| Netgear WGE111 54 Mbps Wireless Game Adapter |
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Model: WGE111NA
Brand: Netgear
Manufacturer: Netgear
Average Rating: 
(submit your review here)
Total Reviews: 25
Form factor: External
Hardware platform: PC
Data link protocol: Ethernet, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g
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| Features: |
Link any game console with an Ethernet port to a wireless network
Can be attached to a game console's Ethernet port
Small, sleek casing comes equipped with a stand to allow for vertical placement
External switch allows easy selection between Internet and AdHoc (LAN) modes, for either on-line or LAN gaming
Compatible with standard 802.11g and 802.1b wireless routers and access points |
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| Description: |
| The WGE111 54 Mbps Wireless Game Adapter is the perfect solution for gamers who love online and LAN play but don't love having a tangle of wires all over the place. The WGE111 can be attached to a game console's Ethernet port to link to console to a wireless network for Internet gaming. For LAN (AdHoc) gaming, two WGE111 or more units can be used to link two game consoles to each other, without a wireless router even being needed - ideal for LAN parties. |
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| User Reviews (25 total): |
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Best video game investment ever, June 4, 2008
By user (NYC)
replaced a linksys gaming adapter with this one and it revolutionized my gaming! instantly connected to my wireless network and was playing online games in no time! great buy and i recommend to everyone wanting a hassle free, affordable solution to online gaming!
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Good, cheap and working most of the time, January 21, 2007
By user (Israel)
I it about 6 months ago (may be a bit more). All in all it worked out of the box. The only problems I've experienced with it were:
1) No WPA-PSK2 support (and no firmware upgrade up until now). I had to go back to WPA-PSK (not 2).
2) My usage with it is to connect my xbox wirelessly and sometimes, after the XBox was shutdown for a while and the adapter was on, it freaks out and doesn't really connect to the network, so I need to recycle its power.
All in all, when it works, it works well without major problems and my XBox is quite fine with it.
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brand new item like described netgear WGE111, November 4, 2006
By user
EXCELLENT ITEM BUT I DIDN'T NEED IT. SO I RETURNED IT AND THIS COMPANY WAS GREAT DID THE RETURN NO PROBLEMS
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Working OK, August 27, 2006
By user (Dominican Republic)
It works OK, except I couldn't make it work with automatic IP (DHCP), I had to configure the netgear Bridge and the game console's IP both manually.
After a month using it, it has only "freezed" one time.
Update (Jan-2007): Using another console (XBOX360) the console gets the IP automatically. (The bridge's IP is still manual)
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Works Perfectly - Great for SlingBox Wireless Networking, August 12, 2006
By user (Southeast US)
I purchased this NetGear adapter in order to connect my SlingBox to my wireless network. Worked perfectly right out of the box! First I plugged the adapter into my laptop computer in order to configure it to my network settings (took less than 5 min). Then plugged it into the Slingbox and I was up and running. It's small, it works, and the speed is very acceptable (54 mbps). Win/Win!
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WGE111 54 Mbps Wireless Game Adapter, July 8, 2006
By user (San Jose CA)
Bought this to use with my Xbox 360. If you use security then you have to set it up on your PC first, then it just plugs into the 360. Needs its own power block though, unlike the Microsoft one.
Has worked flawlessly since connecting to the 360.
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Netgear WGE111 - almost perfect WiFi adapter, July 6, 2006
By user (Portland, OR US)
I own 2 WGE111s.
one connects a Series2 dual-tuner TiVo to our WPA-secured domestic WiFi network. it has worked flawlessly for 2 months and counting.
the other is intended to bridge between my parents' home network and a neighbor's house, to share a broadband connection.
getting this to work was a pain; then shortly after I finally did, the unit died. either it was a casualty of normal, rare electronic "infant mortality", or perhaps it overheated (it was installed in an attic, and we were experiencing unusually hot weather.) I'm currently trying to get a replacement.
performance: very good.
