I will try not to rehash the points already made here, my experience is with the MBP (2 months old) and the Linksys (Cisco) E4200.
I just switched ISP's to a cable internet provider with 100 MB/s speed, and wanted a good router to pair with it. I specifically had the installer NOT enable the wireless capability of the cable modem, so that I only had one wireless network to configure or deal with.
I went with the E4200 for a few reasons:
1. simultaneous g and n band wireless
2. ability to control bandwidth for specific machines
3. ability to segregate g and n networks, to control traffic on each
While I'm not a novice, neither would I call myself an expert. I am pretty decent with basic computer networking for home applications, and have set up my share of routers, D-Link and Linksys mostly.
My experience is that WHEN I got the connections right (ISP modem to router, hardline LAN to router), the rest came along nicely. The issues I had were mostly of my own creation, as I was not making the connections properly. Once I did, and restarted every device in the chain (modem, router, computer) it all went smoothly. The included Cisco Connect software worked well, and for most people (especially if you are not technically inclined) it is very easy to follow. I did choose to use some of the more advanced features, but unless you have specific needs they're not completely necessary.
What I now have is 2 secured wireless networks in my house, along with a 3rd secure guest network that only allows internet access, not access to the full network. There is a separate G and N network, and the N network is set to only allow 5GHz connections. It's only for my Apple TV, MBP, and Media Bridge. I have a 2 story house with finished basement, and the E4200 is on the main floor. It covers the house and yard with strong signal, and has not dropped a device once in the 3 weeks it's been in place. The firmware was updated when I installed it, and that update was easy and flawless.
In all I have 12 devices/computers that might connect to the E4200 at any particular time, a mix of Windows 7 machines, my MBP, wireless bridge, Apple TV, 2 iPhones, Blackberry, iPad, HP Wireless 3 in 1. They all behave perfectly.
Sorry for the long post, hope it wasn't too difficult to follow. As always YMMV.
I just switched ISP's to a cable internet provider with 100 MB/s speed, and wanted a good router to pair with it. I specifically had the installer NOT enable the wireless capability of the cable modem, so that I only had one wireless network to configure or deal with.
I went with the E4200 for a few reasons:
1. simultaneous g and n band wireless
2. ability to control bandwidth for specific machines
3. ability to segregate g and n networks, to control traffic on each
While I'm not a novice, neither would I call myself an expert. I am pretty decent with basic computer networking for home applications, and have set up my share of routers, D-Link and Linksys mostly.
My experience is that WHEN I got the connections right (ISP modem to router, hardline LAN to router), the rest came along nicely. The issues I had were mostly of my own creation, as I was not making the connections properly. Once I did, and restarted every device in the chain (modem, router, computer) it all went smoothly. The included Cisco Connect software worked well, and for most people (especially if you are not technically inclined) it is very easy to follow. I did choose to use some of the more advanced features, but unless you have specific needs they're not completely necessary.
What I now have is 2 secured wireless networks in my house, along with a 3rd secure guest network that only allows internet access, not access to the full network. There is a separate G and N network, and the N network is set to only allow 5GHz connections. It's only for my Apple TV, MBP, and Media Bridge. I have a 2 story house with finished basement, and the E4200 is on the main floor. It covers the house and yard with strong signal, and has not dropped a device once in the 3 weeks it's been in place. The firmware was updated when I installed it, and that update was easy and flawless.
In all I have 12 devices/computers that might connect to the E4200 at any particular time, a mix of Windows 7 machines, my MBP, wireless bridge, Apple TV, 2 iPhones, Blackberry, iPad, HP Wireless 3 in 1. They all behave perfectly.
Sorry for the long post, hope it wasn't too difficult to follow. As always YMMV.
