The Linksys wireless signal booster piggybacks onto your Linksys wireless access point (or wireless access point router) to increase the effective range and coverage area of your 802.11b network. The added signal strength also helps speed up your close-range communications, because every packet comes through "loud and clear," reducing retransmissions due to reception errors.
To install, just stack the Linksys wireless signal booster on your access point, move the antennas to the booster, and attach the booster's twin cables to the access point--no drivers or modifications to your setup are necessary.
The Linksys wireless signal booster saves wiring costs and helps build corporate wireless infrastructure by driving signals even into those distant, reflective corners and hard-to-reach areas. And it's perfect for covering large areas in warehouse environments, public spaces, wireless hot spots, and outdoor venues--anywhere you need extra coverage for your wireless LAN.
NOTE: The Wireless Signal Booster is certified by the FCC for use only with the Linksys Wireless Access Point, model number WAP11 and the Linksys Wireless Access Point Router, model number BEFW11S4.
| 
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. |
Turn up the volume on your Wireless LAN! The Linksys Wireless Signal Booster piggybacks onto your Linksys Wireless Access Point (or Wireless Access Point Router) to increase the effective range and coverage area of the 802.11b network. The added signal strength also helps speed up your close-range communications, because every packet comes through "loud and clear", reducing retransmissions due to reception errors. To install, just stack the Wireless Signal Booster on your Access Point, move the antennas to the Booster, and attach the Booster's twin cables to the Access Point - no drivers or modifications to your setup are necessary. The Linksys Wireless Signal Booster saves wiring costs and helps to build corporate wireless infrastructure by driving signals even into those distant, reflective corners and hard-to-reach areas. And it is perfect for covering large areas in warehouse environments, public spaces, wireless hotspots, and outdoor venues - anywhere you need extra coverage for your wireless LAN.
1 Works with WRT54G
I've had the WSB24 signal booster in storage since I switched from a Linksys wireless 802.11B router to an 802.11 B/G router, the WRT54G to be specific. However, I decided to give the signal booster a try with my B/G router. It is very easy to set up, just unscrew the antennas from the back of of the router. Screw the wires from the signal booster onto the router in the place of the antennas you just removed. Then plug the power adaptor in and Bobs your uncle (you're done, that is).
My signal strength went up 2-3 bars in the "dead" spots in our house and now goes to the farthest corner of our 2 story house with all signal strength "bars" lit up.
So even thought the WSB24 is not designed to work with an 802.11 G router, it does work fine with the Linksys WRT54G. Note that this booster has been pulled from the market by Linksys. If you want one, you will have to buy a used one. But you can't have mine.
2 i bought one and it did not work for me
I bought one of your linksys booster, and it did not work out for me. I dont really know what is wrong with it i tryed it with a linksys assespoint, but it did not work as well.I am not happy with this product beacuse i cant use it and my money is gone what can be done.
3 Improved signal..less variance in power...better overall
I was very skeptical about buying this product. I already had good transmission rates in my townhome (60% being the worst, 100% being the best). I have my wirelress router in the ceiling of the attic of my house, thus, I get great reception both inside and outside my house. However, with the advent of wireless being cheaper, my neighborhood has become populated with wireless-lans (exposed and unprotected I might add...something that is useful for me in a pinch). However, the problem that I was suffering was that I get great reception from my router in some parts of the house, however, two floors down from the router, I was actually getting better reception from a neighbor's house. I also had interference from 2.4GHz phones and even the microwave oven (which sometimes caused dead-spots in my living room when running). All of these problems are gone now that I have the booster.
I read quite a bit about this unit before buying it. It is straightforward enough. It takes the average router TX/RX power from 5W to 15W in terms of average power. The other thing it also seems to do (according to my wi-fi measures) is it significantly cut down the "variance" of reception. If you have a good signal - you have it all over the coverage area. Don't necessarily expect to see a 80% signal go to 100%. But, do expect to see a much larger 80% cone in your coverage area! Similarly, if you have a poor signal - it goes from poor to good within that area, and the cone will be much larger. Finally, before with linksys routers, my "signal strength" gauges would bounce up and down... now they hardly move at all (another measure of variance).
If you already have very good reception and line of sight in your WLAN - I don't recommend this product as you are unlikely to see any of the alleged speed benefits. However, if you are contending with significant interference (from 2.4 phones, other WLAN's, etc.) this product does a good job at increasing signal reception in hostile wireless environs. This product also does well in penetrating drywall, flooring, concrete (since I can get reception from my router outside my house standing inside a concrete shed... although it is only 20%!), and other types of building materials. Under these circumstances, the extra bucks in the form of a booster may be a better solution versus WLAN bridges/repeaters.
Overall, worth the price, but, you really don't know what kind of improvements you will get beforehand. I recommend you buy the booster if you have less than 80% signal strength (or signal strength jumps from 40-80%), but otherwise, save the money. The speed improvements are not really noticable if you already have a good signal. However, if you have interference (from building materials or other sources) - this may be a good stop-gap measure before investing in repeaters, bridges, and the like.
