If you are lookng for a good router, check out this Linksys EA4500 review. You will find the Linksys EA4500 router an excellent router that gives you the range as well as easy to setup and maintain.

1. Why The Linksys
EA4500 Is Excellent –
The Linksys EA4500
Review
By Kym Raymond
If you are looking for a good router; one that is easy to setup, has a long range and does not
give you problems, then you should check out the Linksys EA4500. I put together the
experience of some owners in this Linksys EA4500 review to share with you the information
so that you do not have to look all over the place if you intend to purchase a new router or
replace your existing router.
Some of the owners in this Linksys EA4500 review have been season user of routers and
have owned many routers. As such it is interesting to find out what they thought of their
Linksys EA4500 router.
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2. Here are some of the reviews from owners of the Linksys EA4500:
5.0 out of 5 stars As good or better, April 24, 2012
By David Stapleton (California)
Like many of the other reviewers, I have been through a number of wireless routers over the
past decade or more, everything from the A/Bs to the Gs and multiple instantiations of the
Ns. I, originally, started with Linksys routers due to their reputation for reliability and ease of
use and continued with them through several upgrades for those same qualities and the ability
to secure and configure to fit my home network as it grew.
However, my experience with the last couple of routers (continual connection problems and
need to reset the routers), culminating in the WRT160N V3, caused me to stray to a Netgear
RangeMax (very stable and reliable router) when I needed to setup a second network. Given
the opportunity to upgrade my home network (the WRT160N V3) with a new Linksys, I took
a chance that Cisco/Linksys might have returned to their old values, and at this point I seem
to be rewarded with a quality router. On with the details...
Setup: the initial install on my main system took roughly 10-15 minutes, this was an upgrade
from an older Linksys router (quick tip: if upgrading from an existing network, leave the old
router connected until the setup program requests that you connect the new router, this allows
the setup program to download updates). That time included downloading an update to the
setup program before the new router was connected and a firmware update for the new router.
My extended setup (the whole network: 2nd desktop, netbooks, Wii, XBox, Roku,
smartphones, wireless printer, 1TB USB storage device added as network storage) took and
additional 30-45 minutes, for an overall install/setup time of about 1 hour (I configured all
devices manually entering the security code rather than PIN, because it was easier than trying
to figure out which devices could use the PIN vs. the security code). The only
troubleshooting necessary was a simple reboot if the router did not connect immediately after
configuration.
Network Speed: I ran the numbers from multiple sites, and they tend to vary so I settled on
Speedtest.net and Speakeasy speedtest. I ran both desktops and a remote netbook (trying to
stretch the limits by moving to the backyard in an effort to promote a weak connection and
dropped packets - the router is positioned on the second floor of a 2500 sqft house near the
front, so the signal traversed most of the house through a floor and multiple walls, including
stucco).
Upload speeds all ranged from 1.4 to 1.8 (no real change, but then I expected that since most
ISPs restrict upload speeds well below download speeds); download speeds with the old
router ranged from 10.86-11.92Mbps with Speedtest.net and 8.40-13.06Mbps with
Speakeasy. The new router (EA4500) ranged from 15.22-24.01Mbps with Speedtest.net and
11.54-21.80Mbps with Speakeasy. So anywhere from 50-100%+ increase in download
speeds across a single system from an older wireless N router to the EA4500. (Note this is not
a head to head of comparable models, so take it as just my experience with the routers
mentioned)
As noted the range was tested through multiple walls/floors/materials and seems to have been
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3. better than the old router (2 of 5 bars signal strength with the old router to 3 of 5 bars signal
strength with the new router at extreme range).
Problems: I have only a couple of misc. points: the wired network connections on the back of
the device are somewhat tight due to the lip overhang of the top of the device, also,
attempting to push the window a little I connected a USB drive through a USB hub to the
router and was told that the hub (device) was not supported (direct connect of the WD
Passport device worked with no problems).
Overall, a good router (a seeming return to higher quality values by Linksys), perhaps
overpriced, but it is the Linksys top end model, so you can scale back as desired based upon
the feature set desired. P-)
5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding, April 18, 2012
By G. Lapidus (Bay Area, California USA)
I purchased this EA4500 to replace the Linksys 3000.
Just received and finished setting up. Took 15-minutes and was extremely easy. Just follow
the directions and you're home-free.
This router is faster and offers a much stronger signal. Here are a few results:
Using SpeedTest with same browser and server.
Wired Connection:
Linksys 3000: 20ms - 28.46 dl - 7.81 upload
Linksys 4500: 21ms - 32.90 dl = 7.68 upload
2nd Computer using Wireless Belkin Medialink adapter?
