Linksys WET11 Wireless Ethernet Bridge

Connect any Ethernet-equipped device to a Wireless Network

The versatile Wireless Ethernet Bridge can make any wired Ethernet-equipped device a part of your wireless network.

At home, use the Wireless Ethernet Bridge to connect game consoles, set-top boxes, or computers into your wireless network to share your high-speed network connection.

In the office, convert your Ethernet-wired printer, scanner, camera, notebook or desktop into a wireless networked device.

It's completely driver-free, so it works on any platform and under any operating system! Since there are no drivers to load, setup is a snap just plug it into your device and configure the network settings through your web browser.

You can also use the Wireless Ethernet Bridge as a kind of "cable-less cable" to connect remote areas together. Maybe Shipping is all the way across the warehouse from Receiving.

Or maybe you want to set up a home office in your detached garage. With a Wireless Ethernet Bridge in the garage, and another one (or a Wireless Access Point) in the house, you're connected with no cabling hassle.

Converts wired-Ethernet devices to wireless network connectivity
Works without drivers on Macintosh®, Windows®, PlayStation®2, Xbox™, Linux®, network printers anything with an Ethernet port!
Provides wireless, cable-free bridging between remote workgroups
Easily configurable through your web browser

The versatile wireless Ethernet bridge from Linksys can make any wired Ethernet-equipped device a part of your wireless network. At home, use the wireless Ethernet bridge to connect game consoles, set-top boxes, or computers to your wireless network to share your high-speed network connection. In the office, convert your Ethernet-wired printer, scanner, camera, notebook, or desktop into a wireless networked device.

It's completely driver-free, so it works on any platform and with any operating system. Because there are no drivers to load, setup is a snap--just plug it into your device and configure the network settings through your Web browser.

You can also use the Linksys wireless Ethernet bridge as a kind of "cableless cable" to connect remote areas together. Maybe the Shipping department is all the way across the warehouse from Receiving. Or maybe you want to set up a home office in your detached garage. With a wireless Ethernet bridge in the garage and an other one (or a wireless access point) in the house, you're connected--without the hassle of cabling.

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:

802.11b

802.11a

802.11g

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 LINKSYS IS JUNK!
If your looking for a device to bridge with, as I once did in this device, head on over to Belkin's F5D7330 Wireless Ethernet Adapter and read my review. Belkin's equipment is so much more reliable, it does what you ask it to and doesn't flinch like inferior DLINK and LINKSYS products.

This LINKSYS device is straight GARBAGE!

2 A Better Purchase Would Be the "G" Bridge
Although it is somewhat more expensive, I would recommend considering the Linksys "g" bridge instead of this product. I had a much better experience with the "g" bridge and you will always appreciate its higher performance.

3 Easy setup and solved my Replay TV wiring problem.
I use this to connect my Replay TV to my network's wireless router. The setup is easy with the included setup CD, and it works great - no problems at all. Solved the problem of the computer being on one side of the house and the computer being on the other.

4 Better Range + Faster w/ new G version
The new Linksys G Ethernet bridge functions much better. It is worth the investment. The WET11 has difficulty going one room away, while the G hasn't dropped signal yet.

If you have it, return it and get the G. You'll be much happier with its range and performance.

Otherwise, this product is easy to configure (assuming you understand wireless networks).

5 I'd look elsewhere...
I cannot recommend this bridge at all. I read the negative reviews, rolled the dice, and came up snake eyes. Despite my best efforts, this unit doesn't "see" either of my two wireless networks. If you aren't the gambling type, I'd look elsewhere.

6 Economical, but quirky and dated
This device is great in concept, and this particular model was an excellent choice a couple of years ago. The concept is still great, but there are better choices out there than this one. The main problem is that the technology is out of date. Being purely 802.11b, this still runs at 11Mb/s best case, and maybe half that speed in actual use. There are other 802.11a and 802.11g options that are several times as fast.

Other specific issues I had with this model, and the reasons I say it's quirky, are:
a) It couldn't connect to my access point unless the access point broadcast its SSID. If both devices have the same SSID this shouldn't be necessary, and is less secure.
b) If you want to use a channel other than 6, you need to change it from infrastructure to ad-hoc mode, change the channel, and then change it back to infrastructure more.
c) It couldn't connect to my access point if the access point was in "mixed 802.11b/g" mode. I had to switch the access point to 802.11b only.

If I were to buy another wireless bridge I'd get one that's 802.11g compatible.

7 Quit working shortly after one year warrantee expired
The WET11 was a great product until it quit working shortly after the one year warrantee expired. I've made it a point to NEVER purchase another product from a manufacturer who's products conveniently quit working shortly after the warrantee expires. Linksys will be no exception.

8 Stream Replay TV?
I bought this item specifically to be able to stream video between my two Replaytv's and my computer. Unfortunately, it doesn't work for that purpose. I may be limited by my B standard router and I don't think they make G standard bridges. Would I be able to stream over my system with this bridge if I upgraded the router to a G?

9 When you get one that works, it's wonderful...
Seems like many other reviews here ring true. Spent the better part of two days trying to configure this item in vain with at least four calls and three hours wasted with tech support just to end up with a bridge stuck in eternal boot mode (seems like a failing hard reset is not uncommon). Sent back to Amazon for a replacement and the new one worked like a charm after two minutes of hassle-free configuration (I would suggest linking it straight to your ethernet after setting a static IP on your pc and working via the bridge's IP address - skip the setup CD-ROM altogether - for detailed instructions, see Linksys' tech support website articles 304 and 534).

I use the bridge to connect a PS2 in our basement with our pc on the second floor (and opposite end) of our house and have a flawless connection with the BEFW11S4 router. I am very pleased with our final result - but very dissatisfied with the work it took to get here. My suggestion - if you follow directions and it doesn't work (i.e., stuck it boot mode, won't save your changes), don't mess with firmware, don't waste time talking to India, just return it for a replacement until it does work.

10 Happy out of the box.
I'm going to be moving soon. One device, Tivo Series 1 DVR, is far enough away from my network router to need either a really long Ethernet cable, or a wireless connection. Got the Linksys after reading some reviews. Was a bit wary because the software is Windows only and I have an iMac. But everything worked out for the best.

After pulling the Bridge out and connecting it to my Tivo, I hooked up a Linksys WRT54G Router. Reset the network, tried the connection, and it's working like a charm. The downside being that the Tivo can only connect at 802.11b speeds and not 802.11g. However since this Router is backward compatible, that doesn't pose a problem at all.

Overall, it'll make my move that much easier knowing I don't have to worry about connectivity.

11 Mine didn't work.
I was unable to get the device to work. I am returning it for a competing model.

12 Works great with our Playstation2
We have a wireless network using a Linksys router and had NO problem setting this up. It took about 10 minutes max. We just plugged it in to the Playstation2 and it worked immediately. The internet capable games are as fast with this as when we just play locally on the console. I'm planning to get another one for the iMac we have so I can stop draping ethernet cable around my house!

13 Excellent for ReplayTV or Tivo
I purchased this to connect my ReplayTV to my broadband DSL. It works great for that, and so I wanted to make sure anyone who had a broadband enables Replay TV or TIVO knew this thing would work with it. Thanks!

14 Never Works!!!
I tried to use this product to hook up my xbox live. i figured it would be easy, you know, just set it up on the computer and plug it into the xbox. but ive had nothing but trouble! i have easily spent 20 hours on the phone with linksys tech support and have just had enough. im buying the xbox live wireless adapter, the WET11 just aint worth the hassle

15 works perfectly with apple
the linksys WET11 is the perfect solution for people trying to get an apple computer onto a wireless network, but are not able to buy the standard airport cards since apple had the oh-so bright idea to stop producing them. just follow the instructions packaged with the ethernet bridge and your apple will be surfing wireless in no-time. It dawned on me that this product would work after trying to figure out how to get a mac wireless after hopelessly trying to configure the DWL-122 which never completely did the job

16 Works Great with Replay TV
Not too hard to set up took 45 min...would have been less IF I HAD READ THE .PDF AVALIABLE ONLINE.
Good for a single replay unit to connect and get info from the web, if you have two replay's and you want to watch movies recorded on the other unit, you need to get the G band.
A++++++++++++ lovin it!

