backtop

Gadgets Cisco Looks to Ditch Linksys Division
Shane McGlaun (Blog) - December 17, 2012 8:47 AM
Print 35 comment(s) - last by JediJeb.. on Dec 18 at 3:24 PM
Linksys expected to fetch less than the $500 million Cisco paid in 2003

Cisco Systems is one the largest makers computer network hardware in the world. While the majority of the products that Cisco sells directly are enterprise grade products sold to businesses, Cisco does have the Linksys consumer brand for wireless routers, hubs, and IP cameras.

However, a report suggests Cisco is looking to sell Linksys and has hired Barclays PLC to help it find a buyer. Bloomberg indicates that Linksys could be interesting to TV makers seeking a recognized brand name and technology.

Cisco purchased Linksys in 2003 to give itself a consumer networking arm for $500 million. At the time, Linksys was a mature company in the consumer business segment with low margins.  Linksys is now expected to fetch significantly less than the $500 million Cisco paid.

Like many other companies in the technology segment, Cisco has been downsizing in order to streamline its operations. The company eliminated 7,800 employees over the last year and closed its Flip video camera unit that made small, handheld digital camcorders.

Source: Bloomberg


Comments     Threshold


This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled
Positive experience
By jibz on 12/17/2012 12:18:26 PM , Rating: 2
Well since everyone else seems to hate their Linksys, just wanted to say that I couldn't be more happy with my E4200. Never had to reboot it since I bought it (over a year), despite some mid to heavy usage. Speed and range are great, I've been running my main computer on a AE3000, plus my laptop with an Intel Ultimate-N 6300, my Galaxy Nexus, my gf's iPhone, my Samsung blu-ray and my Xbox 360 and I really, really can't complain. I just never think about my wireless setup anymore. It just works.




RE: Positive experience
By Iketh on 12/17/2012 12:48:49 PM , Rating: 2
Yea, I don't understand the negativity either... I have the same experiences with my Linksys routers as you

However, I recently tried an Asus N900 router that I am very impressed with. I will consider them in the future now too

Reading through the comments, it seems the negativity is from people that don't know wtf they're doing really... it's like the reviews on Newegg, only the pissed-off people comment


RE: Positive experience
By nedsand on 12/18/2012 12:00:43 PM , Rating: 2
I think what Linksys had going for them pre-cisco was the easy to use setup instructions and CD that was written in English by someone who spoke English as their primary language. This allowed the end user to create a secure network by just clicking next a few times and inserting the CD into any additional computers. Back then there were not nearly as many smartphones, smart TV's, XBOX's and other devices that you can't just pop a CD in and click next a few times. Now you have to pick a protocol that supports all of your devices and configure each one individually. This compounds the amount of effort needed to get everything setup correctly. Thus you have more negative feedback. This isn't entirely Cisco's fault but they have never been able to match what linksys had going for them as far as simple setup goes.


RE: Positive experience
By WLee40 on 12/17/2012 12:55:56 PM , Rating: 2
Me too. I've had the E4200 for 6 months now and never rebooted. I had Netgear before and constantly had to reboot it. I don't have to think about my wireless anymore either. Running 3 iPads, Xbox 360, Samsung smart TV, 2 Droid phones, and 4 computers. No issues, ever. Easy setup.


RE: Positive experience
By Rukkian on 12/17/2012 3:00:17 PM , Rating: 2
I think alot of people were turned off by their early releases shortly after they acquired linksys. I was not fond of the quality for the first few years.

A few years ago, I had the chance to play with an e2500, and it was pretty solid, and has become my goto suggestion for anybody needing a good, reasonably priced router that works well.


RE: Positive experience
By Cr0nJ0b on 12/17/2012 4:10:36 PM , Rating: 2
I have I think 3 WRT-54G routers that have been working great. The only issue I had was the power supplies going out. I ended up finding knock-offs for like $5 each or something and replacing them all. They work great with Tomato firmware...with nice features. I'm happy for the most part.


RE: Positive experience
By Alexvrb on 12/18/2012 12:31:26 AM , Rating: 2
Agreed. Old pre-Cisco Linksys hardware was decent. Early days of Cisco-Linksys were kind of terrible, especially the firmware. I switched to D-Link for a while. My favorite D-Link router of the "G" era was the DGL-4300. Good performance, decent firmware.

But when I stepped up to Wireless N, I eventually ended up with an E2500. Not as nice as its higher-end brethren, but still very solid for my purposes. It was a good balance of features, performance, and price.

The software side is only OK. Better than the early Cisco-Linksys days, though.


"Can anyone tell me what MobileMe is supposed to do?... So why the f*** doesn't it do that?" -- Steve Jobs

Related Articles










botimage
Copyright 2013 DailyTech LLC. - RSS Feed | Advertise | About Us | Ethics | FAQ | Terms, Conditions & Privacy Information | Kristopher Kubicki