Don’t be bound by cabling restrictions any longer! TheInstant Wireless™ Network Access Point fromLinksys delivers the freedom to configure your networkyour way.
Utilization of state-of-the-art wirelesstechnology gives you the ability to set up workstationsways you never thought possible; no cables to install meansless expense and less hassle.
The Instant Wireless™ Network Access Point’s high-poweredantenna offers a range of operation of up to 492 feetindoors, providing seamless roaming throughout your wirelessLAN infrastructure; an advanced user authenticationfeature ensures a high level of network security.
The InstantWireless™ Network Access Point is easy to install (Justplug it in and you’re ready to go!) and easy to use--Windows-based diagnostics and statistic tools ensure thatyou’ll always be in control.
When all these features come together in one compact,lightweight, and power-efficient unit, you have the ultimatein flexible networking--the Linksys Instant Wireless™Network Access Point.
- High-Speed Transfer Rate of Up to 11 Mbps
- Interoperable with IEEE 802.11b (DSSS) 2.4GHzcompliant Equipment
- Provides Roaming, Best Access Point Selection, Load Balancing, and Network Traffic Filtering
- Long Operating Range Supports 150m (indoor) and 500m (outdoor)
- Adjustable Antennas Provide for Physical Configuration
- Wireless Access Point Roaming and Bridging
- MAC Address Filtering, IP Filtering, DHCP Client, and SNMP Configuration Utility Password Protection
- 128-bit Hardware WEP Supported
- Compatible with Virtually All Major Operating Systems
The Linksys Instant Wireless Access Point (WAP) serves as communications headquarters for a reliable 11 Mbps wireless network. We found the WAP, used in conjunction with the Linksys Instant Wireless PC Card (and PCI adapter if the wireless card is used in a desktop PC) and a hub or switch, to be a true leader in the move toward wireless networking. In case you are having any confusion, here is a graph illustrating the differences between an Access Point and a Router with Access Point:
The unit itself is handsome in design and somewhat reminiscent of the old rabbit-ears antenna system used on older televisions. Installing the WAP involves several steps. A USB connection allows for configuration, and installing the USB configuration software allows for monitoring and adjusting settings such as channel, IP address, and Service Set Identifier (SSID). Connecting the unit to a hub or switch using Category 5 cable (which is not included) gives the WAP network access and the ability to begin sending meaningful signals.
The WAP has three indicator lights: power, link, and activity. The link indicator lights up amber when a link is established with the hub, and the activity light flickers somewhat uncertainly when there is network activity. The antennas can be adjusted left and right, and we found that pointing them in the direction of the wireless computer did result in a stronger signal.
We found the accompanying user guide somewhat lacking; it gave little guidance on how the network can be configured. And the customer service hotline unfortunately does little more than refer you to your computer's manufacturer. Those who are new to networking may want to bone up on the basics before beginning on a wireless network endeavor--plenty of resources exist on the Web and in print to guide your networking foray. But for those who are transforming an existing wired network into a wireless one, the transition will be fairly painless and straightforward.
In use, the WAP performs well: in the same room, the signal strength to and from the Linksys wireless network card is consistently above 95 percent. We separated the card from the access point by one plaster wall and found that the signal strength was reduced to around 80 percent. Separating them with a closeted wall pulled the signal strength down to about 50 percent. At opposite ends of the home (with numerous plaster walls between), the signal strength maintains at about 35 percent.
The rate of data transmission declines proportionately, starting at an ideal 11 Mbps and going to 3 or 4 Mbps at extreme distance and separation. While still reliable, the main difference in performance we noticed was in the basic data-transmitting functions: slower copying, pasting, opening, and access of resources on other network nodes. While these speeds don't lend themselves well to intensive LAN game play, they are suitable for sharing data between resources, as well as sharing print resources.
Overall, the Linksys wireless package is optimal for those not wishing to string cable throughout a home or office. While performance and speed are comparable to slower wired networks, this is a ready solution for those who need a world without wires, for whatever reason. This package is also ideal for those who are comfortable with networking configurations and troubleshooting, and are ready to take the leap into wireless. --Emilie Dirks
Pros:
- Easy resource sharing that's ideal for small office/home office
- Simple installation and fairly straightforward configuration
Cons:
- Transmission speeds much lower than current fast Ethernet connections (on wired networks)
- Lackluster customer support and documentation
| 
See a comparison diagram of the different wireless technologies. | Wireless networks are rapidly becoming more popular and coming down in price. Since they don't require cables, you can use the devices anywhere in an office or home, even out on the patio. There's no need to roll out an Ethernet network cable to each room of a house; you can network anywhere -- without wires. Outside of the home, wireless networking is available in hotspots at coffee shops, businesses, airports -- great when you're on the road and need to get some work done. For convenience, wireless networking is the answer.
What Wireless Standard is Right for Me?
Now that you've decided to create a wireless network, the next step is to figure out which wireless standard to use. Basically, a standard is a set of specifications for a device. All devices that follow a specific standard share operating characteristics, such as the radio frequency used and maximum data transfer speed.
For wireless networking, there are three standards to choose from at this time: To learn about the differences between the standards and select the right one for your network, click here for an easy-to-understand chart. |
The WAP11 Instant Wireless Access Point from Linksys delivers the freedom to configure Ethernet networks your way. Use of advanced wireless technology gives you the ability to set up workstations in ways you never though possible; no cables to install means less expense and less hassle. The WAP11 operates at ranges up to 150 meters (492 feet) indoors and 500 meters (1,640 feet) outdoors. It provides seamless roaming throughout your wireless LAN infrastructure; an advanced user authentication feature ensures a high level of network security.
The Linksys Instant Wireless Network Access Point is easy to install (just plug in and it's ready to go) and easy to use--Windows-based diagnostic and statistical tools ensure complete control. WAP11 is configurable through a USB port or an Ethernet connection and is fully interoperable with IEEE 802.11b (DSSS) 2.4 GHz-compliant equipment. It comes complete with an AC adapter, a CD-ROM, a user's manual, a registration card, two detachable antennas, and a USB cable. Linksys's WAP11 is compatible with PCs with USB support or Ethernet connection; running Windows 95, 98, Me, 2000 Professional, or NT 4.0; and having at least 500 KB hard disk space.
Linksys provides a one-year parts and labor warranty on the WAP11 and provides free technical support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (North America only).
Please note that the Wireless Signal Booster is certified by the FCC for use with the WAP11--Wireless Access Point and BEFW11S4--Wireless Access Point Router only.
|
See a comparison diagram of the different wireless technologies. | Wireless networks are rapidly becoming more popular and coming down in price. Since they don't require cables, you can use the devices anywhere in an office or home, even out on the patio. There's no need to roll out an Ethernet network cable to each room of a house; you can network anywhere -- without wires. Outside of the home, wireless networking is available in hotspots at coffee shops, businesses, airports -- great when you're on the road and need to get some work done. For convenience, wireless networking is the answer.
What Wireless Standard is Right for Me?
Now that you've decided to create a wireless network, the next step is to figure out which wireless standard to use. Basically, a standard is a set of specifications for a device. All devices that follow a specific standard share operating characteristics, such as the radio frequency used and maximum data transfer speed.
For wireless networking, there are three standards to choose from at this time: To learn about the differences between the standards and select the right one for your network, click here for an easy-to-understand chart. |
1 Generally buggy - a popular choice for no good reason
I can't stress how much stress this device has caused. It seems that it's going to do the job properly and then insidious problems creep in that get worse and worse until everything goes horribly wrong.
Terrible support and worse companion products mean that this access point will cost you more in sweat and tears than any other piece of electronics you may own - and it's unlikely to get better due to this area of gadgetry 'moving on' to new faster standards.
Advice is - if you want to stick to cheap and cheerfull 802.11b hardware - avoid linksys kit like the plague and keep doing your research to find a good alternative.
2 Waste of time and money
Although the unit indicated it had power and was linked to the network the set-up software could not find it. I will have spent $16 and hours of frustration by the time I ship it back. Tech support was useless.
3 No More Linksys
In years before Cisco purchased Linksys, I was a loyal customer. Since then things have changed. Poor quality (I too have gone through 2 WAP-11's in less than four years), Poor support: Long hold times, out-sourced to another country and a seeming lack of focus on model design and direction (have a look at the number of WAP-11 firmware revs's and sub models and lack of firmware upgrade paths)
I'm all done. I'll be over at Netgear.
4 AP ok, repeater function stinks
If all you need is a wireless access point, the WAP11 works great. I bought a second one because there were still some dead areas in our old plaster walled house and I saw that Linksys was touting the "repeater" function. The WAP11 has the ability to take a signal from another WAP11 and extend it. All you need is a power plug, i.e. it doesn't have to be plugged into the router (you plug it into the router initially for set-up). So, I had one WAP11 plugged into the router and the other plugged into a power outlet in the living room. The repeater function does "work", that is, I now had a good signal in the previous dead zones. The problem is that the actual throughput or speed of the data was comparable to a 56kbs modem and the access points constantly have to be reset (at least once-a-day). I called Linksys tech support, who had initially told me it would only be slightly slower and probably not noticable, and a different tech said: "yeah, that's a problem we know about and there is currently no soulution." He then tried to give me some crap about a "possible" firmware upgrade. The second access point is being returned and I am now a D-link customer.
