Cisco-Linksys WRT54G Wireless-G Router
by Linksys
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Our Price: $72.97 Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $22.00 (click here) Category: CE See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Cisco-Linksys WRT54G Wireless-G Router
Customer Review: My 2 cents on the Linksys WRT54G
Summary: 5 Stars
To summarize my overall experience with Linksys:1) Customer Support: Very inadequate. Their online FAQ page on the linksys website doesn't work. When I called Support, after the initial round of qualification that I had a genuine technical issue on hand, I told hiim I was in the service industry like him, and was computer-savvy. The person advised me to do all the following when I couldn't get my router with my Toshiba cable modem to work. :
a) Try with a different ethernet cable...which I did...
b) Try increasing the length of the ethernet cable from the router to the cablemodem(as long as 20 ft!!)
c) Try with a crossover cable... which I did..
He just gave up and said that it could be probably the modem, and Toshiba cable modems might not work. He asked me to check with my cable service provider and ask for a Motorola modem!!
Normally, internet service providers give you a hard time to switch your modem hardware, but I somehow managed to get a Toshiba PC 2200U in place of my Toshiba PC 1100 U(an older cable modem model)...and the router indeed worked like a charm..
Note that it was only through pure luck that I got this working..so on the technical support front, I rate this a "single star".
Product Performance: The service provider I have is Time Warner Cable, in North NJ. A colleague also bought the same router , and it works fine with his Optimumonline (Motorola modem) connection..
Lesson Learnt: If you think you have an older cable modem model such as the Toshiba PC 1100U, this router may not work for you.
Having used the router for close to a month now, I'm very happy with the performance of the modem, and so is my colleague. Both of us use Linksys WPC54G Wireless-G Notebook Adapters and have had no problems...
The firmware that ships is v1.1, and both of us took a risk buying this much against complaints heard from other office colleagues that their home office setups would not work when they tried connecting to the office's VPN through digital certificates....
I use a RSA securid Token, my colleague uses digital certificate authentication..and both of us have had no problems so far..
We took a big risk buying this product...but at the end of the day, uits definitely worth the "15% restocking fee" risk , even though technical support is inadequate/not knowledgeable....I would expect better support from a Cisco subsidiary!!!!
Customer Review: When Linksys gets it right, it's golden...
Summary: 4 Stars
Let me start off by stating that I am an 'old-school' computer geek. I don't play dungeons and dragons or wear a pocket protector (only because of the attached stigma), but I've been in the computer thing since the Apple II came out (20+ years). My field is software engineering (big surprise) and I am a self-professed gadget freak. So my experience may not be the same as that of the average novice, but I think that if you're going wireless, you've already got some computer time under your belt.
The install was painless and quick. I should mention that all the PCs that I connected to it are XPs. And really, if you're running WinNT or Win98 or WinME, then you should really be spending your money elsewhere instead of trying to drag that thing into the 21st century. :-)
Performance-wise this unit performs flawlessly. I have it set up in my basement (a less than ideal location for a wireless router) and I can still connect to my network using my laptop from my neighbor's backyard (a good 50 feet away through several layers of sheetrock and a 6" concrete foundation). All in all, excellent reception. I live a block away from the park where my son plays in little league (approximately 1/4 mile away) and I can still detect my network via NetStumbler (but I can't connect to it). I'm going to try placing a repeater up in the attic to see if I can't connect from the park and give the grandparents some live video feed...
A word on Linksys tech support. It sucks. Fortunately, it has been my experience that a call to tech support is almost never required. This may have been my good luck or perhaps some early karma, but either way, dealing with them sucks, but they make a darn good product and you most likely will not have to deal with them. I'm not a Linksys apologist at all. They *should* have at least adequate tech support. But 'bang for the buck'-wise, they are well worth the money. And besides, do a Google on 'Linksys' and you'll find a gazillion websites detailing installs, common tech support issues, etc..
I would've given this product 5 stars, but I'm currently having some difficulty setting up WPA (as opposed to WEP) and am not exactly loving life right now. It's probably something I'm doing wrong, but it *should* be easier.
Cheers,
Ed T.
Customer Review: Good features, good support but short range
Summary: 3 Stars
First thing I did was updating the firmware. It has very good router features as well as wireless security features. Setting up the newest WPA is easy. Go to the cnet.com to read about the wireless security issue you will know that WEP is not secure and WPA is so much better and will become the new standard. I was very pleased that the newest version of the firmware includes WPA. The phone support is 24/7 and you will get a real tech support person online which is very rare these days. And believe me you could use a lot of them if you are new to wireless or like to try out different settings (like me). Also their WebChat works pretty responsive as well.
