| Linksys WRT54GS Wireless-G Broadband Router with SpeedBooster |
 enlarge
|
Model: WRT54GS
Brand: Linksys
Manufacturer: Linksys
Average Rating: 
(submit your review here)
Total Reviews: 433
Operating system: Microsoft Windows 98SE/2000/ME/XP
Form factor: External
Hardware platform: PC
Data link protocol: Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g
|
|
|
| |
| Features: |
Internet-sharing Router, 4-port Switch, and Wireless-G (802.11g) Access Point
Protects all wireless transmissions with 128-bit encryption
New SpeedBooster technology increases wireless network performance by up to 35 percent
Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) and 802.1x
Shares Internet connection and other resources with Ethernet wired, 802.11g, 802.11b, and SpeedBooster devices |
| |
| Description: |
| LINKSYS WRT54GS -- The Wireless-G Broadband Router with SpeedBooster is really three devices in one box. First, there's the Wireless Access Point, which lets you connect Wireless-G, Wireless-B, and other performance-enhanced SpeedBooster devices to the network. There's also a built-in 4-port full-duplex 10/100 Switch to connect your wired-Ethernet devices together. Finally, the Router function ties it all together and lets your whole network share a high-speed cable or DSL Internet connection. Easy configuration with web browser based configuration utility Linksys Parental Control Service (free trial included) keeps your family safe on the Internet, setting profiles for time-of-day and day-of-week access restrictions, and controlling which of 16 content categories each family member is allowed to see Also includes email & instant messaging filters |
| |
| User Reviews (433 total): |
|
Extremely easy to setup, November 17, 2004
By forester (Iowa City, IA)
Just received the Linksys WRT54GS Wireless G Router this evening and, using the Setup CD, it took just 7 minutes to complete the installation. It took another 5-10 minutes to configure the unit. I purchased this router after returning a Motorola router last week that would not install, even after 45 min. with tech support. I highly recommend the Linksys if your looking for ease of use.
|
Working Great!, November 15, 2004
By sturgissteele (Sturgis, MI United States)
Purchased this wireless router in Sept. '04 and has worked very good. Setup and installation was easy, just pop in the CD and follow the directions. The only small drawback I had was when I located the wireless adapter in the basement about 30 feet away from the base, which is on the first floor. It worked at 2 to 3 bars signal strength, but I wanted a better signal for a better data flow. So I bought an extension cable from Radio Shack and relocated the wireless adapter inside a closet on the same floor as the base. Now the signal is full strength and data flow is at its maxium. The only other small snag was a dropped DSL connection from time to time, but I found out that my 2.4 ghz phone was interferring. Linksys recommended changing the channel on the router. After that I've had no dropped connections with my DSL service. Great product. No problem recommending this product to others.
|
Chose it over Netgear and D-Link, November 6, 2004
By J. Kaumeyer (Mountain View, CA)
I compared this router to the two others which compete in the 108 space - the Netgear WGT 624 and the D-Link DI-624. The D-Link would not work with the Apple Airport 802.11 b cards; they didn't even detect the signal. The Netgear worked well when hooked up but lost the connection every day and had to be rebooted to come back up. The Linksys has worked perfectly since hooking it up -- good speed and range, stable connnection (for the last week). In a side-by-side comparison the only one that worked for me was the Linksys.
|
Disappointing experience, November 4, 2004
By Computer Geek (Northern Virginia, USA)
Well, in the end I found this to be a disappointing product. Though all features worked, every couple of weeks I must reset the router to regain wireless service. I've tried using different channels, but it always drops eventually. I did not have this problem with my older netgear router (though it was only a 802.11b router). I've recently purchased a Netgear WGT624 to see if it stays up longer.
