Cisco-Linksys WRT54G2 Wireless-G Broadband Router
by Linksys
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Cisco-Linksys WRT54G2 Wireless-G Broadband Router
Customer Review: Works like a charm so far
Summary: 5 Stars
I went over tons of reviews, including the 5 stars, 1 stars, & 2 stars the most, for this and other versions of this, plus the Belkin models and others even. I came to the conclusion on getting this one, because it seemed to suit what I'd be using it for, to share the connection so I have access to Xbox Live. Mainly to get DLC for games, any updates for the system, news, watch previews for games & movies, possibly even try streaming some movies to watch, & try out some arcade games. Basically, anything you can get w/o a Gold Membership.
I got the new version of the Xbox network adapter, the black 1 w/ 2 antennas, and yes I know, that supports the N band, so why not get a router that uses the N band or has both the G & N? Because most of the ratings and reviews for those, for Linksys and other types, were pretty bad, some had just as many 1 stars as 5 stars, some had more 1 stars than 5 & 4 stars, and well, you get the idea. Some stated for a few of the "N" versions that it was rushed and that's why it has problems. While this model may have 100 1 stars (at the time of this writing), it has close to 4 times as many 5 stars, and that's not even mentioning the 4 star ratings.
I noticed 1 pattern the most while reading all of the 1 star ratings for this, a lot of people had trouble getting it to work with their laptop, or couldn't get it to work with it at all, so yes, if you want to use it for use with your laptop, I do recommend reading the 1 star reviews and comments for them, to get an idea of what to expect, and find and solutions beforehand (what I do usually, I bookmarked certain comments/discussions that talk about what to do if "this" or "that" happens). Others had trouble w/ installation, maybe they got a dud, it happens, doesn't necessarily make it a bad product though, I could of gotten a crappy one, stuff happens, problem is people base most things on first impressions. Some people had massive trouble with installation, maybe their computers weren't 100% compatible w/ the router,I don't know, I've seen some people mention some of the computers or setups they have, and I have no clue what they're talking about, lol. Me, I have a Dell Computer that is 6 years old, currently using XP w/ service pack 3, and I had no issues whatsoever with installation, it was pretty quick and painless. Frankly, I thought there would of been more to it, more manual labor, but, nope. But, maybe it's because I have a basic setup, who knows.
Hell, I had more problems with the Xbox network adapter and getting into Live than with the router. First, the disc that comes with it (which I need to install because I've never been connected before) says mixed media so it won't read, unless (and I found out this next part by, you guessed it, reading the reviews & comments of the product) you keep the disc in there, make sure the 360 is set to read the disc when you turn the system on, then, turn the 360 off, then back on, then it will work. That wasn't even the hardest part, I already had a Windows Live account (different gamertag name and everything than the 1 associated w/ my offline tag, didn't have the intent on getting Live back then), which you had to enter the email & password for on the 360, but it's with a different gamertag, so I couldn't get into Live unless I joined as a new member, but then all my achievements, etc, won't show. So, I had to make a new Windows Live account, then tried to log into Live again on the 360, using the new email & password, and voila!, it worked, took me a while to figure that out though, and after reading a bunch of help topics on migrating, etc. Needless to say, I spent a lot more time than with the router, the router was the easy part.
If you follow the instructions on the screen to the letter, as in, carefully and by-the-book after putting the installation disc in for the router, you "should" have no trouble at all. yes, it does install Network Magic, which expires after a week and then from what people are saying (I've had this 2 days), asks for money, if that's the case, just uninstall it, people said. Anyway, onto the last and other important stuff, my 360 is nestled in an entertainment stand with my VCR, and PS2, it is about 30 feet roughly away from where I have the router, since my computer is in the bedroom. The signal has to travel down the hall, and go around 1 wall, but as for how many walls it would have to pass through (though I imagine if it can avoid going through then it would?), there's 3, and then pass through the wood of the entertainment stand of course. The only interference would be the microwave nearby, and my cell phone pretty much. Also, the 360 controller I have is wireless, and that works on the 2.4Ghz bandwith as does the router, but, I have had no problems whatsoever so far. I was watching game demos and movie demos with no interruption/stutter/slowdown.
