LINKSYS RE1000-NP Wireless-N Range Extender LINKSYS RE1000-NP Wireless-N Range Extender

Pros: looks nice

Cons: RMA after no connect to network. Comes with disc and utility to automatically set up connection. But setup utility wouldn't accept # of characters in my password. Tried manual setup, didn't work. worked with tech support who walked me thru everything I already did and still didn't connect. I chose this unit thinking it should be compatible with my Linksys router. no such luck.

Manufacturer Response:

Hi,

Thank you for the time you spent in trying our product and for providing us your feedback. All of our devices are compatible with each other. We would like to know more about what transpired in the troubleshooting process, so we may send a report to our Development Team. Please send us your case number, complete contact details, location, and the link to this review at LinksysCares@linksys.com. Our team would be more than happy to hear from you.

Regards,

Linksys Support
http://support.linksys.com

Pros: Not any... Junk!!!

Cons: Junk. Hopeless from the start.

Other Thoughts: Avoid I am going another route. I iwill let ya know the easiest way to go for this

Manufacturer Response:

Hi Rabbitman,


We regret to know your experience with the RE1000. Allow us to assist you with any challenges that you have with your Linksys RE1000. Send us an email at LinksysCares@linksys.com together with your contact details. We'd like to hear from you soon.


Regards,

Linksys Support
http://support.linksys.com

Pros: Unobtrusive
Choice in power connections (direct prongs or a cable)
Almost no settings to get wrong
LED indicator is demure and simple (constant blinking = something's wrong)
Devices can't distinguish from standard AP/Router

Cons: Minimal documentation (even on included media)
Inability to select more than the Network to join
No access to device after successful configuration
Ethernet Port not needed (since device has a wireless setup port)
Not powered to 1,000mw (maximum for a commercial wireless device)

Other Thoughts: I had a VERY difficult time figuring out from the documentation as to HOW to set this up. I followed the included instructions three times and still couldn't figure out if I had set the device up correctly. I ended up using the Wireless interface, then plugging the gorram thing in a room with almost no signal.

The device DOES work, but not as well as you'd think. Being half a meter away from the unit, my tablet STILL showed only 4/5 bars on the signal indicator. One would think being THAT close would be as strong as you could get.

Since you won't be able to regain access to the device, the only way you can discover if it's working is to set it up, then take it to an area where you have weak Wi-Fi signal. If that improves (wait for ten seconds after the LED stops flashing to check), it's configured properly. Otherwise you'll need to reset the device and do it AGAIN. And no, it's all Trial & Error...

Also, only change out the power plate IF YOU NEED TO. It's fairly easy to pop them off, but if you're not VERY careful sliding it back in, you WILL damage/break the connection. Then you'll have no choice other than using the cable.

On the plus side, if you're worried about the possibility of someone discovering your network (to crack into it) via this device? It won't happen. As far as any client is concerned, it doesn't exist. There just may be a pause when traversing that boundary between the central AP and the Extender.

Minus 1 egg for POOR documentation
Minus 1 egg for no settings after or confirmation as to correct setup

Manufacturer Response:

Hi Frost58,

Thank you for providing us a detailed description of your experience with the Linksys RE1000. We truly appreciate the candid feedback John and confident that we can do something about the cons that were mentioned. Allow us to try and help. You can still access the range extender's user interface by using the IP address assigned by the router. The Ethernet port of the router can be used for some devices that do not have wireless capability. Which means, the RE1000 can also be used as a bridge.

We hope that you give the chance to address your other queries. You may send us an email at LinksysCares@linksys.com with your username, contact details and the link to this review.

Regards,

Linksys Support
support.linksys.com

Pros: 2.4GHz range - great for penetrating walls inside your home.
Easy setup - Despite problems I see other reviewers having, I have set up and re-setup this thing a half dozen times and it always goes smoothly. WPS, install disc, using the browser interface - all worked great for me. (Hint - Right click on the disc icon in a Windows Explorer window and select open. Browse to the included instruction manual to save you time/headaches.)

Cons: Well, it is quite large. Much larger than other extenders I have used. Of course, it works better than other extenders I have used as well.
Would be great if it supported 5GHz as well, but there is another Linksys product that does this.

