| Linksys WRT54G Wireless-G Router |
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Model: WRT54G
Brand: Linksys
Manufacturer: Linksys
Average Rating: 
(submit your review here)
Total Reviews: 1702
Platforms: Windows NT, Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows NT 3.5, Windows NT 4, Windows NT 5, Windows Me, Windows XP, Windows 2000 Server, Windows
Operating system: Windows XP Professional Edition
Form factor: External
Hardware platform: PC
Data link protocol: Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g
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| Features: |
All-in-one Internet-sharing router, 4-port switch, and Wireless-G (802.11g) access point
Wireless data rates up to 54 Mbps--5 times faster than 802.11b
Shares a single Internet connection and other resources with Ethernet wired and Wireless-G clients
Interoperates with 802.11b clients at 11 Mbps
Advanced wireless security with 128-bit WEP encryption, MAC, or IP address filtering |
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| Description: |
| LINKSYS WRT54G - Wireless-G is the emerging 54 Mbps wireless networking standard that's almost five times faster than the widely deployed Wireless-B ( 802.11b ) products found in homes, businesses and public wireless hotspots around the country. The best part is, since they share the same 2.4GHz radio band, Wireless-G devices talk to existing 11 Mbps Wireless-B equipment. Operates as a DHCP Server NAT technology to protect against Internet intruders Supports VPN pass-through Easy configuration with web browser based configuration utility |
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| User Reviews (1702 total): |
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Rough start, but works great - now!, October 31, 2004
By robk2 (Serving Overseas)
I had a Linksys wired 802.11B router and wireless access point which worked well, but decided to upgrade to an all-in-one 11G device. The tough part was deciding whether or not I needed the "Speedbooster" version. After asking around, I found out I didn't.
The out-of-the-box experience was a little frustrating. I tried the CD setup program without any luck. Then I tried the do-it-yourself method of following the step-by-step instructions. Nope. That didn't work either.
A five minute call to the tech support people was all it took to get the router up and running. No hold time. Yes, the 1-800 number probably redirected me to someone in India, but the guy was easy to understand, and he helped solve the problem.
Essentially, the CD included with the package is, for the most part, worthless. I was told to connect my computer directly to the cable modem, then go to a Linksys website:
www.linksys.com/connect
I clicked on NetSet Assistant and let it do it's thing. I followed the prompts to disconnect and reconnect Ethernet cables, and then rebooted. Problem solved.
As far as WEP configuration... make your adjustments after you've set up the router using the default setup. It'll make life a lot easier, and preclude you from having to give this product a negative review.
This is my fourth Linksys product and, aside from the rough start, I'm very satisfied with this router.
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I t is up and working great!, October 27, 2004
By Sunny (Montana, USA)
I bought this router and the Wireless Card for my laptop so I could use my new high speed cable access. The Router is connected to the cable and then to my new desktop. It installed without a problem. Getting the card installed in my laptop was more difficult and I agree that the phone support from India was not helpful They answered right away ,but didn't solve my problem. However the e-mail support from Linksys was quick and responsive. I have a Compaq laptop and the e mail support from Compaq was excellent. One computer is downstairs and one upstairs and it works fine. I would certainly reccommend this product.November of 2006 and I bought a new laptop with a built in wireless card. I went on line to linksys easy link and followed instructions and the router was working properly. I called linksys and they were able to help me configure the new laptop to recognise my network. It is up and running great!
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ANYTHING BUT LINKSYS!!!, October 27, 2004
By Blue Lodge Ted (Monterey, CA USA)
Buy any brand BUT Linksys! I've had nothing but problems with Linksys from the start! Customer Service is non-existent! If you do finally get help with someone who works for Linksys inside the United States, and they let you return a defective product, kiss it good-bye! I'm STILL waiting for my warranty return to be replaced. UPS delivered it, but Linksys is so incompetent, they can't seem to find it! GET ANY BRAND BUT LINKSYS!!!!
