Cisco Preparing to Sell Linksys Brand

[btarunr]

Cisco Systems is preparing to sell its consumer networking solutions brand Linksys. The networking major hired the services of Barclays Plc to look for prospective buyers of the division. According to industry analysts, Linksys might fetch much less than the $500 million Cisco paid to acquire it, back in 2003, because its target market is saturated. Linksys sells consumer networking products such as low port-count switches, WiFi routers, and dongles. Other sources believe Linksys could attract buyers from TV set makers looking to add a recognized brand to their ranks.



Source: Bloomberg

[nickbaldwin86]

Linksys is junk, Cisco should have burned the name after they bought them and then Cisco could have started building better products. I cant believe anyone would pay $500 million for a name of a failing company.

[brandonwh64]

I beg to differ nick, Some of the best routers I have used were linksys but yes all companys have their bad apples. The WRT54G was the most popular router ever produced for the consumer market.

[nickbaldwin86]

beg all you want... this are currently junk. yes I will agree the WRT54G was a good unit but I no longer would recommend or buy a Linksys product.

[Jizzler]

I stopped using "Linksys" when all of their SOHO/SMB products were put under the Cisco Small Business label.

That also may be one reason why it'll go cheap. Cisco has absorbed the products it wants, leaving only the current Linksys line-up as part of the sale?

[jihadjoe]

Cisco sucked the life out of Linksys.

They were doing ok when they were independent and allowed to make a router as good as it could be (WRT54G!), but the moment Cisco acquired them they were basically constrained from producing anything "too good" as that might step on Cisco equipment's toes.

The conspiracy theorist in me thinks Cisco acquired them just to prevent that scenario from happening. It's not like Cisco was in need of any of Linksys' technology to begin with.

[Aquinus]

My E4200 works pretty well. I have no complaints about it. I had a WRT300-N that worked really well with DD-WRT, but then it died shortly after the wifi transmitter started acting up.

[nickbaldwin86]

Originally Posted by Aquinus

My E4200 works pretty well. I have no complaints about it. I had a WRT300-N that worked really well with DD-WRT, but then it died shortly after the wifi transmitter started acting up.

you are comparing that to what router? you haven't owned any good routers if you think the e4200 or the WRT300-N are good... because they both REALLY suck compared to even much cheaper routers. Even Buffalo makes a better dual band N router.

[3870x2]

Originally Posted by nickbaldwin86

you are comparing that to what router? you haven't owned any good routers if you think the e4200 or the WRT300-N are good... because they both REALLY suck compared to even much cheaper routers. Even Buffalo makes a better dual band N router.

The buffalo routers are pretty good actually. We deploy these to our VPN locations.

In what way are you saying that Linksys is inferior? Any linksys I have ever had work pretty well, they are solid though expensive.

And, with DD-WRT you can't argue a lack of options by any means.

[nickbaldwin86]

Originally Posted by 3870x2

The buffalo routers are pretty good actually. We deploy these to our VPN locations.

In what way are you saying that Linksys is inferior? Any linksys I have ever had work pretty well, they are solid though expensive.

And, with DD-WRT you can't argue a lack of options by any means.

That was going to be my point, you should have to buy a over priced paper weight and then hack it in order to get options from a third party software... yes DD-wrt is GREAT on Linksys... why not come stock and save yourself thousands by firing all the idiots that write the firmware that currently comes on Linksys units.

Also not have external antennas really makes the Linksys solutions suck, I run a D-link 655 with external antennas and I have compared it next to a Linksys without, world of difference. If I was to buy a unit today I would buy that new Buffalo, half the price and I know from experience it is hands down a better unit, and from the factory more options and quicker setup.

I used to love Linksys, but the passed few years I have known 1st hand they are junk. pretty much the 1st unit they sold without external antennas

[3870x2]

I see, you are arguing the price point. Cant disagree with you there. It is true that there was nothing stellar about the Linksys products.

[Prima.Vera]

Linksys devices are not that bad, but their price is. Actually they are really overpriced for what they are offering...

[Aquinus]

Originally Posted by nickbaldwin86

you are comparing that to what router? you haven't owned any good routers if you think the e4200 or the WRT300-N are good... because they both REALLY suck compared to even much cheaper routers. Even Buffalo makes a better dual band N router.

I don't need to compare it to another router because it works and for me, it works well. Very little is more important to me than stability in a router and the E4200 does a very good job of that despite what your prior experiences with Linksys are. Now if all you're going to do is insult my hardware and say that it sucks because you think it is over priced, you might want to adjust the metrics for how you're rating a router. Yeah, the E4200 was expensive, but I've also barely had to touch it since I got it and I haven't had a single problem with it. Hate to say it, the only thing here that sucks other than the price is your analysis for why Linksys routers suck, and price is a moot point because price doesn't make a router any less reliable. The stock firmware also has enough functionality for me as a residential router. If I need the features DD-WRT offers for my primary gateway, I would sooner build and dedicate a machine to being a gateway and not rely on my linksys router (or any other router,) to do it for me.

All in all, price makes hardware expensive, it does not make it suck. I'm also one floor and 3 rooms away from my E4200 and my 2.4ghz signal is still extremely strong. Internal or external antenna shouldn't matter. I also doubt that a thin layer of plastic is going to attenuate the signal from an internal antenna more than stepping away from the router by 3 feet.

[newtekie1]

I love Linksys Refurbished product, but that is the only way they are worth buying. Normally they are overpriced for wat they offer.

[a_ump]

yea the whole no antenae or w/e i always thought had to limit performance compared to other N routers. wonder which big company will acquire Linksys to expand to the wireless market

[Zack]

Once again, Cisco dumping the malnourished body of what could've been a great company.

[remixedcat]

I use real routers.......


like AMPED WIRELESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!