Cisco-Linksys Wireless-G Range Expander WRE54G
by Linksys
|
Our Price: $129.00 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $29.98 (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 Wireless-G Range Expander WRE54G
Customer Review: How to with the SRT54G version 5
Summary: 4 Stars
I recently purchased the WRE54G version 2. I already had the WRT54G version 5 (wireless router). I'd like to say I didn't have to call tech support, but, like so many others, I did. Having read many of the reviews with the suggestions (some wrong), I thought you might benefit from my experience. So here's what worked for me:
Plan on setting up the Expander next to the router to begin with. It is easier to get the setup done and then take the Expander to somewhere else in the house.
1. Turn off WEP on the router - put in: 192.168.1.1 in the internet explorer browser. (Password is probably "admin"). Click on Wireless>Wireless Security, and choose "Disabled" from the drop down list of "Security Mode" options. Save Settings and exit browser.
2. Plug in the Expander and wait for it to come on. Push the Autoconfiguration button for 10 seconds only (check it by the clock). If you get two blue lights you're in business. Just set the WEP in the Expander. Type in 192.168.1.240 in the browser to enter setup for the Expander. "Enable" Wireless Security, click on "Edit Security Settings", and then enter the WEP passphrase (make sure the encription is the same for the Expander and router, 64 or 128). Reset the WEP in the router.
**If you mess up (as I did) and need to reset the Expander, here's how:
1. Push and hold the reset button for exactly 30 seconds (again, measure the time by the clock).
2. Unplug the Expander for exactly 20 seconds.
3. Plug it back in, and when the lights are stable (likely a blue activity light and a red link light) push the Autoconfiguration button for exactly 10 seconds.
This process resets the Expander back to its original settings.
DON'T give a different SSID to the Expander. Make the ISP, Gateway, SSID, passphrase, etc... the same for both the router and the Expander.
Once you have it up and running, just uplug it and carry it to wherever you want better coverage. I don't know if there is a reset if you leave it unplugged for exactly 20 seconds when changing rooms, probably not, but you might leave it unplugged for a longer period of time just to make sure. The manual says take it to the edge of the router coverage. I found it had to be a bit closer to the router than the edge of coverage, otherwise it would not pick up the router signal (my laptop and another desktop with a wireless card could get the signal from the router, albeit weak, but the Expander couldn't). Once the Expander was moved one room closer to the router it worked like a charm.
Customer Review: No luck yet (update)
Summary: 1 Stars
This is a fascinaing bunch of reviews. 342 as I write. I was led to believe I could get it working by just taking it out of the box and plugging it in. Maybe it is almost that easy if you don't have wireless security. But who in the right mind doesn't? I tried to use the instructions and the software. I could not get the product to work and felt the need to go to back to restore points on two computers. I would definitely recommend setting restore points before using the Linksys software.
I did manage to get the parts back into the box to take it back to Best Buy, but then I looked at these reviews. So now I am convinced I can get the thing to work whenever I have about 4 hours to spare. I am fairly savy about computers, but some of the instructions posted in these reviews might as well be in a foreign language. If I ever get it to work, I will post another review and perhaps change the star rating.
February 17 update. I packed the thing up twice for purposes to taking it back to Best Buy. But after many hours of messing with the thing, I have it working. I used a variation of the method mentioned in the review by Joe81 "Joe". The key is getting into the setup for both the router and the WRE. First to disable the WEP security of the router and then to set the WEP keys the same for both the router and the WRE. The instructions manual from Linksys has to get an award as the worst. It tells you how to get into the WRE setup, but says that you don't need to. But if you have WEP security (and everyone should), getting into the WRE setup is essential.
Getting into the router setup was some extra fun because the technician who installed it changed the default password and didn't tell me what it was. Fortunately, I tracked him down and he told me what the password was.
I wanted to use the WRE to provide wireless access in my guest house. Setting the WRE at a point in the main house closest to the guest house didn't work, but putting it on the porch of the guest house did the job.
Now I need to buy another Linksys electronic gadget so I can waste another hundred hours. I would raise my rating of the WRE to 3 stars, but that doesn't appear to be an option when editing an Amazon review.
Further update. After less than two years, the signal became spotty. Then the little blue light went out. It was dead. I replaced it with the Hawkins (see Amazon review). Much easier to set up. Much better signal. I would stick with my original one star rating.
Customer Review: Inconsistent operation / Sluggish DHCP response time, manual configuration
Summary: 1 Stars
DHCP over the wireless though the expander is sluggish to say the least, at least in the case of mixed-mode Ethernet. I ran Wireshark on my wireless laptop while attempting to connect with my PSP to the wireless and noticed 2 second response times... perhaps this is the mixed mode environment which is required for my PSP to work: My solution for this - manually configure all subnet parameters on my home network - at least the 802.1b devices. You may want to consider manually configuring all IP address parameters for all wireless devices to ensure they connect quickly to the network - although the more devices you have the more you'll need to keep track of.
