| Linksys WRT54GS Wireless-G Broadband Router with SpeedBooster |
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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
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
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| User Reviews (433 total): |
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Completely Disappointed, August 1, 2004
By Caleb J. Howard (Los Angeles)
Review of the LinkSys WET54G bridge point, and WRT54GS router
Completely Disappointed
("two Stars", both for the support, and none for the products)
These LinkSys wireless device both failed utterly. The WET54G was replaced, and the replacement failed identically.
Who will repay me for my lost time, and productivity? Noone.
I have used LinkSys wired devices for years, and have found them reliable. This is why I purchased the LinkSys WRT54GS wireless router and WET54G bridge point despite their higher price, and negative reviews.
I must start by saying that LinkSys gets full points for the fine women and men in India whom they employ as their technical support staff. While I have mixed feelings for the socioeconomic ramifications of the North American jobs being outsourced to India, I must say that the general level of courtesy and expertise was higher than I have ever experienced before. Kudos to India for training such superior technicians who can work so much more cheaply than North Americans. In all, I spoke with eight LinkSys support technicians, and seven of these were from India. The Senior Support technician I spoke to in the end was in California, and he was also most excellent in his demeanor and knowledge.
That said, the devices don't work.
At first, I thought the router (WRT54GS) was working, and that I was experiencing signal drop out on the Bridge point side (WET54G). There was some initial contact, but it faded quickly to nothing. I suspected that the doors between the two points were affecting the radio signal, or that the local airport was interfering. Bringing both devices into the same room didn't help, though, and the airport shuts down at night - removing that as a source of interference. The senior support person I spoke to suggested that my wireless phones (also operating in the 2.4 GHz frequency range) could be interfering with the LinkSys products, but it made no difference when I disconnected them.
The Bridge point (WET54G) repeatedly power cycled itself - establishing a link for a few seconds, up to a few minutes, and then mysteriously shutting itself off, and losing the link. This happened every few minutes forever, and eventually it failed to find the wireless connection at all. It just sat there turning itself on again, and off again. After speaking to several technicians in India, I was advised to have the Bridge point replaced. The replacement failed identically.
No amount of tweaking, configuring, upgrading, or resetting makes it work for more than a few minutes. The failure is unrelated to distance between the nodes, time of day, version of the firmware, temperature of the product, OS of the host machine, or any other feature I may discern. It simply does not work. In fact, the two of them failed identically.
I had thought that at least the router (WRT54GS) was working, but I was wrong.
The router functions (or it's supposed to) as a 4-port wired router with a wireless connection. I was attributing the failure of the wireless connection to the Bridge point (WET54G). It took me a while to suspect that the wired connections to the router were perhaps failing sometimes as well. When I did notice that the configuration web page on the router was sometimes inaccessible through the wired ethernet port, I upgraded the firmware (on the advice of the local senior technician). This didn't seem to help, and in fact I then found that there was a complete failure of the wired machines to ping the router.
Unfortunately, when I re-reinstalled the firmware (guessing that the first reinstall had perhaps failed partially), the wired connection to the host failed in mid-upgrade, leaving the firmware corrupted, and unfixable. (There was no firmware to tell the machine how to upgrade the firmware - a sad state.)
The unit started lame, and died completely. Dead, dead, dead.
LinkSys has offered to replace the units, and to replace the bridge with the more recent version (WET54GV2), but I have declined the offer. At best, the units were sometimes working - transmitting with a 50% packet failure rate, which is unusable for me (and most people, I suspect). I now realize that I will fare much better with a trench, and a buried cable to my garage. Ironically, I had initially opted for the wireless equipment on the notion that it would be quicker and easier than digging a thirty foot trench. That was three painful weeks ago. I am now looking gleefully at the trench as the cheaper, quicker, easier, and more reliable option.
After having been a happy and loyal LinkSys customer for years, I am sad to say that I am utterly disappointed with my most recent experiences.
