High-speed cable-free bridging between remote workgroups!The Wireless-G Ethernet Bridge with 5-port Switch can be used as a kind of "cable-less cable" for connecting remote areas together. Maybe Shipping is all the way across the warehouse from Receiving. You can connect up to 5 Ethernet-equipped computers directly to the high-speed 10/100 switch ports on the Wireless-G Ethernet Bridge. Put another one (or a Wireless-G Access Point, or our one-port Wireless-G Ethernet Bridge) at the other end, and those 5 computers are connected to your main network -- with no need to string wires.
And those 5 switch ports can support devices other than PCs. Since there are no drivers to load, you can make any wired-Ethernet device -- like a printer or network attached storage device -- into a wireless network device. All five ports are auto speed negotiating, and have automatic MDI/MDI-X crossover detection, so you don't have to worry about the cable type. To protect your data and privacy, all wireless transmissions can be secured with up to 128-bit encryption.
The Switch supports VPN pass through and port-forwarding. You can partition your network into up to 64 VLANs, using port-based 802.1q tagging. It also supports 802.1d Spanning Tree Protocol to prevent network loops. You can enable QoS on the switch side, with 4 levels of prioritization by port, 802.1p, ToS or DiffServ methods. And even with all this power, set up is a snap with the web browser-based configuration utility.
Let the Wireless-G Ethernet Bridge with 5-port Switch from Linksys open up exciting new possibilities for your wireless network.
- Provides high-speed cable-free bridging between remote workgroups
- Built-in 5-port 10/100 switch with auto MDI/MDI-X cable detection
- Converts wired-Ethernet devices to Wireless-G network connectivity
- Wireless communications protected with 128-bit encryption
1 This product gets 0 stars. I should have read the reviews
Where to start? This product claims to support a myriad of encryption techniques. It does not. Though WPA and its variants are selectable, if you are using this bridge to extend to a wireless G router, you will find the ONLY encryption technique supported is 64 and 128 bit WEP. The customer service is abysmal... I called them 4 times and spent about 2 hours on the phone. Few of the technicians even knew what a bridge was supposed to be used for. One guy told me you can't connect a wired router to a wireless router AT ALL with this device. He said I should go out and buy an access point. If you understand the function of a bridge, you understand how ignorant that statement is. An access point was not what was needed with the network topology I employ on my network. The support staff also tends to have only a very rough handle on English. In the end, I was able to make this bridge work. The transfer times are actually pretty good, but I had to change the security settings on most of the computers on the network. Go to the Linksys website and see what kind of documentation or FAQs are available. Besides a very basic user guide, there isn't ANY. Generally speaking I'm a big fan of Linksys. My other wired and wireless routers have served me well for years. They are really easy to set up and maintain... however THIS product falls far short of that standard. I am a network administrator with a fair amount of experience, and I'm telling you, if you're looking to use this bridge for anything even remotely more complex than an AdHoc network, you should look elsewhere. This product simply isn't worth the money or the headaches.
2 This is a great product , a little bit pricey.
I initially had the wet11 bridge which worked flawlessly attached to a hub and then I had 3 other computers attached to the hub. When I upgraded my router; I wanted a new solution that would support G; but the WET54G was recieving terrible reviews. So I went with this one even though the reviews are not great. I couldn't be more pleased; the range is great. The setup was easy, there are many options for advanced switching that I don't use but are there if needed. I would definatley recommend this as oppoded to buying an adapter for multiple machines, no drivers no security on the actul pcs. Set up the security with the bridge and that is it.
3 give this one a pass
This unit seemed to fit all the specifications for what I wanted. It wa a bit pricy, but it was available so I bought one.
In order to set it up, you use the network cable to plug it into the existing router. In my case, one of the more expensive Netgear ones.
After configuration was complete, I immediately started noticing odd network activity. Turns out that you have to immediately disconnect the wired connection as it broadcasts the same mac address on both the wired and wireless connections.
It went downhill from there. While the unit seemed to remain connected to the router, the laptop I was testing with could not remain connected for more than 5 minutes from the room next to the router. Trying to interrogate it from the router drove network activity nuts and seemed to lock it up for several minutes. Other wireless devices had trouble connecting while it was in use.
Trying to get help through the Linksys web site also proved to be next to impossible.
I finally gave up and returned this unit. It's a shame as I really wanted it to work. I plan to try the Netgear WGE101 as an alternative.
4 WPA-PSK/TKIP does not work!
The product data page for this product states that it supports PSK-TKIP. Using WPA-PSK/TKIP security, the unit would not keep a connection for more than about 10 minutes (with Linksys or non Linksys wireless access points). I returned the first unit and the second unit. When I got a third unit, I decided to call Linksys.
I was told that they were "aware of the problem" and they were "working on it". They are also "sorry for the inconvenience". I have waited several months and one firmware upgrade and Linksys has still not fixed this product feature. It is now three months past the last firmware upgrade and I have not heard anything from Linksys.
I would rate the product 0 stars out of 5, but Amazon does not allow less than 1 star. The product still works as a 5-port hub, giving it a rating of 1 star (a rather generous rating for a wireless bridge that does not work as advertized), but the Linksys lack-of-response should, in my opinion, deduct close to 1 point, for a total of 0 stars.
The product does work with no security, and with WEP security (that is so insecure with a modest amount of traffic that this is akin to having no security), but I cannot confirm if the WPA-RADIUS security mode works as I do not have a RADIUS server configured yet on my network.
Stay away from this product!!!!!
5 WPA does NOT work
WPA-PSK does not work properly on this unit. Despite upgrading the firmware to the latest revision on the Linksys website, the machine will not hold a WPA-PSK connection for more than about 10 minutes despite 100% signal. Load does not seem to be a factor, nor do any of the settings on the unit or the APs tested, despite being set to the most conservative levels. Caveat Emptor!
6 Works fine, no fuss
Plugged it in, ran the setup disk, it worked fine. No problems. It does seem to run a little warm to the touch, but haven't noticed any heat-related problems, even with temperatures in the 90's the last few days.
7 WEP ok, WPA stinks
On the released firmware, if using WPA security, it doesn't hold a connection. Backing off to WEP security seems to help this.
8 Great - but watch the heat
I got the Linksys wireless bridge working very quickly and with no real issues was able to establish a link with WPA-level encryption.
A day later, the unit started dropping connections left and right. I spent a few phone calls and chat sessions talking to Linksys tech support and then happened upon the solution all by myself.
AMBIENT HEAT FROM OTHER DEVICES KILLS THESE THINGS! If you're experiencing issues with this device, first make sure you've got the latest firmware. Then, check the temperature of the case. I found that setting it on top of my TiVo was enough to cause it to go haywire in a little over an hour. I took it off and placed it on the entertainment center shelf and, voila! no problems. Steady connection.
9 Small, easy to set up, works like a champ
I use this compact Wireless G bridge to connect my ReplayTV and two laptops in my home office to a Linksys Wireless G router (WRT54GS) in the living room. Installation was easy and it works beautifully, even when streaming video between my two ReplayTV units.
The Bridge itself is quite small: about 5" wide, 4" deep, and 1" tall--about half the size of my wireless router. The case is metal, not plastic, and seems built to last.
If you just need to add wireless connectivity to a single component, a wireless G adapter would be cheaper. But to network several co-located components (and leave USB and PC-card slots free), this Ethernet bridge offers a great alternative.
