Got the Cisco E3000

Wonder how it compares to WRT610N, V2? I am still using an old WRT500N with dd-wrt firmware.

As you may have realized that I am not an experted on wireless router, and I was about to ask some experienced folks here about my new toy E3000 that has way too many fancy options.

But I sure can answer your question base on the very general I read. The Cisco E3000 is the TOP-OF-THE-LINE which has all the features of the little brothers E1000 & E2000 (I assume that E1000 is the replacement of WRT160N and E2000 is the GIGA model).

I downloaded the PDF manual trying to read to learn a little more about it before start installing it, but it has lot more features/options than I have expected, and I have low-back problem (for 23 years) to seat more than 10-15 mins to read the long manual. This is part of what I understand

- It has dual-band 2.4 GHz & 5 GHz. And I don't know what advantage about this except wider range.

- It has all features of the other N + Ultra Range + Giga + Its own

- It has built-in 1gbps LAN ports/connections for greater speed

- It has option to create Private, Guess, and free Wi-Fi with separated PW. This is lot more than my other routers so I will have to learn more about this.

- It has option to connect an external storage (to USB port) for file sharing, and I think it can act as a FTP server for remoted systems or something. This I will have to read more.

And lot more but I don't know much about them to share here, so far I am quite please with what I read. And I guess I may have to ask some experted here for more information about the E3000 (or advanced features/options) and I pass some info I think I understand for correction then learn from it? And I didn't know much about these features/options til I downloaded and started reading the DPF manual (the E3000 doesn't come with paper manual or instruction, just the E3000 and a DVD).

And for anyone who wants to download the DPF manual. I found this link and still reading it.

just out of curiosity, got more than one puter on your network (or an old one?) i have an older laptop... wireless with a few broken keys, but use it an always on catchall/smart network device Got a few TB usb drives, usb printer etc on it, and use it from my other puters (even my ipod!) rather than try to install on each device it self, i use it over the network as sort of a poor mans network storage + network print server, or for big data transfers, just plug the big drive into the usb port on other machines....

was what you typed above 1 GB external drives a typo, or do you really have old 1 gig external drives? (heck, my USB flash drives are 32 and 64 Gig) if that small, consider getting a boat and using them for anchors

its not required to have internet access/modem connections to set it up, only prefferred AFTER it is set up to use it with the internet, but you can do networking without internet access..

ie, networking and routers is a different thing than the internet....

(I assume that E1000 is the replacement of WRT160N

nope, you assume wrong, new product, not a "replacement"

I see, I was thinking ther setup will try to make connection to internet.

At home I have 2 desktops wired to router, 1 laptop and 1 Wii which also have built-in wireless for news, wearther, playing online against people around the globe etc.. (I don't play game to know much about it, just for my grandkids). And when bigger grandkids off college each has his/her own laptop and that's when I have [problem with my current rounter that won't allow more than 1 wireless connection.

Since I use computer for video and photo, so the computer itself has

Even I have been using LAN for many years, but I mostly wired my desktops to router or having some extra connector available for laptop. But couple years ago, the grandkids get older, laptop gets cheaper so they started using wireless.

Man, it's so crazy here as some of my grandkids barely able to walk straight, some still wearing diaper, holding bottle etc. and their parents have their old laptops setup for them to play online game hehehe

Typo, I meant 1TB. Wait for a second, if counting all the external hard drives then I have 7 of them, and even the Wii has 500GB hard drive (2 portable hard drives are/were part of photography gear now I use larger memory cards). Talking about memory card, I may have around 50-60 of them. I mainly use SF but some cellphones and GPSes use SDHC, the newer Nuvi 1490T uses Micro SDHC (I don't remember I have 8GB or 16GB for this one).

You may be right depending on how we look at it, and since the Cisco hasn't discontinued the WRT160N then replacement may not be the corrected term. But if it's an improvement of the older model then it could be consider replacement (not?).

OK, I just installed the E3000 and it took a little longer than all my previous routers, and it had me worried a little. That's why I never rush but taking my time to prepare for it.

- On my older routers, I believe the routers found the IP right away. The E3000, I tried and tried and tried but no go until I reboot the system. I tried

a. pressing the REBOOT button from the setup menu several times

b. I unplugged the router and modem still no go.

- SERVER NAME, I still can't find any option to name or change the default name to a specific name. And I don't think it would cause any problem as it's LOCAL.

- The "Wireless" and "WI-Fi" part I can change the NAME and PW which I did, but haven't tested yet to know more. I will try to connect the Wii and Laptop later tonite see if I can be able to connect to more than one wireless.

