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- Review count31
- Helpfulness votes101
- First reviewFebruary 23, 2016
- Last reviewJuly 29, 2018
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating3.8
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- Answer count5
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- First answerOctober 10, 2016
- Last answerJanuary 5, 2017
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Ensure maximum comfort from this Logitech mouse. The precise ergonomic design ensures you stay comfortable throughout the day even if you're a power user, and the additional side button lets you create a custom setup. Smooth gliding is assured from this Logitech mouse thanks to the low-resistance base that slips over any surface.
Customer Rating
5
A classic, revisited
on June 30, 2017
Posted by: wrbluepearl
BLUF: The Logitech MX Master is a timeless classic. A big, heavy, solid mouse with reliable buttons, a switchable scroll wheel (clicky or smooth), works with three computers, supports Bluetooth and the Unifying receiver. May be too big for some hands.
Intro: I've been using the original Logitech MX Master mouse for about two years now - it was pricey, but so, so worth it. I've used the MX Master with Windows and macOS, MacBooks, Dells, Bluetooth and Unifying receiver - the MX Master has been unstoppable. After two years of daily use (often 10-12 hours per day) my original MX Master is still going strong. When I saw that Logitech was coming out with a new version, I had to try it out!
Bluetooth pairing/connection: This is the most noticeable improvement over the original MX Master for me. The original had some kind of a strange issue with macOS, where you'd have to re-pair the mouse a couple of times with the computer to get it to connect reliably...the mouse would actually show up more than once in the macOS list of Bluetooth devices. The MX Master 2s does not seem to have this issue - it paired quickly, and stays paired reliably. Bluetooth range is good enough working reliably from 10 feet away (as far away as I could see the pointer moving on my laptop screen). The 2s no longer has a separate "Connect" button for reconnecting to Bluetooth hosts; one simply long-presses the device selector button now. Since this is an activity I typically do once or twice a year, not an issue for me.
Mouse pointer movement: This is what the mouse is for, right? The 2s appears to be, if anything, a little smoother than the original MX Master. While I usually use a mousepad (mainly to keep the bottom of my mice clean), the 2s works smoothly on every surface in my office, from the carpet on the floor to the metal cabinets to my window (yes, it works on clear glass!). Pointer movement seems to be a little smoother than the original MX, which was already excellent; Logitech has changed the surface sensor design on the 2s, as visible in my photo of the bottom of the two mice below. The MX Master touches the table in four places, with harder plastic sliding surfaces along those points; it slides smoothly on most surfaces (even glass).
Button layout/tactile response: The buttons on the 2s are *identical* to the buttons on the original MX Master. I can't feel any differences between them - if nothing else, since my original MX Master has been in use for two years, it's a credit to how durable this mouse design is. The top left/right buttons have a very light feel, little resistance to being pressed, with smooth travel and no sense that things are binding when you press them. The "thumb" button - the one you push down with your thumb, built into the thumb rest - is harder to press, and has very short travel. This is probably intended to minimize accidental button presses, but it will definitely tire your thumb out. The "forward/back" buttons are honestly too small for my liking and too close together (I have big fingers), so I don't use them as often as I used the ones on older mice. That said, the travel on them is smooth, and the action is light enough that your thumb doesn't get tired pressing them.
Scroll wheels: The top scroll wheel can be configured to "click" as it's turned, or to spin freely. In free-spinning mode, the wheel is nicely weighted and will spin for a few seconds on its own without binding or wobbling. The top scroll wheel feels a little better on the 2s than on my original MX Master. I've never really been able to make good use of the side scroll wheel...just couldn't figure out what the point of it was; it can be customized to perform many functions, but I usually wind up disabling it because I trigger it inadvertantly.
Software support: To really make good use of Logitech's mice/keyboards/trackpads, you have to install the Logitech Options software on macOS or Windows. The MX Master is no different in this respect - while you will get basic use of the many buttons without extra software, Logitech Options allows you to customize the behavior of all of the buttons and scroll wheels on the mouse. The current version of Logitech Options works smoothly and transparently.
Comfort: This is a tricky issue - mouse comfort is a very personal thing. The MX Master is *big* - it's the biggest mouse I've ever used, by a wide margin. It's taller, wider and longer than any other mouse I own (and I own about 20, going back to the Macintosh SE). I have fairly large hands, so I find the MX Master to be comfortable to move, click and use all day long; I've let my co-workers try it, and some have said it gave them hand cramps due to its size. Best advice I can give here is try it in the store before you buy it. Because it slides very smoothly, you don't really need to *grip* it - it's more like guiding it as it glides across your desk. A fabric mousepad is recommended for smoothest mousing.
Battery Life: The MX Master has a built-in Lithium-Ion battery, which recharges using a standard Micro-USB cable. Takes 2-3 hours to charge when fully depleted; a charge seems to last 2-3 months for me. There's a 3-LED battery level indicator on the thumb-side.
