Linksys E3000 Router - An Upgraded Form of the Dual-Band Beast

The new heir to the Cisco throne is finally out. The Linksys E3000 router has arrived and is here to dominate other 3rd Party router manufacturers. This is a minor upgrade from the WRT160N model but in the end it is still a fierce beast.

Linksys has already ceased the old model number trending and started with the new E-series. Instead of having the model number start with "WRT", you will now see router models that start with "E". The E3000 router may have the previous design of its predecessors but you will notice that the sleek blue and black body appears without an antennae on it. It definitely looks great in a personal office or living room.

The Linksys E3000 may be a minor upgrade from the WRT160N but it has some major exceptions. This router is capable of handling transfer speeds of up to 300Mbps. It also has dual band wireless-N for seamless wireless connectivity, and a 4-Gigabit Ethernet port for Faster hardwired connections. Moreover, it has a USB port for 'Universal Plug n' Play (UPnP) media streaming and file sharing options.

The router is easier to set up using the new software that comes with it. It is somehow similar to Cisco's new Valet router which is also one of the easiest and Fastest to setup. The E-series has a decent graphic user interface (GUI). Configuring this new router has become effortless compared to the old Linksys interface, as it lets you manage the basic security settings easily.

This E3000 router can serve as a "Universal Plug N' Play" (UPnP) media server. It has a USB port for added purposes like file transfer which is very useful. It also lets you stream media from whatever storage device is Plugged in to the USB port of the router. This router can serve as a network drive, allowing you to also add and remove files using the system's own file browser. Transferring a 1.5 GB file using this router may take approximately nine minutes to complete, which is good. However, working out the UPnP feature of this router can be a little confusing as the graphic user interface (GUI) does not extend to this particular function.

As for the wireless range, the E3000's definition of a dual band router does not fail to reach the user's expectations. It can operate at both 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz. This is absolutely a router that can broadcast at both frequencies, where you can benefit from both speed and range. Having the wireless N technology, it connects Computers with a stable and fast connection. The dual band status can connect through the standard 2.4GHz or the 5GHz, adjusting to the interferences that exist in the area. At 5GHz you can stream movies without any interruptions.

The E3000's dual band feature was tested and was proven to get good wireless signal strength, even at the worst point of access.

The Linksys E3000 router's features are very remarkable. While some of its features are common, this router makes the distinction of having a better wireless range and quality concurrent with its UPnP feature. If you need a router that has dual band and a media sharing or file transfer features to come with it, this is the router for you.

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