Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I have been operating the V2 for about three weeks now (Firmware version 2.0.26.124551). I've been able to "real-world" compare this router in my home with two other excellent dual band wireless routers: the Asus NT-R56U and the Apple Time Capsule, 3rd Generation. I give the V2 five stars because this router delivers the best consistent range and performance in my "heavy wireless device usage home" than any other router I have owned. Pros: Setup: Set up in minutes with the included setup disk--I chose to skip the disk and setup via the browser on my iMac. (Both approaches = 3-4 minutes) Future Proof: Supports IPv6, dual band 5Ghz/2.4Ghz, supports up to 450 Mbps on the 2.4/5 Ghz band Powerful: Range and throughput in my house exceeded both the Asus NT-R56U and the Apple Time Capsule 3rd Generation. E.g. 5-7 Mbps vs 25+ Mbs at the most distant areas of my house from the router Load Testing: Exceeded range and performance ( significantly) of the R56U and the TC 3rd Gen during multiple device/heavy use streaming, gaming, computer, iPad connections in my house Consistent: I haven't run into any performance issues whatsoever with the e4200 V2 after 3+ weeks of continuous operation Cisco Connect Express: This is a great app for your iPhone/iPad/Android device to monitor and manage your Cisco Home Network ( Very similar to the Apple Airport Utility app) Editors Choice: Both CNET and PC Magazine awarded the e4200 V2 their "Editors Choice" 2011 Cons: Runs very warm: Maybe some will call it "hot"--I haven't experienced any issues yet ( that I know of) but it does run warmer than any other wireless router I have owned Expensive: The Asus Nt-R56U ( another very fast dual band router) might be a better value especially for smaller spaces ( compared to current V1 or V2 list prices) 450Mbps: According to the recent professional reviews you need a 450MBps capable wireless client to experience the "maximum" range and performance from this router (None of my current wireless devices are 450Mbps capable so the max speed I could get was up to 300 Mbps when in very close proximity to the e4200 V2) So if you don't experience "advertised" performance it may be due to your own wireless clients 5Ghz;short range: The 5Ghz band does not have anywhere near the range of the 2.4ghz band--but I think is the same for most current wireless routers. (If your wireless devices are located more than one or two rooms away from the router use the 2.4Ghz band) Professional Reviews: See helpful e4200 V2 professional reviews on: -cnet.com -pcmag.com -smallnetbuilder.com For those of you looking for settings for your wireless router to maximize your router's performance in a Home environment try these: Set Security to "WPA2-Personal" and Channel to "Auto" for both 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz bands. Channel Width for the 2.4Ghz band should be set to "20Mhz Only" and 5Ghz should be set to "40Mhz Only". Network mode should be set to "N-Only" for both 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz bands. **Note: if you have older wireless devices that only use wireless a,b,or g, then set the 2.4Ghz to "mixed" Network Mode else these devices will not connect to the N-Only network. Update 1/12/2012: Apparently there is a recently discovered security issue with most routers that offer WPS ( Wi-Fi Protected Setup) to include the e4200 V2. Until a fix is released by the manufacturers, its probably a good idea to frequently monitor your networks "connected devices" for potential unknown/unwanted visitors. You can always restrict access to unwanted devices by enabling Parental Controls under Access Restrictions/Parental Controls/Target Devices If your e4200 V2 is running too warm, try turning off the port lights on the back of the router under Setup(Tab)/Basic Setup/then scroll down to bottom of page and set Port Lights to off. (I ended up putting something under the router to lift it up about two inches to increase the airflow under the unit--this resulted in a much cooler continuous operating temperature . Update March 6, 2012: Firmware Version: 2.0.36.126507 The e4200 V2 has been pretty much a "set it and forget it" experience for me since I set it up. I haven't experienced any operational issues at all and was pleased to discover that the router also has an automated firmware update feature--so I don't even have to worry about making sure my router has the latest firmware since it updates itself. ( I think this is a default setting--but you can check for the same ( or you can turn off this feature) under the main Administration tab: Administration/Firmware Upgrade/then select On-Line Upgrade and then select Upgrade Automatically) From the same menu, you can also use the "Restore Previous Firmware" feature if you experience any issues with any of the new firmware updates. Update August 3, 2012: Firmware Ver.2.1.38.138880 Cisco Connect Cloud Firmware There continue to be a lot of additions to the Cisco wireless home router model line since I purchased my e4200 V2 only 8 months ago. However, and most importantly I am happy to report that my V2 router continues without issue. Even better, I recently upgraded the e4200 V2 firmware to the new Cisco Connect Cloud which in my opinion converts my V2 to the same performance and functionality as the newer EA4500 App-Enabled Cisco Wireless router ( kudos to Cisco for offering this upgrade to existing V2 owners ! ) Note: I had to do a manual update to the Cisco Connect Cloud firmware even though I had my router set to automatic updates. If you are interested in experiencing Connect Cloud on your V2 then be sure to go out to the Cisco's Linksys e4200 support page and download firmware version Ver.2.1.38.138880. There is a little more to this download process then normal to include having to register with the Cisco Cloud Connect service. Once upgraded I think you will really enjoy the new router administration interface. Likewise with the new Cloud Connect app on your smart phone or tablet you can manage your home network in the cloud from other locations without having to be on your home network. Check out Cnet's review of Cisco Connect Cloud service to learn more about current and future capabilities of this new service. Apparently there is a lot more to come with new this new Cloud capability.