Linksys e3000 Router
Recently, I purchased and installed the Linksys e3000 router at my home office. I was using a Linksys WRT54GS with SpeedBooster. The WRT54GS served me well, but recently it was having connection issues, so I decided it was time to upgrade.
Overall, I have been very happy with the e3000 and can’t wait to try streaming video from it to my Roku HD-XR player.
.
Pictures in the wild & my notes are located below.
(4/1/2011) Update – Since posting this article, there have been better pictures and more reviews added to sites like Amazon.com and Newegg.com. Please be sure to research this product carefully before purchasing. My Linksys e3000 still works great, but some people have reported Internet connectivity issues (See Forums Tab). ~ Treye
.
I. BACKGROUND RESEARCH
I did some product research on Google and read the reviews on Amazon before buying. Most of the reviews on Amazon were positive, 4 or greater.
The highlights that convinced me to buy:
- Similar manual set up is still possible by going to the default admin IP address: 192.168.1.1
- Broadcasts in dual bands simultaneously, one for the 5 GHz n and the other for the 2.4GHz mixed a,b,g
- Ethernet ports up to 4 x Gigabit speed
- 6 internal antennas for greater range
- Most people noted a speed increase (I have noted mine below)
- You can connect a shared drive via a USB connector on the back of the e3000, then map this drive to any computer on your network
- The 5GHz N band is better for streaming video to a Roku HD-XR Player ( which I just purchased)
Some of the complaints:
- Some people had trouble with the included setup CD
- Just like any other piece of computer hardware, this one gets hot. It’s shorter legs don’t allow for enough space for the heat to dissipate from underneath
- The e3000 needs a firmware update to correct some of the problems that people noted
- A very short power cord!
.
CAUTION. BEWARE. CONTINUE AT YOUR OWN RISK! I am not responsible for any stress, heartburn, damage or otherwise done to your new hardware, computer, home, etc. I am very anal and research all of this carefully before messing with my technology. I suggest you do the same. My set up is listed below. Use this information at your own risk! I am also not an IT expert! If you are having problems, use the Live Chat on Cisco’s support website. You can get to this by going to the link below. If you are unsure, use the included Cisco Connect CD and instructions. I did not use the included CD because I am already familiar with the Linksys admin menus.
.
II. MY SET UP
.
A) FIRMWARE UPGRADE
First, before disconnecting my old router, I downloaded the firmware upgrade and user manual from the Cisco Support website.
I also printed the firmware upgrade instructions.
Go to: http://homesupport.cisco.com/en-us/wireless/linksys/E3000
(or you can Google: linksys e3000 firmware)
Once those had been downloaded to my PC’s desktop, I unplugged my old router.
At this point, I also shut down all of my other computers and devices, except for the desktop PC that I was going to use to set up the e3000.
I connected the Ethernet cable for my desktop PC into the new Linksys e3000 router. Then I connected the power cord and turned it on.
I waited about 30 seconds for it to boot up.
Next, I opened a browser window and went to the admin IP Address: 192.168.1.1
The default username is admin and the password is admin.
Once logged in, I went to: Administration > Firmware Upgrade.
I browsed to the location of the firmware upgrade file that I had downloaded earlier and clicked the Start Upgrade button. It took a couple of minutes for the upgrade to complete. Once completed, you should see a success message in a white box on a black background. Then I closed my web browser. Finally, I held down the reset button located on the back of the e3000 so it could reboot with the new firmware upgrade. All of these instructions are listed on the Cisco support website.
Once it had rebooted, I went back to the admin: 192.168.1.1 and logged in using the same credentials noted above.
.
B) MANUAL SET UP
.
1. Upon login to the admin menu, I went to: Wireless > Basic Wireless Settings
I selected the Manual radio button.
Next, I changed the Network Name (SSID) for both the 5GHz and 2.4GHz bands. My preference is to use my phone number. For the 5GHz band SSID I put an ‘ n ‘ at the end of the number.
5GHz band SSID: 5125555555n
2.4GHz band SSID: 5125555555
All other settings were left at their default values.
I clicked the Save Settings button and noted these values on a sheet of paper.
Writing these values down is extremely important. Keep this paper in a safe place that you can get to easily when guests visit.
.
2. Next, I went to: Wireless > Wireless Security
I left the Security Mode as the default WPA2/WPA Mixed Mode setting.
Important!!! I entered the same Passphrase for both bands…5GHz and 2.4GHz. I did this because I read that some people had problems using different passphrases.
I clicked the Save Settings button and noted these passphrases on my sheet of paper.
.
3. Finally, I went to: Administration > Management
I changed the Router Password. This password should be different than the Passphrase you used for access to your wireless connection.