5 Limited life expectancy
This is the second WAP11 I have owned. I love their out of the box connectivity. it only took me ten minutes to get going wirelessly. the speeds are definitly compareable to wired LAN speeds. the only thing I don't like is their tendancy to DIE!! their life expectancy is 1 1/2 years of full time use. by that I mean in a normal house where you leave it plugged in all the time and use it when ever you want. IF you buy this product don't expect to get more than a year and a half out of it and you will go away satisfied that you got your moneys worth. Im thinking of upgrading to the 54G network now that my WAP11 is dead, but Im not sure if Ill use a Linksys product to do it with.
6 Wow thats it? Soooooo easy!
What can i say, it took me less then 1 minute to get my current network wireless!
My brother recently purchased an apple powerbook with built in wifi. So I decided to get a wireless access point for my place. As soon as i unpacked the unit, plugged it into the power supply, connected the ethernet cable from my current home network and that was it. I asked my brother if he could see the wireless network and connect to it and he was able to. I didnt have to change any of the setting, worked right out of the box!
Ofcourse I wanted my network to be secure, so after around 5 minutes of playing around I was able to totally secure my wireless network so that only my brother would be able to log on. That way I wont have neighbours trying to snoop through my network.
Excellent product seriously, I have been a netgear fan for a long time but decided to go with Linksys since it was cheaper and i am really glad i did.
7 Dead after 1 1/2 year
Linksys WAP11 worked flawlessly for about 6 month, then it started to drop communication about every couple of days, then it just gradually gotten worse. Before it went completely dead on me, it was dropping communication with my PC about 1 minute after I reset the Access Point. All I could say is that I am not pleased with Linksys products since it is my second Linksys product that went out of commission shortly after the 1 year warranty. I am not sure if I'll buy another Linksys product, but I really like the fact that WRT54G has lots of third party support to add features to the factory build firmware. Naah...I won't give Linksys another chance.
8 Not a bad little WAP
I'm a network engineer for a Fortune 500 company. I design, configure, and install 2.4 GHz wireless networks for a living. Since I can't bring the Cisco 2100's home with me, I thought I'd go with a Linksys (now a division of Cisco) WAP11. For me, this product was a breeze to set up and configure. The setup disk wouldn't run on my laptop running Win2k, but ran fine on my home PC running XP Pro. The product description told of a USB port for easy configuration. Perhaps that port is present on newer or different models, but mine has no USB port, which is a bummer because that's how I wanted to configure it. Also, when configuring it over HTTP, which was my only choice, the IP Address had to be static. I couldn't access it when it was set to DHCP. Overall, though, I was clipping right along wirelessly in my home within a half hour of opening the box. The WAP11 doesn't have all of the features I'm used to at work, but it's a great home product and I think, by following the inclosed step by step instructions, it shouldn't take a networking novice to have it up and running in no time.
9 Setup in less than a minute!
I have DSL connection with a D-link router. I pluged in the WAP11 v2.8 to switch and then i pluged in my Truemobile 1150 Wireless card into my laptop. As you can see all these products are from different vendors.
My Laptop was assigned with a new IP address from the router and then boom! i was wirelessly on the internet and then thru all my home.
RX was very good even 33 feet away from the AP.
I recommend this product for home or office use. I haven't tested in other modes or even outdoor.
10 Don't Expect Tech Support
I have had this WAP for a few weeks now and only know that the setup is very easy and well documented. As far as knowing how well this item performs, I have no idea. After setting up I tried to attach to my wired LAN through the WAP11. Although the Linksys Wireless CompactFlash Card WFC12 and Linksys Wireless-B Notebook Adapter WPC11 that I purchased with the WAP11 have communications with the WAP11, they can not get to the Internet through the Access Point. My day job is in the computer industry and I pretty much know what I'm doing. I have checked and rechecked all my settings to no avail. If this doesn't solve my problem it usually means that something has been overlooked in the information provided. My next step is to try technical support. Linksys' off-shore tech support seem more interested in getting away from me and will tell me anything to do so. Because of the accents, every sentance has to be repeated several times. It is a very unpleasant experience. The information I have received from them has always been incorrect. I have never had any of my email requests responded to. At this point it looks like I will be returning these 3 Linksys items. They are no use if I can't get them working. I purchased these Linksys products because of my previous good experiences with Linksys. But it looks like their takeover by Cisco Systems has changed their approach to customer and technical support. As with so many other companies, cutting corners by taking support off-shore is costing their customers dearly and will in the end be felt by their penny-pinchers.
11 Great product
I have been using my old WAP11 for about two and a half years, and am happy to report that the unit works extremely well [I pair it with an Orinoco silver PC card]. The initial installation was simple and went smoothly. Last spring, I upgraded the firmware to bring in the latest DHCP functionality; this was also an easy process. It sits in the corner of the room, quietly forgotten, performing its function without a hitch; which is how I like it!
I give this little unit top marks.
12 Linksys wap11
I found the access points to work trouble free and the repeater function is very usefull but it slows everything down.found support is of little or no help at all.It is also a joy to buy from Amazon.com fast shipping and one of the access points worked but had no range I was sent a replacement in less then 3 days.
13 Periodically WAP11 v2.6 goes into outer space
Works fine but several times per week it lost its mind as the firmware got lost. Sometimes returned on its own after a few minutes, sometimes requires reboot/restart, and once it never came back. Dealer replaced unit, which exhibited similar behavior. Apparently, just my guess, noise (RF, line, Ethernet) got interpreted as bad data and it gets lost trying to process it. New firmware (v 1.07) made it worse. Tech support is clueless, and one of them suggested using a competitors product: NetGear MR814. I have no doubt the WAP11 works well in a quiet environment. Version 2.8 is supposed to be better, they say....
14 Great...until it broke down
Pros:
1. Easy setup.
2. Pretty good range.
Cons:
1. Broke after 1 year warranty ended.
2. Canned responses from tech support.
3. 1 year warranty.
This has taught me a good lesson. Don't ignore the warranty
the manufacturer offers. Seek out one that offers at least a
3 year warranty. I know I will on my next WAP.
15 Not all its cracked up to be.
Ultimately, I ended up throwing this WAP away after it stopped functioning. You are far better off spending the extra money for an 802.11g WAP (54 Mbps versus 11 Mbps).
Unlike other WAPs, this device can connect to another WAP and act as a bridge. If you have two Ethernet networks and want to connect them, it is relatively painless with this device. That was my original rationalization for buying this product. Turns out I never really needed the extra functionality.
I was never impressed with the 10 Mbps speed. The first time around setup was painless. However, reinstalling the software under XP became problematic. The USB driver/software from Linksys caused my Windows XP machine to blue-screen and crash. It caused my Windows ME system to hang periodically.
I would recommend you pass on this product and get an 802.11g WAP. They are faster (54/100+Mbps) AND backwards compatible with your existing 802.11b network cards.
16 Super Product!
I am really pleased with this product. I get excellent connection with my laptop and am excited to have a wireless solution at such a small cost.
17 Works Great
I purchased this WAP and it works great just plugged it in to my existing switch on my wired lan and did a couple setting changes programed in an ip address and i was set. I have 2 laptops that currently use the WAP running 64bit encryption with mac filtering on. I have had this AP for for 7 months now and only had to power it off and power back on once. I get great distance with it, the lowest it goes is 50-60% thats through 5 walls. The documentation lacks but linksys is known to have bad docs.
18 Stopped working after 4 months
Initial setup was nice, particularly compared to D-Link, (the tech decided the D-Link was broken). But I came home from vacation and its not sending out a signal anymore. The WAP11 connects to the LAN fine, but none of the laptops are getting any signalfrom it. Tech support was laughably inept. Now I've figured out the reset button doesn't actually do anything. They want me to upgrade firmware a third time. DSL Reports.com says there's a problem with the latest firmware. I wish I could buy one of these things and it would just work.
19 WAP11 Limited
I am disappointed with this product. I bought an early release, in March 2001. I found the manual to be poor and the technical assistance poorer -- often I had to keep calling until I got lucky and I found someone who knew something. My access point is about 40 feet from my computer (although it is down one flight) and my connection is always weak. Recently, my connection has often been too weak to work and Linksys has not been able to give me any help diagnosing the problem.
20 Great device, but get version 2.6, NOT 2.2 !!!
I've used the Linksys WAP11 since it had no version number, and I've used the 2.2 version. Both perform excellently (relatively speaking, that is, no product lives up to the manufacturer's claims). And better yet, the NEW version 2.6 can be used in 5 (five) different modes, including Repeating mode (which makes the Linksys WSB24 Signal Booster obsolete (which is why Linksys has discontinued it). Many similar products out there are limited to one or two modes. Amazon and most other sites are unclear regarding the version and might sell you an older model, so be sure to get version 2.6.
Download the User Guide .pdf and see pages 18-21, which describes all 5 modes. Ok, twist my arm, here's a quick summary; note: for all of these descriptions, think of the device as having 2 sides to it (perhaps In and Out; maybe Left/Right).
