Cisco-Linksys WRT160N-RM Refurbished Wireless-N Router
by Linksys
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List Price: Our Price: $29.99 You Save: $70.00 (70%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $19.99 (click here) Category: CE See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Cisco-Linksys WRT160N-RM Refurbished Wireless-N Router
Customer Review: Great Router... with DD-WRT installed
Summary: 5 Stars
I was looking for a Wireless-N router (the newest form of wireless connectivity) as most of my computers and consoles (Xbox 360 has a new wireless dongle) now have Wireless N technology. This was cheap and had fairly decent reviews so I decided to take a chance. The item arrived fairly quick and in great (I'd say practically brand new) condition and was easy to install. However, after only a few hours of use, I noticed several problems with this unit. Most of the problems seemed to be with my Macbook Pro; it wasn't getting a full signal, speeds were slow, and whenever I opened iChat, the router would instantly restart itself. After going through the hassle of purchasing and installing it, I decided to try something else before sending it back: I installed DD-WRT open source firmware on the router, and haven't looked back since.
I have never used open source firmware before, but I had read up about it before purchasing a router again. Even though the DD-WRT website listed this as not compatible, I purchased this anyway in hopes that eventually it would be released. DD-WRT for this router (version 3) wasn't supported until literally 2 weeks ago, and I was lucky enough to find a release of it on the DD-WRT support forums (easily found by doing a quick search on Google for "DD-WRT WRT160Nv3"). After downloading the mini pack and the standard pack (listed as WRT160Nv3 in the file name) I loaded the router access page (192.168.1.1) and did a web firmware update thru my FireFox browser, first starting with the mini pack, and once that is finished, then with the standard firmware for this router.
It was as easy as that, and took literally 4 minutes to upgrade it. Now, this router has been perfect. It hasn't been restarted once since it was updated with DD-WRT, the speed is fantastic, and overall, I am extremely happy to have upgraded with the new firmware. The DD-WRT firmware also has some great features like bandwidth monitoring, signal adjustment and strength meter, great security features and tons more that the standard Linksys firmware doesn't include. **Please note: there is a slight chance DD-WRT could brick (aka destroy) your router, though it doesn't appear to happen very often. Please make sure you read the DD-WRT website and support thread on this router thoroughly before upgrading it. With that said, it was the easiest and least painful upgrade I have ever done, and now this router works great.
EDIT: Please read comments section for more information and direct links.
EDIT: 12/13/10 Please be advised that this review is over a year old. Since installing DD-WRT last year, I have never had to upgrade anything or really even mess with it. However, things change quickly, and my experience then might be different from yours today. Please be sure to read the official DD-WRT website and forums for current information related to this router. Thanks
Customer Review: DD-WRT is a must, as everyone notes.
Summary: 4 Stars
As nearly everyone else has also noted, DD-WRT is a must with this router. I read the reviews before buying it, and I did all the research on DD-WRT before I even bought it. When it shipped, I tried to use it in plain stock condition and I had numerous problems with it:
1. It wouldn't get a WAN IP, and when it did, it wouldn't last very long.
2. It wouldn't let you connect to the wireless network for > 5 minutes at a time.
3. The security pass-phrase wouldn't be accepted from some computers, but it would be from others.
And the list goes on..
As I said, I had always planned to get DD-WRT running on this, so I wasn't particularly disappointed. If you plan on doing the same, you'll be pleased, I'm sure. My experiences lead me through this sort of setup:
1. Research, as I said. There is a LOT of documentation you need to go through for DD-WRT. A lot of it is important and if you haven't at least read through it once, you could potentially brick your router. A bricked router can b saved, but it requires lots of hardware knowledge and some hacking around. It's probably not worth it for such a cheap router (I bought the refurbished WRT160N for $[...]). Go back and read the Wiki for this router a few times, just to get comfortable with the steps. [...]. Also make sure you read the infamous "peacock thread" [...] as that provides lots of troubleshooting help for abnormal scenarios.
2. Make sure you flash in the firmware mentioned on the wiki first. Basically, you MUST flash in some hardware-specific firmware first and then you can go on and get the most updated generic firmware. This is something that wasn't immediately apparent to me.
3. Learn the 30-30-30 hard reset and don't be stingy about using it (noted on nearly all the information pages at the DD-WRT site).
4. When you're uploading the firmware, don't touch the device. It will tell you it's uploading (you're doing this from inside a browser - Chrome actually told me what percentage of the file had been sent). When the lights settle into steady state (around 2-3 mins) then you can continue with the rest of the setup.
5. You don't HAVE to upload the generic firmware after the initial hardware-specific flash. This is only if you want to enable advanced features.
Hopefully this is a helpful beginners guide. Remember, read the DD-WRT pages carefully before you get started - lots of issues CAN come up (just like with installing linux, for example) and you can find loads of pointers on how to get around them.
At the end of the day though, after getting DD-WRT on this, it's given me no issues whatsoever. The uptime is on the order of weeks now, and the connection is rock solid stable. I'm not sure about speed (I haven't tried testing those out) but I'm quite sure it's fine.
Good luck with your setup!
Customer Review: Network Professional loving the Cisco-Linksys home product
Summary: 5 Stars
I am not the average home internet user; I am a computer networking professional, a CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate). Therefore, I expect quite a bit from any product that Cisco puts their stamp on, and so far I am not disappointed.