4 Linksys Signal booster took me from 34% to 83% thru concrete
I Purchased the Linksys Signal Booster for 81$ on Amazon.com, any store I found it in would run me $99, so I give Amazon 5*****Stars + with FREE shipping, :). Thru 2 concrete walls and about 30 yards, + 1 1/2 inch think would wall, the Booster took me from 34% strength to 83% strength. Quality went from 92% to 100%. Everything is faster and more stable. Excellent Deal and Product. btw, my neighbor 100yards away and also behind concete, well he gets 43% strength, up from 24%, and thats across the street from me. I can now walk 200yards in any direction and have internet access. Ofcourse at 200yards service is real slow.
5 This Product Is Clearly Garbage
I've been a longstanding Linksys customer. Linksys has clearly manufactured a garbage product in that this device is NOT compatible with the devices it states as compatible. As stated in other reviews here, you have to have specific releases of the Wireless Router in order for it to work.
I ordered this device and went home on lunch to hook it up. When doing so my wireless signal went to zero. I disconnected and reconnected it twice thinking I must have done something wrong. Lo, after calling their technical support and verifying my information, this product is not compatible. Shame on Linksys.
If I could I would give this product zero stars as Linksys has made no effort to state the limited compatibility. The phone rep cheerfully told me to "Take it back to the store." Nice strategy, Linksys.
Hello Dlink!
6 Not bad, but...
...there's a better way to handle the wireless range problem, and for less money. I have used my WSB24 for a few months, and probably have seen a 25% boost in thru-put at the far ends of the house (important as we're now running 3 thermostats, 2 TiVos, a variable number of laptops & the new 802.11b Linksys camera, all via wireless).
Anyway, recently I added 2 more BEFW11S4 combination routers (wired and wireless) and instead of plugging my ethernet cable into local PCs, I've plugged them into the supplemental routers and then used one of the 4 ports on these for the local PC. The effect is that the local machine still gets the benefit of hard wired network access, while the wireless end of the routers supplies broader areas within the house with a full signal.
I guess that's an obvious solution (though it took me a while to figure it out), but with the router price just a little more than half the price of a wireless access point/bridge (WET11) and less than the cost of this booster, this approach has solved all my issues handsomely. Access anywhere is just as robust as it is at the (still in use) WSB24.
I am now in Networked Nirvana!
7 Sailing steady and fast
I hooked up the booster on top of the router just as advertised. The 1/2 inch thick ends of the 2 antennas from the router had to be pulled off with plyers so the thinner and shorter remaining antenna would fit the booster. That was not in the instructions and should not have been needed anyway since I just bought the router two weeks earlier from this site. The design is defective. Anyway, I pulled off the thick ends in about tens seconds and tossed them out, after realizing what had to be done. I then went to my pocket pc, loaded the flash card in place, walked away through a few walls and rooms to see the difference. The connection was marginal or out of range as usual for about one minute. Then bing bang, I was flying as if I was on top of the router. What a kick! Worth $82 if you cannot put your router in a more central place in the home to have great service all over.
8 Deceptive compatibility
I have a BEFW11S4v4 linksys router/AP. My roommate's connection to the AP was aweful, signing on and off every 5 seconds with the signal strength jumping from 5% to 90%. This was the reason for me buying the WSB24, to see if I could fix this (turns out it was his wireless card that wasn't compatible with my AP; had no trouble connecting to the neighbors unencrypted AP and staying connected). Come to find out from Linksys (great support) the WSB24 isn't compatible with the v4 version of the AP. Could be that the WSB24 product and packaging was released before the v4 of the AP, but how many unsuspecting people are going with this exact setup and it not working for them? I did check the signal strengh before and after on both roommates computers & using a laptop throughout the apartment and building. From what I saw there was an almost unnoticable increase in performance. Turns out I was right. I give it a 3 only because I dont know how it would perform on a compatible AP.
9 Great for old houses
I recently moved into an old brick house with dense plaster and brick walls. Although my WAP worked great before in a condo with drywall, I was having serious signal strength problems in the older house I moved to. The WSB24 solved all that, quickly and easily. Install took a few minutes and my laptops went from "low" wireless reception in parts of the house to "vey good" and "excellent" with the booster. It really works as claimed.
10 WSB24
Recently installed Linksys router and cannot get signal @ 34 feet away from AP. Bought booster and the signal barely improved!
How can Linksys get away with this? I have a $30 cordless phone that has better reception than my $300+ wireless system!
11 Better, but not best
Of all the network equipment I've added to my home, this has been the easiest to install. You take your existing Wireless router, unscrew the antennas, connect them to the booster, and then connect the booster to the router where your antennae used to be.
Before buying this I was having problems with signal strength. Sometimes I'd have dropouts despite there not being a great deal of interference or distance between my router and my machines.
I have to give Linksys credit: this booster *did* improve the quality of my network signal. Just not by much. I tried other positions and moving the antenna, but there really wasn't anything to write home about in the upgrade.