17 Not good if you need long reliable connection
The concept is really good. Simple and easy to use configuration GUI. But from the reviews that I've read, and from my own personal experience, the QA is poor on this product. If you get a good one, it will work, but then again you could get one which will quit after three hours of operation. Mine worked for a couple of hours, then slowly, the performance started degrading (packet loss), until after three hours, it was completely inoperable. And it took me four hours of debugging the network to make sure that the problem was not with my setup. Definitely I won't recommend it for professional/ business setups.

18 This is the 802.11b bridge to buy
I used a Linksys WGA11B to attach a ReplayTV to my network, but this bridge will only serve one device. The WET11 serves multiple devices and is very easy to configure!

It probably helps that I am using a Linksys router. I purchased Netgear products for years, but encountered bugs with their recent products and switched to Linksys.

19 Kind of on the fence with this one...
OK, OK--this is now working in my house and the range seems to be pretty good. I use this to connect my PS2 online. And it does the job. Why the low review?

The setup was really a *nightmare* with Yahoo DSL. Perhaps it would be tough with other providers as well--but for some reason Yahoo needed some special configuring. Had the same problem with a Netgear router I have. Additionally, I could not get my computer to communicate with the bridge out of the box. It just was not going to happen. Tried and tried before giving up and calling (free) customer service.

Call to customer service gets you Linksys India (reminded me very much of a similar call I had to make to Netgear)--and man was my connection bad. I mean bad! They must be using satellite telephone or something. The first representative was nice but *very* difficult to understand, which was a problem because she had to run me through an *endless* scenario of complicated IP changes, etc. to get this product working. Had to have the poor girl repeat the word "advanced" to me 10 times before I understood what she was saying.

In the end, it took *94 minutes* on the phone to customer service to configure this product and mid-way through I wondered if my whole network was going to be broken. What an ordeal. Even though it's working beautifully now, I'm just not sure it was worth it. If I ever change DSL/cable providers this thing's going up on ebay before I attempt to reconfigure it.

So my advice is if something comes out that's a little more intuitive or works better out of the box I'd go with it unless you're really a network person with expertise.

20 Works like a charm
Plugged her up, added the info, and was on the internet just like that. PS2 socomm II is now playable in the downstairs living room. I'm going to buy another one since its portable and small and so I can play another ps2 or xbox online when guests are in the house. I have Linksys cable modem, router, and this, so I'm all Linksys. The other people musta had a dlink router or another brand. When buying, buy the same brand and save yourself the trouble of being a cheapskate.

21 When a Linksys product doesn't work, you are out of luck
I bought a wireless G router from Linksys in October, and still have not gotten it to work. The unit did not come with an installation CD (which was listed on the package), and I was told "You can buy one if you want". Countless emails, faxes, calls, and letters to both tech support and corporate, have gotten me nowhere. "We will send you the CD immediately". Never happens. "We are so sorry, and will make this right". Never happens. When I asked for an RMA, I was told "I think an RMA has something to do with returning the product". I will never EVER buy a Linksys product again.

22 Does the job
I bought a WET11v2 with 2.08 firmware. I cannot speak for the WET11v1, but v2 has been good to me. Configured it in 15 minutes and it has worked great since. The WET11 is usually sold for slightly more than Netgear's competing ME101, but that extra $10 buys you a huge advantage: a fully functional working product. With the ME101, you save a few dollars and get a neutered Yugo. If you need a 802.11b bridge, the WET11 is the best choice.

23 Linksys - Born to break
My first experience with Linksys was a router. It allowed me to hook up my non-ethernet stuff by USB, and share my cable modem around my home office. It was simple to set up and worked great for 4 weeks until it gradually began to fail. First the USB port went dead, then if I had more than two PCs connected, it would slow on ethernet file transfers from 10mbps to dialup speeds. Then it died for good.

I swore to myself never again, but then along comes this bridge... easy to configure, good price... I was a fool.

Currently my bridge can be relied upon to drop them every 5-15 minutes when I'm trying to do something important (like FTP my new web site to the remote server). Used to be that the dropouts were few and far between, and only under heavy use. But just as my other Linksys product gradually went bad, this one's dropouts are growing more and more frequent.

I researched it on the net, read how flashing new firmware stopped the dropouts. I upgraded the firmware, did everything I could, and for a week it seemed to be doing great. And now it's worse than ever. I'm constantly having to reboot the unit. It's driving me bonkers.

I specifically warn people away from this product. If you get one that performs fine in the beginning, big deal. They all do. If you have decent performance six months later, you're an anomaly. In my experience, Linksys is born to break and you'd be better off saving yourself the aggravation by buying a more reliable brand.

24 If you can get it to configure
It would be worth the price. I have an Imac with Debian linux the linksys provides the connection to the internet via an AEBS. It works great after reset as is no configuration. But then it stops after some time (an hour or maybe just 10 minutes). I followed the instructions in the leaflet it comes with and used IP address 192.168.1.225 and Mozilla. Sometimes after reset it will let me have access but it never writes the configuration. It always times out then I have to reset and start over if it will allow me access. The part of the advertisement that says it works without drivers or without regard to any specific platform or OS. This is true. I've hooked it up with great success to PC (XP and 2000), PPC linux, and Mac OS X (10.2.8). Always the same behaviour. It works for a little and then a whole lotta headaches. Also if you want to update the firmware you must have a PC with windows XP or some recent windows version because the firmware update is the form of a windows exe file. I tried to update the firmware with a PC and it refused me access.

25 Good for Wireless to remote locations
I bought two WET11 to provide a connection to a PC that is 1000ft away. I first tested it in the house by setting up one unit to a PC in the furthest end of my house. The other WET11, I connected to my DSL router LAN port (not wireless). The WET11 performed well even through several (5) bedroom walls with quality and signal level of >80%. The units are small and do not run HOT.

Here is how is configured them:
1. Configure each unit by connecting it directly to a PC.
2. Set a unique but fixed IP address to each unit (eg. 192.168.1.220 and .221) & assign a new SSID (but same for both units).
3. Update F/W to latest v2.08 (very important bug fixes were made). You can get the latest F/W from Linksys website.
4. For me I used "ad-hoc" mode, channel 6, MAC=Auto,
5. For security I used 128-bit WEP and set "shared key" on!!!
6. Apply the changes and after it is done connect it to the Router and other to PC.

I was able to see all the PC's on the network and access the internet.

My final setup, I use two 14db directional Panel antenna (30 degree beam). The signal strength, via "site survey tool, reads 46%. That is good enough for 11Mbit connection. Although, I believe the throughput is more like 7Mbit with all the encryption overhead. I'll test the throughput later.

Since it is wireless, you should also set your router to not allow any other MAC address other than those you specify. You want to make it as difficult as possible for WarChalkers to get onto your network!

Cons:
1. One item it lacks is the new WPA encryption. The box says it's Wi-Fi Certified which may mean that some future F/W may include WPA ability. I checked with Linksys but they did not have good answer -- they did not say yes or no just that it is not yet available??? I suspect that if we keep requesting WPA, they will have to implement it.
2. The WET11 can not operate as an Access Point. This would have been handy for my configuration.

Good Product Linksys. I would have had given it a 5 if it had WPA an AP ability.