(1) Access Point: this is the original mode which allows wireless devices to connect via the device to a wired network; so from your laptop's point of view (here assumed wireless), the device takes wireless Input and turns it into wired Output.
(2) Access Point Client: in this mode the device takes a switch (or a hub, or a single computer) which is hardwired to the device and connects it over the airwaves to any Access Point (that is, a Linksys in Mode 1 or any other standards compliant access point); the hitch is that it CANNOT also act as an Access Point itself; in other words, it cannot also accept data from a nearby wireless computer. Basically, this mode is great for attaching a LAN in one part of your office to the main LAN which has an Access Point (or a Router/Access Point combo device).
(3) Wireless Bridge: this mode is of limited use. It is using 2 of these devices for connecting 2 LANs together when you don't need to connect any other wireless devices to the LAN. It's an older mode; the same result can be achieved by using the 2 devices with one device in mode 1 (as the main Access Point) and the other in mode 2, which would connect the two LANs AND allow you to connect wireless computers to the main device.
(4) Wireless Bridge Point to Multipoint: this mode is also of limited use, since you can do the same thing with more functionality with devices in modes 1 and 2, so I won't provide any example.
(5) Wireless Repeater: this is the newest mode; it can be thought of as a range extender. Here the device has wireless as both the Input and the Output. It is sort of the complement to mode 2. Say, for example, you already have a mode 1 device attached to your LAN, but at some distance away (30 feet, 100 ft., 300 ft.??) the signal gets too weak to be useful. Instead of buying the now-discontinued WSB24 to boost the power of the mode 1 device, you setup this device in mode 5 near the edge of the signal strenth (not the far edge, or else the bandwidth will still be terrible), and now your wireless computers can properly connect.
Note that there is no device out there that can do all modes at once. For example, if you have a main LAN in one part of your house or office, and at the other end of the house/office you have a bunch of computers, printers, etc., some of which are wired together with a hub/switch and some of which are wireless (that is, you'd like to be able to take your wireless laptop around the office as you see fit, without having to be hardwired in the far part of the office), then you'll have to buy 2 of these WAP11 ver2.6 devices to put in the far office: one in Mode 2 and one in Mode 5 (which is still cheaper than stringing cable through the walls!!).
I hope the above makes sense because I'm not going to scroll up to edit it. :-)
21 Works great !! Took less than 10 minutes to setup
Advanced setting for 128 bit encryption may take an hour or so. Love Linksys products.
22 Terrible
This product is very unreliable. I still have problems with mine. After calling the customer service line a couple of times I finally got through and talked with an agent for over an hour as he tried to figure out what was wrong with the product. He also told me that this happens a lot so I should call back when it happens again. Now my connection becomes unavailable about 3 to 6 times a day and I can only get it to work by unplugging the unit and restarting it. This product is terrible. It was a huge waste of money. Don't buy it.
23 Not great, but servicable.
This access point certainly works, and it's a cheap way to get a wireless network going, but its embedded webserver for configuration is a piece of junk. Make sure you get the configuration right quickly so you don't have to deal with it again. Also, the configurator seems to work better with Windows than it does with Linux, which doesn't make any sense at all. Occasionally the whole AP will [not work] out and I have to unplug/replug it to get it working again.
Linksys doesn't know anything about their own product. I was trying to connect an embedded system to a network and had some basic operational questions about the AP, and they were unable to answer. They were general knowledge questions, not requesting propritary information, so they should have been able to tell me.
24 Lotsa bang for your buck!
I have one of these at home and two in the offices I work in as a Network Admin. My biggest concern is network security and these come with important security features. You can filter by MAC address, Choose not to broadcast your SSID, choose to have shared key auth. instead of open and you can also enable 128-bit (or 64, if your client doesn't support 128) WEP (oh, and don't forget to change the config page password). None of these are totally crack-proof, but when used all together they'll prevent most security problems.
My second biggest concern is cost. These WAPs are a very cost-effective solution, especially in light of the security features mentioned above. I haven't had any trouble with any of the three WAPs that I'm using.
25 Good For Home Networking
I set up a home network with this, a Linksys 4-port router, a Linksys cable modem, and a Linksys wireless card, and I was pleasantly surprised at how quick and easy it was. As noted, I was using all Linksys equipment to ensure compatibility, so I can't say if it plays nice with other manufacturers, but Linksys has a good reputation, so I imagine it would.
Most of the configuration is pre-defined, with the setup asking if you would like to change the defaults. Even though I have experience with networking, there were few I changed. Linksys equipment is designed to work together well right out of the box, and for the most part they accomplish this very well. The documentation isn't great, but for the most part it isn't needed.
This is a pretty device, and all of Linksys' home networking equipment shares the same basic design. This isn't strictly necessary, but it looks nice together. More important is that all of their equipment is stackable, so my three devices sit very easily in a stack next to my main computer, blinking away.
The signal strength is good- I can get a consistent connection from three floors away. My house has four floors, with the WAP in a utility room in the basement, and I can get a decent connection in our loft. The only time I didn't appeared to be due to interference- from our dishwasher, no less.
The transfer speed is adequate for most home LAN's if you are using it for file transfer, printing, etc. However, the speed limitation is common to wireless networks, and not an issue with this particular device. A wireless network is not ideal for network gaming, but most wireless PC's are notebooks, which are not ideal for gaming anyway. For the fastest signal, be as close to the WAP as possible.
Perhaps the best feature of this device (and other Linksys components) is the fact that it can be edited in HTML- just put its IP address into any browser, such as Internet Explorer, and it takes you to an online configuration page.
This WAP makes it very easy to set up a home network. I recommend it to anyone that wants to set one up.
26 Good I SUPPOSE
Now this is the only wireless router i've had experience with so i don't know if this is a problem with all of them BUT, It does NOT share my dial up connection. And i wasn't even using the wireless part!!! You would think a 4 port switch could handle a dial up connection like my old 10 base T hub which I have switched back to for now untill i get broadband.
The wireless file sharing worked fine. I shared some movies with a computer in another room with the wireless g pci adapter (also by linksys). That lasted all of a few hours because I NEED THE INTERNET.
If all wireless routers can't share dial up then this is probably the best you can get but if it isn't someone needs to let me know. :(
27 Weak Signal
The advertised signal strength is a little under a 1/4 mile outdoors. I set this up at my friends house who has DSL in his window so I could recieve DSL across the street at my house. the only thing that was an obstacle for the signal was the two windows it had to pass through, nothing else. Well, it didn't work, I walked from his house to mine with my laptop in my hands. The time I had reached the street on my friend's house drive way, I lost the signal. So I was a bit disappionted that the advertised signal distance was wrong. Other than that it works great, as long as you don't have to get a signal through concrete, steel or a 2nd story floor.
28 Technical suport
Linksys has great tech support. Very knowledgeable, patient and helpful. Walked me through changes to my IP address so I have now wireless connection to internet.
29 One of the most frustrating purchases I ever made
I'm sure this review will get lots of negative feedback, but I don't care. Someone has to let people know what a piece of garbage this product and the WUSB11 are.
I bought this sometime in Febuary and there hasn't been a day where I haven't had to do something extra to get it to work. These things may include unplugging and plugging back in the WAP11, my router, the internet cable connection, or [messing] with the settings, or giving up in frustration and reading a book. I've spent, no joke, at least 21 hours with the tech support line, and the vast amount of that time is waiting on hold with a repeating voice telling me that they're having unusually high traffic and that I should be patient. Well, it's simply no wonder they have such high volume when they produce this kind of junk. I'm at the end of my patience. The first time I called, I got disconneted, maybe by the tech support guy because he couldn't figure out my problem. Then the second time I called, the device worked for about a week before it went down again. The third time I called back, we went through completly different steps to get it to work again, and it worked for about another week, almost hassle free. The fourth time I called back, I was told my problem was a known issue, whatever the hell that is since they didn't tell me what the problem was, and they told me to send my product back for a replacement, on my dime, nonetheless. I get their replacement, and I swear to the heavans, it worked for about a week before it started doing the same kind of [thing] the old one did. Things like seeing the network connection, but not connecting, working for 10 minutes at a time, then going down for the day, moving the WAP11 or WUSB11 across the room and going out for the day.
Oh, and if you like to play video games over the internt, things like Unreal Tournament or Return to Castle Wolfenstein, prepare to have the game freeze every minute for 3 seconds. Now, that may not sound so bad, but it really [isn't nice] when it freezes and you wake up dead. I suppose this is another known issue that they have no solution for.
Now, you may be saying to yourself, hey, this guy is an idiot who knows nothing about technology and computers. If it doesn't work then it's probably his own fault or ignorance. But, then I'd tell you how I have a degree in computer science and am a professional programmer and feel very comfortable around things such as this. This thing simply doesn't work. I'm supposing that for the people it does work for, they must be in the same room as the WAP11, but in that case you don't really need a wireless connection.
So, heed my words, don't buy this if you don't like to live every day in fear that it'll not work today. Linksys should issue a worldwide apology to every customer who bought this ... and refund my money since they can't refund my time. I'm certain they've taken years off my life with all of the frustration they've cause me.
