grimmace's stats
- Review count142
- Helpfulness votes284
- First reviewSeptember 18, 2007
- Last reviewMay 6, 2024
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating4.7
- Review comment count1
- Helpfulness votes0
- First review commentJune 8, 2016
- Last review commentJune 8, 2016
- Featured review comments0
Questions
- Question count0
- Helpfulness votes0
- First questionNone
- Last questionNone
- Featured questions0
- Answer count16
- Helpfulness votes16
- First answerMarch 3, 2010
- Last answerJanuary 12, 2022
- Featured answers0
- Best answers1
Perfect portability is assured with this Dell XPS two-in-one laptop. All the data is stored on a 256GB solid-state drive for everyday security, and the 13.3-inch screen produces high-quality images and text for easy use. An Intel Core i7 processor and 16GB of RAM keep this Dell XPS two-in-one laptop running smoothly.
Customer Rating
4
Good solid 2 in 1
on April 6, 2017
Posted by: grimmace
from MD
Overall, a very good 2 in 1. It's not a detachable type, it flips over to be used in a tent setup, or folded completely over to be used as a tablet. It is small for its screen size, light weight and the bezel around the screen is really thin compared to other recent laptop type devices.
The processor handles loads decently for a laptop. Web browsers and light programs come up fine. The 16GB of RAM offers enough for programs and to be shared for display with no problems. It's silent, no fan, and never got too hot. Tried some low-level graphics game and they worked fine. The CPU has a low default state, but can jump in response to loads quickly.
The processor handles loads decently for a laptop. Web browsers and light programs come up fine. The 16GB of RAM offers enough for programs and to be shared for display with no problems. It's silent, no fan, and never got too hot. Tried some low-level graphics game and they worked fine. The CPU has a low default state, but can jump in response to loads quickly.
It took about an hour to update everything (updates to BIOS, all the drivers etc), remove unwanted programs, and install what I wanted. Best of all, basically no bloatware. The Office 1 year trail was it. Around 30GB was all that was used by the system and default programs after I cleaned it up. The Dell update program did not get in the way, popup or interfere, and it has some nice functions to help you keep the device updated. The BIOS is pretty robust with lots of options compared to some other laptops I've seen.
The keyboard has a nice feel to it, and is not cramped. The backlit keys are nice. Not to bright, it does well in the dark. I also tried it with the Dell Active Pen and C-Dock. The Pen was recognized and works fine. The Dock added ports, and GB Ethernet. It connects by the Thunderbolt slot, and worked great while charging the device. I also upgraded the machine to Pro, with no problems. Sound is pretty standard for a laptop, stereo speakers. The camera took good pictures for video chatting. I put in a 128GB Micro SD card for extra storage and it was recognized with no issues.
The screen is nice. The thin bezel lets it go almost from edge to edge. It's just 1080p, but it looks great. Touch is responsive and always registered my touch correctly in laptop or tablet mode.
The internal Wi-Fi had no problems connecting to my network. I have an AC router and I got full speed. Through the Dell C dock, the GB Ethernet worked fine too.
The hinges are my biggest worry with repeated flipping, but they seem solid. Overall is looks nice and sleek, not very thick at all. The silver and black look nice together. Overall, it's a nice solid 2 in 1, but nothing really stands out on this version compared to others.
My Best Buy number: 2022178798
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Get your party underway with this water-resistant Sony XB20 Bluetooth speaker. It provides up to 12 hours of nonstop playback, and the single-colored line light ensures your music stands out at night. The EXTRA BASS mode of this portable Sony XB20 Bluetooth speaker enhances the impact of your tunes at dance parties.
Customer Rating
5
Good small portable speaker
on March 25, 2017
Posted by: grimmace
from MD
This is a good small speaker. It easily connected to my phone. I tried BT and NFC connections and they worked with no problems. The speaker isn't heavy, has a nice a shape, and is easy to carry around. I tried it first using it as an output from my phone. Everything sounded good.
I tried it with the Sony Music Center app and got some more options. The app lets you easily change the settings and pair up multiple units. The lights around the speaker grill can be fun, but if you don't want them on, it's easy to change to off or other patterns. The app also saw my music apps, like Pandora and music on the phone. So, you can run the music selection directly from the app. Almost all of the settings can be done on the unit itself, but the app really makes it easy, and adds some more options,
Sound was crisp and sounded good for smaller speakers. Once you get the sound volume up, you can tell the difference the Extra Bass makes. It is noticeable and sounds nice, but again given the size of the speakers it's not going to be earth shattering. I used it doing some work outside, dropped it twice, and got some mist and dirt on it. No problems for the unit.
It also has a line in which is nice and protected by a rubber cover along with the reset and charging port. Using it for a phone call or controlling play selection was easy. Charge time isn't bad to get 12 hours of play using a 1.5amp charger. Overall for a small unit, it sounds nice and is protected from minor incidents that may occur. Should be great to take to outings, as it provides more and better sound than a phone or tablet could. Wish I could try multiple units at once.
