Linksys E4200. Running 2.4Ghz and 5.0Ghz same time?

I had the E3000, but the 2.4ghz channel was always so slow, and unless I rebooted the router, would sometimes not even work. I picked up an E4200 tonight, and I'm curious if I'll have the same problem. If I don't rename the 5.0 ghz channel, will I automatically connect to it on systems that are capable? Should I give them separate names and just connect to the 5ghz SSID when it appears? If I have my pc on the 5ghz band, while playing my xbox on the 2.4ghz, will I have any problems? I'm just trying to figure out what I need to do in order to ensure smooth connections across all systems. I read that the E4200 is the first "true" simultaneous dual band router. Any input?

 

Give them different names. I'm on an E3000 right now and i have absolutely no problem streaming from my laptop on the 5GHz to my PS3 or 360 on the 2.4GHz whatsoever. No problems using both simultaneously either, same for my old toshiba which is on 2.4.

Still waiting for a non beta dd-wrt firmware for the E3000 though.

 

My E3000 had nothing but problems with my 2.4ghz network. Hopefully, this one wont.

 

The problem could be interference stemming from your neighbors' 2.4ghz routers, your microwave, cordless phones, or some other sources. Same issues arise as the 5.0ghz band gets crowded...

 

What about the separate SSID's? If I leave them the same, will it automatically assign the 5.0ghz band to devices that support it? Or should I name them separately? By default, they're the same name.

 

You should rename one. There's nothing wrong with this setup and it's possibly easier for roaming between them if the same wireless password would be used but you would never know which one you're using.

Another thing you most likely know but anyway- remember to use WPA2+AES- it's not only the most secure but also the fastest in terms of throughput.

Also- now that you have a 450mbps-capable router (on 5GHz band only) you may want to think of Intel 6300 cards that allow that speed (provided they have three antennas connected)

 

Thanks a ton guys. I really hated the E3000. Maybe I had a dud, but the 2.4ghz band was so damn slow it didn't even make sense. Hopefully I won't have any of those issues on this router.

 

I have a E4200 also but I keep mine the same SSID but I use different passwords because I want to be connected to the 5Ghz one because of interference issues. I have 15-20 visible wifi networks around me on 2.4Ghz so definitely will be some issues there.

The laptop will by default connect to the stronger of the 2 so if you set them up to both being the same then it will connect to 2.4Ghz in most cases. I only leave 2.4Ghz on because my phone and visitors but beyond that I never use that freqency!

 

That said- 2.4GHz on E4200 has exceptional range so this router is a great choice anyway. It's quite expensive though.

Is it perfectly stable? Does it get hot?
I need some actual user feedback as I'm going to publish a router buyer's guide here and E4200 will be on top of it unless some issues come up.

 

I haven't lost connection once. Mine doesn't run hot at all.

 

You can buy one for $155-160 now, which is far better than the original price-tag of $180. Once it gets to $140-150 it's going to be quite good value for money.
Expect in to be recommended by yours truly, once the guide gets published

 

I don't know if its my house or a string of bad luck but I've bought the most expensive, top rated router every 8 months or so and they continuously fail on me. Signal will drop intermittently, I'll get slow speeds, have to constantly reset, you name it. I had the top linksys' except for about a year and a half ago when I bought the top of the line belkin, and that was just trash. They all start out working just fine, but after a bit they go to hell. Bad luck?

 

Maybe the electrical wiring in your home is bad?
Also did you upgrade the firmware or try 3rd party firmwares?

 

If you're thinking about the E3000, it had some heat issues. Mine doesn't but i've seen enough comments on the internet to warrant the issue was there. I have a love-hate relationship with the linksys firmware though. dd-wrt supports most high end linksys routers though so that's a great alternative if you're having problems.

If the E4200 performs well, i might just replace my E3000, works flawlessly on the 5GHz band but i've had problems with the 2.4GHz band before. Now that PSN is back online, i can try downloading something on my PS3 to test the 2.4GHz, it's the only reason i still need a 2.4GHz network so the performance with the Ps3 is the only thing that matters and given it's like 3 feet from the router i expect it will be good. All computers at home take 5GHz and so does my old 360 model .

EDIT: Yes, i know i could wire it to the router but i've got enough cables running behind the TV as it is. I impatiently await your guide downloads

 

$129 - Linksys Refurbished E4200 - Maximum Performance Wireless N Router - Cisco Home Products Store

YES I know these are REFURBISHED!

But it's a router, what could be so wrong with it? There is no moving parts. It either has a bad flash or bad hardware in which case you can just flash the firmware again or Cisco has replace the hardware with even better versions

For $129 though still a pretty good deal. Put it this way, few days ago that number was at ~1300, now it's at 677 left!

 

Give them different names. Your computer is not going to automatically pick up the 5.0 and work even if you call it the same.

Make thing simple.. make it unique, give it a password, and then connect to the new network. That way you can be certain you're using the right network.

Take care,
Shannon