Most helpful customer reviews
209 of 219 people found the following review helpful.
Just as easy as they say
By val
I had a very old Airport base station and was having trouble connecting my DirecTv wireless adapter to it. I figured it was time to upgrade. I did a lot of research online and was worried about not being able to set up a new router using my Mac. I bought this router with high hopes of a quick set up. I was not disappointed. I had 2 Macbooks, a Wii, my TiVo DVR and the DirecTv system all working within 15 minutes. So far signal is great throughout my three story home. The router is in the basement and my husband is on the third floor Skyping away. I highy recommend this for anyone that wants a quick and easy setup with little hassles!
280 of 299 people found the following review helpful.
Not bad, but not easy, either
By E. Willinger
Bought the Valet Plus to replace a Linksys G router that occasionally lost signal and that did not offer reliable coverage throughout my (not very big) apartment. Connecting 2 computers went smoothly, and range was definitely improved. Connecting 3rd computer produced error message but seemed to work anyway - attempting to add wireless Canon printer to the network caused another error message and connection failed. Called Cisco Support and was told, basically, that they don't fix printer problems; I insisted that was nonsense, since the product is sold as a "no-brainer" wireless solution and they had to help make it work. During conversation with service rep, the printer suddenly did recognize the Valet Plus (or vice-versa) and started working. Next day, connected iPhone successfully but printing failed again. This time, Customer Support dug a little deeper and checked the settings on the router. Then they told me I had to get a better driver from Canon since the router will only work with printers enabled for WPA/WPA2 security. When I asked why that wasn't listed on the box or anywhere else as a technical requirement for the product, the person had no answer - kept repeating that Cisco used "advanced" technology. After that useless call, I tinkered with the printer LAN settings and tried getting it to accept WPA (rather than WPA2) as security protocol. I was able to print again, but don't have confidence the problem is solved for good. So I have to choose whether to send back the Valet Plus or keep it and hope it works, accepting that I may have difficulty and that Cisco Support is pretty much not supportive at all. Be warned that "plug and play" may not be your experience with this item.
UPDATE: It seems that Cisco takes customer reactions pretty seriously. After posting this review and responding to a Cisco survey in the same vein, I got an email and phone call from a higher-up in the company's support area. He explained that Cisco has to be careful about offering technical advice about other company's products (there are liability issues) but agreed that I should not have been given that unequivocal, unhelpful answer. And the Valet Plus has been working well - haven't had to reset it or fiddle with AirPort settings on computers. Have printed successfully a couple of times, too, so hoping for the best.
126 of 134 people found the following review helpful.
So simple your grandma could set this up.
By H. Cruz Febus
This is as close to plug and play as a wireless router gets. I was a little apprehensive about purchasing it because there are no product details outside the box. There is also no instruction manual inside but the USB key is prominently displayed. It simply instructs you to plug the USB key into the first computer. An onscreen guide walked me through the set up which consisted of plugging in a few cables. In less than five minutes the Cisco had set up a secure wireless network, a separate guest hotspot and sent me off to insert the USB key in any other computers I wished to connect to the network.
This is the ideal device for the person who just wants their electronics to work and is not interested in details. It is possible to access the configuration screen from the Cisco software or via the IP address but you're paying for the convenience of never having to look under the hood.
At the end of the process they reveal the name of your network and your password but there are no further instructions. I have not had a guest log on but I understand the process is similar to the login at a hotel. They actually have to open their internet browser and enter the password you provide on a welcome screen. A little more detail would have been nice.
The Valet includes 24 hour live tech support which I consider a big plus. The router has various lighted symbols flashing but none of them are marked. I called to find out what they were and had live assistance in less than a minute. The woman was very pleasant but scolded me when I asked about what looks like a power button in the middle. It seems you could lose your set-up if you press the button.
I have purchased many routers and this is by far the quickest and easiest to set up. The connection speed is also very good.