26 HELP ME !!!!!!
Hey i just want to know if i can buy this and hook it uto my ps2 and take it with me to houston because i have dial up and i just wanna know if i can play online without a phone jack if i buy this item......please helpME>>>>>....!!!!

27 This device works, and is 100% reliable!
I purchased this device to replace a Linksys WUSB11. The WUSB11 was flakey and kept disconnecting, fluctuating in signal strengths, etc...

The WET11 has a much more powerful antenna than the WUSB11, and so far, has been 100% reliable. I have not gotten dropped a single time. I can use it in Linux or Windows, with no need for any drivers, since as far as my PC is concerned, it is connected to a regular LAN. This device was a true godsend.

There is one caveat. You have to configure the device once and only once, and that configuration can be daunting to the layperson, which would explain to me some of the few misgivings by some customers claiming the device does not work. I believe they did not configure it properly.

You connect it to your computer via a regular LAN (twisted pair) cable, then access the device through the default IP address of 192.168.1.225. Then you configure it by telling it how to find your wireless network (if Infrastructure is used).

Once it's configured, you can plug it into *any* device that has an ethernet card, and it works!! Linux PC, TiVo, WindowsXP PC, refrigerator, whatever you want!

I love this device.

28 Well....
It was awesome for about 1 1/2 years.....and then it just quit working.....i went to their website and got a firmware upgrade and still it just sat there....i wander if this had anything to do with it being knocked off the table every other day?

29 Redesigned - Now bad
I have an older wet11 which is awesome. I just purchased a new one and found that it is now labeled version 2.

Well version two has a cheap antenna compared to the old version and is getting around 25% reception in the same spot that my old model gets in the high 70s to 80s. Very disappointed.

30 dud
So I don't sound like I'm slamming Linksys. My USB device by them is awesome and my router works like a champ, but the WET11 is a did. It doesn't set up easy (I never made it work) and Linksys' technical support clearly have no idea how to make it work.

Four hours, a restocking fee and tons of heart ache later I'm looking elsewhere for my wireless bridge.

31 Good product, setup a bit of a pain
I initially tried to use the setup application that came on the CD with this, but never got it to work. Eventually, I used the web based admin utility and set it up myself. I would have given it 5 start if the setup utility worked, but people without experience setting up a wireless system might have trouble.

I have it running with 128 bit WEP encryption, and MAC address filtering with no problems.

32 Quality Control Issues
I own four of these. Two of them work flawlessly, but the other two have been nothing but trouble. These lock up frequently, particularly during periods of sustained activity. Linksys technical support was not helpful. They suggested that the problem might be due to an IP address conflict (which was not the case). Upgrading to the lastest firmware (version 1.5.4) has not helped either. I noticed that the two bad ones both have serial numbers starting with BBQ002, while the good ones have serial numbers starting with BBQ112.

33 Works great with Linksys WRT54G WAP and Xbox
I purchase this item last week with much trepidation. I always wanted a reliable inexpensive wireless network for my home but was intimadated by the complexity and cost. I just activated an Xbox live subscription and the ehternet cable running dow the hallway was really pissing people off so I took the plunge. For approx $160 I picked up the WET11 and a Linksys WRT54G Wireless -G AP. I couldn't beleive how easy it was to set up. I could have saved $20 by getting a B standard router but in a few month I wanna connect 2 more PC's and it seems better to hace more.bandwith then less. Entire setup time for the router, bridge and Xbox? 20 mins with no encryption. Add another 10 mins to get the 128 bit encryption up and running. I can't comment on Linksys bad customer support as I've had no reason to call them. It truely was plug and play right out the box. Very impressive linksys! It would be nice though to have the signal strength displayed somewhere. My Xbox is about 70 ft and 3 walls away from my WAP. My ISP is Comcast Cable and I notice no lag when playing LIve games. Juest as good as an ethernet cable. One room over is a panasonic cordless phone (2.4 Ghz also), and no problems.

34 Great Product for Playstation
Excellent Product. Took me literally 5 minutes to set this up and I was wirelessly online with my PS2. As some reviewere have stated incorrectly, this bridge DOES work with D-Link routers. Great product, easy to use

35 Watch out for WET11, version 2 - couldn't get it to work!
I have purchased several Linksys products before and have recommended them to many friends and co-workers, but after my experience with the WET11 version 2, I will no longer endorse Linksys products. I work in the computer industry and am very familiar with setting up networking gear, and I just could not get the darn thing to work. Linksys tech support, which usually is somewhat helpful, was absolutely useless. At the moment I am writing this, there is no documentation or firmware updates available for the WET11 version 2 on the Linksys website, and their warranty return website is down to boot. This piece of crap is going straight back to Amazon. Unless you can guarantee you're getting the older version of the WET11, and not WET11 version 2 w/ firmware version 2.05, I'd hold off I buying this until Linksys/Cisco gets its act together. Very disappointed...

36 Couldn't be easier to use.
My network has a 802.11b router, Wireless Access point, 802.11g wireless router and several wireless 802.11 adapters. Last night I added this wireless bridge. Configuration took less than 5 minutes. Once configured it just worked. You have to love Linksys ... it all works, it's all easy to use and configure. Wonderful.

37 great product
this product is great for me, i have it 2 floors away from my router, and it still runs well. my only complaint would be with my actual internet service, suscom, which disconnects me from xbox live at random...oh well. This product is perfect for convenient wireless video games, and it reccomended as long as you know how to configure it.

38 What a delightful piece of hardware!
I bought two of these; one to connect to my AudioTron so I wouldn't have to run a cable from the computer room to the family room, and one as a spare or to connect the occasional Ethernet device to the wireless network. My only fear initially was that the AudioTron might demand a more real-time connection to the server system to play music reliably, but it works without a hitch via the WET11 (and a WAP11, and a BEFSR41). I had also bought several WUSB11s for the upstairs computers, and was having a bit of a problem with one of them (I have since returned it and received a replacement unit that works flawlessly, just like the other two) and I used the spare WET11 on that computer for several weeks without a hitch. It's marvelous; it drops very few packets, and after the firmware upgrade it's even better. There's nearly a dozen access points within range, and I worried a lot about interference, but all the Linksys equipment I have continues to be largely unaffected by the other access points within range. All in all, perhaps my favorite of the Linksys hardware I've bought -- and I have a fair bit of it now.

39 Works with my XBOX and Mac
Easy setup abd provides enough speed to play XBOX Live. Also, works with my Mac.

40 Avoid at ALL costs
This is the absolute worst product i have seen in my entire lifetime! I tried to connect it to my Ps2, which the people at linksys said would work (it would not communicate with my 802.11B Linksys router). i followed all of the included instructions (from linksys) and all of the Ps2 instructions and.... nothing. so, i called Linksys and was put on hold for at least a half hour (no exaggeration) and then talked to a person who barely spoke english and had absolutely no idea what they were talking about. this person told me to change a lot of DOS settings on my windows XP computer, which really screwed it up. i finally gave up and took the piece of junk back. i will never again buy a Linksys product ever again.

41 Perfect fo the PS2
I have this hooked up to my Linksys BEFW11S4 and they work great together. It's connected to my PS2. Now I'm playing games with people in countries I can't even spell. A good Linksys product.

42 Simple, Functional, Friendly
This bridge was just the thing for me - it connected my Dell Digital Audio Receiver to my wireless network so I could stream MP3s over my stereo. Since that means streaming small files, it's worked just fine - only rarely do I get a dropout. I haven't tried it with large amounts of traffic, but it does seem to work well with up to 3 machines sharing its bandwidth.

The nice thing about Linksys' products is that Linksys works hard to make setup and use as easy as possible: I can use the CD-ROM that comes with the Bridge to step through a wizard that will configure it, or I can log into the unit using a web browser and tweak all the settings manually.

