknown Battlegrounds. I had no lag compared to my previous router which was an EA7500 and this one blows that away. With Netflix 4k playing in the background in a different room, the router still kept the priority first to gaming. If the main reason you are buying the WRT32X for the Killer feature then it passes that highlighted features with flying colors.
Everything else is as you expect front the router. Flawless. I'm not one to talk about design but yes this router looks sleek. For gaming its perfect as the lights blue LED doesn't shine in your face when playing at night if out in the open. Its easy to set up and include most of the basics. Quick start guide is clear and everything is simple to understand. I was able to set this router up in less then 5 mins and was online fast. Its not much here to get confused about.
The unit has 4 Gigabit LAN ports, 1 USB 3.0 port, 1 eSATA / USB port, and a WPS button. All of which are pretty standard by today on routers itself. I used and connected all the ports and they all worked fine without any issues at all. The devices I have connected to this thing is a long list. I have the Gaming PC, iPad, PS4 Pro, Nintendo Switch, Projector, 4K HDR TV, Apple TV, and LG 4K Bluray are all connected at once....but it always give priority for gaming (You can deactivate these features if you choose) when playing online. Every device I used maintained the level of speed it was designed to handle.
The performance on the is phenomenal even without using the Prioritization Engine. Streamed 4K Netflix and Apple Music content without a problem on my TV while playing games online. Nothing can slow this router down when you want need it and that's always a plus. The range is fantastic I can literary go outside the house connected. It covered my whole house easily, the backyard, the neighbors house.
Funny enough I know this router is geared towards gaming but Linksys Smart Wi-Fi app is NOT SUPPORTED. Its an useful app that you can keep track of everything going on with your router with the app. You can see what's connected and charge passwords among other things but none of that work with the WRT32X AC3200. Sure its minor but it would have been nice to just use an app to change settings and features on the fly while gaming.
In the end is the router worth getting? If you are a serious gamer: YES. I love using this router and one made for the hobby I enjoy on my own time. If you are looking one of the best gaming routers I ever seen the WRT32X AC3200 will meet all your expectations and more. Heck even without the main feature its nice on its own. It's just simple to use and easy to use while doing what its advertised to do. I would recommend to anyone looking for a better online experience. .
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Ease of use, Performance, Speed
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Excellent Gaming Router
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This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I have used several routers over the last several years from multiple manufacturers. This is one of the best I have trialed.
First, it's not bulky like many others, taking up a small amount of space on our shelf. I placed it in a centralized location on the first floor of our two story home. After set-up, I tested signal strength and speeds and was pleased to see that both were excellent throughout our 2300 square foot home.
Set-up went fairly smoothly. A quick start guide is included that walks you through a few simple steps. It has you create your own network name, password, and system password. I had to restart the set-up process once when my new network didn't broadcast.
I enjoyed the user interface that this router has. It's simple to understand and not complex like others. You can easily see which devices are connected to the network and prioritize any devices that are more important than others (gaming consoles and PCs). Personally, I will be lowering the priority on the iPads my kids use so that their frequent YouTube streaming does not interfere with more important activities.
The is a relatively affordable router with outstanding performance. The dual band feature is great for gaming. I recommend it to anyone that is looking to provide fast speeds over a wide area, and especially those that need to easily prioritize specific internet traffic.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Ease of use, Performance
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
Ultimate Technology Gaming Router Delivers the Win
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This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
PREFACE:
The cutting edge Linksys - WRT32X AC3200 Dual-Band Wi-Fi Gaming Router with Killer Prioritization Engine is designed for the Gamer who has a Killer-enabled PC. This router, working in conjunction with the Killer-enabled PC, provides gaming traffic the highest priority on your network. The Killer Engine cuts lag by 77%. This greatly enhances the Gaming experience through improved reaction time & consistency.
The WRT32X not only offers the unique Killer Prioritization Engine, it delivers fast, solid performance for all applications.
I experienced a hiccup during set-up; following the instructions to the letter would not produce internet access at the IP Address specified in the Quick Start Guide. I contacted Linksys Technical Support & they quickly identified the issue on the first call - I was blown away by the Linksys Support!! The Router was simply generating a different IP address on Mac Sierra OS. Once they located the issue, set-up was a breeze! See photo showing the Linksys Dashboard & Download speed of 329MB/Second!
LIKES:
1- Killer Prioritization Engine (requires Killer-enabled PC to use this benefit)
2- High Speed Router (see photo; I am running 329MB/Second, the limit of my ISP!
3- Elegant Interface (see photo)
4- Striking appearance
5- LED's on front panel can be switched On / Off through the Interface
6- Silent Operation
7- Easy Set-up using Mac, PC or Mobile Device
8- Superb Technical Support! See Preface for details.