Conclusion: The MX Master is a great mouse, *if* the size works for you. While the side scroll wheel seems gimmicky, the other mouse controls are solid, smooth and durable. It's highly recommended by many review sites and individual reviews, and my experience with the original MX Master has been great.
My Best Buy number: 2011053853
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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7of 8voted this as helpful.
Take your favorite music anywhere with this Nyne Rock boom box. It has two midrange speakers, two tweeters and a subwoofer, and its rechargeable lithium-ion battery lets you play tunes for up to 8 hours. This Nyne Rock boom box is Bluetooth 4.0 compatible and connects to a mobile device via NFC one-touch technology.
Customer Rating
5
Good sound, good range, great battery life
on June 27, 2017
Posted by: wrbluepearl
Summary: The Nyne Rock is a good-sounding portable music system, with good Bluetooth range and great battery life.
Intro: While not inexpensive, the Nyne Rock is a good choice for a portable music system for a variety of outdoor activities. It features good sound, good Bluetooth range, and great battery life, and has nice plus-ups like a water-resistant enclosure, and illuminated audio control buttons.
Sound: The Nyne Rock features well-balanced, though not exceptional, sound quality. It has competent low end, though bass-heads may not be satisfied. Mids and highs are smooth and not shrill or harsh. Not the most detailed audio I've ever heard, but more than good enough for its intended purpose. Gets loud, though it starts to encounter distortion at higher (80%+) volume levels depending on the music. It's loud enough for outdoor activities like camping, cookouts, or beach days.
Bluetooth: While Nyne advertises 33ft Bluetooth range, in my experience you can only achieve that (or close to it) outdoors, with the Bluetooth device sitting on a table or other open platform. Putting your phone in your pocket, for example, cuts the range in half. Not the speaker's fault; it's just physics. Under "normal" conditions - phone sitting on a table or in your hand vs. your pocket - the speaker reliably achieves 20ft range. The Nyne rock has a set of illuminated playback controls along the top, allowing you to remotely control play/pause, next/previous track, and volume.
Battery: Nyne advertises 10 hour battery life; I've been running it for 12 hours at moderate volume and the battery indicator still shows 50% remaining. It's nice to test a device where the battery life exceeds the rating; normally battery-powered devices say 6 hours and give you 4. The Nyne Rock also has a built-in USB port for charging a connected phone (it does not support USB digital audio). The internal battery is charged using an included 18V power adapter, which features an international plug set.
Appearance/Enclosure: The Nyne Rock is very solidly built, and has a nicely textured finish, giving the speaker a feeling of being well-made. It's water resistant, and includes a gasketed door over the connectors for charging, USB, and aux input on the back. There's a carrying handle on the back, making the speaker much easier to carry.
Nitpicking: The volume control buttons on the Nyne Rock only change the speaker's own volume - the playback volume on your phone will *not* change when you increase/decrease volume with the speaker's buttons. (This is one of my pet peeves - I dislike having to adjust volume on the phone *and* on the speaker - but it can be worked around easily.). It would be nice to have a volume level indicator, since there's no way of knowing how loud the speaker wants to be when you first start playing music (because it has a separate volume control from the phone). The battery level indicator is under the access panel door on the back, and only lights when you press a button - would have been nicer to have it up on top where the playback/volume controls are, and have it show either all the time or for a few seconds after you press one of the playback control buttons. None of these criticisms are deal-breakers, though.
My Best Buy number: 2011053853
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+1point
1of 1voted this as helpful.
We know pets makes messes. Whether it's tracked-in mud or bathroom accidents, BISSELL® ProHeat 2X® Revolution® Pet Pro Plus carpet cleaner handles those though pet messes with its exclusive Pet Pro Cleanup System. This system includes a CleanShot® pretreater to remove spots and stains; the 2-in-1 Pet Upholstery Tool to remove pet hair, stains and odors from upholstery, a trial-size of BISSELL® PET PRO OXY Urine Eliminator formula, and an EZ Clean Brush Roll Cover to make maintaining the machine easy. When used in MAX Clean Mode, you get powerful cleaning that outcleans the leading rental*** and leaves carpet dry in about 30 minutes with Express Clean Mode.** All of this cleaning power comes in a lightweight and maneuverable machine with a low-profile foot that gets under furniture. But this machine doesn't just pick up after pets, it helps save them, too. BISSELL® proudly supports BISSELL Pet Foundation® and its mission to help save homeless pets. When you buy a BISSELL product, you help save pets, too. We’re proud to design products that help make pet messes, odors and pet homelessness disappear.***Cleaning results based on ASTM F2828 using BISSELL PET PRO OXY Urine Eliminator formula in MAX clean mode against the Rug Doctor Mighty Pro X3 carpet cleaner using their top selling formula.**Express Clean Mode (reference instruction in user guide). Tested on new carpet with protectant. Results may vary.
