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Zoom 5590-00-03 125MBPS ADSL Modem / Wireless Router
Zoom 5590-00-03 125MBPS ADSL Modem / Wireless Router
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Model: 5590-00-03
Brand: Zoom
Manufacturer: Zoom
Average Rating:    (submit your review here)
Total Reviews: 18
Operating system: Apple MacOS
Form factor: External
Hardware platform: PC
Data link protocol: Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g
 
Description:
The Zoom ADSL X6 is an all-in-one solution for sharing ADSL service. The X6 provides all the features you'll need to make your ADSL access secure, easy to share, and easy to use. A built-in wireless-G router enables wireless networking to computers, notebooks, and other devices with 802.11g or 802.11b wireless capability. A built-in 4-port Ethernet switching hub makes it easy to plug in computers, game stations, switches, hubs, and HomePlug devices. The X6 is powerful and easy to install and use. It supports all the popular ADSL services for enhanced speed and flexibility, including the latest ADSL 2/2+ standard.
 
User Reviews (18 total):
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    Zoom user still pleased with products, July 3, 2008
By user (Franklin, Tn United States)
This is my second Zoom ADSL gateway. The first was the "wired" only version. I had no problems what so ever configuring this gateway. Connected to my DSL provider with out a hitch, no degradation in service, either. Configured the wireless with out any problems, too! I've configured my unit to use WEP64, MAC Whitelisting and stealth SSID. It just plain works! I had questions regarding certain features. I used the Zoom tech support email service. Got my answer in 1 day. The only draw back for me was the manual and online help regarding many of the wireless configuration features was very anemic. As I stated, those questions were quickly answered. Zoom's warranty is very good! My old unit needed repair while it was under warranty. I got an RA number in short order. It did take about 2 weeks, but I got an exchange unit and had no further problems. I will continue to use Zoom products and I will continue to recommend their products. This company has been around since the inception of the home PC. I beleive that speaks volumes, they couldn't have stayed in business this long offering poor products or service.

    Zoom Zoom, June 12, 2008
By user
I've only had it a day so far, but the X6 seems to rock. Top notch signal quality even when it is located on the first floor of a two-story unit. The router setup menu is fast, well organized, and easy to access (Zoom actually tells you what the IP is in order to manually setup the modem... unlike these other companies that try and force you to use their quick setup CD or pull your hair out trying to find out the correct IP from the net).

Internet connection so far has been rock solid all day. All I did to set it up was logged into the router setup page via an internet browser (IP = 10.0.0.2), setup my DSL username/PW and wireless settings, hit "Auto configure" DSL, and walked away.

I had a Dlink Wireless Xtreme N + motorola modem and was getting bad signal strength, odd internet behavior, and was rather unimpressed with having all those wires... so that is why I switched.

You know, one thing you might try is making certain the unit is on a flat surface and you might want to put extra thickness tabs on the bottom of the unit so that there is definitely good air flow for it. The feet they include on the unit are super thin and barely allow the vents to breath. Just a thought. Also blow it out with compressed air once a month, keep the dust out. Remember, computer parts don't like heat!

Zoom on, people!


    Great concept, but still need a bit of work, May 2, 2008
By user (SF, CA)
The idea of a Modem and Router is great. I was sold on the idea in which you only need one device to do both. The unit has a wealth of feature, but truely lacking in other.

Security-wise it has more then you will ever need for a home setup. Simple to configure and very small footprint are added bonus.

The area I find this unit to lack in or perform poorly is the WiFi area. The unit was setup about 25' from my computer and the average signal strength I got was low to fair and on some occassion good (rare). Granted there is a wall inbetween the two device. However, I notice signal drops significantly when I'm in the 30'-50' range low to fair at best and at times signal completely drops. The part I do not understand is why we are not allowed to change the antenna on this unit.

For those who are considering this unit, evaluate your location first before dropping money on this unit. If you plan to have your computer right next to the unit. This is an excellent product. However, if you plan to use the WiFi function as it was intended, might want to look elsewhere. As for me I'm returning the unit and getting a Dlink or Linksys.

Happy Shopping


    Zoom faster than ever!, April 21, 2008
By user (Eastsound, WA)
Zoom modem/wireless router has been flawless in operation. Easy set up, easy install, and easy maintaince. This one unit does it all for me. You cant beat the price.

