Linksys E2500

Cisco Linksys E2500 Advanced Dual-Band Wireless-N Router

The Cisco Linksys E2500 ($99.99, direct) Advanced Dual-Band Wireless-N Router is part of the new lineup of E-Series routers. On paper, the E2500, which replaces Cisco's E2000 ($119, 3 stars), is a step up from the Editor's Choice winning E1200 ($60, 4.5 stars) as the E2500 offers dual-band connectivity. However, I found the throughput of the E2500 a little disappointing. It didn't even beat the throughput of the E2500, the router it succeeds, at the 5 GHz band. Still, the E2500 is good enough for lighter multimedia streaming and connecting multiple devices, and it's decently priced for a dual-band router. I suppose it was designed to meet the needs of those who do a bit more with their home networks than just surf the Web but don't need all of QoS, traffic-shaping, or high throughput required by gaming enthusiasts or those hosting a server or VoIP devices. If you have the average home network, maybe a gaming console, a laptop or two, perhaps an iPad and you want to simultaneously have those devices connect; the E2500 will suffice. It won't wow you, though. For users looking for a router to do heavy-duty work like large file transfers and HD video streaming, I'd recommend coughing up the extra cash for the Cisco Linksys E4200 ($179, 4 stars) or the Editor-Choice winning Netgear N600 Wireless Dual-Band Gigabit Router ($170, 4.5 stars).