I downloaded the 2 DLC's for Dragon Age, the biggest one, I think it was 296 Mb's, took just under 4 minutes, the other one that was 139 Mb's took like 2 minutes, if that even. A while ago I downloaded the arcade free trial for some Pirate game, can't think of the name right now, but that was 553 Mb's and I timed that one to the letter, it took 7 minutes and 14 seconds to finish. That, to me, is pretty darn good, I figured it would take a LOT longer, or maybe I just have low standards/expectations. Oh yeah, before I forget, you know where it shows you the connection for the 360, there's 4 bars there, just like for a cell phone, well, I have 3 lit, I think that's pretty good. So, 3 lit for about 30 feet away, maybe a bit more.
I did get a free 1 month trial to the Gold membership, so I did some other stuff like try the 1 vs 100 (which I love), and I had no issues with that either, like it's stated in the title, works like a charm so far. Also, doing things by-the-book means putting in the installation disc first, BEFORE you do any connecting of wires, when it's time to connect something, like disconnect the ethernet cable from your computer and connect it to the router, and then connect the router to the pc, it will prompt you, I bet there's some people who connect stuff before they are told, and yes, believe it or not, that can cause problems and even screw up the whole installation. If you are using for Xbox Live, make sure when it's time to name the router, you name it something you will recognize, really, if you keep it as Linksys, nothing more, when the 360 has to search for routers in the area, there will be a list if there's a lot using them also, and you have to find yours on the list, just a piece of advice.
Customer Review: Awesome with dd-wrt firmware installed; not so much with stock firmware
Summary: 5 Stars
I would only give this router three stars with the stock firmware it ships with (VxWorks), but with the GPL dd-wrt firmware installed, it is a vastly superior product sporting features found on routers costing hundreds more. I was unimpressed with the stock VxWorks firmware. While adequate for many home users, its feature-set was underwhelming... and reliability was lacking in many respects (particularly in syncing with broadband devices like cable/DSL modems).
After installing the Linux-based dd-wrt firmware on this router, i noticed two things: Firstly, the device became more stable and robust. For example, resetting the router no longer required power-cycling the cable modem, etc. Secondly, even though this router only supports the "micro" version of the dd-wrt firmware (due to its small flash RAM footprint), this firmware still offers *many* more features (and more polish) than the stock VxWorks-based Linksys firmware.
For example, DHCP is vastly improved (both the client and server), and includes MAC address based static leases (i.e. computers on your LAN can be assigned static IP's via the router's DHCP server). More advanced Quality of Service (QoS) settings. Supports Wake-On-LAN, WDS (Wireless Distribution System, i.e. wireless bridging of multiple routers), automatic router reboots (or not). You can control many parameters of the wireless -- including transmitter power output -- and configure the button on the front panel to toggle the wireless on/off. It supports a variety of status screens, including graphical bandwidth usage stats. The web admin interface even offers a choice of several color skins. There's also a telnet admin interface. The firmware even supports cron jobs!
The dd-wrt firmware far outclasses the stock firmware, making the latter appear to be the work of Mrs. Pauli's fourth grade class. The only down-side is the somewhat cumbersome geeky triple-flash install procedure, and all the dire warnings that you could "brick" your router. I did the install from an iMac, which was harder because the install procedures are written for Windoze. [Tip for Mac users: Use the shareware program MacTFTP (available from Version Tracker or MacUpdate) where the directions call for Linksys' tftp.exe utility, and be sure your built-in Mac OS X firewall (System Preferences) is turned off during the firmware installs.] You can find install instructions and a download link on this page:
[...]
Update (Nov-2009): Looks like the triple-flash procedure has been simplified; one can now download a combined prep/killer file and install it via the stock firmware, then TFTP the dd-wrt firmware into place (i.e. just a double-flash now). That should make things *much* easier (as they eliminated the step which caused the most problems).
I have version 1 of this router; it supports the "micro-plus" version of the firmware. Also, there's now a micro+ version which supports SSH for router configuration (in addition to the GUI).
Note: LinkSys has changed internal chipsets of this router a number of times already, and might change the internal RAM specs too. When chipsets are changed, router characteristics can change too. Wireless performance and reliability could change, power draw and heat output, or the ability to install dd-wrt on this router. Unfortunately, these changes could either improve the router, or make it worse. YMMV, as the reviewer's router may be different from what you'll get, so consider that when reading user reviews here. One way to identify different revisions is by FCC ID number. (For rev 1, it's: Q87-WRT54G2V1.)
As regards the ability to install the dd-wrt firmware, your best bet is to check the comments below, and also check the Supported Devices list (which includes FCC ID numbers):
[...]
