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The cloud as management console with Cisco Connect Cloud raises the bar for router management and that capability coupled with fine performance makes the EA6500 a four star Editors' Choice for wireless routers.

Although it's great-looking and offers lots of features, the Linksys EA6500 fails to impress because of the lack of quality assurance. For now it should be avoided.

With the possible exception of the iTunes server, however, most mainstream consumers won’t miss those advanced features and might favor the EA6500’s relative simplicity and ease of use.

The EA6500 is an excellent 802.11ac router, but it isn't the cheapest.

The Cisco Linksys EA6500 is not only the best 802.11ac router on the market right now, but it's also the best 802.11n router on the market too ... all these positives come at the cost of a premium RRP, but if you have been looking to upgrade your router, the EA6500 is certainly the one to buy.

So far this is the only 802.11ac router we'd think about recommending, but even so, unless you're convinced of the need to future-proof yourself we'd hold off at least until laptop and desktop adaptors have made an appearance.

I have found with other first-generation draft 11ac routers that there is little reason to buy them if you are looking to improve the performance ... With the EA6500, however, you should see a noticeable wireless throughput boost, but only running uplink and only with very strong signals.