9- 4) Gigabit Ethernet Ports
10- High Speed USB 3.0 & USB 2.0 Jacks for external data storage to share with your Network
11- Packaging is Top-of-the-Line with folding / magnetic closure / padded case
12- The 4) external antennas are adjustable to direct the signal to best suit your application
DISLIKES:
1- Router is not Bridge Mode capable. I use 4) Routers in Bridge Mode to build a powerful Mesh Network with 97 wireless clients throughout 5,000 square feet over 3 floors + IP cameras outdoors. Unfortunately, the WRT32X cannot join other Linksys routers in an existing Network in Bridge Mode. (Linksys EA9500 & EA9300 do a great job in Bridge Mode!). Surprisingly, this is the only router I have tested in the past 2 years without Bridge Mode capability.
2- This Router does not use the Linksys Router Management Mobile App that every Linksys Router I own uses. Set-up is managed through IP Address (see Preface for the hiccup this caused).
CONCLUSION:
The WRT32X is a huge success & achieves what no other Router can accomplish today. It is a highly capable High Speed Router. For those gamers with a Killer-enabled PC, this is a Must Have Router to complete the Ultimate Gaming System.
For non gaming use, this router shines with high speed, though the cost premium for the Killer Prioritization Engine may be a concern, since gaining that benefit requires a Killer-enabled PC.
If you need to cover a very large area, such as 5,000 square feet / 3 floors, using Bridge Mode on multiple Routers is a common technique to expand your network; however this is a feature not included on the WRT-32X.
I would recommend this to a friend
Brand response from Linksys Staff
Posted .
Hi, gadgetguy11,
We appreciate your taking the time to share your experience. The Linksys WRT32x Router is a gaming-focused technology router designed to create the best home routing solution for serious online gaming, that's why it uses Web UI and it doesn't have a Bridge Mode Capability. No worries, we already took note of your feedback and relayed it to our Development Team.
Should you need a hand in the future, don't hesitate to email us at [email protected].
Best regards,
Jay Linksys Support
Pros mentioned:
Range, Speed
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Not just for gamers, in fact you should know this!
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This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
With more than one gamer in the house, this caught my eye right away. I've seen and tried routers for 4K TV's and also routers for other specific purposes, but not one for gamers.
It comes nicely boxed, and well packaged to prevent damage. Each of the antennas is nested inside of a hard foam area to make sure it doesn't fall out of place. Same with the router, it sits in a specific spot. And the foam sheet keeps the power supply and network cable tucked away underneath.
So, once I got it out and the four antennas hooked up, the network cable plugged in, and the power supply plugged in (the power supply barrel connect fits VERY tight so it doesn't come unplugged accidentally - thank you!!!!), I looked at the booklet to find out the login information to join the WIFI portion, then the admin login.
I'm from a mindset that if I have to read anything about a product, then it isn't worth it or fun, so I get frustrated as I'm a tech type anyway. This needed no reading of the manual (which you have to look at online) and was online in a matter of just about 2 minutes, maybe 3 minutes max.
The best part of the router, in my mind, is the dashboard after you login to the admin console. It is so amazing. It is showing you the amount of network traffic, up and down, devices connected, speed test, and all the rules you'd expect to see like port forwarding and other rules. Most will probably not use this stuff though, but it is there. You can also name your 2.4 and 5.0GHz WIFI bands with different names, or you can use a single name - I find the two names is helpful, so if I have a device like my Iphone with an Apple Watch and am supposed to connect at 2.4, I can without fail.
The real difference with this router is the ability to prioritize your internet resource to gaming computers. The Killer Engine technology tells the router it is one of those things, so the router can prioritize bandwidth to that computer that is doing gaming - very cool.
But, as a parent of gamers, there are times that Dad needs to prioritize bandwidth to my work computer when I work at home, my Planet series on Netflix, and other Mom and Dad stuff, so the kids gaming computers won't always be given priority - you can pick devices to move up the priority list, and not others. It isn't parent revenge, but it is the first time I've been able to make sure Mom and Dad have what we need for work and for movies, and not allowing the gamers to always have priority. The ability to change between modes isn't hard to do and can be done within seconds vs. minutes or hours.
Range is good, I was able to get signal all through my townhouse, and even to my Ring doorbell, which has been a challenge in the past.
Speed is much faster than my existing router setup, and PING was fast at 16ms. I have 50/50 and was getting 57.75 down and 61.35 up. I wasn't getting that on my previous router.
One other feature I really like was the ability to put in a file that allows the VPN to run at the router level, instead of all devices having to run the VPN separately. That is important, because I know everyone doesn't remember to turn the VPN on like they should.
My only wish is that this had incorporated smart features, such as inbound IP blocking. I just purchased a separate device to be a hardware firewall to prevent unwanted attacks on my IoT devices. And to offer a lifetime of updates would be helpful too, to prevent more out of packet expense.
This router is amazing and has found a new place and purpose in my house. If you try it, and it doesn't do all that you need, you can return it due to the very generous return policy at Best Buy, which is why I get so many things at Best Buy - I once returned over 6 laptops looking for a really good one with a good trackpad - not one person at Best Buy ever complained or said I could not return something.
Anyway, props all around, this is a great device!
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Performance
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
When games are a priority!
