By now you already recognize the advantages of a wireless N router and you understand that Linksys designs their routers for ease of use. The two major things that distinguish the Linksys E3000 from other wireless N routers are:
- Simultaneous Dual Bands
- USB port for media sharing.
Dual Bands
Unlike other so called dual band wireless N routers which allow you to choose between either the 2.5GHZ or 5GHZ frequency bands the E3000 allows you to run both simultaneously. This allow you to run gaming and video streaming sessions on one band while not interfering with surfing printing and file sharing sessions on the other. In a crowded household with many network users this is almost a must.
Media Sharing
The USB port is your connection to the built in media server which allows your to stream video, music and data from external devices such as USB HDs and memory sticks. This usually works best with a dedicated media server with the storage already built in but it’s a very nice convenience feature.
If you already have a media server simply plug it’s Ethernet cable into one of the for Gigabit switch ports and easily stream your multimedia content out to all the PC and devices in your home at wireless N speeds.
Like it’s E2000 counterpart the Linksys E3000 has been optimized for faster gaming and smoother HD video. The UPnP AV media server lets you share files over your network, as well as stream music, video, and photos to an Xbox 360, PS3, or other compatible device.
Ease Of Use
This depends on whether you prefer to do your network settings manually or by using “EZ Setup” methods such as wizards or Cisco’s Connect software. The software receives mixed reviews. It’s fine for those who want easy access to basic settings but if you’re the type who likes to get in an do more advanced configurations through the web interface you may find the Cisco Connect software does not properly sync up with the changes your make manually. This can leave you with confusing and unresolved conflicts between the software and web interface. |
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