What a major drag. I am very frustrated. If you need speed, and reliability in your network solution, I strongly advise you to seek another solution than LinkSys Wireless devices
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Good signal strength, good connection, no problems, July 31, 2004
By dogstar49 (Denver, CO)
Setup was easy, even with another vendors wireless NIC and 128 bit WEP. Firewall setup is easy. Many options for lan gaming. My only complaint is I can't hack it the way was described in the latest issue of Linux Journal. No ping back door, they sewed it up. Oh well, I could go and load an older version of firmware I suppose.
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inept support and lousy product, July 30, 2004
By R. Andrews
I am on my third LinkSys wireless-G Model WRT54GS. The first one didn't work out of the box. After 2 hours with LinkSys tech support telling me the problem was my computer or my DSL modem, I gave up, exchanged the router for a new one and amazingly the new one worked.
Two months later the router ceased to function. Again I called LinkSys, spent 2 hours with their tech support and got the same run around as the first time that I had called. Again the problem could not possibly be with their product. According to them the problem had to be my computer, my DSL modem, my ISP/DSL provider. LinkSys tech support insists that no other customers are experiencing failures of their routers.
Tonight, my third router died and I cannot connect to the internet through the router either hard wired to the Ethernet port or with the LinkSys wireless card. As a matter of fact the wireless card does not even gat a "link" light. I tried to connect with another notebook computer using the built in wireless antenna and could not detect the router. I then tried to connect through the Ethernet port without success.
I spent 2 hours on the phone with LinkSys tech support again tonight. After hours or changing settings and not being able to connect through the LinkSys router, the LinkSys tech again gave me the party line. "The problem has to be my computer, my DSL modem, my ISP/DSL provider. LinkSys tech support insists that no other customers are experiencing failures of their routers.
I told the Tech that I was working with that I was sure that if I were to go out and buy another LinkSys router that it would work. I asked him if it did work would he agree that the one I currently have had died and is defective. I was told no; It would only prove that the problem is with my computer, my DSL modem, or my ISP/DSL provider. When I asked him to explain his reasoning, he couldn't.
I give up. Doesn't any company provide support anymore or do they just try to push their problems back off on the consumer? Purchasing a LinkSys router has been the worst choice that I have ever made. I will not make that mistake again.
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Works like a charm, July 28, 2004
By Martin (Atlanta, GA)
I bought this router to replace a Netgear 802.11b router that I've used for a couple of years. This one worked from the time I plugged it in. The DSL service I use required some changes to the MTU setting to pass along secure webpages, but the customer support solved it easily and it's described (a little obscurely) in the online documentation from Linksys.com. It provides good distance (>100 feet at highest speeds) and solid connections.
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What Speedbooster?, July 28, 2004
By Ronald (San Francisco, CA United States)
Ya ya ya, Turbo mode this turbo mode that. Super G, Afterburner,
4x Speed... is just a marketing hype.
First of course, you have to buy the Wireless adapter that
support the Linksys Afterburner. Another $$$.
Also, speed improvement is maybe only 7Mbps more than the
standard 802.11g Wireless Router.
Second, during Turbo mode the other brand of wireless adapter
won't connect.
Maybe speed booster is good when you use Wireless LAN with
only one or two Wireless adapter that has the same technology.
but not in a multi-vendor enviroment such as Small Office and
Public hotspot...
I would wait for the new 802.11n standard which is 100Mbps
in Real throughput and not just on Specs and marketing hype.
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Great product, July 27, 2004
By mix579 (Sudbury, MA)
I recently upgraded my network (3PCs, 2 laptops, 1 Tivo, 1 NAS) from b to g, and the WRT54gs works flawlessly with both b and g equipment. The feature set is very rich, but the administration interface is not that easy to navigate. The only problem I have seen so far is that the Linksys EFG80 NAS has come to a screetching halt after the upgrade, but I suspect it is a problem with the NAS box, not the router.