My Best Buy number: 2022178798
I would recommend this to a friend!
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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.
Customer Rating
4
Good system for beginners
on January 11, 2017
Posted by: grimmace
from MD
Pluses:
- Packaging and box are great
- Looks nice
- Setup is pretty easy
- Great coverage
- Full wireless speed with an all wireless setup
- 2.4 and 5GHz bands can share the same SSID
- Linksys Tech support was really good.
- Automatically identified Wemo products
- Can have firmware updates
- Packaging and box are great
- Looks nice
- Setup is pretty easy
- Great coverage
- Full wireless speed with an all wireless setup
- 2.4 and 5GHz bands can share the same SSID
- Linksys Tech support was really good.
- Automatically identified Wemo products
- Can have firmware updates
Minuses:
- Have to have the Linksys app on phone or tablet to setup and update
- All access is through a phone or tablet, cannot make changes through the Linksys website for setup.
- Linksys app can be pretty slow sometimes
- Tries to do everything for you. Manual setups can be harder to do.
- Can't hid the SSID, I couldn't find the option anywhere.
- If you already have a wireless router there are cheaper ways to expand your wireless coverage
- Cost
- Providing information to Linksys to setup. Linksys grabs your SSID, it becomes visible when you log into the Linksys website when you log in. Also, needed location turned on phone to setup. But, that's part of Cloud applications.
- Have to have the Linksys app on phone or tablet to setup and update
- All access is through a phone or tablet, cannot make changes through the Linksys website for setup.
- Linksys app can be pretty slow sometimes
- Tries to do everything for you. Manual setups can be harder to do.
- Can't hid the SSID, I couldn't find the option anywhere.
- If you already have a wireless router there are cheaper ways to expand your wireless coverage
- Cost
- Providing information to Linksys to setup. Linksys grabs your SSID, it becomes visible when you log into the Linksys website when you log in. Also, needed location turned on phone to setup. But, that's part of Cloud applications.
Review
Overall, it's a nice package, and does what it says. For beginners/low tech people, it should be easy to setup. I plugged in all 3 and then did the setup. It found each one, setup separately, even though they were all on different floors. The speed was good anywhere I tried to connect, roaming between units was not a problem. Most people are going to have a wireless modem/router from their ISP, so this becomes an expense way to spread coverage. But, if you need to have max wifi speed, it’s better than a wireless extender/repeater. I have an extender, but it’s connect by Ethernet, so I don’t lose any throughput to my wireless devices connected to it. I never had a problem roaming with my router and extender, but I manually set the channels to ensure this. The Velop takes care of that automatically for you. Even two units is expensive compared to buying an extender or using an old router as an Access Point. But, if you don’t have additional Ethernet connections this solves the problem. My network has a Server on it, and the unit kept trying to connect to my router. Finally figured it out and forced it to use my server DNS so my wireless devices could also see the server and access it. It handled 15 devices with no problems. Each unit has 2 Ethernet ports on them, so you can connect them directly and extend an Ethernet connection. I turned off my existing wireless system to test the Velop. If you have any problems with your wireless units connecting after setup, try cycling the Velop and disconnecting/reconnecting or power on/off your various devices.
Overall, it's a nice package, and does what it says. For beginners/low tech people, it should be easy to setup. I plugged in all 3 and then did the setup. It found each one, setup separately, even though they were all on different floors. The speed was good anywhere I tried to connect, roaming between units was not a problem. Most people are going to have a wireless modem/router from their ISP, so this becomes an expense way to spread coverage. But, if you need to have max wifi speed, it’s better than a wireless extender/repeater. I have an extender, but it’s connect by Ethernet, so I don’t lose any throughput to my wireless devices connected to it. I never had a problem roaming with my router and extender, but I manually set the channels to ensure this. The Velop takes care of that automatically for you. Even two units is expensive compared to buying an extender or using an old router as an Access Point. But, if you don’t have additional Ethernet connections this solves the problem. My network has a Server on it, and the unit kept trying to connect to my router. Finally figured it out and forced it to use my server DNS so my wireless devices could also see the server and access it. It handled 15 devices with no problems. Each unit has 2 Ethernet ports on them, so you can connect them directly and extend an Ethernet connection. I turned off my existing wireless system to test the Velop. If you have any problems with your wireless units connecting after setup, try cycling the Velop and disconnecting/reconnecting or power on/off your various devices.
If you have issues or limitations with hardwiring devices in your location, this can really shine and provide the wireless coverage you need at top speeds. If you can physically connect wireless devices there are cheaper options, or smaller packages of the Velop.
My Best Buy number: 2022178798
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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Make hands-free calls and listen to music with these Sony wireless in-ear sport headphones. The wireless design frees your range of motion, and the microphone makes conversations more convenient. Listen to music for over 8 hours on a single charge with these Sony wireless in-ear sport headphones, which are moisture-resistant for use during strenuous workouts.
