Cisco has unveiled a quintet of new Linksys Wireless-N routers under the E-Series umbrella intended for home entertainment and office spaces.
The entry-level member of the group is the Linksys E1200, boasting transfer speeds up to 300Mbps and ideal for basic coverage (i.e. surfing the web, etc.) in the home. That one has a 2×2 antenna configuration, but there is a better option for slightly larger homes with multiple stories. The E1500 is nearly identical except it has a 2×3 antenna configuration, offering up some extra coverage.
Moving on to the real power players, the E2500 is the lowest you should go if you plan on using one of these routers for a home office space. With simultaneous dual-band (2.4GHz + 5GHz) technology, the E2500 can achieve speeds Up to 300 + 300Mbps. And just like the two Wireless-N routers at the bottom of this list, there is a slightly better model. The E3200 has the same specs but with an extra antenna. Thus, this one should be ideal for those using the router in a home office but also for streaming content on an Internet-connected TV, gaming console, etc.
Finally, the premier model is the E4200, with the same dual-band speeds and performance as the E2500 and E3200. Cisco boasts this one as exceptional as it is the “only 3×3 router available in the market today.” It also doubles as a media server with a dedicated stream for streaming videos and other multimedia files to any connected device on the same network.
Note that each of these routers sports four Ethernet ports, with the E3200 and E4200 both offering Gigabit connections as well as USB connectivity.
Available starting on April 5th, here’s the pricing scale:
- E1200: $59.99
- E1500: $79.99
- E2500: $99.99
- E3200: $159.99
- E4200: $179.99
Those figures aren’t surprising, and there appears to be something for every budget and home internet set-up.