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Worth every penny!!!, July 21, 2004
By C. Haar (Chicago, IL USA)
This router works wonderfully. I have set it up wired with my desktop and wireless with the Lynksys wireless-G PCI with Speedbooster for another desktop. Both run at or near the same speeds when Im browsing the internet or downloading. Setup was so simple. I do not know how this router will work with other wireless devices, but the linksys products connect to each other without out any problems.
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excellent product, July 18, 2004
By unknown
no problems so far with 1 airport extreme card and one linksys PCI 802.11g on a win xp box. using stock firmware. worked well immediately, is fast, and stable. avoid the d-link pci card, had problems with this router.
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If the router doesn't work, you are out of luck, July 13, 2004
By unknown
I bought a Linksys router in October 2003, and still have not gotten it to work wirelessly. The box did not include the installation CD, and I was told by Linksys that I could BUY one if I wanted. I have emailed, faxed, wrote, and of course called, with no help. I have asked for an RMA, and was told "I think that has something to do with returning the product". Linksys tech support is terrible. Buy at your own risk.
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Not dual-voltage -- don't buy if you live overseas, July 13, 2004
By jenherrin (APO, AE)
Don't bother reading this if you live in the States or Canada, but if you are one of the many Americans stationed overseas who buy electronics online, you might benefit from my frustrating experience.When the router arrived, I read the box very closely; even though every other piece of computer equipment I've purchased in the last few years has been dual-voltage, I wanted to make sure this one was, too. The box doesn't specify the input power requirements, but it does say "For all EU countries" and specifically refers to using it in France and Italy. So I logically assumed that I would indeed be able to use this product in Europe without needing a transformer. But no. The power adapter is 120V only. I've been trying for over a month to get Linksys to send me a 220V-compatible adapter -- I know they make them; Linksys is worldwide. But every call and email I've sent (and there have been many, to the UK and Germany as well as to the States' outsourced customer service locations) has only resulted in being told to call someone else. Customers can request a replacement power adapter from the Linksys website; I did that, specifying the 220V version, and was sent another 120V one (incidentally, I had to have it sent to my parents, who forwarded it to me, as Linksys refuses to ship to APO addresses). I guess the good people at Linksys thought I didn't know what I wanted. So -- I can't evaluate the product itself because I haven't used it yet. But the customer service has been extremely disappointing.
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horrible product, July 11, 2004
By unknown
Router worked great when first installed, but within a day, I was no longer able to connect to the Internet OR communicate w/ the router. Returned the Linksys router and bought a D-Link router which has been working wonderfully so far.
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great router highly recommened, July 10, 2004
By unknown
i bought this router without no knowledge and it was very easy to hook up i have a wireless laptop and works very very good am very pleased.
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EXCELLENT PRODUCT AND EASY TO SET-UP, July 7, 2004
By unknown
Whomever wrote the negative reviews for this product are sure scammers in the form of employees of other manufacturers of wireless equipment.
This router is EXTREMELY easy to set-up and use and I was online and wireless in less than 15 minutes. I sat at our pool 275' away from the router and was able to still be on the web (through 1 wall and 1 tall brick fence.)I also bought the Laptop Seedbooster card and it worked flawlessly. Excellent equipment....I would buy Linksys again !!!
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Its worth the installation headache, July 5, 2004
By Steve Hansu Kim (Orange County, CA)
Yea... it was a pain to setup. Especially because I'm using AOL DSL. I tried the setup disk and everything seemed to be going great but in the end, the computer didn't recognize my modem. I looked online at Linksys.com and under support I typed in AOL and then it showed a list of Q&A. I read a couple of them and tried it. I figured out that the instructions were a little off and eventually got it all working in just under 3 hours. If I were to do it again, I think I could set it all up in like 20 minutes.As far as performance, My Sony Viao PCG-Z1VA has a built-in 802.11b but I wanted the best performance possible so I got the Linksys WPC54GS Wireless-G Notebook Adapter with SpeedBooster to match. Connection to the web from my laptop is unbelievable. Its as if I was on the desktop, wired directly in the modem. I ran some speed tests and it shows that I'm on par with the desktop. My signal strength is around 80% throughout the entire house. The transfer rate is consistently around 125.0 Mbps. Its as if the notebook is just another drive in my desktop. I couldn't ask for better performance.
