Linksys have just announced the next generation of its WRT router, the WRT3200ACM.

The Linksys WRT3200ACM MU-MIMO Gigabit Wi-Fi Router, to give it its fullest of names, is the latest router in the WRT series.

Yes, it looks exactly like the previous models but it’s all change under the skin.

Faster and more powerful

Under the hood the new router now has a powerful 1.8Ghz dual-core processor, 256MB of Flash and 512MB of system memory. That’s compared to the 1.6Ghz, 128MB Flash and 512MB RAM of its predecessor.

It also supports the latest Tri-band 160 technology. This means, on paper at least, it’s twice as fast (up t0 2,600Mbps) as normal routers at close range.

I say on paper because, chances are, you will not see this level of performance in real life. This is because there are no Tri-band 160 clients (laptops, phones, etc.) currently on the market. Handy if you’re looking to future-proof your network though.
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However, that’s not entirely the point. You see, this is aimed at users who want to utilise custom firmware or are looking for a purpose-built router with no fluffy features.

The WRT3200ACM is open source-ready which means that users can customise the device to tailor it to particular applications.

Check out what it can be customised for.

WRT3200ACM custom scenarios

Gamers

• Replace the full-featured factory firmware with a stripped down firmware so the router’s power is solely directed to moving network traffic instead of running other services like parental control or cloud services.
• Optimise advanced routing settings for low latency

Enhanced browsing privacy/security

• Build virtual private networks (VPN) for secure data transfers
• Access TOR Networks for anonymous browsing
• Completely strip ad tracking
• Employ network intrusion detection

Networking professionals

• Create a web server
• Capture and analyse network traffic
• Do Voice over IP calling (VoIP calls)
• Perform advanced network traffic management

Commercial applications

• Create a Hot Spot (Captive portal) for internet cafes or other retail environments to provide customers with Wi-Fi
• Smaller regional internet service providers looking for custom firmware solutions for CPE routers
• Use the WRT as a Linux-based development platform

Linksys WRT32000ACM pricing and availability

The new Linksys WRT3200ACM MU-MIMO Gigabit Wi-Fi Router will be available to buy in November at an MSRP of £199.99.

More information can be found on the Linksys website.