Looking more like a futuristic toy than a router, the Linksys Wireless-N Gigabit Router with Storage Link was the fastest router that I looked at. The router itself is attractive enough, with its blue and black accents, and the paddle-like antenna in the middle of the antenna array.

There are some problems setting up the Linksys router. As was the case with several of the routers, the setup wizard was smooth enough, up to a point, but the wizard crashed about halfway through without any suggestion as to why.

The administrative user interface is pretty well-organized if not beautiful. The responsiveness of the UI, as it saved settings quickly and allowed you to move between screens quickly. The Linksys was the best-performing router of the lot, turning in the best times. Of course, it’s also the most expensive router-card combination of this test, so it probably should perform the best.

The Linksys router offers Gigabit Ethernet connections, so its price quickly becomes more attractive when you take that into consideration. The Linksys offers most of the key features, as shown in the chart, but it also threw in management tools for storage that were unique in this group. The Linksys is the best combination of performance and functionality. If you’re not averse to spending a little extra cash, this router is the best choice out of this lot.