And if you're wondering why I gave it 2 stars it's because nobody takes seriously one star reviews. On a scale of 1-10, this product should get a negative infinity.
I'm not joking, this thing is that bad.
30 Works OK, Easy to Install
First, I have limited knowledge of computers, but can
follow instructions, but have been hesitent in setting up a wireless network. I started with the D-Link system and it was a total failure, even after repeated calls to Technical Services. I returned it and order the Linksys WAP11 and the Linksys PC card. Within about 30 minutes I had the system installed and was online. The signal was low and would drop off often in my dauthers sub-laptop. However, when I used it my laptop the signal was low to good in the same area. I use it throughout my house and very seldom drop out. I ended up buying my daughter the Netgear PC Card. We love the Netgear as it almost installed itself, less than 5 minutes from box to online and signal is always much better than the Linksys Card, and works great with the Liksys WAP11.
31 Works perfectly.
I can't understand all the complaints. I have 4 of these units to bridge my entire network, which spans 6000 square feet over 3 floors. Never a problem with drop signal, interference, etc. All 4 units worked perfectly and has been perfect for 3 straight months. Setup is not the most intuitive in the world, and I'm convinced that those who had problems didn't set their devices up correctly. Linksys support is really rudementary at best. Their knowledge level is elementary. Spend a few minutes and read the manual carefully. Once setup correctly, you'll be real happy.
32 Linksys WAP11 Wireless Network
My internet access is limited to dial-up. I have two children who are avid web surfers. I connected the WAP11 to a Windows 2000 laptop using Internet connection sharing and a phone line. Two other laptops have IBM or Linksys Wireless PC cards. Setup was easy and the whole system works well. It's great to work on the PC in the yard, no wires!
33 EASY SETUP, WORKS GREAT!
I set the WAP up in a matter of minutes. I used this with my linksys switch that I already own and it works great. Anyone that has problems with installation or set up did not read the instructions or has faulty computer equipment. When I added the wireless card to my computers they picked up the WAP signal right away.
The signal works great and is strong anywhere in my apartment. Definitely worth using in a wireless architecture.
34 This works great
I purcashed this wireless router at Compusa and had great results with it. Within an hour and 15 minutes I was online at superfast speeds on my patio. I can share printers and files and setup is somewhat easy. You have to be better than a beginer to set this up. What is tricky is the setup wants you to plug computers into the router when its all wireless. The setup is quick though and fairly easy. This product works great.
35 Great product, great value but know what your doing.
Mixed reviews for this product. And its hard to tell if they are referring to a early version or the current versions. But I'm currently using the WAP11 v2.2 and it works flawlessly. But I caution users that networking of any type can be frustrating so if you're not sure what your doing, ask somebody for help. Don't expect much from Linksys or any company for that matter.
1)Setup: For me it was plug, configure WEP, and play. But I have an existing network. A RR cable modem into a NetGear router. The Router feeds a Linksys Switch and between them I have 10/100 wired Ethernet in every room of the house, 2 jacks in the den and a dedicated print server. So I just plugged in the WAP11, it got an DHCP IP address from the router and it was up. It immediately talked to the IBM nic in my ThinkPad and the Netgear MA401 in my other notebook. It took a little bit (30min) to get the wep going (I think I was entering in a invalid hex key) but I now have 64bwep and mac filtering for the 2 nics. Easy huh? But other situations can be different and end up bringing a lot of frustration.
2)Range: I get a usable signal all over the house and outside on the deck. It varies from room to room and placement of the WAP can mean everything. 2.4ghz phones and the microwave cause interference so be prepared for that. And Linksys sells a booster for the WAP11 that gets great reviews.
3)Support: None really. And the documentation is useless. It is web configurable but linksys provides no help in how to do it. In short, know what to do with this before you buy it. Don't depend on Linksys for support. In my case, I didn't need them and I give it 5 stars. Others needed help and now give it 1 star.
36 ok, but will try something else
I have 3 hardwired PCs and one wireless laptop. I bought the Linksys laptop card and the wireless/dsl router. Installation was easy, however, one must be aware of some of the complexities of Windows networking (not Linksys' problem) especially when using different Windows operating systems.
I have my DSL connection in my home office. My daughter wanted to use her laptop wireless about 20-25 feet away from the bridge. The signal that she receives is the weakest possible. I've twisted the antenna's but with no luck. For the signal to reach her laptop, it must go through about 2 walls. Her room is the closest to my office, and I'm afraid if I don't ante-up and buy an 802.11a router that I'll never get complete wireless networking in my home.
Being cost conservative (especially since I'm hardwired most of the time), I'm going to return this and try the Netgear wireless. I currently have a Netgear dsl/router and that has worked great (although their firewall software is only for digit-heads).
So, if you're in a situation where you don't have to deal with too many walls then maybe this is ok. However, for those of us with homes, our options are limited especially when considering a wired/wireless combination. I'm going to explore other options.
I did like the setup software for the router firewall, however.
37 It takes patience
I purchased this WAP because of it had an affordable price and adequate performance for my needs. I have a laptop, but I didn't want to be tethered to my Linksys BEFSR41 4-port Cable DSL Router. I purchased the WAP11 Wireless Access Point along with my Linksys WPC54G 802.11g PC Card (802.11g is backwards compatible with 802.11b) so that I could move freely around my apartment and still have access to both the internet (via my cable modem) and the files on my desktop PC. I could also use the wireless network at work.
Now that things are working well together, I'm glad, but the devices weren't cooperative at first. For the better part of a week, I was playing with the settings for my WAP, my router, and my wireless card. What I have found works is changing the default profile's SSID in the Linksys Wireless Connection Manager (I installed it in Windows XP because it seems to be handling connecting to multiple access points better than Windows XP) to "any." This will allow the card to connect to the closest access point.
Using encryption was a little troublesome, as well. The WAP allows you to enter a passphrase from which the WAP calculates the key. The Windows wireless connection manager only allows you to enter the key. This is not an easy task with a 128-bit key. The Linksys manager, however, does allow you to enter the passphrase and calculates the key for you. This was much easier, and I now have encrypted wireless communications.
One last thing to think about is the use of a 2.4GHz cordless phone. Our cordless phone will occaisionally use the same channel, which kills the connection between my laptop and my WAP. After forcing the phone to find another channel, my connection is restored.
38 Worked perfectly right out of the box
After getting my Linksys cable modem and my Linksys router/switch to connect all the wired systems in the house together and onto the Internet, I bought this and a couple of USB wireless network adapters to connect the computers that weren't wired. This smoothly connected right to the router/switch and immediately began working, and in a few minutes I had customized it just the way I wanted.
39 I Live In Constant Fear That Any Second It Will Stop Working
I don't know if its the WAP11 or if its the WUSB11 or if Linksys makes garbage, but the wireless network I set up is totally unreliable. I've spent the past 2 days on the phone for an average of 5 hours a day trying to get this thing to work and it still doesn't. It's all the more frustrating since I HAVE NO IDEA WHY IT DOESN'T WORK.
It gets two stars because for the 5 minutes a day that it works, it works great. It's faster than the wired connection I used to work on and the ability to work in a different part of my house is invaluable to me. Which makes me so mad that it doesn't work reliably enough.
After reading some of the other reviews, I'm not the only one who has gone through this, so it's not just me. Good luck trying to find support on the web, especially at broadbandwhatever.com as those guys are no help. And although Linksys's tech support people are very nice, they take forever to get to the root of the problem and THEN THE PROBLEM COMES BACK! Plus you spend 2 hours on hold waiting for somebody to get on the phone.
My goodness, I'm returning this tomorrow and trying a different company.
40 Easy to setup
The configuration was simple and easy to implement. Out of the box, following the simple insturctions the system was up and running in few minutes.
41 A fine product
I decided to get this and keep my existing cable modem router instead of buying the combo router/wireless device from Linksys. The WAP11 had better distance ratings on the Linksys web site. I'm happy with it. I get 11 Mbps connections anywhere in my house.
42 Intermittent connectivity problems with WIFI
I've endured intermittent WIFI connectivity problems with the Linksys WAP11 access point. The UI provided for tweaking settings is pretty cool, but it could use some refinements. I recommend checking out comments from other reviewers before buying this specific model.
43 Wireless really does deliver!
We were about to get cable internet access and had more than one computer we wished to share that internet with. How did we solve that problem? We bought a Linksys wireless Access Point router and wireless USB receivers for all our computers.
Setting up the Access Point was not easy. (If you have Windows XP, it will be very, very easy. We didn't.) After a call to their tech line we were in business. I also had trouble installing one of the USB connectors to one of my Windows ME computers. After installing XP on that computer, it connected right away.
Connection is near always 100%, sometimes dipping into 97%. The router is in the middle of the house, and it reaches all computers in the basement and the second floor with perfect connection. Cable speeds are as fast as when the computer was hard wired to the modem.
I really do recommend this product to anyone setting up a home network. We're all sharing the internet, printers, and files on our new Linksys wireless network.
