Features:

  • Manage your network’s wireless access points remotely through Cloud Manager
  • Easy-to-use, centralized, browser-based dashboard
  • Dual-band (2.4 GHz + 5 GHz) data transfer speeds up to 1.17 Gbps
  • PoE+ (Power over Ethernet Plus) compatible for streamlined installation
  • Protects your data with advanced business-class security features
  • Zero-touch provisioning (configuration) allows for rapid deployment
Great, here’s why.

This is a review for the Linksys Business AC1200 WiFi Cloud Managed Point, 802.11ac. The Setup: Amazingly easy to set up, documentation is on a CD-ROM; but it is so simple to set up I didn’t have to refer to it once. The Linksys Business AC1200 (AC1200) plugs right into your router and after a few minutes is ready to link to your Linksys cloud account. I didn’t have a Linksys cloud account so I used the link on the back of the quick start guide to go and set up one. Once you create your login and confirmed it via the email they send you, it takes you step-by-set in setting up your Linksys cloud. First, you will add the AC1200 to your cloud account through its serial number and MAC address. When your done adding your AC1200 to the cloud account it again walks you step-by-step through the AC1200 setup including adding a SSID and configuring it. I’ve worked with many cloud managed service providers Linksys cloud is by far the best. Simple, uncluttered interface, well organized and segmented sections lend to very easy understanding and fine-tuning setup of your AC1200 within your organization. The only drawback to the simple cloud is it doesn’t offer enterprise level features like LDAP and AD user authentication. Also, right now the splash page for authenticating guests to the wireless network isn’t working. I spoke to a support person about both of these issues and the enterprise authentication methods may be rolled out in future firmware updates; regarding the splash page not working engineers are on the case and hopefully a firmware update will be out soon to fix that issue. Features: Quick and easy setup. Comes with the ability to do PoE+ (Power over Ethernet) so you won’t need to plug it in if you mount it in the ceiling or on the wall. Comes with a mounting template for easy mounting. Supports combined 1.17Gbps communications from WAN to LAN and LAN to LAN. Handles our gigabit WAN connection at its full speed. Cloud management included for 5 years (average usable life of a Wi-Fi router) to add another AC1200 all you need is to plug an ethernet cable into it and power it up. Once fully powered up you add it to your network with its MAC address and serial number and after a few seconds it will be part of your network. It’s that simple. Cloud management also includes Network Insight, to help monitor your network, including AC1200s on the network in multiple site locations, network performance, connected clients. Cloud management can also email you if any of your AC1200 AP’s go down—time out settings can be adjusted so you don’t get an email if your network or AP goes down for just a short moment but is truly down. Linksys Cloud Management utilizes a common web interface to manage your companies Wi-Fi network from any device on the internet. Supports 802.11ac with Dual Band (2.4GHz + 5 GHz) that has 1,200 Mbps. Captive portal for guest network authentication (currently not working. Support says it will be fixed in the next firmware release.) The hidden gem in the feature list has to be its support of mesh wi-fi. Which, if you have multiple AC1200s in your location with the same SSID, will allow you to walk through your business and have the device on the network seamlessly move from AP to AP without dropping the connection. Performance: Supports latest Wi-Fi 802.11ac giving you gigabit Wi-Fi speeds over the network. Supports both Dual Band (2.4GHz + 5 GHz) supporting a maximum data rate of 1,200 Mbps. Our network provider caps out at 1,000 Mbps so this is ample performance for us. Because of the AC1200’s support of modern internet speeds and connections I have zero complaints of its performance. Support: Because of my inability to get the guest network login portal working I needed to contact support. The support person I spoke to was very helpful. . Overall my experience with their support was very good. I can’t recommend this product enough. The setup, features, performance, support and its amazingly low price are all outstanding. If you have a business that offers or needs an upgrade to its Wi-Fi then definitely this is the product for you.

Very helpful for wifi management

I use this at home because my routers always had some wifi dropping issue. Turns out that using an AP helps keep high number of devices well managed with no drops. Even though this is advertised for small business use, I strongly recommend it for medium to large home use. Definitely if you have 20 devices or so around home.

Fast, easy to install access point.

This access point was easy to install and has good range. You can program up to 5 SSIDs for each band and it can be programmed locally or through a Linksys cloud account. Includes AP, power supply, a patch cable and mounting hardware to mount to a wall or ceiling. It also has a status light to tell you if it is active and has any clients connected.

Good hardware, good software, but doesn't play nice with multiple APs

I've used Ubiquiti and enterprise grade D-Link access points, and I prefer both to these. That's not to say this is a bad solution, and I recommend a separate router and access point solution for most hard core users and any business use case. Installation is par for the course for business grade access points, but if you're used to consumer routers, there's a bit of a change. The device uses PoE, which is the standard for these as well as IP cameras, and the power requirements will accommodate most PoE switches and injectors. I have a pair of Linksys switches, and both easily powered this device. Once you get past the power bit, it can be similar to a router, but you'll be best served rethinking placement. While many routers are in entertainment centers, in basements, or in offices, an access point should be strategically placed to cover a wide area, and if you're using a few of these, you should consider all of their locations. That's where the simple single wire solution to hook these up simplifies things (especially with a drop ceiling in a workplace). Once installed, these look like smoke detectors. Coverage (relative to similarly placed D-Link DAP-2695) is good, but not as good as the six antenna array from D-Link. If you're using multiple units, you can get two of these for the price of the D-Links (keep reading for a problem with buying multiple units of this model). The setup interface is not quite on par with Ubiquity but much simpler than D-Link. Granted the D-Link is very clear and deliberate once you get used to it, but Linksys has a much more user friendly approach. Additionally the cloud based approach of Linksys offers a simpler approach to managing multiple units, albeit at the expense of relying on a cloud solution. The fly in the ointment is the lackluster transition between multiple units. There's no slick hand off. It drops one connection and then starts another. Other systems have a slick transition. In the end, I was torn between 4-5 stars. It's not the best solution out there, nor is it as easy to use as consumer mesh systems, but it offers a lot of possibilities for a fair price.

Easily accessing the cloud with this product.

One of the things which was not in order was that the connection to the Ethernet was limited to one connection which meant that you would need to use a separate line. Also, the recommendation was to mount on the ceiling or wall. Very cumbersome to say the least. Also, you would need a spliter to divide the cable so that you could get to the cloud and use the hard line at the computer. We set this up to use with others in our realm who are on the cloud and it worked very well. You need to have others who have the same access for you to use this properly rather than as a single user.

Recommended

Love the manageability and speed. I installed in my home and works great

Good value

While many other WAP are much more expensive, this Linksys unit does a great job for the price range. We installed a few around our warehouse and the coverage is great around all of the tall racks and our connection seems to be solid.

High Speed & Steady WiFi

This WiFi Cloud Access Point is very handy for extending your WiFi to remote areas of your home. I use this one in the sunroom where normally a fireplace blocks much of the signal. Now anyone can use that area with a laptop, tablet, iphone, etc. The signal is always steady.

Great For Large Enterprises, Or People Who Really Want Great Coverage...

I bought this for my home and it covers the whole house and some of the yard. That's really good compared to several others I have used. I work in IT, so I'm bound to have some things that others might think are excessive... However, if you're a big company, then this will also work well for you. Up to 5 SSIDs so you can have multiple networks, and great features. My only complaint is the lack of PoE. But I didn't think that was enough to knock it down a star.

Painless network access for a busy office

I loved how easy this was to set up in our co-working space and there was a HUGE difference in how we were able to effectively compute and get things done. This makes connections more steady, accessible and headache-free at a tremendous price!

Full Reviews