One thing to keep in mind if you're not going to just plug-n-play out of the box: when you first go to set this up, you need to connect it directly to your computer so you can configure it. Have one handy so you can set it up, and once you get things working you can plug it in anywhere. Mine serves my jukebox, but I could easily use it to connect *any* Ethernet device.

I have also had to call tech support for help. Their phone support is hit or miss: sometimes you get someone who doesn't speak English and has never seen the product (and sometimes doesn't even understand how it works!), but other times I get savvy, friendly people who impress me with their service. Since Linksys is one of the rare companies that still offers 24-hour toll-free tech-support, I have to give them a thumbs-up for the quality.

43 Better than the game adapter
I had the game adapter and it suddenly didn't work after a month. (I never got a signal! It was fustrating.) I have 64-bit encription and I tried to configure it but nothing. I bought this and was highly satisfied. I have this connected to my xbox for online capabilities. It gets more range than the game adapter also, so this is the better bet than the game adapter. Also, I still have 64-bit encription, and took 5 minutes tops, because my xbox was in the basement and my router was on the second floor! Highly recommended for X-Box Live!

44 Is a great product for PS2, after tech-support.
Like another reviewer I have a MAC airport network, and had difficulty with this product. Thankfully my roomate is a PC guy and between him and the linksys tech-support (in India?) we we're rockin' in no time (using his PC to configure the WET11).

I also wish they had MAC configuration instructions, or made them available on their website.

Once configured and seeing the network, this box rocks the wireless Wi-Fi in the house to the PS2 for mean on-line gaming action.

45 Don't buy this bridge, the new one from linksys works better
There is a new bridge from linksys that is [money amount]cheaper than this bridge and so much easier to set up for online gaming. For [money amount]buy the Linksys WGA11B Wireless-B Game Adapter, it rocks. It took me all of 5 minutes to get my playstation to connect to my wireless network with this bridge.

46 Xbox Systemlink works with new firmware!
I purchased the WET11 bridge and the WAP11 access point for two reasons: to hookup my home office network and to play Xbox systemlink games.

The home office usage worked well from the beginning. Setup was simple and quick. My only problem with the home network was that I was losing my connection every two hours or so for a few minutes.

The home network requirement was important, but the reason that I chose Linksys over other wireless options was because of the potential of using the WET11 for Xbox systemlink play. I have two Xbox consoles that are too far apart to conveniently string a cable. The downstairs Xbox is on a wired router (also happens to be Linksys), but the upstairs Xbox was disconnected. To my disappointment, a technical issue prevented the WET11 from being the systemlink solution that I was looking for.

Things have changed! Linksys recently provided new WET11 firmware (version 1.5.4) for download. The notes included a cryptic reference to supporting Xbox systemlink play, but no details beyond selecting a new checkbox in the browser setup screen. Last week I finally had a chance to update to the 1.5.4 firmware in my WET11 and test system link. It works!

Here is my setup:

DOWNSTAIRS
===========
(Xbox #1)
. |
. |
(Linksys 4 port wired router) --- (Cable Modem)
. |
. |
(Linksys WAP 11)

UPSTAIRS
========
(WET 11 #1) --- (Xbox #2)

(WET 11 #2) --- (Laptop Computer)

I played around an hour of systemlink Halo with this setup. I noticed a couple of minor glitches, but overall it was a very smooth experience. This is what I have been waiting for! The trick after upgrading the firmware is to then use the WET11 web setup utility to enable the MAC cloning feature before plugging the WET11 into your Xbox. I am running in Infrastructure mode.

As a warning, I did not do thorough testing of all wireless scenarios. I have no reason to think that this isn't a solution for all Xbox wireless systemlink play, but try the scenarios below at your own risk.

(1) I have not tried to use 2 WET 11 units for systemlink. I have one Xbox wired to a router and one using a WET11.

(2) I have not tested Ad Hoc mode (since 2 WET11 units would be needed for that). I am running in Infrastructure mode since I am hooking into an existing network. Ad Hoc mode would allow the 2 consoles to be connected wirelessly without any other networking hardware.

(3) I did not test wireless Xbox Live with this setup. However, other reviews indicate that the WET11 was already a solution for that. I run Xbox Live from my wired Xbox.

The upgrade also seems to have improved my home office disconnect issues. I haven't had enough time to tell, but I seem to get disconnected less often and the signal seems to be available again almost instantly. I still have some troubleshooting to do and the new firmware has a signal testing tool that should help. For example, I found out that there are other wireless networks in range that are probably causing interference with my network. Based on that, I expect that I should be able to change some settings to improve my home network reliability even further.

Even though I have had some minor issues with Linksys technical support over the last couple of years, they have generally been very helpful. Also, even though the new MAC address closing feature was not well documented it was easy enough to figure out. Therefore, these issues did not lower my product rating.

47 Great for remote workgroup
I have the cable modem and Wireless router (BEFW11S4) downstairs and my workgroup upstairs. I use WET11 wire to the router (BEFSR41) upstairs and it works great. All of my PCs can plug in BEFSR41 and surf on internet. The PCs in workgroup can also use Cisco VPN connect to my company, this is not possible when I tried to use the Linksys wireless card.

Although it took me a while to configure and the technical support at Linksys was not too helpful, this is a great product.

48 Great for remote workgroup
I have the cable modem and Wireless router (BEFW11S4) downstairs and my workgroup upstairs. I use WET11 wire to the router (BEFSR41) upstairs and it works great. All of my PCs can plug in BEFSR41 and surf on internet. The PCs in workgroup can also use Cisco VPN connect to my company, this is not possible when I tried to use the Linksys wireless card.

Although it took me a while to configure and the technical support at Linksys was not too helpful, this is a great product.

49 Great Linux Option
I bought this (and a cheapo network card: SMC) because I tired of trying to get my Linux box working with my wireless network (using WUSB11 2.5). I simply plugged the bridge into the network card and was surfing the net within minutes. If you've struggled in vain with trying to get your wireless working with Linux, this is the product for you. It's a little more expensive but it is worth the price. Plus, I think I am getting better response from the network than I did with the WUSB11 (I use an XP box also). I don't know if the setup works with Linux as I configured mine with XP but it only requires hooking it up to a Windows ethernet and running the setup off the CD (no files are installed). Took about 1 minute.

50 Useful piece of equipment
I ordered the WET11 to hook my XBox to a wireless network. Although I initially had problems configuring the different parts of the network, Linksys customer support was very helpful and got me up and running. I can't tell a difference between playing wireless and when I was wired with a Cat-5 cable running through my house. Very happy with it.

51 Don't Buy!!!!
This was the worst decision i ever made. Right after the first week all of my houses etherenet Bridges shut down. Take my advise and stick to wired internet. its much more reliable. yeah sure u have to spend the extra bucks to get wires put in
but it won't shut down on u. Linksys really needs to work on making better wireless internet.

52 Perfect Compatability with PS2
I use the bridge in a very focused situation. I waited to buy for quite a while because I was concerned about PS2 compatability. On the advice of previous reviews, I bought the bridge, plugged it into the PS2 network adapter, a SHAZAM!! No problems. You dont need to use setup CD from Lynksys, just the PS2 setup disk.

53 Saved me quite a bit of wiring
I have broadband internet access in my upstairs bedroom. I wanted the kids to be able to access the internet too. Their computers are downstairs. Since I'm renting this house, I didn't want to tear into the walls to install new wiring. I got a Linksys WAP11 (access point) for upstairs and a WET11 for downstairs, and now I can hook several computers (via a hub) to the WET11, and they can all get internet access. This saved me a little bit of money, since I didn't need to get a wireless PCI card for each computer downstairs.