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Tech Support Nightmare, June 18, 2004
By unknown
I spoke with six people in technical support over three hours, and at the end of it all, I could only get an apology. The software problem appears to lie more with the wireless card than the router, but why have one without the other. You can have mine.
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Works great plus Parental Controls, June 17, 2004
By dan4ster (San Diego)
I got this router primarily for the parental control feature so I will primarily comment on that, but routing and wireless functions seem to work great and I have had no problems with them.I know this smacks of big brother, but I really didn't want to have to hover over my 12 year old's shoulder every time he was on the computer and explain all the **** out there. So far the parental controls have worked well for us. You can set up accounts for all family members if you want and set the limits accordingly. The drawback is there is a login prompt when you first try to access the internet. You can setup limits for the time of day that the internet can be accessed and what type of content can be viewed. My main objective was to filter out hardcore porn type stuff which it seems to do fairly well without interfering with normal surfing. It works for me a lot better than Norton's Internet Security software which really slowed my computer down. With this solution once you log on, you hardly know its there. The down side is there is a yearly subscription fee (about $40). Of course Norton has a subscription fee as well. I don't mind paying it as long as they keep their end of the bargain by providing up-to-date filters. Another thing that I like about this solution (but it can be a drawback) is that it works for all things connected to the network. For example if a friend brings a laptop over or you have an X-Box that connects to the internet, etc. It may cause problems for some devices (e.g. ReplayTv). I had to switch my ReplayTv back to a telephone connection. With a 802.11b PocketPc I still had to login to my account (through the browser) but I was able to access the internet.
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Great Product, June 9, 2004
By unknown
I bought this about a month ago and it works great. Just stick in the CD and it will automatically configure everything for you. Its so simple. It also comes with a Cat5 cable which is nice.
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Flawless, June 3, 2004
By dpuck (Vicksburg, MI United States)
I've had this product for about 6 months now and it works excellent. Setup is easy yet advanced enough to do port
forwarding and hardware address forced DHCP.
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Superior product at a reasonable price, May 28, 2004
By funkycolor (Daly City, CA United States)
I've been a Linksys user since my first 4-port DSL router. Unfortunately I made a bad decision when I upgraded to a 802.11g AP. I bought a Netgear 802.11g AP based on the recommendation from CNET. Then my nightmare began!! Whilst the wireless signal strength was quite decent, the connection was dodgy. After months of suffering it finally came to an end today... from the moment I setup the WRT54GS router. :-) The web GUI is well organized and easy to follow. Connection speed as well as response time is far better than my old Netgear AP that has a very high latency in initiating connection. I used to have problems in maintaining my PPTP connection to my office. Now it's stable as rock!! Overall this is a very well built product with solid support (in terms of firmware updates/bug fixes).
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Very Good Router & Xbox Live Compatible, May 23, 2004
By unknown
I have had this router for about a week, upgrading from an outdated router, and have been very impressed. It is easy to use and set-up (even the security settings: WEP, MAC address control, etc.). I am running a mixed wireless network (802.11b & g) and file transfer, internet, etc. work great. I initially had trouble with Xbox Live (on LAN), but when you go into the Xbox's "Network Settings" and have it find the router again, it works fine. The problem was the Xbox had a different IP address that needed to be reset to the IP address given to it by the WRT54GS (firmware version 2.07.1). DO NOT turn off your your security settings like previous reviews have suggested, it is unneeded. Overall, a great router.
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