Cisco-Linksys E3000 Wireless-N Router

The ease of setup of the Cisco-Linksys E3000 router astonished me! I had a studio and household FILLED with multiple PC's and Macs, both desktop and notebook computers, and a PC server plus Mac G5 server for my AppleTV Library, iTunes Library, and this router self-configured itself with each and every computer/device/system that I own, some 12 machines in total, in less than 7 minutes for the full cycle of the auto-connect feature to take place.That FLOORED me totally, and I'm an advanced networking expert, who was prepared for a completely tough, manual install of this router but figured I'd give it a go with the Auto-Connect Feature of this router, by simply inserting the Cisco-Linksys CD ROM into my PC server's optical drive, and followed the prompts to the letter (to a point), let the router Auto-Configure each and every PC and Mac in my mixed-stable of computers here in my studio and throughout the house, 8 computers here in my studio near the router's plug-in to my Time-Warner RoadRunner HS Turbo Modem, and 4 other computers elsewhere in the house, and I'll be danged if the new E3000 didn't pull off the complete connection routing in less than 7 minutes actual time! CRAZY GOOD!I immediately fired up the router's web interface and went into the Advanced settings, and renamed the System from default to my regular/normal System's name, set up the web interface for my network Hard Drive and plugged in a 1TB USB external HD for network sharing and backup services, reconfigured the password to my rather complex 26-digit and symbol password for ultimate security purposes, set the "renew DHCP Lease" to my own specific schedule apart from default, adjusted Media and FTP Server setting to active, and a lot of other "host services" to manual settings vs the default settings, and in less than 30 minutes total time I disconnected my former "N-Spec" router, and turned the duties over to the new E3000.Suffice to say it's been literally plug and play since then, with only a minor glitch to report, and that was perhaps my own fault but it involved updating the firmware to the latest and greatest, and my update went awry somewhat...I ended up having to re-apply the new patch TWICE before it took and set up correctly, and BAM!! All was well again, settings were intact, and when I restarted the System it fired right up, everything popped up green, blue, and yellow LED's like it's supposed to do, and voila! Firmware update a success, all was well, and the system @ 100%.The Dual-Band aspect of this router gives it a special character, with the ability to transmit and receive signals and data simultaneously, at the same time literally, and maintain its incredible bandwidth in both the 2.4Ghz and 5.8Ghz channels without fault of any sort, and that's an amazing feature! My AppleTV system works significantly better than it did with the old MaxPower N-Spec Routerat full speed ahead, it being a single-band router and some 5 years old at the time I replaced it with the E3000.I find the web interface to be simple, and simplistic too, a nice interaction to work with when you want to customize any features, or change any settings manually vs the router's automatic setups. I have yet to have to restart or "recycle" this router after some 5 months of use thus far, which I consider to be very, very unusual given the nature of routers in general, but the Cisco-Linksys E3000 seems to be in a class by itself with respect to sustainability. It is also a router that you can place ANYWHERE with respect to its antennas being all internal (6 of them!), as I have placed it UNDER MY WORK STATION now, and there's no difference in the signal being all-pervasive and strong throughout my studio, and home to boot!I also use the router to handle the Administration of my twin RAID system's web interface, and that uses one of the Gigabit Ethernet Ports of the E3000 and plugs directly into the Areca 1680IX-8 Hardware RAID Controller, and that feature of the router has also worked without fail thus far, no issues at all! I have searched and tried to figure out S*O*M*E* weakness that this new E3000 router has, but alas there is nothing left to write or say with respect to things that are wrong with it, because the dang thing just works 100% for the good!Every day that I use my system here in the studio and throughout my home I marvel at its consistency, it steadfastness, and its power, just incredible in all those aspects of use with my heavy, heavy needs placed upon it, and it's just fantastic. It would be hard to say "it could be better", because I just don't know HOW or WHAT we could do so as to make it better than it is right now.I am transmitting millions and millions of bytes of critical information up to Standford University in the Folding@Home program, with 5 active computers in the program here in my home and studio, and it's IMPORTANT that each and every byte gets transmitted up there for the benefit of mankind, and the critical research that the researchers are doing, and this great Cisco-Linksys E3000 keeps the candles "lit" in my contributions to the Folding@Home program hour by hour, day by day, and week by arduous week...it just doesn't fail me, and that is all I could ask of it!I never thought I'd say something like this about a router, but this thing is SO FAR AHEAD of everything else out there that you can buy for your home or office use for a high-speed data network, be it from a HD Cable Modem system like what I have with me here, a DSL system, whatever way you can critically look at such a thing as a router which literally is the lifeline between you and the internet, and all it can represent, but I'll say this for the record: I don't think that there's anything better being made today, AT ANY PRICE, ANY CONFIGURATION, ANY SETUP WHATSOEVER THAN THE CICSO-LINKSYS E3000 Router!This thing is King of the Hill! I have actually purchased 4 of them since they were released in early June, 2010. The router that I bought this time went down to Australia to my business partner's home office to use there, because he cannot buy one in Australia at any price: they just aren't offered there yet, so I took it upon myself to score one for him and the network in his home office, and he is just like I am by now: a believer in this E3000 system 100% without qualification, without doubts, and without any negative thoughts whatsoever!It's not every day that we have products this good come into our lives and uses, and this ladies and gentlemen is the best router that the good, old All-American $$$ can buy, bar none, no doubt as to that statement! The Cisco-Linksys E3000 Dual Band Router gets the Wavey Davey 100% Solid Gold and 5-Star Award for Quality, Value, and Performance, bar none! There isn't anything quite like it no matter what other brands you look at, or even other Cisco-Linksys models for that matter, it stands alone as the No.1 router of any type today, in November 2010.Wavey Davey - November 14, 2010

