Customer Reviews

Cisco-Linksys E1000 Wireless-N Router

5 star:		(91)
4 star:		(40)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(20)
1 star:		(44)

 

 

The E1000 is an entry level wireless N router with a 100Mb switch. This router runs 802.11n in the 2.4GHz frequency (~130Mbs) to be backward compatible with 802.11b/g. The downside is that if you have a mixed wireless client environment at home (Wii/Blackberry) - 802.11b/g, newer laptop with 802.11n) you will only ever get a max of 802.11g speeds. If you have any 802.11b only clients, your performance could be much less. If you have a mixed environment and really think you need 802.11n speeds then you should be looking at the E3000. This device has two separate radios (2.4GHz and 5GHz). You would then dedicate the 5GHz to your 802.11n and use the 2.4GHz for 802.11b/g connections. You also get a gigabit capable switch vs. 100Mb). Running 802.11n in the 2.4GHz frequency in theory is 130Mb/s and in the 5GHz frequency that is pushed to 300Mb/s. Keep in mind, that you will never get the advertised speeds, not even on b/g as the wireless protocol has a very large overhead. You are lucky if you actually see half of that speed. The 2.4GHz frequency does travel farther than 5GHz but with speed tradeoffs. 2.4GHz is also more susceptible to interference from the microwave, baby monitor, or anything else that runs in the 2.4GHz frequency.

I know that was long, but the point is to understand what you have at home for wireless clients and then determine what product you need to buy. I think most people see the E1000 at a lot cheaper price and don't really understand what they are getting.

Now for my review: I have a mixed environment and am just happy with the 802.11g like performance. The speeds are not an issue for streaming HD content from my DireTV DVR to laptops over wireless or streaming video/music throughout my house. I have the device set up in the basement and get adequate coverage throughout my two story home. It even sneaks out to my garage (on the opposite end of the house from the E1000) and the patio. Having much experience with networking equipment, I choose to bypass the "easy setup" and manually configure the device and the clients. I think setup problems from a client perspective have more to do with Windows Vista and Windows 7 security than the E1000. My Wii and Blackberry connected quickly and easily while the Vista and Win7 machines took a couple of tries to connect. Overall, a good product for its intended purpose.

After upgrading my internet service, I was forced to purchase a new router to provide wireless access. After looking at the usual suspects, I purchased this item based on experience with Linksys on prior occasions and a decent price. The unit is rated for speeds up to 300 MBPS, is rated N and 2.4 GHZ. I am very glad I did purchase this particular router.

Pros:

1. Set-up: I literally have NEVER had such an easy time setting up a wireless network before. I simply took the unit from the box, gave it power and after installing the CD on my 'home' computer, the thing literally began finding the internet signal and within maybe 4 minutes completed the task. Voila! I had a network! Besides changing the name of the network and the password, I had no issues whatsoever - it simply worked. And I only had an issue briefly because I failed to turn off the previous router (I was too excited). Unbelievably easy. Actually, I think the word is astonishing.

2. Aesthetic: I think this matters for any electronic item because most likely you will be looking at it on a table or desk somewhere. And I have to say, this thing is ultra cool looking. No antennas. It is simply a futuristic flying saucer looking item. The unit is black, with an ultra-cool "Euro style" blue light panel. I certainly don't mind having it around to look at continually. However, it does not have a small footprint. For a comparison, think of a trade paperback book and you will get the approximation of the size. It is oriented horizontally, not vertically. As is typical with these routers, you get 4 Ethernet ports on the back, a power plug, and a reset button on the back.

3. Reliability: I have not had any issues with this item since I purchased it. The network seems stable, and I have not had any drop-outs.

Neutral:

1. I did enter the router manually, and the router setting are not as easy to navigate around as other routers I have dealt with, but I found the buttons easy to change and manipulate.

Cons:

I bought this at a decent price, it worked instantly and it looks very neat and tidy. I have NO complaints.

Overall, I think this is an excellent product, and this is why I am sharing it with other readers. It just works!

This router is fantastic for anyone, especially for those new to wireless networking. Linksys has done everything for you. All you have to do is pop in the Cisco Connect disk after you've plugged in the router, and you're pretty much done. They give you an SSID, passwords, etc. You can change your SSID and whatever settings you need to change very easily and quickly using the Cisco software if you like.

I loved the Guest network option for friends and family who need internet access on your wireless network without giving them the key to your main network. The parental controls option is also a fantastic feature for people such as myself who have children whose internet access you need to limit after school and/or on the weekends.

The only issue I encountered was the signal going in and out upon initial hookup. This was quickly fixed by unplugging my cordless home phone. Although my phone is 6.0 DECT and shouldn't have been a problem, it was for some reason. After unplugging the phone and setting up the router, I plugged my phone back in and haven't had any issues of any kind.