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This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Go no further when you are looking for a router that can handle gaming. Linksys has been my router of choice for a long time. Compared to the other routers that I used, these were the most dependable when it comes to signal strength, uptime, user friendliness and almost plug and play to get it up and running.
The design of the router is solid, “futuristic” type of look. This is the first router that I used that has the Killer Optimization Engine. I have noticed an increase in performance with my MSI laptop (less lag and a much lower ping). But if you don’t have any devices with Killer cards, you can easily change the priority of any connected systems easily from its interface.
The router has four Gigabit LAN Ports and one eSATA/USB port. You can easily disable the LEDs in the front if you don’t want it on.
The router has been running since Mid-September and I have yet to run into any issues. So far, a really solid performance. A total of 15 devices is connected to it with no drop in speed and good coverage.
I am always impressed with the Linksys products. If you haven’t made the switch to one, you may want to consider!
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Setup
Cons mentioned:
Price
Rated 2 out of 5 stars
Basic Router with No Admin Tools
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This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Overall A very basic router that the average user will be fine with. The router has a quad-band, 4 adjustable antenna's, 4 ethernet ports, USB 3.0, 1 eSata and easy setup. It has a packet prioritization with gimmick name "Killer". I call it a gimmick because with a packet sniffer not all traffic is routed properly. There were many package collision and rebroadcasts. Which brings me to the largest negative is the limited to no administrative tools. I feel without these tools you can not see/know if the functions and features of the router are working properly.
PROS -
Easy Setup
USB 2 and eSATA Connection
Turn off Network Activity Lights
CONS -
Price per features offered
Dashboard Not Real Time, information incorrect in some sections
Unable to Hide SSID
Unable to disable 2.4 GHz Band
Unable to increase or decrease broadcast rate / band / hops
Unable to power boost the signal
Unable to individually modify each antenna (Band) for signal rate/boost
Unable to set Guest Access in DMZ (Outside Intranet/Firewall)
Unable to set time limit for Guest Access, have to turn on/off manually
Unable to see signal strength of wireless devices
Unable to see transfer connection rate of wireless devices
Unable to see connected device details
"Killer" Prioritization app only works 70% (does not even have self-reporting tools, I had to use a 3rd party packet sniffer)
Packet Collision, multi packet rebroadcast
Unable to perform router trace to devices for network troubleshooting
Unable to provide real time monitor/status logs
Unable to provide firewall status
Unable to export router configuration settings incase needing to restore router
Hardware-
The unit itself is aesthetically pleasing slim and can fit in most places. The lights on the unit are bright blue however you are able to turn them off if you wish. The spacing between USB / eSATA and Ethernet Cables make it easy to hook up and manage the cabling. The power cord is not very long so recommend it close to a power source as well as the power adapter being pretty bulky.
- Software -
Unfortunately this is where it fails pretty heavily. The initial setup wizard is easy and nice for the entry level user who wishes to just plug it in and go. However from that point forward it pretty much goes downhill.
** Dashboard provides a layout of Network Traffic, Devices, and WIFI Networks. However only the Network Traffic is real time, Devices do not update to know when one disconnects and the WIFI Networks does not properly display the 5GHz band. You have to refresh the page or go out and back in to see the updated devices.
** WIFI Settings provides ability to rename 2.4 and 5 GHz bands. You are not able to hide your SSID or disable the 2.4 band if not being used. You can select the WIFI Channel width, which for advance users know how beneficial that is. You are not able to increase or decrease broadcast rate / band / hops or boost the signal. You are not able to individually modify each antenna (Band) for signal rate/boost. You do have an option for a guest access however it is not in DMZ, the guest will be within your network behind your firewall and you cannot set a time limit.
** Devices section provides a simple layout of all devices connected to the router. It displays an icon to indicate if it is either a wired or wireless connection. This section does not update in real time and need to either refresh or back out / back in to see the updated devices. It does not provide signal strength of wireless devices. It does not provide the transfer connection rate of wireless devices. You are unable to click on the device to provide details of the connected device. You are able to edit the device name to match what you like.
** Prioritization section allows you do give devices priority using the "killer" app method. Using a packet sniffer I have found this works about 70% of the time. The more devices you have on the network the hard it is for the application to properly prioritize traffic. There are times where it did not function at all and delays are noticeable when streaming.
** Speedtest allows your to check your internet speed with your ISP. So far it appears to not provide any benefits for the router itself. Even through the "Killer" prioritization app says it will use the speed test as a metric to prioritize devices I found it was not the case. I tested by forcing different ISP speeds using a 3rd party device. I tested with speeds 1G , 500MB and 200MB. Using packet monitoring software, prioritization remained the same.
** Advance Settings is where you find some of the normal abilities you can modify for your network. You are able to setup port forwarding, Static IP Reservation, VPN Client, Access the external USB/eSATA storage items, assign specifiv non-routable ip's (strongly recommended) and DDNS/ISP settings
** Router Administration is where it fails miserably, you can change the router name/password, update firmware, download a router log (contains limited information) and turn off router activity lights. For the price of this router I would expect at least the basic admin tools. There is no trace route ability, device monitor/status logs, no firewall status, no audit tools, no logging tools / filter, no router config file export ability (incase you need to restore router settings) and more advance admin tools missing. The ASUS router that is cheaper and only have a tri-band (3 antennas) has more capabilities then this.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend
Brand response from Linksys Staff
Posted .
