Hey so I have this router (E4200 v.1) hooked up to a desktop with windows vista service pack 2, and I do have the latest firmware (Build 11 v. 1.0.04). Then, I have a (one all-in-one) desktop and a laptop connected to the network wirelessly. So some problems I am experiencing....
1)If I change something on Cisco Connect like the name of the router or the password, I completely mess up my network. The network crashes frequently in a regular fashion. So once every 20 minutes seem about right. It is very annoying to be just cut off and to wait for about a min every 20 min. I'm assuming this is just CIsco Connect acting up again.
So everytime the network gets messed up, I can't just reboot the router or reset it to default settings to get it to work again. If I do that, Cisco Connect says I am not connected to the router when the set up is exactly as it was when the network was working fine. But my network and sharing center tells me that I have internet half of the time. And the half of the time it tells me I have internet, I can't even go to half of the websites I usually visit. It just does not load. I have tried power cycling, that does not work too. What I have to do is, I have to disconnect everything, and connect the desktop with the modem. Then I uninstall cisco connect, and reset the router to default settings. Then reinstall cisco connect and reinstall everything. Tedious.
It is just really annoying to not be able to freely change up features in Cisco Connect. Cisco Connect is supposed to let us successfully change these settings, but it does not. In fact, it does the opposite, and I do not even want to deal with Cisco Connect because I never feel safe to touch anything on there. I do not want to mess up my network and waste about another 15 minutes everytime I change a setting on Cisco Connect. So I am always annoyed and afraid of the possibility of messing up my network if I touch something. Btw, this is not at all in the advanced settings, it is just basic Cisco Connect (yea disappointed). However, I can fix this problem if I change my MAC address. Which defeats the whole purpose of CIsco Connect because Cisco Connects ends up being a dead weight that forbids me of any features, yet this router was made in a way to work with this program. I can't use Cisco Connect, and it's better for me to just not use Cisco Connect. But then again, I want to enjoy all the features Cisco Connect is supposed to be giving me, ya know? But as of right now, Cisco Connect is complete trash for me.
2)The guest network does not work. I set up a password for it and everythting. But when I try to connect to it with my laptop or my other computer, network and sharing center does not even ask for the password. Both of these computers connect into the network, and when they identify the network, it says no internet. They are both windows 7, so they should both be able to connect right? Idk..
3)This router is not exactly the really compatible type. I have a VOIP 2102-R. And o man. If I installed Cisco Connect with the adapter connected to the router, the phone would not work. Then, if i restarted or reset settings to default, the phone would work, but I would have no internet. And this went for hours and hours and it was brutal. And after I found out that I have to uninstall everything, and do it all over again, I figured it out. It turned out into a situation where I was not just fixing one teeny problem. There were conditions and more conditions to abide by when I was just trying to fix one little problem, I had to uninstall and reinstall the whole system, etc. Anyone who has VOIP adapters, install without adapter, and after all is well, connect the adapter. Simple right? Honestly, I got this router because my VOIP adapter is a linksys product as well. I know my adapter is an old piece of **bleep**. But really, I expected way more stability. So far my old router, a wireless-g Wag, never failed me once in stability. I have a doscis 3 modem and I get about 20 megabits per second download from comcast.
4)The network crashes randomely even if I did not change anything in Cisco Connect. This is very rare, but recently, it has begun its course. It usually happens just about once a day or so. It's not much of a big deal, but I thought you guys should know.
But seriously? I mean this is certainly not the newest router, but I expected so much more than this. It's just really unstable and mercurious. You never know what is going to happen, and disappointed is my word for this situation. I really hope you guys fix these issues, and I will let you guys know if I experience any new problems. And it would be very much appreciated if you guys let me know of any solutions or insights and such. Aright thank you everyone.
