Linksys → [Wireless] Linksys EA4500 router?

I am moving from AT&T dsl and landline to Comcast cable internet and phone, probably on Friday.

I've been using a Netgear router/dsl modem, although I have always had good success with Linksys models.

Anyway, at lunch today I stopped by Wal Mart to pick up a few things, and had decided to get a new router, with an eye on the E3200 or E4200. I installed an E2500 on my mom's cable internet, and was impressed by the stability and ease.

Much to my surprise, Wal Mart had the E4200 V1, and...2 routers that I had not seen: A Linksys EA3500, and EA4500 router!

The price on the EA4500 router fell between the V1 E4200 and V2 4200, and assuming that it was the newer model went with the EA4500. In appearance it is identical to the E4200 models, and the specs appear closer to the E4200 V2.

I find nowhere at Linksys to see info on this router, nor is there even a model number to register it!

Does anyone here have any knowledge of this model?

Interesting. Must be part of their new line coming up. Can you post pics? Including the box. Curious to see what it looks like and specs.

Okay, here goes, but fair warning, these are just phone-pics

As typical with consumer Linksys, no in-depth specs given, even in the pdf file/manual, does not list the chipset used, so I don't know if it will be 3d party firmware supported...not an issue with me as I stick with stock firmware.

At any rate, it is a dual band up to 450Mbps per band, like the V2 4200. It supports IPv6, has the USB port, gigabit ports etc. It has 6 interior antenna (3 per band).

As the pic shows, it has the same outward appearance of the E4200 models.

I will be setting this up once my self-install cable/phone kit arrives from Comcast...probably Friday. Just got tired of paying pretty much the same money for a 6 MBPS dsl line and landline (cell coverage here is pretty sketchy, so I still need the landline)

Truth to tell, this is a bit of overkill for me, but I had the dough and wanted a quality unit.

I will be on a 20Mbps service (with Power Boost), have 2 laptops, a desktop, the occasional guest computer, a couple of android devices, wireless printer, Roku box, stream music, and have a NAS, but really nothing that is all that demanding.

Googling it turns up a few references here and there. It looks to be virtually identical to the E4200 V2.

Based on the box, your unit says it include an App to allow you to manage your home network from a smartphone. Don't know if the E4200 allows that so this may be the difference between what you bought and that model.

Interesting find. Thanks for sharing.

Actually, I believe that most of the E-series routers can use that app, although this is the first time that it is specifically referred to on the box. I downloaded it for my android phone, its also available for iPhones.

Thank you for the pics and info. You know. I think someone goofed and put those up for sale early. Like you said. Nothing online or on the Linksys site. Not even a hint that these are coming out. How exciting to get a early unit. I wonder if it is their top of the line for the new models coming out? I wonder if it has a built in traffic meter as well. Lots of people have been wanting that including myself. Was that the only highest end model they had? How much was it?

Looks to be a soon to be released model: »www.wikidevi.com/wiki/Ci ··· o_EA4500

The confidentiality doesn't expire until 4/16/2012 though.. which strangely is a long while from now. Why would they send out the the models THAT early?

Yes, thanks for posting this. Looks like someone made a mistake and shipped it or sold it early. I also would be interested in what you think of it.

Yeah, even calling Cisco, they are in a bit of a quandry, but I expect to get it straightened out (after all, I would like to register it!)

I saw both the EA4500, and the EA3500 (which also looked identical to the E3200, but is rated as 450Mbps on the 5ghz side, and 300Mbps on the 2.4 side. I understand that there will also be an EA2700, again analogous with the E2500. They all sport the "App-enabled" claim on the box.

Hopefully, I will be installing it by the end of this week, as I am transitioning from dsl to cable...no point setting it up until my cable equipment is in.

I will be happy to give a review. I am not a highly technical user in terms of benchmarks, but I will report what I can. If anyone has any specific suggestions/questions, I will do my best to answer.

Who'da thunk that Wal-freaking-Mart would be cutting-edge in networking hardware???

Yes it was, and from the pdf file user's manual, the EA series will include the EA4500, EA3500, and EA2700...so it appears that the 4500 at least for now, will be the highest model.

