Linksys E1700 review: Basic router with a simple design

As you know, Linksys is a reputable manufacturer in the field of network equipment. In today's article, let TipsMake  review the Linksys E1700, a cheap router of this company!

Design of Linksys E1700

The Linksys E1700 N300 is a basic router with a simple design. The shape of the router is a bit odd. It's a large, flat rectangle, two external detachable antennas that protrude from the back. There is a hole in the base for mounting the router to the wall for better wireless reception.

Technical specifications

1. Network standards : IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n
2. Band : 2.4 GHz
3. Ports : Power, Internet, Ethernet
4. LEDs : Power, Internet, Ethernet
5. Buttons : Reset, Wi-Fi Protected Setup
6. Operating temperature : 32 to 104 ° F (0 to 40 ° C)
7. Ambient temperature : -4 to 140 ° F (-20 to 60 ° C)
8. Operating Humidity : 10 to 80% non-condensing
9. Maximum speed : 300Mbps

The E1700 only supports 802.11n instead of 802.11ac, so it won't be the fastest router out there. Disappointingly, the E1700 is also only capable of using the 2.4GHz band, and doesn't have any support for the less congested 5GHz band and generally offers better speeds. The router also only has a theoretical maximum throughput of 300Mbps, which is quite slow compared to current standards.

Set up the Linksys E1700

The setup process is also a bit complicated. The accompanying documentation and quick start guide are not very helpful as it requires you to use the installation CD. However, the setup program did not detect the router connected to the system in the test, which is not a good start.

In addition to the fact that many people own systems without optical drives, you will also be disappointed that the default username and password for the web administration interface is not written on the router itself or on documents go with. This means users will have to visit the Linksys website to find out the default login credentials, of course you need a working Internet connection - something not everyone will have available if you're in the setup process. new router.

After the router is set up, you should see that it is set to the default Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) level. This router uses the WPS PIN or the WPS pairing button found on the router itself to add the device to the wireless network, which is very convenient.

However, the default router doesn't have any passphrases for securing the wireless network, meaning the network is not secure at first and anyone can connect. Setting a password is one of the first things you should do.

On the other hand, the admin interface of the router is easy enough to use, with port forwarding and dynamic DNS setup at hand. Since the router is very basic, it doesn't have any other USB ports or connections. If you are looking to share your memory or printer over your network, you're sorry you must be disappointed.

Efficiency

The router's 2.4GHz wireless speed is very poor. With the 802.11n wireless adapter integrated on the test laptop, the speed was only 8Mbps at 10m distance and only 4.5Mbps at 25m distance. At least the router should keep the connection stable at a distance of 25m, as some basic models can also achieve better results. Even at a distance of 1m from the router, the speed achieved is only 40.1Mbps.

However, it should also be noted that the test environment in the example is quite harsh, with the multitude of wireless devices that can cause interference on the 2.4GHz band. In a home environment, the E1700 can perform a little better. Performance is really worse when using the Linksys WUSB6300 adapter. At a distance of 10m with the dongle, it was only possible to record speeds of 3.6Mbps and 1.9Mbps at 25m.

While the Linksys E1700 N300 isn't too expensive, its performance is terrible. This router doesn't have a real advantage over the one provided by your ISP, so if you're looking to buy an affordable router, you should look for another option.

David Pac

Update 02 March 2021