- SECURITY, I don't know much about the difference so I use the default WPA2/WPA Mixed Mode for the wireless.

Any suggestion on this?

- I tried the "speedtest.net" and get similar average speed of the older "G" router. Also, I never cared for the speed test but just started yesterday to see if it will show any difference. I do understand that the speed may vary depending on the time, or it may get faster speed at night when most kids are in bed. Yesterday I got close ro 30Mbs

Now, I get 20.65M/bs and 2.19M/bs

And I may give it another test later 2nite, and when I replace the old SB5120 with the newer SB6120 DOCSIS 3 (probably sometime next month).

P.S. Since some of you guys have helped me on this one so I try to report the progess hoping it will help others from my error.

Also, I just decided to test the connections and I was able to connect

Hehehehe I really don't know if I have accidently installed the E3000 using the Advanced Setup or the BASIC setup. Or I don't know the difference and what the Advanced has that BASIC doesn't.

All I know that I ran the SETUP from DVD, then it sent me to web setting (using 192.168.1.0) and I just browsed most of the basic setting I saw on other routers. And since I don't know much about all the fancy setting, I really don't change anything besides the NAMES of Wireless and Wi-Fi servers.

All I really want is to get the router running, be able to connect more than one wireless system to it and that's all I want to get thing started. And I also read the warning (don't remember which part of the setting) telling me that using either Web or Cisco setting (I don't remember which cuz I am now confused if I was using web or Cisco???) then I may not be able to connect to Cisco (or something like that).

OK, I get bored so started asking for trouble. I was trying to see if I can connect to Cisco network, but I got the report saying that the router already setup so it doesn't give any option to connect to anywhere.

Then I clicked on the "View Detail" and get this report

==================== Error code: 82BD0100 Error description: The administrator password is incorrect. Model name: unknown Model number: E3000 Serial number: unknown Firmware version: unknown Operating system: Windows 7 Software version: 1.0.10028.0 Connection type (WAN): unknown IP address (LAN): unknown IP address (WAN): unknown Computer IP address: 192.168.1.116 =======================

See the ERROR and UNKNOWN. And I didn't know this option to check before setup. I am not worry about the ERROR and UNKNOWN but just paste the report here for extra info, and other may have the similar question.

BTW, I did change the Admin Password which is usually the first thing I change to all routers I have had. I still have some question about the Wi-Fi stuff, but don't know what to ask yet. And the FTP sever, and the built-in firewall which has more option than the other routers I have.

If you don't mind me asking another dumb question. As a slower learner I often or always try to gather as much information as I possible can, and taking my time installing new toy. As you may have reas that it took me many years to upgrade the router just to be able to solve the multi-connections issue I had for so many years.

Now, I got the Cisco E3000, installed it after lot of reading and sweating (about the experts having some problem with some thing). I have read the

- Basic setting

- Advanced Setting

- Web setting

- Cisco Connecting etc..

And after I got the router working, I still don't know if I used the Basic, Advanced, Web, or Cisco setting. All I know that I inserted the CD/DVD and following the step-by-step instruction how to hook up the cable, then NEXT and waited for the router doiung some checking or setting whatever. That's it.

Then I clicked on something and it sent the "192.168.1.0" (or 192.168.0.1 whatever) to browser and it was in Web Setting, or Advanced Setting, or Cisco setting.. I still dunno know.

I read and quite afew people mention about some setting in web setting may disable the Cisco Connecting, and I believe I saw the warning from the setting (I don't think I selected that option?). Now I try to check the Cisco Connection and dunno where to find it.... I tried to run the SETUP from CD/DVD and it said the router already setup.

And I read *if* something discable the Cisco Connection then I may have to RESET the router etc.. and I have no idea where I am at.

Also, how do I check to see which BAND I am using (2.4M/hz or 5M/hz), and any advantage or disadvantage between those 2 modes? I feel like I wasn't born for advanced tech.

Hi, Let's compae it to car drivers. There are automotive vehicle operator and driver. Do you know the difference? I am using older WRT610N using both bands. I read one comparison testing between E3000 and WRT600N. The difference was barely 10%. I have a E3000 on the way for my own evaluation.

Well, this isn't the answer I looking for, I don't expect much difference between the similar products, or different brands with similar technology. I am looking for the answer for my confusion cuz of lacking of experience.