If this booster were about half as expensive as it's listed here (currently $81), I'd say it's almost worth the money. However, unless you're really having a lot of trouble with your network, you do a lot of file transfers from one machine to another, or you simply insist on tweaking things, you might want to pass on this product and consider waiting for a better wireless standard to upgrade to, like 802.11g.
12 Just like it says, it boosts your signal
You should note that nowhere in the documentation does it say HOW MUCH it boosts your signal. It just boosts it.
Well, I agree, it boosted my signal.
My problem was that I live in an old building with dense walls (and maybe lead paint), so two rooms away from the router I was only getting about 15-25% signal. After I installed the booster (very easy), I'm getting 70% signal.
If you just have one access point, this is the best way to increase your signal.
13 It does what it's supposed to
I have a Linksys BEFW11S4 v.4 router connected by RJ45 to my PC in a corner room of the 2nd floor of my house. My second PC is two floors below in the basement, attached to a Microsoft MN-510 wireless adaptor. I don't have any handy utilities to measure signal strength and quality aside from the Microsoft adaptor software, but the MS software says I typically get 4 out of 5 bars of signal strength WITHOUT the booster. That sounds pretty darn good, but I get only about 1/4 of the download speed (300-400 Mbps) that I get on the PC physically wired to the router (1000-1300 Mbps). Note that I am going through 2 floors, a wall, a kitchen and some ductwork. Considering the situation, that isn't bad really.
But I bought the WSB24 to see if I could improve it. The installation went fine, except I found I had to push back the rubber "boots" on the antennas so that they could be screwed onto the WSB24 antenna connectors. No big deal. Installation took about 5 minutes.
With the booster, download speed was much improved, from 300-400 Mbps without the booster to around 600-700 Mbps. I don't have a laptop, so I could not tell if the range had been extended or if simply the signal quality was improved within the same range. Since the MS signal monitor still reported 4 out of 5 bars in signal strength even with the booster operating, I'd be inclined to assume the latter. That's fine with me, since two floors of coverage is more than enough range.
So, the improvement in range/signal quality, while it didn't knock my socks off, is what I expected and seems reasonable for the price. The unit stacks right on top of the router, which is a real strong point for me. It keeps things tidy. I give it 4 out of 5 stars. If it gave a little more performance it would have gotten 5, but I am happy with it.
14 Linksys WSB24 Signal Booster Delivers
We live in a 2,200 square foot, old (1927) house with plaster & lathe walls, and wood shingles. With the base station located in an office on one end of the house, the wireless network's signal was Fair to Good through only half of the house, and wouldn't reach outside to the patio. My goal was to provide internet access throughout.
Some reviews stressed that this booster would enhance signal strength within the existing range, but could not be counted on to expand that perimeter.
Mission: Accomplished! The booster installation only requires simple screw on connections, and takes no more than 3 minutes. The unit is functional immediately. Signal strength is at least Poor to Good both outside and inside, even up on the second floor. Even at this level of performance, internet connection speed through our cable modem is still fast.
This product did exactly what I needed. Amazon's price was $28 (29%) less than local electronics retail stores. Free shipping by UPS arrived in 4 days.
Thanks you Amazon and Linksys!
15 Great product, but WiFi throughout your house? Not quite...
Probably around 2/3 of the walls in my home are brick. For whatever reason, this has always limited my ability to use my Linksys wireless router as far away as I could in an apartment with drywall. Anyway, adding the signal booster was an improvement. It doesn't extend coverage to the entire house, but it does boost the strength of the signal to the point that I don't have to worry about drop-offs in the next room (which is behind a brick wall). Installation was not even a 5 minute process, but don't think that getting WEP encryption up and running will be an easy process. I had to be walked through it on the phone by a Linksys tech support guy (who was great).
16 Product works but beware...
I bought this before reading these reviews. Hopefully this will save someone else some grief. This product was designed for the original Linksys BEFW11S4 router. Starting with the V3 model they changed the antennas. I have a V3 and the antennas will not fit on the WSB24 signal booster. I know there is now a V4 of the router out, but I don't know if the antennas have changed. Look at the underside of the router where the serial number is. Nearby is the model number that includes the version.
I found a company that makes replacement antennas for Linksys routers, and bought a pair that work with the WSB24. I gave this product 3 stars because it is not being marketed properly. There needs to be a warning that this product does not work out of the box with all models of the BEFW11S4.
17 Double-confirmed WSB24 won't work on new Routers!
Referring to the comments by Chris S Hughes from San Diego on "Doesn't Work with the new Routers, August 5, 2003"
I emailed to Sales of Linksys asking if WSB24 can work on Version 3 of BERW11S4. The reply is as follows:
"The new Router has a very strong antennas which do not require the Signal Booster."
18 Add this to your Linksys Access Point if you need range
I used this to boost reception in a small wireless 802.11b network set up in a duplex (about 2200 sq feet total, 2 stories, wood-lathe-plaster construction).
Initially I set up a Linksys BEFW11S4 Cable/DSL Wireless Router, and was getting only fair reception at the periphery, about 50 feet through walls from the BEFW11S4. The WSB24 installation took less than 60 seconds It sits on top of the router -- same footprint. The signal strength improved to good to excellent at the periphery. Eight computers, both Macs & PCs, have excellent internet connections through a single router and DSL interface.