setup: mostly straightforward. once configured correctly with a pre-shared WPA key, the adapter simply and repeatedly connects to the target router, and Just Does It.
however:
a) the config utility on CD-ROM is Windows-only. others must use the onboard Web interface.
b) this is NOT as automatic as accessing the Web interface on a standard router; by design the adapter isn't a DHCP server, so your Ethernet port won't auto-configure for it. clearer, explicit TCP/IP settings in the documentation would help.
c) out of the box, the TiVo unit worked perfectly.
but while the LAN-bridging unit worked with several routers I tested: Netgear WPN824v2; Belkin F5D7230-4; Linksys WRT54GC -- it couldn't acquire an IP address from the Linksys WRT54G router I actually needed to connect to.
d) new firmware for the WGE111 was easy to find on Netgear's site. mine were one version behind.
e) actually updating firmware was harder.
repeated efforts via a Windows XP laptop failed: the upload progress bar appeared, reached 100%; but the adapter never self-restarted at the end. at least the units weren't "bricked" in the process.
finally succeeded using a Mac OS X Powerbook (go figure).
f) the update fixed compatibility with the Linksys WRT54G -- that is, until the WGE111 died a couple hours later. hopefully, its replacement will last longer.
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Works great! Setup documentation was a bit confusing., July 2, 2006
By user (Grand Rapids, MI)
I am using this as a wireless bridge for my VOIP phone adapter (from SunRocket). My router is downstairs, but I wanted the phone adapter in my office upstairs to check status lights.
Like I said in the title, the documentation is a bit confusing. It may help to know some basic networking concepts. I did get it setup without calling tech support, but I have a pretty good networking background. It is easily reset to factory defaults if you need to start over.
Here's some setup tips:
Leave it with the default configured IP address so you can connect it directly to a computer with a network cable to configure your network security settings. Once you have the security settings right and see it talking to your router, set it to DHCP and disconnect from your computer. Then plug into the network port of your game console (or, in my case, the WAN port of the phone adapter).
Remember that this device is basically a wireless bridge. It has a wireless network adapter and a hard-wired network adapter that share the same configuration. Once it is in DHCP mode, if you want to connect it to a computer to check configurations, you will need to setup a DHCP server on your computer to talk to it.
But the good news is, it is a pretty simple device and once setup properly you won't have to do anything else.
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Works for ReplayTV, June 11, 2006
By user (Olathe, ks United States)
After 2 failed attempts with other types of wireless equipment, this Netgear WGE111 worked very well to connect my ReplayTV to my D-Link wireless router. I can't give it 5 stars because it shipped with a defective 3ft ethernet cable which wasted 10 minutes of effort. After swapping the cable out: 1. I shut off the wireless on my laptop to avoid signal interference and used a ethernet cable for connections, 2. logged into my router and turned off all encription/security, checked IP filtering allowed the Netgear IP, 3. logged on to the netgear game adapter and set the password and waited for a connection, 4. After a couple of minutes without a connection, I hit the hard reset on the netgear and waited again, it connected after 2 minutes. 5. Logged in to my router and netgear and set up the security on both. I rechecked that it connected with security on and hooked up to ReplayTV, worked fine. It does seem to slow down my laptop wireless speed when it's operating, so I leave it off unless downloading the ReplayTV. I have 2 ReplayTVs so I might get another to see if they can stream video wirelessly. With the laptop interference I've seen, it would be better to hardwire I'm sure.
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Cheap, Quick & Reliable, April 2, 2006
By user (Austin, TX, United States)
I recently purchased this item along with the Netgear WGR614 802.11g Wireless Router and I can honestly say, the product is great. You'll be hard pressed to find a Game Adapter that is as easy to use while still being reliable and affordable.
The actual adapter itself is quite small and the same color as the current gen console systems, so it doesn't draw any attention to itself. The dimensions are a little under 7"x4"x1", which in real life terms is about the size of two deck of cards stacked next to eachother.