Customer Rating
4
Works well, but heavy and loud
on June 2, 2017
Posted by: wrbluepearl
Overall, a well-designed cleaning machine - the head is designed in such a way that the brushes come very close to the front and side edges, helping to get better access to areas under furniture or close to the wall. The brush design also helps to lift carpet pile and does a better job of cleaning deep into rugs than my other vacuum.
The wet cleaning functions work well, and - importantly - the unit doesn't leak water onto your floor when you're not actually engaged in wet cleaning.
The wet cleaning functions work well, and - importantly - the unit doesn't leak water onto your floor when you're not actually engaged in wet cleaning.
My Best Buy number: 2011053853
I would recommend this to a friend!
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ALLY is a Whole Home Wi-Fi System that delivers smart, safe, secure Wi-Fi controlled from your phone. The ALLY mobile app is equipped with advanced parental controls, including an online activity log, and alerts that can be sent when someone attempts to access a blocked site. ALLY also comes with built-in AVG security to protect your network devices from malware and harmful websites
Customer Rating
2
Desperately needs a firmware update
on May 26, 2017
Posted by: wrbluepearl
TLDR: The Amped Ally is desperately in need of a firmware update. In its current state it has significant inconsistencies between configuration entered on the App and through the web interface. Several features that can be configured through the web interface DO NOT WORK and could lead to potential SECURITY PROBLEMS. Until these problems are resolved I cannot recommend this product.
INTRODUCTION: The hot new thing in consumer networking is the so-called "mesh" wireless systems (though most of them are not actually mesh networks, a discussion for another day). This is the third consumer-grade mesh product I've tried; the previous two each received significant firmware updates in the first 30 days on the market, so I waited a little while for Amped to update the Ally's firmware before evaluating it. Sadly, Amped has issued *no* firmware updates to this product, so the review is based on the 2017-03-31 firmware it shipped with.
CONFIGURATION: The Ally can be configured by iPhone/Android app or through the web interface. This creates a DISASTER of inconsistent behavior. For example, when configuring the wireless networks from the app, Amped has set an inexplicable requirement that the SSID for the WiFi network must be four or more characters, and limits the length of the WiFi password to 16 characters. WHAT? Neither of those is a limitation imposed by the WiFi standards, they just seem to be randomly imposed. Amusingly, if you configure through the web interface, you can set a one-letter SSID if you like, and your password can be up to 64 characters. WHAT? This is just an example of the endless inconsistencies between the two interfaces. Other reviewers have listed the myriad problems with the inconsistent behavior between web and app interfaces, so I won't continue to go into them here. I did *not* encounter the device notification problem others have noticed - every device on my network generated a notification, even wired devices.
WIRELESS PERFORMANCE: Overall, good. Once I got the repeater configured, the Ally pair could consistently max out my internet connection through speedtest.net anywhere in my house (about 70mbs down/6mbps up). Wired routing performance also seems to be adequate up to at least 100mbps.
CONCERNS: Aside from the inconsistencies in configuration between the web page and app, this is another "cloud service"-configured device, which will work fine until Amped loses interest in it and shuts down their cloud backend...or until Apple or Google changes something and their app stops working. The bigger problem I have - if you use their "advanced" interface to create a guest network, even if you set the guest network to only allow internet access, devices on the guest network have FULL ACCESS to everything that's on your regular network. So if you have a guest network without a password, guess what - you're letting ANYONE have full access to EVERYTHING on your network. The wireless scheduling feature also doesn't work; I tried to use it to deactivate the 2.4GHz network by scheduling it to be "on" for one minute every Monday at 2:00am...guess what...that stupid network is always there, and there's no way to shut off 2.4GHz otherwise.
SIDE NOTE: Based on the responses to reviews I've seen elsewhere, Amped Wireless' response to the firmware issues that have been identified has been to tell people they're using it wrong, rather than addressing the fact that their product claims to do things it doesn't do. That and the lack of firmware updates doesn't give me a lot of confidence in this product going forward.
My Best Buy number: 2011053853
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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This Oral-B Pro 6000 electric toothbrush with Bluetooth allows the brush to connect with your smartphone to give you real-time feedback on your brushing habits. The advanced design of the CrossAction toothbrush head surrounds each tooth with bristles angled at 16 degrees, and 3D cleaning action oscillates, rotates, and pulsates to break up and remove more plaque. The pressure sensor lights up, if you brush too hard to prevent harmful over-brushing and there are 5 modes and a timer to help you brush for a dentist-recommended time.
Customer Rating
5
Surprisingly great toothbrush
on May 10, 2017
Posted by: wrbluepearl
So, I was quite skeptical that there was a point to a Bluetooth-connected toothbrush. Was I going to track my tooth-brushing habits, on top of my calories, steps, weight, blood pressure, etc.? I'll come back to that question in a moment.
