My family got our first wireless router about 5 years ago. It was state of the art at the time, and has worked well for us. But as we get more and more wireless devices it seems like we need a better router. When we first got a wireless router the only wireless device we had was one laptop. Now we have 1 laptop, 2 netbooks, an iPod Touch, a Nook, one cell phone, a blueray player and probably a few other things I am forgetting on our network. So when I had the chance to test out a new Cisco-Linksys E4200 Dual-Band Wireless-N Router
The E4200 is a high tech router, and here are some of the features it offers:
- Transfer rates between 300-450 Mbps
- Dual-band N (2.4 and 5 GHz) designed to reduce interference and maximize throughput
- High quality antenna encourages high speeds across greater distances in one’s home
- WPA/WPA2 encryption and SPI firewall for network protection
- Gigabit Ethernet ports
- USB Port
- UPnP Media Server
So what does all this mean in practical terms? Well the dual band is great, and one of the biggest pluses as far as I am concerned. Many common household devices run on 2.4 GHz, like cordless phones, baby monitors and so on. The 5-GHz band is less crowded, so it is better equipped for intensive uses like gaming and file streaming. We stream movies to our TV all the time, so less interference is better.
The N Router has a stronger signal than our old G Router. We keep our router in the basement, and with the old one the signal did not reach the far end of the house. In practical terms this just meant my 15 year old daughter didn’t have wireless in her bedroom, which didn’t bother anyone but her. But with the new router we have wireless throughout the entire house, which is a big benefit as far as my daughter is concerned!
The extra speed the router provides doesn’t make much difference in our house. Although its data rates of 300-450 Mps are much faster than the old router our internet service only provides 7 Mps, so we can’t use the extra speed. But when the internet service gets faster we will be all set with a router that can handle it, and it is good to know we won’t have to upgrade for a long time.
One of the best features of the router is the Cisco Connect software. It is extremely easy to set up and can be connected in about 5 minutes. Best of all the software provides customizable parental controls. So we can set the router up so that even though my daughter has wireless access in her bedroom now she can’t access the internet on her iPod Touch at midnight. We tried to set this up with our old router and were never able to get it working right, so we are glad to see that this capability is included.
This is a great device which has an innovative, good looking design and is clearly well thought out. I like the fact that it has a reset button, since I had to reset our old router about once every two weeks and the only way to do it was to pull the plug, which is annoying and inconvenient. Hopefully this router won’t hang up as often as the old one did, but if it does at least I can just press the reset button. If you are looking to build a home network with a quality router that will serve you for years this is an excellent choice.
You can buy a Cisco-Linksys E4200 Dual Band N Router at Amazon
Entry Method: Please use Rafflecopter form for all entries. There is no mandatory entry. This giveaway will end at 11:59 pm on November 28th. Open to residents 18+ of U.S., and the winner cannot have won the Linksys router in any other contest/giveaway in the last 6 months.
Disclosure: I received a product to review, all opinions are my own.
I need this, because like you, we keep adding new things and our router is getting testy about it.
I need this router because the 5ghz signal will not interfere with my other electronics.
The Nerdy Nurse recently posted..Continuing Education: Online Learning For Nurses to Improve Patient Care
I need this router because the one we currently have is about as old as the dinosaurs.
Jammie recently posted..Computer Training For Dummies
I need this router because ours will not reach to every room in the house!
brich22 at earthlink dot net
I need it because my router has decided to keep shutting off
vmkids3 at msn dot com
I’m not really computer literate, but I know my hubby keeps complaining that we need a new router to speed up our computer.
We’re still “wired” and are planning to get a second pc or laptop, so we will be needing a wireless router soon.
beckytag618 at gmail dot com
We don’t have a wireless router so my daughter doesn’t have internet to her PS3 and it drives her crazy!
tdlsfm(at)gmail(dot)com
I need speed!
Sherry Conrad recently posted..3rd Party Run
I need this because we get spotty service with our router.
I need this router to escape the tyranny of our cable company.
need one of these!
because having wires running all over the place drives me crazy
I need one of these because i don’t have one and wanna use the internet downstairs
I need this router because mine is ancient and constantly drops signal. it’s so irritating – just ask the teens!!
I need a new router because ours is really old and constantly goes in and out.
bakergurl02 (at) yahoo (dot) com
We need this router because the one we’re using is out-of-date ヅ *Thanks* for the giveaway!
Cheryl Free recently posted..Slim-Fast Sephora Giveaway (Ends 12/05)
I need this router because my existing router is almost dead…sad but true!
I need this router because we don’t have one and we need one!
Lana Bradstream recently posted..Black Friday Madness
We need this route because ours is on its last legs and is constantly giving us grief.
monorox(at)gmail(dot)com
Our current router is already a hand-me down, so we need a newer model.
I need this terribly!
I need this router because my computer is upstairs and our current router has been fading out.
I need a new router because mine is so old.
I need a new router, mine is broken.
lyndsey.rullman at hotmail dot com
We just got wireless in my condo building and I want to take advantage of it.
I need it because my router has been acting up later (have to unplug it and plug it back in every few websites) and we just bought a PS3 for Christmas, so now we will have two computers, the Wii, and the PS3 using one router.
I need this to do a better job than I have.
kat_emerick@yahoo.com
i rent mine through my cable provider comcast id love to have this instead
We have 2 laptops, a desk computer, 2 blu-ray players, 2 cell phones, and an ipad hooked up on our network. Our current router is years old. Gonna need to replace it soon. This Cisco-Linksts Dual Band N Router would be perfect!
I need this router so we can connect computers, video games and other devices without a jumble of cords and cables trailing through the house.
Thank you.
I want to set up a computer in the living room for my Dad for Christmas so he can use the computer from his easy chair.
I need this router because we use so much bandwidth we keep blowing our current router up. I have two 24 y/o with TV, Computers and gaming consoles going all the time. Thanks for the contest.
My parents just bought a new computer and my dad wants a router for XMAS!
Our router is “crappy” as my hubby just said when I asked him. Our old one is not great, but we had to go back to using it when the new one we bought a few months ago conked out!!!
spcale at yahoo dot com.
I need this router, because mine is very old and doesn’t keep a very good connection.
cweller75@gmail.com
I need it because I have an old one.
Our current router is old and not nearly as nice as this one. Thanks for the chance to win this!
my daughter is getting a laptop for christmas and we don’t have one
marygardner49 at aol dot com
I need this because my router is outdated and I need to be able to quickly pull up Upstate Ramblings!
We have three laptops in our house and need a router like this to handle all the gaming that’s done every day!
Mary Brown recently posted..New $25 Giveaway!
I need this router because my current router is a Linksys but is more than 5 years old and starting to act up.
Our Router is on its last legs. I takes every other day off. haha
Christian Nunez recently posted..Didn’t ya hear? Side is the new Up!
I don’t own a router and I would love to have one for my laptop and photo frame w/wifi
Thanks for the giveaway…our home has not gone wireless yet, still a tangle of cables connecting computers to printers !
senorpiero [at] yahoo [dot] com
My router is starting to show its age