First observations: Linksys EA4500 N900 Router

[Al Thumbs]

Our Linksys WRT54G, circa 2005, was getting flakey. Though our home is an Apple environment, with iPads, iPhones, and an iMac, I didn’t want to drop $200 on the Apple router, so I bought the Linksys EA4500 as a refurb from the Linksys store for $65, probably what I originally paid for the 54G.

Early notes and questions:

The enclosed CD would not install its software on the iMac, so I had to download it from Linksys. It was a lousy program anyway; it wanted me to set up an account, and I reverted to accessing the router with a web browser. I was accustomed to this kind of set up from the 54G.

The default security is WPA2/WPA Mixed Personal. What is that? Keep it or switch? None of the choices mention AES, just personal or enterprise.

The router is faster than the 54G. Not a surprise, but a relief. All the Apple clients are N class. The wired iMac connection is faster, too. I never realized that the 54G would slow down a wired device.

The router runs warm. I have flipped it onto its back like a black plastic turtle to promote cooling. Does vertical or horizontal orientation play a factor in range?

The Linksys setup page includes the Ookla speed test.

I downloaded the iStumbler app to analyze the local traffic. There isn’t much, and I seem to be alone on 5Ghz. I set it to channel 161 in hopes of improving range. I left channel width in auto. I tried it in 20 and 40, but saw no real difference using Ookla on an iPad in one of my usual locations. Any thoughts on this?

I set network mode to N only in 2.4Ghz, where it seemed to make a difference, but left the 5Ghz band in mixed where it didn’t.

Thanks to Tim and everyone on SNB for the invaluable help in understanding this stuff. I don’t want to be a router geek, but I want friends who are!

Al Thumbs

 

[sinshiva]

heya, you'll want to use wpa2 personal ONLY, this way it doesn't use TKIP, which is ugly. (TKIP = WEP in a WPA wrapper.)

i have my old e2000 AP mounted on a wall, which i think is the same as having the antennas vertical; ideal for wireless coverage on a single floor, as compared to horizontal which would make the coverage similar to a wheel; propagates vertically.

i also notice improvements in performance forcing N only on this thing.

by the way, can WPS be completely disabled (doesn't show up as enabled with a wifi scanner) ?

you may want to consider installing dd-wrt on it regardless, they've always done particularly well with linksys devices, it seems

general rule of thumb; use 20mhz channel width on 2.4ghz, auto/40 on 5ghz

i heard somewhere that a 'short' preamble is better for wireless N (and probably AC, if i had to guess)

if you can set this; i like to set beacon interval to 80 rather than the default 100 most things i believe use. makes it easier for clients to see the AP if you're having a hard time at a distance

 

[TonyH]

Hi,
I always set preamble to short. Beacon interval as low as 25. On 5GHz try different channels, you may see some difference in signal level between channels. I use 149+153
which gives best signal level. EA4500 had it's time. I used it briefly. Just hum-drum router.
I glued ~3/4 in. stand off at 4 corners on the bottom of the router to help cooling.

 

[Al Thumbs]

Hi,
I always set preamble to short. Beacon interval as low as 25.

I have looked everywhere for these setting but cannot find them.

EA4500 had it's time. I used it briefly. Just hum-drum router.

No wonder it's $65. What do you recommend instead? My clients are all N.

Thanks!
AT

 

[stevech]

I wouldn't set beacon interval to less than 0.1 sec.
the interval really only affects battery powered devices and only if they are in a power conserving (sleep due to lack of use).

beacon interval won't affect signal strength... it's just the time interval between beacons and within the beacon is the SSID being advertised (unless that's disabled). Also carries bit flags on what 802.11 modes are supported.

Higher beacon rates do clutter up the spectrum a bit more.

 

[jlake]

Our Linksys WRT54G, circa 2005, was getting flakey. Though our home is an Apple environment, with iPads, iPhones, and an iMac, I didn’t want to drop $200 on the Apple router, so I bought the Linksys EA4500 as a refurb from the Linksys store for $65, probably what I originally paid for the 54G.

Early notes and questions:

The enclosed CD would not install its software on the iMac, so I had to download it from Linksys. It was a lousy program anyway; it wanted me to set up an account, and I reverted to accessing the router with a web browser. I was accustomed to this kind of set up from the 54G.

The default security is WPA2/WPA Mixed Personal. What is that? Keep it or switch? None of the choices mention AES, just personal or enterprise.

The router is faster than the 54G. Not a surprise, but a relief. All the Apple clients are N class. The wired iMac connection is faster, too. I never realized that the 54G would slow down a wired device.

The router runs warm. I have flipped it onto its back like a black plastic turtle to promote cooling. Does vertical or horizontal orientation play a factor in range?

The Linksys setup page includes the Ookla speed test.

I downloaded the iStumbler app to analyze the local traffic. There isn’t much, and I seem to be alone on 5Ghz. I set it to channel 161 in hopes of improving range. I left channel width in auto. I tried it in 20 and 40, but saw no real difference using Ookla on an iPad in one of my usual locations. Any thoughts on this?

I set network mode to N only in 2.4Ghz, where it seemed to make a difference, but left the 5Ghz band in mixed where it didn’t.