But first, how does it work as a toothbrush? In a word, great. I've been using a different Oral-B electric toothbrush for ten+ years (the Oral-B "Pro Health" version, powered by a single AA battery). It's worked well for me, and it's easy to use and maintain. What does the Pro 6000 do that the older one doesn't? First of all, it has a built-in rechargeable battery, which conveniently charges on an included stand, and provides a battery level indication. The older brush would often die in the middle of a brushing session, which is irritating; the Pro 6000 lets you know when to put it on the charger. Second, the smaller head design on the Pro 6000 is easier to get to my back teeth and maneuver around my mouth. Third, the Pro 6000 has an indicator that tells you when you're applying too much pressure. My dentist has commented a few times that I press too hard when I brush, which damages the enamel on my teeth; this indicator helps me dial the pressure back. Fourth, the Pro 6000 appears to have more torque and brushes more vigorously than other electric toothbrushes I've used, likely due to its heavier-duty battery. Fifth, this brush has a built-in timer, that provides a haptic notification every 30 seconds while brushing that you can use to keep track of how long you've been working on a particular area of your mouth. At the end of the two minutes standard brushing cycle, it gives a different haptic notification to let you know you're done.
So what about the Bluetooth feature? While you can use the iPhone app in tandem while you brush, I look at the app as a way to "keep myself honest." The app tracks brushing time and "pressing too hard" time, which helps me make sure that I'm not abusing my teeth too badly. It's useful, but it's up to you to decide if it's useful enough to justify the extra money for this model - if it's not, Oral-B/Braun offer most of the functionality in lower-priced brushes.
My Best Buy number: 2011053853
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Take your music anywhere with this portable Sony wireless speaker. Lightweight and water-resistant, it has a 16-hour battery life, making it perfect for on-the-go listening all day. This Sony wireless speaker has Bluetooth connectivity with NFC One-touch, and it can also link to a second speaker for stereo sound.
Customer Rating
4
Good but not amazing sound for its size
on April 11, 2017
Posted by: wrbluepearl
Summary: Bass is loud but muddy, highs are good on-axis with top of speaker but noticeable attenuated otherwise. Good battery life, charges in a reasonable amount of time.
The XB10 is clearly designed to pump out lots of deep bass - and, given its size, the bass is pretty loud. Unfortunately, it's kind of muddy; when listening to songs like Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" with a very distinct bass line, it doesn't sound bad; when listening to songs with more complicated low end, it turns to mush. If the top of the speaker is pointed at you, the high frequencies sound pretty good - unfortunately, the top of the speaker is normally pointed at the ceiling, leaving the highs sounding dull and attenuated. With those issues in mind, the XB10 does some significantly better than other similarly-sized Bluetooth speakers I've heard. Would have preferred a carabiner clip to the rather odd plastic circle thing that it comes with.
My Best Buy number: 2011053853
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+20points
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Make your home an internet haven with this versatile Linksys Velop wireless Wi-Fi system. Three identical tri-band dual-stream AC2200 routers, each equipped with a quad-core ARM Cortex-A7 processor, deliver lightning-fast internet. Equipped with Bluetooth 4.0/LE, this Linksys Velop wireless Wi-Fi system is simple to set up and pairs easily with computers, tablets and smart devices.
Posted by: wrbluepearl
Summary:
This is probably the right system for someone, but it wasn't the right system for me. Disappointing routing performance, no apparent support for wired devices, and the security concerns related to forced use of the Linksys App and online service leave me unable to recommend it.
This is probably the right system for someone, but it wasn't the right system for me. Disappointing routing performance, no apparent support for wired devices, and the security concerns related to forced use of the Linksys App and online service leave me unable to recommend it.
Intro:
I had high hopes for the Velop. I use a Linksys router on an everyday basis for my home network and it works really well - stable connection, excellent wireless performance, very good coverage for a single access point. Sadly, I found the Velop to be time-consuming to set up, with *lower* performance than my existing wireless access setup. I also have security and maintainability concerns about the forced use of Linksys' online service for router configuration.
I had high hopes for the Velop. I use a Linksys router on an everyday basis for my home network and it works really well - stable connection, excellent wireless performance, very good coverage for a single access point. Sadly, I found the Velop to be time-consuming to set up, with *lower* performance than my existing wireless access setup. I also have security and maintainability concerns about the forced use of Linksys' online service for router configuration.