Additionally if you have network security be prepared to manually configure everything. I use WPA-SK security and the auto configuration utility failed to work. Simply turn off MAC addrress filters (if you enable them) plug the ethernet cable into a wired hub on your network, and connect to 192.168.1.240 (default password is admin). The wireless parameters are on a sub-page in the configuration utility, so change those first to match your existing wireless network's parameters. When you click submit the expander will reboot. Then change the SSID and make sure you match the channel number to your existing network's channel or you'll have problems. Manually configure the router IP address as 192.168.1.1 and you should be good to go - but don't forget to disconnect the LAN cable from the expander or all of a sudden all your Windows machines will be reporting a duplicate IP address on your network.
Re-enable MAC address filtering after putting the MAC address of the expander in the table and you should be good to go.
Another thing I noticed is sluggish learning of Windows NetBIOS names as well - again sometimes up to 2 seconds or so before a response comes back, well longer than the 750 millisecond windows default (which you can increase with a registry setting).
Overall, it does expand my network and gives me higher signal quality, especially when I run my microwave and washing machines which usually interfere with the wireless to some degree.
UPDATE: Fed up with the inconsistent functionality of this expander, I've since returned it and paid the 15% restocking fee. I'm back to only one wireless access point and deal with the microwave / clothes washer when it is switched on. This product was not a solution for me.
Customer Review: Tough to get working, expands range at speed and stblty cost
Summary: 2 Stars
Be aware - This device will expand the distance away from the router/AP you can go and that is it. It will not help the problem with loss of speed due to increased distance from the router. You lose connection speed as you get farther from the router/AP as we all know. This device will not help that problem, it will simply expand the range of the speed available where the expander is placed. IF the range expander is placed at the edge of the reception area as recommended in the install guide it will connect to the router/AP at the slow connection speed available in that location and then expand THAT slower speed. It may actually slow down your connection if your laptop is between the expander and the router/AP. You can speed it up by moving the expander closer to the router/AP, it will then expand the connection speed available from THAT new location but this then decreases your overall range. Tradeoff but no perfect solution.
It also took days and many, many phone calls to tech support to get this to work including firmware upgrades to both, endless reconfiguring and trying different settings on both the router and expander. For a day of two the whole network was dead while the linksys guys tried various things/settings. VERY,VERY tough to get going...Not really worth it in the long run.
After a few more days of use I rerate this product with zero stars. I would definitely not buy again and am returning this one. The new problem that I have found is that the expander is very touchy about where you are relative to your router/AP and the laptop. If your laptop is between the router and the expander you will have major problems, constant loss of connectivity, it freaks because there are two equal strength signals. I had to set it up as two different networks and choose manually which one to use at any given location, otherwise it quit working repeatedly. This is ridiculous to say the least. I had to keep moving the expander to the room I was in to get a strong enough signal for it to clearly be dominant and then manually choose which two sources of the same network to use. No this is not a PC problem, the linksys guys confirmed.
Bugs, poor design, compatability problems with itself and the routers/APs it is supposed to support.
Not at all as expected or as needed, more trouble than worth even after I got it configed correctly (which took days on the phone with the linksys guys)
Customer Review: It finally works
Summary: 4 Stars
Its a great device, but I didnt give it a 5 because it wasnt easy to setup. If you by one of this expander there are things you should remember to set it up properly.
1. The CD it came with go to you kitchen and shove it in your garbage disposal unit. The cd virtually useless!
2. Open the box make sure its in default, if not sure just press the reset button for 15 sec.
3. Go to your routers menu and write down the MAC Address. (is on the status of your router menu. Be sure to write the wireless mac and not the Wire or LAN mac. Yes there is 2 one for wired and the other for wireless.)
4. Disconnect from your routers ssid, and go to your network properties for xp start, connect to, wireless network connection(Or whatever you rename it), properties. Go to internet protocol and assign an IP like 192.168.1.100, subnet 255.255.255.0 getway 192.168.1.240, dns leave it blank.
5. Open your browser type 192.168.1.240 on address bar(default password is admin no login name you can leave it blank). Now you can change your Expander name, IP (only if there is conficting address or just for the hell of change it), gateway (your routers adress), MAC (type the mac of your router wireless mac), ssid.
6. If you have excryption match it with your routers settings(It has to be the same EX. 64 bit wep key 3 (KEY ARE NUMBERED 1 TO 4)
code 1234567890, so on the expander type 1234567890 on key 3.
7. Then save your settings. Go to you expander you should get a 2 blue led lights one for activity one for link. If you still get a orange light go back to the expander menu and double check your settings.
8. Go back to your network connection settings change your ip to whatever you had it before(mine was set to "obtain an ip address automatically" same with dns). Go to wireless tab there should be 2 ssid one is you router the other is expander. Go to your expander properties on wireless network tab, make sure the wep(if enabled on your network if not then leave it disabled) is on code right (example 1234567890) and right key number (example 3)matches. So key 3 code 12345678890 on the expanders setting on your notebook or desktop is also enabled.
9. Finally when all the setup is done go to you wireless connection and connect to ssid of your expander. And it should connect even with dynamic address, if not go back to step 1 and so on. Good Luck!