I did run into some speed test between NetGear vs Linksys/Cisco, but I don't care much for the speed at the moment, and that's why I have mentioned about looking to retire my old Motorola SB5120 with newer SB6120 see if I can squeeze some juice out of the COX speed. Although, I am quite happy with the current speed (not the fastest but I don't really need any faster) that I been testing several times a day in the past few days (be prepared for next upgrade) and the speed can go somewhere around 9Mb/s -> 25Mb/s (download) and pretty stable at around 2Mb/s - > 2.5Mb/s. Once speedtest reported the download speed reached around 35Mb/s but only once.

OK, since you are Linksys ownerm would you give me some info about the difference between those settings, or based on the conversations I read sometime I feel like I was in the BASIC setting, sometime at the Advanced Setting, sometime at the Web setting mode, and sometime at the Cisco Connecting setting mode. Or I am happy to get it running, but just want to know where I am at or where I were ... so confusing.

Cuz all the routers I had before don't have this type of information or I just use the web setting. And I read that Web Setting and Cisco Setting are two different beasts they not only don't like each other but even against each other. I read that it uses 2 different programs to setup different parts of the router, and one setup could disable other which may require factory reset to bring back the option to screw up again hehehe.

Hi, I really don't fathom what you are trying to do. If you have a specific question, maybe forum at Cisco site is the place to go. I am just wondering if E3000 is Linux driven so it is a dd-wrt candidate.

A new modem isn't going to provide faster throughput unless your existing modem is broken.

You pay for a certain service level. We don't know what that level is, but you should. Are you getting what you're paying for? If so, the best way to get more speed is to buy a higher service level. In the unlikely event that you buy a service level that your existing modem isn't capable of, only then does it make sense to buy a new (faster) modem. If you lease your modem, your cable company will take care of this automatically.

Well, if I can get good information from Cisco site then I wouldn't have to pay $$$ and spending time reading and asking question here. Here, I spend hours in the past few days reading many conversations of many web forums, even downloaded a large DPF manual with settting instruction, reading the online help etc. but

- The online help (when setting) covers most options but not all

- The PDF has much more information than I really need, but they don't cover everything either. And the sad part that the PICTURES are so blur that I can't be able to see, or if they try to use PHOTO then they should make sure that the photo is readable.

- I stopped by Cisco site few times and can't even be able to find the manual, I end up Google for the link. IOW, the manual comes from Cisco site but the web isn't designed for manual seeker, or asking question etc..

I don't know about the E3000 but I read one of the E2000 (E2000L ?) has Linux supported. And I am not Linux user to know much about it, and I found the info from the ads not Cisco site.

In general I agree with you on this one, but in some case a newer technology may do something that older technology can't.

I just ordered the SB6120 and will report the result here in couple days.

In general, again I agree with you. But in some case(s)

- We may underpower of what we pay for.

- With the right tool we may be able to pull few extra juice that the older tech can't.

As I said, I am ok with the current speed even the speed could reduce to

I don't expect it's going to be much or any faster, but I guess that it probably handle the heavy load better (as it's kinda like multiple modems joined together).

If possible, avoid the web-based speed test sites and download a large (several hundred megabyte) file using about 4-10 simultaneous connections. A download manager

The 5120 is a fine modem for anything less than DOCSIS 3 service plans. Assuming proper signal levels and nothing else is out of whack, it will work as good as the 6120 will until you upgrade to DOCSIS 3.

Only if you upgrade to a DOCSIS 3 service tier, assuming such a tier is available in your area. If not, it's no different than what you already have. I assume you've checked with your cable provider to verify that the 6120 is even supported.

Right now I am just try to do the basic testing *before* the SB6120 arrive so I won't have to bang my head to the wall saying that I should do it when I have the chance.

And I believe I should be able to see the difference in the next few day. If not this weekend then probably next Monday.

IOW, if you are not pay for DOSCIS 3 service or you pay for DOSCIS 2.0 service but your DOSCIS 1.0 modem can't even reach the DOSCIS 2 speed then even nothing wrong with the DOSCIS 1.0 (it isn't broken) but it can't get the max speed out of the DOSCIS 2.0 service. You may say that there is no DOSCIS 2.0 service, then again you may be right but I am talking about the MAX Speed whatever your service has to offer but your modem can't.

I believe that DOSCIS 3.0 service is available in my area, and I don't think I will need DISCIS 3 service to benefit from the better technology modem. Of course I won't get 100-300Mb/s, but very possible that I may get

So, when my SB6120 arrived, installed. Do I report the correct number or some fake number either to make you happy or me won't lose face heheheh.