Hi, TechTux,
Thanks for taking the time to share your product review. We want to look into your feedback about the "Killer" Prioritization App which only working 70% of the time and other concerns that your router exhibited. Please get in touch with us at [email protected] so we can tap one of our Escalation Engineers to look closely into this matter. Indicate your contact information and the link to this review.
Best regards,
Jay Linksys Support
Pros mentioned:
Performance
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Finally a true killer enabled wifi router
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This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
The Linksys wrt 32x gaming router offers a wider variety of gaming options that should please any gamer out there. Lets talk about some of the key features and if this is going to be a right set up for you. First off this is probably hands down one of the nicest looking routers i own and have probably ever seen. It comes with everything your going to need to set up your WiFi and instructions to help you access your built in UI and ssid. You have the ability to name each line individually or combine them together. Set up is easy and takes a matter of minutes, aside from looks this seems to be a typical dual band router with few exceptions. You have your 2.5 ghz low band and your 5Ghz high stream. You have 4 Ethernet gig ports on the back side which is kinda of a nice little upgrade, 3.0 usb port for upgraded speed, and a eSAT/USB 2.0 port. In reality this is a standard router but where it stands out is in two areas, its killer mode hardware and built in dual core processor unit and firmware. Lets talk about killer software for a second. In the gaming world only very high end pcs and laptops offered this feature as part of there built ins. At the time it first came out it was supposed to have offered the ability to have smother gaming with less lag and lower ping with a higher FPS (Frame rate Per Second). I bought in to the hype and purchased a high end alien ware laptop with killer built in. Like many people out there i was pretty disappointed and felt a little cheated seeing as how i didn't not see enough improvement to justify the price tag. However all that has changed with the introduction of the Linksys wrt 32x. Now my laptop actually has something to work with that will allow a more open UI between my hardware and network. Now with the Linksys interface opened up, the killer software allows you to prioritize all devices connected in a three tier set up. You have high, normal and low priority tiers. What makes this nice is it doesn't matter if your gaming through wifi or a dedicated Ethernet cable, all gaming devices can be set to high priority. Now what this means is your laptop or pc will get maximum bandwidth above all other devices and will be deemed a necessity. In return this helps to reduce bandwidth that is taken away from people streaming videos, music, etc. The end result is a lower ping and higher speed. I wanted to put this to the test so i used a laptop with killer built in and a PC without killer. I performed both test wired and non wired with a 500mbps of internet speed. First test was done on my laptop with killer built in and wifi connected. I tested with killer enabled prioritization turned off at a distance of 30ft. on the 5Ghz line, since thats all i run anyways. First speed test produced download speeds of 400mps with upload of 5mbps and a ping of 110ms. This is kinda standard for my area, next i enabled killer and set my laptop to high priority and ran the test again. This time i got 489mbps download with a upload of 7mbps with a ping rate of 10ms. Not bad for considering how far away i was and still connected to the 5Ghz line. Now running a ethernet line to the same laptop produced similar results however with killer mode turned on and set to high priortiy my connection improved slightly. Download speed jumped to 499mbps, upload speed 7mbps and ping droped to almost nothing at about 5ms. Am i impressed? Yes, finally im getting some results from this laptop. Now i ran these test on my PC with out killer enable built ins wired in through the Ethernet ports. My results really weren't that much of a difference. The results are as follows: killer mode off download 400mbps upload 5mbps ping 89ms. Killer enable turned on through the Linksys wifi: download 420mbps, upload at 5mbps and ping at about 80ms. At this point i realized that without a killer enable pc or gaming device this is just another router. Here are my final thoughts, in reality this router is only gonna benefit you if your a true gamer looking to get an edge with the hardware built in to support this wifi set up. If your running a killer motherboard and wanna get the most out of it then definitely buy this router. Other then that your really not going to notice the upgraded performance unless your set up for it. Also if your gaming on a console such as a ps4 or xbox don't waste your money, considering that ps4 consoles cant even hook up to the 5Ghz line anyways. All in all this is a great buy for any true gamer out there. It looks nice, performs great, and gives you access to its built UI and Firmware updates.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Ease of use
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
A Gamer's New Best Friend
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Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
In a crowded market of accessories that aiming to enhance the PC gaming experience, the new WRT32X router claims to cut down latency and prioritize gaming bandwidth. It's equipped with the Killer Prioritization Engine. If your rig has a Killer ethernet or wireless card, the WRT32X will prioritize gaming traffic from that device above all other network activity. In my experience, it lives up to its claims.
PROS:
- Easy set-up and sleek packaging. Like all other modern Linksys routers, setup is as easy as connecting your modem and then navigating to 192.168.1.1 in a browser. The router is simplistically packaged, giving the feel of a premium device.
