Wireless-G is the upcoming 54Mbps wireless networking standard that's almost five times faster than the widely deployed Wireless-B (802.11b) products found in homes, businesses, and public wireless hotspots around the country, but since they share the same 2.4GHz radio band, Wireless-G devices can also interoperate with existing 11Mbps Wireless-B equipment. The Linksys Wireless-G Broadband Router is really three devices in one box. First, there's the Wireless Access Point, which lets you connect Wireless-G or Wireless-B devices to the network. There's also a built-in 4-port full-duplex 10/100 Switch to connect your wired-Ethernet devices. Connect four PCs directly, or daisy-chain out to more hubs and switches to create as big a network as you need. Finally, the Router function ties it all together and lets your whole network share a high-speed cable or DSL Internet connection.
Early Adopters Pick: January 2003. The first high-speed wireless networking router to use the 802.11g standard, which is four times faster than the current standard (802.11b) and backwards compatible.
The Linksys Wireless-G broadband router is really three devices in one box. First, it's a wireless access point, which lets you connect Wireless-G or Wireless-B devices to the network. There's also a built-in 4-port full-duplex 10/100 switch to connect your wired-Ethernet devices. Connect four PCs directly, or daisy chain out to more hubs and switches to create as big a network as you need. Finally, the router function ties it all together and lets your whole network share a high-speed cable or DSL Internet connection.
To protect your data and privacy, the Wireless-G broadband router can encrypt all wireless transmissions, and it supports the industrial-strength wireless security of 802.1x authentication and authorization. The router can serve as a DHCP server, has NAT technology to protect against Internet intruders, supports VPN pass-through, and can be configured to filter internal users' access to the Internet. Configuration is a snap with the Web browser-based configuration utility.
With the Linksys Wireless-G broadband router at the center of your home or office network, you can share a high-speed Internet connection, files, printers, and multiplayer games with the flexibility, speed, and security you need!
Wireless-G is the 54 Mbps wireless networking standard that's almost five times faster than the widely deployed Wireless-B (802.11b) products found in homes, businesses, and public wireless hotspots around the country. But since they share the same 2.4 GHz radio band, Wireless-G devices can also interoperate with existing 11 Mbps Wireless-B equipment.
Because both standards are built-in, you can protect your investment in existing 802.11b infrastructure, and migrate to the new screaming-fast Wireless-G standard as your needs grow.
For more information on the differences between an Access Point and a Router with Access Point, see the following table:
| 
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 Good but..........
Ok First Thing i do is take it out of the box, so far so good ha, after a few miniutes with the cd badda bing badda boom. it all powered up and working fine with my two wired PC. Wireless well i had a few problems like every time i tried to connect to the network i had just set up windows would locate it but when it came to connecting it wouldent let me connect even though i was using the same WEP keys, well after about 5 mins reading the manual on the cd i just reset the station and well the rest is how you would say history, works fine ever since that one little problem, never has disconnected from any wired or wireless and so for 39.99 after rebates (i got it at best buys and they had it cheaper) where can you go wrong. Linksys did a great job on this one and i think im going to buy one of their access points too. i hope this helps you deciede what you want to do.
2 Phewww!
my first time buying a router. reading some people's negative reviews made me nervous because there were so many jargons and i'm definitely not a computer person. well, this baby turned out great! installation was a little frustrating (again, i'm not computer savvy) but i got it together after about 30 min. it's given me a solid connection, and rarely do i get disconnected (twice within a month maybe?). oh yeah, my friends warned me about those 2.4 GHz phones so I will repeat it here: make sure you don't have them lying around! finally i must tell you that i use windows xp, SBC DSL, and don't live in a crowded building. anyone with different conditions, well, i guess my positive review might not be of any help to you.
3 Waste of time and money
I just spent 2 and 1/2 hours with LinkSys "TechSupport" trying to configure this router to work with my DSL and computer. They finally gave up and told me I was entering the wrong numbers and to call my ISP to get the correct numbers. Well, I immediately disconnected the worthless LinkSys, entered the exact same numbers the router failed to accept into the Network Connections on my computer, connected back to the internet withouth the router and wrote this review.
Terrible configuration, terrible tech support. Absolutely worthless. A waste of time and money. I'm going to try NetGear next because I set a NetGear router up last year with no problems whatsoever.
Save time, buy something else.
4 No problems at all
I have been using this router for 4 months already and since the beginning it has been a good experience. Setup was easy and configuration also simple. I have used some of the features to limit access to the internet to other people using filters for my computers. Overall, no problems, not so far. Reception always the best when inside the house and good to very good 100 yards outside my home.
I recommend it.
5 Setup wasn't that bad-Solid connection
I'm using this router with two linksys pci cards and have had solid results for the past 3 weeks. I have an IT background and found setup was rather easy... I didn't use the cd that came with it, just opened a browser window to 192.168.1.1 and did all my tasks from there. I've heard that enabling WPA causes problems... I'm using 128 bit WEP and it has been solid, no dropped connections and throughput has been ok (I'm not getting the advertised rates... but then when is anything as it is represented)... Go for it!
6 When you figure it out, it works like a charm
Ultimately the product works great. However, to finally get the item to work, it takes great patience and time.
The product does not come with a user guide - only a CD. The CD does not work properly, telling you that the computer is not connected when in fact it is. When you chose configuration settings and press the "next" button, it says that you haven't chosen those settings.
After I finally set the thing up properly, and after NUMEROUS problems with encryption and recognition by my computer (for some reason XP would not recognize changed encryption settings), I got it to work; however, the wireless signal would drop every 4 minutes.
At any rate, after fiddling for hours, I finally called tech support (which I should have done in the first place). They directed me to: www.linksys.com\easy
I downloaded the program, installed it, and now the thing works like a charm. No problems whatsoever. End of story.
7 Great for Mac/Apple users
Configuration is very straightforward. I had mine all set up in less than 15 seconds. My Mac's Airport Card detected the signal as soon as I turned the Router on, asked me for permission to join the network, and voila...I was up and running!!. I didn't need to install any software to make it work. If you work with Mac OS X , your Mac should be ready to go without having to do anything. After all, it's a Mac. The signal's strengh and reach is awesome. I already configured the WEP security feature for extra peace of mind. Overall, a very reliable Router, certainly above other brands I have tried or worked with. Mac users will be very pleased, as I am.
8 Good Value - Take the Plunge
I had a couple of quirky setup issues (my lack of understanding), but the Linksys tech support people were very patient and helpful. I would recommend it. I use it to connect my Replay TV into the wireless network. With 2 Replay TV's I can now stream video from one room to another and move photos from my laptop onto the Replay TV for slide shows. Pretty slick.
9 Easy set-up; works great!
Before I bought this unit I read the reviews here on Amazon and found a few bad ones, but for the life of me I cannot figure out why?? I am no genius when it comes to technology, but set-up was simple and took less than five minutes. Make sure you read the basic instructions which tell you to put the CD in first! Do that, follow the online prompts, and you will be wireless in five or ten minutes. I always have an excellent signal and it makes sharing my broadband Internet connection with my laptop a breeze. Highly recommend this product.
10 Excellet product...great range, blazing speed
This thing rocks! I took it out of the box and I noticed no documentation or installation CDs were provided for Mac OS X. I was a little worried, but decided to hook it up and see. My iBook recognized it in 5 seconds and 5 seconds later I was on the internet. I can use it all around my house and the signal is quite strong throughout.
Kudos to Linksys for this thing...excellent product.
11 Reset, Reset, Reset
I use to own a Linksys router but I found myself having to reset it more than actual use. I have three computers and a VoIP phone system and it was very unreliable. I also work for a major cable company in customer care and Linksys routers generate a lot of calls for us because customers think it's their internet service and it's not. I replaced mine with a Belkin and haven't had to reset it once in 6 months. I just think you get what you pay for. Yes, another brand may be more expensive but the consistant connection is far more important than price. Not to mention that Linksys customer service department is in another country (good luck getting comprehensive help.)
12 works in Mac environment
I didn't want to spend $200 for airport just because it's made for macs. Instead, I bought this linksys. The drawbacks are that you can't plug a USB printer into it for wireless printing AND you can't use Appletalk. But if all you really want is wireless internet and don't mind walking to the printer, then it's worth saving $140. Linksys says it doesn't support Mac, but it works fine. It is a little confusing getting it all set up with no Mac manual, but still it only took me about 45 minutes. The key thing is to have everything powered off when you connect the router. Then just go to the IP address (it's supplied in the paperwork) and configure it for security, etc. Pretty strong signal ... probably not as strong as Airport, but I'm streaming Internet radio right now and my husband is surfing on the hard-lined iMac and I haven't had to buffer.
13 Easy setup, great performance
For what I paid for this router it's a truly amazing piece of equipment. I have one at work and in my home. Use the wires, use it for wireless. What a bargain. We're been using Linksys products for years and have never expereinced a single burp or glitch from them.
Highly recommended.
14 A good buy, great performance for the price
I have used this router in varying applications and it continues to stand un-moved! The only qualm I have is its range. Mind you, for a typical home or small office it is GREAT but if you are looking to cover a wider or more diverse area, (between buildings, trees, etc), consider getting an expander, booster or taller antennas ALONG with this router for your application. For $55 it IS a good buy. Stop thinking, get it!!