Setup experience:
Unlike other mesh solutions I've used, the Velop does not have a "base station" and "extenders" - rather, it has what appear to be three identical white "pillars" that look like Bluetooth speakers. This was actually a little disorienting, because I spent some time trying to figure out which one was the "base station" when I first opened the box. The Velop does not have a web page that you connect to for configuration, rather, you download an app from the Google or Apple app Store (depending on your mobile phone platform) and configure with that. The Linksys app walks you through the steps for installing and configuring the three Velop units. (The Linksys app needs to have some usability testing done on it - on the iPad Mini I used for setup, the text for many of the prompts appeared to be tiny single-pixel wide grey letters on a dark blue background - EXTREMELY difficult to read, and unnecessary - for much of the installation process, this tiny text appeared on a nearly empty screen.) Aside from a curious requirement that I activate Bluetooth on the device I was using (do the Velop units have Bluetooth in them? If so, why? If not, why do I need to turn on the Bluetooth on my iPad to configure them?) the setup process was fairly straightforward.
Unlike other mesh solutions I've used, the Velop does not have a "base station" and "extenders" - rather, it has what appear to be three identical white "pillars" that look like Bluetooth speakers. This was actually a little disorienting, because I spent some time trying to figure out which one was the "base station" when I first opened the box. The Velop does not have a web page that you connect to for configuration, rather, you download an app from the Google or Apple app Store (depending on your mobile phone platform) and configure with that. The Linksys app walks you through the steps for installing and configuring the three Velop units. (The Linksys app needs to have some usability testing done on it - on the iPad Mini I used for setup, the text for many of the prompts appeared to be tiny single-pixel wide grey letters on a dark blue background - EXTREMELY difficult to read, and unnecessary - for much of the installation process, this tiny text appeared on a nearly empty screen.) Aside from a curious requirement that I activate Bluetooth on the device I was using (do the Velop units have Bluetooth in them? If so, why? If not, why do I need to turn on the Bluetooth on my iPad to configure them?) the setup process was fairly straightforward.
Configuration experience:
Once the Velop stations are set up, you set an SSID, which is applied to all three stations on both 2.4GHz and 5GHz. There are very few configuration options otherwise. All configuration must be done through the Linksys app. It appears that it is possible to connect the app directly to the Velop rather than going through the Linksys online service, but you *must* create a Linksys online account and use it for initial setup.
Once the Velop stations are set up, you set an SSID, which is applied to all three stations on both 2.4GHz and 5GHz. There are very few configuration options otherwise. All configuration must be done through the Linksys app. It appears that it is possible to connect the app directly to the Velop rather than going through the Linksys online service, but you *must* create a Linksys online account and use it for initial setup.
Performance:
Frankly, disappointing. I use a high-end Linksys WRT-series router for WiFi normally; the Velop provided no improvement in coverage in my house and resulted in a *degradation of performance*. Yes, you read that correctly. My WiFi throughput results were *lower* with the Velop than a single WiFi router. This does not mean the Velop is a failure necessarily, but it means that you need to have a fairly large area you're trying to cover to justify the purchase of the Velop over a high-end, well-placed single router. Worse, while my normal WRT-series router can handle *four* simultaneous Netflix streams, the Velop can't even keep *two* Netflix streams going smoothly.
Frankly, disappointing. I use a high-end Linksys WRT-series router for WiFi normally; the Velop provided no improvement in coverage in my house and resulted in a *degradation of performance*. Yes, you read that correctly. My WiFi throughput results were *lower* with the Velop than a single WiFi router. This does not mean the Velop is a failure necessarily, but it means that you need to have a fairly large area you're trying to cover to justify the purchase of the Velop over a high-end, well-placed single router. Worse, while my normal WRT-series router can handle *four* simultaneous Netflix streams, the Velop can't even keep *two* Netflix streams going smoothly.
Technical Analysis:
The Velop raises at great many questions. While using a wired backhaul is discussed in some of the reviews I've read, there are no instructions or indications in any of the documentation provided with the router that this can be done, or how to do it. There are no instructions or indications of how to integrate wired devices with the Velop's network - in my case, I have about a dozen wired devices (game consoles, desktop computers, etc.) that I had no way to connect. There's no indication of being able to switch the Velop into "access point" mode, where they integrate with an existing wired network; the Velop always seems to NAT and run its own DHCP server, etc. so any wireless devices will be on a different subnet from your wired network. (This may be part of the problem with performance, but there are almost no tweakable settings on the Velop to turn this off.) There's no way to deactivate the 2.4GHz network - my house is in a very congested area in 2.4GHz and I'd prefer not to use it at all; if it's available devices will occasionally "wander" onto 2.4GHz and then suffer atrocious performance.