- The router configuration interface at 192.168.1.1 is by far the nicest I have ever used. It's incredibly simple yet very powerful. See the attached screenshot. The main dashboard shows current network traffic, speed test results, and connected devices. Advanced settings like prioritization, port forwarding, etc. are easy to access and don't feel overwhelming. If nothing else, Linksys has hit a home run with the design of this new configuration page.
- Seamless prioritization of Killer-enabled devices. The router automatically detects my Alienware PC with a Killer E2500 ethernet card. In the router's prioritization page, my PC is shown at the top with the option to manually prioritze non-Killer devices.
- Gaming latency on Killer devices is noticeably reduced when there is high activity on your network. If your gaming PC is the only device utilizing the network, you're not going to see much difference. In fact, while playing Team Fortress 2 with no other network traffic, I saw a decrease in ping of only 3 to 5 ms versus my previous Linksys router. I tested it again while two smart TVs were streaming 4K video. On my old Linksys router, gaming latency immediately increased to more than 100 ms. On the WRT32X, latency remained steady at about 30 ms while my TVs continued to stream 4K video without interruption.
- Solid Wi-Fi performance. The router is certified for Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS), meaning the 5 GHz band can operate on channels normally reserved for radar. In high-density housing environments like my apartment complex, this will grealy reduce interference from neighboring networks. A local file transfer between two laptops connected via 5 GHz showed transfer speeds up to 500 mbps at 30 feet: more than acceptable for my purposes.
CONS:
- The LEDs on the front of the device might be useful to some, but to me they are rather annoying and flash excessively. Luckily they can be disabled via the configuration page.
- The router includes one USB port and one eSATA/USB combo port to connect external storage devices. However, I could not get the router to report the correct storage capacities of my 3 TB hard drives. When accessing them through the SMB protocol on both Windows and Mac, the reported storage capacity was only 100 MB. I tried reformatting to both NTFS and FAT32 file systems, but the issue persisted. If network storage is important to you, this should be a consideration until Linksys issues a firmware update.
- This is not a "smart" router, so you cannot use the Linksys app to setup or control the router remotely.
OVERALL:
For the first time in a while, I can easily recommend a product targeted towards gaming enhancement. If you have any Killer-enabled devices, this is a no-brainer: the router will greatly improve your gaming experience on high-traffic networks. Even if you aren't a gamer or don't have any Killer devices, this is still a solid router with a beautiful configuration interface, solid wireless performance, and DFS. Hopefully Linksys will improve external storage performance. Recommended!
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Performance, Setup
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Gaming First!
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This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
The setup for the WRT32X AC3200 Gaming Router was not complicated. After connecting the router the modem, I plugged an ethernet cable to my PC and followed the instructions provided in the quick-setup guide. The first time, it didn’t pick up internet and my devices weren’t connecting but a quick restart of the router from the setup window itself fixed the issue.
The key feature of this router is that it is specifically for gaming devices with the Killer Network in them. Certain gaming PC’s that have the Killer Network will take advantage of this and automatically prioritize Killer Network connected devices when on. The router gives you the option to turn this feature off if you want to. If, however, you don’t have a PC with the Killer Network, you can still manually move online devices in a priority queue by dragging and dropping the items. They will appear as you named them from the device itself (e.g. Trobadour’s iPhone).
The performance of this router is excellent. Even though in my first time plugging it in I had a minor hitch, a quick one button restart of the router from my PC fixed the issue and I haven’t had any problems with it. I haven’t noticed my online gaming lagging at all, but I did prioritize my gaming PC, my Xbox One, my PS4, and my Nintendo Switch. Phones in the family were moved to middle tier priority while smart TVs in my home and other smaller devices were moved to the lowest priority tier. Creating a second WiFi network was easy and that is for guests in the house. Everything seems pretty straight forward has worked without any major complications thus far. I also tested playing a 100 player online game while have 4 other devices (2 phones, 1 tablet, and one computer) all streaming different media services (Hulu, Amazon Prime, Netflix, and YouTube). I didn’t notice it affecting my gaming at all, and that is good.
The router meets my expectations. Linksys has been making routers easier to set up for people with or without a computer. Testing this for gaming is great, especially for those who don’t understand the complications that come with setting up priorities in routers manually.
The price for the router in terms of value is approachable if you want an easy fix to prioritize your gaming needs over other member’s of the family’s needs.
I highly recommend this product for a household that houses gamers whose gaming habit may be draggin due to your router sending an unequal signal to all devices. Prioritizing gaming needs and other devices is simple enough that you don’t need to spend hours figuring out what to do to give your gaming priority.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Performance, Speed
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Advanced Router to suit all your needs
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This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I’ve been eager to test the latest Linksys router on the market – the WRT32X AC3200 gaming router! Boasting better gaming performance as well as traffic prioritization – I may no longer have to worry about my kids Netflix or Kodi streaming messing up my work sessions!
This device come packed like a safe, and was put together easily. The Linksys stackable design and the Stealth-fighter lines on the device make it look cool and “bad” at the same time!