I have not tried the recently updated firmware (late october release), but the release notes do not mention any updates concerning wireless connection reliability.
|
Effortless setup, October 27, 2004
By Eric N Tampa (Florida)
After debating whether to purchase an a+b+g router I went with the G speedbooster. Setup was effortless and my connection was instantaneous - I did'nt even need to follow all of the instructions. I would highly recommend this router for home users.
|
Excellent and Easy to Install, October 22, 2004
By Tirian (West Hills, CA)
This is my third router in 2 weeks. I tried Bliss, and D-Link, both of which were a pain to install, and the wireless worked sporadically at best. Read: worked once than never to connect wirelessly to the router again.
A friend at work had a Linksys router, and recommended it. I ordered the Wireless-g with Speedbooster router and the notebook card. They arrived the next day.
The installation was flawless -- the router was working within a couple minutes. It actually took longer for the computer to go through its regular re-boot than it did to install the router.
The notebook card was the same. Flawless and worked within minutes. Again, the regular re-boot sequence took longer than the install.
These work seamlessly -- not only on the desktop machine plugged into the router, but I have excellent reception all over the house with the notebook computer. Finally a networking company that steps up to the plate when it comes to a home network. Congrats to Cisco!
After my first two router experiences, I am completely sold on Linksys -- I couldn't be happier with the ease of install and continued performance.
|
Very fast installation!!!, October 20, 2004
By thiel3 (Miami, FL, USA)
It's incredible how fast you can install Linksys WRT54GS Wireless-G Broadband Router with SpeedBooster. Since I had the linksys Wireless-B Broadband Router I know how hard it is to install this Linksys Router. It took me almost 4 hours to install the wireless-b broadband router with my DSL Modem. With the Wireless-G Broadband Router it took me only 5 minutes. I definitely recommend this product if you want to go wireless.
|
Equipment works well - so do Parental Controls, October 20, 2004
By Mike (Redwood City, CA United States)
I bought this router mainly for the parental controls feature. I didn't want to buy software to control each computer in my small business network and this looked like a good solution. Here are some points:
- setup of this router is fairly easy. I was able to get my wired and wireless clients set up within 1/2 hour. Be warned - in order to get that "Speed boost" you have to buy special linksys equipment for EACH computer - not worth it in my opinion. Speed of the router is definitely better than 802.11b, but don't go looking for a full 54mb. Theoretically, that's possible, but practically it runs around 22 or 23.
- the parental controls work very well. I tried to go looking for gambling, violent, and smut websites on the internet after purchasing ($29/year) the router-based program. It blocks almost everything! The only way I've found around it is to go to a few select foreign-language websites (and you reaaallly have to work hard to find those). Even then, you can report these offending websites and they will be added to the database. The other way around it is to Google search (or other engine) for images. The parental controls allow you to bring up thumbnails (because of search engine caching), but don't allow you to go to the original site. I don't think there's a way to block that kind of content.
Overall, I would recommend this router specifically if you are looking for a speed boost and haven't already bought other wireless equipment, or if you are looking for robust parental controls for your kids or small business. I favor this method of parental control over software because it allows you to control all access from one central point easily.
|
Great Product, October 11, 2004
By AegisRose (Lakeland, FL)
We've just bought this fine product and all we can say is that a child could connect it and be up & running in under half an hour. My laptop is a "b" and my hubby's is a "g" and he's on the couch jamming online radio winamp and I'm surfing the heck out of the net. We're both runnig at 54 Mbps... in case you're not sure if that's fast... it's fast. I don't see a difference between this and my desktop cable connection. ^_^ A GREAT BUY! a steal for the price!
|
Works fine - but be careful of installing firmware!, October 10, 2004
By herbabuena (United States)
I'm using this router at home with two notebook/adapter combinations: WPC54GS/WinXP and WPC11/Win98SE. The router seems to work just fine.
The only problem I've had was with trying to upgrade the firmware, which fried the router somehow. I went through troubleshooting with customer service, got a RMA, and had a replacement in about a week - with the new firmware already installed.