15 Still running well after a year
I've had this router since March 2004. My ISP is Earthlink. I have the router configured with my Dell 1100 Laptop using the Dell branded PCMCIA wireless G card and a Dell Axim X50. So far, it's been up 99% of the time since I purchased it. I've had no trouble configuring it with Belkin's USB adaptor or with Linksys's compact flash adapter. The initial configuration with WEP and then Mac Address security was a little tricky, but once it was set up, it was and has been reliable.
16 Linksys wireless router
I bought this as a replacement for an earlier Linksys BEFW11S4 wireless router that went bad. Though the tech support person tried to help, the old router just could not produce wireless signals. Because the tech support spent so much time with me on an older product, I decided to stick with the same brand. Good service will always win! The installation of the new router was a snap. Just follow the instructions. They clearly ask you to run the software before doing anything. The wizard works well. You do however need to do some adjustments to make it work well with Macs and Eudora, especially running under Kerberos. You have to get to the QoS tab of the settings (I cant remember which one) and enable auto broadband option. Here you can also choose to grant hig priority to any of the applications if you like. Once I enabled the auto feature, Eudora on the Mac had no problems.
The router uses a version of Linux. If you are adept at Linux, you can make this router do ore than what is advertised.
17 AOL boradband and LInksys dont work
I have never been more frustrated in trying to get AOL SE edition and Linkys routers to work smoothly...it is a disaster
18 Best Router out there
I purchased my router 2 years ago along with a Wireless PC card and was very pleased with the performance. When my wireless signal dropped when my 2.4Ghz phone rang, I replaced the phone which I also liked. Take note if you have a 2.4Ghz phone. The reason I mentioned "was" is due to returning home and finding my router with 2 solid lights and no activity. This router has seen better days. Despite my annoyance with the router lasting 2 years (I expected 3), I will replace it with another Linksys router. I may even upgrade to the router with SpeedBooster.
19 Works perfectly!!
This is my second wireless router - the first was the D-link 614+ (old by today's standard). I continuously had problems with the D-link's connections and often had to 'repair' my network connection and or reboot the router, and or the cable modem. I received A LOT of page not found errors. Oddly I had more trouble from my 'wired' connections than wireless. I tried new network cables; had road runner come out and boost my signal; downloaded their latest and greatest firmware, and I talked to their tech support numerous times. Nothing really fixed the problem entirely.
Finally broke down and bought the Linksys and found the setup to be easy (as one reader wrote - "Just follow the directions") and it worked perfectly.
Both my wired and wireless connections work great, setup and encryption were easy, and I have yet to receive a 'page not found' error or had to repair a network connection. Granted, I updated the firmware right away, but I've had NO problems since I've had it.
I'm happy as could be, and highly recommend over the D-link 614+.
20 Item used for Tivo series 2 and Wireless Laptop
This router works great. I have my Tivo connected directly to it with an adapter(wired) and have my laptop connected wireless. I have another Tivo upstairs in the bedroom with a wireless adapter and it too works great. All Linksys products.
see my other reviews to find out the products I used.
21 Outstanding Wireless Router
This router is excellent. Once it is up and running you will have no problems. The only problem I have had is with my Sprint DSL modem, but not a bit of problems with the router. I suggest reading all instructions very carefully before installing. This alleviates needless re-tracing of steps.
This router's signal is strong and I have yet to have a problem anywhere in or out of my house. Great product!
22 Setting it up
Setting up a linksys wireless router
"I had a desktop and a notebook both using XP home edition"
Open the box and remove the router , power supply and Cat V cable
(Leave the CD in the box it's useless)
Know this:
You will not be able to "secure" your router during the setup but will be able to immediately after
Calling "tech support" is useless unless you are from the vicinity of 15žN 75žE
Do this
Go to www.linksys.com and find out if there is an upgrade for your firmware and download it
Disable your firewall
Go to www.linksys/com/easy and select the net setup option
Enable your firewall
Once you have completed this verify your connectivity
Now open your browser and type in 192.168.1.1 in the address and press enter
Leave the user blank and type admin for the password and press enter
You will want to enable the WEP 128 and change the router PW at a minimum
(You will need to enter one of the "keys" in your wireless pc network connection as it will be disconnected
after you change the security)
You may want to change the other settings and will need to check the FAQ for reference
Good engineering, good firmware, crappy software, phone support and documentation. But if you get to the web support you can find what you need eventually
23 Spend more for quality!
I used to own a $20 after rebate cheapo wireless router that I thought would be adequate enough for a home wireless networking. Ended up returning to a Linksys router and giving the cheap router the boot.
The cheap router I used to own had very minimal feature in the configurations menu and less security options then the Linksys WRT54G. But the biggest problem was the constant drop in connections and weak signals from time to time. I was fed up and turned to WRT54G because of its positive reviews, good past experience with wired routers and frequent firmware updates to correct any bugs.
I'm happy to say that this router was exactly what I was looking for. You won't regret it. The setup was very easy. Just follow the instructions carefully, it's all based on a CD that has everything you need to get you up and running in no time. The dual anteanna is a plus and the design is slick.
No more connection drops and strong signals even from the backyard. The WRT54G offers excellent security features and much more (and easier) configuration menu that I didn't even need a manual to setup correctly.
Even though you could get a cheap router these days, I'm happy I spent a little extra for the Linksys. The quality is significant and you'll be very happy from saving time and the headache.
24 Excellent router
I use this router for a mix of B and G clients and speed and coverage are excellent. The stock firmware was OK but the router would hang after 3-5GB of files transfer from wireless to wired clients. The HyperWRT firmware fixed this problem and combined with WallWatcher (Windows application receiving in/out log from WRT54G) provides excellent logging functionality.
I use Linksys, Netgear, Orinoco and AT&T wireless cards and not a single one gives troubles with this router.
There is only a piece of funcionality that is missing in the router; ability to pin DHCP address allocation to the same client (aka static DHCP). It is more convenient to have persistent IP addresses without dealing with static IP.
Highly recommended.
25 5 stars no less unless you dont know about how wifi works
This router is my 3rd router in various places. The one key component for Linksys G/Super G routers is the QoS feature. QoS allows priority of internet packets. This feature is a MUST for VoiP services. I have never had any issues setting up ANY router, crappy or not. The low stars are due to people not understanding the basics to router setup period. This router is FLAWLESS.
Things to do once you get the router to ensure it works perfectly:
1) Upgrade the firmware right away if it's not the newest version. One key for upgrading: Newest factory firmware upgrade gives you QoS support!!
2) Disconnect your 2.4Ghz cordless phone. You will always have issues with it, so eliminate it right away to make sure your wifi setup is up and running first. You might live in proximity to neighbors with 2.4ghz phones, so be wary of that interference. Dont blame the router right away.
3) Ditch your 2.4ghz phone if possible for 5.8ghz cordless phones, i did this knowing the technicalities of the interference which i experienced.
4) Enable QoS for VoIP users, this is the ONLY reason i purchased this router. VoIP (vonage) is working flawlessly in any situation where I am downloading heavily, the VoIP packets get priority.
5) Read the dam instructions before posting negative reviews on the product.
6) Do not setup encryption on intial setup to test that it's up and running first, then move onto more complex setup with encryption. Read the instructions !!! And you SHOULD enable encryption for godsake.
Those 6 steps should allow any non-technical person to get this, or ANY 802.11b/g router up and running. Remember, 2.4Ghz phone usage will kill your wifi connection regularly, especially in big buildings with many tenants!!!
26 great if you have a weekend to waste..
I'm not a tech dummy. I've set up large (60+ workstation) networks. I spent HOURS trying to get this garbage to work. Went to tech support.. waited FOREVER. This product, this company SUCKS! Avoid! No joke!
27 Installation problems
First time installation was problematic. I had to call the Linksys help desk for support. Linksys customer service was surprisingly responsive and helpful. Once installed, the unit performed well. However, I moved to another state recently and had to re-install the router to a new cable modem. At first it seemed fine, but then it could not detect the signal. Called Linksys help desk again and they determined the router became defective. Only purchased it 4 months ago, so I'm a bit disappointed with the product.
28 Flawless performance at a decent price
I've had broadband for a little more than couple of years now and recently decided to add wireless capability also.
Before buying this, I read a lot of reviews about having setup problems and it needing a firmware upgrade, but I didn't need any of that. Maybe Linksys already has the latest firmware on the devices now.
I was using a cable modem -> netgear router which centrally links to every room in my house. This wireless router gave my enough wired ports to still have one wired desktop connection in most of the rooms and add wireless capabilities for my laptop. I have an apple powerbook, one HP laptop nc6000 with intel centrino and one sony vaio with Linksys WPC54G adapter. I have never had any problems with any of those devices. All in all, I connect 3 laptops wireless, 2 desktops wired, fileserver wired and a palm device with Linksys Wireless-G compact flash card.
My house is a 2 bedroom condo and I get full strength connection everywhere in the house as well as in the deck. I've also tried no encryption, WEP encryption, 128bit etc and they all work just flawlessly.
I got a better price from amazon along with the rebate ($58 -$10 rebate), so I guess it's a good deal.
Before buying this, I researched on 802.11b, g, with speedbooster, and D-Link Xtreme G(108Mbps).
- speedbooster wasn't an option since it needed a compatible wireless card (tight dependency)
- G(54Mbps) was a better choice than B(11Mbps)since it was quite polular and backwards compatible
- xtreme-G (108Mbps) was quite new and it seems like it was D-Link specific only.
Plus, since I also stream music over wireless from different computers and I needed something more that 11Mbps and G works just fine.
Overall, a great buy and the next upgrade will be when 108Mbps becomes more standard on wireless.
