FlyingC's stats
- Review count204
- Helpfulness votes297
- First reviewNovember 28, 2015
- Last reviewMay 4, 2024
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating4.6
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- Answer count15
- Helpfulness votes50
- First answerSeptember 20, 2016
- Last answerNovember 10, 2021
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Take your work and entertainment with you with this Acer Iconia One 10-inch tablet. The large screen is powered by 1GB of RAM and a quad-core 1.3 GHz processor for high efficiency, and 32GB of flash memory gives you plenty of file storage. The 5-megapixel rear camera lets you take photos using this Acer Iconia One 10-inch tablet anywhere.
Customer Rating
5
Excellent Tablet for the Money
on May 17, 2016
Posted by: FlyingC
from Stillwater, OK
I've seen some comments that the graphics on this tablet aren't as crisp as higher-end tablets, the case is plastic, and the speakers sound "tinny." This is generally true, but I think for the price these are perfectly acceptable limitations. I also have a top-of-the-line Samsung 10" tablet that sounds and looks fantastic. However, is it worth $500 more? I guess it depends on how you intend to use it.
One complaint I have is with the pre-installed System Doctor app that monitors flash storage and RAM usage. Unfortunately, it frequently pops up an alert saying "System memory low, click here to optimize." To me, it seems like Acer is shooting itself in the foot with this. Android, by design, always uses most of the memory available. Previously used apps stay in memory so when you switch back to them they're all loaded and ready to go. Yes, there can be badly behaving apps that eat up memory and it can help to close those. But for the most part, these alerts seem completely useless and just cause users to think their tablet is bad.
Here's a quick list of some of the specs: It has a 6100mAh battery which the manual says allows up to 10 hours of video playback; Screen resolution of 1280x800 pixels (not full-HD); OS is 5.1 (Lollipop) out of the box; it weighs 1.21 pounds; and has a microSD slot that can take up to a 128GB card.
Overall, for the price, I think this is an excellent tablet.
My Best Buy number: 2793338391
I would 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
Great MU-MIMO Wi-Fi Extender
on May 17, 2016
Posted by: FlyingC
from Stillwater, OK
This is a fairly simple to use Wi-Fi range extender from Linksys. There are other, cheaper models out there for extending Wi-Fi signals. However, this one is a little more expensive since it supports the new MU-MIMO technology with higher throughput for applications like media streaming.
Setup as either a wireless or wired extender was fairly simple. For wireless extension, the product literature mentions "Spot Finder Technology" to help you place the extender in the best location in your house. I wasn't sure if this was an app you installed on your phone or what, but it turns out it's just a feature of the extender's web interface once you connect to it. So, you end up taking a guess and plugging in the extender, waiting for it to boot, and then connecting to it with a web browser to view a graph to see if the extender is too close, too far away, or in the Goldilocks zone. The LED on the front will also display green (good signal) or amber (weak signal), but the web page gives you more granular detail.
If you want to extend your Wi-Fi to even further reaches of your house, you'll want to use the wired extender feature. In this case, you need a wired connection back to your home's router that you plug into the bottom of the extender, then you plug it into the wall power outlet. The extender then doesn't need to be within wireless range of your existing network.
Another decision you'll need to make is whether to use the same or different SSIDs than your existing router. There's a brief mention in the quick start guide about the "seamless roaming" feature, which I suspected involved using the same SSID names. The guide refers to the URL www.linksys.com/seamless-roaming for more information, but unfortunately that URL simply redirects to the main linksys.com page. I opened a case with customer support to get more information. They confirmed that you just need to use the same SSID name (and password, of course) on the extender as your main router. Then, if you have compatible hardware (they were still sort of vague about that and only confirmed my Linksys EA7500 would work) then you can take advantage of seamless roaming. I was able to set up my wired extender that way, and at least confirmed my phone would automatically switch between the main router or extender depending on the signal strength. I think this is much better than the extender's default of appending "_ext" to your existing SSID and then having to choose which one to use on your client.
Other than the broken URL for seamless roaming information, I would only mention a couple of small potential problems. When changing the extender settings, you're prompted to hit "save." It would display a "saving..." message for a very long time--long enough that I thought my browser was not working. It turns out, though, that most changes seem to require the extender to reboot which can take a minute or two. If I was patient, it always came back.