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DON'T BUY IT!!!!!, October 24, 2004
By Toolmanwill (new york)
Nothing but problems! If your not using it as your main connection to the internet it is extremely difficult to configure. Any documentation that comes with it is very incomplete when it come to the "other than default setup".
And support......PFFFT!! Don't even go there!!!!
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nothing but frustration, October 20, 2004
By unknown
had problems...tech support hung up after putting me on hold for 10 min...2 days later and i'm going to try and get my money back...wish me luck
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Don't Try This at Home, October 18, 2004
By A Dad (Colorado)
If you decide to go wireless don't use Linksys. I have spent the last two days of my life on hold to India. The tech support is almost worthless. In consists of unplug or reboot. They are in a hurry to hang up, and not to solve your problem.
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Great product, October 17, 2004
By iyad muhanna
If you follow the instructions, it should take you less than an hour to install the network and card adapters and have your wireless up and running. I had some questions and the 24 hour phone support was very helpful, nice guys. I highly recommend this product.
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Great Wireless, October 15, 2004
By Sam (Amherst, MA)
its a good buy, especially when u look at the prive the same router is avialable for at other places.. its better than netgear or the others.. i read somewhere it has something to do with 2 antennas...
installing was very simple.. enabling mac addressing to restrict others may seem a little tough to the layman..
another great thing i liked about the router was it was backward 802.11b compatible.
lastly, and though not a good factor, it looks really nice... :)
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HARDEST PRODUCT TO SET UP NOT WORTH HASSLE!!, October 5, 2004
By Disgusted with Wireless G (USA)
This was absolutely THE worst product I have ever bought for my computer, I was so frustrated that I brought it back after hours of tech support! Then I asked around, and everyone that had one, also had such a hard time with it. Terrible.
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Easy setup, dropped connections with WEP, but fine with WPA, October 2, 2004
By P. Sarin (Seattle, WA USA)
I set this router up this morning in a couple of minutes. I am a professional software engineer and an experienced user. I don't have any significant networking expertise, but the technical terms don't intimidate me and so I probably can do these sorts of things more quickly than non-technical users. That said, install -- particularly without any security settings -- was really simple and took a matter of minutes.
Setting up WEP, a common security protocol, is a little hairy because you end up typing in this long hexadecimal string into your Windows machine. It doesn't take much time -- 1 or 2 minutes -- but it is a little bizarre and may scare some people away. With WEP, I noticed, as have others, that the router dropped my connections VERY frequently (*).
I did some reading on the web, and it seemed that the WPA-PSK security protocol is generally considered to be better than WEP. So, I set it up instead. I'd say that it's easier to set up than WEP. Pretty much all I had to do was choose a password on the router setup screens, and then type the same password on my laptop.
Once I started using WPA-PSK rather than WEP, the dropped connections stopped. Now, I don't know if all operating systems or PCs or network adapters support WPA, but mine (Dell Inspiron 1150 running Windows XP) does, and so I don't consider the flaky WEP support a disadvantage.
(*) UPDATE to this review: Turns out that the problems with WEP were due to settings and drivers on my PC. I eventually fixed those problems. The WEP problems were NOT due to this product.
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Great Product, October 1, 2004
By Jennifer (USA)
Although I am adept in many software programs, the hardware is not my forte. This router was extremely easy to install and it has "dropped" on me less than a handful of times in the two years I've had it. During those "drops" it just entails that you sign off the computer, unplug the router and modem, wait a few seconds, plug up the router and modem, turn the computer back on and you are set to go.I have my desktop and laptop connected to it and I would highly recommend this product.
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Constant dropping, September 29, 2004
By She Knows (Ohio USA)
We bought this about 6 months ago and it's been worthless. It constantly drops the internet connection and simple things like WALLS in our house block the link so everything is very slow. It's very frustrating to try to complete school work or work, only to lose it because I am dropped every couple of minutes. The tech support is worthless too.