The setup was fairly easy. The Linksys lets you configure WEP encryption with a passphrase instead of the usual long string of hex characters. That's convenient if both your client and access point are both Linksys (which they are, in my case). I'm sure Linksys likes that I have an incentive to buy more Linksys devices for the convenience of setup.

You can configure the device with a web browser. One annoying thing is that if something goes wrong, you don't get internet access, so you can't use the web browser to go into the WET11 to fix the configuration. You have to go back to the Linksys CD, which contains a setup program.

I've heard that the WET11 can also be used with a TiVo. It's something I want to try but right now the arrangement we have puts the TiVo and the computers downstairs far away from each other, so I don't have this set up.

I find the Linksys custom setup app pretty annoying. Instead of using standard Windows widgets, it has its own "pretty" window with its own nonstandard titlebar, nonstandard radio buttons, etc. They didn't implement all the shortcuts (shortcut keys, cut/paste, etc.), so it's really a pain to use their program. To make it look k00l they gave up consistency and usability. :-(

54 Works if you leave it on channel 6
I have a D-Link DI-614+ wireless router and tried to connect the WET11 bridge to my wireless network. However, after many many attempts, I discovered that the WET11 refuses to connect to any infrastructure channel other than 2-6. Even so, in order to get the WET11 to connect to my network, I had to change the network to channel 6. After verifying that the bridge had connected to the WLAN (green light came on), I then moved the network to another channel between 2-5. After using this bridge for a few days, I find that the bridge loses the wireless connection, and I have to change the network channel back to 6, and then back to my preferred channel, for the bridge to connect.

Don't expect this particular bridge to work smoothly if you use a wireless infrastructure channel other than the default channel 6.

55 So Simple
My wife bought me an Xbox Live subscription for Christmas. Lovely gift, but with one big problem: The Xbox wasn't in a room with an internet connection. And so the Xbox Live Starter Kit sat unused in the garage.

Until today.

Today, my Linksys Wireless Ethernet Bridge arrived. I plugged the power cord into the wall. I plugged the Bridge into the Xbox.

And I was finished. Installation complete. Xbox Live was up and running.

Oh, and did I mention the connection is flawless and fast? Now I'm playing Ghost Recon against people from who-knows-where, and all I had to do was plug in two cords.

It doesn't get any easier, and it can't get much better.

56 Set-up was effortless, works like a champ - no problems.
I use this device with my ReplayTV 5040. I could not get an ethernet cable to my Replay unit (other than an ugly exposed wire across the room). With no other options, I decided to get this wireless bridge to utilize my Replay's ethernet port. Works great, never a problem (I wish I could say the same about my ReplayTV).

57 Perfect for Xbox Live
I would have given this 5 stars but they included the wrong installation disc in the package and I had to borrow a friend's install disc. Major boo boo. Also, and it probably depends on your system, but I had a rough time getting my computer to detect it. My settings were probably messed, but I was never comfortable with the setup, even after if was done. I had this feeling that maybe it was going to conk out in the middle of a game. As with all wireless peripherals, speed and reliability depend on your distance from the base and the obstacles in between. It takes a performance hit when I play it in the living room (the hub is upstairs), but otherwise is usually fast enough to play comfortably. I highly recommend this product, and especially to anyone with an aversion to ethernet cables longer than 10 feet.

58 Not fully Xbox compatible - Live yes, System Link no.
Yes, it works for Xbox Live (the primary reason I purchased it). However, as my friends and I found out this weekend, system link does not work through the WET11 (or at least not the games we tried - Ghost Recon and Halo). This has been verified by several websites around the internet.

I'm disappointed. It works great for Live, so I'll keep it if I can't convince Linksys to give me a refund, but not being able to play system link when my buddy comes over is a bummer.

59 information for Mac users
this may have come up in other reviews, but I got quite frustrated with the WEB11 as it come from Amazon, because the CD only does Windows and the installation instructions for Macs are incomplete. They mention the web URL, http://192.168.1.225, to use the web based setup but fail to mention that the computer that talks to it HAS to be in the same subnet, i.e. 192.168.1.X . Mine wasn't so I could not get it to work till I found that on another web page. After changing the IP addresses on my private network all is fine and it works well.
So if your private uses the 192.168.1.X subnet AND you do not have another device which uses 192.168.1.225 AND you do not use WEB authentication the WEB11 will work right out of the box for you, if NOT, there is a little bit of work to do.

60 WORKS GREAT!!
I have a PS2, a Mac G4 running OSX and a Pentium Laptop running Windows 2000 and my ISP uses PPoE and dynamic IP addressing. At first glance, not an easy combination when thinking in terms of a home network. But then I read up on routers, and subsequently, wireless technologies and it's been a snap since then. I ended up going with the Linksys BEFW11s4 4 port 802.11b* router and the Linksys WET11 bridge. Both devices were super easy to setup and despite what the box and setup guide say...you CAN set the whole thing up from a Macintosh via your browser and system preferences.

Once up and running, you are able to set the WET11 up with any device using an Ethernet 10/100 port converting it to wireless. (In my case the PS2.) You can also connect up to 4 other devices via the router and a virtually unlimited number or other wireless, 802.11b compatible devices.. All will share your internet connection, even if its dynamically addressed from your ISP, and have access to printers, scanners and other devices sharing the network.

The system comes with a host of security options if you are concerned about hackers or outside hitchers riding your bandwith. I live in a very congested, tech savy part of San Francisco so wireless security is a huge issue. There are multiple levels of encryption, password protection, and filtering options to lock your system from all but the most determined hackers. You're never completely safe, but you can be confident with the options included here.

Performance wise, the system is above average. This will totally depend on where you live, what other 2.4ghz wireless devices you operate and the distance / walls separating the access point from the wireless connecting device. I have had 2 PS2s (one connected by cable the other wirelessly from another room about 50 feet away, playing SOCOM on 1.5mbps DSL) plus the Mac simaultaneously connected to the internet with little to no slow down. This is not to say the whole thing works flawlessly all the time. I have noticed that at times, especially during the day, lag can occur in online gaming with the WET11. I am assuming this is caused by outside traffic such as 2.4ghz phones and possibly other 802.11 devices. Again, the slowdown is very infrequent and negligable when it occurs. If this is a concern for you, you should look into 802.11a (still in development and about 3 times the price) devices that run on the 5.4ghz frequency which is less congested.

All in all, and if you've made it this far in my babbling, the combination of the Linksys 4 port router and the Linksys WET11 bridge should be perfect for those wanting expandability, compatability, reliablity and playability. Host a LAN party or head online solo from the comfort of your living room sofa, its all capable with this set up.

*(802.11b is the bottom rung of the wi-fi spectrum at the moment, which is the only thing that kept me from giving this 5 out of 5 stars.(11 mbps transfer rate compared the the 56mbps of .11a and .11g. This is only an issue when you transfer large amounts of data from one device to another or if you connect to the internet at T1 speeds) But it is also the most widely compatible and most cost effective of the three current technologies.)

61 Does not work with Appletalk
So Linksys claims this product works without drivers on Macintosh systems ("anything with an Ethernet port"). However, it does *not* handle AFP (Apple's file-sharing protocol) at all. If you are attempting to connect a Mac to a network file-share using AFP (common to versions of MacOS earlier than X), you will fail. This includes other pre-OSX Macs, as well as Microsoft UAM volumes.

Otherwise this product works as advertised. The Mac could indeed surf the Internet and use network services utilizing standard TCP/IP protocol. However, I feel it is highly irresponsible for Linksys to claim that their product works on Macintosh PCs when 100% compatibility does not exist.