This router seems to be favored by the dd-wrt development team, probably because it is so affordable, so chances are good it will continue to be supported (unless LinkSys, in a cost-cutting measure, ever trims the specs too much.) But you may have to wait for it to be supported, and extra features in special builds (like SSH) may not come along for the ride, so YMMV. Checkout the dd-wrt website first if these features are important to you, so you know what to expect.
Customer Review: Had to rewirte my review. Results on this item were not good
Summary: 1 Stars
I had a WRT54G for two years and it worked great until it died. So I went out to find another but only found the new model WRT54G2. The missing antenna concerned me, and the lights being on the top instead of the front would be an issue in my computer cabinet. But this was the new release of the old trusty product that was so widely used so it was an easy decision.
Linksys software is great and the installation went smoothly. I have a bit of a complex network for a home including two wired VOIP phones, a Network Attached backup hard disk (NAT), a wired desktop, three wireless laptops, and a playstation. I use WPA2 security for wireless and want to restrict my son's laptop from internet use but allow him to use the two network attached printers. All of this setup went well, some I had to do from the advanced mode by logging directly onto the router. I had no issue with the signal strength in my 1450 square foot home either. But I did have two problems, one which forced me to give up on this router.
First, I could not get my Grandstream HandyTone-286 VOIP box to work with this router. It worked fine with my older WRT54G but not the G2. My Linksys CIT400 Dual-Mode Internet Telephony Kit with Integrated Skype VOIP works fine with this new router though. I can live without the Grandstream with some pain so that wasn't a deal breaker. Intermittent behavior was the killer.
The first WRT54G2 I had for about 3 weeks worked but constantly dropped the internet and my desktop had regular (more than once an hour) trouble communicating with the router at all. Wireless laptops worked better but still dropped the internet at least once an hour. So I returned that WRT54G2 and picked up a replacement of the same type.
The second WRT54G2 was much worse than the first. I could hardly work with it at all. I did get it all set up and working with my network devices (not the Grandstream) but it wouldn't stay up for more than a few minutes at a time. I considered loading the third party DD-WRT software on it as others have suggested and even downloaded the software and a good set of instructions. However I finally decided against it and gave up.
I went to a local Fry's Electronics and picked up a Netgear WNR2000 Wireless-N Router (Black). This was a very satisfying experience. After installing it and turning it on my laptops starting working before I even ran the setup software (without any security settings though). It took me less than an hour to get it all set up and it has been working ever since. I'm no longer suspecting my desktop NIC is bad or that I have fluctuating AC in my house as I was with the Linksys. Netgear could learn a few things from Linksys though.
The Netgear user interface is not consumer friendly. The linksys has a very nice graphical map of everything hooked up to the router and one can even log into each unit from the router for advanced network settings. The Linksys user interface uses more consumer friendly terms and is generally easier to work with - assuming it works in the end.
I don't know what happend with the Linksys design. Perhaps a software update will fix these issues. The version I had was V1 but there was no download update available. I see from the many reviews on Amazon that many people have had good experiences and are happy with it. Having tried two of these I'd have to say there is something wrong with the design.
A bonus for me is the Netgear is an N router with a VERY strong signal, and the lights are on the front of the unit so I can see them easily with the router mounted inside my computer cabinet. I don't have any N wireless cards in my laptops yet but I'm now prepared for the future.
Hope your experience is better than mine withe the Linksys.
Customer Review: I do believe this is my first 5 star review.
Summary: 5 Stars
OK.
So I was initially looking at the Wireless-N version of this router, to potentially replace my old WRT54GS (Linksys Wireless G Router with SpeedBooster). That router had problems, admittedly so. It worked, but not as well as I'd liked given my setup. Since all of my devices are either G or B wireless, I figured I would just settle for the G router and save money (this one is almost half the cost of the N router).
For the record I've got a laptop (wireless), media server (wireless), PS3 (wireless), PSP (wireless), DS (wireless), EEE PC (wireless), PS2 (hardwire), 360 (hardwire), printer (hardwire), and DirecTV HR20 (hardwire). Yeah, I know. What's important: the media server is in the master bedroom's closet, far from the router, which is in the living room. With my old router, signal strength got weak through walls, extremely weak. Local network activity was painful, streaming movies from the media center was painful as it would frequently lock up and stutter; thumbnails would not load.