44 Decent unit, Poor firmware, did Linksys BETA test this?????
I had the benefit of comparing a Linksys WAP11 (ver 2.2 purchased 12/10/02) directly with a Belkin F5D6130 at a distance of 300 feet between homes. The receiving unit was a Netgear USB MA101 Wireless unit to make the test unbiased toward one manufacturer and the access points were put in exactly the same spot for each test.
The test was conducted by sending 1024 bit packets at maximum data rate with the old fashion DOS program 'ping'. I set the ping address so that it would ping test data all the way through the wireless access point and on to the DSL router. This is to accurately see how fast data from a wired network (ie the router) can be transfered through the wired network port built-in to the access point, across the wireless access point and then to my USB wireless adapter on my laptop. The resulting victor was the Belkin which returned packets the solidly and fast at 11ms (0.011 seconds). The Linksys had a return rate around 11 to 13 with fluctuations up to 20 and 40ms.
This is not all that bad except for one major problem. Every 60 seconds the Linksys access point paused for around 3200ms (3.2seconds)! I don't know if a newer firware version would fix this or what in the world the access point is doing for 3 seconds out of every minute but it sure isn't transmitting my data.
If you would like to conduct your own data return test on your wireless network, I would suggest positioning your access point and wireless adapter as far apart as possible while still maintaining a link and then check the data rate by typing
'ping -t -l 1024 192.168.0.1' Please note that the IP address (191.168.0.1) should be replaced with your own IP address of your DSL or cable modem router and it should be typed in on your laptop or remote computer with the wireless adapter using a windows DOS 'Command Prompt'. Hope this helps.
-Jerome
45 Great, once I got it working
I purchased the WAP11 along with a card for my laptop and a Linksys ethernet bridge. Installing the access point was simple. You basically just connect the access point on your wired network and then use the included setup CD to configure the access point. Within a couple of minutes of pulling it out of the box, it was up and running. I was thrilled.
Unfortunately, things went downhill from there. I started to have problems with my wireless network going down. The access point would appear to be up and running (I could connect to its internal webserver), but neither of my clients could connect. This was usually solved by restarting the access point, or the clients (or both). Doing this on a regular basis wasn't acceptable so I tried a firmware update (which, btw, was very easy to install). After the firmware update, the situation got worse. The wireless network was completely non-functional.
To solve the problem I started to dig in to the configuration of the access point. I had tweaked a couple of settings to make it more secure (btw, its default settings are very insecure), so I tried changing some of these options. After some trial and error I managed to get everything running again (by reenabling SSID broadcast, in case you were wondering). Since then the network has been rock solid.
In the end I am happy with the product. It is easy to setup and configure, and has been working fine since the initial headache.
46 PURE [STUFF]
This thing kinda worked for the first year that I owned it but I always had to reset it because it would die unexpectedly. I tried the firmware update but the software always died at 34%. I called their tech support and they told me that I shouldn't update the firmware and that it may damage the hardware.
No kidding... then the guy tried to make me feel bad that the hardware was failing... Linksys tech support is a bunch of morons... don't buy this product.
47 buggy firmware, lousy support
wap11 v2.2 was delivered with 1.01f firmware, newer than the "latest official firmware" on linksys site (1.01c). wanted to turn off broadcast ssid for higher security and wap11 v2.2 could not talk at all to linksys wet11 at all. called linksys and after waiting more than 30 minutes to talk to someone, i'm not convinced the tech support guy had ever seen these products or knew what broadcast ssid was. anyway, he told me that "linksys products required broadcast ssid to be on". yeah, right. poking around on the internet revealed later firmware, 1.01j, on a linksys site in singapore, which worked perfectly on the first try with wep on and broadcast ssid off. so it is working now but i am not impressed with linksys' firmware or tech "support".
48 Not as strong as I thought it would be...
I have the base unit in the addition to our house. The signal has to pass through an existing brick wall to reach any other area of the house. If it has to pass though any other wall (like a bedroom only 40 feet away), I lose the signal. I need to reconsider placement of the base I guess.
49 Works very well, setup simple and cheap for what you get.
I have 3 of them, 2 are used as a wireless bridge and one I use as an access point with external antenna. Very happy, good range, running 24/7 for over 3 months without a single reset.
50 power boost trick doesn't work with new version (WAP11 v2.2)
An earlier review below talks about boosting the output power by playing with an undocumented setting. This only works for the old model. The new one, WAP11 v2.2, is completely different; there is no known way to make it output more power.
--Pat / zippy at cs.brandeis.edu
51 John Rogers of Attleboro where are you?
I read with great interest your review dated july 2002.
The Tweaking you describe is just what my Wap 11 needs. It barely makes contact with the Wusb 11 at the other end of the house; approx. 90-100 Ft. and through at least 4-5 walls, closets and kitchen cabinets. Most of the time the link quality is 20-26% which is not enough to sustain a download although some surfing is possible. On good days we get to 33% but it reminds me of the days of B&W TV, rabbit ears and struggling to get Boston and Providence Stations while down the Cape. I was considering getting a second Wap 11 and placing it halfway between when I read about the 5x increase in power available provided you know SNMP code which I don't. Too bad you didn't leave your WEB site or e-mail in the review as I have found it impossible to find either. I may end up having to purchase that second unit after all.
52 Very good hardware, *LOUSY* tech support
I found this to be very easy to install and configure, with one great exception: its WEP encryption isn't compatible with my Compaq wireless card for my laptop. All that aside, it's a great performer from anyplace in my house. The big drawback is Linksys's tech support. I was constantly disconnected and never got the same person twice, so I had to constantly re-explain the problem (which they never did solve for me). If tech support is a big issue, don't buy from Linksys!
53 Great Wireless Access Point... Awful Lynksys website........
I just purchased this access point as an addition of my wired network based on SMC Router. The product work like a charm. I hooked it up on my router, and put in the included CDROM in a computer under the same network, in 5 minites the access point is all set to go. This would worth 5 starts. But..........
Now here is something you want to be aware of. I then go to the Linksys website and thought it might work better if I upgrade the firmware. The newest on the web is 1.01c while the firmware on my WAP11 is 1.01f. This is very strange but since it seems to be the newest on the web I thought I might as well give it a try. The Access Point stop working immediatly once the 1.01c is installed. I search the web and found that 1.01c is a non-working firmware! Luckely, I did backup the firmware and was able to get it back to 1.01f! Amazon sell the one with the newest firmware, DO NOT USE THE "NEWEST" FIRMWARE ON LINKSYS'S WEBSITE!
54 Great product... easy to use
Installed recently with Windows XP equipped laptop (for wireless) and desktop (wired). Had no problems whatsoever. Remarkably easy.
55 WAP 11 Has Been Great
I am fairly technical, but I found setting this up extremely easy. I have not had any problems and the setup was a snap. I also have not had any of the interference problems that people have talked about. This has been a great product. I highly recommend this to home/small office users.
56 Linksys Wap11 v2.2 Way to Go
After I ordered the Linksys Wap11 I came across some of the reviews here about distance of transmission and was a little worried this was not going to work in my house.
I am happy to say it is working quite well. I have it installed upstairs and receive full coverage through the whole ground floor with the signal only weakening in the kitchen. All the walls in my house are drywall, so I guess I can not comment on the brick and or plaster reviews elsewhere.
At minimal signal I still get excellent speed out on the back porch and even on the far side of the pool (90 feet), it is slower than inside the house, but much faster than any dial-up connection.
Most important upon installation is to write down your WEP Key if you enable WEP protection, which you should. Anyway, you need the key to set up your laptop correctly, ....
My only complaint has not to do with the WAP11 but rather the Linksys router it is connected to. No performance complaints, its just that it emits a high pitched sound that is just loud enough to hear and be kind of a bother. If you plan on using multiple PC's and on buying a Linksys router to go with the WAP11, then don't place the Linksys BESFR41 router in a room anyone is sleeping in or you will need to power down every night.
Solid product, and you gotta love the freedom.
57 2 WAP11's
I had a portable work PC that (for Company support reasons) could not be configured with a wireless USB or PCMCIA card. So, I installed a WAP11 on my wired network and set it up as "Access Point" and then installed another WAP11 for the protable PC and set it as "Access Point CLIENT". I connected the portable PC directly to the "Access Point CLIENT" WAP11 using a Crossed Cat5 cable and it works great. I realize that using the 2nd WAP11 makes the portable PC not as portable as it would be with a USB device, but it works - and the signal strength is 100% throughout my whole house.
If you need more signal strength, purchase another WAP11 (set it up as AP CLIENT) and place it in the center of your house. You're wireless devices should select the 2nd WAP11 and your signal strength will be great!
You will need seperate IP addresses for each WAP11 (the second one can end with .80) Be sure to set the REPOTE AP MAC address on the 2nd WAP11 (AP CLIENT) to point to the LAN MAC address of the 1st WAP11 (Access Point). Good Luck!
58 Limiting Factors
Okay, in response to all other negative reviews: bunk.