Customer Rating
4
Good Wireless Headphones
on November 29, 2016
Posted by: grimmace
from MD
Overall, a good set of in-ear headphones. I had not use this style of in ear placement before. They were easy to insert and fit in the ear. The in-ear piece made a good seal, and blocked out a lot of ambient noise like a wired in ear set I have. They are lightweight and don't feel heavy when in place.
Setup is pretty easy. All of the functions and connections on the on the right ear bud. There is a small door to open for recharging. Battery life has been as advertised so far. I tired both Near Field and regular Bluetooth pairing. Both connection types worked fine from smartphones to computers. The volume and power switch are easy to locate and get used too. In the winter with gloves on I don't know if using the buttons will be easy. One feature that helped several times was the voice assist. It gives just enough clues to let you know what is going on through short messages.
Sound. Overall, good for a wireless device. When connected to my computer or a newer smartphone they sound great. The Bass was present as the model indicates. Mids seems a little muddled. The bass made more of a presence than my wired in ear headphones. But, the sound wasn't leaps and bounds better. You can only do so much with small drivers. I did try them with an older iTouch (3nd gen) and the sounds was not as good, everything was flat with the same songs and settings. But, everything newer (S7, tablet, and computer) sounded great.
I used with a leaf blower and lawn mower and the good fit blocks a lot of the outside noise. The volume control can control the loudness on the headphones themselves, or the volume on the transmitting device depending on the device abilities.
Overall, the set is lightweight and after 2 hours still felt good. They never popped out. The headphone connecting wire lays behind your neck, and you never feel it. Works great if you have to pop one out to talk to someone.
I tried using them for some phone calls, and although the reception was fine, the microphone was weak. In my ear, it picked up nothing. I had to hold the earplug in front of my mouth for it work.
Setup is pretty easy. All of the functions and connections on the on the right ear bud. There is a small door to open for recharging. Battery life has been as advertised so far. I tired both Near Field and regular Bluetooth pairing. Both connection types worked fine from smartphones to computers. The volume and power switch are easy to locate and get used too. In the winter with gloves on I don't know if using the buttons will be easy. One feature that helped several times was the voice assist. It gives just enough clues to let you know what is going on through short messages.
Sound. Overall, good for a wireless device. When connected to my computer or a newer smartphone they sound great. The Bass was present as the model indicates. Mids seems a little muddled. The bass made more of a presence than my wired in ear headphones. But, the sound wasn't leaps and bounds better. You can only do so much with small drivers. I did try them with an older iTouch (3nd gen) and the sounds was not as good, everything was flat with the same songs and settings. But, everything newer (S7, tablet, and computer) sounded great.
I used with a leaf blower and lawn mower and the good fit blocks a lot of the outside noise. The volume control can control the loudness on the headphones themselves, or the volume on the transmitting device depending on the device abilities.
Overall, the set is lightweight and after 2 hours still felt good. They never popped out. The headphone connecting wire lays behind your neck, and you never feel it. Works great if you have to pop one out to talk to someone.
I tried using them for some phone calls, and although the reception was fine, the microphone was weak. In my ear, it picked up nothing. I had to hold the earplug in front of my mouth for it work.
They seem good for the price offered. I wouldn't treat them to rough though, just plastic. They are supposed to be water resistant too. I moved around a lot wearing them and they stayed in place. So, for me, good for music and listening, I won't be making phone calls with them.
My Best Buy number: 2022178798
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Brew delicious coffee your way with this single-serve Ninja Coffee Bar system. It uses any ground coffee while bringing out the best flavor with advanced thermal flavor extraction technology. This versatile Ninja Coffee Bar system has a built-in frother that lets you brew, froth and drink out of one mug.
Customer Rating
5
Great Coffee Maker and More
on September 27, 2016
Posted by: grimmace
from MD
Tried it out with a few different types of coffee and the everyone said it was really good. The reusable filter is very convenient and easy to clean. So switching between what is brewed doesn't leave any tastes behind. Everything is attached. The scoop, frother etc, it's a compact unit with a lot of features. Operation is simple, fill with water, turn on, select cup size, and wait for the coffee to come. Overall it doesn't take up too much space on a crowded counter, but it is a full sized unit. It makes from cups to travel mugs, just add the right amount of grounds and you don't have to waste water or coffee on a full pot, or expensive cups.
Other uses! I am more of a tea drinker and this unit really came though. Putting loose tea in the brewer came out great. Also, put it on a more concentrated setting, put ice in your cup, and you can have good iced tea in a single size serving. If the unit has already been run, it's hot and great for hot water to add to powered mixes in a cup, hot chocolate, oatmeal etc. The versatility really expands it's uses.
My Best Buy number: 2022178798
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+10points
10of 10voted this as helpful.
Your household is busy streaming media, working online, and playing games every day. This Linksys Wi-Fi Router will expand your network coverage, send signals directly to your devices, and deliver a lag-free connection, even when you’re all online at the same time.