I clicked the Save Settings button and noted the Router Password on a sheet of paper.
.
4. Go to: Status > Router and note the values listed here for later use.
.
C) CONNECT e3000 TO MODEM, TURN ON AND CONNECT COMPUTERS
.
After my manual set up was complete, I closed the browser window and unplugged and powered off the Linksys e3000 router.
I also unplugged and powered off my cable modem.
I then plugged the power cable back in to the cable modem and let it reboot for about 1 min.
Next, I connected my cable modem to the e3000 using the supplied Ethernet cable.
Finally, I plugged the power cable back into the e3000 and turned it on…yes, there is now an on / off switch on this model!
Once it had rebooted, I confirmed my internet connection to my pc by opening a browser window and going to the Google homepage.
Success!!!
Next, I connected the remaining 2 desktop PCs and my Canon MX700 printer.
Finally, I went to each laptop and my iPhone to set up the wireless connections using the new SSID and passphrase.
All devices were able to connect successfully and I was able to print to my network printer.
Sigh of relief.
.
III. MY MODS AND GRIPES
.
Overall, the Linksys e3000 router is excellent and I have not had any issues.
Like all other computer hardware, it gets hot. Unfortunately, the “legs” aren’t long enough to raise it up to allow for the heat to dissipate from underneath. I used a suggestion from a reviewer on Amazon and attached 8 super sliders to the underside to raise it up. This seems to help.
The only other gripe I have is that the power cord is too short. I had to move the e3000 to a lower shelf so the chord would reach from my surge protector located on the floor.
.
IV. SPEED IMPROVEMENTS
.
I have only tested the speed improvements on my desktop pc and 2 laptops at different ranges from the e3000.
I used the Speakeasy Speed Test located here:
http://www.speakeasy.net/speedtest/
Once I get my Roku HD-XR player connected, I will report notes here. I plan on streaming video from the e3000 to the Roku HD-XR box to watch videos from Netflix.
.
1. Desktop PC, Windows Vista64bit, Ethernet Connection
Download speed before: 18.97 Mbps
Download speed after: 24.78 Mbps
.
Upload speed before: 1.9 Mbps
Upload speed after: 1.93 Mbps
.
2. Laptop, Ubuntu Linux, Wireless Connection, range 8ft
.
Download speed before: 15.62 Mbps
Download speed after: 24.69 Mbps
.
Upload speed before: 1.9 Mbps
Upload speed after: 1.91 Mbps
.
After install, I tried more ranges using this laptop…sorry, no before 
.
range 50 ft
Download speed after: 11.08 Mbps
Upload speed after: 1.91 Mbps
.
range 100 ft
Download speed after: 1.62 Mbps
Upload speed after: 1.87 Mbps
.
3. Laptop, Windows 7, Wireless Connection, range 25 ft
.
Download speed before: 12.39 Mbps
Download speed after: 16.63 Mbps
.
Upload speed before: 1.91 Mbps
Upload speed after: 1.92 Mbps
.
V. PICTURES
Click a picture below for a larger version.
Nikon D90 Camera Kit
{ 32 comments… read them below or add one }
hey treye, thanks for posting this great explanation–very helpful. Hope you post your roku connection experience soon, since I’m looking to do the same.
I just posted my notes and pictures for the Roku HD-XR player.
One minor footnote for those folks on a wireless ISP connection (not a cable modem), your ISP will assign you a static IP, so in setting up the router, first go setup>basic setup, choose “static IP” from the dropdown, and manually complete the entries with the values given you by your ISP. If you don’t have these values at hand, simply record them from your old router settings before you install your new router.
I just bought this router, and I’m having a hard time connecting my Ubuntu laptop to the router. What version of Ubuntu were you using/did you change anything else on the router or your laptop to get it to work? Thanks!
I just ordered one of these to take the place of my ancient but stable wrt54g. I have comcast xfinity service and have needed to do the clone PC MAC address to get things working. I’m judging that its the same with this one. I go to the PC and connect the ethernet cable from the cable modem, get a new IP address, note the mac address and clone it in the router. Any different setup requirements for this beast?
No, your set up should be very similar to your old router. The configuration screens are almost exactly the same on this new router.
Treye,
Great job. To get a hard drive mapped, I had to add a new user & group and then add them as a work group to the drive via the storage/edit option in the configuration screen. Fow whatever reason I could not get the admin/password pair to take when I tried to map the drive using the admin workgroup.
Thanks,
Laurin
I have a resolution for a PS3 problem involving little to no connection to the PS3.