29 Get netgear instead
I purchased netgear b-band for my laptop. Set it up in 10 minutes. I purchased a new desktop pc and wanted to upgrade to g-band so I purchased a linksys router, adapter, pci card, etc... It took two weeks of agony before i finally returned it and got the pci card for my desktop through netgear. I set up netgear for my desktop in 15 minutes.
Get netgear!
Natalie
ps.. I have a dell pc, fyi.
30 Easy Install
I read some of the previous reviews before purchasing so I was a little worried when it arrived. It seems people have a hit or miss with linksys.
While I felt bad for the people who responded negatively using AOL broadband, I can say that I have DSL and this thing worked flawlessly right out of the box. I completed a wireless connection to a PC and have a mac laptop. Time from out of the box until installation and both computers recognizing the network, maybe 10 minutes total.
So far I've been able to take the laptop to any room in the house with full signal strength, even with microwave interference.
It works great and for a great price, but my only work of caution is like another reviewer who hooked up macs to their network, this router has trouble establishing WEP encryption with macs. I use my mac on at least 5 other networks without a hitch, it's the best computer I have. But something with linksys and the security settings are not meshing well.
I've tried Netgear and D-Link with mixed results. If you want a cheap access point that works great out of the box and delivers strong signals, go with this router. In fact, the only place where I lost the signal was out in my driveway on the street, which is good, that's the whole point.
31 If you use AOL for Broadband with cable, don't buy this!
I use AOl Cable with 9.0 optimized SE. I bought this from Best Buy where the staff informed me this was the most popular wireless router with 802.11g and the best deal for $69.99 So I take it home and spend the next 4 hours trying to install it with its "EZ setup" feature. After arguing over and over with Linksys and then AOL I find a tiny thred in their terrible support forum that only the following routers work with AOL at this time:
BEFW11S4
BEFW11S4 v2, v3, and v3.2
BEFSR41
BEFSR41 v2
BEFSR11
BEFSRU31
BEFSR81
BEFSR81 v2
As you can tell, these are the older 802.11b routers and are fast fading from tge scene.
Furthermore, the AOl Braodband department advertises this router as the best one on their very support page. It's a crazy world.
32 Great product. The best choice for console gaming!!
After decideding we needed wireless internet access in our home we purchased this to replace our wired Netgear router. Setup was a snap. Being our first wireless product I was a bit nervous about it being complicated to setup but I actually spent more time installing the Wireless PCI card we bought (also Linksys) than setting up the router. It was practically plug and play as we were up and going within 20 minutes.
The web configuration utility, as others have pointed out, is the way to go for setup. Naturally for security reasons you want to change the default SSID and disable SSID broadcast. Also enable WPA encryption.
The latest firmware upgrade contains a number of great configuration options. For example, we can designate our PS2 to have priority over our PC when playing online - this is great when you want to maintain a fast connection.
Unlike our previous router, we were able to play every Playstation 2 game we owned online without enabling port forwarding or turning on DMZ (even with the router's Firewall turned on.) Presently we have 2 PS2s, an XBox, 2 wireless computers, a wireless game adapter, a 4 port switch, 5 port hub and 3 file servers all using the router and we have not encountered any problems.
33 LINKSYS WRT54G WIRELESS ROUTER
So to start off I am in the tech industry working on Wi-Fi,WLAN, UWB and so on, yada, yada. The 802.11G standard is for 54-108 Mbps. The next generation is 802.11N which is 480 Mbps second but guess what, your access and speed is ONLY as good as the internet allows. My points are intended for the average user here:
1. The difference between this and the Super G router as someone pointed out is the extra flash memory which is not much. Save your cash. A couple of companies I have been at use nothing but this router and we had 20 or so folks on the network with no problems. I'm sitting here downloading 1-5 Meg files as an example fairly quickly.
2. Most hotels offering broadband access run at 10 Mbps or the lower end of the 10/100 standard, so 1/4 the speed of this routers capability. Most T1 lines in business are running at the higher end or 100 Mbps but the pipeline is usually running pretty full due many folks on the system.
3. I'm a road warrior traveling globally so I have been the Guinea pig for my last 3 companies and IT departments. So this router works flawlessly through my present companies VPM through which I'm typing this review right now.
4. So for the quick and short of it, ordered on Sunday evening at around 10 PM Pacific Std Time and 3 days later on Wednesday I have my wireless router up and running. So kudos to Amazon for another great job in delivery!
5. This router replaces another Linksys Router, the BEFSR41, which is a standard router we have had for > 3 years and still works great. I did do a firmware upgrade about a year ago. The reason I'm replacing it because it is hardwire router and it's a problem when my wife and I both want to use our office, with one desk, at the same time. So now I'm using my laptop on the kitchen table about 60'away from where the router is and getting 3.7 Mbps speed via Comcast cable through my VPN connection. This is based on a measurement speed test by going to either www.cnet.com or www.2wire.com and running their bandwidth meter test to see actual connection/throughput speeds. These are both free sites so check out your connection.
6. Setup - got it with the disk but had some difficulties running and connecting to the internet after disconnecting the old router per the instructions. Called tech support, got a very nice lady in Argentina who was very helpful and gave me a couple of helpful suggestions. Had to disconnect the power plug on the Comcast cable modem box for 10 seconds to reboot the cable modem box, which was still reading our old IPCONFIG address. This got me connected to the internet again after the IP address reset itself. Doing the normal START/CMD/Ipconfig /release & /renew for some reason didn't release the Ipconfig address in the cable modem I guess.
INSTEAD OF USING THE CD that comes with the Linksys router, was told to go to www.linksys.com/easy which ran a more sophisticated setup wizard program that configured the router, the WEP Security protocol and I imagine the VPN protocols as well and was up and running within 10 minutes through my VPM. Very cool, wish my Adobe Acrobat 6.0 upgrade went that easy recently. (In all fairness to Adobe, got that upgrade running but not till I had several phone calls and downloads to do with Tech Support who also were great).
Some General Comments from other reviewers - why in the heck do you want to upgrade your distance from 200' to 2100' as one person pointed out? If I want to go drive almost a half mile away from my wireless network what the heck do I need my laptop for? Are you downloading music at a friends or what? I'm really curious about that.
Amazing what reading directions and being POLITE to technical support can do............if you call with a lousy attitude and tear up the person on the other end of the phone, don't expect good results. Most of the tech support people I have dealt with are trying in most part to do a good job.
34 Good product, excellent tweaks.... I'd buy it again!
After utilizing D-Link products for a few years, I headed back to the Linksys. I will try not to rewrite what others have said so the following is my impression of this product and its capabilities...
Hands down this product can deliver performance. Now for the details.... Amazon sent me the latest version, as usual without any delay, and I used it for about an hour (without any problems, I just like to get the most out of what I buy) before locating good versions of flash upgrades to boost the performance of this router. I was able to update the standard Linksys flash, Version 3.0.... with both Hyper WRT and a hacked version of the latest Sveasoft build (Alchemy+). The first thing I did (after changing passwords, SSID, etc.) was to increase the range to a full 251mW ...yes that's what I said. My range is easily increased from approx. 300FT to 2000FT within my subdivision using the supplied antennas. Not too shabby. Next, of course WPA with AES to encrypt my WIFI and MAC filtering is a must. In addition, utilizing the available third-party free flash upgrades, the additional features offered are staggering including NAT and SPI firewall, VPN support and more (disabling ActiveX, Javascript, Cookies, IDENT stealthing and more...). Flashing the Bios couldn't have been easier. (NOTE:A terrific site for info is www.linksysinfo.org)
This item comes with a quick start CD that enables the router to automatically configure itself for the type of Internet connection (example, Cable, DSL, etc). The disc was easy however you really don't need it. In addition, it only works with Windows PC's.
Overall, I have used Linksys products in the past and though some users have had issues with the first versions, this one is solid. I have since switched my cable modem to a Linksys and now the two take up less space being stacked....If I can only find a really cheap Linksys 16 Port switch I could get rid of my Netgear and stack that too...
35 Tough setup if you have a Mac, but not impossible
If you're buying this product and operate on a Mac platform, ditch the CD and go directly to live assistance on the Linksys website.
I recently bought the Linksys WRT54G router and have been very happy with the router itself. I run on Mac OSX, and though I considered getting the whole Apple airport setup, the cost difference between the Airport and the latest model Linksys pretty much left no comparison. (The Airport was more than twice the Linksys router.)
HOWEVER, configuration of my system and actual setup of the router for wireless use took me more than 3 hours, and briefly made me reconsider my choice to forego the airport and its notoriously easy setup. I am a generally computer-savvy person; not an IT expert by any means (which is what router configuration sometimes seems to require), but I can install and manage most computer stuff without too much support. But when I opened the box I found little more than a few advertisement flyers and instructions to run the enclosed CD before plugging in the router.
Too bad they don't mention anything about how the CD can't be used with a Mac. (Didn't find that out until I talked to someone in technical support an hour later.) After messing about a bit with the CD, I went online to the Linksys site to look for support tips. I even downloaded the product's user manual - useless. The Linksys technical support site has nothing about configuring the router for use with a Mac. It's like they want to pretend that Apple doesn't exist or something. But eventually I found my way to live assistance through their site (thank GOODNESS), where someone was able to give me adequate instructions to configure the router so that I could at least use it. I say adequate because it was enough to get wireless working, but nowhere near enough instruction to do the proper configuration job that I could have done if someone would just give me some instructions in plain English.