Setup was as easy as plugging in the wires, and turning on the console of choice (it supports both the PS2 & Xbox systems... and possibly the XBox360). There is no software to install, in fact, the software CD is basically an Acrobat file of the instructions that comes with the Adapter in paper form. I was actually amazed that I ran into no problems on the setup.
The room in which this device resides is filled with many other high tech devices that might interfere with the reception: cordless phone, networked printer, home entertainment center, home pc, wireless keyboard, wireless mouse etc etc, and I've had no signs of lag, nor have I been disconnected once.
I was really worried about my first endeavor into the wireless online front, and thanks to Netgear's great products, I can play & surf with peace of mind.
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Works great with D-Link, March 27, 2006
By user
I use this to connect my Xbox-360 to live. I was worried that this might not be compatable with my cheap D-Link router but it works pretty much flawlessly. My D-Link model is DI-524 if you are interested. I don't have any lag issues. The only thing to worry about is that I have to restart the WGE111 usually after it has been on for a day or two before I use it. I just hooked it up to an outlet that has a switch on the wall so I can easily turn it off when not in use.
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Excellent Product, February 28, 2006
By user (New York, NY)
I bought this to replace the Linksys WGA54G Wireless-G Gaming Adapter I had for my Xbox. The Linksys was unstable and a nightmare to configure. The Netgear adapter required zero set up. I plugged it in and was connected to XboxLive in seconds! I have also used this device to put an ancient(OS 8) Macintosh on my network. it worked flawlessly then too.
I can't say enough good things about the Netgear adapter and reccomend it highly.
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Great for 1 device, February 7, 2006
By user (Columbia, MD USA)
Works great for one device. But I have this hooked up to a switch, then an Xbox and a video device. Trouble is that this adapter takes the MAC address of the first device it sees. Basically this means you can only have one device connected to the WGE111 without having to reboot the WGE111 then turn on the other device.
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Great product, easy configuration, January 5, 2006
By user (Glenview, IL)
This works on my PS2 well. The configuration was set up from my PC so I can use it with the security on my network. Once I followed those easy step by step instructions, I used it on my PS2 with the network adapter ethernet port. If you dont have the network adapter for the PS2 than you need to get that before this, otherwise there is no port to hook the adapter up too. It connected right away and I was playing online instantly. Great product if you dont want to run a ethernet wire through walls to play your PS2 online. It is also a lot smaller than the picture makes it look.
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Great way to network a game console (or anything else), December 4, 2005
By user (Pensacola, Florida, USA)
Strengths: Very configurable, (relatively) good price, nice-looking
Weaknesses: Complicated setup, no 108mbps model available
All in all, the WGE111 wireless gaming adapter is a great piece of hardware. Not only is it priced competitively with other gaming adapters and wireless bridges (so-called wireless gaming adapters are virtually identical to wireless bridges), but it's also the best-looking unit on the market by far. I was particularly impressed by the sturdy and stable vertical stand that's included in the box. Unlike most other stands I've encountered for this type/size of hardware, it snaps onto the unit securely and is not prone to toppling over at the slightest upset.
Gaming performance over Xbox Live is great; I've noticed no difference between using this adapter and plugging the console directly into my router via ethernet cable (and my Xbox is located a fair distance away from my router).
My two gripes with the WGE111 are minor--neither one will impact anyone's day-to-day experience with the adapter--but they are important to note. First of all, it's unfortunate that Netgear doesn't offer a 108mbps variety of this adapter that's compatible with their other 108mbps 802.11g devices. Admittedly, an Xbox or PS2 would never even remotely need that kind of speed, but for consumers with 108mbps wireless networks it's always good to have all wireless devices on a network running the same protocol at the same speed.