I received it from CISCO: log into the router (192.168.1.1) and do one or more of the following:
-wireless > advanced > Beaconinterval set from 100 to 75
-wireless > advanced > DTIM set from 1 to 3
-application gaming > QOS > enable > MAC category > name PS3 > priority high
For the last one, you type in the MAC address of the PS3. When it is connected, you can go to status > local network > DHCP client table, and find the entry that is your PS3. For me it didn’t have a name value, and my PCs did. With all three of these set, My Mbps went from and average of .2 to 12, which is a HUGE difference!
also, I tested it using the playstation internet browser at the following link: http://www.speakeasy.net/speedtest/
Hi! Thanks for your notes, they are excellent. I have one other question. Is it possible to connect a WRE54G (Range Expander) to an E3000? I’ve been trying to manually connect them without any luck. I appreciate your comments.
Not sure but I will leave your comment out here and see if anyone replies. Thanks, Treye
I just ordered an e3000 because my old Linksys wrt54g is starting to lose its connection more often lately. I have a new Xbox 360 slim with a built in” n” adapter. Are there any special settings that I need to be aware of to connect the Xbox to this router? I’ve heard all kinds of horror stories about this in which people can get some things to connect but not their Xboxes. I am a complete novice when it comes to this stuff, so any help that you can provide would be appreciated.
We just got an E3000 router, set everything up and we would have a quite decent connection for about 30 seconds, and then the connection would drop for another roughly 30 seconds and then we would have a connection for another 30 seconds and so on. We’ve gone through tech support and returned for another E3000, but still have the same problem. Any ideas to what’s causing the problem?
Not sure. It sounds like you are having trouble keeping a “steady on” Internet connection. I had the same problem when I tried to connect my old router to my in-law’s DSL. In the router admin, I had to tell the router to dial or connect and re-connect through the phone line every minute or so. Since you have already swapped out the router, I would recommend calling your Internet Service Provider and have them send a technician to check the connection. Other than that, I don’t have any more recommendations. Best of luck.
Thanks for the great explanation on setting up in manual mode.
Does doing it this way (rather than with the CD) turn the Guest Access on or off?
I want the guess access OFF.
thanks
Paul
I am not sure but I believe the guest access is off by default. My set requires all users to enter a password.
Thank you so much for this! My laptop is from my work and they don’t allow us to switch to Windows Wireless settings so I couldn’t use the CD to do the set-up. This saved me from wanting to throw something across the room
Thank you so much. I just bought a E3000 2/24/2011. Before I read your review I was thinking of returning it (AMAZON). I have my WRT54GS superspeed set up nicely on the web ADMIN page. I didn’t want to lose my web ADMIN page’s setup by using the E3000 CD. But after reading your review I’ll follow it and go directly to the ADMIN page and set it up.
I don’t like the idea of the router getting so hot. I leave mine on now WRT54GS 24/7 and it doesn’t bother it a bit. Also, the problem with the short cord bothers me. You’re suppose to be able to hang your E3000 on the wall but how can you with such a short cord?
Like you I stream from NETCAST using my HDDVD’s wifi. I have two HDDVD’s with wifi. One has an internal certified wifi built in, the other I had to buy a wifi donngle. I also use Netflix, and have Apps for HD new movies and many other NETCAST apps.
I’m hoping after I setup my E3000 the wireless connection will be fast. Now with WRT54GS with superspeed I can stream NETFLIX but sometimes it must re-retrieve, it stops, and must retrieve. However, I watched the entire first season of “24″ a 2001-2 TV show and the wifi connection to my HDDVD with NETCAST didn’t re-retrieve (stop) once. Maybe because it wasn’t HD.
Anyhoo thank you so much for your detailed setup instructions for the E3000. Like you I like to know what I’m getting myself into before I startout.
And since I’m perfectly happy with the 54GS (less the increase speed and throughput) I don’t want any setup hassels with the E3000.
I also work from home on occasion and I use “Triple Play” from my cable company, phone, tv, and modem so I don’t want to lose internet connection for any lengthy period of time.
Thanks again for your EXPO for the E3000.
Thank you for the simple notes to do setting up E3000. So I was following your note to do my new router. It works beautifully! I could kiss your cheek if it is possible.
The short cord issue for E3000:
I attached my WRT54GS cord to the E3000 and it works turns on and everything. The WRT54GS routers’ cord is much longer than the E3000.
Hello, if you could help, I bought the E3000 thinking it is a modem & router, unfortunately it not. I have a linksys WAG200G modem/router, the wireless doesn not wok on the wag200g. I want to connect my E3000 to the wag200g. Do you have an idea how to do that, somebodysaid you need to cascade but i am not sure how to do that !!