Customer service itself was fine, even if the phone queue was sometimes a bit long. Considering they provide 24-hour free human support, I think it's decent. When problems went beyond what the first level of techs could manage, they bumped me up to the more experienced people. There's the added bonus of being able to trade balut stories with the people on the other end.
|
|
|
WOW!!! Fantastic product!!!, October 1, 2004
By G. A. Hadgis (Rochester, NY)
This is my third Linksys router and continue to be impressed with the improvements they keep making. The product was easy to install. My wired and wireless interfaces were easy to configure and I was up and running in minutes. I never even used the included software. I am amazed at how fast websites load, not only on my laptop but also on my wired desktop. They have improved the firewall features. I checked the "stealth" aspect of the firewall and found it to be totally "stealth"; something I didn't quite achieve with the previous router. They even added parental control. I haven't experimented with it yet, but plan to shortly. The only thing I had to do when I replaced routers (which is in their documentation if you choose to read it) was to reset my cable modem. I didn't do it at first, but quickly overcame the problem. I highly recommend this product.
|
Works great with both 802.11b and 802.11g, September 20, 2004
By Book Lover (Davidson, NC)
I originally bought a DLink router, but it did not work with my laptop that has a 802.11b card even after spending hours with tech guys on the phone.
This router was easy to set up including the WEP. And so far has worked great with both the 802.11b laptop and a 802.11g laptop.
It's more money than I wanted to spend, but it's worth it.
|
Tech Support stinks, good product, flakey Parental Controls, September 9, 2004
By G. Smith (Orange County, CA USA)
I had trouble installing one of the PC cards. Tech Support must be in India and there was a serious language barrier going on when I called. (At least three times I said "I'm sorry sir, I can't understand what you are saying!!!). After I described the problem several times (setup wouldn't run to install the card), he still was having me troubleshoot the router. I got frustrated and hung up. Long story short, removing and reseating the card fixed the problem.
The router was fairly easy to set up and the only major problem I had was getting decent signal strength to a PC that was fairly far away. The PC housing is actually in the way of the signal, since the antenna is somewhat "hidden" behind the PC, so I kind of expected it. Might need an antenna extension to increase the signal strength a little more, but repositioning the router and antennas seemed to help a little. Our laptop works all over the house and my PC (same room as the router) is fine too. No problems with the laptop card.
WARNING: The default router settings leave you pretty open to hackers, so change your SSID to something less obvious than "default", turn off SSID broadcasting and use MAC address filtering as soon as you can change those settings! Write down your MAC addresses before you install the cards; it will save you some time trying to get them using Windows.
I don't have any data to support this, but the reliability seems to be better after I installed SP2 for XP. I can't remember the last time I had a problem connecting and it happened many times before I did the upgrade. I either couldn't connect when I booted, or it would just drop during the middle of something. I think I remember hearing that SP2 had better wireless support.
The parental controls feature works great when it's actually working (and it's nicely priced), but it was flakey during my free trial, so I didn't sign up. When Parental Controls are turned on, it appears that all Internet traffic gets redirected through their Parental Controls server. Guess what happens when that server goes down? You either have (1) no access or (2) unlimited access. When I emailed Tech Support, they said they had never heard of that problem (yeah right, even a popular Internet reviewer mentioned it in their review). One more thing, you either have Parental Controls for everyone on the router or no one. So, Mom and Dad have to log in on their PC's if you want your kids to surf safely. A smarter move might have been to use a MAC filter to only have Parental Controls on certain PC's.
The reporting options outside of Parental Controls are next to nil. You get a weak outgoing log that only lists IP addresses. It doesn't even appear to be accurate, from what I can see (entries missing?). Tech Support said they don't have a utility to pull better logs yet (They do have one for earlier Linksys routers).
I have never installed a wireless network before, so I can't give you any comparisons to other manufacturers. However, setup and speed are very good to excellent. Tech support stinks. Parental Controls will be very good if they get their servers to be more reliable.