The Velop raises at great many questions. While using a wired backhaul is discussed in some of the reviews I've read, there are no instructions or indications in any of the documentation provided with the router that this can be done, or how to do it. There are no instructions or indications of how to integrate wired devices with the Velop's network - in my case, I have about a dozen wired devices (game consoles, desktop computers, etc.) that I had no way to connect. There's no indication of being able to switch the Velop into "access point" mode, where they integrate with an existing wired network; the Velop always seems to NAT and run its own DHCP server, etc. so any wireless devices will be on a different subnet from your wired network. (This may be part of the problem with performance, but there are almost no tweakable settings on the Velop to turn this off.) There's no way to deactivate the 2.4GHz network - my house is in a very congested area in 2.4GHz and I'd prefer not to use it at all; if it's available devices will occasionally "wander" onto 2.4GHz and then suffer atrocious performance.
Other concerns:
Finally, my biggest concern is with using the Linksys app + mandatory use of an online service for configuration. First of all, what happens when Linksys decides that it no longer "supports" the Velop - in two, three, five years? That's right, there will be no way to configure your fancy mesh network access points, because they've taken the online service down. (In fact, it's unclear whether the Velop will even *work* if the Linksys online service is unavailable.) What happens if Linksys gets hacked? Now someone will be able to download new firmware or settings to your Velop without your knowledge...firmware that could spy on you, or turn your Velop into a distributed denial-of-service device for criminals.
Finally, my biggest concern is with using the Linksys app + mandatory use of an online service for configuration. First of all, what happens when Linksys decides that it no longer "supports" the Velop - in two, three, five years? That's right, there will be no way to configure your fancy mesh network access points, because they've taken the online service down. (In fact, it's unclear whether the Velop will even *work* if the Linksys online service is unavailable.) What happens if Linksys gets hacked? Now someone will be able to download new firmware or settings to your Velop without your knowledge...firmware that could spy on you, or turn your Velop into a distributed denial-of-service device for criminals.
My Best Buy number: 2011053853
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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Connect your external wireless devices to the internet with this Linksys dual-band router. Two 5Ghz bands support both high-end gaming and low-end applications without compromising speed, and remote management lets you make adjustments from any location. This Linksys dual-band router has a sleek design that integrates easily into most workspaces.
Customer Rating
4
Best coverage so far from a single access point
on January 5, 2017
Posted by: wrbluepearl
BLUF: Best 5GHz performance I've seen yet in terms of range and consistency of connection.
I've used many wireless routers/access points over the years, with varying levels of success. I live in an old house in an old neighborhood, which presents a challenging environment for wireless systems. The old house has lath and plaster walls, which causes significant problems with coverage - the walls just eat the 5GHz signals. And because the neighborhood is old, homes are close together - I can see about a dozen wireless networks from my kitchen, for example - meaning there's a *ton* of interference in the 2.4GHz band, rendering it almost useless. The only real solution I've found has been to use a mesh setup or place multiple 5GHz access points to address the signal coverage and interference problems.
With that said, the Linksys WRT3200ACM has come the closest of any router or access point I've tried so far to being able to provide full-house coverage in the 5GHz band. I have Time Warner's 50Mbps internet service (fastest available at the moment) and was able to achieve speed test results of 40Mbps or better everywhere in the house with this router on the 5GHz band. Other routers I've tried cannot even get enough 5GHz signal to the far corners of the house to connect, let alone push 40Mbps. I also noticed that the throughput performance improved over the duration of the speed testing in each location, indicating that the MU-MIMO beam-steering technology in this router does actually work as advertised. During tests with multiple Netflix streams, this router did not break a sweat and was able to feed four HD streams to separate iPads simultaneously.
Like most routers sold today, it comes with a fairly-secure WiFi password and somewhat-unique SSID set, so you can safely pull it out of the box, plug it in and use it. A wonderful change from the old days of every router having an SSID of "Linksys" with no password.
My only big complaint with this router is that Linksys seems to want to push you into using their "cloud-based" management service, rather than adjusting the settings locally - I have security concerns about exposing settings to the internet-facing side of any computing device. However, the remote management can be disabled and all settings can be adjusted from a web interface.
With that said, the Linksys WRT3200ACM has come the closest of any router or access point I've tried so far to being able to provide full-house coverage in the 5GHz band. I have Time Warner's 50Mbps internet service (fastest available at the moment) and was able to achieve speed test results of 40Mbps or better everywhere in the house with this router on the 5GHz band. Other routers I've tried cannot even get enough 5GHz signal to the far corners of the house to connect, let alone push 40Mbps. I also noticed that the throughput performance improved over the duration of the speed testing in each location, indicating that the MU-MIMO beam-steering technology in this router does actually work as advertised. During tests with multiple Netflix streams, this router did not break a sweat and was able to feed four HD streams to separate iPads simultaneously.
Like most routers sold today, it comes with a fairly-secure WiFi password and somewhat-unique SSID set, so you can safely pull it out of the box, plug it in and use it. A wonderful change from the old days of every router having an SSID of "Linksys" with no password.
My only big complaint with this router is that Linksys seems to want to push you into using their "cloud-based" management service, rather than adjusting the settings locally - I have security concerns about exposing settings to the internet-facing side of any computing device. However, the remote management can be disabled and all settings can be adjusted from a web interface.
