Cisco Linksys E1000 Wireless-N Router, Cisco Linksys WRT160N, Cisco Valet M10

Purchasing the Cisco Linksys E1000 Wireless-N router in April of 2010 was my first attempt at upgrading my home wireless network from wireless G to wireless N. The Cisco Linksys E1000 is a re-branded Cisco Linksys WRT160N. A new Cisco router brand, the “Valet” series, features a Cisco Valet M10 with preconfigured software and a set up software wizard to aid non-technical consumers with setting up their home wireless network. All three routers have exact same hardware, chipset, features and performance.

Cisco Linksys E1000 or Cisco Linksys WRT160N (Retails for $59.99 to $79.99)



Cisco Valet M10 (Retails for $89.99 to $99.99)



Specifications:

· Broadcom 4716 @ 300MHz Processor

· 2.4GHz Band, 802.11 A,B,G,N…Wireless-N transfer speeds up to 300Mbps (Theoretical)

· 4 x Ethernet Ports 10/100

· 2 Internal Antennas

· Can Use Third Party Firmware

Home Test Results: Home size – 1500 sqft

Setting up the router with the included set-up CD was a breeze. The first thing I noticed was better range for my laptop. I can connect to the router from outside my garage or at the front of my home property (approximately 100 ft radius from router) and still get a strong connection. My internet download speed was faster.

When I change the channel width to 40MHz to optimize wireless N throughput speeds, devices that are not wireless N can no longer connect to the router (which is normal). I tried streaming 1080P videos and it was just 1 or 2 Mbps better than a wireless G connection and maxed out at around 15 Mbps. File transferring over the wireless N network again were only a few Mbps better than a wireless G router.

Negatives:

The Cisco Linksys E1000 router has issues with SAMBA and UPNP share services and devices. Sometimes the devices or shared folders take awhile to show up and sometimes it drops form the network shares network – but it is still connected to the router because I can still access the internet. If you have media players, laptops, and PCs that need to share files or stream media you may experience problems with this router.

Overall Thoughts:

This router does offer improved range, improved connection, and improved speeds over the legendary Linksys WRT54G. For someone that needs improved range and connection to access internet or stream videos from the internet this router would be perfect. But if you are looking to stream 1080P videos from a network server/client you may be annoyed by the fact that wireless media streaming is only marginally better than a wireless G router. Also it does not offer Gigabit port connections so it would make no difference if you used networking cables. I also had trouble with network shares with this router. I eventually returned it and got the Cisco Linksys E3000 due to my home needs of streaming High Definition 1080P media files and large file sharing.

Cisco Linksys E3000 : Real User Test and Review

Cisco Linksys E3000 (Linksys WRT610)



The Cisco Linksys E3000 Wireless-N Simultaneous Dual Band Router is Linksys’s best home consumer router out in the market as of April 2010 and its current retail price is $149.99. It is essentially a “re-branded” Cisco Linksys WRT610 Wireless-N Simultaneous Dual Band Router so it shares the same hardware, features and configuration. The only difference is that the “E” series models now include the new Cisco Connect Software which assists with the networking configuration/admin settings for consumers who may not have all the technical knowledge necessary to set up or configure a home network.

Important Features:
• Broadcom 4718 @ 480 MHz
• Cisco Connect Software
• 4 x Gigabit Ethernet Ports 10/100/1000
• Dual Band 2.4 GHz B, G, N and 5 GHz A and N (Simultaneous Dual Band with SSID for each) with up to 300Mbps transfer rate.
• USB 2.0 for Network Attached Storage connection or USB External Hard Drive
• Guest Network Connection Feature (Guest SSID, can only can be configured using Cisco Connect Software)
• 1 year limited warranty

The consumer must choose to use the Cisco Connect software or the Cisco Linksys web interface – they both cannot be used to configure the router at the same time and once you pick one you cannot go back to the other. Also the Guest Network connection feature allows visitors to connect to the Linksys E3000 router using a separate SSID but will not allow users on the guest network to access devices on the other two SSIDs. (I recommend applying a password or disabling this feature unless you want to share your internet connection with your neighbors).

Home Test Results: I have both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz connections working simultaneously in a 1500 sqft home and in a 2000 sqft office.