Customer Rating
3
Just average router for now
on May 25, 2016
Posted by: grimmace
from MD
This is a high end router from Linksys. Hooking it up was easy, and starting it was not a problem.
Positives-
8 ports – lots of ports to plug directly into the router.
Interface and setup are easy
Dual band worked fine
Multiple VPN ports can be designated
8 ports – lots of ports to plug directly into the router.
Interface and setup are easy
Dual band worked fine
Multiple VPN ports can be designated
Neutral-
The have icons to attach to your network devices. They have the Wemo series of products and some other generic icons, but not much else if it matters to people.
The have icons to attach to your network devices. They have the Wemo series of products and some other generic icons, but not much else if it matters to people.
Negative-
No aggregate ports
No bandwidth monitor (couldn’t find it in the regular Linksys screen location or any other pages)
Have to use an app to connect with mobile devices
Keeps trying to get you sign up for Linksys smart-fi
Requires adobe flash for the speed test. Flash is going away.
Wireless range was not as great as other similar range routers.
No aggregate ports
No bandwidth monitor (couldn’t find it in the regular Linksys screen location or any other pages)
Have to use an app to connect with mobile devices
Keeps trying to get you sign up for Linksys smart-fi
Requires adobe flash for the speed test. Flash is going away.
Wireless range was not as great as other similar range routers.
All of the comments are from the original firmware shipped with the router. The issue is, for a top end router with the matching price, it needs to have features others in the range do. Firmware upgrades should be able to fix many of these issues I think, but they should be there from the start. So, average overall since it has room to improve and should.
My Best Buy number: 2022178798
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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Enjoy a compact tablet that fits neatly in your pocket with this Acer Iconia One 8-inch tablet. It includes a quad-core processor and 1GB of RAM that deliver powerful processing to play all your games and apps, and the 16GB of flash memory ensure this Acer Iconia One 8-inch tablet and store your files.
Customer Rating
3
Decent entry budget tablet
on May 19, 2016
Posted by: grimmace
from MD
This Acer tablet is a good deal for the price. It's pretty solid over all. The screen is nice and crisp. The cameras aren't great by today's standards, but it's a budget tablet, it's expected. The pictures are okay, make sure you have good lighting. Battery life is decent, and charge time was low. I connected on 2.4 and 5.0 GHz frequencies with no problems and had good connections. Downloads where fast and web pages, full or mobile, loaded fine. It only has a mono speaker on the back, so sound is poor. Headphones work fine with it. 16GB or internal storage is decent. The micro SD clot lets you add more space if needed. The device can cast to other devices too. It responds decently and works well to touch. Watching video was good, but use headphones due to the single speaker.
Setup was the usual Google Android procedure. There is an option to load some addition Acer software, but you don’t have to take it. The additional software loaded has some nice features like a screen capture ability, but some bad ones too. One will automatically download apps it thinks you will like based on usage. The tablet does not have a restart option, just power off or it’s on. It feels light over all, and has a plastic body. Within a few hours of using the device I got a blue line down the right side of the screen that will not go away. So, it’ll need replacement. The 8” screen size is a nice in between size. It can fit in a big jacket coat if needed or a cargo pocket. Big enough to see things better, but not so big it’s unwieldy.
Overall, it’s a get what you pay for tablet. Decent specs and functions for an under $100 tablet with a 8” screen. So, there are trade offs. It’s nice for using around the house. The drawbacks don’t make it a standout device. It would be good for kids and has some kids programs preinstalled. It’s a middle of the road tablet.
My Best Buy number: 2022178798
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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Prevent dead zones around your home with the help of this Linksys Wi-Fi range extender. It works with all types of Wi-Fi routers, and it uses multi-user MIMO for speed and efficiency. This Linksys Wi-Fi range extender can be used to create a different access point or to extend the field of the router’s connection.
Customer Rating
5
Good repeater/extender/AP unit
on May 17, 2016
Posted by: grimmace
from MD
The Linksys MaxStream RE7000-AC1900 turned out to be a good repeater, doing everything it was designed to do. I had some issues when I first set it up, but they turned out to be related to a router with a weaker wi-fi signal. Trying with a higher performing router fixed my issues. The repeater is simple to setup, you plug it in, and after it boots up, you can use the WPS button to connect to a 2.4 signal, and hit it again to connect to a 5.0 signal too. The setup worked fine on both frequencies. I had devices connect to both frequencies from the repeater.
As a repeater, the device worked fine. I placed it as far from the router as I could. It received both 2.4 and 5.0 signals and rebroadcast a stronger signal with no problems. The throughput on the device was fine. You get less since the device has to communicate to your phone, for instance, and the router at the same time. The default SSID the unit sets up your router SSID with “_ext” at the end. All my wireless devices found and connected to the unit without a problem.
