Linksys Atlas Pro 6 (AX5400) review

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This Linksys Atlas Pro 6 (AX5400) review is aimed at anyone who wants one of these best mesh networks but who doesn’t want to pay too much for it – these systems can get expensive fast and this one is actually quite reasonable.

If you’re struggling with weak WiFi at home or are looking for a way to extend your network as much as possible, a mesh network can help. For busy households with dozens of connected devices, it’s an absolute must, as everyone gets a stable connection no matter what room they’re in or what they’re doing.

For the past few weeks I’ve been trying out the Linksys Atlas Pro 6 (AX5400), a Wi-Fi 6 dual-band mesh network. Find out how I got on with it and whether it’s worth your hard-earned money in this review.

Linksys Atlas Pro 6 (AX5400) Review: Price and Availability

The Linksys Atlas Pro 6 (AX5400) is available now from Amazon and costs $500 in the US and £395 in the UK for a three-router bundle. You can also buy packs of two or even just one knot if you prefer. Take a look at the widgets on this page to see the best deals on them from around the web.

Linksys Atlas Pro 6 (AX5400) review: design and setup

Linksys Atlas Pro 6 (AX5400) review: Mesh network node from behind on a table

(Image credit: Future)

The Linksys Atlas Pro 6 (AX5400) Mesh WiFi System is available in single, double, or triple packs. Shaped like a skyscraper, each knot has sharp edges and a square shape with a perforated tip. The knots are relatively compact and are 28 cm high and 8.6 cm wide. Made mostly of matte white plastic, the design is understated and won’t bother you if you place it in a more open spot. They also fit into tighter corners.

On the back of each device you will find 1 gigabit WAN Ethernet port and 3 gigabit LAN ports as well as the hidden power input. However, they don’t have USB ports.

To keep you informed of the status of the node, there is an LED light on top of the device that glows blue when everything is as it should be. If the connection to the main node is lost, you will see a yellow light, or if there is no connection at all, it will turn red.

Setting up the network was easy enough – took me about 20 minutes. All I had to do was download the Linksys app, create an account, and select a new product to set up. Compared to some other mesh networks, each node took a little time to set up as it had to be “woken up” and then updated. Luckily, the app does all the hard work for you. I was able to keep my phone near the node while it went through the setup and installation.

Linksys Atlas Pro 6 (AX5400) review: performance and features

Linksys Atlas Pro 6 (AX5400) review: Mesh network node from above

(Image credit: Future)

The Linksys Atlas Pro 6 (AX5400) is a dual-band Wi-Fi 6 network and uses Velop Intelligent Mesh to improve your Wi-Fi coverage throughout your home and garden. It has the potential to cover up to 5400 square feet depending on how many nodes you have set up.

You have to keep in mind that you can only get the most out of Wi-Fi 6 support if you are using current devices, older phones and laptops are limited to Wi-Fi 5 connectivity.

The Linksys Atlas Pro 6 (AX5400) splits your connected technology into two bands according to need and priority level and has a 2.4 GHz channel and a 5 GHz channel with 160 MHz. By splitting them up, you take the pressure off, which means you can get more done online at the same time.

With each node you can connect more than 30 different devices at the same time. So if you buy the triple pack, you can connect about 90 devices. It’s not best in class, but for this price it’s pretty impressive and means you should be able to have all your smart home tech running while one person is streaming Netflix, another is playing an online game and all while surfing the Internet on your PC.

The great thing about a mesh network is that even though you have different nodes in your house, the system will automatically switch your devices between them as you move around the house, giving you a stable and seamless connection wherever you are.

If you already have other Velop nodes in your home, these can be used to expand your network even further.

I tested the Linksys Atlas Pro 6 (AX5400) in my apartment as a replacement for a standard WiFi router. I usually have a deadlock in the bedroom where I have trouble connecting to the internet and when it works the connection is pretty weak.

Before setting up this network, I could only expect 12.5 Mbps download and 14.6 Mbps upload speeds on my Wi-Fi 6 smartphone. Using the Linksys Atlas Pro 6 (AX5400), he got 37.6Mbps download and 16.7Mbps upload speeds, so he did a great job of further expanding my coverage. I can finally stream TV shows in bed!

In the living room (where my router is usually located), my connection speeds stayed about the same once I started using the Linksys Atlas Pro 6 (AX5400). While it would have been good if it gave my entire network a boost, not just the weaker spots, it didn’t really matter to me as I already had a strong connection there.

Linksys Atlas Pro 6 (AX5400) review: Linksy app in action

(Image credit: Future)

The Linksy app itself is very simple. You can easily see how many devices are connected to your network and you can see the name of each one, although it takes a moment or two to load the information. The app also lets you turn on your guest network, change your WiFi password and network name, run a speed test, and create a list of devices you want to prioritize.

There are also some really handy parental controls you should know about. They are accessible from the main dashboard. You can select individual devices and then pause their internet access, schedule when they have access and block specific websites. Parental controls can be turned on or off across the network.

Admittedly, the controls and features offered by the Linksys Atlas Pro 6 (AX5400) are a bit more basic than elsewhere. For example, you can’t see which specific websites each device has visited, nor can you set time limits. You don’t get as many security features either, some other options have malicious content filters, security for your IoT devices and even detailed internet usage statistics as well as everything you get here (although they do charge an additional monthly subscription fee for the privilege). ).

Linksys Atlas Pro 6 (AX5400) review: Verdict

LINKSYS ATLAS PRO 6 (AX5400) review: two nodes on a white background

(Image credit: Linksys Atlas Pro 6 (AX5400))

For anyone looking to extend the wireless coverage of their home network, the Linksys Atlas Pro 6 (AX5400) is a good option. While it’s by no means cheap, it’s more affordable than many others out there.

In my experience, it successfully filled in the WiFi weaknesses in my home so I had a reliable connection in every room, but it didn’t necessarily improve speeds in areas my standard router could previously cover.

The app is very easy and intuitive to use, even if you don’t have as much control over your network as you do elsewhere. By saying that it does everything you actually do to need so it’s still worth considering.

Linksys Atlas Pro 6 (AX5400) review: also consider

Another mesh network that I have tested and would recommend is this TP-Link Deco X90 (AX6600). If you have a large home, this might be a better choice as you can connect up to 200 devices at once. I was seriously impressed with how much I was able to improve both my Wi-Fi speeds and coverage.

For most people, the best mesh network you can buy is this Netgear Orbi WiFi 6. It’s super easy to set up and use, there are plenty of wired ports available, and it does a great job of boosting the potential of your home Wi-Fi network. But it is very expensive.

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