This setup was simple and unintimidating. No logging into the router and being so confused you want to either stay wired or end up leaving your system unsecured. I would most definitely suggest this router for newbies or anyone else who's found setting up a wireless network to be frustrating. Best router out there!

I've had this router 3 months now and it has not been a good experience. First off, if you want to do any manual configuration, you have to use the web interface. That's not a problem, but the fact that you can't enable or disable the wireless guest feature from the web interface is a bad design. So if you start with the manual config, the guest feature is still on, and the only way to turn it off is to reset the router to defaults, uninstall and reinstall the software and then you can turn the guest option off. After that, you can manually change your settings. So turn off the guest feature first, then switch to the web interface, if that's your cup of tea.

I would love to have used the included software, but it isn't comprehensive enough. There are several things you just cannot do from the software.

Finally I got it working just fine but that only lasted a month. Now the problem is it randomly drops out. Not just wireless, but wired too. Another problem is that I can't even access the web interface half the time. I have to unplug and replug the router so that I can log in. This is odd because the internet still works most of the time this happens, like right now for example. Even when you seem to have excellent access through the web interface there are some options in the menu that take forever to load or never load at all. DHCP Reservation is one of those, as well as looking at what wireless clients are attached to the router. I've waited 2 minutes for them to load before. After that I just close it due to frustration.

If you use wireless MAC filtering (ACL) like I do, you will get frustrated. Every time you add a new MAC, it drops half of the previously saved ones. So I have had to create a document with all of these MAC's in case I need them again.

The wireless performance is good if you are very close to the unit, but horrible above 20 feet. They have made this router look nice, but it is at the expense of performance since it doesn't have external antennas. I think most of us would rather have a wireless router with some good range over a pretty one.

Another problem is you can't turn the wireless off. So if you just want to use it as a wired router, you're out of luck. Additionally there is no way to adjust the signal strength of the wireless. So if you wanted to turn it down so you're whole neighborhood doesn't see it, again you're out of luck. These are features I've had in wireless AP's and routers 10 years ago.

Just another product that is sold to the public while being incompletely tested.

I have now had the pleasure of setting up two new Cisco routers. One was the Cisco ValetPlus, and the other was the Cisco Linksys E1000. I set up the valet for a customer, and I set up the E1000 at my house. The reason I went with the E1000 was mainly because of the price, but also, because the Valet routers and the E-series routers are almost identical other than the paint job and the fact that the installation software comes on a disc with the E-series, and on a thumb drive with the Valet. It's the exact same software though. The E1000 has the exact same internal parts as the regular Cisco Valet. (Not the Plus.) The E2000 has the exact same internal parts as the ValetPlus. (Except the E2000 adds dual band, I believe.) So, just so you guys know, don't spend the extra $20-50 on a Valet. Because all you are paying for is a white paint job and a 1gig thumb drive. They are both SUPER simple to set up. As long as the connection software works. And it did both times with me. Well,actually the 1st two times I ran it with the ValetPlus, it didn't pick up the router for some reason, but I just reset the modem and then it picked it up fine. So, reset your modem before doing the setup. (But AFTER disconnecting any previous routers.) The connections on both seem very stable so far, but we'll see if they stay that way. My previous router was a Belkin G+MIMO, and it required a reset about twice a week, and a re-run of the setup CD about once a month. Absolutely ridiculous. I'll never buy another Belkin router. I knew that Cisco was one of the most respected makers of networking equipment, so that is why I went with them. I had seen a few reviews of this router saying it was hard to setup, and that it didn't work for some people. All I can think of is either the store you bought it from left a batch of them out in the heat, or maybe they dropped a case of them, or either your current setup is just conflicting with the router for some reason. I have set it up on two Windows 7 PC's, an Ipod touch, a Droid, a Samsung Blu-Ray player, and I plan to set up my PS3 on it today. All with no problems so far. So, I can't imagine what you guys are doing wrong. I really think some of the units must get damaged easily in transit or something. Because there are just too many people who say these routers just work. 5 minutes from opening the box to being online. Thats just awesome. In the end both the Valet line and the E-series line of Cisco routers are awesome products, but I would not recommend paying the markup on the Valet series. It really is the exact same router with the exact same software. Same circuit board, same processor, same switch. So I say, go buy an E-series Cisco router, you most likely won't regret it.

I know this isn't a complete review, I really just wanted to come on here to give a few people that may be having the same problems as me a tip or two.

I was loving my new Linksys E1000 router right up until I tried to connect my PS3 to it. I couldn't get it to connect for the life of me. I read how easily some others are able to connect their PS3 to the router, and began my extensive testing.

Simply instead of going into detail; I read the back of the box after spending a good few hours or so messing with settings, connections, ports, etc. It clearly says that if you want it to work with 2.5ghz devices, you will need to get the next router up (E2000). I found out, that my surround sound system (a common Sony system) was a 2.5ghz device *this is common with almost 90% of wireless rear speaker sound systems* as well as other wireless phones and many other cordless devices.