Secondly, the setup of this adapter is quite complicated. In order to use the device on a security-enabled network, consumers need to first configure the adapter by connecting it to a PC with an included ethernet cable and running the provided setup wizard. This should be a simple task, but the software refused to locate and identify my adapter until I disabled my router's WEP encryption, leaving my network unsecured and vulnerable during setup. I live in a multiple-network environment (an apartment building) with one or two unsecured networks in the area, and the adapter would automatically connect to the first available unsecured network, rendering it invisible to my own and to the setup software. The ethernet connection to the PC should have trumped this, but it did not. As a result, the setup of my adapter probably took about 45 minutes--much longer than it should have.
After initial setup, however, the adapter has worked flawlessly, and it's quite configurable as well via a browser-based interface. What makes the WGE111 even more configurable is a small switch on the rear to quickly change between infrastructure and ad hoc modes, allowing users to quickly setup ad hoc LAN games between consoles. This is one feature that sets this adapter apart from other wireless bridges, and it should come in quite handy if you ever connect multiple consoles for multiplayer games.
Overall, this is a great piece of hardware. Despite its few shortcomings, it is an exceptional and reliable performer once it's up and running.
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Plug and Play, November 15, 2005
By user (Seattle, WA United States)
I bought this because I needed a Wireless to Ethernet Bridge. Why is it so hard to find one? I went to several stores online and retail and could not find one in stock. I tried a D-link 5-way router but it turns out that it requires a second identical router on the other end, which was useless to me. These "game" adapters are marketed as being for game consoles but I decided what the heck, I'll see how it'll work with my Mac. The manual says that setup required connecting to a PC, but I plugged it in, connected it to my Mac and it found my open wireless network and I was surfing the net right away. No setup was needed. I was wondering whether this deviced was limited in any way since it was sold as a game adapter, but it seems to pass all packets correctly and all ports are open. The only thing I don't like about it is that it runs very warm. I wonder how long it will last.
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Crashes under heavy load., November 14, 2005
By user (Seattle, WA)
Works fine under light use, but crashes after a couple of hours of heavy use (streaming audio or video.) Sometimes only the embedded configuration web server crashes, but the unit still operates as a bridge. Usually, it's a more serious crash, and requires a power cycle to get working again. I'm using WPA-TKIP.
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Cake to setup - Very good Signal Range!, October 21, 2005
By user (USA)
I read the reviews below with people struggling to set this WGE111 up. I'm not sure of their Computer Apptitude, as I had this setup in no time.
I configured the device with my laptop directly connected to it. I configured it for WEP (My other Devices don't currently support WPA).
It never fails and has GREAT signal strength to my Wireless Router across the house.
I bought one for my Tivo and one for my SlingBox both work fine with this.
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Works fine, but watch out for confusing mac address labelling and behaviour, September 27, 2005
By user
Managed to get the adapter working fine with WPA-PSK while configured with a static IP address. It's connected to a Netgear wireless access point, which is connected to a Netgear ADSL modem router (DHCP turned off).
One major problem I had though was with the mac address of the device while configuring MAC address filtering on my access point - the label on the back of the adapter was incorrect (or was for the wired ethernet port) and there were no other labels with "MAC address" written on it on the adapter. To get around this, I turned off MAC address filtering on the access point, connected the adapter to the wireless access point, look at what are connected to the access point and their MAC addresses, then add those MAC addresses (made sure they were all mine) to the "Allow" list on the access point. Now everything is working as it should, though I have to say that I have never had this kind of problem before.
[Note, if you move the adapter to a different machine, then the mac address of the adapter also changes. I've checked where this address is coming from: the wired ethernet interface that the adapter connects to. It seems that this adapter bridges not only the IP address, but also the MAC address of the ethernet card (in which case, you can just "ipconfig /all" to find out your wired ethernet MAC address). It could just be a matter of RTFM, but I certainly wasn't expecting this.]
No other complaints though, but then I'm a techie.
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don't buy this!, September 24, 2005
By user
not only is this product hell to get working, there is absolutly no tech support (unless you are willing to pay). And nowhere is it ever explained how to get this product working while keeping your security setting. apparently, you have to turn off your firewall, your anti-virus and any wireless passkeys or protection in order to use this product.
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