As far as price, I paid $179 (remember, this was retail) while the E4200 v1 (no v2's in stock) were $149.

I wonder internally what has changed from E4200 V2 compared to the one you have. I am still rocking my E4200 V1 and it has been rock solid over a year now. Might upgrade to this EA4500.... Once you get it hooked up. You can tell us more about it if you don't mind. I am sure you will be very pleased. I am on cable as well.

It might just be minor differences.
Heck, I have the WRT610N v2 which was retired for the E3000 which was completely the same modem.

I don't know for sure, as I am not that driven to open it up and check the chipset, and none of the documentation addresses that.

I suspect that it is closer internally to the E4200 V2, only because like the V2, it is 450 Mbps x 450 Mbps.

BTW: The new EA series officially comes out on March 16th, I got that from Linksys. They seemed a bit surprised that I had one already.

The EA3500 is rated as a 450 Mbps x 300 Mbps, and is a dead ringer for the E3200

Okay, I am up and running on cable now, so I hooked up the EA4500.

Installation was a virtual snap...did not even require being ethernet-wired to intiate. I have to say that initial setup was the quickest, easiest that I have ever seen. My wireless printer, laptops, NAS, Roku, desktop (wired), android devices all installed without a hiccup.

One nice improvement over the previous E-series:

Although it is simplistic, I really think that the Cisco Connect software is a winner! Previously however, Cisco Connect did not directly work with the router's firmware page, and you could only make limited changes through it. That now has changed, you can go directly into the router web page through Cisco Connect now, which is great, since you can do the easy-schmeasy initial set up, and yet still have direct access to the more advanced user settings. Cisco Connect has a goof-proof routine to set up a flash drive as an "easy connect" fob, much akin to what the Linksys Valet series used to come with. Just for the heck of it, I made one and set up a netbook with it, and sure enough it could not be any easier.

The default set up is similar to the Airport router in that the 2.4 and 5ghz bands are the same SSID, although you can easily enough separate those for those who want to know which device is using which band.

The guest network is also set up by default, and can easily be turned off or on as needed...nothing of particular note there.

Nothing particularly new or exciting as far as the web page...those who like the control that dd-wrt and tomato give will find little to get happy about, but I am a pretty "pedestrian" user who is finse with the stock firmware.

I actually prefer the lack of constantly blinking leds which have been moved to the back of the router, and in fact, it is easy enough to turn them off if one wants to do so.

The router runs warm, but not at all hot even during extended activity.

A down-side to some will be the inability to wall-mount this router, but on my home-office desk, it is understated and unobtrusive, (again, like the E4200), which works for me, and I suspect is Linksys' idea that many users will have this in a living room type setting, and are aiming for a "civillized" appearance. I certainly prefer the appearance to my old 610N, with that funky flying-saucer styling and annoyingly bright blue leds.

I have not utilized the USB port since I already have a NAS, but hopefully the throughput will be as good as that of the E4200...I will probably use it sooner or later.

Performance seems very transparent, but until I try moving a lot of things through it simultaneously, I really can't say. My 15 - 20 Mbps connection runs as quickly through the router as when connect directly to the modem,and the range looks very good, however, I really don't have a challenging residence to reach all corners at full signal.

I apologize as this certainly is not a very in-depth review, but hopefully it may helpsome folks.

Nice review. Glad to hear about the ability to manage the router's firmware page through the Cisco Connect software. That is the one thing that always kept me from using their software in the past. Sounds like they have now corrected that issue.

Thank you. I set up an E2500 Linksys for my mom with Cisco Connect...an extremely vanilla set-up, but her requirementsa are minimal, but I was less than enthused over the split personality between that and using the router's web page. This makes a whole lot better sense! I see this giving folks with a range of needs vs experience the ability to keep it as simple as they want without sacrificing flexibility when they need it.

Thank you for the Review.