Thanks to Tim and everyone on SNB for the invaluable help in understanding this stuff. I don’t want to be a router geek, but I want friends who are!

Al Thumbs

Why in the world would you flip it on its back? The product is not intended to operated on its back. Most new routers run much warmer these days. That's normal. I would recommend that you read the user manual (not the quick start guide).

 

[jlake]

There's no need to mess with beacon interval, preamble, and what not. You would need to install the classic firmware if you wanted to do that. I wouldn't recommend doing that or messing with any advanced wireless settings.

My settings are:
2.4 ghz N only,20 MHz only, channel 11, WPA2personal
5ghz n only, auto width, channel 149, wpa2 personal

My home is 3 levels and 3800 square feet and the EA4500 covers it every corner plus about a 15 foot perimeter outside on 2.4 ghz.

I watched saving private Ryan a couple nights ago on Apple TV at 1080p through ea4500 5ghz through one hardwood oak floor.

The router cannot be mounted vertically.

 

[Al Thumbs]

Why in the world would you flip it on its back?

As I said, to help it cool off. The bottom cover is perforated, likely for that reason.

The product is not intended to operated on its back.

Probably not.

I would recommend that you read the user manual (not the quick start guide).

I did. It's PDF, no paper supplied. Nowhere does it say not to operate the router on its back! But I am sure you're right.

Thanks.
AT

 

[Al Thumbs]

Thanks. This is helpful.

AT

 

[RogerSC]

Why in the world would you flip it on its back? The product is not intended to operated on its back. Most new routers run much warmer these days. That's normal. I would recommend that you read the user manual (not the quick start guide).

People used to flip over the E4200 as well for cooling reasons...the super-intelligent designers at Linksys put the venting holes at the bottom with tiny feet that elevated it about 1/16", no vent holes on the top. Needless to say, it ran rather hot *smile*. People did all sorts of things to cool that router, myself included. I ended up propping it up as close to vertical as I could, never tried upside-down. But a bunch of people swore by the upside-down thing, and it had no apparent ill effects on the wireless range *smile*. People even elevated it above their desktop using various things like erasers, corks, etc., to promote airflow under the thing. Laptop cooling pads were used by some, as well. I hung out in the Linksys community forum, and read some interesting posts there *smile*.

My E4200 lasted about a year before it finally gave up. I'm sure that others lasted longer, but heat was definitely a factor in the things early demise.

 

[jlake]

People used to flip over the E4200 as well for cooling reasons...the super-intelligent designers at Linksys put the venting holes at the bottom with tiny feet that elevated it about 1/16", no vent holes on the top. Needless to say, it ran rather hot *smile*. People did all sorts of things to cool that router, myself included. I ended up propping it up as close to vertical as I could, never tried upside-down. But a bunch of people swore by the upside-down thing, and it had no apparent ill effects on the wireless range *smile*. People even elevated it above their desktop using various things like erasers, corks, etc., to promote airflow under the thing. Laptop cooling pads were used by some, as well. I hung out in the Linksys community forum, and read some interesting posts there *smile*.

My E4200 lasted about a year before it finally gave up. I'm sure that others lasted longer, but heat was definitely a factor in the things early demise.

Right. I see quite a few people obsessing about temps. in the Asus merlin forum. He's even had to threaten to remove the temp feature from his firmware because there are so many paranoid questions asked.

The EA4500 has marvell chipset same as E4200v2. E4200v1 had Broadcom chipset.

I just checked the temp of bottom of EA4500 and the warmest place I could find is 112 degrees F. on an external bottom surface. All readings taken with an extremely accurate temp gun. Those are normal temperatures with these newer routers

The internet and forums are riddled with paranoid people about the temps of these newer routers. The Asus forum on this website has hundreds of posts. I'll bet RMerlin has responded to so many he could cringe. Its a subject that's been beat to death.

It may be that the E4200v1 with Broadcom chipset did run too hot. I cannot say. But this thread is about the EA4500 with Marvell chipset. It will be almost two years since I bought it in April. No problems. It just sits flat on an oak desk. It's been turned on continuously since April of 2012. Works fine.

There's lots of people that post/complain about temperatures being too hot, but never once give a temperature reading. Which is fairly amazing. Not much to go on.

 

[Al Thumbs]

Spoiler: Temperature readings

The internet and forums are riddled with paranoid people about the temps of these newer routers. The Asus forum on this website has hundreds of posts. I'll bet RMerlin has responded to so many he could cringe. Its a subject that's been beat to death.

Being a non-router guy, I didn't know that. I just observed that my router ran warm.

There's lots of people that post/complain about temperatures being too hot, but never once give a temperature reading. Which is fairly amazing. Not much to go on.

JL, you inspired me to measure the temperature of my router. My instrument is the world-renowned Brookstone Digital Meat Temperature Fork, set to BEEF. I calibrated it by taking my own temperature, where it was -1° against my baseline.

I took two samples of my router. I read 82° and 85°F, or RARE. But of course, my router is upside-down! So i guess "running warm" is relative, and 85° looks pretty good.

Also, I am reassured to know that your EA4500 has been reliable for two years. I am sure that my router will become obsolete long before it croaks, as the previous one did.

Thanks.
AT