Other Thoughts: I live in a long apartment right now. My router is by the front door. Wireless signals were very weak on the other side of the apartment in the master bedroom and attached bathroom. I set up the RE1000, and then moved it into the laundry room, which is about halfway. With the laundry room door closed, signal is great though the wall into the master bedroom and bathroom. 5 bars instead of a fluctuating 2 to 3 bars.

I normally avoid Linksys products, this actually works very well. I am impressed. I haven't had any weird hiccups after a couple of weeks.

Pros: Once setup, it does what it is intended to do. It is unobtrusive, therefore easily hidden. The option of plugging the unit into an outlet without using the cord is a nice touch. It also doubles as a wireless bridge for computers without WIFI.

Cons: The setup software did not work well with windows 8.1. The software appears to be starting, then nothing shows up on the screen. After about minute it may or may not appear.
The extender did not readily show up on the network. Following the instruction on changing the extenders distance did not help. Therefore I could not do a manual setup either. After several resets and several computer restarts to try to get it working, it finally showed up, along with the setup software, and easily setup. The signal seems to vary quite a bit. Checking the strength from the same place at different times shows huge differences in signal strength. This is consistent with the trouble I had initially setting up the unit.

Other Thoughts: I have previously evaluated the RE1000s sister unit the RE2000. I was expecting the same easy setup and good performance that I had experienced with RE2000. It didn't happen. The frustration level was quite high. I suspect that someone less stubborn might have given up.
Theoretically this should be a useful item. The RE1000 is a single band 2.4 GHz. This is great for transmitting signals through walls. 5 GHz will give higher transfer rates. I wish I could recommend the RE1000, Other Linksys products I have used were great. I would suggest that you look elsewhere.

Pros: Once setup, it does give an appreciable boost in coverage. Did not have any "random" connection failures accept when power is cut to the host router. In my garage I went from 2/5 bars to full coverage and my speeds (via cellphone connected wirelessly and laptop) were as fast as they were in my main living area. That is impressive. Works with routers other than just Linksys, but setup may be more difficult if not matched.

Cons: Setup disc is worthless and misleading. Not user friendly upon initial setup and not something I could recommend for a novice. I have family and friends that would not have been able to get this extender connected to my network if they tried. Limited to the 2.4GHz band (crowded) and the "N" is misleading to some as most associate 5GHz with "N". Will not automatically reestablish connection to host router if power is lost to the router (although it looks like the extender maintains all connection settings, it just needs to be told to reconnect). Inconvenient as it should automatically reconnect to the network it was setup to run with.

Other Thoughts: Step one - throw out the included install disc. Attempting to setup a connection using that disc made things much more difficult than they needed to be and flat out didn't work, for me at least. I have a Netgear Nighthawk router that I was using to connect this with, so perhaps the included disc will work if you have a linksys router? The only way I was able to get this extender connected to my network was by using a hardwired connection from the extender to a laptop which was connected over the 2.4 band. Once you login to the extender, setup was straightforward. I moved the router and extender to different locations to check the range and each time the router is unplugged, you have to setup the extender from scratch all over again as if it was a new connection. Most won't be moving their router or extender several times, so that most likely won't be an issue for the average user. Overall, it does work and has a reliable connection if you set it and forget it. Had the included disk worked/connected right out of the box, if the extender would remember all connection settings if/when power is lost preventing setting it up from scratch again and not limit you to the 2.4 band, this would be a 5 egger. The RE2000 seems to address most of those issues and with that, I can't recommend the RE1000. If you want a Linksys extender, you're better off looking at the RE2000 for nearly the same price.

Pros: I was quite excited to receive this item for review as I have been eyeing it for some time. However I never purchased it because of the price and the low ratings. Why would I want it in the first place you ask:

In 2009 I purchased a bluray player which came with a USB WiFi dongle. I would often stream Netflix but would either have spotty WiFi connection or during playback the stream would stop or go to a lower playback quality. Over the course of 5 years I have tried 3 different routers, upgraded internet service, tried USB extender cord but still I has bad Netflix streaming. When I received this item setup was quite easy. I hooked a LAN cord directly to the bluray player and to date I have never had trouble starting or maintaining a Netflix stream. For this reason this device has fulfilled its purpose in my home network and has solved a long term problem of mine.

Cons: Huge. You have no idea how large until you use it. If you have a two plug wall socket, this thing will obscure the second one no matter what you do. Luckily this product comes with the option of using a cord, thus converting this from a massive wall wart to a little box you can tuck away. But this is quite large.