My Panasonic 2.4GHz cordless phone kills the connection every time. Changing the channels on the WRT54G and the clients won't help because the phone changes its channel automatically. I had a hell of time to get the wireless to work when I was talking to Linksys tech rep using my 2.4GHz phone. I was so discouraged I was ready to return the whole thing until I talked to another tech rep and he asked me right away if I was using a 2.4GHz phone. Once I switched to a 900MHz phone we were fine. I guess if my nerghbors start to use 2.4GHz cordless phone I will be in trouble.
Now the only but nevertheless not so small problem is the short range. I read the reviews here and on cnet.com about its short range. I was hoping the newest firmware would fix the problem but it didn't. There is an interesting thing though: When I was registering the WRT54G online with Linksys, it asked me to choose if mine was WRT54G v1.0 or WRT54G v1.1 which indicates there are two versions of the box. When I chatted with the Linksys support, he claimed there were only firmware differences. If anyone knows there is an actual newer hardware version of it, please let me know, I can still exchange it.
Note: On 9/16/2003, Linksys' web site has changed WRT54G's product description (you have to go the product tab->wireless router to see the new WRT54G) which added WPA feature. ...which shows different pictures of v1.0 and v1.1. Base on that picture one can easily conclude that there are hardware changes, at least the front panel LEDs are all different, besides added Cisco lego. Well, I have to hope the new hardwere solves the range problem. If that's the case, I will change my rating to 5 stars!
Customer Review: Easy Setup
Summary: 5 Stars
I read reviews on this product about how difficult it is to setup the Linksys router. My roommate also told me he bought one and returned it because he was not able to set it up. You may think I am fool but I bought it anyway. I am that type of person who likes to be challenged. I followed my instincts and bought it. I may say, I am religious too so God helped me. Initially I put the CD that came with the computer and followed the instructions to do the connections. Note: I did not complete the installation using the CD but to make sure I connected everything right. The wizard shows you how to connect the router to the modem. You don't even have to use the CD to do the connections. Throw it away and just look on the box that your router was in when you bought it, and you will know how to connect the router and the cable modem. When you do the connections right without installing the software, you still will be able to connect to the internet. Your next step is to make it is secure with a key/password so people don't use your internet for free and slow it down and to prevent hackers. If you are not able to go on the internet, call your Internet service provider, Comcast, for example, and tell them you want them to configure your service so that you can go on the internet wirelessly as well. They have to do it on their end so you don't have to stay on the phone for anything.
Next, Click internet explorer and on top at the address bar area, where you type a website address, type your default routers IP which is 192.168.1.1
You will be prompted to type in a username and password: The default is "admin" for both. You can change the password instead of using "admin" later when are in the settings area. This password is only to enter into internet explorer and change the settings any time you want. It will open your router's settings. Click on "wireless" and make sure it is enabled. Next, click on "wireless security" and select WEP, then select 128bit, then type any phrase in the "Passprase" area and click the Generate button. It will generate the Key that others will use to connect to your network. Make sure you write down the keys. There will be four set of keys. Any of them should work. Congratulations. Throw away the CD and spare yourself all the headache others went through.
Customer Review: Great at the right price
Summary: 4 Stars
The Linksys WRT54G Wireless-G Router by Linksys was the rather unattractive blue and black model (although there are newer models which look much nicer). We used it alongside Linksys' Wireless-G adapter as my roommate was using a desktop with no wireless card.
My computer, as the master still had one wire connecting to the Wireless router which, in turn, was connected to the modem why was connected to the phone jack. The adapter plugged into my roommate's USB port.
I recall that installation was really easy. One can either use the setup wizard software provided on the disc or go to address of the Linksys web utility. I used to software and it was easy enough for me, someone who had never used a router before, to figure out on my own. It included options like securing the network with a password, something I recommend to all. An unsecured network can lead to others leeching your connection, the least possible result is a slower connection and the worst is a hike in your internet bill!
At the master computer, I had virtually no problems and any I did have were easily solved by resetting the router by the button on the back of the piece. However, my roommate had more problems than I did. The network usually worked well across a space of 25 - 40 feet (I'm not a great guesser) but obsessionally she would not have any connection while mine was fine. Sometimes this situation would remedy itself and others I would reset the wireless router, reboot my computer or physically unhook the router and modem to fix the issue. Sometimes this did not help and we simpyl had to wait for the issue to sort itself out.
Now, I'm pretty confident that this wasn't an issue with my connection because, at the time, it was very fast and very reliable. Furthermore, I had few issues at the master computer. It seems that Linksys wireless options are at the low end of the spectrum and while this was only mildly irritating for us, for someone who requires constant uptime or fast connections, the Linksys WRT4G Wiress-G Router may not be the way to go.
However, it is readily available and, if you find rebates, quite affordable. I think we ended up spending about $40 for the pair from Best Buy via a mail in rebate. For that price, I can't really complain.