Linksys vs Netgear. Which Brand to Choose?
Linksys and Netgear are both well-established brands that make some of the most popular wifi routers out there. Both of these brands have been around for over 2 decades and feature a lot of products to choose from. Many of the best wifi routers for long-range and fast speeds you will find out there are often by these two brands. But, since you probably don’t need both of their routers in your home, you simply must make a choice and decide which is better between Linksys vs Netgear.
This comparison review between the two brands will make sure to clear the air and let you know what both of the brands have to offer. We will talk about their advantages and disadvantages, user experience, and everything else you should know and expect from both Linksys and Netgear.
Linksys vs Netgear – Which One Is Best For You?
Both Linksys and Netgear were founded around the 90s even though Linksys is a couple of years older than Netgear. Both of them have also progressed nicely over the years and have been in a constant battle to determine which brand is actually better. It’s important to mention that either of these two brands doesn’t have bad technology, it’s just not the same which is why it’s important to see what they offer and determine if that’s what you’re looking for or not.
User Experience
This part of our review will show you what you can expect in terms of ease of use, setup process, installation, and similar.
Linksys
The list of features that come with the Linksys routers regarding the ease of use is definitely a satisfying one. You can control your Linksys router through their own app which you can use to complete the entire setup and installation process without using a browser.
Linksys routers also come with tons of enjoyable features like giving wifi access to as many as 50 guests, establishing parental controls, internet scheduling, and it even allows you to prioritize which device connects to the internet first and gets the best connection. Their app basically simplifies your life quite a lot and removes the need for hiring a professional to set up the routers and optimize them for peak performance.
Netgear
Netgear is a very popular brand that features routers for all sorts of purposes, including home wifi, gaming routers, routers for offices and businesses, and more. It’s hard to complain about the user experience with Netgear although it’s unfortunate that it’s not as simplified as with Linksys.
It’s obvious that Netgear does focus a lot on quality. You won’t have any issues with firmware updates or experiencing random wifi crashes and similar issues. Among the best features about Netgear is that they have a wide catalog of products that includes just about everything for everyone.
Design and Features
This part will focus on the main features that both of these brands offer in their products. This also includes quality of design, performance, and important specs and limitations that you should be aware of.
Linksys
The product catalog at Linksys includes a wide selection of routers designed both for home and business use. Linksys routers are known to be resistant to overheating and many of them feature quite elegant designs as well. However, the cheaper models, although decent in performance, aren’t really amazing in design. But, that shouldn’t be an issue since they feature a lot of amazing routers under $100.
If you’re looking for something with more punch, Linksys includes wireless routers that come with all sorts of different features, including dual-band and even tri-band connection routers, up to WiFi 6E technology, speeds up to 5000 Mbps, Mesh WiFi, Cloud Manager Software, WiFi extenders, and much more.
Netgear
Based on personal experience and many reviews from Amazon and various other sources, Netgear is the clear winner when it comes to design and appearance. Their routers are much more elegant-looking and sit nicely on any surface. Despite all of this, it’s usually all down to personal taste, and design shouldn’t be something to stress over a lot.
In terms of features and performance, Netgear offers WiFi routers that reach up to 3000 sq. ft. of space, support up to 60 connected devices, WiFi Technology up to WiFi 6E, over 10Gbps internet speeds, and feature all sorts of devices from cable modem routers, WiFi extenders, to adapters, and more.
It’s safe to say that both of these brands will almost always have what you’re looking for. All you have to decide is the design difference and a few slight features that differ between their products.
Customer Support
Find out how each of these brands handles their customer care and whether they provide support for any and all problems that may occur regarding their service and products.
Linksys
When you first visit the Linksys website, you will notice that they display their support pages in various locations on the homepage. Once you go to support, you will notice that the website features countless resources to fix any possible issues on your own without wasting any time. However, that’s not where it ends. Linksys also provides a live chat, a phone line, a Twitter feed where questions regarding any problems are answered, and a community page where you can solve each other’s problems.
If that doesn’t work, you can also contact Linksys support through email or call to have somebody sent over and fix any physical connectivity issues with your devices. We can safely say that you won’t be disappointed with Linksys’s support. It may not be the fastest but it’s reliable.
Netgear
The customer care at Netgear is quite similar to Linksys. Their website features a Contact Us page and a Support page where most of your questions, such as how to increase wifi speed, should get answered. Their Support page includes a feature allowing you to enter your product name and model number to find out everything there is about your device, including common issues and ways to fix them.
On top of that, they’ve included a wide database full of possible fixes for all of their devices and a community feature similar to Linksys where you can chat with other users of Netgear products. Lastly, Netgear also provides complimentary technical support free of charge for the first 90 days of your purchase.
There’s also Premium Netgear Support that costs between $19.99 and $49.99 and grants you all sorts of useful features like extended warranties, 24/7 access to express technical support, repairs and replacements, exclusive phone support, and overall faster service.