Cisco Linksys E3200 High Performance Dual-Band N Router

You know that router you have been putting off buying for a friend or relative because you know you'll be called in to troubleshoot after the recipient becomes lost in the tricky setup process? Consider the Cisco Linksys E3200 High Performance Dual-Band N Router. It has a flawless setup process that's so simple just about anyone can manage.

Cisco Linksys has come close to perfecting the art of router setup with the E3200. We saw the genesis of Cisco's Easy Connect setup process when the debuted almost two years ago. The Valet delivered a setup process unprecedented in its ease—yet there were still some issues with the Cisco Connect software, (a conflict using both Cisco Connect and the router's Web-based management console was the most problematic). Cisco Linksys has worked out the kinks with the E3200.

Besides giving an effortless setup, the E3200 delivers good throughput, and it retains a signal well at longer distances. I found only two issues that caused concern in my testing of the E3200. First, it felt quite warm to the touch after running overnight. Second, although it's almost identical in specs to its predecessor, the , the E3200 didn't match the E3000's excellent 5-GHz band speed. The E3200 bests the E3000 in setup and software, however and it has excellent throughput at 2.4 GHz.

Listing for $160 (although, as with many routers, it can be found cheaper online), the E3200 is a simultaneous dual-band router with 6 internal 2x3 antennas, the same antenna configuration as the E3000 model.  The E3200 features four Gigabit Ethernet WAN ports, and a USB port that can be used to connect a printer or a storage device for NAS functionality.

The E3200 has the flattened, elongated shape of Cisco Linksys's newer E-series single-band routers like the and the . It's an unusual design for a Cisco Linksys dual-band, since most of the Cisco Linksys dual-band routers are larger with a design reminiscent of a flat space ship.

Setup

The E3200's setup is incredibly simple—it takes only seconds and just a few steps. You double-click open the bundled CD that ships with the router and accept the license terms in the window that opens. The software then checks for latest software, which will be futile for most users, since they won't have Internet at this point. Setup also does not require a wired computer connection. My laptop that ran the setup CD was automatically connected to the router without requiring me to do a thing.

The software details how to properly connect the router with clear, easy-to-follow graphics. One click more and the router automatically gets configured with an SSID, security, and passphrase which is displayed on screen that you can copy and paste in a document.

Finally, the software re-checks for firmware updates which you can apply right on the spot or the next time you open the Cisco Connect software.

Setup is easy and elegant. Except in specific cases of hardware failure or broadband issues, I cannot imagine a majority of users having problems. All that's required is the ability to follow a few simple instructions. Cisco Linksys has hands-down, the best router setup on the market.

 

 

 

Features

The Cisco Connect software is not only for setup; it also has all the management options the average home network user is likely to want. It contains instructions for adding other computers and devices to the router. It also demonstrates how to add a wireless or USB printer or a USB storage device to the router. Connecting a storage device is also simple, and the software automatically creates a shortcut on the desktop to the drive for easy access.

Cisco Connect allows users to set guest access and parental controls. While not as detailed as some third-party services available from companies like OpenDNS, the controls are adequate and work efficiently. You can restrict Internet access hours or entire websites. Users can manage any computer that connects to the router. Restrictions are based on the physical machine, so if you have a few kids with different logon accounts sharing one machine, restrictions you set will stay in place no matter who's logged in.  Guest access allows guests to connect to the Internet through the router, but not to files and folders on your network (for instance, a USB storage device you may have connected).

Advanced users who want to bypass the unintimidating Cisco Connect UI and get right to the Web-based console can do so as well. Thankfully, Cisco Linksys has smoothed out the ongoing conflict between the Web-based console and Cisco Connect software that occurred in previous routers. The problem was that if you bypassed the Cisco Connect interface and instead, went directly to the advanced settings to configure the router via a web browser, the Cisco Connect interface couldn't be used again.

While the warning that bypassing the Cisco Connect interface and going straight to the advanced settings still appears as a caution in the software, I did not encounter this problem with the E3200. I tested this by setting up the router with the Cisco Connect software, allowing it to generate an automatic SSID and passphrase. I then went into the advanced settings via the web-based management console. In the console, I changed the security level and admin password. 

Opening back up Cisco Connect, I received the message that the admin password had changed and was on longer the same as the password for Cisco Connect. The message instructed to click "next" to fix the issue. I held my breath a bit—I'm always leery of automated fixing of router issues—but was pleased to see that the fix was to automatically match the admin password I set in the Web-based console to the admin password in Cisco Connect. That's pretty good software design.

Advanced users will be pleased that weightier capabilities such as automatic IPv6 support, IPV4 and IPv6 SPI firewall, port triggering and VPN passthrough are all supported.  The router also has QoS functionality, Dynamic DNS, MAC address cloning and enough features to satisfy all but the most hard-core router geeks who will probably want a router they can flash with DD-WRT, anyway.

There's also a test to check your Internet speed. Cisco's speed test registered my download speed as being a bit slower than speedtest.net.

NAS Capability

NAS functionality via the USB port seems to work better than in the E3000. From the E3200's advanced settings you can manage USB attached storage. I connected a 250 GB Flex drive which was correctly identified in the console. Through the console, you can format the drive, create users to access, as well as give them permissions, and setup FTP. It's fine for smaller file sharing on a home network but you won't want to transfer or stream large files—uploading a 1.5 B file took well over 5 minutes with the drive connected to the router.

Performance

While the performance was good, the E3200 did not match the amazing throughput of the E3000—puzzling because they both have almost identical specs. The only difference is the E3200 features the Broadcom BCM47186 chipset and the E3000 features the Broadcom 4718 chipset.

The E3200 is a 2x3 router, so you are not going to get the speeds of a 3x3 antenna router like the Cisco Linksys E4200 is capable of. That's OK, too, unless you are doing heavy bandwidth tasks, like online gaming or lots of high-definition video streaming. Plus, there still aren't a lot of wireless clients that have compatible 3x3 wireless adapters. So if you aren't planning on upgrading your home network machines in the near future, the E3200's throughput is fine.

Here are throughput results at 2.4 GHz Mixed Mode:

The throughput results at 2.4 GHz are excellent, highest tested yet.

Throughput results at 5 GHz Mixed Mode:

Routers highlighted in the 5 GHz benchmark results have hardware specifications similar to those of the E3200.  As you can see, the E3200 beats other similar routers except for the E3000, which has higher throughput at 5 GHz.  

Good Bet Over Predecessor

The E3000 is a very good router, with excellent throughput. But even with the slight performance dip at the 5-GHz band, the E3200 is better. Its software is more evolved. It's a great advanced router for users who may not be so advanced at wireless networking. I have some concerns about longevity because of how warm it ran in testing, so it's just shy of an Editors' Choice, but it's still a sturdy four-star device. The Netgear N750 remains our dual-band Editors' Choice for its super fast throughput and features but the E3200 is a solid option for those who are looking for an easier setup and management interface.

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