I have a WAP11 (and am purchasing a second for my work place), and out of the box it is a breeze to set up. I have a house separate from my garage/office, and running a wire between the two for internet access is impossible/prohibitive. I set up my WAP11 with my main network and was able to get a good signal with my laptop and my WPC11 (Linksys) PCMCIA card. However, the card orientation is not the best for longer distances.
...
Antenna orientation with these units is everything! On the farthest reaches of my garage (100 ft from the WAP) I received no signal. But, when I tilted my laptop on end (a bad typing position :-) ) suddenly I receive a 40% signal strength. I began to do a little research and talked with a couple of antenna manufacturers. The summation was that this unit is VERY extendable if you want to drop a little extra money on an antenna ... The antennas on the WAP11 are removable and a much more powerful antenna (with pigtail) can be added. However, I found this to be unnecessary. I went ahead and decided to try the WUSB11 (Linksys) and see if the "proper antenna orientation" thingy really was the trouble. Out of the box, it worked. Throughout my house, and out to the farthest reaches of my garage and beyond! I did find a couple of weak areas, but moving the WUSB11 (it is on a 6ft USB cable) around a bit got me the signal strength I desired.
The WAP11 comes with the unit (with two removable antennas, an important feature you don't find described anywhere, even in the LinkSys literature), a power supply, a CD-ROM with driver and installation software (really unbelievably easy setup, and please, please turn on the WEP feature!), and an easy-install guide.
As far as interference? I have a 2.4Ghz cordless phone and have yet to notice anything (jury is still out), but so far, so good.
Really a terrific unit for the price. Just be aware that there are limitations with the out-of-the-box unit and you will be fine. I definitely recommend this unit.
59 Wireless Access Point or Door Stop
This unit has major problems, not the least is terrible customer support. Please do yourself a favor and check with your ISP, odds are they don't support Linksys (and with good reason).. Problem is, by the time you figure out it just plain doesn't work, you are past your 30 day return window with Amazon. It's a rather expensive door stop, but that's most likely what you will end up using it for.
60 Disappointing
Like most technology, started out promising. Then, gradually got flakier and flakier. Usable distance was never more than 20 feet, USB connectivity for config was problematic under Windows 2000/XP. Clueless (although free) phone technical support -- got what I paid for there...
61 Worked right the first time
I'm using the Linksys WAP11 with it's companion wireless PC card as I write and post this review from my laptop. Installation was a snap. You don't even have to read the directions. Just pop in the CD and follow the prompts. It worked right the first time with no tech support. My broadband Internet surfing speeds are the same on either computer and I can freely move around my house, porch, deck, etc.. Great product, now on to networking!
62 Disappointed in WAP11 2.2
I wish I could say that my Linksys WAP11 v 2.2 is living up to my expectations. Setup is straight-forward ... but range a little limited. I purchased an additional unit to 'extend' my network, wirelessly, but have now found out that the 'access point client' operational mode does not work as advertised. It turns out that this unit is unable to extend a network wirelessly ... while still giving wireless clients full access along the way. The solution offered by Linksys tech support was to 1. hardwire the second access point or 2. purchase two additional units and a hub and have them 'bridge' to each other and then use the original two units to give client access. This is a pretty expensive solution for what now appears to be marketing hype. Bottom line: you get what you pay for and this unit is at the low end of the price range.
63 Works as advertised if.....
you read the instructions and at least have done some background reading before taking off half-cocked to install.
I set up the WAP11 Ver. 2.2 off a 10/100 ethernet switch connected to a Linksys BEFSR41 firewall/router which is tied to my cable modem. Ran the enclosed CD on my main home PC, set it for DHCP from the BEFSR41, changed the SSID from the default (duh!!) and set up the WEP information. This step is highly recommended for security reasons...you don't want just anyone you don't authorize accessing your internal network. Very simple if you've read any of the wireless recommendations posted. One note, I did read that the height you set the unit affects the reception so I put it on top of a 6 foot bookcase in my home office.
I then installed the WPC11 Ver 3.0 on a Gateway 600X running XP. XP found and installed the card just as advertised. Immediately I received the broadcasted SSID however it told me it was unavailable. It did take me a few minutes to remember that I had to go into the setup for the physical card (Adapter Properties) to set the channel, SSID, and WEP key information.
As soon as I applied the changes, WHAM! Online baby!! (thanks Dick Vitale). I've tested every application that I use: IE, email, VPN, streaming video (300K), internet radio, whatever, and it's just as good as my wired connection. I've wandered throughout the house (modest single story) and onto the back patio and my signal strength hasn't dropped below "very good". Granted I haven't exceeded about 60 feet and 3 walls but that's the most I would need anyway.
I also read in reports and reviews that some have had problems with 2.4GHz phones interfering. I have two Seimens 2400 base sets (one is right next to the laptop/WPC11) and 6 handsets in the house and I've made test calls sitting right next to the PC and I haven't noticed any change in the signal strength or throughput.
My particular installation doesn't address any issued with anything other than XP but I can't imagine the installation being that much more difficult.
64 Super product for Average users like myself
It was running before I knew it. I did not know that the WAP11 was connected until I installedd the WUSB11 on my daughter's PC. I immediately noticed I was on the Internet. my daughter's PC is 3 solid concrete walls and about 20 meters away, I still got good communication. It delivered my requirement at full.
65 Wonderful device
I'm hooked on LinkSys products. I've added this to the LinkSys cable/router. Easy to configure. Worked the first time. Wireless is great.
66 Great performance, good signal strength, easy to set up
I have had a WAP11 in the house now since the Christmas of 2001, and it has worked marvelously. Both of the kids have a computer upstairs and connect wirelessly, one using a LinkSys USB adapter and the other a LinkSys PC card in her laptop. Both work flawlessly. I use a laptop, and wander around the house continuously, and it works fine. I get a connection between 6-11Mbps, with mostly around 8Mbps. I thought it would seem much slower than the 100Mbps connection that I get when plugged in, but surprisingly, that is not the case. I would nonetheless like to achieve the advertised 11Mbps, though.
I installed the unit in about 5 minutes; simply plugged it into the switch coming off the cable modem, and Voila! The configuration was almost instantaneous. Even after purchasing a Sony VAIO laptop with built-in wireless card, it worked immediately and with "option tweaking" that can sometimes last hours when trying to get a particular piece of hardware or software to work.
I have had no problems with the WAP11, although every great once in a while you have to disconnect the power to "reboot" it. That hasn't happened in over a month, and only 2-3 times since it was installed 8 months ago.
The only reason it doesn't have a 5-star rating is that it doesn't consistently deliver 11Mbps in a very wide range throughout my home. A more powerful transmitter might be needed, or an antenna that needed less tweaking.
67 Good Product Design is Back....
Great product! A cinch to setup, it took me 10 mintues. Getting my MS Win98 to network was a different story, but not the fault of the WNAP. Connects at 11 Mpbs throughout my small two story house. This is the future. And great looking too. Every Starbucks should have one.
I personally think that having a separate hub/switch, broadband router and WNAP is a good thing. It allows upgrading of different components as your needs change and/or standards evolve. If you buy an "all in one" product you're stuck with upgrading everything. But it does mean more cabling and probably a bit more power draw.
68 Works a treat
I spent an hour trying to figure out why it wouldn't talk to my Dell TrueMobile PCMCIA card. I finaly just ejected the card and reinserted it and POW! off and running. It works great from anywhere in our 2 story house.
69 Set up and go!
I bought this for home use. At the price, it is a great unit. It's got all the features most people need and I haven't had any problems with it since I bought it four months ago. Perfect for my needs!
70 Highly recommend this product - 5++ stars
I had my laptop connected to the linksys router via a 50 foot cable I strung up the stairs and through the hall. I purchased this WAP and removed the 50 foot cable. No problem setting up the WAP and I can walk through out the house and not be tied to a cable.
71 Great product!
Worked right out of the box. Very simple to use. The Install Wizard makes installation a snap.It installed in just a few minutes. I use this with the WUSB11 adapter. Both WAP11 and WUSB11 work really well. Would readily recommend it.
72 it changed my life
honestly. i never have to even think about being connected in the house anymore. it's a wired household with no wires!
the range, as other reviewers have been saying, is quite respectable. we once tested a block down the street. i can take my laptop into the garden.
it's freedom. it's the way we were meant to compute.
73 Good Buy
Please make sure you enable 128 bit encryption (WEP) for security. Wireless networks are easier to break into without WEP enabled.
For home or business, please have some level of authentication to access your critical files and folders. People are known to scan neighborhoods and business centers for unprotected wireless networks.
74 Linksys works
I already had a LinkSys 4-port router on my 3Com cable modem (working flawlessly for nearly two years), but wanted wireless access in the rest of the 3000 sqft house. Simply connected the AP to one of the ports on the router that is located in the study of our split level house, and it worked right out of the box. I did buy an Orinoco card (silver; gold is same except for higher encryption) rather than a LinkSys card for better distance reception. The system works everywhere in the house and on the porch. Swapping the single card between laptops gives no problems. LinkSys seems to have gotten it right with easy set up and functionality. Note that the router/AP combination is not handy if you want to place the AP at a high level in the house for optimal reception, but also want to have easy access to the router (occasional resets).