Next I tried it as an Access Point (AP). I connected the Ethernet port on the device to my network by ethernet cable. I also accessed the device directly by IP address. The unit has some nice features built in. You can change the SSIDs, IP address, what radios are on, and it has a signal gauge telling you if you are too far or close to the router for best use among other options. As an AP it was a straight forward setup. The signal was strong and wireless throughput was like being connected directly to my router.
I changed the device to a static IP and then made it a repeater again. With the static IP and access to the device setup I was able to plug in the device all over my house and test locations using the built in signal gauge. Overall it worked better with the static IP setup. Without accessing the device through its webpage, the light on the outside of the unit just shows green for solid connection and orange with a weak signal. Once it would go to orange, I would have problems obtain IP address and low throughput as expected. The range on the unit was good. I was 2 floors above and at the end of the house and still had a medium connection according the signal gauge.
I also tried the unit as an extender. Using the Ethernet port to connect a laptop, the repeater was plugged into the wall, and I was able to connect to the internet with no problems.
Other setup issues to consider are the way you setup your router antennas and whether the repeater is horizontal or vertical. My router’s antennas are setup vertically and at 45 degree angles. I had no problems with horizontal or vertical placement of the repeater. The weaker router I tested with had vertical antennas setup and the unit did better in vertical positions.
Extending you network can be done multiple ways, Ethernet, Internet over powerline, and repeaters. For difficult places, repeaters have the benefit of not needed any preexisting wiring. But, as a repeater, you lose half your throughput, but it is a more flexible option. The RE7000-AC1900 worked as a repeater, AP, and extender with no issues. The built in webpage makes making changes easy. When I used the device with a Netgear R8500 I had no issues, and the unit could be used further away. When used with a Linksys EA9500 I had connection issues and the unit had to be closer to the router to work properly. If you have to go wireless, the RE700-AC1900 is a good product. I believe the MU-MIMO connection worked between the repeater and routers, but I have no MU-MIMO devices to fully test this capability.
My Best Buy number: 2022178798
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Your household wants to play, stream and work online all at once. With this Linksys router, you can do it all without buffering or other interruptions. Use the Smart Wi-Fi app to get started, control, and monitor your home network from anywhere.
Customer Rating
4
Good Intermediate Level Router
on February 16, 2016
Posted by: grimmace
from MD
I had not used a Linksys router in a while and was interested to see how they had come along. I currently have a AC5300 router from a different manufacturer and will not compare the two. The Linksys is a router for a medium sized home, the other is for a large home and has more options.
Setting up- It's a router, I've done tons of them. The three antennas connected with no problems. I set the middle one straight up and the outer ones at 45 degree angles per the instructions. My network has static IP's as much as possible, so usually when I install the new router, I connect to it, change its base IP address and everything connects again. The router was connected behind a FIOS router (due to the type of connection from FIOS). The starting IP 192.168.1.1 was the same as the FIOS router. So, the router would not connect due to the IP address conflict, as expected. I disconnect the FIOS router and proceeded to setup the Linksys router.
However, the Linksys router would not allow access even after power offs and resets. Finally, I tried to connect over the wireless network. Nothing worked to connect to the wireless network, I couldn’t even find the network. I checked the router for any issues and noticed the default wireless settings given on the quick start card were different than the ones on the router. Using the settings from under the router I was able to connect to the router and bring up the starting page. That was a waste of time. Not sure how the included setup card that had the wrong information on it.
Without being connected to the interest, the automatic setup process would not work. I reset the router and went to use manual settings (what I planned to do eventually anyways). Once I accessed the router wirelessly, I could then access it through my wired computers.
Without being connected to the interest, the automatic setup process would not work. I reset the router and went to use manual settings (what I planned to do eventually anyways). Once I accessed the router wirelessly, I could then access it through my wired computers.
Using the setup on the router was straight forwarded and laid out in a nice way. All of the settings were easy to find and change as needed. I changed the router to my custom network settings and all of my devices started connecting to the network, wired and wireless.
I am in a 2 story house with a basement. The router is in the basement as that is where the FIOS comes into the house. The router was able to service the basement and first floor okay. The top floor had issues. My wireless devices could not connect from the top floor. As it says it is for medium houses this is an expected result. It covers the area it says I would expect on both 2.4 And 5.0 frequencies. If the router was on my main floor it would probably cover the whole house.
The network diagram worked fine and showed all of the connected devices. I have upgraded my computers to Windows 10, and have dropped flash. The network speed tester built into the router said it required flash, so I could not test it. The rest of the GUI for the router worked fine. I was able to change names, network settings, and passwords with no problems. Port forwarding, guest networks, and the typical router settings are all there. I downloaded the Linksys app on my smart phone, but it said I needed a Linksys account. Apparently it cannot connect to the router directly, but has to go through Linksys. I do not see why, and do not want getting my router information to go through an unneeded site and process, so I didn’t use it. Although this allows access to the router from anywhere on the internet, other companies allow you to at least access your router directly without logging into another system when you are at home connected to the router through an app. This is through an app, of course you can always connect directly by the router IP address.