PRO: Small footprint, works as advertised, easy & fast to install.
CON: Cost, another power brick, it probably won't boost reception through walls with high interference if you don't have some reception to start with (see Tip #2, below).
Tip # 1, for router placement: Place the router as high as possible in your room or structure--it will significantly improve signal strength.
Tip # 2, It's a two-way street: The wireless adapter in each computer acts as a transmitter back to the wireless router. Poor placement of the computer or antenna results in poor reception, even with a signal booster like the WSB24. Try repositioning the computer, or get a Wireless USB Adapter (like the Linksys WUSB11), which can be placed closer to the wireless router because of its USB cable. For poor reception on a laptop with an internal wireless card, replace it with a PC slot wireless card. The antenna extends out of the PC card slot for less interference. In my experience, the best is the Cisco Aironet 350, which has 100mW of transmit power (the average laptop card has 30mW) and a diversity antenna, which aligns to the router in any postion.
19 Increased Signal Quality
I am using a BEFW11S4 to support 3 machines around my house. On the furthermost workstation equipped with a WMP11 signal quality was 20-40% varied a little with other electronics use in the house. This workstation is one floor above and 70 linear feet from the base unit. After installation of the WSB24 it increased quality up to 75-90% capability. With my laptop using a WPC11 card it can now be used throughout the house with good-very good signal quality.
Problems with my house was construction. 2x6 construction with 3/4 inch drywall is a little hard for the signal to punch thru. This doesn't really extend range too much maybe 25 yds but it does give better signal strength for the area already covered.
Thought about daisy chaining another WSB24 to the one I have to see if that helps too...
20 Increased Signal Quality
I am using a BEFW11S4 to support 3 machines around my house. On the furthermost workstation equipped with a WMP11 signal quality was 20-40% varied a little with other electronics use in the house. This workstation is one floor above and 70 linear feet from the base unit. After installation of the WSB24 it increased quality up to 75-90% capability. With my laptop using a WPC11 card it can now be used throughout the house with good-very good signal quality.
Problems with my house was construction. 2x6 construction with 3/4 inch drywall is a little hard for the signal to punch thru. This doesn't really extend range too much maybe 25 yds but it does give better signal strength for the area already covered.
Thought about daisy chaining another WSB24 to the one I have to see if that helps too...
21 Increased Signal Quality
I am using a BEFW11S4 to support 3 machines around my house. On the furthermost workstation equipped with a WMP11 signal quality was 20-40% varied a little with other electronics use in the house. This workstation is one floor above and 70 linear feet from the base unit. After installation of the WSB24 it increased quality up to 75-90% capability. With my laptop using a WPC11 card it can now be used throughout the house with good-very good signal quality.
Problems with my house was construction. 2x6 construction with 3/4 inch drywall is a little hard for the signal to punch thru. This doesn't really extend range too much maybe 25 yds but it does give better signal strength for the area already covered.
Thought about daisy chaining another WSB24 to the one I have to see if that helps too...
22 Increased Signal Quality
I am using a BEFW11S4 to support 3 machines around my house. On the furthermost workstation equipped with a WMP11 signal quality was 20-40% varied a little with other electronics use in the house. This workstation is one floor above and 70 linear feet from the base unit. After installation of the WSB24 it increased quality up to 75-90% capability. With my laptop using a WPC11 card it can now be used throughout the house with good-very good signal quality.
Problems with my house was construction. 2x6 construction with 3/4 inch drywall is a little hard for the signal to punch thru. This doesn't really extend range too much maybe 25 yds but it does give better signal strength for the area already covered.
Thought about daisy chaining another WSB24 to the one I have to see if that helps too...
23 Increased Signal Quality
I am using a BEFW11S4 to support 3 machines around my house. On the furthermost workstation equipped with a WMP11 signal quality was 20-40% varied a little with other electronics use in the house. This workstation is one floor above and 70 linear feet from the base unit. After installation of the WSB24 it increased quality up to 75-90% capability. With my laptop using a WPC11 card it can now be used throughout the house with good-very good signal quality.
Problems with my house was construction. 2x6 construction with 3/4 inch drywall is a little hard for the signal to punch thru. This doesn't really extend range too much maybe 25 yds but it does give better signal strength for the area already covered.
Thought about daisy chaining another WSB24 to the one I have to see if that helps too...
24 Not true about 54G
First, who ever posted that it works with 54G is wrong. In fact they've little sleeves on the 54G antenna to prevent you from installing the antennas on the booster. You can remove the sleeves but once you connect it will not work. Your incorrect information wasted a bunch of my time.
I do not know if it'll work with b networks or make any difference. I just wanted folks to know that it is not and is not intended to work with 54G equipment.
25 Doesn't Work with the new Routers
Wasted my time. The booster only works with version 2 of the BEFW11S4, not the v 3.2 that is out now. It doesn't say this anywhere. I had to call their tech support to find this out. So if you go down to the store and buy both, they will not work together. You have to have an old model.
