Easy Peasy Wi-Fi with New Cisco Valet Routers

Truth be told, Wi-Fi routers aren't that exciting... but they're not meant to be. They're meant to be turned on, configured, and--hopefully--forgotten about as they provide a steady stream of wireless connectivity around your home or office. Unfortunately, many new owners of a Wi-Fi router get stymied in step 2 with a deluge of migraine-inducing acronyms and numerical jargon (WEP, TTLS, 2.4 and 5 GHz, 128-bit encryption, and not to mention 802.11 ending with -b, and -g and -n... oh, and don't forget -a) that's incomprehensible to non-techies (and, frankly, even some of those with a bit of tech in the blood).

Apple has long been one company that understands how to make things "just work" right out of the box without having to take a community college course, and now other companies are starting to understand and emulate this. Last week, Cisco unveiled its new line of Wi-Fi routers called Valet that are meant to take the mystery and frustration out of setting up a wireless network.

Looking at these gorgeous gadgets, it's easy to see the influence of the design team from Cisco-acquired Flip--maker of the Flip shoot-and-share camcorders. But more than just physical design, Flip camcorders became popular because they were so easy to use and connect to computers for editing and sharing. And that ethos and focus on making the experience of configuring as simple as possible is what sets apart Cisco's Valet line from other Wi-Fi routers. Ross Miller at Engadget writes about his experience in setting up the Valet:

Eschewing the usual CD installation key is what Cisco's calling the USB Easy Setup Key. Similar idea to the other routers, just plug in and install the software. After two clicks of the menu, it auto-located our Valet and connected to a newly-minted, protected wireless service (in this case "BusyFish") with the password saved in our keychain. Adjusting guest access and parental controls are easy enough, and nice part of the USB key is that you can write the settings onto it, letting you simply plug it into another computer and auto-load the settings. Manual controls are still available and should be fine for most readers.

The Valet line of "wireless hotspots" (as Cisco refers to them) features two routhers: the Valet and Valet Plus. Both offer the broader range and faster speeds of the Wireless-N standard (that'd be 802.11n if you're keeping score), with the Plus adding extra wired speed through Gigabit Ethernet ports as well as an input/output boost with an extra antenna (according to Gizmodo). The easily configurable Cisco Connect software also includes a Parental Control function (for filtering or time-limit access) and the ability to create a guest network that won't allow access to connected devices on your private network. The Valet line also includes the Valet Connector USB stick, that enables you to plug it into a non-wireless-enabled PC to bring it Wi-Fi goodness.

I can see that a Valet might be making its way to my Mom someday in the future when she decides it's time for a new router, as I think it'll drastically cut down on the calls to tech support (aka, me). The setup software is also compatible with both Windows PCs and Macs, though Katherine Boehret at All Things D ran into a bug on the Mac that Cisco says will be fixed soon with a software update.

However, I do have a bone to pick with Cisco. While I understand that they want to make the Valet routers as easy to understand as possible, I wish they'd post full-on specifications so that techie folks like myself could understand what's under the hood in order to make a better purchase decision for our non-techie parents.

For those who want a bit more control over their Wi-Fi environment, Cisco also released similarly designed Wireless-N routers under its Linksys brand. It starts with the E1000, which includes Fast Ethernet ports, then steps up to E2000 with Gigabit ports and selectable 2.4 GHz/5 GHz transmission. The line tops out with the E3000, which offers simultaneous dual-band transmission as well as USB port and built-in UPnP AV media server. The Linksys E series also includes the E2100L with Linux operating system for full-on configurability and the AE1000 USB stick for non-wireless PCs.

--Agen G.N. Schmitz

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This router looks very good for homes and Small Office Home Office settings!

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