The other issue involved connecting to the extender's web interface. If you're connected to the SSID from the extender, you can go to extender.linksys.com. However, if you're on your main router's SSID then you need to connect to http://re-7000-xxx, where xxx is the last three digits of the extender's MAC address (visible on the back). There's a nice web page that walks you through getting to the re-7000-xxx link, but it didn't always work correctly for me. However, I could always type that link in manually (once I knew about it) and get to the extender configuration. If you're just setting it up once, and not messing with different settings like I was, then you're not likely to have any problems.
Overall, I'm happy with the extender. I like that it has internal antennas so it doesn't look so crazy on the wall (and also doesn't tempt the cats to play with antennas). The coverage range seemed about the same as other access points I tested, and as I mentioned before, set up was fairly easy.
My Best Buy number: 2793338391
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 Entry-level Dual-band MU-MIMO Router
on February 8, 2016
Posted by: FlyingC
from Stillwater, OK
This EA7500 "Max-Stream AC1900 MU-MIMO Gigabit Router" just started shipping from Linksys in February 2016. I'm using it to replace a 5-year-old Linksys EA3200 which was performing well for me, but missing a few newer features that I'd like to have in my network. I'm a network engineer with 25+ years of experience working in the industry and I have to admit a lot of the terms and acronyms thrown around in the wireless area can be confusing. Trying to figure out Multi-User Multiple Input Multiple Output (MU-MIMO) vs. Single-User MIMO, beam forming, 802.11n, and 802.11ac wave 2 can be very frustrating when you JUST want all the devices on your network to connect and do what they're supposed to do.
I think the bottom line is if you have a growing number of wireless devices in your house and multiple ones streaming video, it's probably worth a little more money to get the newest router with MU-MIMO. Even if you don't have the newest devices yet to take advantage of it, it's likely you will in the next few years.
Setting up the EA7500 was a breeze. I went with the automatic setup and everything went smoothly. You'll want to create a Linksys account when prompted so you can manage it via "the cloud." This was one of the features that most interested me in upgrading. Having the Smart Wi-Fi app on my phone where I can enable/disable guest access, configure a new port forward, or easily see what's connected on my network are features I missed on my older router. There's also the ability to prioritize some devices of your choosing with "media prioritization" though I've not found a lot of details about what exactly that does. I've put my Roku, Fire Stick, and PC media server in that group but have not noticed any difference in performance.
Other improvements with this model are two USB ports (one each of 2.0 and 3.0) so you can add a USB device for shared network storage and also a shared network printer. I'm using a simple 16GB flash drive and access to the drive is super easy from my Windows machines. I've not set up a printer yet.
One minor issue I encountered during the installation and setup was finding the recommended orientation for the three antennas. Most of the pictures showed them all straight up, but it wasn't until I went to the full Linksys support page that I found that's only the recommended position for a single-story home. For multi-story homes, it recommends the center one straight up and the other two angled outwards 30-45 degrees. However, no documentation I found mentioned anything about wall mounting the router which is how I'm using it. There are holes on the bottom designed for doing that, so it would have been nice to have a recommendation for the antenna positions in that case.
One disappointment for me, though, was in the management capability. While I like the Smart Wi-Fi interface, particularly the map it creates for you of your home network devices (picture attached), it lacked one of the more obvious features I was hoping to get. Most useful to me is being able to see which devices are using the network in real time. I live in a rural setting and have pretty limited bandwidth by city standards (3 Mbps up/down). The most common problem is having the link fill up and become slow when I'm trying to stream a TV show, for example. If I could open the app and see the top talkers on the network, then, at a glance, I could see who was filling up the link, stop it, and go on with my streaming show.
I have a Cisco/Meraki access point with cloud management and it has exactly that capability. It's possible Linksys could add this later as they send out automatic updates, and I've read rumors they plan to revamp their Smart Wi-Fi app later this year. Hopefully network utilization will be a feature they add.
Other than that, I'm quite pleased with the new router and feel like I should easily be able to get 5 years of use out of it just like my old router. Oh, and one added bonus is it runs a lot cooler than the old EA3200 model.
My Best Buy number: 2793338391
What's great about it: Easy Setup; Cloud Management
What's not so great: Missing display of device network utilization
I would recommend this to a friend!
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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
5
A great robot assistant
on November 28, 2015
Posted by: FlyingC
from Stillwater, OK
We live out in the country with three indoor cats and an indoor/outdoor black Lab, so I knew our house would challenge this vacuum. After charging it and picking up a few things on our tile floor utility room and kitchen, I turned it loose. It really did surprisingly well. It’s not going to replace a thorough, human-powered floor cleaning, but if you want an assistant to keep things civilized in between cleanings, this is the robot you’re looking for.