The router comes with a TON of options for setup, but sadly enough, I had no idea what most of it meant. What this product really needs is better documentation for how to set up the router for DIFFERENT OPERATING SYSTEMS!! and step by step explanations for all the different setup options and their relevance. I don't mind if the instructions are online instead of in the box, but please have some instructions *somewhere.* I'm giving it 4 stars because the setup process was so miserable. But the product iself is great.
If you have a Mac, I don't think you should totally discount this product. Once you set it up, it's great. And it is EXTREMELY well-priced for what you're getting. Just make sure to budget a couple of hours for setup, and invite some computer-savvy friends over first if you're prone to high blood pressure.
36 No pain no gain, the Linksys will get the job done!
First, I must point out that any router installation is not for the faint of heart. Networking computers is quite beyond the capabilities of those, who used to think you had to keep the TV on to record it from your VCR. You have a chance if you're a good cookbook recipe follower. Yes, that makes women capable of installing these, there's no heavy lifting involved, just some focused thought. Unfortunately, Linksys does not write the best documentation. What is really needed with these are plug-ins, (ever present software controls) standard from the operating system, (OS) (Windows, Mac, Linux etc.) that use some type of connect standard where the OS does all the work. It's not here yet!
Why own one of these things then, especially if you only have one computer. The reason is simple, one word, and "security". The average Windows based computer, can exist on an unprotected Internet connection less than 20 minutes before someone will find its port address, and access it. They then send in Trojans, Worms, (programs that extract, and run themselves in your computer) plus other nasties, to steal information, or take control. In some cases, you can't even get your PC to the MS patch site to download XP security patch #2 before being hit. It's no wonder many new PCs ship with full hard drive images on DVDs, so you can restore your system back to as-shipped condition. Of course your data, and installed programs are gone if you do that. You'll have to reinstall everything you put on, from the day you first turned it on. Unless you backed up the documents, and other things you created, (data) that will be lost too.
What does a router, access point, do to help prevent this? For one, it clones the Mac address on many systems. A Mac address is a unique hardware identifier. Many if not most cable / DSL systems are looking for the Mac address from the cable modem you are using. Since you are connecting a router in-between the cable modem and the internet, the Mac address must be copied because its what's recognized by the your network service provider to identify you on their network. In addition, your port address is now the router, not your computer. Networks on the outside can't see your computer, and unless you install the security protocols incorrectly, all they see is the router, and what can't be seen can't be accessed. Now to get you, they have to trick you into accessing them by sending E-mails, or otherwise enticing you into downloading their mal-ware. This is what is commonly called a firewall. You now set the software to allow what access you will allow.
Here is where many typical problems begin. Windows security and most routers are not compatible on all levels. You have to look to the Net, tech service help lines, and FAQ sites on your router, to find out how to solve most of the typical problems. These generally range from not connecting at all, to hosting online games, or downloading files from sites with different security levels. With wireless routers, you have another potential hole, "the wireless connection". Someone next door may have a wireless system too, and could access your system if you forget to set these software firewalls.
Computer novices should have a computer savvy person install, and set-up their router. You are really the ones that need this the most. Your newness to the world of computing, and Internet surfing makes you a prime target of E-mail spoofers, identity thieves, and others who would attempt to take your private information. Don't try to install this yourself unless you have some technical knowledge.
Ok, so what can we say about this particular network product? Well Linksys was one of the original big players in the router industry. Linksys is made by Cisco, the networking giant who introduced the first routers for the Internet, and became a company that rivals Microsoft in size. I'm trying to point out they have experience, and so the reliability of the connection you get is among the best. You typically find less horror stories detailing poor connections with this, and most Linksys models. This model appears to be especially good.
Why the four-port wireless model you ask? You may only have one computer. True, you don't need more than an access point, and a wired one at that, to use as a protective firewall. Still, if you think there may be more computers in the future, and there is a need for a multi-port network. If that happens, you'll want to save money by sharing the Internet connection, rather than pay for two services or more, at multiple single-connect prices. Moreover, the price of these is very low compared to most computer add-ons, so getting the added functionality is at little, and sometimes no cost. What about the wireless capability, you ask. Well, if your network has or will have, computers in other rooms, you may not want to wire your house for Ethernet. This is especially true if you don't need the speed of a wired connection. Don't worry though, the primary computer located by the Linksys, can be connected by wire, this makes for a solid, and fast connection to the Net.
My last topic concerns the security setup you do, or have done with your router. Remember, you are working with two sets of security hardware boxes, your computer, and now your router. As said before, you may get some conflicts. The other issue is how secure do you want it. You can prevent any, and all file transfers to your PC. Even things like the downloaded files, and E-Mail attachments you do want to receive. Another thing you may do are the many file transfers needed to playing network games. Some settings allow you to play, but not host a game, others won't even let you connect to play. It may take several attempts, and reading a lot of FAQs or network help sites to fix some of these issues. However many you open up, remember you are putting holes in your firewall, making your computer less secure. You need to be careful not to just take down so much security that you allow the bad guys back in your system.
Let me give you a word about AOL, and other service providers. They provide you with their network security as a part of the service, but for a price. It is a good place for new users, who want to feel safe, and they do provide a good measure of safety, but they are not the total answer. Often they restrict you from sites you want to visit, and you can still be reached by clever hackers who con you into opening or using their files or programs. Let's put it this way, it's a big badge of honor in the hacking world if they can beat AOL, Microsoft, Earthlink, or another popular sites that provides Internet security. The purchase of a router is one of the best things you can do to protect yourself these days.
37 Beware of frustrating compatablitity issues
I purchased a WRT54GS router and two WUSB54A/G network adapters two weeks ago. I have a third network adapter - model WUSB54G whichb is three months old.
A senior Information Systems technical support individual from the hospital where I work ($$$) attempted for eight hours to set up a secure newtork in my home with these devices.
No problem with the WUB54 A/G adapters and even a Motorola WUB830G network adapter. However, despite a frustrating day, we could not get this new router to operate with the WUSB 54G network adapter.
The outsourced technical support which we tried to utilize "STINKS|!!!!!!".
When I told her that we believe the WUSB54G is defective the technician told me to call a number for the RMA department to try to retrun the WUB54G device. She swore it was open (Sunday)...sure enough it was closed.
Furthermore, I cannot get the router to work with my Dell Lattitude computer which has a built in wireless card.
This is the same Linksys outfit that I spent days arguing with several years ago when their drivers were not compatable with Windows XP and I had to rant and rave to get their assistance.
IF CISCO doen't clean up their act, they are going to go down the tubes!
I made a mistake...no need to repeat it...buy another brand!
38 The way wireless should be experienced
I do not see what the problem is with this router. Picked one up at Best Buy today, got home and it had stickers reading "Install CD first"
Nothing was actually installed on the PC, it was more of a mandatory walkthrough to help get you connected, and it proved to be succesful.
I had a wired router. Now, using the WRT54G router, I have all 4 desktops connected by ethernet and two Windows XP laptops surfing at high speed.
I have a B and G Wifi laptop notebooks, and both recieve amazingly fast connections, with the G obviously being faster. I can roam up to 100+ feet with the notebooks and still recieve an incredibly fast connection.
People tend to get wrapped up in the routers proclaimed speeds, such as 54mbps or 11mbps. Well, when you are 120 feet away from this router, the signal says "Low" however it reads 3.5 mbps. Most people have high speed internet that is no faster than 2 mbps. You will only see a decrease in speed if you have a connection faster than what the router speed is.
Overall, I am surprised at how easy it was to get all 6 PCs (4 wired, 2 wireless notebooks) connected.
If you have Windows XP, the PC literally does the work for you.
39 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 Router out and connecting it, I hooked a Linksys WET11 Bridge onto the Tivo. 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.
40 A good router for home use
I have this router for over a year now, so far it is pretty stable. It has all the necessary security settings for your wireless network device. But, these settings are limited to wireless PC only (not Mac). I can only configure my Apple Powerbook G4 to work with this router is to have it open accepts all wireless connections. Or I can have my Powerbook's MAC address filtered. Over all it is a good router for home use.
41 Minor problems, still right for the price
Some of the advanced configuration is non-obvious and is very poorly documented with the product (both in the help system and Linksys's website). Wired configuration was a breeze and took seconds. Wireless has been a bit trickier. Whenever certain encryption modes are enabled, all of the attached wireless devices drop signal momentarily every 4-5 minutes. Just long enough to terminate all of my connections, pretty annoying. Firmware updates and calls to Linksys support have not resolved this. (I ended up just turning off encryption, and enabling mac filtering, for the short term). I would be concerned with the security, but the signal strength is so poor that I doubt it's an issue -- the signal drops off with my own house. I can only get usable reception from approximately 60 feet away. I'm told there are better antennae that be purchased and added to the device, which may be a worthwhile investment. All in all, I have lukewarm feelings about this device. The value is about right for the price. You're probably not going to find anything better nor easier to use at such a low price. I find myself wishing I'd shelled out a bit more to get a better router though.
42 buy the GS instead
With the GS you'll get MORE processing power and more ram so you can use cooler Sveasoft firmwares.
43 Works great
I bought this to replace my failed Netgear wireless router that was about 2 or 3 years old. If this one lasts that long I'll be satisfied. Works fine. The only thing that would make it better is if it was cheaper. Nuf said.
44 New Setup Utility Improves An Already Good Device
My old Linksys router recently died after 2.5 years of service. While I am not happy that a solid state device died after such a short period of time, my quick review of this product space did not yield any other brands that seem much better than Linksys.