75 Works very well - delighted...
I bought the WAP11 (v 2.2) plus a wireless Linksys PC card NIC and a PCI NIC: all for home use. The WAP setup is pretty straightforward with an excellent Web interface. I set it up with 128 bit WEP encryption and MAC address filtering to provide at least some basic security. I found the signal strength and range to be better than the SMC WAP I had been testing and certainly preferred the Linksys web interface to the setup utility that came with the SMC. My only cricicism of the Linksys unit is its bulk.
Although possibly outside the scope of this review, it may be worth mentioning that I'm very happy with the Linksys WMP11 PCI Wireless NIC that I bought as well. It has an actual real antenna that sticks out of the back of the PC and which can be adjusted to get the optimum signal strength. The only problem I had was with the Windows XP wireless networking setup utility doing battle with the utility provided with the one that shipped with the card. I suppose I could have let the Windows-provided utility handle the card but, in the end, I unchecked the box that allowed it to manage the card. This let me use the Linksys utility to handle the setup and things were smooth from then on. Signal strength is excellent - much better than from the SMC PCI card I'd been using earlier. Whether this was a function of having the antenna, rather than SMC's back plastic PC-card type protrusion, I don't know.
One more thing, Linksys makes easy work of updating drivers, utilities and firmware from its very well-organized web site. It's worth availing yourself of these updates.
76 WAP-11 Ver. 2.2 and WPC-11 Ver. 3 have a hardware conflict
WAP-11 Ver. 2.2 and WPC-11 Ver. 3 have a hardware conflict per Linksys Tech Support which cause intermittent conflict causing other computers to disconnect from the internet.If you have these versions ask Linksys for an RMA # for return
77 Problems with Windows XP
I've had lot of great success with Linksys products in the past. Unfortunately their wonderful track record has stopped with this product.
Linksys claims that although the drivers have not been certified with Microsoft they will work on XP. My experience has been that the product WILL NOT work with XP.
78 Beware - Poor Performance
I bought two of these units to bridge an existing Ethernet because of their attractive price and flexibility.
However, I could not get the units to communicate faster than 500 kbit/sec in either bridging mode or AP mode. This is with both units 3 feet apart in the same room, with all other wireless devices powered off. This is far below their rating of 11 mbit/sec and much worse than the 4 mbit/sec I get in a similar setup with my Orinoco gear.
After an unfruitful 1 hour session with Linksys tech support ended with them blaming the wretched performance on "microwave oven or air traffic control tower interference" I returned the units.
79 Good technology but bad software
The Linksys WAP11 appears to be built on solid technology, however the software it comes with leaves much to be desired. The configurations don't make sense, and the documentation doesn't make sense, even to a seasoned computer and network engineer such as myself.
The security settings are done half-hazardly, and it is very hard to get this WAP to work using its maximum security settings, even with Linksys' own pc cards!
Linksys tech support seems to be vaguely aware of the fact that the configuration software comes broken, and they have very few answers.
Bottom line, I'd say this would be ok for a home, barely workable in a small office (be prepared to tinker with the broken configuration software for hours), DEFINATELY not ready for enterprise usage.
80 I love version 1.x. I do not like version 2.x
I love version 1.x which is ATMEL AT76C510 and allows a lot of hacking: you can use it in 4 different modes (AP,AP client,bridge, point-to-multipoint bridge) which makes it a great for cheap local networks. 2 such units allows easy setup of a wireless bridge connecting two wired networks. For sull power use ATMEL SNMP configuration tools. You can even change the output power!! For longer connection I suggest replacing the connectors as my friend found these RP-TNC connectors very poor. Replacing them by N/SMA connector boost the range.
I do not like the version 2.x. Out of two units I got one broke down shortly after the 30 return period was over. Also since they do not have USB (v1.x does) the configuration was a mcuh bigger problem - confiuration software looks buggy - sometimes it can find the AP, sometimes it can not.
My suggestion - unless you like to be a guinea pig for testing - go for version 1.x which rocks and with new firmware is rock solid. Version 2.x in my opinion stinks and requires more work from Linksys. It took me over 4 hours to get it working while v1.x takes me less than 10 minutes (including upgrade of firmware on two units).
81 Great Product! Tweakable too!
I don't know why people always bash the linksys WAP11 but it is truely one heck of an access point! I use my WAP11 with 2 cards: the WUSB11 (USB wireless card) and the standard Linksys PCMCIA wireless card.
Being someone who is a licensed HAM radio operator and a network administrator, I know that any radio device can be modified to increase it's range and reliability. I found out that Linksys builds these units with 100mw radios! (they're only set at 20mw at the factory). The radio is controlled by software and all you need is an SNMP manager to do the tweak. I offer more information on my website on how to tweak the WAP11. I also offer a link to download a SNMP manager that runs on windows, which will enable you to increase the output of your WAP11. HINT: since the antennas are removable and feature standard TNC type connectors, one could mount external high gain antennas and connect them to the WAP11 and triple the coverage area of the WAP11!! (a friend of mine has done this between two buildings in Boston, both 5 miles apart but within line of sight with each other)
Since this mod doesn't affect the hardware I would assume that doing this has no effect on the warranty, but check with linksys first!
After setting the radio to maximum output, I was able to increase the range to about 5 houses down the street in all directions and still stay connected to my LAN!
(HINT: I now sell wireless internet to my closest neighbors!)
The WAP11 also allows you to control who can access the WAP11 through MAC address authorization. This enables the WAP11 to reject signals from cards who's MAC addresses aren't in the MAC Address table within the WAP11!!!
Overall well designed product! Grab your today! and visit my site to increase your range!
Keep up the good work Linksys!
~ A very satisfied WAP11 owner
82 Fantastic product
Once again Linksys has made a quality product. It worked out of the box, after about 4 minutes of setup time. The instructions were dead on and it works perfectly w/ my Linksys 4 Port Cable/DSL Router. I also got a Linksys PCMCIA wireless network card to use w/ the WAP, and it worked perfectly too. Believe it or not, I don't work for Linksys, but I will now continue to buy their products without hesitation. If you're a novice or networking guru, you really can't go wrong with this product. The advanced features are plentiful and some helpful, but you don't need to set them for this to work right away. Big thumbs up.
83 Very pleased with performance
I recently upgraded from dial-up to a cable modem. I first installed Linksys Broadband + router and connect my PC and my daughters. Installation took about 5 minutes. Worked great except now I have cables running down the hall. So I bought 3 of the WAP11 Access Points. One for my pc, one for my daughters and one for the router. Had to use cross over cables to connect the WAPs to the PCs also the WAPs on the PCs had to be configured as Clients which is easy to do through the web configuration screen.
I moved the router, cable modem and Host WAP to the basement where the main cable comes into the house. The house is about 2500 Sqft, with 2 stories, plus a 16foot tall basement. Both PCs are on the top floor of the house. Performance is very good, ZDnet shows a download speed of between 400kbps and 700kbps. I also downloaded a 2.8MB file from cnet...took 15 seconds. Very happy with the performance.
Set-up took about an hour. The Client WAPs have to be set with the MAC address of the HOST WAP...also need to set unique IP address to each WAP or configure to have IPs assigned by DHCP. Each WAP needs to have it's own resource name assigned.
Did not have to call tech support.
I highly recommend.
84 Linksys WAP11 Nice and Easy USB setup with good manuals
I am an Australian who was in the USA for one week in May 2002. I decided to buy a wireless lan at CompUSA. They gave me a US Robotics kit, but I could not make it work. The problem was that no-one had any experience with it and the manuals were quite poor, probably written by someone who had three computing degrees. Also, it required a wireless connection to set it up, and more information was on a website which I did not have easy access to because I was travelling.
So I returned it all to CompUSA and swapped it for a LinkSYS which was a little cheaper.
LinkSYS had a USB connection (and cable) which allowed easy setup via my laptop (rather than having to make a successful wireless connection first). The linksys instruction books (WAP11 and WPC11) were both quite detailed and well written. It explained what was actually going on and what the device did, although the terminology about the DHCP setting is a little unclear.
In my house there are many brick walls and reinforced concrete floors. When the WAP11 was upstairs beside my cable modem I could not aquire an adequate signal in the front of the house (100 feet). I brought the WAP11 downstairs and 30 feet closer and plugged it in to another ethernet point - now we have medium or weak but always connect. Overall - its great.
85 Works great; range as expected.
I bought the WAP11 v2.2 from Amazon about three weeks ago. I had it installed and working in about an hour, most of the time was caused by mistyping my SSID. Once I corrected that, everything worked flawlessly. Encryption took another five minutes to setup. The range is about what I expected. I have a usable range of about 120 feet but this is through several walls. I used a netgear ma401 card as the client.
86 Go somwhere else
I just went through two of these. I was on the configuration web page and I made some minor changes to the settings. The connection timed out and the WAP11 became unpingable. At the suggestion of tech support I rest the WAP. This resulted in wiping out the firmware. Uh-Oh. That right, Linksys doesn't have firmware available for the WAP11 v.2.2. The same thing happened to a second box with a different tech support person. Do yourself a favor. Don't buy this box.
