Linksys 1900 Router

The Linksys WRT1900 series (specifically the WRT1900AC, WRT1900ACS, and the follow-up WRT3200ACM) is currently in a state of market transition, moving from enthusiast staple to "End-of-Life" legacy status LinksysLinksys. While originally celebrated as the "second coming of the WRT54G," recent insights highlight a complex landscape of hardware power vs. software instability.

Product Overview & Evolution

The series was designed to recapture the open-source spirit, featuring a signature blue-and-black industrial design and high-performance Marvell ARM processors.

* WRT1900AC: The original pioneer, known for its powerful dual-core CPU and internal cooling fan Openwrt.

* WRT1900ACS: The mid-cycle refresh that improved reliability by upgrading the CPU (1.2GHz to 1.6GHz) and doubling the RAM (256MB to 512MB) SmallnetbuilderWikipedia.

* WRT3200ACM: The "Wave 2" flagship that added 160 MHz bandwidth support and MU-MIMO, theoretically doubling speeds on the 5GHz band OnecomputerguySmallnetbuilder.

Market Trends & Insights (2026 Context)

1. 1Discontinued Status: Official support and manufacturing for the WRT series have ended LinksysFlashrouters. Linksys has shifted focus toward Mesh Wi-Fi (Velop series) and Wi-Fi 6E/7 systems, leaving a gap for the traditional "prosumer" router market Reddit.
2. 2The "Enthusiast" Trap: Despite being marketed as "Open-Source Ready," the series has faced severe backlash due to Marvell's abandoned WiFi drivers Reddit. Users report chronic 5GHz radio drops and latency spikes, leading many to recommend older models (ACS) or competitors like the Netgear R7800 for stability Reddit.
3. 3Sourcing & Availability:

* New units are virtually non-existent in traditional retail channels.

* Secondary Market: The series maintains high demand on platforms like eBay and Amazon Renewed, primarily for users wanting cheap, high-performance NAS-like storage throughput via the eSATA/USB 3.0 ports, which still rival modern routers Smallnetbuilder.

1. 4Open-Source Shift: In 2026, the community focus has shifted toward MediaTek-based (Filogic) and Qualcomm-based hardware that offers better driver support in OpenWrt than the Marvell-powered WRT1900 series.

Critical Technical Comparison