2.4 GHz – Connection and reception on this bandwidth is noticeably better than the connection than my old Linksys WRT54G. To fully utilize the wireless N connection the user must use the WPA2 encryption and set the router to 40Mhz Channel width which allowed me to transfer files at a blazing sustained 40Mbps+ speeds– but this will only allow Wireless N connections and any device with Wireless A, B and G will not be able to connect to the router. I have two Playstation 3s, two laptops, one desktop computer, one Network Attached Storage (NAS) and three HD Media Players connected to this 2.4 GHz access point.

5 GHz – Using this frequency band allows for fast file transfer (40Mbps +) and connection speeds, but I noticed that the range and connection were weaker than the 2.4GHz frequency. I noticed that this was a common issue with other high end simultaneous dual band routers I have tested. I have two laptops connected to this 5 GHz access point.

Negative Issues:

The Linksys E3000 have one utterly fail flaw – the bottom is very hot to the touch which may cause disconnect issues with the wireless connections or shorten the operating life of this router. This issue can be resolved by placing custom made legs underneath the router to raise it by ¼ of an inch. The built in USB 2.0 allows you to connect a USB Network Attached Storage (NAS)or USB External Hard Drive but it has a slow file transfer speed (40Mbps) – you can actually transfer files faster using a NAS attached via CAT6 networking cables with Gigabit port connection or any of the Wireless N connection frequency. I’ve had SAMBA, Upnp, and file sharing problems with the Linksys E3000 and Linksys E1000. During the first few days of set up and usage at my home it would take hours for some of the networked devices to show up to permit file transfers, sharing, and media streaming. Sometimes the shared networked devices disappear or don’t show up at all and this is using both wireless and wired networking connections. I called Cisco tech support/customer service and they were unable to resolve the issue. While I was testing the Linksys E3000 in my office it took the router even longer to see some of the shared devices in the network. Sometimes the shared devices disappear for a few hours even though it is still connected to the router with complete internet access. File Sharing or media streaming was slower due to 10 other wireless networks nearby in my office building which may cause interference– this may also be reflective of a WiFi network environment in an apartment complex.

Overall Thoughts and Analysis:

This is a great router for users who would like a fast reliable connection without having to use networking cables. The Cisco Connect Software is also a great feature for users who find the Cisco Linksys web interface configuration too complicated. If you plan to share large files or stream large High Definition Media Files this is one of the few routers that has good throughput transfer speeds using a Gigbit wired networking or the Wireless N networking. Overall I was able to transfer files at 40Mbps+ speeds using 40 MHz channel settings for both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz access points. Although this router claims it is optimized to stream High Definition Movie files using only true wireless connections (without a wireless bridge or wired connection from client to router to a media player), there were lagging and buffering throughout the movie when I was streaming full 1080p60 MKV media files that are 20 GB or larger. I was able to stream 720p MKV movie files and all other media file formats perfectly. During my ownership I have not been able to resolve the problems with UPNP and SAMBA file sharing – especially with the set up boxes and media players. The Gigabit connections allow you to transfer large files quickly and flawlessly stream HD High Bitrate Movie files using Cat6 networking cables – assuming you have devices with Gigabit port connection features. The Linksys E3000 also supports third party firmware development and updates - none at the moment that can fix the overheating issues and Upnp/SAMBA device sharing issues.

Ending Notes:

I have been using a Linksys WRT54 wireless G router for almost 7 years and my office currently uses a D-Link wireless G router - both did not have UPNP/SAMBA file sharing issues. My need to upgrade my home and office network started my hunt to review and test capable routers for my personal and office applications. I have yet to find any router that can stream High Definition 1080p 20GB and larger High Bit-rate files successfully using only wireless N connections without buffering or lagging during the middle of a movie. No wireless N capable router and devices I have tested were able to consistently sustain streaming 25Mbps+ HD Movie files (1080P High Bit-rate) flawlessly. I have not been able to reach the theoretical Wireless N transfer speeds of 300Mbps or come close on any of the routers I have tested in my home or office. Other consumers/users may have different experiences and different results and I strongly encourage positive comments, unknown issues or solutions that I have not addressed. I eventually returned this router after three weeks of headaches.