The new router came with an updated setup utility that makes getting the router installed a fairly straight forward process. I had to change the channel of the router, like the channel on a cordless phone, to get it to work with the Linksys Instant USB Wireless Adapter v2.6. I also had to do this with the old router.
I used Linksys technical support several times. Unlike other reviewers, I have found the support to be responsive, almost no wait time on the phone, and relatively knowledgeable. Granted, I am a professional technologist with years of experience.
Overall, this router seems like a reasonably priced product that works as well as can be expected for products in this space and the company backs it up with good support.
45 Works good when you get it working....
Had 2 people working on the router for over 10hours setting it up. Called techs support several times, and like others have said, you only get told to go to the webpage. Turns out our settings were right all along, but after applying the firmware update it just worked perfectly.... Argg, the tech support should have suggested this in the first place!!!!!!!
46 you get what you pay for
Not impressed. How many hours is it worth to get a decent unit for $50 more? 2? 10? I've got about 15 in this now... burned on all my semi-compatible WiFi b, g, WDS - it's getting ridiculous - and now I have to compete with 10 other signals in the area - the network is unstable. Never had much luck with Linksys beyond the basics. Better to spend your time up front researching a solution (technology changes quickly so I won't bother suggesting anything here) than afterward trying to piece it all together.
47 ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS
my internet connection is blazing fast, my roommates and i are now coasting through the internet..it took a while to set it up correctly, but it was totally worth it...great wireless router!!
48 WRT54G 2.2 Wireless Router & WPC54G ver 2 laptop adapter
Before purchasing the Linksys wireless WRT54G 2.2 router I read all the reviews I could find, although none seemed to be for this lastest release, most folks seemed to have had some trouble with setting it up. Not me.
Linksys has red stickers all over the packaging stating for installation follow the CD. Don't even plug anything into the router before following the CD, so I did what they advised...no problem. In less then 10 minutes the Linksys router & wireless adapter for my laptop were running perfectly.
There is no degradation to my DSL internet speed as far as 100' away with this router and it does not run hot as some reviews claim. There was no need to get an up to date driver, it worked slick right out of the box.
I'm very happy with these products, you should be too!
49 Terrible router.
This router is terrible. It comes with little to no instructions on how to actually use it. I spent 5+ hours trying to set it up, with no success, so I finally called their tech support. Their tech support is even worse than the actual product itself. Over the course of two weeks, I called 5 times, and everytime, they offered no actual help, but instead directed my to the same page ofn their website, even after I told them that I had already gone to that page, and was still having the same problem.
Eventually, I managed to get it working, but I'm still having problems. When I boot up my computer, it only connects about 70% of the time. The other 30% of the time, I have to re-boot. Even if it does work, I'm lucky if it remains consistent for more than 10 minutes. It's constant disconnecting makes it very hard to do anything on the internet. Don't make my mistake. If you need a wireless router, go with D-Link or Belkin instead. Anything but Linksys.
50 Trouble Installing?
Once I got this thing working, it has been nothing but a beauty. Getting it to work was the problem. I got through the whole installation problem until the very end and it would tell me the router couldn't connect to internet. So tech support told me to go to www.linksys.com/easy. There you can download a net assitance to help with the instillation. The only difference I noticed during the instillation was that they told me to connect the computer to port 4 (not 1). So, if you are having this problem, give that website a shot and save yourself 3 hours of wait time.
51 Difficult Installation
I had difficulty from the moment I installed the CD per instructions. I finally got it to work with the online utility. Problem was, it would take up to 30 minutes to get it to connect when I booted up my notepad. I had it set to "auto connect" when in range. Once it did connect it worked quite well. This went on a couple of weeks. Finally, I couldn't connect at all.
Called customer service, and this is when it got ugly!! I had great difficulty understanding the foreign accent. After 55 minutes, I still hadn't resolved this.
Finally, I hung up and bee-lined it to Circuit City for a full refund!!
It seems that if you have a PC already configured for a wireless network,and don't need the network adapter, you MAY have better success, but, I wouldn't count on it!
52 Horrible
Wouldn't install. Called Tech support 7 times.. they kept directing me to their website. Finally i got fed up and had one guy on the phone for 3 hours. They dont do a very good job with customer service. He wanted me to take the router and see if you detect on another computer, (i just moved to this city and dont know anyone) so what good would that do me. They kept telling me i had more than one firewall. I have xp service pack 2, i turned off my firewall, my anti-virus software adnd my pop up blocker. He kept telling me i had another firewall, so i reformatted my computer with him on the phone.. Still wouldnt work. So i returned that and the wireless card which worked fine, to best buy and got a full refund. They said they have had a bunch of problems with linksys products. DO NOT BUY, CUSTOMER SERVICE IS HORRIBLE, AND SO IS THE PRODUCT.
53 Great router - but trouble with 2.4 Ghz cordless phones
I've been very happy with this router's performance, and the setup was a breeze. However, every time I get a call, I completely lose my wireless network. I think it's because my phone is only a few feet from the router and it's a 2.4Ghz phone - I assume that's the issue, but it's a bummer. I lose Xbox live and my laptop's connectivity. I'll have to figure out how to compensate or maybe buy new phones that operate at a different frequency range?
54 Good router
This router does everything that it is supposed to do, so i dont really know how to talk that bad about it. It was a very quick setup and installation, in fact the disc that it comes with pretty much makes sure you cant mess it up. By no means do you have to be a tech junkie to be able to install it, just be able to put a CD in the computer and it tells you what to do. It works great, i am usually at the full 54 mbps, although every now and then that drops to around 36 mbps only because i am 2 floors below where the router is. That only happens every so often, but its not that big of a drawback really, just a little slower than usual. It really is a great buy if you are lookin at having just one modem but many computers around the house. There are 3 computers in my house all getting wireless connection from this router, and everybody is happy with it. I do not really know why some people are tearing this router apart on their reviews, they are talking about installation problems and what not. Its the easiest thing to setup i thought, and i am only 16...So with all that said, BUY THE ROUTER!!!!
55 Horrible Router
The router was easy to install. That is where the problems begin. I get low strength signal when I connect to this router through a wireless network card in my laptop. My neighboor's connection is more reliable and has better signal. The router constantly disconnects if you use password protection for connection. It also lags and loses packets even if connected directly to a PC through a cable. My friend got the same model and she has similar problems. I would NOT recommend buying this router to anyone!
56 Linksys Tech Support Horror Story
I have a laptop which I recieved for Christmas this year. It travels between three wireless networks every week: my mom's house's, my dad's house's, and my school's. I have an Atheros wireless card, my mom's network goes through a Belkin router, I have no idea what my school's is, and my dad's router is this Linksys system.
My laptop has always worked at school and my mom's, but this weekend I was at my dad's. I immediately noticed that I couldn't pickup his network, but could pickup several neighbors'. So I made the mistake of doing the Linksys "LiveChat" thing. Please don't make this mistake. The woman I was talking to, after being extremely slow responding and unable to answer my questions, simply left without telling me.
After this, I called Linksys, and I was put through to a woman whom I could hardly understand, and who could not at all understand me. I am all for diversity, I'm a very socially progressive young man if I may say so myself, but there are sometimes where you'd just like to talk to someone who can speak your language. Though I said to her, "my computer will still work at my other networks now, right?" And she responded, "yes, most certainly so." My card picks up the network here, but I cannot connect to the internet.
Now, my stepfather, being a dolt who fears technology, will not let me hook up via ethernet cable to the router in fears of "bringing down the whole thing." I am going to lose weeks of work by not being able to use my internet on my laptop.
Today I talked to Belkin, the manufacturer of the router at my mom's house. The tech support guy was great. He was really helpful (and funny) and seemed legitimatly apologetic that he wasn't able to help me without an ethernet cable handy. After talking with Linksys, I was actually suprised by his helpfulness, easiness to understand, and overall excellency.
I leave everyone with the following advice: Unless you enjoy malfunctioning computer equipment accompanied by tech support who through their unfortunate and frequent misunderstandings sabotage your network, buy Belkin, not Linksys. (Amazon (which has an extremely nice and helpful customer service staff) I believe also has a full line of Belkin products.)
57 Linksys WRT-54G
I've been using the Linksys WRT-54g for a few months now and I am very happy. Set up was relatively simple, after about an hour I had everything up and running. The router seems to put out a strong signal as I get very decent reception through multiple walls, as well as multiple floors.
I'm using the first version of the router, but through firmware updates I've been able to use WPA security. The routers "control panel" is accessible through a web browser, and is relatively simple and straight forward. The only real complaint that I have about the router is that on occasion my 2.4 GHz telephone and the router will interfere with one another and I'll loose my wireless connection. Once the phones not in use anymore everything returns to normal, however, and I don't think that this is a problem with the router, I'd imagine all routers would behave like this.
If you're looking to go wireless, and want a router that's both easy to use, and features some more advanced features you want go wrong with the Linksys WRT54g.
58 Wow !
It took 2 minutes for me to install the router and set up my wireless network in my home. Very easy install and great service.
59 An amazing router with tons of extra features
I've had this Linksys router. For more than a year, and it is totally reliable. No down time, great signal strength. Worth every penny plus for those who are really into networking. There is an open-source firmware on the net which has tons of extra features. Setup is totally breeze and Linksys's web site is pretty easy to navigate.
Now this router is not the cheapest on the market. But if you want to get into networking and running wireless. The fact that has an open-source firmware makes it a great option in my opinion.
