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Linksys introduces new EA4500 smart wifi router. What’s new with this Linksys 4500? How do you compare with others?

Overview

I was wondering when the new version of Linksys router launched E4200V2 why did not launch a new product with N900 technology. This E4200V2 improves the performance of first generation Linksys E4200 N750 router for faster speeds (N900) and optimized for HD video streaming and gaming. Now you have the answer, Linksys introduces a new series of Smart Wi-Fi routers, including N900 EA4500, EA3500 and EA2700 smart-wifi router. What’s new with these new lineup product series? The answer is that they support Cisco Cloud Connect, a new era of how you access your home network from mobile devices.

What this product does?

Model design Linksys 4500 is the same as the previous E4200 series with a sleek flat box with smooth sides and headcraft with an elegant silver Cisco logo and cute when placed on your desk. Antenna packed internally; there are actually six internal antennas so that it looks sleek and unfortunately horizontal form factor that takes more space on your desk.

Linksys EA4500 Highlights:

• New N900 wireless technology
• Cisco Connect Cloud
• Gigabit Interfaces
• USB port for share storage or printer

Click here for Linksys EA4500 N900 spec details.

Cisco Connect Cloud

Cisco Connect Cloud shortens the distance of your home network as close as your fingers accessing your mobile device, anywhere anytime as long as you can access the internet from around the world. If you can monitor your security surveillance via your network, with Cisco Connect Cloud you can monitor it via the internet from all over the world. Cisco offers new apps to support any types of home smart devices. This is a very benefit feature for traveling users which frequently access their home or small office network when they are away from their network. Netgear with its WNDR4700 product also offers you Share-Cloud feature, it’s a little bit different with Cisco Connect Cloud on Linksys 4500.

High Speed wired and wireless connection

What is expected by most users on their wireless router? No other but high speed. The router that is powered by N900 technology delivers speeds of up to 450Mbps each band with a total aggregate bandwidth of up to 900Mbps. Of course, these speeds are ideal in theory, in reality it never got the spec written.

All Ethernet interface ports are equipped with Gigabit ports as LAN switch including WAN port for reliable high-speed cable connection, make sure you use CAT5e (enhanced) or CAT6 UTP cables for best performance. Mostly brand new all-in-one desktop computers come with Gigabit Ethernet ports for wired connections, while most of the DOCSIS 3.0 cable modem are also equipped with a gigabit Ethernet port you can connect to Linksys 4500 gigabit WAN port for maximum data rate throughput between the modem and the router .

USB port utilization

USB port is designed with multi-functions including storage you can connect to an external disk, USB printer and media server supports. You can not use the USB port to share a printer on the first generation of routers including the Linksys E4200 and E3200. Unfortunately there is only one USB port available. So if you need a good connection to the disk storage and then have to turn the printer, switch off the other one. There are some routers available in the market you can consider such as a new router Asus RT-N66U N900 with two USB 2.0 ports that can be used as well for sharing printers and storage. You can also compare it with the D-link Dir-857 is equipped with a USB 3.0 port with a speed of 10 times the data rate throughput of a standard USB 2.0 port.

The table shows main specs comparison for EA4500 Vs WNDR4700 Vs DIR-857

Equipped with 6 internal antennas and 3 × 3 MIMO antenna technology for both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, Linksys 4500 is very reliable to cover every farthest corner of your house, eliminating the need for additional wireless range extender. To cover the entire house you can put the router in the middle of the house, keep the barrier minimum between the router and the client. This router is ideal iPad and other Android devices.

D-Link Cloud Routers

D-link offers cloud routers including DIR-605L (MSRP is only $40) and DIR-600L with mydlink™ Service – a cloud access to let you access your home network remotely with free smartphone app, just like the same way as your Linksys 4500. with mydlink™ Service you can manage user control, View Real-time Browsing History, Connect and Disconnect Computer Devices from the Network – all are done remotely from your mobile devices. DIR-605L is based on wireless N300 technology while DIR-600L is N150 router.

The dual version (N600) of D-link cloud router is Dir-826L cloud router 2000 which is also embedded with Gigabit Ethernet interfaces both for wired connection to the LAN and WAN ports. With the built-in high power amplifier, this router covers larger area within the house.

By Ki Grinsing