26 Covers all house
Before I purchased this device, signal strength for my laptop shifted between Low-Very Low-No Signal. After installing this device, signal strength shifted between Very Good-Good-Low. I can also get signal from anywhere inside the house, and out on the back porch. I highly recommend this product.
27 Garbage, pure garbage.
I purchased one of these units to punch up the signal throughout my house and it had the opposite effect. With the "booster" powered on, my wireless signal dropped to less than 10% even three feet from the access point! When it was removed the signal returned to 100%. All of these positive reviews must be Linksys employees or the Linksys quality control is going downhill fast. Avoid this thing at all costs unless you want total frustration. If I could give it zero stars, I'd do that.
28 Useless....
Parts of my house only receive a 20% signal strength. I was so excited to see a product that might actually make surfing throughout the house more enjoyable.
The product was incredibly easy to insall, however it made mininal difference on my signal strength. It was still in the 20% range.
I use both a Linksys router and a Linksys 802.11 card for my laptop.
Also, the tollfree # for technical support had been disconnected. Very frustrating.
29 Linksys Wireless Signal Booster Doesn't Work
My linksys wireless signal booster simply does not work. When I tested it (repeatedly) I observed 18 - 20% signal strength without the unit and a range of 17-24% at the same test point using the same test instrument with the unit installed and powered-up. These results cannot be said to be any change at all from a scientifically sound standpoint. I will be returning my unit ASAP. I am a proponent of linksys products despite their "pricyness" but this unit simply does not work. The only pro I can relay is that it is very simple to uninstall for return to the place of purchase.
I did see where someone said the unit was pulled from the market on June 18. The product is not listed on linksys.com.
30 Covers all house now!
I added this to my Linksys Wireless DSL Router. I was a little concerned based on some of the reviews I saw - installation was a snap and now have no dead spots on my property, inside or outside. While the increase in signal strength/range was not a quantum leap, it was sufficient for my needs.
Note: This item has been recalled due to regulatory issues, but it can still be found at some websites.
31 Useful product
I'm using this signal booster with my BEFW11S4 and noticed a significant increase in the distance that I can be away from the wireless router. Before I attached the booster, I would be able to get no further than about 35 feet before I lost my signal. Now I can be almost anywhere in my house (2 stories and 3000+ sqaure feet) and still be able to connect. I'd recommend one to all Linksys wireless router owners.
32 Excellent! Worth the Investment!
I added 2 of these units to my wireless network. One for my Access point and one for my neighbor behind me. He is acting as a repeater off of my network and he's approx 400 feet away! We are getting pings back and forth anywhere between 2ms to 5ms and the connection has been solid for a few weeks! I don't even have either of these in a window. Mine is behind my TV on the outside wall facing him, and his is at the opposite side of the house from me! So it's traveling through his entire structure. We were able to get connections without the WSB24 but both units were in the window and his unit was in the window on the wall closet to my house. Any movement from this and it lost signal. If you are doing anything like this buy it!!
33 Just buy another router....
I'm also not sure what people were thinking when they reported improved reception, where they just copying the text from the Linksys marketing department? I see absolutely NO improvement in reception. In fact, I see WORSE reception! I used to get a full 100%/100% signal sitting right next to the router, now I don't even get that! There was no better range either... it stayed the same.
My advice is to STAY AWAY! Save your money on this. In fact, the best bet is to take this money and just buy another wireless router and place it near where you want a better signal. This is what I did. I now have two seperate networks that I switch between manually. It's not a hassle to change SSID's, just keep your other settings the same, and it sure works better than this "booster"
34 Great product
I bought this product to try and compensate for the loss of one access point in my home (needed two before to get decent coverage around a heating duct, but had to convert one to replace faulty powerline ethernet bridges). After a dirt-simple install and a moving the access point a bit, I once again had the same coverage that I had before with two access points.
35 Was everyone lying before about how great this is?
I bought this because all the reviews said it was great, now after I've received it and installed, I go back and find that recently, a slew of people have had problems. We have a loft, open space, and the booster is at one end. To the other end of the loft, there's only fair reception. My vpn connection is constantly getting dropped. I don't have any problems with my desktop, so this is strictly a wireless thing. Don't waste you money on this. It seems like the signal is degrading since I bought the thing too.
36 It doesn't work
I bought this signal booster so that the signal would reach 200 feet away from the transmitter. It doesn't work. In fact I replaced an SMC access router with the Linksys model so I could add the Linksys signal booster. The SMC router had greater range even with no booster than does the Linksys router with the booster and network management is much more difficult with the Linksys unit. I can't understand how Linksys got to be so prevalent.
37 A piece of junk, twice over
I purchased a WSB24 from Amazon, hoping to improve the signal strength from my Linksys wireless router. With the "signal booster" in place, my signal became extremely erratic, even in my home office, where the router is located (there is an 8-ft clear-sight gap from the router to my laptop)! The office used to get link qualities and signal strength > 85%, but with the booster in place it was not uncommon to see the strength dip down to 0%. I sent the original booster back to Amazon for a replacement unit, but I now am experiencing the same behavior with the second unit. Needless to say, I've taken the "signal booster" out of my system, and I will return it for a refund. Twice burned is enough, I won't get a third one. BTW, I note that a greater preponderance of the newer reviews are reporting negative results with the booster. Perhaps quality has dropped in the past few months?
