Home Linksys Velop Belkin Acquisition

[Itinj24]

Just purchased a five node Linksys Velop MX 4200 system to replace a troublesome eero Pro 6 network. It’s still in the box and I’m still able to return.

I discovered that Belkin acquired Linksys very recently which I’m skeptical about. Belkin hasn’t been the most reliable of HomeKit devices. They have a new app logo and from what I read online, the web based Linksys application has also been disabled. Perusing the iOS app, recent reviews are saying that the app is now useless since the big update. Nodes and devices not showing up. Device names resetting and not displaying properly. Trouble logging in, log in loops, etc

Anyone have any input on this? Should I just return it while I have the chance or give it a shot?

 

[velocityg4]

You can use the web interface. That’s what I used when troubleshooting a Velop setup a customer has this week.

I’ve never liked Linksys in general. Due to their horrible and limited web interface.

I much prefer TP-Link or ASUS for home networking. Not sure about their Mesh.

Belkin has been the worst for routers in my experience.

 

[Itinj24]

You can use the web interface. That’s what I used when troubleshooting a Velop setup a customer has this week.

I’ve never liked Linksys in general. Due to their horrible and limited web interface.

I much prefer TP-Link or ASUS for home networking. Not sure about their Mesh.

Belkin has been the worst for routers in my experience.

Ok, so the web interface is still active. I was reading in the App Store reviews that Belkin deactivated it. Thanks.

 

[velocityg4]

Ok, so the web interface is still active. I was reading in the App Store reviews that Belkin deactivated it. Thanks.

Unless the Velop wasn't updated yet. But the web interface worked fine a few days ago when I worked on a Velop setup. I never tried the App.

 

[elvisimprsntr]

@Itinj24

Most mesh networks use WiFi for backhaul communication between nodes which cuts your maximum bandwidth in half, unless said mesh uses separate backhaul channel.

IMHO, mesh is overrated and overpriced kit for those who don't want or know how to run a wired backhaul. Since the Belkin acquisition, Linksys is a consumer grade appliance manufacturer.

I have two enterprise class Engenius EWS377APv3 APs in my home, which can handle 1000 clients. While the EWS377APv3 does support mesh, I use a wired backhaul. Both APs and bands use the same SSID. Clients seamlessly switch between APs and bands as I move throughout my home. There are at least a half a dozen other name brand OEMs that sell rebranded versions of the Engenius APs at a substantial markup.

EnGenius EWS377AP WiFi 6 AX3600 4x4 Multi-Gigabit Access Point with 2.5Gbps Port, OFDMA, MU-MIMO, PoE+, WPA3, 1GB RAM, License-Free Management Tools (Power Adapter Not Included)

802. 11ax 44 Managed Indoor Wireless Access Point EnGenius Neutron EWS377AP 802. 11ax 4x4 Managed Indoor Wireless Access Point features 802. 11ax technology, which deepens and extends the capabilities of Wi-Fi and harnesses EnGenius enterprise-level management and AP features for use in high-capa...

www.amazon.com

 

[Itinj24]

@Itinj24

Most mesh networks use WiFi for backhaul communication between nodes which cuts your maximum bandwidth in half, unless said mesh uses separate backhaul channel.

IMHO, mesh is overrated and overpriced kit for those who don't want or know how to run a wired backhaul. Since the Belkin, acquisition Linksys is a consumer grade appliance manufacturer.

I have two enterprise class Engenius EWS377APv3 APs in my home, which can handle 1000 clients. While the EWS377APv3 does support mesh, I use a wired backhaul. Both APs and bands use the same SSID. Clients seamlessly switch between APs and bands as I move throughout my home. There are at least a half a dozen other name brand OEMs that sell rebranded versions of the Engenius APs at a substantial markup.

EnGenius EWS377AP WiFi 6 AX3600 4x4 Multi-Gigabit Access Point with 2.5Gbps Port, OFDMA, MU-MIMO, PoE+, WPA3, 1GB RAM, License-Free Management Tools (Power Adapter Not Included)

802. 11ax 44 Managed Indoor Wireless Access Point EnGenius Neutron EWS377AP 802. 11ax 4x4 Managed Indoor Wireless Access Point features 802. 11ax technology, which deepens and extends the capabilities of Wi-Fi and harnesses EnGenius enterprise-level management and AP features for use in high-capa...

www.amazon.com

I have a GC coming to run ethernet throughout my house next week but this EnGenius is intriguing. I’ll look into it. I have pool house running a decent amount of HomeKit devices about 100’ away from my main house which is why I was so interested in mesh. I was getting good signal and decent speed on a wireless backhaul with the eero Pro but I’m gonna run a buried ethernet line out there anyway.

