AC1900 vs AC2600 Router Comparison, Differences & Wireless Review [2020 Update]

Wireless routers have indeed gone through a great transformation; from the old days of 802.11g to the 802.11n ones and recently to 802.11ac routers.

Let’s agree on one thing, the majority of people have shifted their focus to N and AC devices and most likely you aren’t left behind as well.

If you need to know more about AC1900 vs AC2600 routers; their comparison, then you are in the right place.

AC1900 vs AC2600: What Are The Differences?

The AC in AC1900 and AC2600 stands for the fact that they are both wireless AC standards. The number quite simply relates to the combined theoretical speed available using the 5GHz and 2.4GHz bands.

Therefore, AC1900 routers will run 1.3Gbps second on the 5GHz band and 600Mbps on the 2.4GHz band. Likewise, AC2600 routers will run at 800Mbps on the 2.4GHz channel and 1700Mbps on the 5Ghz band.

What this basically means is that AC1900 routers should be faster on both the 5GHz and the 2.4Ghz band. So, the big question is why the difference in speed? Well, AC1900 routers use more wireless channels at any one time, allowing more bandwidth to be available.

For example, AC1900 has 1.3Gbps on 5GHz and 600Mbps on 2.4GHz. Whereas AC2600 has 800Mbps on 2.4GHz and 1700Mbps on 5GHz. All these speeds are theoretical, and actual speeds depend on the router, distance the device is from the router, obstacles, environment and the radio on the wifi device.


Top Wireless AC1900 Routers

1. NETGEAR Nighthawk Smart WiFi Router (R7000) 

Netgear R7000 looks like a smaller version of the company's R8000. Three finlike antennas attached to the back use beam-forming technology to optimize the signal. They can be aimed to grab the strongest signal or unscrewed and replaced with third-party options. 

The R7000 can be wall-mounted or can sit on a shelf. Unfortunately, its in-wall AC adapter, at 3.5 x 2.8 x 1.1-inches, is awkwardly large and more than twice the size of the Trendnet TEW-812DRU's power plug.

The Netgear R7000 comes ready to roll with a network cable, AC adapter and startup booklet. There's no CD with the manual or software, so you'll need to download them yourself.

2. Asus AC1900 Dual Band Gigabit WiFi Router

Just like the Netgear, the ASUS AC1900 is a very good router that has many features that are good for large home use as well as gaming among other things that include easy setup.

It comes with a dual-processor and 3 external antennas. Also, while the set up is easy, what is even easier is managing it thanks to the ASUS Router App which gives you control even if you are using a mobile device. Regarding its security, it has multi-stage protection for sensitive data through the AiProtection.

3. Tenda AC15 AC1900 Wireless Wi-Fi Gigabit Smart Router

The Tenda AC15 offers AC1900 at a much lower price point than the other two routers on the list.

Despite this, it still manages to offer high-end features such as USB 3.0, a dual core processor, and Beamforming.

There is no VPN, and the fact that it only has one USB port and three Ethernet ports means connectivity is slightly less than on the other two AC1900 routers on the list. However, other than this it has pretty much everything you would expect.

While this may not be the best router on the list, for the price it is hard to beat as a way to get AC1900 into your home on a budget.


Top Wireless AC2600 Routers

1. Linksys EA8500 Max-Stream AC2600 MU-MIMO Gigabit Router

Linksys EA8500 Max-Stream AC2600 MU-MIMO Gigabit Router is the first router to use Qualcomm MU/EFX Wi-Fi technology, which promises better performance for a crowded mixed network. And in my testing, it delivered.

The speedy router proved especially good when hosting a network that consisted of mixed 5GHz Wi-Fi clients, enabling each device to connect at its top speed. In addition, it also had excellent Wi-Fi coverage and stable Wi-Fi signals.

On the down side, the EA8500's Wi-Fi performance on the 2.4GHz band is below average and it network storage feature doesn't support Time Machine backup. The the Asus RT-AC68U, for example, costs just around $200 and will offer similar Wi-Fi experience, without great storage and mixed Wi-Fi performance.

2. NETGEAR Nighthawk X4S Smart WiFi Router (R7800)

The Netgear Nighthawk X4S is a super-fast, high-end router. Available in two versions, the R7800 is a router only while the D7800 includes a modem, which means you can get rid of all the kit ISPs deliver – unless you’re on fibre broadband. Offering AC2600 WiFi, this is one of the quickest routers available.

Right now, however, the issue is that there are few devices that can actually make use of the speed the Netgear Nighthawk X4S offers.

With most hardware, the Netgear Nighthawk X4S offers performance that’s close to a much more affordable model.

3. Asus Blue Cave AC2600 Dual-Band Wireless Router 

ASUS Blue Cave is a high performance wireless  AC2600 router with no visible external antennas. Not to mention that it has a hole in the middle for aesthetics reason.

ASUS Blue Cave features a dual-core processor by Intel instead of the usual Broadcom chipset ASUS normally uses. The router can support Wireless AC up to AC2600 with a 4×4 configuration. Besides, the router is MU-MIMO capable and supports Beamforming.

We recommend ASUS Blue Cave due to the really good WiFi performance. It is probably the best router in ASUS lineup currently due to the affordable price for the performance it delivers.

AC1200 vs AC1900: Final thought

The main difference between AC1900 and AC2600 is the speed you will get. AC2600 will give you faster speeds and as such is best for those who want the fastest possible network for a higher number of users.

However, with these speeds comes a higher price point and AC1900 will likely be good enough for those who just want a decent network or don’t have that many users.