38 Dont waste your money
Purchased the booster to supplement an unsatisfactory BEFWS1145 wireless router and access point.. not only did the product not work well, it resulted in markedly worse performance.. I obtained a second booster and had the same problem.. my suggestion?? pull cable and save your money as in my opinion, the products are unsatisfactory.
39 Increased Range
Functioned as advertised, though I wasn't sure what to expect as the documentation was vague about the benefits. It definately improves the range at which I can receive the signal. There are no longer any weak signals inside the house. I have a half-acre lot and can receive a signal about anywhere in the yard. I should probably turn on encryption now! I wish they would include this range in the router and improve the antenna on the cards. Is it worth it? I am keeping it.
40 disappointing
I was getting little or no signal out on my porch, where with the nice weather I wanted to try working on my Dell laptop. I could not get email most of the time, and terminal sessions or web site loads would often time out. (10 feet away, inside the house, the signal is fine.) All of this is on the same (ground) floor as my BEFW11S4 wireless router. A friend bought this booster to get the signal to his daughter's 2nd floor bedroom, but it did not help. It may have also toasted the router. He was unable to return it, so he gave it to me to try.
I only got a marginal improvement - connections now just barely hang on, but are so slow as to be useless on the porch. Hope it does not toast my unit (my friend's hired expert said there were reliability problems with the Linksys equipment - high failure rate).
41 Excellent product!!
I used to get plenty of "black spots" or dropping connections around the house... with this booster all of those problems have vanished.... can even surf at the outside deck, even if the signal goes through 5 brick and concrete walls.... This was an excellent choice!
42 Excellent product!!
I used to get plenty of "black spots" or dropping connections around the house... with this booster all of those problems have vanished.... can even surf at the outside deck, even if the signal goes through 5 brick and concrete walls.... This was an excellent choice!
43 Nice Addition
I admit when I first installed my WAP11 and Wireless card in my laptop I was thrilled. But soon I realized that the further I moved avay from my WAP the crappier my 'Link Quality' got. Even when I was in the same room it was never '100%'.
Now I probably do not have the WAP in the best part of the room. Right now it resides on my enterainment unit right about my TV, TiVo and VCR. But I didn't really have any other place to put it. Any more work to hide the WAP I could have just run CAT5e throughout my house.
Enough background. This took me all of three minutes to add this to my WAP. I won't go into detail on what I did, it's a breeze - a novice could hood it up in 10 miuntes.
I turned on my laptop and had it set on a table 6 feet from the WAP. 'Link Qulaity' was '80%'. I unplugged the WAP installed the Signal Booster and plugged it back in. Immediately I noticed that my 'Link Quality' was '100%' and hasn't gone below 80% anywhere is the house. I use it in the basement and upstairs with no problems. In fact the laptop connectivity is a awesome now.
Now that I have this great connectivity I don't have my shorts in a bind an have held off looking at 802.11g for the time being.
44 Not Worth It
I hooked up the Linksys Wireless Signal Booster as described. It definately was very easy to set up. However, once everything was connected, my signal decreased. I used to be able to use my laptop downstairs in my house (my wireless router is upstairs) with a marginal signal. With the booster attached, I was unable to connect to the network. The booster accomplished the exact opposite of what I was trying to accomplish. Maybe I had a defective product. I ended up returing the WSB24 to get my money back.
45 Only got another 10 feet
I only got another 10 feet of range from this booster. I bought this product with an expectation it would give me the last 25 feet to have the signal go through my house and onto the patio. Honestly, another 10 feet isn't worth the price.
46 Only got another 10 feet
I only got another 10 feet of range from this booster. I bought this product with an expectation it would give me the last 25 feet to have the signal go through my house and onto the patio. Honestly, another 10 feet isn't worth the price.
47 This booster really works!
Well, I'm quite impressed with the Linksys WSB24. I thought that the claims of up to 14 dBm signal boost by Linksys were probably for ideal conditions, but I'm seeing close to that in my home (about 12dBm). Be aware that I'm using this booster in conjunction with an early model WAP11 (version 1.1) which is known to be a little weak compared with later versions. My reason in purchasing this booster was to increase my wireless coverage to a deck in my back yard. Without the booster, I would get a weak signal about 60 feet from where I needed to be. After installing the booster, I get a fairly strong signal on the deck and probably could go out further if I needed. Some may say that the Linksys accesss point or router should by default have good range making the booster redundant, however, if you look at similar solutions by companies such as Cisco that have excellent range out of the box, the cost of these solutions is more than twice the cost of the Linksys AP/Router combined with the booster. I highly recommend this device, especially if you have an earlier model Linksys WAP11 or BEFW11S4.
