Cisco ended a nearly three-year-long dry spell by announcing an entirely new line of Linksys routers. The company also unveiled a new line of routers aimed at less tech-savvy consumers. Marketed under the Valet brand name, users can set up their entire Wi-Fi network using nothing more than the provided USB key.
Three of the new Linksys E-Series routers are housed in the familiar flying saucer form factor and use internal antennas. A fourth model, the Linksys E2100L uses the Linux operating system and features removable external antennas; unfortunately, the integrated Ethernet switch on this model will be limited to Fast Ethernet (10/100Mbps). This strikes us as an odd limitation for a product that’s supposedly designed for hardcore users and costs $120.
The Linksys E2000 costs the same but provides a Gigabit Ethernet switch and the option of operating your wireless network on either the 2.4GHz or 5GHz band. The top-of-the-line Linksys E3000 ($180) has a gigabit switch and the ability to operate wireless networks on both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands simultaneously.
Tags: Cisco, Linksys E-Series