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Drops Connections Constantly, September 28, 2004
By boneworx (San Francisco Bay Area, CA United States)
Purchased as a replacement for a Linksys 802.11b wireless router which suddenly died after 1.5 years of use. We have two Macs and two PCs sharing this wireless router. It will work fine for a few days, then for no particular reason the data rate will slow to a crawl, then the connection is dropped completely. Sometimes all the computers lose connection, sometimes only some of them do. These computers are generally sitting in one place and not moving around much at all, mind you. Sometimes cutting router power fixes it, sometimes resetting firmware does, but sometimes nothing works and we just give up until it comes back by itself. We are now unable to rely on our internet connectivity at all, something we rarely had to worry about before. We're very unhappy with this product.
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A do everything box - not just a wireless AP!, September 26, 2004
By A wrt54g fan
This must be one of the most versatile computer products on the planet. The WRT54G as a wireless router alone is quite good and comes with cutting edge security options (WEP, TKIP, RADIUS, etc) and supports all "b" and "g" wireless equipment. But with enhanced firmware from 3rd parties the WRT is an absolute powerhouse. My favorite is from Sveasoft. The WRT54G with this new firmware is now my firewall, bandwidth manager, wireless router, four-port Ethernet hub, VPN server, and has so many more features I can't count them. I can even link multiple WRT's and extend coverage all over the house and yard. Truly amazing!
I highly recommend this product.
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good range, useful features, annoying admin UI., September 25, 2004
By the occasional critic (Chicago, IL USA)
I bought the WRT54G to replace an old, dead D-Link "B" AP/router. It was my 3rd purchase in a series of failed "G"-compatible replacements; I'd previously tried units from Netgear and D-Link, and none of them had useful range beyond ~30 feet in my conventional wood stud/drywall-walled home! This Linksys unit blasts a usable signal beyond 80' indoors and into my backyard without any booster antenna or awkward attic/upstairs placement. My key criteria was a reliable, useful, no-drop signal that my mixed PC, Mac, B/G environment could handle, and the 54G meets it quite well.
Only cons? A visually clean but poorly structured, insufficiently documented admin website. Nontechnical wireless users unfamiliar with WiFi technical jargon won't immediately grasp how to setup basic WEP security, DHCP auto-assignment, or other essential features without first educating themselves on the topics -- Linksys' software does little to aid user discovery of key features. One thing Netgear got right was an initial setup wizard that walked new users through the most important options out of the box. If Linksys could add a similar wizard for WiFi setup options specifically, that would be an immense help.
Overall, I recommend this AP/Router for anyone looking for excellent wireless range and reliable routing on a moderate budget and who can handle some complexity/obscurity in the admin tools.
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BEWARE - do NOT buy this router unless you are an expert, September 20, 2004
By Anne Bonny (Stamford, CT)
My advice, this router takes a LOT of computer adjustments and networking know-how before you can ever get this thing to work on a semi-consistent basis.
First - take a good LONG look at the construction of your house. has anyone EVER, in the past, used lead paint on your walls? wireless will not work. Are your walls possibly made of plaster? wireless will not work. Do you have walls of any type in your house? wireless will not work.
Second - I have had this product for a year now and have made roughly 57 calls to linksys and no one has been able to help me make it work outside of the room it is installed in, which defeats the purpose of wireless.
I have seen other reviews mention this fact and also mention the following: 99% of linksys "customer service" representatives are reading from a script and do not actually have any idea how to fix any problems you have. typically they will have you unplug everything a few times, hit a lot of "reset" buttons and then inform you that your computer is "unusual". So do NOT buy this thing if you don't think you can organize a home network by yourself.
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With high gain antenna, finally I got wireless, September 19, 2004
By VSOP (Pelotas, Brazil)
I tried and failed using the D-Link 624 108M wireless router. Coverage in my 2-floor brick-walled house was poor and erratic. I would never get 108M rate unless I was half a meter from the box. Two walls apart from it, the signal would start failing.