I tested my other network devices, and had no real problems. Remotes, internet streaming devices, etc all worked fine. I setup Prioritization for a few machines and they did get priority. I had some starting pains, but it all work eventually. I contacted Linksys support and they were helpful in trying to resolve the situation. One issue was only being able to access the router through linksyssmartwifi.com in my browser at first, since trying 192.168.1.1 didn’t work until after I accessed it wirelessly and set it up. The instructions said 192.168.1.1 should work by default.
Overall, it seems like a good router for its purpose. Medium size dwellings. The 2.4 and 5.0 frequencies both worked fine and at the same time. Throughput was good on multiple wireless devices. It has the original firmware, and no updates were available at this time. I would expect improvements with new firmware. The misprinted quick start card with the wrong wireless information on it caused some delays. The router is built to be setup and used completely wirelessly if you need to do that. I didn’t have any MU-MIMO devices to check the higher speed claims.
Overall a solid product, that does what it says it should do.
My Best Buy number: 2022178798
What's great about it: GUI interface
What's not so great: Some startup hiccups
I would recommend this to a friend!
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5of 7voted this as helpful.
BISSELL SmartClean Robot Vacuum: Easily rid your floors of dirt and debris with this vacuum that uses Opticlean optical sensors and a Triple-Action Cleaning System to tackle your floors. Invisible Wall technology lets you target specific areas.
Customer Rating
4
Decent robo-vacuum
on November 29, 2015
Posted by: grimmace
from MD
Overall it's a decent unit. I have never owned a robot-vacuum before and it has it's place. I can only compare it to a bagless upright I have.
The good: It's small, gets around on it's on quiet well, can recharge itself, gets under stairs and sofas, easy to use, good on carpet and hardwood, decent run time, sensors don't let it go down stairs, and it didn't scare the dog.
The bad: suction power (it's a small unit), location of brush cleaner, size of waste bin (again it's small unit), recommended space for charging (40in to one side, 12in to another and 79in in front, but I used a lot less space and it worked fine).
Due to the size of an of these types of units, it cannot be as powerful as an upright. But, after a good cleaning, if you ran this everyday it should keep things clean. It did well with dog hair, and cleaning overall. The side brushes tried to get everything to the main brush (it's not near the edges of the unit) when running along the walls, or anywhere else. It worked most of the time, but sometimes the outer brushes just moved the dirt somewhere else.
If you have stairs, this won't work, so you need another vacuum anyways. It's compact and light, so carrying it between floors wasn't a big deal. But, on different floor if the battery runs out, you're lugging it up and down until the jobs done. The waste bin isn't big, so you may have to track down the unit and replace it in a cycle, but it's not hard to do.
The charging station has a clock so you send out the unit at pre-programmed times. It's not hard to use. Unit goes out and does it's job. Never had a problem with the unit finding the base station to recharge itself. The invisible wall to keep the unit in a certain area worked fine too.
For what it is, I think it's a good unit. However, in a multi-story house is loses some appeal. To keep things clean on a daily basis, it's decent as long as it's done everyday. Then the waste bin doesn't fill up to quickly. It you get behind, the bin will fill up quickly and you'll have to check on the unit to empty it during runs. I think if I was in an apartment or a ranch style house this could be a main vacuum cleaner running it everyday for floors. If you have drapes, stairs, high items (getting dust off ceiling fans for instance) you are going to need an upright vacuum or something similar anyways. So, he vacuum is good overall, but all of these robo-vacuums have the same limitations in trying to be the main vacuum for a home.
My Best Buy number: 2022178798
What's great about it: Small, cleans decently, gets under beds and sofas
What's not so great: Cleaning power, small waste bin
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Quality
5
Features
4
Performance
4
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grimmace's Review Comments
Your household is busy streaming media, working online, and playing games every day. This Linksys Wi-Fi Router will expand your network coverage, send signals directly to your devices, and deliver a lag-free connection, even when you’re all online at the same time.
Overall3 out of 5
3 out of 5Just average router for now
By grimmace
from MD
This is a high end router from Linksys. Hooking it up was easy, and starting it was not a problem.
Positives-
8 ports – lots of ports to plug directly into the router.
Interface and setup are easy
Dual band worked fine
Multiple VPN ports can be designated
8 ports – lots of ports to plug directly into the router.
Interface and setup are easy
Dual band worked fine
Multiple VPN ports can be designated
Neutral-
The have icons to attach to your network devices. They have the Wemo series of products and some other generic icons, but not much else if it matters to people.
The have icons to attach to your network devices. They have the Wemo series of products and some other generic icons, but not much else if it matters to people.
Negative-
No aggregate ports
No bandwidth monitor (couldn’t find it in the regular Linksys screen location or any other pages)
Have to use an app to connect with mobile devices
Keeps trying to get you sign up for Linksys smart-fi
Requires adobe flash for the speed test. Flash is going away.