The easy fix (what I am going to do tomorrow) is getting the E2000 router instead. It has all the great features of this router, just at a 5ghz speed, (gigabit Ethernet ports are also included for faster direct connection speeds) so you can be safe from your wireless devices interrupting your connection.

**Also, this may help anyone with a Nat type problem**

Another simple fix, is to shut off (or unplug) these 2.4ghz devices so they don't interrupt your connection while playing online.

I hope this helps other people. I am off to walmart (they have the E2000 router set at $79.99 as a regular price point)

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Overall I would for sure recommend this router to a friend as long as you don't have any 2.4ghz devices in your room. If you do, go with the E2000. Both are fantastic! Keep in mind, if you don't have the disruptive devices in your own home, someone within your range may have them; and that can upset the connection as well. I live in an apartment, but heck, I don't know what people have in their apartments! :D

I bought the Linksys E1000 to replace my WRT54G because it offered the "guest network" feature (which provides internet access for "guests" while keeping your network private). I wish I hadn't.

Issue 1: To use the guest network, you are *REQUIRED* to enter a password via a simple browser logon page. For guest PCs, that's easy and simple, and keeps your cheap neighbor from using your internet connection. However, it makes the guest network completely useless for devices not using a browser (e.g. Nintendo DS). Not a big deal (unless that's something you want to do, of course). It would be nice to provide a "no-password" option, at least temporarily.

Issue 2: The router offers 2 admin options: the Cisco Connect software and the traditional browser-based control panel. The problem is this: neither the ultra-simplistic software nor the "advanced" browser control panel controls all of the options. Annoying, but understandable. But get this: once you use the "advanced" browser control panel, the settings that are only modifiable via the Cisco Connect software (e.g. the "guest network") are unavailable. Using the "advanced" settings disables the "simple" settings, but some options are only controllable via the "simple" settings! What kind of brain-dead design team thought *THIS* up?!?!? There's absolutely no reason on the planet for this level of incompetence from a major networking vendor.

Issue 3: In the 18 months of running my wireless network (1 wired PC, 2 wireless Vista laptops, Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS) on the Linksys WRT54G, I never had a dropped connection. After replacing it with the E1000, connections get dropped about once per day. I've experienced the drops from both laptops and the Xbox, and the *ONLY* thing that changed in the setup was the router and going from static IP addresses to DHCP.

Issue 4: If you PC is set up to use static IP addresses, the installation of the Cisco Connections software will fail since it will be unable to connect to the router. Of course, it gives you no clue as to why, just a generic "can't connect" message, and leaves the software in a quasi-installed status. Took me a while to figure out the problem and get the software working. Moral of the story: make sure your PC is set up to automatic (DHCP) before you attempt installation of the Cisco Connect software.

When the E1000 works, it works fairly well. But the imbecilic software design and dropped connections make this router a bad buy - a definite step backwards from the WRT54G workhorse it replaced.

There are two interfaces to configure this router. One you access through the provided Cisco Connect Software, the other you access through the web interface at the standard 192.168.0.1. Neither one controls all of the features, and once you use one, you are forever barred from using the other unless you reset the router. This means that if your setup is anything non-standard, you lose much of the router's functionality.

I'm currently stuck with an insecure guest wireless network broadcasting from my router. This guest network can only be configured or turned off using the software. However, I have to use the web interface to set up the static IP for my isp, because there's no way to do it in the Cisco Connect software. Since I've changed settings using the web interface the software refuses to let me use it. Therefore, forevermore, whoever wants to can use as much of my bandwidth as they like, and I have no way to prevent it.

What a piece of crap.

I originally purchased this to network my laptop--it worked alright, but was a little clumsy to install. I later signed up with Netflix to stream their service from my Wii. The movies were painfully slow to load and then they would lag in the middle of viewing. I ditched the product for a Belkin N+ and what a difference! the Belkin was about the same price but a far superior product--I had to use their customer support to set up the Wii, but they were knowledgealbe and walked me through it and fixed the problem. Belkin offers lifetime FREE support.

I decided to give my sister the Cisco router and tried to install it during my vist. The router has a very complicated security key system that will only allow it to be installed once on the origianl computer and if you want to install it on a new computer you need to reset the security key. There are instructions to reset the key, but they are incredibly complicated. Since the router is less than 6 months old, I thought I could call their CS for help resetting the key. After spending an eternity on hold, I finally got a technician who informaed me my free support had expired and they would need to charge me $29 to fix my problem. No thanks! For an extra $10 I bought another Belkin. Cisco has lost my business for life.

This router is pretty easy to set up and link other computers in as well. The software does most of the work. Signal is strong all over our property. For basic, secure home networking, this is a high-quality product that will suit your needs.