62 Easy to setup and reliable...
The only thing I can say bad is that the manufacturer only provides Windows based setup software. I use this device on a SuSE Linux 8 box and would like to be able to maintain it (I change wireless passwords periodically) without having to disconnect it from the Linux server and hook it up to my Windows XP PC. Instead, I have dual-booted the Linux server with XP Pro so I can use both as needed now and reconfigure the bridge with the software under XP Pro. It would be nice, also, if they included a means of monitoring the connection speed and integrity from a Windows-based PC, much like the USB wireless adapter I use on my laptop has.

I use all Linksys 802.11b wireless adapters to connect all my PCs and my XBOX and compatibility has yet to be an issue. Thank you, Linksys, for making such great products. You can be sure I'll return once the 802.11g standard has been formalized and a certification system is in place.

63 Perfect in Mixed Wireless environments and for Xbox Live
I generally don't like linksys wireless gear because in the past I have found them to be a bit flakey in terms of keeping a connection. But in this case, I have to rate the WET-11 a two thumbs up. I run a Netgear wireless router and connectivity between the two is was perfect. Easy setup and a unfailing connection makes this product really worth the money.

It should be noted too, that I'm running the bridge three floors below the router and I still get a 11mbs connection with very little latency problems.

64 Just What I Was Looking For
I picked up the Linksys BEFW11S4 wireless router and the WET11 at the same time, strictly for online gaming with my consoles. As other reviewers have pointed out, it works great with the Xbox, and I can say that it works great with the PlayStation 2 as well.

Really, the whole thing is nearly a plug and play affair. After getting the router set up (which took about 10 minutes, no tech support needed...the cdrom walkthrough is ridiculously easy) all I needed to do was hook the WET11 up to the router via ethernet cable, use the simple WET11 cdrom walkthrough to configure it, then hook it up to the PS2 and viola! I was playing Twisted Metal Black Online in minutes.

That's a beautiful thing.

65 Just What I Was Looking For
I picked up the Linksys BEFW11S4 wireless router and the WET11 at the same time, strictly for online gaming with my consoles. As other reviewers have pointed out, it works great with the Xbox, and I can say that it works great with the PlayStation 2 as well.

That's a beautiful thing.

66 I use it for X Box live/ReplayTV connectivity/MP3 server
I use it with a (gasp!) D Link wireless router. I am using the DI-614+ but have also used the 713P in the past.

Other than the signal strength meter which would be a nice addition, it works GREAT!

67 Excellent solution to share fast connection!
We have a fast connection and there was no way I was going to get away with having that while the other computers in the house had to dial up. Enter a wireless router and this little wireless bridge. If you know what you're doing you'll have it cranking in a minute or two.. Easy as pie and as fast as if the computer was connected directly to the cable modem. Add a cheap little hub and you can plug in more computers to it.

Have fun!

68 Lacks signal strength meter
The device has the equivalent of a car's idiot light on the side (a led with WAN next to it) that lights up when you connect to an access point. The problem is that if it's off or the signal is intermittent, you can't tell how strong it is. This means you can't move the device around to get a better signal. It's either on or off.

The device could be falling back to a slower speed because of poor signal strength. The only way to know is to go into the configuration utility and force it to a higher speed. There are rumors on the net of an older firmware that had a signal meter, but going back on a firmware revision sounds like a desperate measure.

The device also lacks the ability to tell you what SSIDs (wireless networks) are available. If you misspell the ID when you're configuring it or you're not exactly sure of the spelling you may have a hard time locating it.

Connecting to the device to configure it is not easy. You have to manually set your IP address to the 192.168.1.xxx network and run their installation software to discover it or connect directly to it's default address at 192.168.1.225. A USB connection would make it easier.

My experience with tech support at Linksys was not pleasant. The tech incorrectly told me that the product did have a signal meter before I bought it. He also seemed to have little understanding of what the product actually did.

On the plus side, the antenna works fairly well and is removable in case you want to purchase an external model.

69 Doesn't work with D-Link wireless router
I purchased this product, based on the reviews, for my Sony PS2. It was anything but easy to configure. I have a D-Link DI-713P wireless router and the two are virtually incompatible. The installation disc would not get past the initial screen. I contacted customer service after holding for almost an hour. When I finally spoke with someone and told them I was using a D-Link wireless router, they told me they weren't sure if they could help. They were right. They determined that my bridge was bad. I was skeptical, but purchased another. It wouldn't work either. I called customer service back and held for 30 min. We changed the IP address of the bridge and I was told that would solve the problem. When I attached it to the PS2, I couldn't get to a game server. I finally got a friend, who is a computer science student, to get it to work after about an hour. He got the original one to work. It was not broken. After a week it stopped working again and I returned it. I ordered a D-Link DWL-810+. I received it today and I got it working in about 10 minutes. I guess the morale of the story is get a bridge that is the same brand as the router. Don't think that Sony will help either. When I told them I was attached to a wireless network, they told me it wasn't supported, but it does work and it works great.

70 Great item but, set-up a little tedious, WEP encrypt. tricky
I purchased this to use with X-Box Live, and I highly recommend it for X-Box or for any wireless network solution simply because once you set it up, you just plug it into the ethernet port and you're connected no drivers to download, no software to install on the connected machine.

Now to the downsides:
1. You set-up the device using a CD-ROM in a Windows computer and input all your network settings (matching your wireless router). Set up is not as intuitive as it could/should be, and a few times I received "Device Not Found" error, even though it was directly connected to my computer.

2. Since it is a Linksys product, if you want to use WEP encyption, it creates the key based on a "alphanumeric pass-code" or allows you to create one key code manually, however, my wireless router allows me to create my own revolving key codes (Four @ 64-bit encryption, Eight @ 128-bit encryption), so I have to keep one key code which slightly undermines the security.

Despite all this, I can still recommend it - and be sure to check out compatabilty with your router if it is not a Linksys.

71 works for me
In response to the electronics fan from Castaic, CA, this WET11 Bridge worked perfectly with my BEFW11S4 router. Just plugged it and and set it to my network name and password. Worked like a charm. Sounds like you got a defective bridge.

72 Bought for PS2, works well.
In my home we have a wireless network. When I purchased the PlayStation 2 Network Adapter I needed a way to get a wire to get to the PS2. I had read that this would work so I decided, "There's my solution!" And sure enough it worked. It comes with a CD that is ONLY PC compatible so sorry fellow Mac users. I pluged it in and had it working in less than half an hour, so even non-computer type folks should be able to set it up fairly easily. I've had it for nearly half a year with no problems, great product!

73 an excellent product...
As other customers already wrote in their reviews: it works fine with the Xbox. It is not true that you can't use the WEP encryption with the WET11 as one reviewer wrote. You just have to set up the WET11 first by connecting it directly to the router (using the cable that is included in the package). Setting up the WET11 was very easy using the CD-ROM on a Windows computer.

74 Check first !!!
Check compatibility with your existing wireless devices before getting this one. Does not communicate with my BEFW11S4. Did the bios upgrade, tried default setups, etc... did not work so I'm returning this one.

75 Difficult to configure if not using Windows
Got this to connect a desktop Macintosh to a wireless network. I had problems almost immediately:

1) Setup via CDROM was OK, but once configured it would not recognize the router. Of note, this requires a Windows machine to work.
2) Unable to upgrade the firmware via the utility downloaded from the Linksys website until I discovered that the computer had to be set to static.
3) Using a web interface was impossible; none of the changes I made were saved to the WET11.

Bottom line: If you want to use this for a single configuration without ever changing it, then it is OK. If you want to use this where you might want to occasionally change the configuration (i.e. change to peer-to-peer, change WEP, change base stations), then the difficulties in changing configuration make this too much of a hassle to get.

76 Highest recommendation!
This is an excellent product, and works exactly as advertised. The reason I bought this over a USB product is the lack of any drivers. I had problems with the USB based Netgear MA101 dropping connections (with a Netgear router), but this thing has never dropped the connection once (with a Linksys router). It is blazing fast, and you can plug it into anything with an ethernet port. I have not tried it with Xbox yet, but it seems like a perfect combination.