For testing purposes, I temporarily removed my normal mesh-based router as they both try to use the same address space, and fired up the Linksys Killer router. Setup was easy, and I really like the dashboard as compared to many other router brands!
Speed tests was very good, equal with the top-of-the-line competitors mesh products, however the mesh based wireless networks have an edge on the range only due to the fact that they have satellite routers to carry the signal farther.
If you have a gaming rig or devices aware of the Killer networking features, the built-in "Killer Mode" can automatically detect your Killer-enabled computer, then syncs its Killer engine to the Killer Network Manager on the PC. This means that not only the computer itself but the entire network, hosted by the WRT32x, is tuned for the best gaming experience.
But the router doesn't just work for games only. Linksys says while it prioritizes gaming traffic, it also includes features that allows other online activities like streaming or downloads to work smoothly. It's also smart enough to prioritize only the actual gaming traffic and not all traffic related to games. Downloading a patch for a game, for example, will be treated as a regular download and not automatically prioritized.
Overall – I’m very impressed with the speed and versatility of this router, with the only downside being the 4 ports on the back. I would think that router manufacturers would now start to build in 8 ports or more – there are just so many things to connect!
If you are a big gamer, or have gamers in the house to control – check this router out and I’m sure you’ll be impressed too!
I would recommend this to a friend
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Great gaming router
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This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I have been using Linksys routers for a long time now, and I always got a very good experience in terms of reliability and user friendliness. The last one I got was the WRT3200ACM, which has been working pretty well for almost a year. Now, when I needed a new wireless router, I got my hands on the newest one, the Linksys WRT32X, which is in essence a twin of the WRT3200ACM. They share the same DNA in terms of form factor and specifications, sporting the same mean-looking front panel and the array of connectivity options in the rear. The difference is in the color scheme - W32X comes in a black which looks really cool. The most significant difference is in the firmware. Whereas the WRT3200ACM is a very general purpose router with Open Source firmware support, the W32X is targeted towards gamers. The star is the "Killer Optimization Engine", which prioritizes traffic related to games, and does so automatically if your system has a Killer Networking product. Unfortunately I don't have anything that can take advantage of this, but the bright side is you can also change priority of the connected systems very easily from the GUI.
SPECS
The spec of this router is top notch - upto 3.2 Gbps theoretical bandwidth. However, from a typical setup (a 2.4 GHz and a 5 GHz SSIDs), the "11n" network has a link speed on 144 Mbps, while the "11ac" network shows a link speed of 866 Mbps. The router is DFS certified, so you can get 160 MHz channel bandwidth in the 5 GHz spectrum, but that needs some changes in the settings. The router supports MIMO and beam forming as well.
SETUP and USER INTERFACE
The setup is really easy as the router comes with preassigned SSIDs encrypted with WPA2 passwords (they are provided in the back of the router and also in a booklet inside the box). However, as any network savvy person will tell you, it's always better to create your own SSID(s) and password, which is very easy to do once you access the browser-based user interface. The UI is designed to appeal to gamers, with upload/download speeds shown graphically in a speedometer-like dials in real time. The homepage is well designed with a shortcut to perform speed tests, displays number of devices connected and prioritization options. You can delve deeper into the settings as well and tweak your network if you're up for it. Overall, I really the liked the fast and intuitive display.
PERFORMANCE
I have been running the router for a few weeks now and it has been running smoothly without any mishaps. Both wired and wireless connections were reliable - I have almost 10 devices connected to it (laptop, desktop, smart TV, gaming console, printer and of course smartphones and tablets) and am getting good coverage with expected speed all the time.
Overall, this is a very capable router with good coverage and is able to handle quite a number of devices at the same time. The USB and eSATA ports are good addition for local storage sharing. If you want to get the latest router with all the bells and whistles, WRT32X is a good choice.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Performance
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Extremely powerful gaming router!
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This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
"Killer" enabled Linksys - WRT32X AC3200 is extremely powerful router. Being a networking expert for more than 15 years, came across with solid router in many years. Check the attached image for amazing coverage without dropping signal strength.
DESIGN:
As many other recent Linksys routers it is well designed and eye appealing with classic and modern mixed look - could be my personal to me but I guess people will like its design.
PERFORMANCE:
Powerful 1.8Ghz dual core processor delivers strong wifi signal with amazing processing power.
4 High performance antennas
Completely revamped web UI form Linksys, very easy to use.
KILLER INTEGRATION:
I have only one killer enabled gaming machine and router performed the way it was designed for. Outstanding performance on killer enabled Alienware.
CONCLUSION:
It is a router specifically meant for online gamers. If you are looking for a home router capable for multi functionality such as extender / access point, stay away from this router. Though I was told by Linksys Support that this router can be used for cascading, I found LAN to LAN cascading is not possible with this router. You cannot disable DCHP server on Linksys - WRT32X AC3200.
It is a highly recommended gaming router.
I would recommend this to a friend
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
This really is a "killer" gaming router!