Enter this router. First thing to note: the CD is NOT required. If you're new to wireless connections you may want to just follow the directions and CD, but if you're comfortable with navigating the router web interface, just bypass the CD and set it up like you normally would; it'll work. Setup was quite painless and recognition was fast, I managed to replace my old wireless network in a matter of minutes. There is also a feature that allows for a WiFi Protected Setup with a one-button press, but apparently the receivers require that feature to be built in as well - and none of mine did. Therefore I just ignored it. For those who are setting up for the first time and bought receivers with the feature included, they might find it useful when doing the setup.
I immediately noticed an improvement in the local networking speed. The aforementioned media server is now screaming fast over the network; thumbnails load just as fast as if I'm at the machine, file transfers are nowhere near as slow and streaming content plays with minimal lag. Internet connectivity was also slightly improved on devices that were not close to the router.
There are a couple of issues, not necessarily the router's fault, but more an issue with the way Linksys designs them. First, getting internet connectivity took way too long and was not as easy as it should have been. I had to powercycle my modem to get it to pull the IP information - even though the details should have easily been accessible from the previous router having gotten them. This might be a Time Warner issue rather than a Linksys issue - maybe it sees a different MAC and freaks, but I doubt it. Once I got the IP information, the router still would not give internet connectivity for a minute. I'm using Vista Premium so I can tell when it's "Local", "Internet" or both and it struggled to get both up.
Second, and a minor nitpick at best, the power cord is easily half the size of the WRT54GS. For the life of me I can't understand this. It makes it hard for me to locate the router in a good place, because I like to have the router on the UPS, and by shortening the cord I have to have the router in the middle of the floor. Minor issue, but still a problem for me.
Otherwise, I highly recommend this. It seems they fixed the majority of the problems the previous devices had. I noted that the negative reviews came from people who had support problems; I never call the Bombay support line, so I have nothing bad to say.
Customer Review: Easy setup, near trouble-free operation. DNS issue update
Summary: 5 Stars
I ordered the WRT54G2 'refurbished' because I wanted a replacement for my 801.11b Linksys and the refurbished could be had for a significantly lower price (kudos to Electronica Direct) and the product was Linksys certified and came with a 90-day warranty. To my surprise - I expected some glitches - I had close to zero problem installing and operating it. Here is my experience.
- I followed the advice to first run the installation off the provided CD.
- Even though all of my computers are wireless, I followed the advice and connected one of my computer to the router via Ethernet to perform the initial installation.
- After disconnecting the old 801.11b router I used the exact same name for the new network. This allowed for all devices to connect immediately, as soon as the setup completed.
- I made sure that the DHCP server was on.
- The end of setup. All devices, including the wireless printer and the VOIP box connected without a problem.
To my surprise, LELA is not on the CD. It took me longer to find, download and install LELA (Linksys EasyLink Advisor) that to complete the initial setup. I strongly recommend that you do install LELA because, besides the nice graphic of your home network it allows you to restore broken connections without having to turn off the router.
As far as performance is concerned, I believe that I notice a slight but not significant improvement over my old 801.11b router. We have about one dozen connected devices: desktops, laptops, a PS3, a PSP, VOIP, printer and, with all on, everything worked just fine. With the router in the basement, I had '3-bars' on a computer 15-20 feet from the router. Surprisingly, I had 3 bars on the first and on the second floor as well and I had the same 3 bars outside, about 90 feet from the router, by the pool. The old router gave me 4 bars in the basement but only 3 bars in the rest of the house and only 1 or 2 bars with intermittent disconnections outside the house.
With LELA running, I was able to quickly fix the 2-3 disconnections that occurred over a 3-day period without having to power off the router. This was better than my old 801.11b that had me power off the cable modem and the router whenever the connection to the Internet stopped working.
Overall, I am very happy with my new router so far. It's probably as good as any 801.11g device can get.
DNS issues update:
With DHCP, strangely, after a few months of operation, the router began to 'forget' about passing DNS queries to the outside server. It KNOWS about the 3 DNS servers the ISP has but, out of the blue I get 'resolving host' errors and LELA claims that I'm no longer connected to the Internet. This while VoIP, connected to the same router works without a problem and so do the PS3 and my kids computers.
The initial 'solution' was to power off the router and then power it back on.
I have no idea why this was happening yet but, this is my quick solution: on the 'Network and Sharing Center' click on your connection 'View status' then 'Properties', highlight 'Internet Protocol Version 4...', 'Properties', 'Advanced', from the DNS tab click on 'Add...' and enter all the DNS servers that your router has listed under 'Status'.
This eliminated all problems.