    It may be a good product, but Verizon made it junk, November 1, 2007
By user (South Central, PA)
I bought this unit to replace a unit sold to me by the phone company. It was to be "combatable" to DSL Verizon. Not so said the phone company. You have to by from us, they said. I battled this unit for a month. It changed my IP so many times and would lock up. Customer service from Zoom was as bad as Verizon. One would say, "Its the phone company's problem", then the phone company would say, "Its the modem company's problem". I was given a modem from a friend that had a wireless modem from a different phone system. It works great. Buyer beware. It does not work as advertised.

    Works Great!!!, September 29, 2007
By user (Lincoln, CA USA)
I replaced my previous modem because I wasn't getting enought througput, even less when a router was placed in between. So I decided to buy a modem with in-built router. I have been very happy with my descision. I am getting full 6 mbps throughtput which my ISP promises. I am also getting much better wireless conectivity than my previous wirelss router.

    AT&T DSL users stay away, September 18, 2007
By user (San Francisco, CA)
It did not pick up the DSL signal from my AT&T High-speed Internet service. I had to return it and get a 2Wire, which AT&T officially supports and which works without any problems.

    Short shelf-life!, August 18, 2007
By user (Aptos, CA USA)
I seem to be having the same problem as everyone else. I bought this DSL modem mostly to get UPNP support for my Nintendo Wii. Worked great for the first 6 months, but I noticed lately it can't connect to the DSL provider or when it does everything crawls and eventually it looses sync. Sadly, I had to replace it with my old DSL modem (SpeedStream) which works perfectly (so I know its not my phone lines or other problems). Also, I noticed the Zoom DSL modem heats up pretty bad, wondering if theres a connection between that and its failure rate.

I would definitely find another DSL modem, especially after reading all the other posts regarding the poor reliability issues.


    Good modem/router overall, August 9, 2007
By user (Santa Fe, NM)
I did all of the setup manually (Im just a geek, but no pro) and after calling Qwest, I got the username and password needed to setup/

With router and modem, I have one less box, one less plug and one less wire. Now if it only had VOIP I could configure with vonage.. it would be ideal.

I used this in a Mac/PC enviroment with a small Network harddrive for massive storage for my AppleTV. Has been working great, with the occasional reboot if I experience a problem (once a week).

If you're good at tinkering a little, you can configure speed/port sharing, so i have one port with my Vonage limited, one with my server limited, and other setting for my wireless macs/pcs and my Apple TV. Its really great for that.

If you want something simple, or something flexible. this worked for me.


    Not worth the money, June 13, 2007
By user
I've had this item for 3 months, the support people don't know how to handle wireless connections, they keep referring you to the manual... and give you no directions... The unit itself isn't compatible with verzion.. this unit continously goes off the net, and must the software must be reloaded, or Verizon called to reset the signal to your home..

    Needs rebooting several times a day., April 30, 2007
By user (Santa Clara, CA USA)
Works well when the modem initially connects to the provider CO. Wireless seems to work well. NAT functionality seems good. However, within minutes to hours, the connection to the CO slows to a virtual stand still. Cycling the power makes the problem go away for a while, if you can put up with doing that every few hours. Firmware upgrades so far have contained empty and unrealized hopes of fixing this problem. You may feel like you've been taken advantage of by the manufacture if you buy this modem after reading on the box how wonderful the product is.



    Worked well, March 23, 2007
By user (Amherst, MA USA)
It worked well, simple configuration (the DSL autoconfig needed some manual tuning). There are no DSL error messages, which can be annoying if your are trying to troubleshoot.
Its Wireless and NAT worked like a charm. Easy to config.


    Keeps disconnecting from the internet, March 13, 2007
By user (Tennessee)
The X6 modem, when it works, is a great little modem that does everything that I need. But it will work for a period of time, and then disconnect itself from the internet. I've flashed it to the latest version of firmware, but the problem is still there.

So if you are shopping for an ADSL modem, I would suggest that you to keep on looking.


    Good Combo!, March 12, 2007
By user (Lamar, AR)
The Zoom X6 is a good combo if you are wanting a little less clutter on your desk. I did not have much luck with the install disk though, I went online and found the users manual to get it set up. Works very nicely indeed. Would have rated it a 5 if the install software worked. The speed of my connection is great for both my ADSL service and wireless network.

