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Refurbished Linksys MX5503 Atlas Pro 6 AX5400 Wi-Fi 6 Dual-Band Mesh System (3-Pack)
$35
+ Free S/H w/ Amazon Primeat Woot!
Top Comments
AX5300 is a speed rating based on Wi-Fi 6 standard; if two different devices follow the same standard and have the same antenna setup (to oversimplify), then the AX number is exactly the same, even if devices have different ports and different chipset/CPU/RAM/ROM/GigE/USB/software/drivers, even if such changes mean that real-life performance would be different;
MX5300 device has 4-core CPU, 1024MB RAM, 5x GigE, 1x USB3;
MX5500 device has 2-core CPU; 512MB RAM, 4x GigE, 0x USB;
MX4300 (LN1301) had 4-core CPU; 2048MB RAM; 4x GigE, 1x USB3;
MX55EC3 is presumed to be a BestBuy SKU for 3x MX5500;
MX55EC3-RM2 is Linksys Certified Refurbished;
Community Reviews
This refurbished Linksys Atlas Pro 6 mesh kit is mainly valued as a cheap way to build or expand a Wi Fi 6 mesh, especially with wired backhaul. The hardware is described as solid for coverage and reliable operation, and the 4 by 4 4800 Mbps radio can still perform well when the nodes are split for mesh. It also appears compatible with older Velop gear and has OpenWRT or DD WRT interest for tinkerers. The main cautions are that setup can be fiddly, the app has frozen during provisioning, and the platform is older with no updates beyond 2021. A practical pick if you want inexpensive mesh hardware and do not mind extra setup work.
tinkerers planning to flash OpenWrt/DD-Wrt because multiple commenters report OpenWrt support (including flashing immediately) and even discuss using OpenWrt kernel builds and settings for mesh/throughput.
home mesh builders who can run Ethernet backhaul because commenters say wiring the mesh nodes with Ethernet (backhaul) makes the system perform better and that dual-band can still work well for wireless backhaul since clients will only use 2 of the 3 Wi‑Fi 6 bands anyway.
buyers who want a cheap mesh upgrade and don't mind a "solid coverage" experience because commenters describe the Linksys as having great coverage and reliable performance for the price, and call it a solid cheap mesh setup.
people expanding an existing Velop setup because one commenter bought this specifically to add compatible nodes to an older Velop system that was already working well.
owners who need to reboot occasionally but want a workable wired-backhaul mesh because one user said their older MX2000 series needed rebooting about every 60 days, and they bought these to upgrade/add nodes for wired backhaul.
shoppers who want the easiest, most plug-and-play setup because commenters report the app can freeze and repeatedly ask to reset nodes, requiring a workaround (connecting to the main node via Wi‑Fi and skipping login).
people who rely on frequent firmware updates because one commenter warns these no longer get updates and the last firmware update dates back to 2021.
buyers who expect consistently high wireless mesh throughput without Ethernet backhaul because a commenter using OpenWrt reported poor throughput on wireless mesh (nowhere near 1Gbps) and suspected double-natting and other factors limiting speeds.
buyers who want the "best speed" Wi‑Fi mesh experience because commenters argue tri-band is needed for top performance and that 2.4 GHz will be limited, with interference/backhaul separation issues on these units.
people who don't want to deal with provisioning/tech setup hassle because one commenter returned the units, saying the older tech and provisioning process was a "pita" and not worth it for them.
shoppers who are sensitive to inconsistent reviews because commenters say reviews are very hit-or-miss and might not be worth the headache.
Common Questions (5)
AI-generated summary based on comments from the community. Updated ago
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EDIT: as far as speeds, I think it may be a constraint based on the version/kernel of OpenWRT. Apparently, based on the chipset on this router, in order to achieve speeds consistently greater than 200-300mbps, you have to use an "NSS" kernel build, which it seems there's much less development around. Down the rabbit hole we go I guess... supposedly there are a few openwrt NSS specific builds/branches out there but not many. I think there may also be some DDWRT NSS builds available too. I will have to look into this more tomorrow and for days to come...
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