Wireless range was not as great as other similar range routers.
No aggregate ports
No bandwidth monitor (couldn’t find it in the regular Linksys screen location or any other pages)
Have to use an app to connect with mobile devices
Keeps trying to get you sign up for Linksys smart-fi
Requires adobe flash for the speed test. Flash is going away.
Wireless range was not as great as other similar range routers.
All of the comments are from the original firmware shipped with the router. The issue is, for a top end router with the matching price, it needs to have features others in the range do. Firmware upgrades should be able to fix many of these issues I think, but they should be there from the start. So, average overall since it has room to improve and should.
grimmace
Baltimore, MD
Range update.
June 8, 2016
I did play with the position of the antennas, The link you provided has very basic information. I tried the antennas at all angles, mostly 45 and 90. The range was still not as great as other routers in this price range.
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grimmace's Questions
grimmace has not submitted any questions.
Unleash the power of the Samsung 980 PRO with Heatsink for next-level computing. With a PCIe® 4.0 NVMe™ interface, get up to 2x the data transfer rate of PCIe® 3.0¹ while remaining compatible with PCIe® 3.0. ¹Results are based on a comparison with Samsung PCIe® 3.0 NVMe SSDs and SATA SSDs.
Anyone know if the heatsink is easily removable in case I want to use it in a gaming laptop? I am not sure this will fit my laptop 2nd bay, Asus ROG m16 SSD slot. Thanks!
I tried to get it off. It has 5 small screws. I tried all of my small head. Philips, star, hex, etc, I couldn't anything that fit right to remove the screws. It's a big heat sink. If on a MB or laptop that has a heat sink built in to a cover it's not going to fit. If it doesn't have a heatsink cover built in it might fit, but measure or something first. It's a really big heat sink.
2 years, 4 months ago
by
grimmace
Introducing G303 Shroud Edition—the remaster of our iconic mouse. Featuring LIGHTSPEED, it delivers ultra-low latency and reliable performance. Helping Shroud and you take aim. With HERO 25K Sensor, Shroud’s G303 is built for precision and speed, without sacrificing energy. G303 Shroud Edition weighs 75 grams, made for low-sensitivity DPI and faster aiming. Designed in collaboration with Shroud, the new G303 perfectly matches his specs and includes our latest pro-grade technology.
Does this mouse have a battery included? Is the battery replaceable?
The mouse has in internal battery charged by a USB-C cable. You'd have to take the mouse apart to access it.
2 years, 5 months ago
by
grimmace
Explore a new world of personalized home theater audio. The SRS-NS7 Wireless Neckband Speaker uses Sony’s 360 Spatial Sound Personalizer technology to envelop you in the rich audio of your favorite shows and movies, while being unobtrusive to others in your home.
Do these have 3.5mm jack or do they only connect via bluetooth?
Coffeehouse Versatility meets Pod Convenience with the Ninja DualBrew Pro Specialty Coffee System. Included 12-cup, double-walled thermal carafe is perfect for both hot and over-ice beverages, with an ergonomic handle and spout allow for easy control of pouring. Tackle grounds and pods with 9 grounds brew sizes from small cup to full carafe, and 4 pod brew sizes from 6 to 12 ounces. Brews a coffee pod faster than a leading Keurig coffee maker upon startup. With Thermal Flavor Extraction DUO technology, perfect flavor for grounds and pods is delivered with even saturation and precise temperature control for ultra-flavorful coffee. Separate from the coffee system is a dedicated hot water line. Using a separate line eliminates flavor contamination and delivers clean water. 2 temperature settings, hot and boil, allow you to make tea, hot cocoa, instant soups, and oatmeal. Brew a super-rich coffee concentrate that you can use to create delicious lattes, macchiatos, cappuccinos, and other coffeehouse-style drinks. Use the built-in, fold-away frother to transform hot or cold milk/milk-alternatives into silky-smooth froth in seconds. Top your Specialty brew with frothed milk for a coffeehouse-style drink. The frother is also removable for easy cleaning. Choose from one of four different brew styles; classic or rich for a traditional hot cup of coffee, over ice for an iced coffee that's never diluted, or specialty to make a cappuccino or latte. Clean function, dishwasher-safe parts, removable Ninja pod adaptor and frother allow you to easily deep clean your unit.
Must I use the pods for single cup?
No. Just put in the amount of grounds needed, and select a one cup server size. It will brew just that.