BTW, I am a system administrator for a large university. I know how to configure hardware and software.
87 Final Update to "Free at Last!"
I had a Linksys WAP11 die on me after 14 months. I had always been happy with it ... so I immediately ordered a replacement. It turned out to be the new v2.2.
The Linksys v2.2 wouldn't work reliably when WEP was enabled (neither 64 nor 128 bit). Also, I seemed to have much more trouble with signal strength. So I tried a second one assuming the first was defective, but the with the same results.
So I gave up on the Linksys WAP11 v2.2 and tried the SMC2655W (even though it's supposedly based on the same electronics) and guess what? It not only worked flawlessly with WEP enabled, but it gave a stronger signal, and is about half the size of the WAP11.
I DID get the WAP11 v2.2 to work well, though not as strong as the SMC, if I disabled WEP. Looks to me like a move in the wrong direction for Linksys.
88 Serviceable; buggy firmware, flawed security
A perfectly decent access point as 802.11b goes. Range is good, physical construction is decent. Inside the WAP11 is the same PCMCIA-based card as is used in SMC and other access points; they even run the same firmware.
Ditch the illusions, though: there is no security. WEP is totally flawed, and there are a dozen academic analyses demontrating why. If you plug this thing into your LAN, you're exposing that LAN to anyone within a hundred yards, whether you use WEP or not. You should never install an access point without restricting its traffic with a firewall only to an encrypted, authenticated transport system like IPsec or PPTP.
The configuration software is decent, except that the unit needs to reboot after every change of a setting (which takes about 3 seconds). The embedded webserver tends to crash. LinkSys tech support has a passable email-support turnaround but does not deal properly with bug reports. The upstream vendor who makes the firmware has a lousy security record -- it took them four major releases before it occurred to them to add authentication to the configuration interface. Problematically, the configuration is accessible over the wireless link, and consequently to a wireless attacker (remember, WEP is no help.)
89 Worked like a charm!
I got this up and running in under 5 minutes,
using a non-standard (dhcp & encryption on a
home lan using ms connection sharing).
The range seems ok - I can connect from anywhere
in my house (WAP is upstairs in a center bedroom),
as well as from my hammock in the yard... :^)
(The link margin is much lower outside.)
The only potential glitch was that the access
point initially came up with an IP address outside
the subnet I was using. (I use 192.168 - the
access point came up with 169.something I think),
so initially I couldn't ping, even though the radio
link connected. Typing ipconfig/renew_all (From a
dos window) solved it, and it's been fine ever since.
Configuration: 5 node home lan, using connection sharing
of multilink PPP connection. (Access point is being
used with a Latitude CPI laptop, using the linksys PC card
and win98se.)
My skills: Reasonably PC literate (used to do PC support
as a sideline to my regular UNIX sysadmin career.)
I Would recommend to anybody who is otherwise qualified
to install/configure PC network cards.
90 Works great, but tricky
If you're the type of person that prefers easy set up and great documentation, this device might not be for you. True, the device connects very easily, right out of the box - however, customizing it is tricky. Paper documentation that comes with the device doesn't tell you what IP the device is configured through, or what its initial password is. I had to check out the documentation on the cd, which was also tricky - even though the setup program had a link to the file, it wouldn't open (I had to locate the documentation by browsing the CD).
As a wireless switch, the device works very well. It's easy to configure (once you get IP and password information), and works without a hitch. It also has quite a few options to configure.
As far as distance - could be better. I often have difficulties a couple of rooms over (and I don't live in a large apartment).
Overall, if you're a techie type of person, buy it with confidence. At its price, it's one of the best around.
If you're at all not sure, I recommend a little more researching first.
91 after 8 hours, finally wireless
Trying to get this item to work with a Orinoco Silver card proved to be impossible; the Linksys people blamed Orinoco, Orinoco blamed Linksys, and it just never worked.
Linksys tech support was useless; they seem to be prepared to deal with a certain set of key issues, and anything outside of that box absolutely confuses them. They don't appear to take notes of the calls, or if they do, each rep cannot view other rep's notes - so if you talk to two different people, you'll end up repeating *everything* already discussed.
Ultimately, got the WAP11 working with a Cisco card.
net net - the access point is finicky, the tech support is lousy.
92 Great product -- I don't know how I lived without it
Being able to walk around the house with my laptop and not getting disconnected from the internet is absolutely amazing. The signal is excellent throughout the entire house, but is quite flaky outside (probably because I have aluminum siding which interferes with the signal). Overall, I think it's a great product and would highly recommend it.
93 Beware!
For me this product was a massive waste of time. I purchased a Linksys WAP11 and WMP11 to connect a win98 PC to an existing (and fully functional) 100BaseT network. The network uses an XP box for routing and Internet Connection Sharing (ICS). The WAP11 was connected to the network via a SohoWare hub and was easy to access and setup. At first I could get no connection between the win98 box and WAP - so contacted linksys support. After 45 min or so on hold the representative revealed a complete lack of understanding of ICS and said the problem is a network issue not covered by their support.
I later discovered that the old network card in the win98 PC was causing problems. After removing the card I could ping in both directions but lost about 50% packets and could get no sharing to work. A further e-mail contact to linksys resulted in a suggestion to install network drivers on the win98 box - not helpful.
In the end I could share files from the win98 to XP (when no-one is logged into the win98 box - as soon as some logged on sharing hung) and do nothing except DNS/DHCP in the other direction (including no ICS).
A further e-mail to linksys was unanswered after 24 hours. So I returned the product having lost about 24 hours of my time struggling to get the products to work.
94 Won't Bridge
Don't believe the packaging and spec's. The new WAP 11 V2.2 will not operate as a client or multipoint access point. Don't waste your time trying to make it work - tech support from Linksys was no help as it took three calls to finally be told that the feature is planned for a future software release with no promised delivery date.
95 Works great and a snap to setup
I honestly can't understand the negative reviews. I've never used any wireless network equipment before, and I had no problems at all in setting up the WAP11 with a Linksys WPC11 network card; everything works flawlessly. Nothing to it ... it truly is "instant wireless." The range and strength of signal are superb, plus you can easily configure the secure, 128-bit encryption feature. What more could you ask for? So if you're even thinking about setting up your own wireless network, don't hesitate to buy Linksys; it won't disappoint. By the way, I already had a cable modem router (Belkin), or else I would have gotten the Linksys router/access point combo.
96 Great Product But...
It is an excellent product but I'm a little disappointed in the range. For NIC cards to be at full bandwidth you must be able to visibly line up the card and the WAP (with little or no physical obstructions). If I take my laptop upstairs or just to the other end of the house, I keep getting disconnected. They really need to come up with a signal amplifier or just a more effective WAP.
All in all it is a great little device to allow mobility with your laptop and still browse the internet and write email. I can watch my kids outside and still do my work.
97 total piece of crap
I bought this thing and a Linksys wireless card as well, and set it up and configured it and everything setup perfectly without a hitch. However, the computers wouldn't connect. When I tested with a script that pinged the computers across the wireless connection I had 90% packet loss at 3 feet! When I moved the computer from the office to the living room I had 100% packet loss and 26 percent ("poor") signal strength - only two rooms away!
Email to technical support went totally unanswered.
So I can only assume that this product is a joke and that linksys will put out a real product soon and apologize for ever shipping this thing. I'd give up on them completely if their DSL/Cable router wasn't such a great product.
98 Piece of junk
Spent many hours tinkering with the WAP11. Waited 90 minutes on hold to Linksys tech support only to be disconnected (!) Finally got through only to be told the W.A.P. is N.O. G.O.O.D.
and needs to be sent back. Forget this, I'm gonna stick with wired ethernet for now.
P.S. If you are considering wireless - do your homework. These devices are not at all secure despite what the manufacturers would like you to believe.
99 Easy set up, poor performance
The configuration was simple. Just left it as it was coming out of the box. I used the Linksys card in my portable W2K computer. The operational distance I get is the only problem I have with this product. If you are with 30 feet of the unit it works great, but if you move beyond the it becomes useless. Linksys does not officially support any other antennas that will provide better gain. Other companies do. So if you are thinking about sitting out at the pool, with this box in your office, forget it.
100 Great Performance at a pretty decent price
I found the Linksys Access point to be easy to configure and use. I set up a wireless network in less than an hour. I think it only fair to mention that I am a network technician professionaly. Linksys writes their technical materials assuming that you understand networking. This makes it tough for a non technical user to understand. Wireless networking is not an easy subject so be prepared to work through some challenges along the way. Initial set up is as easy as plug in the unit, load the software on your administrative machine and you are in business. You need to update the firmware to the latest releases for all wireless adapters used in computers as soon as you get them installed after that you are home free. I have two laptops and 1 workstation on this wireless portion of my network. They have excellent speed and are very reliable. I highly recommend this product to anyone interested in wireless networking. ...
I have installed 5 large wireless networks for a client using the WAP11 as the access point to the wired network and it works great. There have been no problems with any of the hardware I have installed. The secret is to get the WAP as high as possible. I put them up inside of the false ceiling as a way to get them up. Computers 100 feet away in a concrete building with tons of stainless steel get excellent reception.
