Linksys E4200 134.99 at local Costco

[Santilli]

Bought one. Excellent router. Running both the server and the Beast off it, wired, CAT 6.

Consistent 70Mbps down, 4-8Mbps up. 120 Mbps top bursts. The laptop with the N adapter just ran 52 mbps, and 8mbps upload, sitting on top of the other computer, in the living room. So, a better adapter for the HTPC should give me plenty of speed. Top rated USB 2 adapter from newegg is 25 bucks.

The G adapter in the HTPC is giving me 12-18 Mbps, and about 8Mbps uploads.

This compared to:

old Linksys 54G as the router, and connected both computers to that, along with the HTPC by wireless.

Getting 48Mbps on the beast, about 30 on the server, and 12-14 on the wireless.

Install was easy. CD in the computer allowed me to change the name and password on setup. Worked right away.

Good deal, fast router.

 

[MaxBurn]

Sounds good, where is local for you? I don't like how you can't count on things in all stores with Costco.

 

[Santilli]

Concord, CA.

 

[MaxBurn]

Well I had them in Nashua NH.

Read on forums last night the firmware update available last month breaks the local USB storage option so I didn't update. Nothing newer released yet.

I don't see any uptime or system logging. There is connection logging.

I don't see a mention of RIP1or2 enable/disable on the LAN side in the configurator. Not sure if it works yet. There is RIP mentioned in the WAN side but you sort of have to hope it is RIP2, might be in specs somewhere.

Not even 24 hours into it and web pages stopped working. The win7 troubleshooter called it out pretty easily; the DNS server stopped responding. I changed my computer from a DNS server of 10.2.1.1 (the linksys router) to my DSL modems IP of 192.168.1.1 and DNS lookups started working again so it is definitely a problem with the linksys router.

So far not impressed with linksys even if they slapped the cisco name on there too. Was trying to keep an open mind and reevaluate my don't buy anything linksys/dlink in the "companies that have burned me" thread but so far not.

 

[MaxBurn]

Oh and the reason I want to try another router is my suspicion that I have something in my network causing trouble with my company voip phone and laptop vpn connection. Both of those devices behaved exactly the same with this router so not a waste of time but it wasn't the fix for that either.

Still browsing for a decent N router with local storage and gigabit. If it did USB3 that would be great.

 

[Santilli]

Maxburn:
Your DSN server has me a bit baffled.

I had astound change my DSN server to a google DSN at one point, because their DSN sucked.

 

[ddrueding]

DNS

 

[MaxBurn]

Just name server quit, it would still pass traffic that was resolved to an IP. Anything that needed a lookup would fail. It did it twice, each about 10 to 14 hours after reboot. Incidentally it only did that for the computer with the static IP address but at the same time that was the machine moving the most info around too. Whatever they are doing I have never had an issue with my providers DNS solution and felt a need to replace it.

Linksys goes back today or tomorrow.

 

[Santilli]

I just looked at mine, and, it really sucks. 204 MS or something very high like that.

Still getting 70Mbps on the Cat 6.

 

[Santilli]

Update. The wireless worked for awhile. Around 18 Mbps, with WPA2. For some reason,
it's stopped working with WPA2 on, and will only work with no security enabled. Then it works really slow: 6-10 Mbps.

Network discovery also takes a very long time. My wireless network doesn't show up anymore on the Network page. It did prior.

I'm thinking when the new adapter comes in I'll try and figure it out.

Seems the router is being a bit weird.

 

[Santilli]

New TP antenna N model came in. Hooked it up USB. I'm getting 40 Mbps down, nearly 10 up. Pulled the G adapter. Now have an open PCI slot.

 

[Santilli]

tested the USB port on the 4200. It works with single drives, like thumb drives. It doesn't work with my toaster.
Not a big deal, but, just another minor pain.

 

[MaxBurn]

Looks like anandtech will review this router soon, they mentioned it in the airport extreme review.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4577/...nd-time-capsule-4th-gen-review-faster-wifi-/9

 

[blakerwry]

Do I really need a $140 router? On the shelf below the Linksys sits a Belkin with similar features - 802.11n, gigabit, 3x3 MIMO, single band though.... ~$65

I've had great coverage with my WRT54G, but would like to be able to take advantage of the speedier n chips in my laptop and phone - mainly for HD video streaming. I would more than likely be sticking with a 2.4GHz setup anyway for coverage reasons.

 

[blakerwry]

I think the belkin is the N450 model - http://www.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Product_Id=543386

 

[timwhit]

Both will break in 18 months either way.

 

[Mercutio]

Both will break in 18 months either way.

So very much this.

 

[blakerwry]

Both will break in 18 months either way.

So very much this.

Is there some event happening in 18 months or is this just the expected life span of your average router?

The only alternatives I see are sicking with G or bending over to get an airport extreme.