Regards
TG
I bought an E3000 myself after doing a considerable amount of shopping around. I was very pleased with the router’s performance, but not so much with the amount of heat it produced. A quick, clean mod involving a fan and some foam feet fixed all my heat issues:
http://mikebeach.org/2011/02/cooling-the-linksys-e3000/
Hi, I just purchased the e3000. I already set up the router with the computer before reading your advice. I have several ? for you. I used the software that came with the e3000 to setup. I would like to know will the e3000 automatically link you to the 5ghz or just instantly give you the lower 2.4ghz when connecting to a laptop or ps3/netflix. I would like the 5ghz to go to the ps3 and netfix.
During the in setup, when it was time to write down the password that was in the box. I just deleted the password and name and put a name that I could remember in the two boxes. Then I clicked ok and the setup was complete. When I click on connect, I do see that the guest have a different name, like goldfinger and password vddykdkdh. Since I change my password during the setup, will I automatically receive the 5ghz for the ps3 and netflix? And will the guest receive the 2.4ghz speed?
I set up my router manually so I am not sure what the install CD did for you. I had to set up 2 network names, one for the 2.4ghz and the other for the 5ghz. I choose which one to connect to for each device.
I actually strongly recommend the DD-WRT firmware for the E3000. All of the settings are easily available (even the ones that seem to only be available if you run the CD)
Ok, I did a reset on the e3000 and followed your instructions, however I have a problem. My two laptops can’t see the 5ghz ssid, and only can see the 2.4ghz. Wasn’t difficult to setup just don’t understand why I can’t see the 5ghz.
I only have my Roku box accessing the 5Ghz signal…so I am not sure why your laptops don’t see the 5Ghz band.
- Make sure you have used different SSID names and passwords for each band like I noted in my set up. Also, be sure these are different than your router admin user name and password.
- Make sure your drivers for your laptop wireless cards have been updated to receive the 5Ghz band if possible…not sure what OS and laptops you are using.
- Completely shut down and turn off your laptops. Unplug your modem and your router. Let them sit unplugged for about 5 minutes. Then plug in your modem. Let it start for 5 minutes. Then plug in your e3000 router and let it boot up for about 5 minutes. Then turn on your first laptop and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Then try to see the 5Ghz network. Then connect if possible. Then do the same for the next laptop.
- See this article about iPhone4 if you are having connection issues.
- Be sure to check the Forums tab on the Cisco page for the e3000.
- I also googled: linksys e3000 cant see 5ghz
…and it seems like there were a couple of solutions or starting points there too.
Hope this helps.
On my Droid X I installed the Ap called WiFi Analyzer and it says that my phone is connected to the e3000 on channel 6 which it indicates on this Ap to have the weakest signal strength… should I be resetting Router so my phone is on a stronger channel.. and if so, HOW, please. I have investigated but cannot seem to find the explanation.
I am not sure how to do this. All of my devices connect automatically and never ask me what channel to connect to.
sorry for the lapses: everything should be every, find should be fine. Following is the corrected version:
We have two wi-fi equipped laptops connected to a linksys e3000. we also have a desktop cable-connected to the e3000. Every one of these computers is working fine with the router. my only problem is when I have one of the laptops about 70-100 feet away from the router in another room, the connection goes down to Fair, sometimes Poor. I tried connecting our wre54g to the e3000 using one of the wirelessly connected laptops but encountered problems such as, after executing the setup.exe, I get a ‘can not detect wireless card’. Any suggestions on how I can successfully connect my wre54g to the router?
thanks for this wonderful site.
Thanks again.
Here are some things to try to improve your broadcast signal of the Linksys e3000 Router:
1. Make sure it’s not sitting near a cordless phone base station. I have mine located across the room from my office phone and mobile phone spot.
2. Put it on a shelf as high as possible in the room. I have mine on top of a very high shelf that is also on the second floor of my house. It also sits away from me so an not to radiate my brain. I can pick up our router at our neighborhood pool located a block away from our house.
3. Clear some of the connections from your wireless card on your laptop, mobile phone, etc. When I am on the road for a while, and visit many hotels with wifi, the list of saved connections inside my wireless connections settings gets very long. Clear some of those out so there are only 1 or 2 listed…one being your Linksys e3000.
Other than that, check the Linksys e3000 site for more recs.
Here’s a cute trick that might help some. I bought a 75 ft RJ data cord at a garage sale a while back and plugged it into an empty slot on the back of the router and ran it along the ceiling in the downstairs office out into the main lower level and along the ceiling. The wires in the cord will carry some of the stray signal along the path. The wires within the cord aren’t shielded and seem to be carrying some signal out. Seems to have picked up a few Mhz. Give it a try if you have some and see what you find. Take care all.
Hey all,
I’m going to have one of these routers in my office tomorrow and I’m looking to put 2 IP address into this router. Will this be able to be done or do I need 2 routers on my network to accompany 2 IP addresses?
Thanks!
{ 1 trackback }