48 Works with 5.4 G !!!
After having installed out first wireless network, we were really disappointed with the performance of the new 802.11g products. The range just wasn't the same as Linksys claimed (big surprise eh). I saw this Signal Booster in the store and decided to try it out on the 54g network, even though Linksys didn't say that it would be compliant. After a 30 second setup the entire home is being radiated by the 2.4ghz signal. I would say that this booster provided a 50%-100% range improvement over the standard Linksys wireless router. A definite no brainer!
49 Booster? Get serious.
Easy installation but wildly overstated in the "boost" dimension. A/B (with, without) the "boost" in my environment shows at most 10-15% extension of the diameter of a useable signal. A near neighbor has found precisely the same "boost" in his environment. Both environments are typical, multi-room, multi-level suburban homes. Buyer beware.
50 Wow. It really works!
I attached this to my BEFW11S4, and it made my signal strength go from 60 to 98; this is 2 floors down (through a wooden structure). The attachment couldn't have been easier, and it worked immediately. Amazing.
51 Booster restores my faith in Wireless hardware.
I have had both an A&B based wireless network in my new home only to find the both of them have about 15' range indoors due to the solid nature of the walls. Wireless routers work excellent in wooden modern homes, but in the stone walled home that I am in now, the wireless transmitter worked only in the living room which is obviously a waste of money seeing as how there are 3 computers upstairs. For a time I went back to my trusty 10/100 ethernet setup, but when I found that Linksys offered a signal booster I jumped on it.
I am in fact a big "Neo Geek" but I'll give you all the short version of my review. Installation was simple, (5 minutes) and it boosts the signal quite a bit just as advertised. If you suffer from low signal strength this item WILL help. If you have no signal strength this item WILL MOST LIKELY help by providing a usable connection.
I highly recomend it.
52 Very helpful product
This is a well needed product. I was using a wireless router to connect my computer to my neighbors system. Before purchasing this, I would only get a signal strength of around 20% and quality of poor with occasional loss of signal. After hooking this up, my signal strength went to 66% - (Very good) and remains constant. The computers are about 150 feet apart and the signal has to go through 4 walls and woodsiding. The speed has increased because of reduced / eliminated packet loss.
With this equipment, you could share your high speed internet connection with your neighbor next door and split the bill.
53 Works as advertised.
I had previously installed the Linksys WAP. It worked well. Much better than the previous 802.11a system that I had installed, which lacked the range and speed advertised.
I was able to get total coverage inside my house, but on my deck, or on the patio, the signal was very weak. I was getting dropped connections from my instant messenging software frequently.
The Signal Booster improved on my range by another 20 to 30 feet, as far as I can tell. It also improved the signal strength in the house from poor to good, and good to very good.
Another thought, I must have looked ridiculous standing outside in snow banks three feet tall my laptop, browsing the web and doing download speed tests, but I wanted to make sure that it worked as advertised.
The Linksys Wireless Signal Booster passed my tests. I'm pleased.
54 What a Boost!
I ordered the Linksys WSB24 Wireless Signal Booster because my signal strength in my two story house was week in the downstairs rooms. But now with the Wireless Signal Booster, I get full signal strength throughout the entire house! What an unbelievable difference! I would highly recommend this product to anyone who has a Linksys Access Point. Thanks Linksys for developing this great product!
55 Nice buy
With my wireless router and server in the basement, I had medium reception (50% signal strength and 40% link quality) on my laptop. The reception was almost zero for my other computer in the guest bedroom. After reading a few reviews on the internet I decided to buy a signal booster. It was worth every penny I spent on WSB24 ... I now have 100% on my laptop, 70% on the computer in my guest bedroom.
In a nutshell - A must buy if your signal strenght is either medium or poor.
Raj
56 Easy to setup and very helpful
I was helping my father set up his wireless network when we found out he could not get any reception in his living room. Part of the problem was that the wireless signal had to travel through several walls and a fairly long distance.
The setup for this item was very straight forward and completed within a few minutes.
Once connected the reception jumped from poor to no reception to a fair to average reception.
I would highly recommend this product for those experienceing poor quality reception with their Linksys wireless LAN. Even though this booster does have some limitations, it is definitely worth a try if you are getting poor reception in some areas of your house.
57 BEWARE - only buy if you have a Linksys router
I bought this Linksys signal booster to broaden the range of my wireless network (in an old, two-story home). I connected the booster to my D-Link 614+ wireless router, and the signal actually got worse...almost to the point of no signal at all.
After talking with technical reps from Linksys and D-Link, it turns out that the signal booster is a proprietary product. It will only work with a Linksys router. This is contrary to what the product description says, so DON'T buy it if you don't have a Linksys router!
*Note: If you have a Linksys router, I feel that this product is a worthy buy based on other recommendations. The "one star" rating is based solely on the above comments.
58 WSB24, not always simple
Installation took 5 minutes, only because my components are under my desk, but then no signal to any wireless device. Powered on/off, no help; changed to original configuration, no signal. Called Linksys and waited 20 minutes. They have had to replace access points which were damaged by the booster; mine only needed to be "hard reset" (don't forget to record your SSID if you changed it from "Linksys" during your initial setup). None of this info is on their web based support yet!