The setup was effortless, even without the disc, and I had my wired desktop connection routed to the internet within 2 minutes. The web interface configuration menu is simple enough for even a basic user (and has Help menus every step of the way, just in case), but also offers enough play for someone with more advanced routing knowledge! I've seen many other router config pages that left a lot to be desired after becoming used to the flexibility offered by Cisco's business-level routers and switches, but this offered such options as VLSM, ACLs, static routing capability, and fine-tuned NAT/port forwarding control. Very nice!
This is in addition to robust security features such as WPA/WPA2 encryption, MAC filtering, DHCP reservation, and SSID broadcast disabling. Properly utilizing these features can guarantee wireless security. (Note: WEP encryption is absolutely worthless. Don't use it. Google "WEP cracking videos" to see how easy it is.)
Now, I cannot give a full review just yet- I have no active wireless devices to utilize this router right now. I will be testing 802.11g capability this weekend, and I've ordered the Linksys Refurb Cisco-Linksys AE1000 High-Performance Wireless-N Adapter - AE1000-RM / AE1000NRM (Refurbished by Linksys / Cisco with a 90 Day Warranty) to make my desktop wireless, and I will be updating my review at that time.
So far, this is a fantastic product - even better than I'd expected on the features I've been able to test so far!
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UPDATE: Wireless-G connected without a problem, no issues with connection dropping like I've read about in other reviews. A little slow on and off, but I think that was probably my internet provider, rather than the modem. Will update on Wireless-N connectivity soon.
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UPDATE: Wireless-N connected brilliantly at 300mbps. Ran a desktop off of this wireles connection because it lacked a gigabit ethernet port. I have now replaced this, however, with a Cisco-Linksys E2000 Advanced Wireless-N Router because I really wanted the gigabit ports for my new gaming build =)
Customer Review: WANT DD WRT? Read this TIP!!!
Summary: 4 Stars
This seems to be a popular router for those wishing to install DD WRT firmware. That is exactly why I bought the router. Specifically, I had a router, but I recently bought a Netflix Roku box. I was having horrible connection issues, and I decided the router could be the culprit (having a hard time managing the streaming demands, I assumed). I read another review where someone posted a link to easily install DD WRT, and that was helpful. However, I had some trouble, and I want to add the steps I took in hopes it will help someone else.
First, keep in mind that when you order this router, you might get router version 1, 2, or 3. DD WRT is ONLY supported for version 1 and 3. I received VERSION 3 (WRT160Nv3), and so my suggestion to others ONLY WOULD APPLY to those receiving a VERSION 3 model. However, I hope to save you time and frustration.
I followed the directions for updating to DD WRT firmware found here: [...]
I used the firmware they recommended on that page, and that was where I had trouble. After updating the firmware, I had two major issues.
The first: I couldn't make changes to the settings (in DD WRT), because when I clicked, "apply" or "save", I got a "page cannot be found, and nothing got saved. Two things you can do: 1.) clear your browser cache; and if that still doesn't work; 2.) download Google Chrome browser. I am on a Mac, and was trying to use Safari.
Here is the BIG ISSUE! The wireless signal was terrible. It was weak to unusable. My wireless network also didn't show up, even though I had not opted to "hide" the SSID. No big deal, there, as you can still type in your network name to use wireless; but the signal strength was terrible. Anyhow, I read, read, and read on the forums to try to figure this out. I didn't get any concrete courses of action, but I did find a more up-to-date DD WRT firmware release that ultimately I decided to just gamble on and see if it worked out. IT DID! And it is located here: ftp://dd-wrt.com/others/eko/BrainSlayer-V24-preSP2/02-23-10-r13972/broadcom_K26/
Assuming you have VERSION 3 like me, use the one called: "dd-wrt.v24-13972_NEWD-2_K2.6_mini_wrt160nv3.bin"
Some people use DD WRT to do all manner of fancy things, and there are tons of different versions for different routers, etc.; so it can get complicated. For me, I just wanted a cheap router that would be reliable for my Roku box and give me a good wireless network. It looks like I have that now.
Customer Review: More trouble and mental anguish than benefit!
Summary: 1 Stars
I purchased a refurbished item about 8 months ago. I did a fairly good amount of research prior to my purchase but nothing could've prepared me for days of troubleshooting.
I had a Netgear wireless G router that lasted over 6 years and I felt it was time to upgrade. Everything in my home network was set up and working fine. I have DSL which requires PPPoE setup. Everything was automatic with the Netgear router.
Amazon was great as shipping was fast and the product was ~$35 during black Friday. As soon as I received the product, it was just the bare router, adapter and a CD. I swapped out my Netgear with the Linksys and proceeded installing the software CD but the router wouldn't detect my internet connection at all. The lights were on the router but there was no activity. I couldn't get a connection and had to connect direct to my DSL modem to research solutions.
After days of research and trying several methods, I had to upgrade the firmware several times and found out with AT&T DSL and this particular router I have to set everything manually which would not be easy at all for the average joe. I had to login into my modem directly, change it to PPPoE or Bridge mode, and also set all of my information again in the router's setting. This should all be done automatically! Why have a product that isn't user friendly? Once internet connection was established, it didn't like when a wireless device disconnects from the network. It would cause the router to restart and dropped all the connections, including the wired devices. There were times when it just timed out and I had to pull the power plug to reset the router.
I even tried 3rd party firmware like DD-WRT but I couldn't even get a connection at all. I had a feeling that this wasn't normal because of other positive reviews so I probably received a bad/defective product. Unfortunately I'm too late in returning/exchanging it. Now I'm completely tossing this out and buying another router.
I've owned several Linksys products over the years and honestly the quality has degraded tremendously with the involvement of Cisco. Netgear has always been an easy, no nonsense experience with their products. I'll probably get one as a replacement.