Linksys E2000 Advanced Wireless N Router
Linksys E2000 review: an inexpensive dual-band wireless router with Gigabit Ethernet
Pros
- Inexpensive dual-band wireless router, Gigabit Ethernet switch, fast wireless performance, very reliable in our tests, Wi-Fi security enabled by default
Cons
- 5Ghz performance was slightly slower than expected from mid-range distance, setup using Cisco Connect took a little too long, LEDs too bright, no keyword filtering
Bottom Line
For only $170, the Linksys E2000 offers pretty good value. It can run in either the 2.4GHz or 5GHz wireless networking bands (but not both simultaneously), it has a Gigabit Ethernet switch and all the other regular features one can expect in a wireless router. It was relatively easy to set up thanks to the included Cisco Connect software, and it's a great wireless router for novice users who may not be confident about setting up a wireless network. Best of all, the E2000 was fast and reliable during our test period. We recommend it.
-
Price
$ 169.95 (AUD)
Note: We originally used the US price for this review ($99). We have now amended it to show the Australian price ($169.95).
The Linksys E2000 is a reasonably priced Wi-Fi router with excellent features. For its $170 price, you get a 300Mbps 802.11n dual-band wireless access point that can run either in 2.4GHz or 5GHz mode, as well as a four-port Gigabit Ethernet switch. The best part is that it's very reliable and fast.
Linksys E2000: Features
Just like the older Linksys WAG320N (which, unlike the E2000, had a modem), the E2000 can't run both the 2.4GHz network and the 5Ghz network simultaneously, so you'll have to pick one network frequency and stick with it. We can't fault the router for this given its price (the WAG320N cost $279!). You'll have to consider purchasing the $250 Linksys E3000 if you want simultaneous dual-band operation.
The Linksys E2000 looks the same as the older Linksys WAG and WRT models; it doesn't have external antennas, it can be wall-mounted, it has bright LED status lights and its capabilities can be gleaned by the colour of its wing (grey means it has Gigabit Ethernet capability). It lacks fancy features such as storage ports for turning ordinary drives into NAS devices, but if you want this function you can opt for the E2100L. The E2000's Web interface hasn't changed, but the special setup software that Linksys ships with its wireless routers has been simplified in a bid to make it as easy as possible for novice users to install it.
Linksys E2000: Performance
In our tests, the E2000 proved to be solid as a rock; we used it with the Billion 5200S RD ADSL2+ modem and our iiNet connection never once dropped out unexpectedly during our week-long test period. Furthermore, the router's wireless performance was stellar.
When transferring video files from our server (which was connected to the router over Ethernet) to our dual-band capable notebook, the E2000 never faltered. Using the 2.4GHz band, we achieved transfer rates of 9.47 megabytes per second from 2m away from the router and 8.38MBps from 10m away. These are excellent results that pretty much blow away the competing routers at the same price point, such as the Netgear Wireless N 300 WNR2000 and the D-Link DIR-600. From 2m away, the 5GHz tests produced the exact same transfer rates as the 2.4GHz tests (9.47MBps), but from 10m the transfer rates dropped slightly to 6.74MBps.
The router offered great range in our test environment; it was able to supply a usable Internet connection from over 35m away, but its range will vary depending on the environment where you install the E2000. We think it will perform well in a mid-sized house for streaming video in addition to sharing a fast Internet connection across many computers.
Linksys E2000: Software setup
Linksys has done a lot over the years to try and take the pain out of setting up wireless routers. With the E2000, the supplied CD-ROM autoruns the Cisco Connect software, which goes through all the steps you need to undertake in order to first connect your new wireless router, and then asks you type in your ISP username and password. That's all there is to it. In our tests though, we also had to manually restart the router in order for it to work after the program updated its settings. The only thing that caught our attention about this setup procedure was how long it took. We were able to set up the router a lot quicker by logging in to the Web interface and entering all our details manually. But the CD-ROM is aimed at people who don't want to have to deal with advanced settings, and in this respect it's definitely useful.
Cisco Connect: main screen.
Brand Post
Most Popular Reviews
- 1 Dell U3223QE review: A winning debut for an IPS Black monitor
- 2 HP Spectre x360 16 review: The right 2-in-1 at the wrong time
- 3 Acer K242HYL review: An affordable monitor for any occasion
- 4 GeForce Now review: You bring the games, Nvidia streams the hardware
- 5 Asus ProArt PA279CV monitor review: The go-to for content creators on a budget
Latest News Articles
- Telstra launches the Smart Modem 3 with faster Wi-Fi speeds
- Netgear reveals the world’s first quad-band Wi-Fi 6E router
- TP-Link’s Archer GX90 AX6600 Wi-Fi 6 gaming router
- Research: 1 in 16 home routers can be hacked
- How to use your Mac's Wi-Fi menu to sort out weak areas of Wi-Fi coverage
Resources
Macworld
What's new, plus best mac-related tips
and tricks
Business Centre
The latest business news, reviews, features and whitepapers
Videos
Watch our video news and reviews from around the world
Guides
Comprehensive buying guides, features, and step-by-step articles
PCW Evaluation Team
Pedro Peixoto
Aruba Instant On AP11D
Set up is effortless.
Cate Bacon
Aruba Instant On AP11D
The strength of the Aruba Instant On AP11D is that the design and feature set support the modern, flexible, and mobile way of working.
Dr Prabigya Shiwakoti
Aruba Instant On AP11D
Aruba backs the AP11D up with a two-year warranty and 24/7 phone support.
Tom Pope
Dynabook Portégé X30L-G
Ultimately this laptop has achieved everything I would hope for in a laptop for work, while fitting that into a form factor and weight that is remarkable.
Tom Sellers
MSI P65
This smart laptop was enjoyable to use and great to work on – creating content was super simple.
Lolita Wang
MSI GT76
It really doesn’t get more “gaming laptop” than this.
Featured Content
- Which Lenovo Laptop Should I Buy?
- Every TV in Samsung's 2022 line-up: OLED, Neo QLED and more!
- Top 10 best Android and Apple phones for under $600
- Everything you need to know about Smart TVs
- What's the difference between an Intel Core i3, i5 and i7?
- Laser vs. inkjet printers: which is better?