2 years, 6 months ago
by
grimmace
Forged to obliterate games, empower creativity and inspire envy from anyone who makes eye contact with it, the Triton 500 SE has all the tools to tackle any task in today’s performance-hungry world. Slim, stylish and infused with the latest 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7 processor and cutting-edge GeForce RTX™ 3060 laptop graphics, this awesome machine serves up what you demand in a cutting-edge PC. Fast, realistic and with AI-enhanced technology, it features a CPU that ensures epic streaming, photo editing and 3D rendering capabilities, while its powerful GPU revolutionizes the immersive gaming experience via high frame rates that drive incredible realism! Get smooth gameplay at refresh rates up to 165Hz on the 16" WQXGA IPS Display — while a 3-Zone RGB backlit keyboard and stellar audio round out a gaming experience that’s second to none
On the 2nd M.2 slot (for expansion), how do I access it? Where is it? Where is the schematic of the laptop? What type of driver do I need for the screws? Please confirm the primary M.2 contains the operating system and is rated at Gen 4 speeds.
Yo have to remove the motherboard and flip it over. The memory and 2nd M.2 slot are there.The M.2 slot has a screw in it already. Cover screws are hex and internal Philips. I found no schematics. The M.2 that comes with it is a OEM Samsung and has the OS on it. I added the 2nd M.2 and upped the memory to 32GB. See a better explanation on the process in the review I did for it.
2 years, 9 months ago
by
grimmace
Upgrade your home theater with this JBL BAR 9.1-channel soundbar system. The powerful 820W output offers an immersive movie and music experience, while Bluetooth, Airplay 2 and Chromecast connectivity lets you stream audio smoothly. This JBL BAR 9.1-channel soundbar system has detachable speakers with rechargeable batteries for flexible placement, and Dolby Atmos technology delivers quality surround sound.
I currently stream directly from my LG OLED. Is it possible to do this and still have the audio synced? If not how do I accomplish this without another box of some sorts?
From the manual.
Audio sync
With the audio sync function, you can synchronize audio and
video to make sure that no delay is heard from your video content.
1. On the remote control, press and hold for more than three
seconds and then, press +.
2. Within five seconds, press + or - on the remote control to
adjust the audio delay and match with video.
→ The audio sync timing is displayed.
NOTES:
− If no action is taken within five seconds, you will exit the audio sync
mode.
Audio sync
With the audio sync function, you can synchronize audio and
video to make sure that no delay is heard from your video content.
1. On the remote control, press and hold for more than three
seconds and then, press +.
2. Within five seconds, press + or - on the remote control to
adjust the audio delay and match with video.
→ The audio sync timing is displayed.
NOTES:
− If no action is taken within five seconds, you will exit the audio sync
mode.
3 years, 10 months ago
by
grimmace
Upgrade your home theater with this JBL BAR 9.1-channel soundbar system. The powerful 820W output offers an immersive movie and music experience, while Bluetooth, Airplay 2 and Chromecast connectivity lets you stream audio smoothly. This JBL BAR 9.1-channel soundbar system has detachable speakers with rechargeable batteries for flexible placement, and Dolby Atmos technology delivers quality surround sound.
I connected jbl 9.1 soundbar with my tv through hdmi arc and playing atoms content through Netflix but on soundbar it’s showing Dolby surround not atoms. How to get atoms ??
Your TV has to have an eARC HDMI port for Atmos or DTS:X formats to be passed. So, an HDMI 2.1 port. Without that you won't get Atmos from a TV. If you have a steaming device you can connect to the HDMI port on the soundbar, you'll get Atmos through it.
3 years, 10 months ago
by
grimmace
Warm and cook food with this 18-inch vinyl black Galanz retro countertop microwave oven. The power-level knob and five-item one-touch menu offer easy operation, while the defrost programs provide hassle-free reheating. This 0.7 cu. ft. Galanz retro countertop microwave oven has a classic design that brings a nostalgic flair to your kitchen, and the turntable enables even cooking.
None of your microwaves show a wattage. How are we supposed to know?
On the microwave page under specifications and electrical specifications, it says 700 watts and has a power consumption of 1100 watts.. Same as most .7 cu ft microwaves.
3 years, 11 months ago
by
grimmace
Upgrade your sound entertainment experience with this Yamaha sound bar. The robust construction ensures longevity even with rugged use, while built-in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi technologies provide convenient wireless connectivity. This Yamaha sound bar (winner of the 2020 CNET Editor’s Choice Award) has a compact design for easy placement, built-in Alexa technology for hands-free operation and four woofers for immersive sound reproduction.
Can the subwoofer be hard wired on the new YAS 209?
No, it's wireless, only connection is a power cable
4 years, 7 months ago
by
grimmace
Get peace and quiet anywhere with these Sony truly wireless noise-cancelling earbuds. An advanced HD noise-cancelling processor blocks distracting background noise so you can focus in noisy environments, and Bluetooth connectivity ensures easy use with smartphones and other devices. These Sony truly wireless noise-cancelling earbuds include a convenient charging case that offers up to 24 hours of use per charge.
Does the Sony 1000XM3 InEar have it's own volume control? I need to amplify my listening, while my wife listens to the normal TV volume. I have a pair of the Sony 1000XM# over the Ear Head Phones and of course they DO have volume control. Thanks.
No. Volume is controlled by the device outputting sound. There is no volume control on the earbuds.
4 years, 9 months ago
by
grimmace