Cisco-Linksys WMB54G Wireless-G Music Bridge

Cisco-Linksys WMB54G Wireless-G Music Bridge
by Linksys

Our Price: $218.49
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Category: CE
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Manufacturer: Linksys
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: CD
Platform: Windows
Model: WMB54G
Product features:

Product Type - Wireless Music Bridge. Please note, this product is not compatible with Vista.
Warranty - 3 Years Limited
Headphone jack connector for powered speakers
Easy Setup Wizard for configuration

Accessories:

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Customer Review: Usable in some situations, but not all
Summary: 3 Stars

I bought the Music Bridge after reading all the reviews, positive and negative. Since I'm a technical guy I figured I would get it to work - and I did, eventually.

Here are the basics on this unit:
- It's a "virtual sound card". The sound card in your PC plays music through its speakers; this Bridge uses your WiFi network to "project" your soundcard wirelessly to a remote location.
- The first step is to connect it (using an ethernet cable) to your PC so that you can set it up (it needs to learn about your WiFi network) and plug in the power. Using the install CD to try to setup the unit seems useless; in reading the reviews it seems that the standard install process works for only 1 in 10, and I wasn't that one. The workaround is simple: look on the bottom of the unit. The IP address of the unit is listed there. Type it into your browser (I used IE) (type http://192.168.1.210 ). You'll be prompted for a username (leave it blank) and a password ("admin"). Bam! You're into the setup screen. If you've gotten this far you can probably figure out the setup steps (Change the Bridge's name to something that means to you. Change the Bridge's IP address and click "apply" which restarts the unit. I changed mine to 192.168.0.210 since my D-Link router's using the "0". Also setup SSID and WEP if you use it). To do this you don't absolutely have to have connectivity to the wireless router but if you do you can click "search" to make sure they're talking.
- Once you've setup your Bridge you can disconnect the ethernet cable and move the unit to the stereo. Turn the stereo on and make sure the red and white RCA cables are plugged into whatever input you tune your stereo to (sounds silly, but make sure).
- The rest of the work is done back on your PC by installing the "utility", the software that turns this contraption into the virtual sound card. If you used my workaround above you'll need to go back to the Autoplay of the CD and at the bottom in smaller letters it says "Install Utility". Once you've got the Utility up, click "scan for bridge" and hopefully (if your Bridge is close enough to your WiFi router) the bridge's name will appear. Give it 15-60 seconds after scanning. If it doesn't appear, unplug the bridge from the stereo and put the bridge next to router (eliminate the range issue) and try scanning again.
- Once you get the bridge listed in the table, select it and click "Connect" in the Utility and click "yes" in the popup. This should send sound to the Bridge. If the bridge is in another room and you don't want to crank up the volume, just open a media player on your PC after connecting and see if sound comes out of the PC - silence is good because the sound is being sent to the Bridge.
- You CAN toggle back and forth between the Bridge and your PC's sound card. Simply always open whatever media player you're using AFTER making your choice in the Utility. I.e.: click "Connect" (to the bridge), then open Media Player 10 which will cause MP10 to pick up the Bridge as the virtual sound card. If you want to come back to the PC sound card, CLOSE MP10 then click "Connect to PC's Speaker" then reopen MP10 - sound will now come from your PC's speakers.
- I found that with 40 ft and a couple walls between the router and the Bridge there was intermittent cutouts. Moving the router closer helped but still didn't make the signal perfect; in my non-technical opinion is that the radio in the Bridge is pretty weak.
Summary: My conclusion is that this approach to getting music from the PC to the stereo has too many points of failure - PC, WiFi, Bridge, Stereo - and if any one has an issue then you get no sound. I don't know what the alternative is for me yet, but I'm returning my device even though I got it tow work. It seems to me that for a single person with a PC, Router and Stereo close to each other - like in the same room but where running a wire isn't practical - this Bridge is a great, affordable solution with some minor issues related to setup. However, for a family living in a 2000+ sq.ft. home and with components scattered around the house on multiple floors, this Bridge may not be ideal.

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Description of Cisco-Linksys WMB54G Wireless-G Music Bridge

The Linksys Wireless-G Music Bridge lets you bring the digital music streaming to or stored on your computer to your Home Entertainment Center, without running cables through the house. Using a wireless connection, the Music Bridge finally frees your digital music collection from those little computer speakers to play in full glory through your stereo or surround sound system. The Wireless-G Music Bridge sits by your home stereo and connects to it using standard consumer electronics cables. Then it connects to your home network by Wireless-G wireless networking, or if you prefer, it can be connected via standard 10/100 Ethernet cabling. The included software creates a virtual sound system in your PC, which sends the audio output of any application to the Music Bridge and the stereo system. Use your favorite media player to play your music, and listen in the comfort of the living room. Let the Linksys Wireless-G Music Bridge bring your digital music out into the living room for the whole family to enjoy

You're having a party, but you don't have the time it will take to burn a disc of your favorite digital tunes. This is where the Linksys WMB54G Wireless-G Music Bridge comes in. By letting you wirelessly stream audio files from your PC to your stereo or other speaker system, no matter which music service you use, the Wireless-G Music Bridge gives you all the convenience of digital music with the sound of high-performance stereo.

Toss out the cords and wirelessly stream music with the Linksys WMB54G Wireless-G Music Bridge. View larger.
With the Wireless-G Music Bridge, you can send whatever music your PC is playing--whether it's from media players, games, Internet radio, or MP3 files--through your home network and to your stereo system. If you're running a wireless (802.11b and 802.11g) network, the Music Bridge will send your music to your stereo with no need for any additional cables. Simply connect the Wireless-G Music Bridge to your entertainment system via the included RCA cable, and you'll be ready to start cranking the tunes. Alternately, you can also use standard 10/100 Ethernet cabling to connect to your network.

If you have a 5.1-channel surround sound system, the Wireless-G Music Bridge includes software that creates a virtual 5.1-channel sound in your PC, so that you can take full advantage of your stereo system. The Wireless-G Music Bridge also lets you choose what audio from your PC you want to play over your audio system. For example, you can choose to send music but not email alerts or other PC tones. Or you may want to keep the alert tones streaming. It's entirely up to you.

An easy-to-use setup wizard will guide you through the configuration so that you can be up and running in no time. The Wireless-G Music Bridge supports 128-bit WEP encryption to ensure a secure connection and is compatible with wireless 802.11b and 802.11g standards.

What's in the Box
Wireless-G Music Bridge, Ethernet network cable, stereo RCA cable, power adapter, setup wizard CD-ROM, user guide on CD-ROM, and quick installation guide.

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