77 So far so good
Used the WET11 bridge in setting up my home network last weekend and so far so good!! Set up was a breeze and I didn't have to call Linksys support. I had also purchased the Linksys befw11s4 access point/router for my wireless network and used the bridge to hook my other desktop computer into the network wirelessly. Ordinarily you would use the Linksys wireless USB adapter, but that would not work for me because my second computer runs Windows 98 (original version and not 98SE). The current version 2.6 of the Linksys wireless USB adapter requires 98SE or higher. The WET11 bridge, however, can be used with any OS and can link any ethernet device to a wireless network. I just plugged the Bridge in, connected to my ethernet plug on my computer, configured the bridge with the name of my wireless network, etc., reset the bridge by unplugging its power connection for a few seconds, plugged it back in, and it worked flawlessly to connect to my wireless network. Don't forget the reset requirement.

Couldn't be happier with this product. So far so good . . . (knock on wood)!

78 Xbox or PS2 doesn't allow SECURITY feature to be used.
This is a great product, but here is the problem. On your wireless router, you have to enable WEP which is a security setting so no one located within your routers range can hook up to your router without you knowing. With the WET, if you're using it to get your PS2 or XBOX online, you can't activate the WEP setting because you can't set the wireless device up with your XBOX or PS2 because only a windows operating system can do it. If you don't understand this, call Linksys Tech Support.

79 Works with XBOX but not as good as a wire
I bought the WET11 [along with a Linksys WAP11 (2.2) wireless access point] primarily to replace the 50ft CAT5 cable connecting my XBOX. Installation was fairly easy. I had both pieces connected, configured, and running in about 10 minutes.
I should also note that the WAP was upstairs and the WET11/XBOX was downstairs at the opposite end of the house. I am connected with a cable modem via a BEFSR41 Linksys router. The XBOX was the only device connected to the cable modem during my testing.

Yes it works with XBOX but your connection will experience "lag" from time to time. Mileage seems to vary depending on the game.
Mech Assault exhibited lag from time to time. NFL Fever was interrupted to the point where it was almost unplayable. I definitely wouldnt recommend hosting with the wireless connection.

Another caveat- 802.11b is susceptible to interference from other 2.4Ghz devices - namely cordless phones. My XBOX connection would almost always drop when our cordless phone rang!

In the end, I reconnected the old CAT5 cable. The WET11 will work but I would only recommend it if running wire is not possible.

Am I out[money]? No. I used the WET11 to connect another computer in the house for the kids. So far, it's working great.

80 Great product. no more wires running into the garage
So the setup was not as straight forward as i wished. what the linksys called as an SSID was called something else on my acess point. Of course my access point was some funky discontinued 3com thing but I love them both.the linksys has a crossover switch in the back that allows you to use more or less any types of hub regardless the availability of an uplink port. Hooking it up to the mac and the pc was just as easy since it works as if the hub was uplinked directly to the network. I'm going to buy another one for the xbox as soon as I free up some more cash....

81 Wet11 and Macintosh
It took a little while to figure out how to make this work with a Mac. First you change the IP address on your mac to the range of the default address on the wet11. Then change the IP address on the wet11 to the range of IP addresses on the airport. Then change the IP address on your mac back to the original setting and reboot the wet11. It works.

82 Perfectly simple for XBOX Live.
I bought this for a new XBOX Live hookup. We have the Linksys wireless 2.4 GHz 802.11b router about 50 feet away from the new XBOX console. We plugged the bridge into the electric outlet, connected the ethernet cable to the game, and were instantly connected to the Microsoft game site. [I'm not sure if it would have required any tweaking had I had security turned on at the router, but as it was off, recognition was automatic]

83 Not as good as other linksys products...
The WET11 is not the same quality and performance I have come to expect from Linksys after owning a few of their other products (one wireless AP router/switch, and one wired router/switch).

First if all, the status LEDs are all the same color, and power up or reset does not affect their state unless you are already connected up to a WAN and/or LAN. In other words, it acts like it is DOA on power up - only the PWR led comes on.

Second, it appears that you MUST use the included "SETUP" disk to initially access the WET11. The WET11, by default, has a static private IP of 192.168.1.225. Therefore, I expected to be able to bypass the setup up disk and access the WET11's html config menu directly through my web browser, but could not until after I had run the setup wizard.

Third, the WET11 is not compatible with all NICs. My computer has an Orange Micro 10/100 Ethernet NIC, and the WET11 NEVER was able to work with it. (LAN LED never lit, and setup wizard could never detect the WET11; yes the cross-over select switch was in the X position). The same orange micro NIC works with both the Linksys AP, my Linksys Router/Switch, and my Motorola and RCA Cable modems, so it is obviously a compatibility issue with the WET11 and not the NIC.

Fourth, the latest firmware version 1.4.3 does not have any RSSI or link quality status as the older (1.3.2) did. Why doesn't Linksys include generic link test utilities and basic signal quality and strength status meters like the ones included in CISCO 802.11 products? It seems that Linksys is afraid to let the user see this info as it may shed light on the poor performance of this product:-(

Fifth, the cost of the WET11 is more than their BEFW11S4 Wireless AP router/switch. WHY? The BEFW11S4 has way more functionality, quality, and can be configured to act like a wireless bridge anyways, with a little effort.

In summary, if you have a computer that has a non-orange micro NIC (an any other non-compatible NIC), and you use the setup disk and ignore the Status LEDS, and do not upgrade the firmware, then the WET11 may be right for you.

84 Worked perfect with Xbox
Installed the WET11 onto my linksys wireless network, plugged the cat5 cable into the WET11 and the back of the Xbox and the connection works beautifully. No problems at all and have had no connection problems. I definitely recommend this product with the use of an Xbox.

85 What Linksys tech support doesn't even know...
I purchased this item to link an original iMac to my home network. I understood this device was easy to add to an Apple Airport network. When it arrived, I could not get Mac support from the Linksys tech support, which was obviously based in India, a long way from here. Documentation for use on a Mac was non-existent. And the set-up software was Windows only.

Well, thankfully, I persisted in my belief that there had to be an easier way and finally I stumbled on to a Knowledge Base article entitled " Setting up the WET 11 on Macintosh" or something like that, and voila, someone at Linksys was awake at the switch. WHY CAN'T THEY INCLUDE THIS INFO IN THE PACKAGE OR ON THE CD?? WHY DO MAC USERS HAVE TO ENDURE SO MUCH PAIN?

This set-up was VERY easy after I read the instructions provided for the Mac. I wonder if in fact Windows users can have it so simple? All I needed was the proper Ethernet address for the device to access on its browser interface and the rest was a breeze.

This is a great device for adding a wireless node to your existing AIrport network.

Good Luck!

86 Great!
I strongly suggest investing your money in this cheap piece of equipment. I used mine to get online with my Gamecube, which is very far aaway from my cable modem and PC. Once I purchessed this item, I was instantly online at amazing speeds. I strongly suggest this product. What I was mostly surprised about, was the good range which this product has indoors. I am extremely please :) buy it!

87 Works seamlessly with Linksys Wireless Access Point Router
I purchased the WET11 to connect an "internet ready device" - a home theater component to the internet. The device had a standard 10/100 ethernet port that worked fine cabled directly to the router. I didn't want to run a network segment to the device, so the option that I preferred was to use this wireless bridge.
The WET11 is a bridge - not an access point, so you must have an access point on the premises for it to work. With the Linksys access point, there were no hassles.
Connecting it is easy: power and ethernet cable. The device has a switch for straight-through or cross-over connections, and a link status light lets you know if it is connected. There are indicators for power, link, WLAN, and self-test.
I started with linksys defaults (both the BEFWS11 and WET11) and connected the first try. Then I configured the settings for security.
Configuring the WET11 is through a CD-based program that allows you to configure all WET11s that the computer can "see" by being either on the wired ethernet segment or the wireless segment.