 

[timwhit]

Is there some event happening in 18 months or is this just the expected life span of your average router?

The only alternatives I see are sicking with G or bending over to get an airport extreme.

Expected lifespan.

 

[Mercutio]

Home routers just suck. There's a reason I built my own.

 

[MaxBurn]

I just replaced my 6+ year old 3Com 3CRWE554G72TU with a current Time Capsule mainly because the old router just doesn't have any security and performance is a little old. I don't like the fact that there is no web page to configure it, but it looks like a set and forget anyway. It called out my double NAT situation but allowed to continue anyway. Now have more signal and faster wireless further away than I used to. Hasn't stopped working like the E4200 did. Internal disk performance isn't exciting, barely faster than USB2. Not sure why that is as reviews said it was faster.

 

[timwhit]

I bought a Ubiquiti Routerstation Pro earlier this year. It works very well.

I got it as a bundle with an enclosure and AC adapter on eBay for about $116 shipped.

 

[MaxBurn]

Did you get any wireless cards on it?

 

[timwhit]

I tried one from an old laptop, but it didn't work. I gave up at that point. You can get them for about $10-15.

 

[MaxBurn]

I'd be all over that thing if it had USB 3 on it with some halfway decent throughput. I'm sure there is a list somewhere on the wireless nics wrt supports in that thing but I'm not motivated to check into it.

 

[Sol]

I'd be all over that thing if it had USB 3 on it with some halfway decent throughput. I'm sure there is a list somewhere on the wireless nics wrt supports in that thing but I'm not motivated to check into it.

The biggest thing missing from them at the moment is Mini-PCI-E. Most new wireless NICs seem to be PCI-E and you can even get Mini-PCI-E USB3 cards so that would be sorted as well if you needed it.

My Routerstation Pro has a MicroTik R52n in it which works perfectly well, you can get cheaper single band N cards for less that should also work fine, but Mini-PCI cards are getting harder to find, so the prices are creeping up over Mini-PCI-E.

 

[Santilli]

HMMM. Free Linksys 54GL, and it lasted what, 5 years? Reasonable but not fast, and very reliable. There are a few gems out there.

Hope this 4200 proves to be one of those. If not, it has been bought at Costco for that very reason.

 

[Mercutio]

Reasonable but not fast, and very reliable.

You are using that word, but I do not think you know what it means. Last time I cleaned up my office I probably tossed two dozen Linksys WRT-something routers.

Unfortunately, nothing else is actually any better.

 

[timwhit]

Unfortunately, nothing else is actually any better.

I'm hoping my Ubiquiti Routerstation Pro is better.

 

[ddrueding]

I'm hoping my Ubiquiti Routerstation Pro is better.

As do I. I have a bunch of Ubiquiti hardware that has held up well (outdoors for years). No Routerstations, though.

 

[Santilli]

So, 50 dollars for the enclosure. 80 for the board. What radio and power supply do you plan on using? Which antennas?

 

[Howell]

I'm hoping my Ubiquiti Routerstation Pro is better.

My old 54GL is better. I'm not sure what people are doing to break them unless they are not using ANY surge suppression.

 

[ddrueding]

Heat. For all my failures, #1 is the power brick getting too hot and #2 is the unit itself getting too hot.

For 54GLs in critical positions, I replace the power brick with a regulated power supply and crack the shell, installing a heatsink and sometimes even a fan.

I'm hoping the Routerstation will take this to the next level.

 

[time]

I'm hoping the Routerstation will take this to the next level.
Today 10:30 PM

By actually catching fire?

I remember marveling at how much power those old Linksys required - 2 to 3 times some other routers, as I recall.

 

[ddrueding]

By actually catching fire?

I remember marveling at how much power those old Linksys required - 2 to 3 times some other routers, as I recall.

Yup, and it gets even worse once you install DD-WRT, turn up the CPU speed and increase the transmit power.

 

[Mercutio]

My old 54GL is better. I'm not sure what people are doing to break them unless they are not using ANY surge suppression.

I typically plug them into UPSes. They still die a lot.

 

[Howell]

I must have a good aura.

 

[blakerwry]

I haven't had any problems with the WRT-54GL and G's that run linux. Not that they don't die, but I think that the 2 or 3 models they released using this configuration are probably more reliable than the other consumer 'toss and replace' class of routers.

I've had to toss 3 Netgears and 1 Belkin, while all 3 WRT-54G's that I've purchased are running fine. After 5+ years of 802.11G I'm looking for a replacement that can be just as reliable using the latest N standard.

 

[Mercutio]

I really think you need to adjust your expectations downward, blakerwry. All home routers do is suck and die and getting one that does that more slowly is really just luck of the draw.

 

[MaxBurn]

It just kills me, I'd have no problem paying $300 or more for a high quality router if it say had a 3 year warranty with the expectation it would make it there. That's why I was looking at commercial stuff a little bit.