I have a Linksys WRT1900ACS (Dual band Ram:512 Flash:128) that runs OpenWRT.
Willing to buy three OpenWRT compatible AC access points to extend coverage area. All of them will be connected to the main router (WRT1900ACS) via Ethernet cables. So probably wont need mesh technology. Please tell me otherwise...
My plan is to run them all by the same SSID and 802.11r & 802.11k enabled to make switching between APs fast and smooth.
My choices are Linksys EA8300 (AC2200):
Ram 256
Flash 256
Tri-band
2×2 Spatial Streams
Specs of these two look a little bit contradicting and confusing.
How is that the faster router has less bands? Why the ram and flash size move to opposite of each other?
And in general which one is better?
Thanks in advance
As your goal is the use them as APs, you don't need much RAM and extra packages. Hence any of them will do. I'd go for the EA8500 as wifi seems better. Three bands may not be needed if the uplink is done by LAN.
As @frollic stated, there are other and cheaper devices that may fit your goal.
Both are solid wifi5 devices, but they have been replaced by their wifi6 based successors - which are faster (SOC and WLAN) and pretty much sold for the same prices (often even less). While a wireless based mesh- or repeater network would benefit from a tri-radio device (such as the ea8300), you don't need that for your network topology with a wired backhaul; tri-band wifi6 devices exist, but they rather expensive and rarely supported by OpenWrt (they often could be, but they didn't get into the hands of potential developers yet).
So based on your wired topology, the ea8500 would be preferable over the ea8300 - but modern wifi6 options would be even better (and twice as fast on the wireless side).