Nice mini review! I still cannot believe Cisco/Linksys has not added a traffic meter yet. That is pretty standard with new routers today. Also. I think the whole interface needs a refreshment. Very generic and boring looking. They have not changed it since they introduced their consumer routers to the market. Do you realize how many years that is?!?! Sheesh! I never have used the Cisco Connect software that comes with any of those routers. Prefer to set it up manually and have that control. Good to see they are making things easier for people though. Depending on deeper reviews when it officially hits the market. And if it is not a V2 basically rebadged. I might consider upgrading from my E4200 V1. But, if it is in fact a rebadge. Might as well hold onto my current E4200.

I second that! It was one thing that I really had expected they correct as so many of us have at least some kind of purported or real cap nowdays.

No doubt about it: The Linksys interface is somewhat limited, boring (good word for it!), and clumsy to navigate as well. Back in the day, it was well and good enough, but really one would expect better now.

I am guessing that Cisco thinks that the majority of users will go through Cisco Connect and seldom bother going any deeper into the firmware...which for a consumer router does make a certain amount of sense.

My 82 year old mother could have set this one up.

The EA4500 is now on their support page at:

»homesupport.cisco.com/en ··· s/EA4500

However, it is not on their main/for sale page yet.

I'm getting a "Page not found" error.

It was there before....I guess Cisco took it down. *shrugs*

No problem. It probably wasn't ready for prime time.

Still not showing up on the website. Wish I knew what the specs were. I have it sitting here in the box thinking about returning it as I saw no improvement performance wise over the current E4200V1 with latest firmware.

V2 has a much faster cpu. I would imagine the new EA4500 does as well. Same cpu or even faster.

I saw these models on the shelves at Walmart last week. Really good products. Not really sure why they are being released though since pretty much the entire line of E series routers released in 2011 support IPv6 and the Cisco Connect app. This includes the E1200, E1500, E2500, E3200, and the E4200 and E4200v2.

I touched on this here »Re: [Wireless] Linksys EA4500 router?

Site is working now. They were updating the support site to include the pdf's and firmware I guess.

All in due time. It takes a while for reviewers to first hear about the new routers, buy them, then crack them open to see whats inside. This site usually has pretty good information »www.smallnetbuilder.com/ ··· reviewed on the E4200v2. IPv6 Forum did testing on both this model and the new EA lineup at the same time. »www.ipv6ready.org/db/ind ··· -000653/
I'm pretty sure the EA4500 is going to be very identical to the E4200v2 but not a replacement since the v2 literally just came out in December. »home.cisco.com/en-us/pre ··· nd_Range plus the EA4500 is being sold cheaper then the E4200v2 which means there is no way Cisco marketing would purposely put out a better device for less money after they just put out the E4200v2 for $200 because no one would buy it then.

The E3200 and E2500 on the other hand may be phased out for the EA3500 and EA2700 because both the packaging of the E3200 and EA3500 give the exact same information that its a 2x2 dual band router at 300Mbps 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz with four gigabit LAN ports and one gigabit WAN port and both the packaging for the E2500 and EA2700 indicate that it is a 2x2 dual band router at 300Mbps at 2.4 and 5Ghz with four fast ethernet LAN ports one fast ethernet WAN port. I have no idea what the E900 router is intended to replace but its a 2.4Ghz 300Mbps single band router with four fast ethernet LAN ports and one fast ethernet WAN port, which are the same specs for the E1200 and E1500 so thats a tossup. The E900, E4200v2, EA4500, EA3500, and EA2700 all support IPv6 out of the box instead of requiring a firmware update like the 2011 models did. My best bet is that they needed to do rebranding to get the Cisco Connect name out into the world and/or because of the fact that Cisco is making its own firmware now instead of it being based on ODM'd code according to this review. »www.smallnetbuilder.com/ ··· ?start=1

Cisco may have started making their own firmware so that they could possibly have more freedom to redesign the web interface to compete with Netgear's Genie interface, and the 2011 hardware might not be compatible because in the E4200v2, Cisco started using all Marvell components such as the processor, switch, and wireless radios, while in the original E4200, E3200, E2500, E1200 and E1500 they contain all Broadcom components. The E4200v2 also contains both 1280MB of RAM and Flash, the most I've ever seen in a Linksys/Cisco router.

ODM definition: »en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Or ··· facturer

Linksys has the page back up. No specifics as far as CPU or Memory. I returned mine and went back to the E4200V1 for now.