I can't really think of any negatives, but I'll try okay. Nothing came to mind. So the pretty solid router all around good for the money
here's the link to firmware updates
http://www.sveasoft.com/forum6.html
60 Not for Windows Me!
With Windows XP the router does what you would expect. However, remember you wanted wireless, so don't complain about signal strength when you're 100 feet away from the router. If you have Windows Me you will most likely be as unhappy as I was after connecting the router. The internet may work temporarily, but the entire computer will lock-up during each use. Also, if you need customer support to assist you with your router then you had better get a different brand because Linksys could not offer worse support for there router.
61 Excellent value, and fully configurable
I came from an older Netgear 802.11b wireless router that worked in 2 rooms and didn't have coverage over the entire house. This new wireless router, the Linksys, simply rocks!!! Signal is great in all of the rooms of my 3 story, 3 bedroom long house (40ft) even when I put the router in the furthest, lowest corner of the house. I'm really impressed.
Previously, I never thought that buying a new router could speed up my connection. Since I'm only on DSL, I figured that my transfer rates could never exceed 11mbps over the phone line, so why bother with an 802.11g network?
I have no idea why it's faster, but it definitely is faster. Maybe something to do with simply the connection being stronger and less packets being dropped? I don't know, I'm not an IT guy. All I know is that this router rocks.
One tip, though. I used the included setup CD at first, but if you have SBC Yahoo! DSL, you're using a PPPoE client where you need to put monkeypoo@sbcglobal.net and then enter your password into the router. You can't do that in the setup CD. You'll have to go the semi-advanced route of opening your web browser and typing "http://192.168.1.1:0" and going into the router manually, menu by menu.
Anyway, I'm completely satisfied with my purchase. On top of all this great stuff, the firmware was released to the Linux community and 3rd party programmers have hacked the router so you can do a lot of cool stuff. Go to the Anandtech.com forums and search for this router and you'll find SVEAsoft has a lot of awesome firmware. The most important feature seems to be the ability to boost the antenna power from 24dB to a whopping 84dB :) Happy surfing
62 NO MORE WIRES!
Follow instruction to a T and I'm was up and wirless in 15 minutes. Not only with firewalled protected, but made sure that i'm mac add protected too. Works great, no drop outs and signal has is great! Went outside, in the garage, even the backyard still connected and i'm quite a ways from the router. My laptop is equipped with both b and g. My friends can link up when they dropped into town with their wireless laptops as well.
Thanks to Linksys...I'm wireless free.
63 WAP 11 is also an option with a Linksys signal boooster
Linksys supports their products well. However, there is hype on the advantage of B over G. Both are good but G model here does not necessarily have the range I expected over B. I returned my G for the Linksys WAP 11 - B with a signal booster and am very pleased to report the signal quality is strong and with Linksys technical support the installation was successful.
64 Works great! But beware of no Mac support...
Set it up in 5 minutes and my iBook detected the router immediately, after turning on "Airport". Didn't need to configure ANYTHING and is too easy to use, but maybe that's because I have a MACINTOSH ;>)
Only thing is, because I DO own a Mac, there is no mention of Mac-pertinent info on Linksys' website, so if you ever need support I don't know if you'll ever get it from them. Especially troubling is no mention of firmware upgrades for Mac users, so in that aspect buyer (Mac user) beware. Otherwise, this thing is working fine for me at the moment and as I mentioned earlier, installation for us Mac users is painless.
65 Shipped with dodgy firmware
Upon installing this router I could not access certain websites, like ebay and yahoo mail, getting a "Document contains no data" message. After a few frustrating hours I came across some sites suggesting that this might have to do with the MTU (maximum packet size), which you can check with the ping -f -l command. Sure enough, it turned out that the router wouldn't go beyond 808 bytes, (my dsl modem goes to 1464 bytes, which is 1492 minus 28 bytes for certain headers, I believe). This got fixed after I did a firmware update from the syslink website. Other than that, things seem to be working fine and I have a petty reliable connection between my desktop running linux and windows me, and my xp laptop.
66 Reasonable reliability
I bought this after reading about the 3rd party firmware
from SVEASOFT and other suppliers.
I have to disagree with this comment -
>This router is made by Cisco and for those of you who do not
>know this is the brand networking that all of the major >companies use. So basically Cisco makes Linksys products for
>the standard home user but with the same quality as Cisco
>products.
I push the boundaries of what a 'standard home user' does.
Cisco has changed suppliers or specifications after acquiring Linksys, and I can definitely tell the difference in the details. When comparing the BEFW11S4 (2001-vintage wireless/wired router) and the WRT54G, the ethernet cables do not slip in and out as easily in the 54G, making it harder to work with from a pure mechanical perspective.
67 Perhaps I'm just an idiot but...
I set the wireless router up according to the instructions in order to add a notebook computer to my AOL account. Worked like a champ for about 48 hours. Then, certain web sites would no longer load on my desktop that is connected to the router via ethernet cable (particularly web sites that require a log in). After another 48 hours or so, I could not access the web at all. I had to reboot the router and reload the software, and the whole process repeated itself. I have no idea what the problem is.
68 stone wall???
don't have wall impossible to traspassing whit this router, i share DSL whit my neigthbour and we are very happy whit performance.
i recomend this router, for to easy instalation, range, and velocity.
69 Junk
Very limited range, and dropped connections are common. You'll long for the stability of a good old fashioned wire connection.
My environment is not electrically noisy, either - this thing just doesn't have the power to do anything but short line of sight transmission, and connections die while the status monitor still reports signal strength as "very good". Very frustrating.
Also had continual problems with a Linksys print server - and a Trendware replacement worked fine right out of the box. I think I'm done with Linksys. -Scott Mayo
70 Don't be fooled
I guess the network aspect worked fine (I am assuming this because I don't know what the heck a network). But the salesman promised me that I would be able to achieve cold fusion with this and a rubber band. But don't be fooled, it doesn't work.
71 complete junk
I have two linksys routers, one wireless g, and the other cabled. Both of them keep disconnecting on me and interruptions are 3 or 4 times per day at best. When that happens i have to restart my pc or restart the linksys router. Both routes take me a few minutes of precious time when i would be online doing something important.
Stay away from this junk. Do your research and buy something like netgear or dlink.
72 works fine does the job
it works find, does the job, easy setup and off you go. works well with comcast, no problems, only when i use the 3rd party firmware upgrades, then it seems to have different results. works great with the linksys usb -g adapter. works fine with wired networks as well
73 no end of problems with this router
I am having nothing but problems with this router and notebook adaptor card. Spent 2 hrs 20 mins on the phone w/their support group cause the notebook cannot access the internet when using the wireless adaptor. At one point the help line got both the
laptop and dektop working but as soon as I moved the laptop
13' away from the router not only did my laptop access to the internet stop but my dsl stopped working as well. When I called my ISP and went thru several exercises, we determined it was the router but no one at linksys can get it up and working! Nor can they explain what the problem is
74 Great Router, *Easy Setup, Good Deal
Hello I am very please with this router so far. I upgraded from the wired Linksys router.
And for only about $70 you can not get a better deal on a router.
This router is made by Cisco and for those of you who do not know this is the brand networking that all of the major companies use. So basically Cisco makes Linksys products for the standard home user but with the same quality as Cisco products.
This is SIMPLE to setup! All you have to do is connect everything then your computers should be sharing an internet connection. The hard part is to get the home networking, sharing, etc to work.
Here is how I did this (in XP):
1) First try using the Home Network Wizard which usually does not work for most users.
2) Go to your Network Connections and then right click on the Local Arean Connection and choose properties.
3) Make sure all of the boxes are checked and installed under "This connection uses the following items".
4) Highlight Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and then click on properties.
5) Now at the bottom click on the Advanced button.
6) Now at the top click on the top tab named "WINS".
7) Under Netbios setting make sure to choose "Enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP.
8) Then click on OK and on OK again, etc.
Now you will be able to access files from other computers in your network and print from other printers, etc.
The area coverage on this router is excellent! All throughout my house I have full speed. I can access my network on my whole property which is over 5 acres large. If you need to go any faster or farther I recommend you try the Linksys Wireless G Router with Speedbooster or the new Linksys Wireless A router.
I hope my little directions helped you in setting your home network up. Once again I recommend you buy this over any other router. I have had Netgears, D-Links, Belkins, and many more and none have been near as good as this Linksys. The only thing that I have to complain about is I still have not been able to get the encryption to work.
75 Everyone Should Own One of
I recently decided to upgrade to a wireless network, and was a bit confused on which product to get. For me, the main purpose of going wireless was the ability to connect my Xbox online. Due to low pricing ($30 after rebates) I opted for a D-Link DWL-G820 ethernet game adapter. I wanted to make sure my router and wireless adapters were compatible. At first I figured buying a D-Link router was best. I was looking at the DI-624, but after doing lots of research (alot on DSLReports.com) I found there were constant reboot issues with the router and numerous unhappy customers.
While I realize no product is perfect, I wanted something better and followed the advice of several unhappy D-Link customers and started looking at the LinkSys WRT54G router. The reviews I found were much more favorable. It offered all the security and reliability I needed and expected from a router.
Also a BIG plus I found out is that the firmware is open source. This is great for the customer because they can download the code and see how it is written. Then they can modify it to add, delete or tweak current settings to their liking. I personally lack the ability but several individuals have already done it with excellent reports. The most popular is HyperWRT which is based on Linksys 3.01.3 firmware for the WRT54G and Linksys 3.37.2 firmware for the WRT54GS. One of the big features is it can improve your signal strength. I am currently running the HyperWRT firmware with great results and it works great, even on my Xbox. [...]