I don't know what to say about installation of this router. After reading all the reviews about how inadequate the instructions are, I bought it anyway as the reviewers were doing complicated things I didn't want to do.So I followed Cisco Connect and the router couldn't connect to the internet. The error message told me to reset the modem. When that didn't work, the error message told me to click "need more help," which gave me a link to the Linksys website. Duh!Not only that, but the CD contained the FAQ document, but when I went to get the user guide, duh, it tried to take me to the website.In all this I noticed a light blinking on the modem and called the cable guy. The light was ok, but he reset the modem and gave me a number to call Linksys. I was preparing to do so, and when I looked at the screen again it said "Internet connected."So was this an easy setup or a hard one? It took all day and left me confused about what I had.As for functionality, we have better security, faster speed, and much better range. I walked down to my brother's house 4 houses away and was able to get to the internet. The device looks good,but the case has a super glossy surface that is an uber-dust-magnet, so much so that when I tried to wipe the dust off it just moved around.

5-star product! Utter "Hell" (1-star, if none at all) for set-up!Folks, I hope you have better luck with your set-up - and I hope my experience was an anomaly!My Provider: Comcast (Harris County, TX) - very good service and signal strength for my area. Typical hang-ups during the weekday hours of 6Pm to 8PM. Over all, very pleased with Comcast.Modem: New high-speed Motorola 2010 model year, installed November 2010. This new modem is to compensate Comcast's broadband speed improvement/upgrade in early 2010. This modem was an improvement from the older modem, 2006 version. Noticeable Wi-Fi sped on my old Netgear G-router, about 2x.Replacing Old Router: Netgear RangeMax VPN v2, single band G. I had no problem with this router - my thought was - with a new upgraded/improved modem, I would benefit with a duel-band N-band.So here goes...530PM: I unplugged my old Netgear and replaced with the new E3000. I followed the USER FRIENDLY (my arse!) guide using my Mac as the installation platform. During the installation, the Mac indicated that it was NOT picking up the router signal. Of course, I tried again... and again... nothing. Confusion set it (we've all been there!) - the dreaded `personal doubt on one's ability to perform a USER FRIENDLY task' began to rear its' ugly head. I consulted the Linksys website - with (of course no answer) and no 1-800 technical support (keep reading)...600PM: I set the Mac aside - now using my Sony Vaio (the dreaded Windows product!) as the installation platform, no difference! Not pick up a router signal! My mental thought pattern was now looping the initials "WTF" again and again... and again! I performed this task repeatedly on the Sony several times causing elevated depression and anger (the proverbial first to steps of grief DABDA) - and I'm sure a spike in blood pressure.620PM: I have now given up! I disconnected the E3000 and reinstalled the old Netgear RangMax. A new problem! Now what? Both laptops were not picking up any signal from the Router. Again, looping initials "WTF", etc! I hard wired (Ethernet cable) from the Motorola Modem to the Sony. Yes! Internet still works - but no Wi-Fi.630PM: Thoughts of the moniker USER FRIENDLY, now a figment of someone's imagination. I contacted Comcast, and a very kind `American', English-speaking Houstonian (in fact) helped me out. "Kudos" to Comcast's training - because this young lady was very (1) patient with me and (2) technically proficient. Apparently the new Motorola Modem is finicky when unplugging the existing router and installing a router - in this case the E3000. She circumvented the issue by `pinging' my Modem using a re-set function (2-3 minutes). Now, my Netgear (old router) works again. Images of retuning the E3000 was now introduced to semi-logical sequence of thought. We then tried the new E3000 set-up. Verdict: Nothing! No signal from the new router. Now about this time, thoughts of (1) returning to the Amazon site, (2) printing out the return package UPS form and (3) driving past the UPS store to drop off the package - was about to be introduced to my `things to do list'. Just about the time I was going to hang up with the Comcast agent, I asked her for the Linksys 800, if indeed she had it. And she did! So (readers of this blog - get your paper and pencil ready) the technical support for Linksys is 800-326-7114. This is not available in the Linksys website. Again, Kudos to Comcast.720PM: I called Linksys (on hold for a mere 5-minutes). During this holding period, thoughts of a dreaded Bollywood sounding technical support person kept me on edge. The person who actually answered the call was a very good, English speaking Filipina. Again, luck was on my side today: She was patient and technically proficient. The culprit to this (going on 2-hour) fiasco was the IP address. Apparently, disconnecting the Old Router from the finicky Modem re-initialized the IP address. Why? Who knows? "Death to the firmware architect"! Using the Mac as the install platform, we hard-wired the Ethernet cable from Modem-to-Router and Router-to-Mac. Using the Safari web browser, I typed in the IP address (Mac: found in Settings, internet access). The address was a back-door to the E3000 firmware. This sounds complicated. And Yes... it is complicated! At this point I'm just following orders - similar to me commanding my dog to `sit'! NOTE: this was NOT in the USER FRIENDLY instructions.820PM: After running the gambit and going to the gyrations (I'm not going write the details on this one) my Mac finally picked up the router. She stayed on the line as I performed the set-up, etc. I also tried the signal on the Sony. Yippee! Wi-Fi once more! Overall speed (none to quantify) was noticeably much better going from G to N-band.LESSONS LEARNED: (1) Have the phone number of your internet provider and (2) Linksys on hand during set-up, just in case. You never know! Here's the Linksys number again 800-326-7114, good to have. (3) Proceed with caution when using a USER FRIENDLY instructions.LINKSYS E3000: THE PROS: Over all speed improvement, very noticeable. THE CONS: (1) Read above (2) I very much liked the vertical-stand design of the Netgear (old router) - occupies less space, when compared to the E3000.Hope my experience helps you! And good luck!