88 Awesome for X-Box Live
The one obstacle that kept me on the fence in terms of deciding whether or not to purchase an X-Box Live Starter kit was the fact that I did NOT want cables running through my bedroom into my living room in order to connect my X-Box to my cable modem. The Linksys Wet11 Wireless Bridge was the answer to all my concerns. This smart little piece of hardware was very simple to install. All you do is attach it to your PC or laptop and load up the starter disk. From there it self-configures matching the settings of your wireless router (in my case I'm using the BEFW11S4 v2). Then you detach it from your PC and attach it to the X-Box or whatever ethernet hardware you need to use. I do hear that it works equally well with Playstation 2. Setup time was about 20 minutes.

I then popped the X-Box Live disk into the X-Box and was able to sign in easily. The connection has been fast enough to maintain connections to X-Box live without any lag in gameplay.

The Wet11 is a nifty little product that works great for me. Look, Ma, X-box Live with NO WIRES!

89 Great with ReplayTV;
This is a complement wireless device for the ReplayTV 5000 series digital video recorders. I installed it in my home which already has a Netgear wireless network. The bridge installed with no problems at all and it recognized the ASP automatically. However, to keep more permanent, I set up the IP addresses manually (no DHCP in my configuration although it is supported).

Once the wireless bridge is set up, I started the ReplayTV 5040 and it try to use DHCP which the bridge is not set up to do. Therefore, I configured the ReplayTV manually by setting up the IP/DNS adresses same as the one on the bridge.

After rebooting everything, the ReplayTV connected to the Internet and completed its programing.

A great device highly recommended if you have a wireless set up at home already. My next task is to connect one of these bridge to a Playstation 2.

90 Works great with Xbox and Office PC
My network consists of a Netgear WAB102 dual band 802.11a and b Access Point in my office. Initially tested the WET11 on my PC during setup and worked great. Then took it and plugged it into my Xbox and no problem. Makes for very clean wiring.

91 if it works, it works well - but beware some oddities
This box is *almost* a bridge -- but not quite. In particular, it ends up putting it's own ethernet address on packets, which is OK for basic IP use, but if (for example) you're using this to extend a network and have a DHCP server on the base-station side of the net, if that DHCP server is ISC-based, it will send responses that don't get correctly forwarded. On the other hand, if you're just forwarding a link, and have a NAT or other local DHCP server on the WET-11-side network, it'll work fine...

92 Works as Advertised!
I purchasd this device to wirelessly connect a computer located some distance away from my home network router/access point. After reading the well written setup instructions and using the included software to configure the adapter's SSID and 128-bit WEP settings, the computer was able to connect to my LAN without any problems. In fact, this device actually makes a better connection to my wireless access point than the USB adapter it replaced (stronger reception signal).

My only gripe is that after installing the latest firware, downloaded from the straightforward support site, the web-based configuration utility no longer reports the signal strength or connection quality. I like using this type information to determine the best placement for a wireless device (which does make a difference).

I will definitely buy another one of these units as soon as I start playing on XBox Live. I wish all manufacturer's made wireless setup this effortless!

93 100% compatible with Netgear MR814
This is an excellent product. Once I turned it on (the WET11), I saw his Mac address on my Netgear Router ready to be connected. That means, they are 100% compatible, no extra settings are needed.
It's a shame Netgear doesn't offer a similar product at a similar price, may be next year.

Thank Linksys

94 Defective out of the box
Out of three LinkSys items I ordered (WET11, PC Wireless NIC, and 4-port router/hub), two of the items were defective out of the box. The WET11 has a defective LAN port, and, after reading LinkSys's return policy, I will never buy another item from them again. They expect the consumer to pay for shipping on their defective [items]. Fortunately for us (the consumers), Amazon.com will pay for shipping defective items back to them. Good for Amazon.com, bad for Linksys.

95 WORKS GREAT WITH XBOX
I PICKED UP THE WET11 AND THE LINKSYS BEFW11S4 VER.2 WIRELESS ROUTER. AND INSTALLED BOTH OF THEM IN ABOUT 30 MIN. IT WENT VERY SMOOTH.I WAS PLAYING XBOX LIVE SHORTLY AFTER.NO LAG TO SPEAK OF.I HAVE MY ROUTER UP STAIRS AND MY WET11 DOWN STAIRS.ABOUT 30 FEET APART THREW FLOORS AND WALLS AND I WAS ABLE TO GET 100% SIGNAL SPEED.IT TAKES A BIT OF TRIAL BUT ITS GREAT.SO IF YOU DONT WANT TO RUN THE WIRE. GET THIS !!!!!

96 Excellent wireless bridge between 802.11b WiFi and Ethernet
I am very impressed by the WET11. It is essentially an ethernet to wireless adapter that Just Works. It is unlike bridges, including the Linksys WAP11 v2.2, in that it looks like a regular wireless client to your existing wireless network. So you can use it with *any* 802.11b (WiFi) base station without having to configure that base station in a special mode to do bridging. The Linksys WAP11, by contrast, can only bridge with other WAP11s.

In my network, the WAP11 is a client on my Apple Airport (Graphite) wireless network. I configured the WAP11, hooked it up to my remote ethernet device, and it all worked flawlessly.

The WAP11 is surprisingly small - a bit larger than a pack of cards. The power cord transformer (wall wart) is also small. It doesn't cover up multiple outlets on a power strip like most electronic devices.

At its current one hundred and five amount I recommend it highly.

The WAP11 comes with an ethernet port (of course) with a crossover switch. The crossover switch means you can plug directly into another ethernet device (a PC, XBox, or whatever) without using a hub. Very nice touch.

--Pat / zippy at cs.brandeis.edu

97 Fine Product But A Little Pricey
I purchased a WET11 to connect a SliMP3 ethernet MP3 player to our home's wireless network. It is more than adequate for the task, and has decent signal strength throughout our entire house.

The original unit had a problem passing DHCP, but a firmware upgrade fixed that problem.

The unit operates fine with my Orinoco RG-1100 base station - without WEP encryption. I did not try to see if WEP worked properly.

For what it does, I think the WET11 is overpriced, but it has a lock on the market. With the upcoming release of the D-Link bridge and other wireless bridges, I'd expect the price to drop quite a bit.

98 This DOES work with Xbox Live
I tried it last week and have been running XBL upstairs in my Den ever since. I have the LinkSys Access Point and the WET11 and have no lag, and more importantly NO WIRES!... :-)

99 Great For Online Gaming
Perfect Bridge for Online Gaming. Connected to My Xbox in less than 15 minutes. Would of gave it 5 stars if the price was lower!

100 Perfect solution for the XBox and more
When XBox Live was looming on the horizon I started wonder how in the world I was going to get my XBox online. My TV is nowhere near my broadband connection and dragging a cable around wasn't an option. When Linksys introduced the wireless bridge, all of my problems were solved. I was able to easily connect my Xbox (and any other device which happens to sit near the TV) to my home network.

Think of the bridge as a device which extends your wired network, just without using a wire.. :) A wired network comes out of one side of the bridge, allowing you to connect a device that accepts a regular ethernet connection. If you need to attach multiple devices, simply put a hub or switch in the mix.

During the initial setup I had some problems. My wireless access point was up and running, but I couldn't connect to the bridge. It turns out I needed to connect it to my wired network to get the initial configuration correct. Once I did this the rest of the setup was a breeze and it has been working flawlessly ever since.

Again, for those people that are considering this for use with an XBox (or probably any other gaming console), I've had no problems. I regularly run game servers on my XBox and the bridge has been great.