My Best Buy number: 2011053853
I would recommend this to a friend!
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The Shark Genius Steam Pocket Mop System is our most advanced floor cleaning system ever. Featuring both a Steam Mop and a Spray Pocket mop, the Genius system is the right solution for all your cleaning needs. Harness the power of steam to sanitize 99.9% of household bacteria*. (Sanitization studies were conducted under controlled test conditions. Household conditions and results may vary.)
Customer Rating
4
Great for hardwood floors
on January 5, 2017
Posted by: wrbluepearl
Very useful for quickly cleaning our hardwood floors. It did a particularly good job in our kitchen, where it successfully cleaned up dried-on food, cooking grease, and other unpleasant things. Worked well with our oak hardwood and Cali Bamboo (bamboo-based manufactured wood product) floors throughout the house. The steam cleaner does leave a small amount of moisture on the floor, but it evaporates quickly and doesn't soak the wood. Much more convenient than using Murphy's Oil Soap and a mop bucket, down on your hands and knees!
My Best Buy number: 2011053853
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Orbi Whole Home WiFi System delivers up to 3.0Gbps high-performance WiFi. Sleek, modern design with high-gain internal antennas for up to 5,000 square feet of coverage. FastLane3 Technology creates a dedicated Tri-Band WiFi for seamless 4K streaming and gaming everywhere in your home. Keep a single WiFi name for uninterrupted connections as you move from room-to-room. Circle Smart Parental Controls runs on Orbi Routers for a smart way for families to manage content and time online, on any connected device. Provide internet access to guests without sharing your personal network password. Orbi is ready right out of the box and compatible with your ISP. Just use the Orbi app to get started with better WiFi, everywhere in minutes.
Customer Rating
4
Missing guest network - otherwise, very good
on October 10, 2016
Posted by: wrbluepearl
Summary: Once you get the firmware updated, the Orbi works as advertised, providing excellent WIFi speed and coverage.
As WiFi has gone from a "nice to have" to a necessity, WiFi performance has become more and more critical. Fortunately, newer WiFi standards have proven to be faster, more robust, and more secure, untethering us all from our desks. A big headache for those with larger houses, or multi-level houses, has been WiFi coverage. Even with the latest 802.11ac routers, it's tough to provide clean, fast WiFi to three floors, or cover a large home or business. Range extenders have been one of the solutions to this problem in the past, but the extender itself consumes the base station's bandwidth, resulting in degraded performance for devices accessing the extender. (Basically, if you have a 100mbps router, the range extender will only be able to provide 50mbps to any clients that are connected to it, because it has to use half of its own connection speed to talk to the base station. The reality is actually even worse than that, since the range extension process isn't 100% efficient.)
Enter the Netgear Orbi. Netgear adds a third radio to its base station and extender, allowing the creation of a full-bandwidth connection between them. So in the previous example, your 100mbps base station now has a separate 100mbps connection to the range extender that nothing else uses, allowing the extender to provide a 100mbps connection to the devices associated with it. Despite my doubts (I would have preferred a wired connection, at least as an option) this actually works very well.
I have the 50/5mbps Time Warner Roadrunner option, the fastest speed available in my area. (I actually get about 62mbps down and 6mbps up.) With the Orbi setup, I was able to get the full speed of my internet connection everywhere in my house, period.
The Orbi consists of two units - a base station and an extender. During initial setup, the extender establishes a connection with the base station; in my case, with the firmware that came with the devices, this didn't seem to go smoothly. Strangely, the Orbi basestation could tell that the extender was there, and send a firmware update to it, but the extender didn't show up as being "connected" to the base. Fortunately, the firmware update that was available when I set up my Orbi resolved that problem.
The Orbi comes with a default SSID and password on a sticker on the base station. Setup is pretty automatic from there; when you first log into the base station from a web browser, it will have you set a new password for the web interface, and allow you to change the SSID and WiFI password. Note that the 2.4GHz and 5GHz radios will always use the same SSID/password combination.
Another nice feature of the Orbi is that it supports both "router" and "access point" configurations, so if you have an existing router that you want to continue using for whatever reason (I use an old desktop running pfsense, for example) the Orbi will seamlessly integrate with your existing wired network.
Complaints are few and minor. It would be nice if it supported a wired option for the connection between the base station and the extender, as that would allow greater spacing between the two units (they use 5GHz for the extender-to-base connection, which is known to have range issues in some houses). It would also be nice to support a guest network with a separate SSID, so you don't have to give your super-secure super-secret password to your kids' friends when they want to get their iPod Touches online. (Netgear has said that a guest network feature will be coming in a future revision of the Orbi product.) Finally, I noticed that when you move from one floor to another, you may have to re-pair your device with the WiFi network to switch from the base station to the extender (or vice-versa) to get the best signal strength. While this is mostly an artifact of how WiFi devices handle associations, there are things that Netgear could do (like automatically de-pairing clients whose signals drop below a threshold) to improve the handoff between base and extender.