 

[elvisimprsntr]

I have a GC coming to run ethernet throughout my house next week but this EnGenius is intriguing. I’ll look into it. I have pool house running a decent amount of HomeKit devices about 100’ away from my main house which is why I was so interested in mesh. I was getting good signal and decent speed on a wireless backhaul with the eero Pro but I’m gonna run a buried ethernet line out there anyway.

I spent months searching for WiFi 6 APs to replace my aging Linksys WRT series kit running OpenWrt firmware due to Marvell failing to update their proprietary drivers to support WPA3, before settling on Engenius.

1. Locally managed, i.e. not cloud managed. (Although, license free remote cloud managed is optional)
2. No name brand OEM premium tax, i.e Cisco, Aruba, etc.
3. No recurring extortion fee.

The only issue I had was out of 40+ WiFi clients (tablets, phones, computers, IoT devices), only my 10+ year old HP printer would not connect to WiFi 6, which I replaced with a new HP printer. Older devices with outdated WiFi drivers not connecting to WiFi 6, even with AX turned off on the 2.4 GHz band, is a known issue. My work issued Windows 10 laptop would not connect to WPA3, which I think is also a driver issue, so I had to enable WPA2/WPA3 mixed.

Otherwise, I have absolutely no complaints with the Engenius EWS377v3 APs. Well built, solid signal, reliable, no dropped connections, no random reboots, etc.

Engenius also makes outdoor WiFi 6 APs with the same family Qualcomm chipset, although obviously they are a bit pricier than their indoor APs.

EnGenius Outdoor WiFi 6 AX1800 Managed Access Point EWS850AP with 2.5Gbps Port, OFDMA, MU-MIMO, PoE+ Injector Included, WPA3, IP67 Rated, License-Free Remote Management Tools Included

OFDMA (in both uplink and downlink): enables more efficient channel use, reduces latency between AP and client devices, and provides backward-compatibility with 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz,1024 QAM: boosts throughput by 25% and provides greater reliability in short distances,BSS coloring: tags packets with...

www.amazon.com

If you do install multiple APs, may sure to put neighboring APs on the same SSID on different non-overlapping WiFi channels, otherwise clients will have trouble connecting.

 

[pup]

I discovered that Belkin acquired Linksys very recently which I’m skeptical about.

Well, close to ten years ago. ?

I've had a 3-node Velop network for about 4 years and it's done nothing but grow more reliable over time. I do run it in bridge mode, though, so the app isn't much use to me.

fwiw, the nodes are daisy-chained via ethernet

 

[Itinj24]

Well, close to ten years ago. ?

I've had a 3-node Velop network for about 4 years and it's done nothing but grow more reliable over time. I do run it in bridge mode, though, so the app isn't much use to me.

fwiw, the nodes are daisy-chained via ethernet

As you were… wow, I must’ve read an old article and didn’t check the date. Then the new Linksys logo along with the App Store reviews led me to believe otherwise. I stand corrected.

Appreciate the info. Whatever route I end up taking, it will definitely be a wired backhaul but I’m really most curious about the new Linksys app. The latest App Store reviews starting a few months ago, around the time the logo change occurred, have been abysmal. I got rid of my ISP modem/router combo a few years ago and go direct modem (from Verizon) to router (currently eero Pro 6) so I won’t be bridged.

 

[JV8]

Just purchased a five node Linksys Velop MX 4200 system to replace a troublesome eero Pro 6 network. It’s still in the box and I’m still able to return.

I discovered that Belkin acquired Linksys very recently which I’m skeptical about. Belkin hasn’t been the most reliable of HomeKit devices. They have a new app logo and from what I read online, the web based Linksys application has also been disabled. Perusing the iOS app, recent reviews are saying that the app is now useless since the big update. Nodes and devices not showing up. Device names resetting and not displaying properly. Trouble logging in, log in loops, etc

Anyone have any input on this? Should I just return it while I have the chance or give it a shot?

I just purchased one and the new app is charging for subscriptions. How can they get away with that?

 

[Itinj24]

I just purchased one and the new app is charging for subscriptions. How can they get away with that?

Eero is doing the same thing for extra features like ad blocking, DDNS, advanced security. I went back to eero, never even opened the Linksys system I bought. They all suck.