Having had some experience with older robot vacuums (7 or 8 years ago), I was pleasantly surprised by some of the features and improvements with this model. It moves faster across the floor, is lighter and shorter, and it also seems “smarter” in its pattern of movement and obstacle avoidance. The default mode seems to be random where it switches between modes, and this worked pretty well. When it went into the “along the wall” mode, the edge cleaning brushes grabbed all the pet hair it could reach against the wall and also under the edges of the washer and dryer.
Given our environment, the dust bin did fill up quickly with pet hair. I had to empty it every 15 minutes or so. Once caught up with the cleaning, though, I expect this won’t be a problem when it runs a couple of times per week on a schedule. I don’t mean to gross anyone out, but I’ve included a picture of the dust bin the first time it filled up. I think it’s impressive how much it picked up.
This leads to the next thing I liked about the vacuum. While small, the dust bin and filter were super easy to take out, empty, and clean. I keep an old toothbrush around to lightly brush hair off the filter. The plastic bin is easy to rinse off. Most importantly to me, the roller brush on the bottom is very easy to pop out and clean. The bristles are far enough apart that you can easily pull hair from the roller and have it looking like new. Literally, in 2 or 3 minutes, I can have everything emptied, cleaned, and ready to go again. This is something I couldn’t do with the older robots.
It does have a few limitations, though. It seems to clean best on hard floors, but it doesn’t do too well with throw rugs. It would go over the thin braid rug in our utility room, but that also caused the robot to leave a trail of pet hair at first. It eventually cleaned it all up, though. In our living area, larger area rugs were thick enough that it treated them like barriers and wouldn’t go over the top.
It did do pretty well on a carpeted area, but as I said I think it’s better on hard floors. The edge brushes aren’t too effective on the carpet, and the 4” or so width of the roller brush doesn’t clean a very large area at a time. I’d go insane if I had to do the floor with a 4” brush, but the robot has nothing but time on its hands and doesn’t seem to mind. It eventually covered the whole area and it looked clean.
Finally, the docking station placement can be a little tricky. If you have a clear 4’ stretch of wall that happens to have a power outlet, then you’re in business. But if you’re like us, you either have furniture along the wall or stretches of wall space with no power. I finally had to settle for an area that didn’t have quite the recommended clearance, but it was still able to dock.
Overall, and given the price, I’d recommend this to someone interested in a robot vacuum. Oh, I almost forgot to include the pet opinions: Two cats run and hide, one cat keeps a close eye on the robot, and the black Lab sleeps through the whole process.
My Best Buy number: 2793338391
What's great about it: Easy to maintain, good price, does a good job
What's not so great: Small dust bin, needs wall space for dock
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.
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?
No, unfortunately you still need some sort of Internet connection. This is for the local WiFi network in your house.
7 years, 7 months ago
by
FlyingC
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.
Will this product cover a 2000 sq. ft., one level house with only one (1) WiFi Name? The reason for this question is I'm currently using an extension to my router which has given the front of the house a different wifi name from the back of the house.
It should cover most houses that size--I'm currently using it in a 2500 sq. ft. house with great results. And, yes, one of the nice things about this product is you can broadcast one SSID (your WiFi name) everywhere. That way your phones and tablets can seamlessly connect to the unit with the strongest signal without you having to change anything on the device like selecting a different SSID.
7 years, 7 months ago
by
FlyingC
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.
If you still have to have Internet service what do I need this thing for I already have a router
This is a combination router and link extender. They can be used in addition to your router, but I think the recommended way is to replace your existing router with the base unit. The extender "satellite" unit that's included can then be placed somewhere else in your house to extend the range of your WiFi. If your existing router covers your whole house just fine, then you probably don't need this. If you've got some areas where you can't get a signal, then this would definitely help fix that.
7 years, 7 months ago
by
FlyingC
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.
We live in the country, and can only use satellite internet. It is not a real strong signal, and can be affected easily by weather. We also have a log home, which blocks the signal in certain areas of the house and porch. Would this help in our situation?
It won't help with your satellite Internet issues, but it could help with the signal inside your home. You can connect the main router/base unit to your Internet connection, then put the extender "satellite" unit (not to be confused with your satellite Internet) in a more distant location in your home. This would give you a strong WiFi signal around both the base unit and extender unit.
7 years, 7 months ago
by
FlyingC
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.
Is this price for a single unit or two?
You get both the router base unit and the link extender satellite unit.
7 years, 7 months ago
by
FlyingC