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This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I've been looking for a wireless AC low ping gaming router capable of providing better coverage for my large house. I am a heavy gamer who plays games on the PC, PS4 Pro and Xbox One so the demands on a router for low latency are high. I also have a lot of devices, over 20, that run concurrently on my router so I need one that can manage all of those devices and never slow down. My current router prior was an ASUS Wireless N RT-N66U and although I had no issues with it in games whatsoever the coverage for my large, nearly 3000 square foot house was a problematic issue. I wanted to move to something that provided far better wi-fi coverage, could give me great ping times and would play nicely with all of my gaming systems. That led me to the WRT32X by Linksys...
When I received the Linksys WRT32X the first thing that impressed me was the sheer size and weight of it. Compared to my old router, and well just about any router I've ever owned, it was utterly huge. Be aware of the size if you plan to mount this somewhere prominent because it will take up significant space. Wisely Linksys has put mounting options for nails, screws or whatever on the bottom of each of the four feet on the router to make wall mounting easy. The router aesthetically is quite beautiful with mostly blacks and grey tones. It has moderately bright blue lights but in a nice design decision all of those lights can be turned off with a simple selection in the router interface. This option to turn off the lights I think is a theme that Linksys tried to take complaints from previous routers and correct those mistakes for the WRT32X. But before we go on I must say that the way that the WRT32X was packaged reminded me a lot of a high end Apple products. Using an easy open flip up box to display a lot of foam and padding to protect the router, very simple and subtle inserts and just how it was overall packaged presented it as a work of art. Yes, this is an expensive router but when you open the box and start unpacking it you feel like it's a top end product!
Setting up a new router for many techies is a mixture of dread and utter excitement so with a mixture of both of those I began the process. First up was doing multiple speed and latency tests with my current Asus router to get a baseline. In doing so I made a note of coverage areas and where the Asus router was failing. Even with two extenders the Asus struggled to cover the far side of my home, especially on the lower levels. I wavered at 1 to 2 bars of wireless coverage in that area and my hope was the new Linksys would be able to provide a solid 3 bar experience. After doing multiple wireless tests I had a baseline of speed, latency and coverage so I began the process of disconnecting my old router and replacing it with the Linksys.
Upon turning the router using the dedicated switch (nice touch!) on I went back to my wired PC and pointed my browser to 192.168.1.1. The browser immediately brought up an interface from Linksys and it greeted me with a "congratulations on using the Linksys WRT32X, let's begin..." setup message. The router began the setup by checking for a firmware update, which it found and downloaded automatically. Also of note is that every night the router will automatically check for firmware updates, automatically download those and install them on its own as well. Next, the setup guide will ask you what you want your admin interface password to be. After that it will simply ask you to rename your wi-fi network. The Linksys combines the 2.4ghz and 5ghz networks into one and will automatically determine which network your wireless device can utilize best but you can, if you desire, separate the networks as well.
Once into the actual router admin interface I was surprised to see the most elegant interface. All pertinent information is clearly visible and displayed in a logical manner. On first glance you may be a bit concerned that information is lacking but at the bottom of nearly every option is a "more settings" that you can click on to open up more options. This is clearly, without a doubt, the best router interface I have ever seen in my roughly 25 years or so of using routers. It even has an option to change your DNS settings easily to Google or OpenDNS just by clicking on an option! Again, it's just an example of the thought that Linksys has put into making this router both powerful and easy to use for common users as well as power users alike. One complaint I do have is that MAC addresses are not displayed in the router table. So I called Linksys and after a very short amount of time on hold the phone was answered by a woman. When I asked about the MAC address she said that they were aware, that it was not currently an option and that this was a design decision. I told her they should consider adding this as an option and she said she would add it to their suggestions. Another slight issue is that in some areas of the routers interface when you make a change, save and then go to leave to go to another part of the interface it will ask you if you want to "discard or continue with your changes". My last issue is that there is no app at all for iOS for this router. Hopefully an iOS app will be provided sooner rather than later.
Getting back to the positives I particularly liked the fact that on the QOS screen you can simply drag and drop priority level when defining priority levels. Everything is, by default, dumped into normal priority but you can, for example, grab your PS4 Pro from the list of devices and dump it into high priority and have just configured the QOS. I know some folks may want specific numeric indicators but I am fine with defining QOS by high, medium and low levels and I believe most folks will be as well. Just about everything in the interface is designed for ease of use and again, I cannot say enough about how much I like it.
After everything was setup in the router, which took about 45 minutes, I began the process of running coverage, speed and latency tests. First of all I am happy to report that this router gave me 3 bar coverage all over the full range of my large, five bedroom, three story house. The areas in which my previous router were 1 to 2 bars were filled with a fast and 3 bar signal by the Linksys WRT32X. The worst area went from 1mbps download to 13mbps download. Next was speed and speed remained about the same as my previous router. On to the last area and that is latency. As gamers know we all need latency to be low. Well here the WRT32X excelled and beat my previous router, consistently giving me about 5 milliseconds better latency in every test that I did. This was the case in both wi-fi and wired. In general my previous router did not cause me any issues and gaming ran well at about 25ms ping time but this router cut it down to below 20ms, usually coming in around 17-18ms ping time. So in that respect the WRT32X overdelivers on its promise to cut your ping times.