My Best Buy number: 2011053853
I would recommend this to a friend!
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wrbluepearl's Answers
The Shark Genius Steam Pocket Mop System is our most advanced floor cleaning system ever. Featuring both a Steam Mop and a Spray Pocket mop, the Genius system is the right solution for all your cleaning needs. Harness the power of steam to sanitize 99.9% of household bacteria*. (Sanitization studies were conducted under controlled test conditions. Household conditions and results may vary.)
What is the water tank capacity?
It appears to be about 16oz. It's enough to clean about 800 square feet during our use.
7 years, 3 months ago
by
wrbluepearl
The Shark Genius Steam Pocket Mop System is our most advanced floor cleaning system ever. Featuring both a Steam Mop and a Spray Pocket mop, the Genius system is the right solution for all your cleaning needs. Harness the power of steam to sanitize 99.9% of household bacteria*. (Sanitization studies were conducted under controlled test conditions. Household conditions and results may vary.)
Is this for upholstery cleaning. Have shark lift away vacume.love it !
No, this is for cleaning hard-surface floors (hardwood, tile, linoleum). It has no vacuum functionality.
7 years, 3 months ago
by
wrbluepearl
Orbi Whole Home WiFi System delivers up to 3.0Gbps high-performance WiFi. Sleek, modern design with high-gain internal antennas for up to 5,000 square feet of coverage. FastLane3 Technology creates a dedicated Tri-Band WiFi for seamless 4K streaming and gaming everywhere in your home. Keep a single WiFi name for uninterrupted connections as you move from room-to-room. Circle Smart Parental Controls runs on Orbi Routers for a smart way for families to manage content and time online, on any connected device. Provide internet access to guests without sharing your personal network password. Orbi is ready right out of the box and compatible with your ISP. Just use the Orbi app to get started with better WiFi, everywhere in minutes.
I have a house built in 1930 and it is 1000 sq. ft. up and 1000 sq. ft. basement. I have 2 wifi extenders because of the solid brick and plaster walls to pick up better signal in dead areas. I currently have a Netgear 55 router. Would this work better?
This may work better, simply because the Orbi uses a separate radio for communication between the router and the extenders, instead of having to use the same radio to talk to phones/tablets/laptops and to the extender. My house is 150yrs old and has plaster walls, and the Orbi has no trouble getting signal from the base unit to the extender.
7 years, 6 months ago
by
wrbluepearl
Orbi Whole Home WiFi System delivers up to 3.0Gbps high-performance WiFi. Sleek, modern design with high-gain internal antennas for up to 5,000 square feet of coverage. FastLane3 Technology creates a dedicated Tri-Band WiFi for seamless 4K streaming and gaming everywhere in your home. Keep a single WiFi name for uninterrupted connections as you move from room-to-room. Circle Smart Parental Controls runs on Orbi Routers for a smart way for families to manage content and time online, on any connected device. Provide internet access to guests without sharing your personal network password. Orbi is ready right out of the box and compatible with your ISP. Just use the Orbi app to get started with better WiFi, everywhere in minutes.
I live somewhat in the country and most internet providers do not come out here to my house. Will Orbi be able to replace DSL?
The Orbi gives you wireless access to your existing Internet service - it would work with your DSL, not take its place.
7 years, 6 months ago
by
wrbluepearl
Orbi Whole Home WiFi System delivers up to 3.0Gbps high-performance WiFi. Sleek, modern design with high-gain internal antennas for up to 5,000 square feet of coverage. FastLane3 Technology creates a dedicated Tri-Band WiFi for seamless 4K streaming and gaming everywhere in your home. Keep a single WiFi name for uninterrupted connections as you move from room-to-room. Circle Smart Parental Controls runs on Orbi Routers for a smart way for families to manage content and time online, on any connected device. Provide internet access to guests without sharing your personal network password. Orbi is ready right out of the box and compatible with your ISP. Just use the Orbi app to get started with better WiFi, everywhere in minutes.
Why do I need to turn off the fios wireless radio? I want to use the orbi on floors 1 & 2 and use the fios wifi in the basement. I have 75/75 Mbps service and how much degradation will result from using orbi as an access point?
I suspect that Netgear recommends turning off the FIOS radio to reduce interference in the 2.4GHz band, due to the limited number of channels available for WiFi there. Based on my own experiences, I doubt you will see any degradation in performance with the Orbi - I'm typically seeing WiFI connection speeds north of 200mbps everywhere in my house, and the extender-to-base station channel is supposed to be good for 800mbps.
7 years, 6 months ago
by
wrbluepearl