In the end, you'll find most routers are about the same price, so the choice comes down to reliability. I couldn't ask for a more reliable product, plus it was easy to setup. And having open source firmware is just the berries and makes it the #1 choice for me. I'd definitely choose this router over again.
76 Easy To Install and Reliable
I initially had problems having my T41 ThinkPad's builtin wireless adapter connecting to the network, using the 128-bit WEP encryption. Called techsupport, and 10 minutes after, it was up and running. Then I had problems with the signal dropping off. So I changed channels using the Web-based utility. The signal hasn't dropped off since.
I had one other issue: transmit rate was only up to 11 Mbps. But after tooling around with my laptop, I found out it was my wireless setup that was the problem. I have this utility called Access Connection w/c I only realized existed on my system. Went through the wizard. Voila! 54 Mbps transmit rate.
Finally, after a week of WEP encryption, I switched to WPA-PSK/AES for even better security. Easier than pie. Just went to the Linksys Web-based utility and was back in business in less than 5 minutes.
I also checked the knowledge base and found it to be useful.
Think I'm going Linksys all the way. They've got other exciting products such as the Media Center Extender. Can't wait to get my hands on that one.
77 Linksys WRT54G Wireless G-Router
Linksys products are by far some of the best LAN/WiFi products on the market. I ordered mine a couple of weeks ago and even though it took close to two weeks to ship it is a great piece of machinery.
The connection is solid and the device very rarely looses its connectivity (so far that is). The only problem I've had so far has been the range of the signal the device puts out. At the risk of sounding a bit bragadocio(?) I'll explain further. Our house is rather large, about 10,000 sq ft., and thanks to dad's design our cable modem is in his home office. Unfortunately my room is almost 100 ft from his office where the router is hooked up. Now had there been a direct line-of-sight from my room to his office I don't anticipate that I would have had the same problem.
However with a little help from our IT guy, I changed a few settings and now the router doesn't need to be directly connected to the main computer and the cable modem. Over all a good product and given the other linksys products that i have I would recommend it to anyone who lives in a mid-size house or uses has a linear workspace for which they need wireless connectivity.
UPDATE:
Here's one problem i have encountered, but haven't found a solution for just yet. As i mentioned before the signal from this device didn't reach across our house. As such, we changed some settings so that i could install it in my room. Unfortunately as long as i am using bandwith in my room, the old man (aka the head hancho/billpayer/dad) can't connect to the internet in his office. Although this rarely provides a problem since dad's internet usage is sparce at best, it is nonetheless still annoying when he thwarts my attempts at sleeping until my 2:30 class by waking me at 7 am and saying, "can you sign off that crap so i can use the internet?". When i find a fix, you'll be ther first to know.
78 The Best Gets Better
For years I've used a Linksys 4-Port Wireless-B router at my house to share the internet connection between multiple computers and also allow wireless access from our laptops. When I moved to college, that router stayed at home, and I purchased the Linksys WRT54G Wireless router (this one). The routers look very much the same in the signature Linksys packaging, but this one is even easier to setup and install. I had it up and running in just a few minutes and it now works with everything in the room flawlessly with very little decrease in speed (3 laptops, 2 printers, and a VoIP phone). In addition, the wireless feature is amazing, allowing me to share my access with others on my hall so they can use their laptops. The only complaint is with the range of the wireless, but in a brick building there's only so much you can do. Overall, this Linksys router has caused no trouble for me and is simply the best out there.
79 Worked for me!
Out of the box, it did not work. The software installation (which they recommend using first) did not work. It was claiming that I did not have an internet connection when I Clearly did. After going through the alternative installation instructions and trying them twice, I gave the Linksys support a call. The guy directed me to the internet site to download the latest software, boom! I was in business. It worked pretty good after then, no problems.
I followed a reviewer's advice and did not mix different products from different vendors, and also bought the wireless card WPC54G. Setting that up just took a few seconds.
I recommend both of them as a team. just be patient and call their customer service if you have a problem.
80 Very Disappointed
I am very disappointed with this product. Have been having problems from early on, virtually since buying it. Their customer support tends to blame everything else (the operation system, the internet provider, existing firewalls, etc) and just created additional problems with unhelpful recommendations. ultimately, 5 months after expiration of the 1 year warranty, after acknowledging that yes, the router "went bad" (these were their exact words) they just advised me that they could not replace it. so, basically this is a somewhat problematic router for those of you who don't need it for more than a year. as for me, I'm switching to Netgear. Today.
81 Easy to set up, but performance is lackluster
I purchased the WRT54G in February of 2004. First, the pros:
It's easy to set up and seems to work with other vendors products (I've tested it with a Cisco 350, Cisco a/b/g, and a Linksys 802.11b card).
The web interface is easy to use and most of the options are fairly straightforward. Some of the advanced features don't have very good documentation.
For anyone using older firmware, I recommend upgrading it by grabbing the image from the Linksys site. It's easy to do and fixes some issues as well as adds some extra features.
The built in switch works great and flies. I can push 90mbps of traffic between two workstations connected and it doesn't blink.
The cons:
Performance is lackluster. I've heard about mixed mode performance issues, so I set the WRT54g to use g only. If I have a laptop within 5 to 10 feet with nothing but air between the antennas, I get no more than 9mbps of throughput. Realistically it floats at around 2mbps. If I move to the bedroom which is about 25 feet away and has two walls in between, signal floats between medium, poor, and none.
Before folks reading this cry foul that I have configuration or interference mishaps, I use the same software, drivers and card to connect to a Linksys 802.11b AP downstairs which has twice as many walls between it and the laptop, and I always get more than 7mbps throughput consistently. I've tried changing channels and settings on the WRT54g to no avail, the range simply will not go up.
I tried putting a high gain antenna on to see if it made any difference, and it made no difference whatsoever.
One other infrequent problem I've had is occasionally the WRT54g will start dropping most wireless packets until it gets a power reset. At that point, it passes traffic internally just fine, but refuses to allow any previously defined port forwarding to pass. Don't ask me why, but going to the port forwarding page, verifying the settings, and clicking "save" (without making any changes) fixes it. I would call this a fluke if it hasn't happened on three separate occasions.
Overall my opinion is this product is flakier than most. If you do nothing but pull it from the box and use it, and don't copy any large files around, you probably won't have any issues.
It's disappointing to see so many reviews hinged on brand loyalty "it's blue, it's good" rather than any kind of specific mention of performance or features. I've read numerous reviews of this product that say performance is great, but include no details. I'm very curious to see if others have had the same poor wireless performance I've seen.
82 Bad start but working now
I just had a hard time configuring this router to work and unlike the previous reviwer who thinks it maybe the PCs which are not connecting to the router, I tend to agree with the one who thinks those who gets connected are just lucky :)
I have 2 PCs and brand new laptop and non of them would go online with this router. I am replacing D-Link rounter which worked fine but would drop connections occationally.
After almost two hours with customer support, I got mine working. The support people were good, helpful and polite but initial wait delays long. I am assuming the router should fly smooth from here now. If I face problems, I will update this review.
83 0 Stars Wouldn't Be Low Enough for Linksys
Before anybody comes to the defense of Linksys, they should read some of the horror stories. My Linksys router would not function properly on either of my PCs, both produced by different manufacturers. The customer support was non-existent. In fact, attempts to contact customer support were ignored.
Only after I purchased a New Gear router did I learn what reliable wireless Internet was all about.
I agree with the reviewer who compared his Linksys router to ET for the Atari 2600. Pure trash. Even the design is poor. My Net Gear router is less than half the size.
If you buy Linksys, be sure you know where the reset button is on their router. Also be sure you know how to reset your Internet connection. If you have a Linksys and it works, you are lucky. I assure you that if you ever had to contact their tech support, you would sing a very unhappy tune.
84 Easy setup, great customer service, powerful signal
Totally satisfied with this. Set up was easy and worked fine - the one issue I had was answered by customer service and call was answered immediately. The signal is virtually full all over the house - in fact at the end of my garden in my shed I still get powerful signal and the router is in the attic room. All in all I highly recommend it.
85 If i could give it ZERO stars i would.
First let me tell you my set up.
I have 2 computers at home, i have an older windows 98SE Desktop top system that sits on one side of the room. On the other side is the phone, dsl modem and this thing, known to me as "crap box". Six inches less than six inches next to the "crap box" sits this my brand new iBook G4 with a built in wireless card.
NOW, The ibook being the laptop that it is I take everywhere, school, play and even to my after school tutoring job because there is an open wifi network near by and sometimes I want to see show the students something on the web.
I have been using computers since the commodore 64, and almost considered getting a masters in the "tech area" before decided on social studies education.
Now back to the crap box. Sometimes, the win98 machine cant get on, even though its WIRED. but worse is, i cant get on to the network AT ALL with wap or any security turned on at all! NONE. NO access for me. NONE. this means that in order to use my own network i am forced to use without any security at all. does this suck? you bet it does.
BUT Thats NOT the worst of it. the worst of it is that i STILL get kick off nearly daily, and have spend anywhere from 15min - 5hours EACH DAY!! trying to get back on my own network, when there is no security at all and the crap box is less than six inches from the my brand new ibook g4 with built in wireless.
"i don't believe you" you say. "why don't you call tech support", you think to yourself. I DO. EACH AND EVERYTHING TIME. but its really just so that the records of my stress with the crap box are their because tech support is not very supportive. 1-they are based in India and don't do a very good job of hiding the fact. because 50-75% what they say is so completely indiscernible from English it might as well be Hindi. 2-if let them know that the problem is with the getting the ibook g4 online, and then they often give me walk throughs with buttons and paths that don't exist. for example, "now click the apple icon in the network settings", was one that i remember. go to newtork settings, look for the apple icon. see what i mean.
