Cisco-Linksys WRT160N Wireless-N Broadband Router
by Linksys
|
Our Price: $129.00 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $14.95 (click here) Category: CE See more product details |
|---|
Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Cisco-Linksys WRT160N Wireless-N Broadband Router
Customer Review: Buy Something Else
Summary: 1 Stars
I purchased the WRT160N v2 from DELL when I bought new laptops for my wife and I. After using the router for eight months, we finally gave up and purchased a DIR-655 from D-Link.
Installing the router was easy enough. We used the included installation CD. We found out from experience that using the CD was not necessary, that Windows 7 and Vista would let us easily install the router.
Our problems began almost immediately. So long as we only connected one laptop to the router at a time, we would usually be OK for a while. If we tried to connect a second laptop, the router would usually drop the the first connection. Sometimes we could reconnect by using the diagnose and repair tool in the operating system or router's interface, and sometimes we couldn't. Sometimes we would have to resort rebooting one or both computers. It made no difference how we attempted to configure the network, one or both computers connected wirelessly or through the wired ports, we could not count on having both machines connected to the internet through the router at the same time.
We experienced the same problem whenever anyone in our neighborhood turned on their network. Whenever a neighbor did that, our router immediately "forgot" who it was and what it was supposed to be doing, and required a "power reset."
Quite often the router would not let my wife connect to her Facebook account. If we connected her machine to our cable modem directly, she would have no problems.
Watching online videos was another hit or miss proposition. Very often, we could watch 10 to 20 minutes of videos, before the router stopped functioning, and we would have to perform a power rest.
Thinking I might have installed the router incorrectly, I uninstalled and reinstalled the router multiple times. Nothing helped. Customer support was problematic. I have a hearing disability and understanding anyone with a heavy accent (read offshore) is very difficult.
This is a router that never should have come to market.
I finally gave up and replaced this router with a D-Link DIR-655. Since installing the new router we have had no problems.
I strongly suggest you do not purchase this router and I would have strong reservations about purchasing any home or small business router made by Cisco.
Customer Review: Excellent router --- with some drawbacks
Summary: 4 Stars
I've installed or troubleshot 3 different wireless routers since I installed the first on four years ago. This is by far the easiest. In the past, an installer spent about half a day, perhaps up to 3 days, sorting out the problems between vendors. There was the internet provider, the modem, sometimes provided by the provider, sometimes not, then, there was the router vendor and the PC card vendor. The blame game could get pretty intense. Those early routers, sadly even those by Linksys, had limited range. I had to install a booster on the first one and that only communicated with the basement.
The Linksys N router, if used with a Linksys PC card is the best way to go since it can acquire the WEP code. Isn't self-programming marvelous. This technology only works with matching router and card. I tried initially with a Netgear router. In the old days, you'd have to patiently work through the WEP code issues to assure wireless security.
Here's the problem: it only works once. A few days after installing the router, which did not cooperate well with my firewalls, I was forced to re-format my computer. When I installed the router, I found that it would not self-program. This problem cost me 3 hours with Linksys help. Now, it runs smoothly at a faster uptake speed than before: 50 .v.s. 130 Mbps.
Linksys has excellent customer support. So does HP, which tells you how important this is.
There is another problem with this router. It is limited to only about 50 feet through obstructions, maybe more without walls and such.
If this review was helpful, add your vote.
PS
When I moved, I thought I would have to reconfigure the router. Nope! It worked well even with the Comcast modem.
Dirk Willard:
When I moved back to Chicago for a job, I rented a room. A wireless router was needed because of the way the landlord configured the modem.
Although I am only 23 feet through 2 walls in a modular constructed house, the signal is down to about 75% (strong).
When I was in a well-constructed older brick home, through 3 walls, and a distance of maybe 70 feet, the signal was down in the 35-45% range (weak). Based on a rough estimate, I would say that 80-90 feet would be an absolute maximum with this router.
Customer Review: Works well, but install took a little longer than I expected
Summary: 5 Stars
First off, ignore the software and just connect and go to the router IP address and adjust the settings with that.
Set up with WEP, SSID Disbled, and Mac Address Filtering. Probably will upgrade from WEP in near term.
Purchased this to replace a Linksys Wireless G router. I intended to install this with exact same settings so existing wireless clients would not have to be modified. Worked well for items that were up and running, but the MAC address table would only update those wireless clients that were actually connected. I initially just input desired MAC addresses into the table, but when I saved the table, only those that had accessed the router were saved. So I had to actually connect all clients to router to save them to MAC table. That in itself slowed the process down a little. Overall took about 2 hours to give 9 items access.