    Great hardware, questionable CD., November 8, 2006
By user (Indianapolis, IN USA)
When my DSL modem died, I went to the store to discover this hardware combo. What an excellent device to include the 4-port WIRELESS switch/router with the DSL modem! Less hardware, less cables, more simplistic. I have a mixed PC/Mac environment and used the PC for setup since the included CD didn't mention anything about Macs. The install assistant was worthless. It actually just shows you photos of which cables go where, then it makes you restart the PC! There is an extensive .pdf manual on the CD, and if you pop the disc into you Mac, you'll find the English version of it in the "Mac" folder. - Along with with a "Glossary" .pdf and a "Support" .pdf. So while I do wish Zoom included good old fashioned paper versions of these, they did do a good job of including all of this on the CD, but you do have to look!

Luckily, Zoom did include a small sheet of paper showing the IP address, user ID & password needed to access the settings through a web browser. I found the setup to be pretty straight forward and the setup menus are laid out well. The menus are completely different from Linksys, but very easy to navigate. When it was all setup and done, my Mac & PC were talking to each other, but I still wasn't connected to the Internet. After calling SBC/ATT I spoke with a rep who admitted they didn't officially support any modems that aren't sold by ATT, but he took a stab at my settings anyway. It turned out that I needed my full SBC email address as the user ID, not just the first portion. The second I saved the settings, I connected to the internet!

I also found the WEP security settings very easy to setup and a nice strong signal emitting from the X6. Once the device is setup, you can virtually forget about it. I can't speak for this devices longevity yet, but it's nice knowing it has a 2-year warranty.

One thing missing on the back of this unit (like many current routers) is an UPLINK jack to daisy chain this into another router if necessary. Being that this is designed for a home/small office environment, it's probably not a big deal for most users who will never need to upgrade beyond 4 ports.

I think networking gear reviews need to be taken with a grain of salt. Most of us (myself included) are NOT network professionals. Networking computers is considered by many, to be the hardest thing to do in I-T. Since it is a complicated scenario, many people I believe make the mistake of blaming the hardware, when many times, they have incorrect settings or software issues causing them to pull their hair out. Overall, I think networking companies are doing an excellent job making equipment that can now be installed by the average Joe. 10 or 15 years ago, that was unheard of.


    Zooooooom!, September 24, 2006
By user (Salt Lake City, UT, USA)
I bought this while in the throes of tech-horror. I was trying to get a wireless network going with my mac and stereo and spent days fooling with settings and rebooting my old Actiontec wireless modem each time. Yuk! A mac tech suggested a new modem. It didn't help with the network--noone could figure out why, but I never could set one up. However, I'm very happy with the modem. It's strong, it restarts and connects flawlessly, and I've had absolutely no trouble with it. As far as I'm concerned, the best electronic equipment is the stuff that I can just forget about. The zoom is just that.

    Excellent Unit, But Works Fine For A While, August 19, 2006
By user (Ankara, Turkey)
Excellent looking and functioning modem (only for a while). I really enjoyed the freedom it offered for 6 months, then persistant connection problems began. It was a perfect unit for me, for me and my wife and the third computer along with our PDA would connect to the internet flawlesly along with our network printer but something happened 6 months after the purchase, the modem stops connecting to the internet and the control panel could only be accessed via hard wire when this happens. When the modem is connected by a network cable to one unit the system starts to work fine again. But this is becoming frustrating as carrying the laptop from one room to another to hookup to the modem in order to correct the connection problem and get back to the living room is a hassle. I can handle this but wife can not. This could have been the ultimate wireless solution for only if it functioned like it used to for 6 months.Although the technical service is very customer friendy they could not manage to find a permanent solution to the problem which is mentioned by many users on the internet, I still like to modem (partially due to the 110 USD I have paid for it), but unfortunatly I would not recommend it due to this commonly occurring problem. (I gave one extra star due to the efford and friendlyness ZOOM has put in to this unit)

    Internet connection turns off all the time, August 4, 2006
By user
After a certain time the modem begins to loose the conection to Internet every now and then, the only solution is to constantly turn it on and off.

No lightning have fallen near my house, nor any other extraordinary event have happened.

I have looked for help from zoom, internet forums and my ISP company and all of them agreed that it is a hardware problem, apparently a common one if you buy an X6 zoom modem/router.

The only definite solution: buy a new modem (not a zoom modem)


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