Their advise is usually to shut down everything, including all computers connected to the machine. and it USUALLY works. On occasion on has had to do this over and over and over to get any new response. But on at least 2 occasion, this did not work. so we (me and the Indian guy on the phone from tech support) tried to do a hard reset of the crap box, you know the kind that deletes all your settings, and i DIDN'T WORK. 3 times we did a hard reset before it actually "took" and actually reset.
But the vast majority of this(including two 5 hour sections with the Indian tech support) is on record.
Finally, is it a problem with the wireless card? OF COURSE NOT!! the card is built in, there are networks at school (yay for grad school), and in many places across the city and i have never had problems with accessing or keeping access to any other open network.
RECAP:
Will not work with ANY wireless security turned on, thus forcing this user to have an open unecprited network.
Sometimes will not allow WIRED computers to access the Internet
Wireless computer is 6 inches away from "crap box" and STILL get kick of the network on a daily basis.
Requires DAILY restarts, tech support calls and so.
Indian Tech support offers very little "support".
Hard reset don't always work.
FINALLY:
this is the WORST piece of "technology" i have ever used, worse than the minidisc, worse than ET for the Atari 2600 worse than just about anything i can think of.
in the words of the old tech TV folks "DON'T BUY THIS".
EDIT:
after writing this review, a few days ago, the box kicked both computers of the network. 2 days, no internet for the wired or the wireless computer with this router on. over 20 restarts of both computer combined, 5 hard restarts, nothing.
currently the router is off. its complete trash. i will update if i am able to get these linksys people(aka crapbox makers) to issue a refund or replayment.
86 Great router just not perfect
I have been using my router for some months now... I still cant wirelessly access the internet through my laptop but that's a laptop problem. As far as dealing with network access of other computers this router is pretty good given the price- remember this router is the same one that was released right when the G standard was introduced to the market. If you want "the newest gadget" get the one with speedbooster. I like the fact that it IS EASY to use with limited networking experience- the problem I have is that there are many useless features on the unit, and some wanted features, like a list of computers accessing my wireless, is not easily found on my router.
All in all, it's a good router if you don't have the cash for a Speedbooster one. Expect about 10MBps and not more though!
87 Was skeptical but it works GRRRRRREAT! the WRT54G for Apple!
First of all, for the past few weeks I have been reading the reviews on Amazon and other websites looking for a wireless router for my Apple-- however, none of them ever seem to mention that they support Macs! So for those of you with an Apple, this is compatible. I'm running OS X 10.3.5 on my iBook.
The Linksys package does not say it supports Macs, but after doing some research online and asking the guy at the storeI took the router home and was wireless within twenty minutes! I live in an apartment and the wireless network works AWESOME.
However, the installation documentation and CD that come along with the router do not mention Apples nor do I think that tech support can help, although i could be wrong. Everything seemed very directed at Windows machines. For you Apple peoples, after following the online setup for the router, go into "Network" and have the computer switch to detect a wireless network. That's it!
With all the bad reviews for this router and every other one I was interested in, I wasn't sure if I had should even buy one, but I'm glad I took the risk and bought it.
So for me, maybe it was luck, maybe it wasn't but I have to say I'm very happy with my Linksys. I felt that after reading so many of these reviews I should add my own experience :)
88 Rough start, but works great - now!
I had a Linksys wired 802.11B router and wireless access point which worked well, but decided to upgrade to an all-in-one 11G device. The tough part was deciding whether or not I needed the "Speedbooster" version. After asking around, I found out I didn't.
The out-of-the-box experience was a little frustrating. I tried the CD setup program without any luck. Then I tried the do-it-yourself method of following the step-by-step instructions. Nope. That didn't work either.
A five minute call to the tech support people was all it took to get the router up and running. No hold time. Yes, the 1-800 number probably redirected me to someone in India, but the guy was easy to understand, and he helped solve the problem.
Essentially, the CD included with the package is, for the most part, worthless. I was told to connect my computer directly to the cable modem, then go to a Linksys website:
www.linksys.com/connect
I clicked on NetSet Assistant and let it do it's thing. I followed the prompts to disconnect and reconnect Ethernet cables, and then rebooted. Problem solved.
As far as WEP configuration... make your adjustments after you've set up the router using the default setup. It'll make life a lot easier, and preclude you from having to give this product a negative review.
This is my fourth Linksys product and, aside from the rough start, I'm very satisfied with this router.
89 ANYTHING BUT LINKSYS!!!
Buy any brand BUT Linksys! I've had nothing but problems with Linksys from the start! Customer Service is non-existent! If you do finally get help with someone who works for Linksys inside the United States, and they let you return a defective product, kiss it good-bye! I'm STILL waiting for my warranty return to be replaced. UPS delivered it, but Linksys is so incompetent, they can't seem to find it! GET ANY BRAND BUT LINKSYS!!!!
90 I t is up and working great!
I bought this router and the Wireless Card for my laptop so I could use my new high speed cable access. The Router is connected to the cable and then to my new desktop. It installed without a problem. Getting the card installed in my laptop was more difficult and I agree that the phone support from India was not helpful They answered right away ,but didn't solve my problem. However the e-mail support from Linksys was quick and responsive. I have a Compaq laptop and the e mail support from Compaq was excellent. One computer is downstairs and one upstairs and it works fine. I would certainly reccommend this product.
91 DON'T BUY IT!!!!!
Nothing but problems! If your not using it as your main connection to the internet it is extremely difficult to configure. Any documentation that comes with it is very incomplete when it come to the "other than default setup".
And support......PFFFT!! Don't even go there!!!!
92 nothing but frustration
had problems...tech support hung up after putting me on hold for 10 min...2 days later and i'm going to try and get my money back...wish me luck
93 Don't Try This at Home
If you decide to go wireless don't use Linksys. I have spent the last two days of my life on hold to India. The tech support is almost worthless. In consists of unplug or reboot. They are in a hurry to hang up, and not to solve your problem.
94 Great product
If you follow the instructions, it should take you less than an hour to install the network and card adapters and have your wireless up and running. I had some questions and the 24 hour phone support was very helpful, nice guys. I highly recommend this product.
95 Great Wireless
its a good buy, especially when u look at the prive the same router is avialable for at other places.. its better than netgear or the others.. i read somewhere it has something to do with 2 antennas...
installing was very simple.. enabling mac addressing to restrict others may seem a little tough to the layman..
another great thing i liked about the router was it was backward 802.11b compatible.
lastly, and though not a good factor, it looks really nice... :)
96 HARDEST PRODUCT TO SET UP NOT WORTH HASSLE!!
This was absolutely THE worst product I have ever bought for my computer, I was so frustrated that I brought it back after hours of tech support! Then I asked around, and everyone that had one, also had such a hard time with it. Terrible.
97 Easy setup, dropped connections with WEP, but fine with WPA
I set this router up this morning in a couple of minutes. I am a professional software engineer and an experienced user. I don't have any significant networking expertise, but the technical terms don't intimidate me and so I probably can do these sorts of things more quickly than non-technical users. That said, install -- particularly without any security settings -- was really simple and took a matter of minutes.
Setting up WEP, a common security protocol, is a little hairy because you end up typing in this long hexadecimal string into your Windows machine. It doesn't take much time -- 1 or 2 minutes -- but it is a little bizarre and may scare some people away. With WEP, I noticed, as have others, that the router dropped my connections VERY frequently (*).
I did some reading on the web, and it seemed that the WPA-PSK security protocol is generally considered to be better than WEP. So, I set it up instead. I'd say that it's easier to set up than WEP. Pretty much all I had to do was choose a password on the router setup screens, and then type the same password on my laptop.
Once I started using WPA-PSK rather than WEP, the dropped connections stopped. Now, I don't know if all operating systems or PCs or network adapters support WPA, but mine (Dell Inspiron 1150 running Windows XP) does, and so I don't consider the flaky WEP support a disadvantage.
(*) UPDATE to this review: Turns out that the problems with WEP were due to settings and drivers on my PC. I eventually fixed those problems. The WEP problems were NOT due to this product.
98 Great Product
Although I am adept in many software programs, the hardware is not my forte. This router was extremely easy to install and it has "dropped" on me less than a handful of times in the two years I've had it. During those "drops" it just entails that you sign off the computer, unplug the router and modem, wait a few seconds, plug up the router and modem, turn the computer back on and you are set to go.I have my desktop and laptop connected to it and I would highly recommend this product.
99 Constant dropping
We bought this about 6 months ago and it's been worthless. It constantly drops the internet connection and simple things like WALLS in our house block the link so everything is very slow. It's very frustrating to try to complete school work or work, only to lose it because I am dropped every couple of minutes. The tech support is worthless too.
100 Drops Connections Constantly
Purchased as a replacement for a Linksys 802.11b wireless router which suddenly died after 1.5 years of use. We have two Macs and two PCs sharing this wireless router. It will work fine for a few days, then for no particular reason the data rate will slow to a crawl, then the connection is dropped completely. Sometimes all the computers lose connection, sometimes only some of them do. These computers are generally sitting in one place and not moving around much at all, mind you. Sometimes cutting router power fixes it, sometimes resetting firmware does, but sometimes nothing works and we just give up until it comes back by itself. We are now unable to rely on our internet connectivity at all, something we rarely had to worry about before. We're very unhappy with this product.
