Single review: Linksys RE7000 AC1900 Gigabit Range Extender / Wi-Fi Booster / Repeater MU-MIMO (Max Stream RE7000)

Linksys RE7000 AC1900 Gigabit Range Extender / Wi-Fi Booster / Repeater MU-MIMO (Max Stream RE7000)

Eliminates Wi-Fi dead zones and boost Next Gen AC Wi-Fi in and around your home
Works with all Wi-Fi routers and multi user MIMO Routers; Wireless MAC filtering
Simple setup with push button connect and spot finder technology for optimal placement and performance
Advanced dual band Wi-Fi speeds up to AC1900 plus (N300 plus AC1733)
Dimensions: 68 inches L x 24 inches W x 6 millimeter thick
Cross band and beamforming technologies work to optimize Wi-Fi connections
Gain enhanced wired speeds for a Smart TV, gaming console, Blu-ray Disc player or other Wi-Fi device using the Gigabit Ethernet port

$99^.99 –
Free Shipping (restrictions apply)
Additional fees may apply for shipments to APO/FPO, AK, HI and PR.

I expected more 10/10/2016

This review is from: Linksys RE7000 AC1900 Gigabit Range Extender / Wi-Fi Booster / Repeater MU-MIMO (Max Stream RE7000)

Pros:

I have had this wireless extended longer than any other product I have received from the Newegg eggxpert program, and I suspect they are wondering what's taking so long. The reason has been two-fold. First I had chosen to review the LINKSYS RE7000 because I have owned, and still use the Linksys RE1000 but wanted something which operated on the 5GHz band, which the RE1000 does not. However I had noticed that the LINKSYS RE7000 advertised that it works with free cable provider wifi which is bundled with your TV packages. This is important because these Xfinity or ATT hotspots are scattered throughout cities like NYC, where I am, and provide a convenient way of connecting. Second: My significant other uses the Xfinity hotspot near her place as home internet. I had thought the LINKSYS RE7000 would be the perfect present for her because she doesn't have a router of her own and complained that the Xfinity hotspot comes and goes when it rains. Despite that little problem she uses the hotspot daily without problems to stream movies, write papers, and shop online.

Cons:

Setup was easy enough, with a utility which tells you when the device is too near or too far to the hotspot. However, after multiple tries I never got the device to work with the Xfinity hotspot despite the interface saying it's connected. Bummer.

Lucky for us I bought us an apartment and she moved in with me (another reason this review took a while). In this new location, too, there was an Xfinity hotspot. However the same problem occurred, in which the LINKSYS RE7000 confirmed that it had a connection with the Xfinity hotspot, but no connection was passed through to the browser on the computer. Bummer again.

At this point I broke down and got us an internet package, using some cheap old D-Link router at the host. With a D-Link router the LINKSYS RE7000 was able to pass the connection successfully to the computer and I have had no problems with the product for over a month.

Overall Review:

So should you buy the LINKSYS RE7000?

If you need to connect to cable provider hotspots:
No, do not buy this product. Despite the manufacturer claiming the product should be compatible with my testing, in two locations on multiple days, I was unable to get the LINKSYS RE7000 to work.

If you need a simple repeater to plug in a socket and have a relatively small home:

Yes, the LINKSYS RE7000 works great, and works on the 5GHz band. As such the range will not be very far but in crowded apartment complexes like mine the uncrossed 5GHz band will really help with signal consistency. However, in my testing the LINKSYS RE7000, acting as a repeater, worked best only 15-20ft away from the main 3 antenna router...not much of an extension…even at 5GHz.

As for my thoughts: I had only accepted the LINKSYS RE7000 for review because I didn't want to go through the trouble of buying a Broadcom based router, flashing DD-WRT onto it, and then setting it as a wireless bridge or repeater. I had high hopes that the LINKSYS RE7000 would fulfill this hole in the market that has been only filled by this DIY solution for us Linux users. As such I was very disappointed by the LINKSYS RE7000 and I can only hope this review helps those of you who were intending to use the LINKSYS RE7000 for the same purpose as I have described here

Manufacturer Response:

Hi, Lawrence,

Thank you for a detailed feedback. Pairing it with a hotspot may not work as our range extenders are designed to work with routers. With regard to the extended range, it would help if you'll move the device farther from the router. Use its Spot finder feature to help you determine the best location.

Do not hesitate to email us at LinksysCares@linksys.com with your phone number and the link to this post so we can have you assisted by our Escalation Engineers.

Regards,

Irish
Linksys Support

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Lawrence M.
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