Based on careful research, these are the issues or shortcomings that we found with the Medialink Wireless N router. These issues were faced by multiple buyers of this router, so these don't seem to be one off problems.
- All of the router settings somehow got reset to default. This included SSID, Encryption and MAC address filtering. Anyone could now connect to the router and use the internet connection. This is a major drawback for this router.
- Laptops and printers got disconnected from the home network intermittently.
- When connecting multiple devices like iPhone, laptop, netbook and Kindle, all of those devices experienced packet delays, making it near impossible to watch streaming video.
- Doesn't support advanced options like QoS, which comes standard in other similar products.
- Range is much lower than other products, due to the signal being weaker.
- Mobile devices like an Android Phone and an iPad couldn't work simultaneously after a few days.
- Based on the manufacturer ID that the Medialink router broadcasts, it looks like this router maybe a rebranded Tenda W268R router that sells at less than half the price.
- Router worked OK initially, but started dropping signal after a few months. Often times, it takes more than 5 minutes to become operational after turning it on. Eventually, the wireless completely stopped working.
- The Medialink Wireless N router doesn't provide a stable connection, hence unable to play online games that cannot afford packet drops. Games frequently pause for a few seconds, which is totally unacceptable.
- The router became completely inaccessible, even for configuration via a wired connection, after power cycling it.
- Runs only at 2.4Ghz, not 5GHz. So, it might interfere with your cordless phone.
- First Medialink router stopped working with laptop after a little over 3 months, which is their refund period. The replacement router only worked for a few weeks.
- Dropped Wi-Fi signal every so often. Replacement router sent by Medialink also did the same after some time.
- The signal from the router suddenly drops from 5-bars to 1-bar, which needs computer to be reconnected to router. This happens a few times everyday, hence very bothersome.
- The router keeps resetting itself every now and then, so webpages don't load completely.
- Medialink router transmits only upto 54Mbps, whereas Wireless N speeds should be approaching 150Mbps. This limitation seems to be because it's a single band Wireless N router.
- Doesn't appear to be fully compatible with Apple products - Apple TV, iMac, iPad, and iPhones lose connectivity with the router every so often.
- Due to Medialink firmware limitation, Xbox360 cannot be connected using WPA2 encryption, which means all other devices at home also need to be downgraded to WPA.
- Five year old Linksys Wireless G router works better and is more stable than the Medialink Wireless N router.
- Had to call Tech Support several times to get it to work. But, the router stopped working after powering down to relocate it to another room.
- This router doesn't seem to work well for large multi-level homes.
- The router works really slow during peak evening hours, probably due to interference with other routers in the neighborhood or with other wireless devices.
- After changing the IP address during setup, need to go to LAN settings under Advanced in order to access it again. Not very intuitive.
- Need to unplug or hit the reset button to get the router operational after it stops connecting to the internet.
- After laptop wakes up from sleep, need to reconnect to WiFi manually when using this router.
- Unable to connect to a printer that's attached to another computer.
- Drops connection to the cable modem regularly, which requires it to be rebooted every time.
- Only 2 bars of signal at a distance of 50 ft from the router. At this distance, a speed test shows less than 10Mbps, although the previous router that was $20 cheaper than Medialink, showed near 30 Mbps.
- Unable to change one configuration at a time, making it really slow for customizations like SSID and Encryption.
- Time Zone never sets correctly, it always defaults to Arizona.
Would this be your router?
As you can see, the problems with this router are really basic internet connection issues which can make your life difficult if you normally access the net for more than a few minutes each day. The router also doesn't seem to do well with mobile devices like smartphones and tablets, especially those made by Apple. Many customers also report failures that occur after a few months, so you can't even return the product to the place of purchase. The poor hardware quality is probably expected because Medialink seems to be selling a rebranded version of a cheap router (Tenda). The only silver lining is that the Medialink customer service seems to be top notch. But, that in itself would not be of much help if the product itself doesn't live up to it. We honestly recommend that you pay a bit more for a home-networking brand name like Linksys. Since their parent company, Cisco, is well known to stand behind their products, you would be owning peace of mind when you purchase a Linksys product. A wireless router is a central device in your home and needs to be reliable, period.
Alternatives to Medialink Wireless N router
- Linksys E1200 Wireless-N Router. Many customers found this router to be priced closer to Medialink router, but much more stable.
- Linksys E2500 Advanced Simultaneous Dual-Band Wireless-N Router. This router's dual band wireless N performs much better than single band Medialink Wireless N router.
- Linksys E3200 High-Performance Simultaneous Dual-Band Wireless-N Router. You can get upto 2x 300 Mbps speeds with this router.