Linksys 3000: 25ms - 11.35 dl - 7.21 upload
Linksys 4500: 24ms - 29.15 dl = 6.61 upload
Laptop (Gateway P-7811FX) built in Wireless connection:
Linksys 3000: 22ms - 23.07 dl - 7.64 upload
Linksys 4500: 22ms - 32.86 dl = 7.41 upload
Will update this review after living with it for a while but I can already notice the difference
and very pleased.
UPDATE: June 29, 2012: Having now lived with this product for 2-months I remain totally
satisfied and love it.
TIP: If you enter the Advanced Setting "Wireless" tab you will note that the two frequencies
transmitted must have different names. What this means is to get the higher frequency
connection which is usually recommended for larger bandwidth like media streaming and
such, be certain you are connecting to the correct name.
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4. I didn't realize this until after my initial review. Some devices will only connect via the 2.4
frequency like my older Blackberry as an example. I'd recommend first trying to connect to
the higher frequency and if you have an issue try again using the wireless name of the lower
frequency. If you look at the setup as explained you will better understand what I'm referring
to.
On another note, I was having lots of connection issues and spent a lot of time with CISCO
support. The case was escalated and they spent a lot of time with me and were very patient.
After thoroughly trouble shooting we identified my issue to be at the source and not the
router. We narrowed it down to the modem or the cable line itself. Comcast came out the next
day, changed out the modem and all is perfect!!! The issue was an unstable connection due to
3-year old modem that was simply malfunctioning.
I would purchase this product again in a heartbeat and the respect Linksys products have
earned from me over the years; continues. Keep up the great work CISCO and kudos to your
tech. support team.
5.0 out of 5 stars Fast, reliable router compared to a Belkin N750, July 24, 2012
By John W. Graham (Orlando, FL United States)
I got this router to replace a Belkin N750 Wireless Dual-Band N+ Router.
The dual band Linksys EA4500 supports 450+450Mbps using 6 internal antennas while the
Belkin N750 supports 300 Mbps (2.4GHz) + 450 Mbps (5GHz) using 5 MIMO internal
antennas. The extra 150Mbps really does make a difference on the 2.4Ghz band. In addition,
the EA4500 seems to have fewer dead spots than the Belkin, effectively eliminating the need
for something like the Belkin F9K1106 Dual Band Range Extender.
One of my biggest complaints with the N750 was its poor support of the USB ports, which I
use for a multifunction printer and a NAS device. The EA4500 supports USB 2.0 (alas, not
3.0) and I was able to use my Seagate Expansion 2 TB USB 3.0 Desktop External Hard Drive
with no issues, though others seem to have had issues with WD externals. My printer, an
Epson Artisan 800, worked just fine on the USB port. I also used one of the gigabit ports to
connect a local PC to the network; again, no issues.
All of my devices were able to connect effortlessly to the Linksys EA4500, including
multiple iPhones, an Android device, an iPad, an HP Elitebook laptop, a MacBook Pro and a
Dell Inspiron PC. My Apple TV MD199LL also connected to the Linksys EA4500 and I was
able to stream Netflix and iTunes content while enjoying excellent speeds on my other
devices.
Most of the negative reviews revolve around a firmware update to the device. I have not
updated the firmware, even though I am a so-called techie type. Fact is, automatic update is
only enabled if you have the auto-update firmware box checked, and I don't. I do value
privacy, so I do understand that it is possible to Opt Out.
Performance-wise, I like the Linksys EA4500 over the N750 because I am able to maintain
higher throughput. I see noticeable gains based on being used to the N750, and I am happy
with the upgrade so far.
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5. 5.0 out of 5 stars Cisco EA4500 Wireless Router, July 1, 2012
By Glen
I purchased this Linksys EA4500 to replace the Linksys E900. Not that the E900 is bad, it
was just didn't have enough coverage as the Linksys EA4500 has. I am pretty satisfied with
Linksys routers, so far no problem, everything set up quick and safe, if you can afford it, buy
a nice router, like this one EA4500, you won't regret it.
5.0 out of 5 stars Great router for streaming, August 25, 2012
By glindagoodwitch
This Linksys EA4500 router is perfect for streaming videos. Fast and rarely have to reload,
especially using the apps on my LG smart TV. Delivery was excellent; I had (trial) Prime
shipping at the time of purchase. I had a TP-link before, but had some issues with streaming
my Dish Network. I upgraded to this router, and have been very satisfied. My husband drives
a truck and uses the streaming of our Dish for his TV viewing when he is OTR.
I hope you find this Linksys EA4500 review helpful.
Click here or the image below to get the Linksys EA4500 from Amazon.
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