Items attached are:
Desktop - Windows XP
XBOX 360
Linksys Wireless N Bridge connected to Directv HD DVR
2 Laptops (1 - Vista, 1 XP)
Linksys Print Server
WII
IPOD touch
ROKU Media Streamer from Netflix, Amazon
The only problem I have had so far is that on one occasion I tried to access the router via it's IP address and kept getting deadlink on the browser. To remedy this I had to power down the router and it then worked.
One thing I like is the Linksys Easy Access Software that is included, but for only 1 reason. It provides a graphic presentation of your network with the ability to name each client - that is nice as it makes it much easier to track unnamed MAC addresses. The other utilities provided I don't use as they really just replace using the IP address to make changes.
I see many people complaining about this router. My guess is that when they run the set up, they click through and set up the security as directed (defaults to pretty robust security) and since they lack knowldege regarding wireless networks, none of their devices can connect. I am not an IT professional, but would rate myself as above average knowldege for technical stuff like this.
Only been up for 2 days, but so far it is working fine.
Customer Review: Horrible product with horrible bloatware.
Summary: 1 Stars
Bought this to make use of N speeds our two Sony VAIO laptops and to be able to use the router's USB storage feature for shared folders, backups, etc. Both laptops are fairly current, run flawlessly on Vista and connect without issues to whatever wifi signal we've ever tried.
After several errors installing the included setup CD, it finally loaded up, and I mean loaded up. Cisco's "Network Magic" software is a nothing short of a smelly piece of CPU/RAM sucking bloatware. Good grief, what a mess.
After much trial & error and web searching for people having similar problems, I finally got one of the laptops to connect using some of the tips and settings found online. Once online, I set about setting up our storage hub, a USB hard drive. Gave up on that a couple of hours in. Again, using tips from other users having the same issues, including the many postings on Cisco's own support pages, nothing but a dead end.
I put that aside for a bit and tried my iPhone 3GS on the connection. Well, being a G only device, the router must be set to "mixed". When set this way, the laptop connects at G speeds, regardless of its ability to use N. Switch the router to N only and the laptop will then use N and [...] confirms the speed bump, but then of course the iPhone can't connect. In other words, there's apparently no such thing as mixed with this thing. You're either using N or G and if you want to use G any devices, then even the N devices are effectively G only.
As for the other laptop? Wouldn't connect any which way to the router. No way, no how. Tried everything under the sun for over four hours. Nothing but dead ends, router reboots, unable to connects, and on and on.
What a colossal waste of time. It shouldn't be this messy to just hook up a wireless router and it's never been with any of the other routers I've hooked up and used over the many years. Simple as that. This thing's going straight back to the store.
I unhooked and boxed the pile back into its packaging, then hooked up the old Cisco/Linksys WRT54GS it was all set to replace. It worked perfectly just as it has for a long while now. Go figure.
Cisco, you've lost your way. Or something.
Customer Review: NOT Windows 7 Compatible - Terrible Tech Support
Summary: 1 Stars
First, understand that I upgraded from Vista to Windows 7 so some of my experience MAY be related. However, I ordered and received this router and went through the install process as instructed in the accompanying instructions when I encountered an error which had me on the telephone with Cicso's tech support (in India) for a couple hours. Finally, it was working. Be aware, however, that if you want Cisco to do the install you have to pay extra. They will, however, walk you through it on the phone for free even though that takes them (and you) about four times as long. Then I powered the PC down for the night. The next morning, the PC connected to the router could not access the internet through the router but my laptop, using the wireless feature, could. Go figure. Another call to tech support with a reference to the preveious evening's festivities had them asking me to move my gear all over the place, try this and try that, all to debug their software/hardware issues.
In the end, the tech support person threw up his hands and surrendered. He claimed that it was due to issues with Windows 7. Maybe. I don't know and, very frankly, I don't care. The product could not be installed and did not work consistently when it was installed. The tech nsupport took forever and when they finally reached the bottom of the explanations barrel they blamed it on Microsoft's operating system. That may be correct. I am not making a judgement about that. I am simply warning other customers to be aware that I had a failed installation and returned the item as defective which, to me, it was. But, the support organization is weak and out of date (Windows 7 implementation was announced long ago and beta versions for testing have been available for a long time...Cisco was caught, apparently, completely by surprise...not an encouraging event for a major software/hardware vendor). And, they do not hesitate to have you, the customer, go to extraordinary efforts to debug their products. I am have home computer, not a business IT department with network engineers.
I will be very reluctant to buy any products or services from this vencor again. You, too, have been warned!