When I saw a high gain (low price) antenna was available to the WRT54G router, I thought I'd happily give up some (practically unattainable anyway, since you've got to be in spitting distance from the router) speed in favour of wider coverage. Important to note that what I really needed was an access point as my DSL modem already does the router thing and I have a wired 100M network round the house.
Setting up the system was not too complicated. Firstly, I mounted the 7dbi antenna pair, replacing the original ones. Then, the hardest bit was to figure out how to disable the router and the DHCP services so that all computers would be in the same IP range and see each other. Basically, I set up the box to work as "router" (!) as opposed to "gateway", disabled DHCP and gave the router an IP number within the range served by the DHCP service from the modem.
Also, I set up a WPA-PSK security protocol, and created a corresponding profile in my notebook.
All this took a couple of hours fidling, as I did not go to Linksys website for support - so I wouldn't know if there is help there.
Having done all this, I was quite pleased to see that all corners I needed were decently covered by the signal. The box is upstairs, and in the farthest room I get connected at 11-18M speed - that is similar to the older 10M ethernet standard. For surfing the net it is more than one can hope for. If it is needed to make a multi-100 MB disk tranfer (such as back-up copies) it makes sense to connect through the wired network.
Apart from speed, the signal is consistent and works without interruptions, etc. In my oppinion, the WRT54G plus the HGA7T is a perfect solution if you need wireless coverage in a wider area or for a hard-walled house as was my case.
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Install Wizard Useless ...... But Good Product, September 15, 2004
By www.sdgardner.com (Fair Lawn, NJ)
I couldn't get the install wizard to work. However, setting up using the quick start instructions was a breeze. It's easy to install the security on this product but Linksys doesn't do a good job of explaining why its important. If you buy, you should disable the SSID Broadcast, use MAC filtering and deploy some form of encryption (multiple choices)if you want to ensure your network is secure (all covered off in the manual). If buying for home office or small business this is a must. For effort free wireless network adaptors, use the linksys USB adaptor.
If you need convincing on the security side, read Wireless Hacks, (this is a book of excellent tips, not just security), published by O'Reilly.
Knocked 1 star off for the install wizard - it wasted alot of time running it.
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Great router for the price, September 14, 2004
By R. Carpenter (Annville, PA United States)
Okay, first I must say that I have never had a major problem with any Linksys equipment. As with any hardware, you need to logically think your way through things.
To those who need to run the WEP encryption... goto the Linksys website and upgrade the firmware for the WRT54G router (I would recommend this for any hardware you get, stay current with firmware and drivers) and then get the latest driver for your Linksys wireless NIC. This is very important in keeping your "stuff" current and working properly. This router also supports WPA, but only in XP.
Then comes the Printer and File Sharing capability. This one I did struggle with until I came across a Linksys support document called "Enabling File and Printer Sharing (amazing how the title correlated to what I was trying to do!). You need to goto the Linksys website, click on the "Support" tab, under Technical Support click on "Knowledge Base," To the far right of the Browser click on the the "Search By" drop-down box and choose "Answer ID" and then directly above it is "Search Text" here you will type in 280. The document will load and then you can print it out and follow the procedure. NOTE: There is a procedure for each of the Windows OS's except 95.
This document will surely help you in enabling File and Printer Sharing, whether you have a wireless or hardwired network.
Linksys makes a great product and has some great support if you either ask (24/7 online chat) or just do a little looking around their website.
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...wish I'd paid extra for Airport..., September 14, 2004
By amazonian' (Bay Area, CA)
I have not had a great deal of success with this product as a wireless station. It works wells as a router, but I puchased it specifically to operate as a wireless hub. In order to activate the wireless connection, I have to unplug the router, only then will my laptop pick up the signal. After approx 10-15 minutes, the signal is lost and I have to unplug and router again.........what a pain! I sorely regret not buying an Airport Hub, especially now that they have that handy little Express one! I feel the Linksys was a waste of money - anyone want to buy a used Router?
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