Cisco Connect Cloud

Pros: Remote Access from any browser.
Free Mobile App.
Hands-down, no contest, the most beautiful interface for router configuration ever created.
Very user-friendly, better than the desktop-based Cisco Connect.
Room to grow: promising 3rd party apps.

Cons: Totally different approach to interacting with your router; uncomfortable at first.
Cisco/Linksys has a history of giving up on v1 products with great potential: does this last?

Summary: My road to Cisco Connect Cloud love was a rocky one. I went to start my Cisco Connect app on my PC yesterday and got a message telling me to go create an account. I don't like share my Email or info with anyone one and was immediately annoyed that this was standing between me and tweaking Parental Controls on my network. Cursing Linksys under my breath, I begrudgingly complied.

Still steamed at my router manufacturer for taking the same tact as Google, Microsoft, Apple, Facebook and the rest of the Cloud crowd (HW companies shouldn't do this), I began click through the browser UI. My devices, Guest Access, Parental Controls, my network settings, they were all there. And, in a slick presentation that loaded quickly and made sense.

My anger with Linksys quickly faded. I actually began wondering who I should thank for this forced upgrade. Next I installed the complimentary app on my iPhone and the need for a Cloud account to manage my network suddenly made sense. I can log in from work and manage my network. I can send enable Guest Access and change other settings from my phone App when walking the dog.

Brilliant! This company knows exactly what they're doing. Routers and Clouds do work better together. My compliments to the innovators at Linksys for delivering a phenomenal product, even if you did kind of shove it down my throat :-)