During setup the wizard says I will see signal strength bars on the unit but there is no such indicator so you will really have to guess about WiFi signal strength.

Although I have never had trouble maintaining a Netflix stream I do not always get HD quality. I suspect I have to reposition the device or change the channel for my WiFi network but I find this annoying. If the unit had its advertised signal bars it would make this operation less trail and error. Do note that the unit is on the floor 10 feet from a Linksys 6500ea router which is on the ceiling. For such a short distance I had expected consistent HD streaming quality

Other Thoughts: So: should you buy it?

If you need to get a single device online but don't want another router as a bridge, then YES. But don't expect gigabit performance because this unit tops out at 100 megabit.

If you have multiple devices in mind, then NO, get another router and make it a wireless bridge which utilizes your current WiFi network and makes it available to 4 LAN ports on the bridged router.

Other thoughts: I would be quite interested to see how the 5GHz version of this device fairs as I believe the 2.4GHz band in my neighborhood is saturated with other routers and may be the cause of my non-constant HD streaming.

Pros: Setup was very straight forward for any wireless extender. Linksys has a great how-to and overview video on their site which you can find at http://support.linksys.com/en-us/support/rangeexpanders/RE1000.
The user interface for the extender was almost identical to any Linksys router GUI, which is very nice for anyone new to wireless range extenders. Complete setup time took me about 10min to complete. Then after that all I needed to do was power cycle my router and wireless extender and everything connected and worked great.
Interesting thing I liked a lot about the device was not only its ease of use and manageability but also the fact that Linksys added in a power extender. You can basically remove the power jack that plugs the device into the wall plug then connect the power cable into the device and position it somewhere besides the wall outlet.
Thank you Linksys for including a wired Ethernet port on the device as well, this feature feels like an added bonus. I have a power line kit that I use so that I don’t have to run so much cable through my apartment complex. This was much nicer since the extender would just bridge the connection of the wireless to the wired port with no problems at all.

Cons: Even though I did feel like the device was well crafted and designed so that users new to wireless extenders could configure it easy enough, I did have some issues with it.
For one I wouldn’t suggest this for any moderate to hard-core gamers out there. Yes it can be used to supply your Xbox or ps3 with internet because you’re going to experience lag issue and possible disconnection problems if you do.
I did have some disconnecting issue with this device. I had the extender in my window to see how far in the street I could get the signal. I was about 20ft from the extender with 4 out of five wireless bars and clear line of site. About 80% of the time everything worked great, though I noticed that when I started stressing it out by transferring large files and streaming video it would disconnect randomly. After a couple seconds the connecting would be restored.
Also the device is a bit bigger than I expected, though I not going to take an egg off for that, that’s just a personal preference.

Other Thoughts: This is a good device for anyone just looking to add some more coverage to their existing wireless network. Though don’t expect to get a big performance increase with this device. I don’t think it was designed for performance but more casual internet usage.
Overall I think it’s a great device that would work great with any wireless dead-zones. Its quick and easy to setup plus the 10/100 port is a nice added feature that can go a long way depending on how you use it.

Pros: Simple strait forward installation, small and discreet.

Cons: will not extend range far and you must find a good spot/wall that can work for it to work ( explanation in other thoughts)

Other Thoughts: I usually just use another router with antenna to boost signal distance but decided I would try this and have very mixed emotions and mixed results.
This item will boost signal distance from original router but I actually lost signal placing it on a wall that was in path of the area I wanted to boost so I had to go trying on different walls to get it to work.
I had to put it on a wall in my kitchen that is 45 degree angle to the left from main router and place it above the counter to get it to boost a signal to a room that is 15 degrees left of router and it only gained one bar yet on patio in the middle I have a loss over the routers signal. any other outlet lost any gains.
This house has many outlets and is a pretty open floor plan and w/o all the outlets I would not have been able to find one that would have worked.
I went to a friends house ( he has a $40 router) and small house and it was able to help his area out from his office to the bedroom because his router of the same brand hardly gave his laptop signal in his bedroom and boosted his signal from 1 bar to 3 bars in bedroom with it placed in the hall 20ft from router and 20 ft to bedroom.
In a small environment with a weak router this thing can help you but if you have a higher end router and larger area w/o many outlets you may find yourself hurting without any gain and possibly worse.

Pros: Easy to install
Works well

Cons: None yet

Other Thoughts: The installation was simple. Raised by wireless from 3 bars to 5.