***Update 9/8/2006: After about two years of usuage, I think I have figured out that my cordless phone (also 2.4 GHz) is interfering with my wireless connection!!!
|
Simply THE BEST router available!, September 9, 2004
By Cool Dude (CA United States)
This Router will boost your 802.11g network even WITHOUT speedbooster adapters! Yes! Unlike Netgear's marketed "108MBps" Super-G and D-Link's advertised "108MBps", you need to buy their associated PC Card, PCI adapter in order to fully utilize the potential speeds. SpeedBooster (by Broadcom) technology doens't require you to purchase a Speedbooster equipped PC Card or PCI/USB adapter to increase network speeds. Alot of people don't know that but my 802.11G is NOTICEABLY IMPROVED with SpeedBooster router. I have the regular Linksy 802.11G PCI Adapter and a SpeedBooster 802.11G PCI adapter - both are FAST!
Router is fast, reliable, stable, and the range is EXCELLENT. This is a must buy if you want a fast file transferring, and secure home/business network! I recommended my friend and he couldn't be happier - he's a programmer so he uses a 3rd party firmware which allows a TONS of features for this router since it's Linux driven.
A+
|
Works as expected., September 8, 2004
By David (White Lake, MI)
I am new to the wireless lan area. I considered this rounter as well as that of D-Link and chose the Linksys based on other's recommendations. I got the router up and running in about 30 minutes with the help of the instructions. Everything has been stable thus far and I'm happy. For those of us who are new to the wireless scene, this seems to be a really easy product to use. Use the enclosed CD to help with the setup. Have fun.
|
Unbelievable, September 2, 2004
By Eugene B. Bell II (Lexington, KY)
How long does it take to have wireless in your home? Less than 5 minutes!!! Setup couldn't be easier. This is how computer products should communicate with your computer and service provider.
|
Plug, play and go!, August 18, 2004
By madman107 (NEW YORK, NY USA)
I've recently replaced my Linksys 802.11B router with this G-version and had no issues at all with the switch. Plugged in, installed new software / drivers and I was ready to go in a matter of minutes. The new version of the router has easy-to-use access to built-in firewalls and other tools to limit wireless access. I'm using this with an updated PCMCIA card (also Linksys) without any issues - very fast, much faster than the old 802.11b. I can actually use for online gaming without any significant degradation vs. being plugged directly in. All in all, a solid product which I'd recommend if you're looking for a wireless router.
|
The only thing difference between this and the WRT54G is..., August 13, 2004
By J. Dang (La Jolla, CA)
I love the WRT54G which I have bought for my home a year ago. I am a college student and just bought another one since I moved off campus. At first, I had trouble deciding between the WRT54G or the WRT54GS( with speedbooster). From first glance, the speedbooster tag seems enticing since everybody wants fast wireless transfers that would hopefully come close to wired networks. After reading some reviews and speaking to my best friend who works for Linksys , the only difference between the WRT54G and the WRT54GS is the flash and Ram memory. It is an upgrade from 4mb to 8mb for the flash, and 16mb to 32mb for the Ram. Basically you wont surf the internet any faster. The benefits of this is just transferring files from one computer to another will increase. For those who just want to share an internet connection, stick with the WRT54G and save the extra 20 bucks for a 30 pack of beer. If you like to transfer files between computers, spend the extra dough.
|
It works!!, August 3, 2004
By D.Z from NY (Flushing, NY United States)
Just pluged it in and EVERYTHING works! Let's see how long this router can last, so far so good.
|
Nice Upgrade, August 2, 2004
By M. S WEINER
It all started one evening when my visiting 19 year old son, picked a fight with his 14 year old sister. I had an established 802.11b home network that was functional and dependable. My son decided that to deprive my 14 year old daughter of internet access, he would just unplug the Wireless Access Point... to my dismay, the access point did not come back after this incident. I decided instead of using a BEFSR81 router with another WAP11 access point, I decided to go G, replacing the access point and the router. I see an appreciable difference in reception reaching all corners of the house. The setup was simple as with all of the Linksys products I've owned. Completly compatable with all my PCMCIA/PCI/USB devices, so I'll purchase a Linksys WPC54GS Wireless-G Notebook Adapter with SpeedBooster and see how it goes. It's been a cool summer and I enjoy computing on the deck.
|
|
|
| Copyright 2001-2007 WiFiReview.com |
|