59 Linksys Signal Booster 802.11b
I found this item to be very easy to install. My laptop's signal went from very weak to strong and I have not had any operation problems. The only thing is in the Quick Instruction guide there were two different warnings about keeping the antenna away from anyone setting near by. Two statements said to stay at least 20 cm away and another in bold type stated to be at least 2.0m away. A reply to a note to Linksys stated that the 20cm one is correct.
60 A no-brainer... this puppy shunts data like a locomotive
I've had a Linksys WAP11 for a few months. It has never skipped a beat and I have no complaints except that the Tivo in the basement could only connect at 2 Mbps to the WAP in the attic. Signal quality and strength from the basement was less than 30%.
After installing the WSB24, the signal strength at the Tivo varies between 85% to 100%, and it runs at 11 Mbps no problem.
If you need a little more juice out of your WAP, the WSB24 is a no-brainer. There really isn't much more to say.
61 Excellent
I am typing this in my basement, about 12 ft below and 15 feet east of the router/booster. I used to get no signal here most of the time (before connecting the booster). Now I am getting a solid 46/50% on Signal Strength and Link Quality. The meters are pegged up to about 10 ft away! I'm getting 1500/250 on Speakeasy.net's bandwidth test.
62 A must buy if you have a weak signal!
Does exactly what it is supposed to. I have my wireless network set up in my basement and I used to get a weak signal 0% to 10% upstairs. Now the signal strength is 30% to 60%. It is a great purchase and I would recommend to anyone who needs to increase signal strength.
63 Great Product Enhancement ~ Great Value
The Wireless Signal Booster is an excellent product enhancement to the Linksys Wireless router. The router is located in the far end of my (above ground) basement, and I was not able to get wireless connectivity to the main and upper levels of my 3 story 5100 sq. ft home. Once the signal booster was installed, I was able to get wireless connectivity in the entire home!! In addition, this product is also a great value!...
64 Significant Boost in Signal Strength
Definitely boosted signal strength in all areas of my house. In rooms on second floor where signal was marginal, signal strength increased by about 15% to acceptable levels. Easy setup and worth the expense in my opinion.
65 Simple, effective, cheap.
I was able to install it in 5 minutes. Most of that was looking for a pair of pliers (which it turned out I didn't need anyhow).
Prior to installation I couldn't even get signal out of the room the wireless access point was installed in. I live in an older house with plaster on metal lathe with old metal shielded cable grounding to the lathe.
Now I can get a signal in the south end of my basement even with the access point on the north end of the third floor of my house.
I couldn't be happier. About the only thing I'd say to be careful of would be to take the proper security measures if you'll be broadcasting a signal outside of your home.
66 A no-brainer purchase and install
The reality of WiFi is that just about everyone I know is not getting as solid a signal as they'd like. I've been frustrated by dead spots in the house, and I'm sure we've all done strange "rain dances" with our notebooks, cables, antennas, etc. to try to improve the signal.
However, my WiFi network did not seem as zippy as my Ethernet when using our cable modem, even though the bandwidth of both networks dwarfs the cable modem. Well, instantly after installing the booster, I got noticeably better response in a room where the signal used to be so weak that Linksys' own utility would show no signal strength (even though I could surf from there).
The WSB24 is trivial to install (180 seconds and that was because I didn't know you had to push the cable onto the connector pretty firmly). If you were a LinkSys pioneer and bought the early access points, you owe it to yourself to upgrade with this booster.
67 Works As Advertised
I purchased the WSB24 to extend the range of my BEFW11S4 to cover my entire house. The house is approximately 3000 sq ft and the Linksys WAP is located at one end. The WSB24 worked as advertised and extended my reception an additional 30 ft or so and enable end-to-end mobility. For the money, it was well worth the investment.
68 Simple - easy - effective
This product could not be easier to install. No CD to spin. No complex manuals - just a power "brick", 2 cables, and the booster. Linksys has a nice package if you need a little more signal.
I did a preliminary survey using my notebook computer with an Orinoco Silver card and Toshiba e740. The notebook usually runs about 3-5db higher gain for any given distance from the router than the PDA, which is normal given the available power to the 802.11b chip and antenna size.
After installing the WSB24 booster, I noted a 5-9db gain throughout the house and down the street on both the notebook and PDA. My goal was to get a solid signal "footprint" covering my entire house, yard, garage. The WSB24 achieved this admirably. I believe Linksys claims a 10-15db gain, but I noted approximately half that. Given that almost all the advertising for WiFi seems to double or treble the true available distance, this doesn't alarm or bother me. At distances and locations where I previously got 1 or 5 mb connection I now have a solid 11mb.
The bottom line: 5 minute install, no problems, definite gain in signal strength, reasonable price.
69 Excellent Product
One room in my home has staggered cement walls (and it's not cellblock A) and unfortunately the signal from my BEFW11S4 does not make it into the room. With the WSB24 (just made available recently) I now have full coverage in this room as well as coverage outside further than I imagined. All-in-all a very nice product.
