I got my Linksys MR8300 router this week. Setup went well according to the instructions. Install the mobile app (in my case on an iPhone), attach the router to the cable modem and power it on. When the purple light appears, run the app and use it to perform the initial configuration. When setup is complete, the light turns blue and you're good to go.
That's great if all you want to perform is basic setup. But if you want to set up more advanced configuration like disabling the DHCP server (My Mac server is providing DHCP and DNS for my LAN), configuring Wi-Fi channels and other features, it's not that easy. I couldn't find any way to do this via the mobile app. After logging in to the web management interface, I found a few more options. To get at the rest, I had to click on an undocumented "CA" link in the lower right corner of the web interface, which makes more options appear.
But even with this, certain things don't seem to be possible. For instance, after telling the router to auto-detect the best Wi-Fi channels, I couldn't find any screen to show me the channels that were actually selected! If I pull a diagnostic report, it shows me the configuration ("auto") but not the operational values.
Additionally, I would like a bit more in the way of status lights. There are Ethernet link lights on the back, but the main unit has only a single multicolor LED to indicate overall status (unconfigured, operational, off-line). A few more lights to indicate link status and activity on the various interfaces would be very welcome here.
Finally, I don't like the fact that you can't perform the initial setup without a Linksys account (on their server) and the mobile app. My older routers all provided default passwords and IP addresses, allowing initial configuration via a web interface. This one should provide the same basic functionality.
Mind you, none of this affects actual performance. After getting everything configured and running, it seems to work well and do everything I want it to do. I just wish there would be a truly advanced configuration option so a person like myself (who has designed and programmed high-end routers and switches for a living) could get access to all the information that the router must have, but doesn't present to me.
Five stars for the router itself, but only three stars for the setup and management interface.
| Wireless Type | 5 GHz Radio Frequency, 2.4 GHz Radio Frequency |
|---|