On to actually testing out the games. I play PC games, PS4 Pro games and Xbox One S game and all are wired connections. I played some games on all of them and had zero issues with any lag in anything that I played. I will say though that on my connection from my ISP, which is 100mbps down and 10mbps up, that I had never really had any issues with my old router in regards to lag. So with this router providing better ping times I certainly wasn't expecting any problems and after playing none cropped up. If you game wirelessly I imagine you will see better results as well considering my ping times decreased there but I did not try gaming wirelessly. Games that I tested included racing, fighting and sports games, all of which require low latency. Also of note and one that may be of particular concern to Xbox gamers is that this router consistently provided me with an OPEN Nat without requiring any special port forwarding or setup of any kind. If you're tearing your hair out with your gaming Xbox One NAT being strict or moderate with your current router you will not have this issue with the WRT32X.
So bottom line, is this a good router for the money or not? If you are a gamer, unequivocally I can say yes that it is. All in all I'm glad that this is my router going forward and I will likely be using this Linksys for the next few years as my main router to run my 20-25 networking devices. Great job and major kudos to Linksys on designing such a "killer" router. I would highly recommend.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Ease of use
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
Good Router if you have the Killer Network
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This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
BACKSTORY
I currently have a router that came with an additional ‘satellite’ to get an extended whole home connection. The main router is connected to the modem in my living room and the satellite is placed in my basement where my gaming desktop and PS4 are located. I wanted to try out a router without the extra hub to see how its range would be in comparison. Being a ‘gaming’ router and comparably priced to my current router, I figured the Linksys WRT32X would be a good option for my setup.
REVIEW
The WRT32X is fairly easy to setup. There is a 6-step guide to get you up and running. Connect the 4 antennas, plug into your modem, and turn it on. On a computer, I was able to just select it within my ‘network and internet settings’ and it was up and running. As it states in the description, the Linksys has the ability to connect with the Killer network to provide a faster ping for those with gaming rigs. Unfortunately, I found out my computer does not have the Killer network so I was unable to test that out but I had no issue when running games using this router. I won’t go into all the specs, but I have about 11 devices connected to Wi-Fi and this router is able to designate which device should get priority over another.
Now back to the speed comparison….since the WR32X does not have an extra satellite to place in another room, there is a big difference in download speed. It may be unfair to compare a standalone unit with the ‘extra satellite included’ routers but, in my case, it’s important because of the distance of my gaming room from the modem/router. Obviously, the farther away you have the router, the lower the speed. However, without that comparison, the Linksys WRT32X is a great router to connect a large number of devices and also help prioritize for the gamer in the household.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Setup
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
“Killer” Router
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This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
First off, this thing just plain looks epic! Though part of me fully expects it to transform into a mini robot some day and try to enlist my household appliances to revolt.
Before setting up my new router, I visited the Killer Networking website and read the info found there, also watching a video to see what this router is capable of in action - and wow ... the Prioritization Engine is truly impressive. As a former RPG type gamer, I can totally appreciate the practical benefit this type of technology offers - Reduced Lag (or spikes), Lower Ping/Latency (for faster and more consistent reaction time), but most importantly, Prioritized Gaming (over other network traffic). *However, you must be running a “Killer-enabled” PC to make use of this technology.
As a straight-up Wi-Fi router, it performs adequately. Linksys is one of my most trusted brands for this type of networking electronic. The quality is just consistently there. This Linksys router has a Dual-Core 1.8 GHz processor, is Dual-Band (2.4 and 5 GHz), has a Pro-grade Gigabit Ethernet Switch (for super fast internet connectivity), four Gigabit Ethernet Ports (for connecting your gaming consoles etc.), a USB 3.0 Port, and an eSATA/USB 2.0 Port.
When it came to setting up my Linksys Wi-Fi router, this was a simple, straightforward, and easy procedure. I just followed the six steps outlined in the setup guide, took the time to customize my new router’s settings, and we were up and running! *Remember, this is a router only. You’ll still be needing/wanting a really good modem to work in conjunction with this device.
So, if you’re a gamer - be you hardcore or casual - and have invested in a Killer-enabled PC, then this Linksys WRT32X AC3200 Wi-Fi Gaming Router, is for you!
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Setup
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Great router, very fast with great coverage...
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This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Love this router, no negatives so far to mention. No loss of wifi, or internet at all with this router. Coverage in my 1400 sq ft home is great, in and out. Love the look and the setup is easy, start to finish.
Im not much on the super technical side, but this new wrt32x router has many great features built in. Only complaint is I wish it had a app for easy access. Other than that, this is a router Id reccommend to anyone who games or streams, and want great coverage in and around theyre home...
Dont hesitate to pick this up, when it become availible... Im using this, and a Linksys EA9500 as a wired ap... Both from TIN...